The excitement caused by the start of section play in the Lancaster-Lebanon League may not light a fuse under some teams but for Penn Manor, it means fireworks.
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On the strength of a defense that forced six turnovers, the Comets opened Section One play with a 34-6 victory over Hempfield on Biemesderfer Stadium's Chryst Field Friday night.
Four interceptions led to 14 points as the Comets roared to a 28-0 halftime lead en route to their fourth win against no losses this season.
"We were hyped up,'' said Frederick, who picked off two passes in the game. "We were ready.''
When Manor had the ball, quarterback P.J. Rehm called his own number 19 times. He led all rushers with 122 yards. He scored the game's first touchdown after a short Hempfield punt set the Comets up at the Black Knights' 36.
Rehm carried the ball on three of the drive's five plays, going in from the 10 around the left end.
"P.J. is a tough kid and a very good competitor,'' said Penn Manor coach Todd Mealy. "He's also one of the fastest kids on the team.''
Rehm's speed was equal to his elusiveness and ability to hit the holes opened by the Manor offensive line of Kenny Tomaszfski, Derek Sauder, Bryan Weaver, Kyle Haines and Erik Klugh.
Frederick wasn't supposed to cover Hempfield's speedy receiver Hansel Akers. But when an injury curtailed the play of Comets' defensive back Demetrius Dixon, Frederick got the Akers assignment.
Late in the first quarter, Hempfield quarterback Mike Farace (8-for-17, 123 yards) thought he had Akers (7 catches, 106 yards) in the left flat. But the ball glanced off Akers' hands right to Frederick who sped 20 yards for the touchdown and a 14-0 Penn Manor lead.
The Comets then hogged the ball for eight minutes in the second quarter, culminating a 15-play drive with Jared Shearer's 1-yard plunge and a 21-0 lead.
The Comets added another TD before halftime, again taking advantage of a Hempfield turnover.
When a snap went over Farace's head, Manor's Teon Lee scooped it up and ran from midfield to the Hempfield 1, with the Black Knights' Spencer Lehr preventing the TD by running down Lee from behind.
But Lehr's play just delayed the PM TD. LaRonn Lee took a toss from Rehm and cut the play upfield for the 1-yard touchdown.
"Our defense put our offense in spots where we could score, giving us short fields,'' Mealy said. "We found what worked in the first half (offensively) and we played good defense.''
Teon Lee, who caused a fumble that Penn Manor recovered in the first half, stepped in front of a Farace pass intended for Sam Dissinger in the third quarter and ran it 30 yards for a touchdown, giving the Comets a 34-0 lead.
Hempfield (2-2 overall) scored its lone touchdown with 5:40 remaining in the game. The Black Knights finished off a 75-yard drive with Farace's 1-yard plunge.
But the TD dive may prove costly. Farace had to be helped off the field after the TD, favoring his right leg.
The challenge for the Comets, now, is to keep their game at a high level.
"It's a good start to league play,'' Mealy said. "The first win is always the most difficult. It gives us momentum going into next week (at Reading). We can't have a letdown.''
That won't be a problem, according to Frederick.
"We're not the biggest team, we're not the fastest team but we come out ready to play,'' he said.
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