BY JEFF FALK
SOUTH LEBANON – It may be inevitable and it may be the only constant, but change is part of the game. If in fact one resists it, he or she risks being left behind.
Change is also like adversity. A matter of ‘if’ not ‘when’, but what’s most important is how it’s managed.
And while change may be constant, that doesn’t mean it’s consistent. To study change is to examine the nature of ebbs and flows.
While the Cedar Crest football program continues to improve and evolve overall, it could see more than its share of change this season. For the Falcons, 2016 may just be the year of change.
So what’s specifically new with the Falcons? Here’s just a cross-section: new goals; a new section; a new classification; renewed hopes for a return to the playoffs; and no more Evan Horn.
“It’s different teams. Different strategies,” said Cedar Crest head coach Rob Wildasin of his program’s much ballyhooed switch from Section One of the Lancaster-Lebanon League to Section Two. “Different offenses. Different defenses. But tt’s the same level of competition in my opinion.
“It’s different challenges,” continued Wildasin. “It’s different teams. It’s different facilities and different experiences. Maybe we should mix it up more often. It’s the stuff that makes high school sports fun.”
There you have it.
Some believe the realignment that the Falcons went through will provide them a better chance to be competitive. Others don’t see much difference in the quality of the programs in the two sections, from top to bottom. So what will be interesting to see is the exact effect the swap will have on Cedar Crest’s upcoming campaign.
Last season, while competing in Section One, Cedar Crest went 5-6 overall. The Falcons closed with a flourish, winning their last three regular-season tilts to qualify for the District Three Class AAAA playoff tournament.
It was the Falcons’ first trip to the district postseason in nearly 20 years. This year, Cedar Crest will compete as a six-A team under the PIAA’s new classification guidelines.
“It was fun,” recalled Wildasin. “We had a goal to make the district playoffs, and we were proud to achieve that goal. But this year is this year. It really is.
“I think overall, we wanted to get better all across the board,” Wildasin continued. “But as camp goes on, you can identify where you need to get better. It’s part of figuring out a team.”
While the Falcons have been reluctant to place tangible goals before themselves in the past, this year the story seems to be different. Let’s just say that seven is Cedar Crest’s lucky number.
If the Falcons are able to reach that many wins, it would figure to put them in the hunt for a District Three playoff berth.
“We have talked about goals,” said Wildasin, who’s in his third season of leading the Falcons. “We have one team goal – seven wins. We talked about seven wins. That’s our goal. I don’t care where they come from.
“We’re well on our way to making it happen,” added Wildasin. “The keys are executing and trusting each other. But we can’t test that until we get into tough situations.”
Here’s something else to like about the Falcons – their balance and versatility. Cedar Crest seems to have a lot of guys who can contribute, in the running game and in the passing game, on offense and on defense, in the trenches and on the outside.
Cedar Crest’s success could revolve around the game management of sophomore quarterback Logan Horn, the inside running of senior back Justice Belleman and the overall play of its offensive line. The Falcons sport a number of talented skill people with the likes of Greyson Williams, Zach Keffer, Tate Seyfert, A.J. Apple and Greg Munnion, just to name a few.
“Our strength is the team,” said Wildasin. “We lost some superstars. But we fill in the holes with a great collective group. We need to do it together.
“Obviously we’ll know our weaknesses better by Saturday morning,” Wildasin added. “But we do have some places where we needed to replace some guys.”
The Falcons possess some building blocks upon which to construct offensive and defensive lines. Up front, Cedar Crest is headed by Garrett de Ben and Terrell Davis, but the Falcons are also expecting contributions from guys like Luis Minaya, Sam Alvarez, Brock Eisenhauer and Nick Stout.
“I know we’ve made great progress in practice,” said Wildasin. “But that doesn’t mean anything until we start playing games. On Friday night (during the annual Cedar Bowl meeting with rival Lebanon) someone’s going to walk out with a win, and someone’s going to walk out with a loss. That’s all we need to know.”
The Falcons’ roster numbers in the high 50s, and 14 of those players are seniors.
