Warwick’s football game on Hempfield’s home turf on a Friday night in October 2014 did not start well for the Warriors. It didn’t end well either.
The Black Knights (3-3 Lancaster-Lebanon League, 6-3 overall) handed Warwick (1-5 L-L, 2-7) its fourth straight loss, 42-0, in Landisville.
A new quarterback under pressure
With their starting quarterback out for the rest of the season with an ankle injury suffered a week earlier against Penn Manor, the Warriors turned to a sophomore to lead the offense. Hempfield blitzed so often that he never found a rhythm, completing 6 of 11 passes for 39 yards.
“They brought a lot of blitzes,” Warwick coach Bob Locker said after the game. “Their edge rusher came off the edge real well.”
A fast start for Hempfield
Hempfield scored on its first possession, needing just six plays from its own 27. A 59-yard touchdown pass with 9:42 left in the first quarter, followed by the extra point, made it 7-0.
When Warwick failed to convert a fourth down on its opening drive, Hempfield took over at the Warwick 43. A 43-yard touchdown run at the 7:27 mark made it 14-0.
Warwick’s defense forced and recovered a fumble later in the quarter, but the Warriors couldn’t move the ball and had to punt.
Pulling away
Hempfield added a 37-yard touchdown run with 10:49 left in the first half to lead 21-0. Warwick’s next drive looked promising behind strong running from its tailback, but a fumbled low snap and a sack left the Warriors punting on fourth-and-23.
The Black Knights then used a series of inside handoffs to drive for a first-and-goal and punched in a three-yard run to lead 28-0.
“Their running back runs really, really, really hard,” Locker said. “He may be as good a running back as I’ve seen all year.”
Warwick’s tailback continued to gain yards until the half and on the second-half kickoff return, but he was later injured. “He ran the ball real well until he got hurt,” Locker said.
In the second half, Hempfield scored on a 20-yard run and a 10-yard quarterback keeper, each followed by a successful kick, for the 42-0 final.
By the numbers
Hempfield rushed for 319 yards; Warwick managed 35. The Black Knights had 19 first downs to Warwick’s nine. Warwick’s two quarterbacks combined to complete 13 of 24 passes for 86 yards with no interceptions, and the Warriors lost no fumbles. Hempfield’s quarterback completed 8 of 13 passes for 122 yards and ran for 98 more.
“Their two backs are really good and the quarterback is a good athlete, and between the three of them we couldn’t match their speed and we gave up the edge,” Locker said. “We had trouble running the first down.”
Lessons from a losing streak
Asked whether it was hard for the team to cope with four straight losses, Locker put it in perspective.
“Extracurriculars teach lessons and not all are pleasant,” he said.
In the stands, Warwick’s student section wore pink as part of an anti-bullying campaign.
Up next
The Warriors faced Wilson, the top team in the league, the following week, closing out a difficult regular season.
Scoring summary
- First quarter: Hempfield, 59-yard pass (kick); Hempfield, 43-yard run (kick)
- Second quarter: Hempfield, 37-yard run (kick); Hempfield, 3-yard run (kick)
- Third quarter: Hempfield, 20-yard run (kick)
- Fourth quarter: Hempfield, 10-yard run (kick)
Coaches often say the measure of a team is how it responds to a losing streak.
The Warriors turned their attention to the next week’s game.
This article was originally published in October 2014.