2025 Lancaster-Lebanon High School League Football Review

MAKING THEIR MARK

L-L’s Class of 2025 had plenty of remarkable moments this season, INSIDE NOVEMBER 12, 2025

WEEK ONE

THE SCORES

FRIDAY, AUG. 22

n Lampeter-Strasburg 45, Solanco 44 (OT)

n Conestoga Valley 28, Penn Manor 0

n John Bartram 20, McCaskey 6

n Manheim Township 7, Cumberland Valley 0

n Hempfield 16, Dallastown 7

n Warwick 35, Avon Grove 12

n Manheim Central 47, West Philadelphia 42

n Notre Dame-Green Pond 21, Garden Spot 3

n Cedar Crest 25, Lower Dauphin 21

n Eastern York 49, Columbia 0

n Annville-Cleona 18, Biglerville 9

n Lancaster Catholic 43, Camp Hill 7

n Ephrata 45, Red Lion 6

n Pequea Valley 22, Delaware County

Christian 12

n Middletown 13, Donegal 8

n Northern Lebanon 35, Pine Grove 8

n Palmyra 30, Lebanon 0

n West York 42, Elco 7

n Octorara 34, Hamburg 6

n Wilson 35, Cheltenham 24

n Twin Valley 45, Berks Catholic 19

n Fleetwood 54, Kutztown 34

n Conrad Weiser 29, Abington 22

n Muhlenberg 45, Schuylkill Valley 14

n Wyomissing 49, Southern Columbia 27

QUARTERBACK CLUB L-L PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

SECTION ONE

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Landyn Kline, LB, Cedar Crest

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Michael Glover, TE-DE, Wilson

SECTION TWO

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Sawyer Esbenshade, QB, Conestoga Valley

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Andre Osborne, OG-DE, Exeter

SECTION THREE

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Beau Fegely, RB, Fleetwood

LampeterStrasburg’s Keegan Cutis hoists the Milk Jug trophy after the Pioneers earned a 45-44 win over visiting Solanco in overtime on Aug. 22. The annual rivalry game opened the 2025 season for both teams.

A JUG FOR THE AGES

Pioneers rally for win over Golden Mules in annual showdown

JEFF REINHART JREINHART@LNPNEWS.COM

n Governor Mifflin 35, Pleasant Valley 20

n Exeter 64, Daniel Boone 7

n Phoenixville 28, Reading 6

SATURDAY, AUG. 23

n Elizabethtown 15, Cocalico 14

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Cody Sayers, OG, Conrad Weiser

SECTION FOUR

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Marcus Armistead, DB, Wyomissing

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Josh Ross, OG, Octorara

SECTION FIVE

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Ryan Walters, RB, Kutztown

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Sterling Furches, OT-DE, Pequea Valley

In what will go down as one of the best Milk Jug trophy games played to date, the backyard rivalry clash between LampeterStrasburg and Solanco on Aug. 22 now vaults to the top of the charts.

In a game that featured a little bit of everything, the host Pioneers survived in the 2025 season opener before an overflow crowd.

Colby DeJessa scored the game-tying touchdown in overtime, and All-State kicker Peter Fiorello added the gamewinning extra-point boot, giving L-S an exhilarating 45-44 win over the shell-shocked Golden Mules, who had the lead with less than two minutes to go in regulation of the nonleague football tilt.

“We were down, but we pulled it out,” said L-S QB Asher Jones, who had three TD passes and a TD run. “We stuck together as a team, and we were able to win a really big game.”

The Milk Jug remained at L-S for the third year in a row, and the Pioneers took a 12-4 lead in the trophy series.

“Awesome,” said L-S’s Cole Lopez, who had a pair of TD receptions. “We got it done. We were gritty, we persevered, and we’re keeping the Milk Jug.” Barely.

Solanco scored three unanswered fourth-quarter touchdowns and had a 38-31 lead on Johnny Garcia’s 17-yard TD romp with 1:48 to go in regulation.

Jones — flushed from the pocket, scrambling and just looking to make a play — lobbed a 34-yard TD pass on third-and-long to Brady Cunningham with 25 seconds to go, and Fiorello’s PAT tied it at 38-38 and forced OT.

Solanco had the ball first and got a 1-yard dive from Garcia, his third TD run of the game. L-S’s Thad Wolf blocked the PAT and the Mules had a 44-38 lead.

