TimesLeader.com

Lehman’s ‘D’ has no answers

Led by QB Dan Kempa, Susquehanna’s option overwhelms the Knights.

By Paul Sokoloski psokoloski@timesleader.com
Times Leader Sports Columnist

SUSQUEHANNA – By halftime, the Lake-Lehman Black Knights were already out of options.

Simply because Susquehanna had plenty.

Quarterback Dan Kempa ran for 305 yards and six touchdowns Saturday, as Susquehanna’s option offense devastated Lehman, 61-26, at the Susquehanna football field.

“I don’t know how many times we had him (trapped),” Lake-Lehman coach Carl Kern said. “But he’s a good option quarterback. He knows how to buy time. He played one heck of a game.”

Kempa was obviously the first choice to lead the Sabres downfield, but they had others.

Running back Nick Felter added 155 yards on 10 carries and scored twice for Susquehanna, while fellow running back John Salinkas raced for 62 yards on nine carries and scored on a 1-yard run.

That’s a lot to contend with.

And it proved too much for a rebuilding Lehman squad to handle, as the Black Knights (2-3) were tackling linemen by the end of the game.

“We don’t see the option,” Kern said. “That’s the only time we even see it. By the time they (the Black Knights) think about what to do, the play is by them.”

Pretty soon, the scoreboard was passing Lehman by.

Felter got things going with a 30-yard touchdown run on Susquehanna’s first possession. Then Kempa took over, scoring on romps of 14, 1, 36, 30, 76 and 60 yards to take Lehman out of the game.

The key to his success, he said, was simple.

“Our option offense,” Kempa said. “Our running backs had some pretty good yards. We just came out and started off pretty good. They (the Black Knights) got caught in there.”

Nobody, it seemed, caught Kempa.

“He’s a good kid,” Kern said. “When you run the option and go up against a young team that doesn’t see the option, he (Kempa) should shine. And he did.”

The Black Knights found a few bright spots.

They cut their deficit to 7-6 when quarterback Adam Weaver found Nick Shelly streaking down the left sideline on a 57-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. Early in the second quarter, Bryan Mathers took a screen pass for a 10-yard touchdown as Lehman closed within 28-12. And Chris Prater scored on an 11-yard touchdown burst just before halftime.

But it wasn’t enough firepower to outgun Susquehanna’s explosive ground game, which piled up 540 rushing yards on 43 carries.

“We scored some points,” Kern said. “We just couldn’t stop them. We just got a good, old-fashioned, old-school whipping. You’ll have this with a young team.”

First Quarter

S – Felter 30 run (Kempa kick), 9:55

LL – Shelly 57 pass from Weaver (kick failed), 8:24

S – Kempa 14 run (Kempa kick), 5:42

S – Kempa 1 run (Kempa kick), 4:05

Second Quarter

LL – Mathers 10 pass from Weaver (kick failed), 11:51

S – Kempa 36 run (Kempa kick), 10:37

S – Kempa 30 run (Kempa kick), 6:59

LL – Prater 11 run (pass failed), 3:05

S – Kempa 76 run (Kempa kick), 2:48

Third Quarter

S – Felter 41 run (kick failed), 7:25

S – Salinkas 1 run (kick failed), 0:56

Fourth Quarter

LL – Roberts 30 pass from Weaver (Weaver run), 9:35

S – Kempa 60 run (Kempa kick), 8:35

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING – LL, Prater 9-69, Mathers 8-24, Simko 2-7, Evans 1-3, Coolbaugh 2- (minus) 2, Weaver 12- (minus) 24; S, Kempa 17-305, Felter 10-155, Salinkas 9-62, Stanley 1-12, Fowler 1-5, Pruitt 5-1.

PASSING – LL, Weaver 10-18-1-179, Novitski 0-1-0; S, Kempa 2-2-0-40.

RECEIVING – LL, Mathers 5-64, Shelly 2-63, Roberts 1-30, Yursha 1-11, Evans 1-11; S, Salinkas 1-22, Felter 1-18.

INTS – S, Marco.