Alan Moyer-Conrad Weiser

Homecoming night, perfect weather, a nice crowd, and a thrilling finish; there was a lot to be excited about on Saturday in Robesonia. However, longtime head coach Alan Moyer knows there’s a lot of room for improvement. “It was kind of a loss for words after the game. We tried to find a lot of ways to lose that game unfortunately. Luckily, we found a way to win it,” said Moyer. The (2-2) Scouts defeated ELCO 22-21 despite being outgained 406-239. Conrad Weiser managed just 16 rushing yards while committing ten penalties. The (3-1) Raiders went in front with a ten minute, 95-yard drive in the fourth quarter that included two key infractions by the Scouts. An offsides penalty on fourth-and-five was followed by a horse-collar tackle that moved the ball to the 12-yard line. Jake Williams scored on the next play to give ELCO a 21-14 lead with 1:49 remaining. Moyer, who’s been on Conrad Weiser’s coaching staff for 35 years, understands the big picture which is why he was subdued after the victory. The Scouts have struggled to put together a complete game this season. Fortunately, they came through when it mattered most. Sophomore quarterback Donovan Gingrich engineered a 58-yard scoring drive in only 41 seconds. “Donovan is really progressing. It’s gonna take some time, but he’s an athlete. He’s a winner,” stated Moyer. Gingrich found a wide open Ousmane Conde for 44 yards on a throwback pass. He then lofted a fade to Trey Dianna for a 14-yard touchdown with 62 seconds left. Moyer opted to go for two points and Gingrich hooked up with Dianna again for the go-ahead conversion. Moyer explained, “We talked about it well before that [touchdown]. We were confident we were gonna go for two. It’s a great play when it works.” The Raiders reached Conrad Weiser’s 37-yard line on their final possession. The Scouts held Williams to a 1-yard gain on fourth-and-three with 18 seconds to go. “A lot of these kids are young. This is a good lesson. When you’re in a tight spot, you gotta figure out how to win those games,” noted Moyer. Conrad Weiser has 24 sophomores on its roster. Gingrich finished 13-of-23 for 223 yards 3TD. Josh Miller, an elusive 5’4 junior, had touchdown catches of 51 and 8 yards in the first half. The Scouts were on top 14-6 at the break. Dianna reeled in three receptions for 55 yards. Evan Rittle added three grabs for 51 yards. The 5’8, 145-pound sophomore also had an interception at Conrad Weiser’s 8-yard line with 26 seconds left in the first half. Williams racked up 209 yards and 2TD on 28 carries for ELCO. I asked Moyer about the 5’11, 180-pound junior. He replied, “His legs never stop. We had him bottled up, I don’t know how many times. He’s strong from the waist down. You’ve got to kill that engine. If you don’t kill the engine, he’ll run you over.” Prior to facing the Scouts, Williams rumbled for 250 yards and 2TD against Columbia. He also returned a kickoff 95 yards for a score. The Raiders ended up with 275 yards on the ground at Conrad Weiser. Senior Dom Thornton was 7-of-15 through the air for 131 yards. Junior tight end Elliott Kreider made four catches for 86 yards. Moyer and I discussed playing on Saturday. He responded candidly, “Not a big fan of it. It’s all about the homecoming. It’s all about the school. It kind of puts you behind a day the following week. We came out with a win so I guess I gotta be happy with it.” This was his 135th victory over twenty seasons as head coach. Moyer is the winningest coach in program history. He played for the Scouts from 1982-84. Conrad Weiser returns to action this Friday at (1-3) Octorara.