To purchase images in this article email jkfalk2005@yahoo.com, or to view more go to www.http://lebanonsportsbuzz.com/gallery-11/.
2016 Cedar Crest Football Schedule| DATE | OPPONENT | TIME | LOCATION | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09/02 |
@Lebanon
|
7:00 PM | Lebanon High School | |
| 09/09 |
Northern Lebanon
|
7:00 PM | Cedar Crest High School | |
| 09/16 |
@Lower Dauphin
|
7:00 PM | Lower Dauphin High School | |
| 09/23 * |
Ephrata
|
7:00 PM | Cedar Crest High School | |
| 09/30 * |
Garden Spot
|
7:00 PM | Cedar Crest High School | |
| 10/07 * |
@Cocalico
|
7:00 PM | Cocalico High School | |
| 10/14 * |
@Solanco
|
7:00 PM | Solanco High School | |
| 10/21 * |
Manheim Central
|
7:00 PM | Cedar Crest High School | |
| 10/28 * |
@Elizabethtown
|
7:00 PM | Elizabethtown High School | |
| 11/04 * |
Lampeter-Strasburg
|
7:00 PM | Cedar Crest High School |
2015 Cedar Crest Results
| DATE | OPPONENT | TIME | RESULT | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09/04 |
Lebanon
|
7:00 PM | W 41-7 | ||
| 09/11 |
@Lower Dauphin
|
7:00 PM | L 13-35 | ||
| 09/18 |
Manheim Central
|
7:00 PM | L 14-30 | ||
| 09/25 * |
Warwick
|
7:00 PM | W 34-10 | ||
| 10/02 * |
@Wilson West Lawn
|
7:00 PM | L 14-35 | ||
| 10/09 * |
@Manheim Twp.
|
7:30 PM | L 12-21 | ||
| 10/16 * |
@Hempfield
|
7:00 PM | L 35-38 | ||
| 10/23 * |
@McCaskey
|
7:00 PM | W 25-7 | ||
| 10/30 * |
Conestoga Valley
|
7:00 PM | W 37-14 | ||
| 11/06 * |
Penn Manor
|
7:00 PM | W 48-21 | ||
| 11/13 # |
@Exeter Twp.
|
7:00 PM | L 0-46 |
2016 Cedar Crest Football Roster
| NO. | Name | GR. | Ht. | Wt. | Pos.(s) |
| 1 | Neisso Dorvil | 10 | 5’2″ | 135 | RB/CB |
| 2 | Greg Munnion | 12 | 6’1″ | 190 | RB/DE |
| 3 | Zeb Lasta | 12 | 5’8″ | 150 | WR/CB |
| 4 | Logan Horn | 10 | 5’10” | 150 | QB/CB |
| 5 | Jabin Joseph | 12 | 6’0″ | 180 | WR/CB |
| 6 | Tate Seyfert | 12 | 5’11” | 170 | WR/CB |
| 7 | AJ Apple | 11 | 5’10” | 165 | RB/LB |
| 8 | Luis Minaya | 12 | 6’1″ | 205 | TE/DE |
| 9 | Greyson Williams | 12 | 5’10” | 170 | WR/CB |
| 10 | Tanner Miller | 11 | 6′ | 175 | QB/OLB |
| 11 | Zach Garrett | 10 | 5’10 | 180 | QB/LB |
| 12 | Nate French | 11 | 6′ | 170 | WR/FS |
| 13 | Dylan Walborn | 11 | 5’8″ | 150 | WR/CB |
| 14 | Sam Sierra | 11 | 5’10” | 150 | WR/CB |
| 16 | Parker Little | 10 | 6′ | 165 | QB |
| 17 | Chad Ryland | 11 | 5’10” | 155 | K/P |
| 18 | Devon Bernard | 12 | 6’1″ | 210 | TE/LB |