EDITORS

Season in review

WRITERS

Jason Guarente,

Pioneers: Opening 2025 campaign with a Milk Jug victory

DeJessa’s 4-yard run tied it and Fiorello — who earlier booted a 44-yard field goal — capped it with his PAT.

“Great win for us,” L-S coach Victor Ridenour said. “(Solanco) is such a solid football team, and they’re so physical on both sides of the ball.

“It was a battle right out of the gates. Our kids are trying to make a name for themselves, and what a better way to

do it than to win a game like that.”

L-S — which won the Section Four and District Three Class 4A championships in 2024 on the way to a runner-up appearance in the PIAA title game and a 14-1 record — picked up right where it left off in 2025, although it lost a lot of firepower to graduation.

L-S took advantage of a couple fumble recoveries, including one late in the first half.

Just after DeJessa’s 1-yard TD dive gave the Pioneers a 17-14 lead, the Mules coughed up the ensuing kickoff.

Easton Cunningham recovered the fumble for L-S, and one play later, Jones zipped a 27-yard TD strike to Lopez and L-S had a 24-14 lead at the half.

“That one hurt,” Solanco coach Tony Cox said.

The teams traded scores in the third quarter — Solanco QB Chase Sensenig

hit Eric Koch for a 20-yard TD strike, and Jones flipped a 37-yard TD toss to Lopez — setting up the frenetic finish.

“We gotta move on,” Cox said. “It was a great game, and it’s always going to be a great game against L-S. It’s the Milk Jug.

“I told our guys before the game that whoever makes the least amount of mistakes is going to win. They made fewer mistakes, and they won.”

MILESTONE FOR MOUNTS

THE SCORES

THURSDAY, AUG. 28

n Berks Catholic 45, Executive Education Academy 20

n Annville-Cleona 10, Hanover 7

n Schuylkill Valley 42, Daniel Boone 0

n Upper Perkiomen 35, Fleetwood 7

n Conrad Weiser 28, Elco 14

FRIDAY, AUG. 29

n Thomas Edison 6, Pequea Valley 0

n Ephrata 17, Manheim Central 6

n Dallastown 25, Penn Manor 7

n Central York 36, Manheim Township 28

n York 22, Hempfield 16 (OT)

n Spring Grove 27, Cedar Crest 13

n Kennett 17, Elizabethtown 10

n Lancaster Catholic 47, Delone Catholic 20

n Oxford 16, Northern Lebanon 13

n Donegal 19, Columbia 14

n Warwick 14, Lampeter-Strasburg 7

n Solanco 49, Octorara 14

n New Oxford 29, Cocalico 25

n Garden Spot 38, Lebanon 0

n Wilson 27, Plymouth Whitemarsh 7

n Muhlenberg 48, Reading 0

n Perkiomen Valley 45, Governor Mifflin 13

n Exeter 28, Boyertown 10

n Kutztown 66, York Tech 26

n Hamburg 22, Midd-West 21

n Twin Valley 62, Selinsgrove 0

SATURDAY, AUG. 30

n Conestoga Valley 35, McCaskey 6

n Wyomissing 29, The Haverford School 26

Ephrata’s victory over Barons is 400th in program history

Ephrata’s Jackson Nolt (67) blocks Manheim Central’s Ryan Wissler in a Week Two game at Manheim’s Rettew Stadium on Aug, 29.

JASON GUARENTE

JGUARENTE@LNPNEWS.COM

The chant was noticeable even though it quickly faded away. Four words every sports fan has heard a hundred times before: “This is our house.”

For Ephrata to say it here, on Manheim Central’s home field, was no longer unthinkable. It was a sign of the times.

“I didn’t hear it,” senior lineman Jackson Nolt said. “I wish I did. I would’ve been chanting along with them.”

Ephrata went 16 years without beating Central in football before the 2024 season. The Mountaineers did it again on Aug. 29. It was a 17-6 decision in nonleague play at Rettew Stadium.

The win brought a milestone. It was No. 400 in Ephrata’s history.

“I don’t think a lot of the kids knew about it until the end of the game when we talked about it here in the huddle,” head coach Kris Miller said.

