Garden Spot Edges Mounts

The play has been tucked away in Garden Spot’s playbook for a few weeks. The coaching staff was waiting for the right moment to unveil it.

Tyler Hurst was also waiting. The 5-foot-10, 220-pound lineman usually spends his time opening holes and making tackles. This was a chance to influence the outcome in a different way.

Deep down every big man wants a carry.

“I’ve never touched the ball in my life,” Hurst said. “Coach thought I’d earned it. I’ll never forget that moment.”

Hurst turned his first rushing attempt into his first touchdown. The 3-yard score helped spark Garden Spot over Ephrata 24-21 in a Lancaster-Lebanon League Section Three football game at War Memorial Field on Friday night.

Players wearing No. 66 usually aren’t strong candidates to tuck the ball under their arm. Hurst is an exception. He runs the 40 in 4.8 seconds, which is why he’s such a handful in the trenches.

Garden Spot coach Matt Zamperini was happy to give his lineman some glory.

“We figured we would throw him a bone,” Zamperini said. “He’s a great kid. He thinks he should be a running back, so we stroke him a little bit.”

Quarterback Kye Harting said the Spartans were excited when the play was entered into the scheme. The offense has been working on it, hoping it would be used.

Once Hurst crossed the goal line, he started jumping up and down. He momentarily forgot about the extra point.

“He’s a freak athlete,” Harting said. “He can do it all. He capitalized on his opportunity.”

Garden Spot (3-0 L-L, 5-1 overall) needed a comeback despite Hurst’s heroics. The Spartans trailed 21-14 heading into the fourth quarter.

Harting broke free for a 54-yard touchdown run with 10:20 remaining to forge a tie. Hurst, playing right guard, made the block that sprung his quarterback.

Nick Gleason’s 33-yard field goal with 4:06 left put the Spartans ahead to stay. It was Gleason’s eighth field goal of the season and perhaps his most important.

“A first-year kicker,” Zamperini said. “Holy smokes. The kid has come out after never doing it before. You never know how kids are going to handle it under pressure. He’s doing an amazing job.”

Ephrata (1-2 L-L, 3-3) had two possessions with a chance to regain the lead. One stalled at Garden Spot’s 35-yard line with 2:19 left. The other ended with Austin Hurst’s interception in the final minute.

Sam McCracken completed 12-of-23 attempts for 201 yards and two touchdowns. Jeremiah Knowles caught a 33-yard score and Andre Weidman found the end zone on a 38-yard pass. McCracken added a 9-yard rushing TD.

“Ephrata really took us to task in preparation with what they do offensively,” Zamperini said. “They’ve got three or four guys they can go to on any play. They’re really good at making subtle changes and doing something a little different.”

Garden Spot’s other score came on Zac Nagle’s 20 yard TD reception in the first quarter. Harting had 135 yards rushing and Blake Weaver rushed for 126 yards.

The Spartans stayed undefeated in league play with a gritty road win. That’s what Tyler Hurst will remember most about this game.

The touchdown will also be high on his list.

“Of course I’ve dreamed about it,” Hurst said. “But I didn’t think it’d ever happen. Never once. That was an experience.”

Garden Spot threw its lineman a bone and he ran with it.