The Gettysburg High School football team is more powerful than its record shows. The final score of 48-31 to Hershey High (4-2) does not encapsulate the Warriors’ season but showcases their will to fight and continue to battle.
Gettysburg High School drops to 2-4 (2-3 Mid-Penn Keystone), but showed tremendous fight and resiliency that will show dividends moving forward for the rest of the season. Starting the second half down 28-12, the Warriors clawed back to a 35-31 deficit before their defense finally succumbed to the versatility of Hershey quarterback Cameron Sweeney. The Trojan signal caller was the star of the show, with over 200 yards and five rushing TDs, and two more through the air, to lead the Trojans to a much-needed Mid-Penn Keystone victory. “We tried to shut down the explosiveness today, and it wasn’t there,” said Gettysburg head coach Matt Heiser.
After a pair of Sweeney TDs, one through the air and another on the ground, the Trojans were up to a quick 14-0 lead past the midway point of the first quarter. The Warriors turned to their workhorse, Preston Burnett. Coach Heiser stated, “It’s good to lean on him.” He would be a focal point in every Warrior drive for the rest of the game; he ended with over 200 yards. The Warriors found the end zone for the first time after a healthy dose of Burnett and ended with a QB keeper from sophomore standout Grant Johnson.
The Trojans answered back with some more Sweeney running. After a few changes of possessions, the Warriors got back on the board with a Burnett six-yard scamper to make the score 28-12. Gettysburg then opened the second half with an efficient drive that finished with a 50-yard strike. Grant Johnson to Julius Warren cut the lead to 28-18; extra point woes continue to haunt the Warriors.
After having two first-half interceptions, the Warriors’ defense opened the second half with a fumble recovery to give them their 3rd turnover of the game, and all the momentum for the game. “The momentum is there, they just have to ride with it,” Heiser said of his team. Gettysburg followed up with some more Burnett carries, ending in a 25-yard touchdown run up the middle of the Trojan defense. This brought the game to a 28-25 difference; however, another Sweeney touchdown, via a 59-yard run, quickly made the game a 10-point difference: 35-25.
A quick Warrior drive that consisted of 1st down runs from Julius Warren, Burnett, and Jackson Stanton ended with a pile-driving run from Preston Burnett to give him his 2nd score of the game and to make the score 35-31. Heiser praised all three runners for their efforts and productivity. Unfortunately, this is where the Warriors’ good fortune ran out, as on the last play of the third quarter, Sweeney took a botched snap 33 yards to the house to make it 42-31 to start the final stanza. Another Sweeney TD punctuated the final score of 48-31. Sweeney finished the game with five rushing TDs, as he showcased how the read/option offense can cut up any defense that tries to show up.
Gettysburg will travel to Shippensburg (5-1) looking for a much-needed win against the Greyhounds.
“We have another physical game next week,” said Heiser. “So we gotta be ready to go.”