MOUNTS, page 12

SECTION ONE

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Marcos Fernandez, RB-LB, Manheim Township

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: E.J. Brownback, LB, Wilson

SECTION TWO

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Caleb Rice, LB, Ephrata

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Jackson Nolt,

OT-DE, Ephrata

SECTION THREE

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Dane Horning, RBLB, Cocalico

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Vinny Bagonis, TE-NG, Warwick

SECTION FOUR

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Chase Eisenhower, RB-LB, Wyomissing

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Greyson Miller, OG, Twin Valley

SECTION FIVE

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Isaac McFadden, QB, Hamburg

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Trenton Moore, TE-DE, Lancaster Catholic

WEEK THREE

KEEPING IT CLUTCH

L-S pushes ahead in

4th-quarter drive

JASON GUARENTE

JGUARENTE@LNPNEWS.COM

The words are written in LampeterStrasburg’s creed and the football players believe in them. From the depths of fatigue and the grasp of exhaustion, you find a way.

Those last three words captured what transpired in Denver on the night of Sept. 5. The Pioneers weren’t perfect. They weren’t their best. They found a way.

L-S scored a touchdown with 1:25 left to overcome Cocalico 10-6 in a nonleague game featuring two of the Lancaster-Lebanon League’s storied programs.

“It’s our ability to dig deep,” senior captain Keegan Curtis said. “We know who we are. We trust in our brothers. We know we can always do it.”

There were reasons to have doubts when L-S took over at their 32 with 6:59 remaining. The Pioneers trailed 6-3 and the go-ahead score seemed like it was a mile away. Their offense had produced two touchdowns in the past seven-anda-half quarters.

Twice during the 14-play journey, L-S faced fourth down. Twice they decided to go for it. Neither was an easy decision.

L-S faced fourth-and-8 near midfield with about five minutes left. Asher Jones scrambled for 12 yards to keep the drive going. It was supposed to be a pass. Jones made it a run.

CLUTCH, page 12

L-S QB Asher Jones (6) tries to evade Cocalico’s Jaxon Keffer (7) and Nate Bourassa.

QUARTERBACK CLUB L-L PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

SECTION ONE

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Zach Bomberger, DB, Manheim Township

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Elijah Hess, DT, Penn Manor

SECTION TWO

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Malachi Knowles, QB-DB, Ephrata

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Jackson Nolt, OT-DE, Ephrata

SECTION THREE

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Andrew Pemberton, RB-DB, Garden Spot

THE SCORES

FRIDAY, SEPT. 5

n Lampeter-Strasburg 10, Cocalico 6

n Ephrata 40, Garden Spot 31

n Manheim Township 43, York 34

n Dallastown 28, Manheim Central 16

n Solanco 42, Penn Manor 14

n Elizabethtown 35, McCaskey 0

n Warwick 34, Cedar Crest 12

n Elco 28, Lancaster Catholic 14

n Governor Mifflin 20, Hempfield 19

n Octorara 28, Kutztown 15

n Conrad Weiser 28, Lebanon 6

n Conestoga Valley 53, Dover 0

n West York 45, Donegal 8

n Littlestown 21, Annville-Cleona 13

n Delone Catholic 21, Northern Lebanon 13

n Pequea Valley 14, Morrisville 6

n Fleetwood 31, Schuylkill Valley 24

n Muhlenberg 51, Daniel Boone 0

n Nazareth 30, Wilson 20

n Emmaus 41, Reading 14

n Exeter 42, Pleasant Valley 0

n Twin Valley 67, Simon Gratz 20

n Bethlehem Catholic 48, Berks Catholic 41

n Bristol 35, Hamburg 14

SATURDAY, SEPT. 6

n Columbia 35, York Tech 7

n Wyomissing 35, Academy of the New Church 0

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Westin Ulrich, OT, Conrad Weiser

SECTION FOUR

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Brayden Mastrippolito, RB-DB, Octorara

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Mason Labiak, OG-DE, Octorara

SECTION FIVE

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Cameron McClair, QB-DE-K, Columbia

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Carson Arnold, OT, Columbia

GAME OF THE WEEK: CONESTOGA VALLEY 31, EPHRATA 7

A JOB WELL DONE

Buckskins overcome distractions for win in their Section 2 opener

JEFF REINHART

JREINHART@LNPNEWS.COM

Conestoga Valley kept on keeping on Sept. 12, as the Buckskins flexed their football muscles once again this season.

CV took a couple uppercuts from Ephrata, but won the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section Two opener between the longtime rivals by a 31-7 count in Witmer.

Ephrata suffered its first loss this season. CV, which picked up its 16th regular season victory in a row, stormed to 4-0, piling up 483 yards while opening defense of its section title in fine fashion.

