The CHS Thundering Herd football team started this season on a very high note, coming off a win at last year’s ending home game against Harrisburg, with a score of 14-12.  The momentum of last year’s win has carried over into the 2014 football season.

The season started with a week 1 win, 43-28, against Mechanicsburg. That win helped show fans that the team has taken a huge step forward compared to last year. 

In this game, senior quarterback Billy Burger went 20-31 for 284 yards and three touchdowns.  Another key player in the week 1 win was sophomore running back Deshawn Millington, who had 90 yards on seven rushes.

According to Connor Hamilton, a junior who plays offensive line and defensive line, “It was my first game starting varsity. It was good we had a cushion and that it wasn’t a close game, […] we got the chance to prove everybody wrong.”

However, in week two, CHS suffered a devastating loss to Red Land.  CHS had the lead and the ball was on the 13-yard line in Red Land’s territory.  They gave the ball up and Red Land drove from the 16 yard line, scoring with 48 seconds left.  CHS had a chance, but Millington was tackled on the 40-yard line to end the game. Red Land won, with a score of 19-18.

The first home game of the season was against South Western.  The crowd was huge and rooted for the home team the entire game.  South Western had the lead going into the fourth quarter, 23-22.  With the energetic fans behind them, the Thundering Herd never looked back, scoring 12 points in the fourth quarter, while holding South Western to zero, finally winning 34-23.  Burger went 13-20 for 174 yards and one touchdown.  Senior Deonte Ramsey caught eight passes for 76 yards and one touchdown.  (Learn more about Ramsey in our October Athlete of the Month profile.)

According to Jimmy Steele, a senior fullback and linebacker, “I was so happy [with the win] I did a backflip.”

That happiness did not last, however, as week four was not the best for CHS Football. The football team hit the road for a Mid-Penn conference game in State College. The whole night belonged to State College, as the Little Lions won, with a score of 37-8.

So when the Herd returned home for week 5, with an even bigger fan turnout, CHS entered the game with its foot on the gas and never hit the brakes. The opponent was Mifflin County. CHS scored 20 points in the first quarter with Tyler Greene, a junior, running back carrying the load. The score was 40-7 at halftime. CHS scored another 21 points in the second half to make the final score 61-7. Burger went 19-22 for 275 yards and four touchdowns.

With a good beginning to the football season, it looks like CHS could make a playoff run this year.

According to Coach Josh Oswalt, “The goal is to make the playoffs.”

CHS’s next game is October 3 at Cumberland Valley and CHS’s next home game is October 10 when CHS takes on Central Dauphin.