‘Micah was Micah’: Mechanicsburg rolls to victory over East Pennsboro

Star QB Micah Brubaker accounted for five TDs as the Mechanicsburg Wildcats rolled to 6-0 with a 43-21 home victory over the East Pennsboro Panthers, who fell to 3-3.

“Micah was Micah,” coach Anthony Rose said after the game.

The Wildcats came out hot on a cold night. After Taylor Shearer’s opening kickoff return TD was called back, Brubaker found WR Nick Morrison three plays later for a 13-yard TD pass. The pair hooked up again on a 16-yard TD pass seven minutes later.

Brubaker completed the first-quarter hat trick with 6.2 seconds on the clock, pulling up off an option run to toss a 3-yard score to Daniel Francis.

East Pennsboro got on the scoreboard with 1:45 in the first half when Jacob Shermeyer plowed in from five yards out. The run completed an 11-play, 50-yard drive. The Wildcats answered with a booming 41-yard FG by Morrison just before halftime.

The game slipped away from the Panthers on the opening two possessions of the third quarter. Starting with good field position near the midfield stripe, QB Zach Zeiders fumbled the third down snap and was tackled for a 13-yard loss.

Six snaps later, Brubaker ran 40 yards to complete a 73-yard touchdown drive to make it 30-7.

Stars: The Wildcats’ pass defense held East Pennsboro to -5 yards passing and had interceptions by Marlin Aristy and James Anderson. Brubaker finished 18-23 for 243 yards and four TDs passing. He ran for 91 yards and another score. For the Panthers, Shermeyer piled up 103 yards and 19 tough carries. East Pennsboro rushed for 290 yards, with Devin Shepherd chipping in 85 yards and Sy Burgos, 79.

Game-deciding plays: Down 23-7, the Panthers forced Mechanicsburg into a 3rd-and-7 early in the third quarter. A strong rush nearly got Brubaker on the ground, but he twisted away from a tackle, rolled out and found Shearer for a 17-yard gain. On the next play, Brubaker scampered 40 yards for a score.

They said it: “Overall, a very good effort,” Rose said. “We’ve still got to clean up the penalties, but I was very pleased with how we came out and played tonight.”

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