“We never felt like we were in control of the game,” CV coach Jon Scepanski said. “But we stayed focused. This was a night of distractions. There was a lot of media here. The (white-out) crowd was pretty intense. But I thought our kids did a great job just staying focused.”

Particularly QB Sawyer Esbenshade, who was his usual efficient self behind center for the Bucks.

Esbenshade rushed for 94 yards and passed for 319 yards and three touchdowns, and despite its league-leading defense being nicked for 254 yards, CV intercepted two passes and scooped up a fumble, vaulting to the top of the section race along with Exeter and Muhlenberg, who also won on this night.

“The whole offense was really going,” Esbenshade said. “If the run game wasn’t there, we were able to pass the ball. If the passing game wasn’t there, we were able to run it. Everybody was on the same page.”

Ephrata was minus three key players — QB Carson Martin, one of his fa-

THE SCORES

FRIDAY, SEPT. 12

n Hempfield 56, McCaskey 6

n Cedar Crest 40, Penn Manor 15

n Wilson 49, Reading 0

n Conestoga Valley 31, Ephrata 7

n Exeter 43, Governor Mifflin 15

n Muhlenberg 55, Lebanon 21

n Cocalico 29, Garden Spot 24

n Conrad Weiser 26, Fleetwood 23

n Solanco 35, Warwick 7

n Octorara 42, Daniel Boone 28

n Lampeter-Strasburg 30, Donegal 20

n Twin Valley 60, Elco 0

n Wyomissing 42, Northern Lebanon 0

n Columbia 43, Lancaster Catholic 0

n Berks Catholic 41, Pequea Valley 0

n Annville-Cleona 42, Hamburg 0

n Schuylkill Valley 35, Kutztown 28

n Manheim Central 21, Bermudian Springs 6

n Manheim Township 37, Plymouth Whitemarsh 31

SATURDAY, SEPT. 13

n Elizabethtown 44, South Philadelphia 0

vorite targets in Josiah Grant and twoway threat Aaron Young — who were in street clothes on the sideline, nursing injuries.

“We had some pretty physical games in the first three weeks, so we got some bad luck there,” Ephrata coach Kris Miller said. “It is what it is. You still have to play with 11, and you have to keep moving forward. I’m extremely proud of how our kids competed here, and how they kept playing.”

Both teams did all of their damage in the first half. CV had a 31-7 lead at the break, when Colson Erb drilled a 30yard field goal at the second-quarter horn to extend the Bucks’ lead.

CV put together a pair of excellent first-quarter scoring drives. The Bucks scored on their first possession, with Josiah Garcia bolting in on a 3-yard run to make it 7-0. Esbenshade’s 38-yard pass to Teagan Ruble set up that score.

Later, Esbenshade zipped an 89-yard TD pass to Cordell Bair and it was 14-0 with 3:09 to go in the first quarter.

The Bucks’ lead bulged to 21-0 when Parker Book picked off a pass to thwart an Ephrata drive. A couple plays later, Esbenshade tossed a 10-yard TD pass to Konnor Fisher with 8:52 to go in the first half.

Ephrata finally answered, getting a 3-yard TD bolt from Bentley Rearich, who had a heck of a night carrying the ball.

Ephrata looked to be in business again when Chase Prange picked off a pass. But CV held, then took a 28-7 lead when Esbenshade flipped a 6-yard TD toss to Garcia to cap a 93-yard drive.

Garcia’s interception with 20 seconds to go in the second quarter set up Erb’s 30-yard field goal at the buzzer, and that was it for the scoring.

CV gave up more points in the first half (7) than it had yielded in its first three games combined (6).

The Bucks came in giving up just 90 yards a game; Ephrata had 221 stripes on the ground — 184 by Rearich, a freshman who had his varsity breakout game.

CV passed its first section test against Ephrata in a battle of unbeatens. Exeter and Muhlenberg, both 4-0, are at the tail end of the Bucks’ schedule.

“We’ve said it from the start,” Scepanski said. “Week Nine means nothing if we don’t take care of One through Eight. Now we’re on to Five, and we have to take care of Five (a nonleague game at home against Spring Grove). One at a time. If you look ahead, that’s when you get caught.”