| 20 | Tyler Eisenhauer | 11 | 6’1″ | 180 | TE/DE |
| 21 | Victor Ramos | 12 | 5’8″ | 175 | RB/LB |
| 22 | Ethan Stickler | 12 | 5’10” | 190 | TE/LB |
| 23 | Brandon Showers | 11 | 6′ | 170 | WR/FS |
| 24 | Michael Cole | 11 | 5’6″ | 150 | RB/CB |
| 25 | Justice Belleman | 12 | 5’10” | 215 | RB/LB |
| 26 | Nate Trovinger | 11 | 5’10” | 190 | RB/LB |
| 27 | Zach Keffer | 12 | 5’11” | 185 | WR/SS |
| 28 | Essay Santos | 10 | 5’8″ | 150 | RB/CB |
| 31 | Eli Ritter | 10 | 5’10” | 160 | WR/OLB |
| 32 | Kendell Shand | 11 | 5’8″ | 150 | RB/CB |
| 33 | Brody Dunlop | 10 | 5’9″ | 165 | WR/SS |
| 40 | Gage Ebersole | 10 | 5’9″ | 165 | RB/SS |
| 42 | Ethan Beare | 10 | 5’8″ | 175 | TE/LB |
| 50 | Brayden Martin | 12 | 5’11” | 240 | OL/DL |
| 51 | Garrett DeBien | 12 | 6’2″ | 240 | OL/DT |
| 52 | Gavin Singh | 12 | 5’10” | 255 | OL/DT |
| 53 | Frank Honey | 11 | 6′ | 200 | OL/LB |
| 55 | Terrell Davis | 12 | 6’5″ | 290 | OL/DL |
| 56 | Isaac Vera | 11 | 5’8″ | 170 | OL/LB |
| 57 | Noah Spang | 10 | 6′ | 220 | OL/DL |
| 58 | Austin Bohr | 10 | 5’9″ | 170 | OL/LB |
| 59 | Tommy Mee-Say | 11 | 5’7″ | 230 | OL/DL |
| 60 | Brock Eisenhauer | 11 | 5’11” | 190 | OL/DL |
| 61 | Andrew McCafferty | 10 | 6’2″ | 230 | OL/DL |
| 62 | Trevor Kline | 11 | 5’7″ | 210 | OL/DL |
| 66 | Nate Shaeffer | 10 | 5’10” | 200 | OL/DE |
| 67 | Derrick Via | 10 | 5’7″ | 185 | OL/DL |
| 70 | Nick Stout | 10 | 6′ | 230 | OL/DL |
| 71 | Jaydon Showers | 10 | 5’11” | 195 | OL/DL |
| 72 | Sam Alvarez | 12 | 6″2″ | 255 | OL/DE |
| 75 | Austin Long | 11 | 6’0″ | 265 | OL/DL |
| 77 | Gustavo Marcial | 10 | 6′ | 280 | OL/DL |
| 79 | Ross Fisher | 12 | 6′ | 265 | OL/DL |
| 80 | Trey Kalbach | 10 | 5’8″ | 145 | WR/FS |
| 81 | Devin Shay | 10 | 6′ | 185 | WR/DE |
| 82 | Tony Brewer | 10 | 5’8″ | 140 | WR/CB |
| 84 | Adam Loehr | 11 | 6’1″ | 180 | WR/LB |
| 85 | Nate Cavic | 11 | 6’1″ | 185 | TE/DE |
| 88 | Alex Progin | 11 | 6′ | 155 | WR/CB |
| 99 | Michael Rubinstein | 12 | 6’0″ | 160 | K |
Cedar Bowl History
2015 – Cedar Crest 41, Lebanon 7
2014 – Cedar Crest 38, Lebanon 24
2013 – Cedar Crest 40, Lebanon 24
2012 – Cedar Crest 67, Lebanon 0
2011 – Lebanon 47, Cedar Crest 14
2010 – Lebanon 35, Cedar Crest 7
2009 – Cedar Crest 33, Lebanon 14
1993 — Cedar Crest 35, Lebanon 20
1986 — Cedar Crest 14, Lebanon 0
Note: Cedar Crest leads the all-time series 28-15-1
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