MECHANICSBURG, Pa. — After more than three months of effort, Lampeter-Strasburg has a chance to finish off a perfect season with a state title.
The undefeated Pioneers are playing for a PIAA championship for the first time in program history. With one more win, they can wrap up an unblemished 15-0 campaign and walk off with the big gold trophy.
But they have one last, giant obstacle to overcome.
Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prendergast, the District 12 champion, will bring a high-powered offense into Thursday's clash, which will kick off at 7 p.m. from Cumberland Valley High School's Chapman Field.
The game will be televised on the Pennsylvania Cable Network.
Here's a preview.
Lampeter-Strasburg (14-0) vs. Bonner-Prendergast (11-2)
ABOUT LAMPETER-STRASBURG: The reigning District 3 champions advanced to the state finals for the first time ever and maintained their perfect record with a 20-16 victory over Thomas Jefferson in the semifinals last week.
The Pioneers shook off a 16-3 halftime deficit and scored 17 unanswered points in the second half to defeat the Jaguars, boosting their record to 14-0.
Quarterback Caileb Howse rushed for a 45-yard touchdown and found Christian Nolt for a 70-yard TD bomb to spark the Pioneers' second-half rally.
His touchdown scamper on a quarterback draw came on the first play after the L-S defense turned Thomas Jefferson away on downs on the Jaguars' first possession after the break.
The 70-yard strike to Nolt came after L-S thwarted the Jaguars and midfield and forced a punt.
L-S advanced despite a huge game from TJ's Tyler Eber, who rushed for 206 yards on 43 carries and scored both Jaguar touchdowns. The Jags outgained L-S 290-239 in total yardage.
Other than his long TD pass to Nolt, Howse went 2-of-7 for 14 yards through the air. But his 91 rushing yards led the team.
For the season, Howse has completed 101 of 169 passes for 1,592 yards and 17 scores. He also has 1,350 yards and 20 TDs as a rusher, joining Dominic Brown (246-1,486, 22 TDs) as 1,000-yard rushers in the Pioneer backfield.
The Pioneers average 362 yards and 38.6 points per game on offense, while their defense has held opponents to 237 yards and 11.6 points per game.
L-S coach Victor Ridenour is in his fourth season as the leader of the Pioneers after spending more than a decade on the staff of his predecessor, John Manion. Ridenour is 43-8 since taking command, and has L-S on the cusp of its first state championship.
ABOUT BONNER-PRENDERGAST: The Friars booked their first trip to the state championship game with a Mercy Rule-shortened 55-26 triumph over District 11 champ Southern Lehigh in the semifinals.
Bonner-Prendie racked up more than 400 rushing yards and a dozen explosive plays in the blowout win, the Friars' fifth straight.
Running back Mikhail Johnson raced to 148 yards and scored four times on just 12 carries, while backfield mate Saalem Frink added 178 yards and a pair of TDs on just 10 attempts. Mekhi Martin had 77 yards on seven carries and scored on a 38-yard run for the Friars, who led 28-7 at halftime and outgained Southern Lehigh 546-217 in total yardage.
Quarterback Noel Campbell Jr. completed 8 of 15 passes for 124 yards and a touchdown for Bonner-Prendie.
The Friars, who raced to the District 12 title in the regular season, boast an impressive resume. Their only losses this year came against Class 6A opponents St. Joseph's Prep (49-14 on Oct. 25) and La Salle College (35-13 on Oct. 11).
St. Joe's is back in the Class 6A title game for the seventh consecutive year and is shooting for its third straight state title; La Salle finished the season with a 10-1 record after falling to the Hawks in the District 12 final.
Bonner-Prendie averages 38 points per game while limiting foes to 20.3 points per outing. The Friar offense averages 349.1 yards per game, mostly through the air.
Campbell, a sophomore, has completed 166 of 263 pass attempts for 2,517 yards and 27 scores with eight interceptions. He's already the school's record holder for passing yards in a season, breaking the 30-year-old previous mark of 2,288 yards.
Johnson and Frink have combined for more than 1,800 yards on the ground this season.
Jalil Hall, a senior wide receiver and defensive end, is committed to the University of West Virginia. He and senior Jeremiah Coleman have combined for more than 1,200 yards and 60 catches.
Coleman had an eight-catch, 200-yard, two-TD performance in the Friars' 35-7 win over Pope John Paul II in the state quarterfinals.
Bonner-Prendie is the first Delaware County team to reach a state title game since Garnet Valley did so in 2007.