QUARTERBACK CLUB

L-L PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

SECTION ONE

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Orion Abrams, WR-DB, Hempfield

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Jake Ruch, OG-OT-DT, Manheim Township

SECTION TWO

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Leo Brown, RB, Exeter

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Joel Ummarino, C-DT, Exeter

SECTION THREE

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Dane Horning, RB-LB, Cocalico

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Nick McArdle, OG, Cocalico

SECTION FOUR

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Brayden Mastrippolito, RB-DB, Octorara

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Lucas Reid, C, Octorara

SECTION FIVE

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Cameron McClair, QB-DE, Columbia

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Hudson Sellers, TE-LB, Annville-Cleona

WEEK FIVE

GAME OF THE WEEK: MANHEIM TOWNSHIP 35, HEMPFIELD 13

FINDING SPACE

Streaks will take win, but want room to grow

JEFF REINHART

JREINHART@LNPNEWS.COM

The Joseph F. Kurjiaka Trophy remained at Manheim Township.

Jack Kenneff contributed three TD passes and a TD keeper for the Blue Streaks, who netted four first-half touchdowns, and Township topped arch-rival Hempfield 35-13 in a Lancaster-Lebanon League Section One football game on Sept. 19 in Landisville.

“Trophy is great and a win is nice,” Kenneff said. “And it’s always nice to come out with a win here.”

It was the Streaks’ section opener; they improved to 4-1 overall and did more offensive damage for the third game in a row. Hempfield dipped to 1-1 in section play and is 2-3 overall. The Black Knights’ other two setbacks were 20-19 and 22-16 in OT, both gut-punch, lategame setbacks.

THE SCORES

THURSDAY, SEPT. 18

n Twin Valley 49, Octorara 7

FRIDAY, SEPT. 19

n Manheim Township 35, Hempfield 13

n Penn Manor 41, Reading 8

n Wilson 62, Cedar Crest 20

n Ephrata 20, Elizabethtown 14

n Muhlenberg 35, Governor Mifflin 17

n Exeter 64, Lebanon 6

n Warwick 38, Cocalico 8

n Manheim Central 20, Conrad Weiser 7

n Garden Spot 28, Fleetwood 7

Township took a 13-3 lead in the Kurjiaka Trophy series, named for the former Hempfield and Township school administrator.

Township’s first-half haul included two TD passes by Kenneff — a 10-yard flip to Daryus Dixon and a 61-yard strike to Allan Feliciano, who took a swing pass and outraced Hempfield’s defenders — and Kenneff’s 2-yard keeper. Dixon’s interception set up Kenneff’s TD run.

Hempfield countered when Derek Katch hit Orion Abrams on a post route for a 30-yard score. Cam Rice’s interception set up that play.

Township was up 28-7 at the half. Nobody scored in the third quarter, as the teams exchanged punts and turnovers.

“We’re not coming out with the power and the fire we need in the second half,” Township coach Mark Evans said. “We

need to stop playing with our food. We need to eat.”

In the previous two weeks, Township held off Plymouth-Whitemarsh 37-31 and York 43-34 in games that were close into the fourth quarter.

n Lampeter-Strasburg 41, Daniel Boone 0

n Donegal 44, Northern Lebanon 22

n Annville-Cleona 35, Columbia 26

n Hamburg 21, Kutztown 20

n Berks Catholic 35, Lancaster Catholic 6

n Schuylkill Valley 34, Pequea Valley 6

n William Tennent 22, McCaskey 6

n Conestoga Valley 29, Spring Grove 7

SATURDAY, SEPT. 20

n Wyomissing 42, Elco 7

n Solanco 49, Eastern York 7

QUARTERBACK CLUB L-L PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

SECTION ONE

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Jack Kenneff, QB, Manheim Township

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Kayden Shaffer, TE-LB, Penn Manor

SECTION TWO

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Camryn Bair, DB, Conestoga Valley

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Drake Ciran,

TE-DE, Ephrata

SECTION THREE

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Gabe Martin, QBLB, Garden Spot

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Calvin Bent, OG-DT, Warwick

SECTION FOUR

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Lucas Myers, RB-

“A W is a W,” Evans said, “but I’m kind of tired of saying that a W is a W. We did better. But I think we have more better in us. We have to find a way to be a better second-half team.”

Township made it 35-7 when Kenneff lobbed a 12-yard TD toss to Dixon, who was wide open in the back of the end zone. Dehvyn Lauano’s interception set up that score.

“Our coaches do such a great job, and we have a bunch of guys that we can spread the ball around to,” said Kenneff, who was 19-for-22 for 264 yards.

