By Claire Mankin, Rachel Lau and Paul Jones Staff Writers In 1974, the University of Alabama was one of the top teams in the country and the Red Lion football team went undefeated in the regular season. It seems as if 2016 is repeating history as both teams are in the same place that they were before. The Red Lion team from 2016 won every game by an average of at least four touchdowns, making them one of the most dominant teams to come through the York-Adams division in a long time. This was a team that went through a lot of hardship and made their bond stronger than ever. This bond led the team to work harder than ever, keeping them focused on the goal, which was winning football.
“When you get a group of like-minded individuals, you can do great things as a whole,” head coach Jesse Shay said. The team was built on veteran leadership, as all eleven starters on offense and eight starters on defense were seniors. The entire offensive line from the year before returned and helped make Red Lion the number one rushing team in the county, led by GametimePA all-stars, seniors Nick Argento and Jeff Lucas. The Lions led all York division 1 teams with a total of 3,013 rushing yards, mostly coming from senior Dylan Gurreri and senior Sam Emig. The duo ran for 2,156 yards combined and were also named all-stars. Even though Red Lion relied heavily on their running game, the aerial attack was still dangerous. Emig threw for almost 1,000 yards and 14 touchdowns, with five of those touchdowns going to senior Taylor Uberti. The defense was on of the best in the county, being in the top five of total defense. Senior Paul Jones was tied for the league in interceptions and senior Patrick Daugherty, junior Zach Crossland, and junior Zach Throne accounted for 2 interceptions a piece. The Lions capped off the regular season with a 10-0 record, and beat cross-town rival Dallastown, 27-7. In the first round of the district playoffs, they lost to Central Dauphin East 13-7, ending the eventful football season. It was a defensive game all the way through with only one offensive touchdown being scored. CD East was far and away the best team that the Lions faced all year and the Dolphins seemed to make just a few more plays than the Lions. “I’m disappointed for my players,” Coach Shay said after the game. “It’s tough watching kids who have dedicated themselves so much to something, to have their careers end with a loss full of “what if’s”. Though they lost the game and their season ended, the Red Lion Football Family is proud of their accomplishments this year and the legacy they have left.
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