BY JEFF FALK

SOUTH LEBANON – Save for one mistake, the Cedar Crest defense played a perfect game last night.

In the past, that lone mistake might have cost the Falcons an outcome. But this time this defense simply atoned for itself.

Defense was the theme of the evening on Friday night on Edward and Jeannie Arnold Field at Earl Boltz Stadium, as the Falcons used a stellar defensive effort to shut down Garden Spot 11-7. Fronted by its defense and special teams, the Falcons were opportunistic, managed the game well offensively and scored in a variety of ways – a touchdown, a field goal and a safety.

With the outcome very much in doubt late in the fourth quarter, the Falcons came up with the safety to ice it, tackling speedy Spartan Mark Focht in the end zone on a punt return. It was the same Focht who had bolted 82 yards down the left sidelines six minutes earlier to give Garden Spot its only points of the contest and pull his side to within 9-7 of Cedar Crest’s lead.

Thanks to that defense, the Falcons’ 4-1 start is one of their best in recent memories. Now 2-0 in Section Two of the Lancaster-Lebanon League, Cedar Crest has given up a mere 59 points through five games this year.

It was also Cedar Crest’s sixth straight win at Edward and Jeannie Arnold Field at Earl Boltz Stadium dating back over a year.

The result dropped Garden Spot to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in Section Two.

“Other than that one play, they played as good as you can against a football team like that,” said Cedar Crest head coach Rob Wildasin of a defensive unit that also caused three turnovers. “We stepped up at the end. We finished.

“They’re just physical,” continued Wildasin. “They’re well coached. We want that. I want it to be a defense-first program. That’s what I wanted when I took over. I’m a defensive guy. I’d rather have that. I don’t like shootouts.”

The Falcon defense could also be commended for setting up the offense with good field position most of the evening.

After a scoreless opening 12 minutes of action, it was a takeaway that helped produce Cedar Crest’s touchdown and a 6-0 lead. Sophomore quarterback Logan Horn took it in from three yards out, with 8:21 left in the second quarter, after A.J. Apple had ripped off a 22-yard run.

“Four-and-one is a big difference from where we used to be,” said Wildasin. “I’m happy. This is a good win for us. In some ways it’s very important.

“You’ve got to learn how to win close games,” Wildasin continued. “We haven’t won close games since I’ve been here. But I like the way we finished.”

The Falcons added to their lead and made it a two-possession game at 9-0, with 4:02 left in the third quarter. Chad Ryland booted a 19-yard field goal on the end of an eight-play, 29-yard possession that was set up by a short Garden Spot punt.

Highlighting the drive were an 18-yard run from Tate Seyfert and a 14-yard connection between Horn and Greg Munnion.

“They’re a very good team. They have very good players,” said Wildasin of the Spartans. “We were ready for the challenge. We knew they were going to be our biggest challenge so far. And we also thought we’d be their biggest challenge.

“It’s kind of who we are,” added Wildasin. “We’re a ground-and-pound team. We’ve got to get better on offense. We have some things we can clean up. But I thought our defense played physical football.”

The Falcons were entertaining ideas of a shutout with 6:21 to go, and the Spartans backed up to their own 18-yard line. But Focht exploited a crease in the Cedar Crest defense and then out raced it to the goal line to make it a two-point game.

But the Falcons came up with a big stop on Garden Spot’s next possession, and then preserved the victory when Focht gave up ground on a punt, before being swarmed under by a host of Falcon tacklers in the end zone.

“We’re right where I thought we could be,” said Wildasin. “It’s a razor’s edge. The next five games are going to be extremely challenging. We’re going to be in battles, and hopefully we can win a few of them.

“We’re close,” Wildasin added. “The recipe for success is close.”

Other than Focht’s 82-yarder, the Spartans gained a total of 141 yards all night. But with just 251 total yards of their own, the Falcons were limited offensively as well.

Senior running back Justice Belleman paced the Cedar Crest attack with 22 carries and 72 yards.

“The defense played very well,” said Wildasin, whose team is well on its way to its stated preseason goal of seven wins. “They (the turnovers) were big. We’re big and physical. You’ve got to make plays. We were in the right positions.”

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2016 Cedar Crest Football Schedule