“The O-line is doing a great job, and we have some ’dawgs; with Allan and Daryus

I can just flip the ball out there and they can make a play. They make my job easier.”

Hempfield tacked on a TD to keep it interesting; Katch tossed a 4-yard TD pass to Abrams and it was 35-13. The Knights recovered an onside kick, but couldn’t capitalize.

“Where we’re at is where we’re at; we’re 2-3,” Hempfield coach George Eager said. “And now we’re in must-win situations from here on out. We have to win some games maybe we’re not picked to win. We’ll see where the cards land.

“But when you’re playing against a good team, you have to play well and you have to make plays. Credit to them. They played well. They made plays.”

And Township tucked the Kurjiaka Trophy in the back of the bus for the third year in a row.

LB, Twin Valley

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Liam Sheehan, OT, Twin Valley

SECTION FIVE

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Owen Schalk, RB, Berks Catholic

n CO-LINEMEN OF THE WEEK: Hudson Sellers, TE-DE, Annville-Cleona; Astian Reppert, OT-DE, Hamburg

PICKING UP STEAM

After a down season in 2024, Barons earn 3rd straight victory

JEFF REINHART

JREINHART@LNPNEWS.COM

Are the Barons back?

After the result on Sept. 26, Manheim Central’s football team was picking up some serious steam and — after a rare down season in 2024 — was back in a familiar position: First place.

Cody Hess caught two touchdown passes and registered two of Central’s five sacks, Logan Kappel had three TD tosses and the Barons ripped off their third win in a row with a 35-7 Lancaster-Lebanon League Section Three victory at longtime rival Cocalico in Denver.

The Barons (2-0 L-L, 4-2) moved into a tie for the top spot in the section with Solanco. Central has flushed last year’s 3-7 finish.

“It will be good to be in a big game like that,” Central coach Dave Hahn said of the Barons’ Oct. 3 matchup vs. the Golden Mules. “Manheim Central will be in the talk again, and that means something. I hope it brings a lot of energy to our kids. I don’t know if we’re exactly all the back to where we’ve typically been. But we’re getting better and we’re improving. If we can keep doing that, we’ll be there at the end of the year.”

Cocalico dipped to 1-2 in the section and to an uncharacteristic 1-5 overall. The Eagles came in 1-4 for the first time since 2006. Cocalico also had its two-game winning streak against Central snapped.

“Beating Cocalico, especially after losing to them the last two years, feels really good,” Hess said. “Especially beating them

here. We had a good game plan and a good setup. Guys stuck with their assignments, and everyone took care of business.”

Central’s defense played with an edge throughout. The Barons constantly crashed the backfield to put pressure on Cocalico QB Connor Horning, who had next to no time to make reads in the Eagles’ ground-and-pound Veer attack. The Eagles were held to 92 rushing yards on 42 carries, just 2.1 yards per attempt.

“Tip your cap,” Cocalico coach Bryan Strohl said. “They made our offense work extremely hard to get a yard. They were

GO WARRIORS!

aggressive. They were flying. At times we just didn’t pick them up. They made us work for everything.”

“Our defense has been pretty stout for us all year long,” Hahn said. “We’ve had an occasional bend the last three weeks, but they haven’t broken. I’m proud of our D. I thought we played tough, physical Baron football. They did a great job.”

Central got on the board first when Kappel zipped an 18-yard TD pass to Malik Cornish on fourth-and-10. The Barons pushed their lead to 14-0 on the last play of the first quarter when Kappel flipped a 1-yard TD toss to Hess, who had eight receptions. Xavier Oxceva’s 49-yard punt return set up that score.

Cocalico warmed to the task midway through the second quarter, getting a 1-yard keeper from QB Connor Horning. His 23-yard pass to Brendon Zimmerman set up that score.

But Central retaliated, with Kappel hitting Hess in stride for a 51-yard TD. Hess was wide open and the Barons were up 21-7 at the half.

Central had a pair of fourth-quarter scores to ice it. One play after the Barons turned the Eagles over on downs, Caleb Moyer broke off a 43-yard TD sprint for a 28-7 cushion.

