The Cedar Crest Falcons football team had the best season of any Lebanon County school this year, eventually being eliminated in the second round of districts after a 28-3 loss against Wilson on the Berks County school’s home turf.
Cedar Crest is in District 3, Class 6A, and plays in the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 1. They finished the 2024 season with eight wins and four losses.
It was Nick Lambros’s first season as the team’s head coach.
Lambros said he started as an assistant coach in 2004, and the head coaching job is “a lot more work,” but the football is the same.
The team’s motto this year — “Be more” — also fit with his step into the new position.
“We had a really nice season last year, so it was, ‘Guys, let’s just be a little bit more,’” Lambros said. “Let’s try and do a little bit more. Let’s just be a little bit more than what we were, and the kids bought into it, and that’s kind of what we’ve lived on.”
He said many players stepped up this year, which was especially important since the Falcons lost nine defensive starters and seven offensive starters going into the 2024 season.
“A lot of guys actually had no playing experience except for some special teams, so to say that they stepped up would be an understatement,” Lambros said. “They had no varsity experience at all in their positions and they just grew up so quickly.”
He gave shout-outs to quarterback Jackson Custer, as well as Jack Waranavage, Isaiah Zimmerman, Tristan Long, Alex Kissinger, Malachi Victor, Landyn Kline, Garrett Starry and Luke Oriel as some of the standout players this year.
“I could go on, but to say these guys stepped up is an understatement,” Lambros said.
Against Hempfield, the Falcons were down at halftime but came back in the third and fourth quarters to win 49-29 and move on to the second round.
It was the team’s first playoff win since 1997.
Against Wilson, the Falcons were behind the entire game, only scoring one field goal for three points.
Throughout all hardships during the seasons, Lambros said the players persisted. He said they handled losses and hard games but came out the other end stronger.
“I’ve really stressed with the guys that we’re in this together,” he said. “There’s sacrifices that you’re going to make, and I think the culture with our team has been very strong — it’s a very tight group and I’m very proud of how they’ve stuck together.
The season didn’t end the way the team hoped, but Lambros said he is “incredibly proud” of the players.
“This is their team and this is their season because of what they’ve sacrificed,” he said.
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