LINE MOUNTAIN | EAGLES PIAA DISTRICT 4
CLASS 2A
Eagles in search of new skill players
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2021 SCHEDULE
Aug. 27 at Juniata* Sept. 3 Susquenita* Sept. 10 at Middletown Sept. 17 at Boiling Springs Sept. 24 Camp Hill Oct. 1 Upper Daupin* Oct. 8 at Halifax* Oct. 15 at N. Penn-Mansfield Oct. 22 at Newport* Oct. 29 James Buchanan* *-MID-PENN LIBERTY GAME
BY HAROLD RAKER
osing not one but two 1,000-yard rushers to graduation leaves behind a lot of question marks for coach Brandon Carson and his Line Mountain Eagles. Making it more challenging: One of them was the quarterback, Jacob Feese. Now at King’s College, Feese posted his second 1,000-yard rushing campaign in a row last year (1,125 yards, 17 touchdowns). His backfield running mate, Garrett Laudenslager, who moved on to Misericordia University, ran for 1,128 and 14. It also doesn’t help that, as preseason camp approached, there was still no heir apparent to succeed that dynamic duo. A week before the team was to start its heat acclimatization program, Carson said, “I still literally have no idea who we are going to have to run the football.” “We’ll see how camp goes and maybe even the scrimmage,” he said. But he does have senior Beau Keim returning. Despite injuries limiting his time on the field, Keim has experience running the ball the last two seasons. He had the only two rushing scores that didn’t go to Feese or Laudenslager last year. 16
MID-PENN CONFERENCE/Liberty
2020 RESULTS (5-3)
BEAU KEIM
“Beyond that, we’re going to have a competition at that position and at the receiver position, and some guys might be doing a little bit of both,” Carson said. Battling to replace Feese in the preseason were sophomore Nick Snyder and freshman Blake Readinger. Former quarterback Jace Hackenberg, who played wide receiver last season, may move into the backfield to take advantage of his skill set. “He runs the ball well. He’s a tough kid and we’ve got to find ways to get him the ball,” the coach said. Carson said Hackenberg and fellow senior Aiden Herb both have running back experience and good speed, and freshman Ian Bates is another candidate to run the ball. “He’s going to play a little bit of running back and a little bit of receiver. He’s a nice athlete,” Carson said of Bates. “Even our sophomores and juniors coming back have a lot of game experience,” Carson said, including sophomores Nolan Baumert
AUGUST 2021 | INSIDE PENNSYLVANIA GAME NIGHT
and Chandon Maurer. Also returning, after playing soccer a year ago, is Tharon Wagner. The Eagles been successful running option and power football, with Feese getting much of his production out of the option last year, but Carson said this year, although they will have all the same plays available, they might not have as many choices. “It’s all going to depend on who wins the battles and what people are good at,” he said. The Eagles enter their second season as members of the Mid-Penn Conference’s new Liberty Division, which comprises the six remaining members of the disbanded Tri-Valley League, along with James Buchanan. Last year, the COVID-19 pandemic turned everyone’s schedule into something more resembling a summer rec league, with teams picking up games on the fly, sometimes with little more than a few days’ notice. No league champion was declared after the Eagles and
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at Camp Hill 35-28 at Upper Dauphin 46-22 Halifax 48-21 at Northwest 47-20 Newport 44-21 Penns Valley 35-12 Mifflinburg 42-34 D4 2A Semifinals Southern Columbia 49-7
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5-YEAR WIN TREND
7*
7* 4*
5* 3
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 *-PLAYOFFS; &-DISTRICT CHAMPION #-PIAA CHAMPION
2020 STAT LEADERS PASSING C-A Int TD Yds Jacob Feese 53-68 4 3 478 RUSHING Att Yards TDs G. Laudenslager 122 1,128 14 Jacob Feese 152 1,125 17 Beau Keim 63 268 2 RECEIVING Rec Yards TDs G. Laudenslager 12 136 1 Jace Hackenberg 4 80 0 Aiden Herb 4 73 1 RETURNEES IN BOLD
the Juniata Indians, whose scheduled Week-One game was canceled. Each finished 3-0 in the division and 5-3 overall. CONTINUED ON PAGE 18