THE SCORES

FRIDAY, SEPT. 26

n Hempfield 34, Penn Manor 7

n Manheim Township 56, McCaskey 21

n Cedar Crest 42, Reading 6

n Exeter 24, Ephrata 0

n Muhlenberg 35, Elizabethtown 21

n Manheim Central 35, Cocalico 7

n Warwick 20, Garden Spot 17

n Solanco 62, Conrad Weiser 20

n Lampeter-Strasburg 50, Octorara 14

n Elco 44, Daniel Boone 28

n Twin Valley 67, Northern Lebanon 0

n Columbia 21, Pequea Valley 14

n Berks Catholic 55, Schuylkill Valley 19

n Annville-Cleona 42, Kutztown 39

n Lancaster Catholic 35, Hamburg 10

n Wilson 42, Governor Mifflin 10

n Kennard-Dale 17, Fleetwood 0

SATURDAY, SEPT. 27

n Conestoga Valley 49, Lebanon 15

n Wyomissing 48, Donegal 22

QUARTERBACK CLUB L-L PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

SECTION ONE

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Steven Reyes, QB, Cedar Crest

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Peyton Witmer, OT, Cedar Crest

SECTION TWO

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Cameron Small, RB, Muhlenberg

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Andre Osborne, OG-DE, Exeter

SECTION THREE

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Cody Hess, WR-LB, Manheim Central

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Vinny Bagonis, TE-NG, Warwick

SECTION FOUR

And after Central’s Jayvior Morales picked off a pass — the Barons’ 10th interception this season — Logan Geib darted 10 yards for a TD to cap it with 3:32 to play.

“We’re definitely feeling like we’re getting back to where we need to be,” Hess said. “We had the goal of going 3-0 the last three weeks. Now we’ll have all eyes on Solanco.”

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Maverick Foster, QB-DB, Twin Valley

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Zach Troutman, OT, Twin Valley

SECTION FIVE

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Ian Bahr, RB, Kutztown

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Faith Zudie, DE, Berks Catholic

WEEK SEVEN

DOWN TO A SCIENCE

Golden Mules’ powerful offense takes down Barons in Section 3 tilt

THE SCORES

THURSDAY, OCT. 2

n Penn Manor 39, Littlestown 6

n Lampeter-Strasburg 59, Northern Lebanon 13

n Wyomissing 55, Daniel Boone 6

FRIDAY, OCT. 3

n Wilson 38, Hempfield 28

n Manheim Township 42, Cedar Crest 13

n Exeter 42, Muhlenberg 12

n Conestoga Valley 51, Governor Mifflin 21

n Elizabethtown 42, Lebanon 7

n Solanco 42, Manheim Central 6

QUARTERBACK CLUB

n Garden Spot 17, Conrad Weiser 10

n Elco 21, Octorara 13

n Twin Valley 49, Donegal 14

n Annville-Cleona 21, Lancaster Catholic 20

n Schuylkill Valley 17, Columbia 14

n Pequea Valley 31, Hamburg 21

n Cocalico 33, Ephrata 21

SATURDAY, OCT. 4

n Reading 14, McCaskey 6

n Warwick 37, Fleetwood 0

n Berks Catholic 31, Kutztown 7

L-L PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

SECTION ONE

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Daryus Dixon, WR, Manheim Township

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Taylor Veilleux, FB-NG, Manheim Township

SECTION TWO

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Sawyer Esbenshade, QB, Conestoga Valley

n CO-LINEMEN OF THE WEEK:

Sam Matoni, DT, Conestoga Valley; Joel Ummarino, C-DE, Exeter

SECTION THREE

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Tyler

Musser, QB-DB, Warwick

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Kendall Weaver, C-DE, Cocalico

SECTION FOUR

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Justice Hardy, RB-DB, Wyomissing

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Collin Shelley, OT, LampeterStrasburg

SECTION FIVE

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Jeremiah Camara, RB, Berks Catholic

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Kaidavin Ginting, OG-DT, Annville-Cleona

JASON GUARENTE

JGUARENTE@LNPNEWS.COM

A.J. Haag is the one who breaks Solanco’s postgame huddle. The lineman says a few words that don’t make much sense to an outsider.

Four to six. A to B. Speed to power. Power to speed. Then everyone cheers.

Those terms are a science to the Golden Mules, a sequence of phrases that provide their blueprint for success.

Each play lasts four to six seconds. Each movement gets them from Point A to Point B. They use speed in the open field and power when it’s time to hit.

Solanco knocked off Manheim Central four to six seconds at a time on Oct. 3. The Golden Mules struck early and often as they posted a 42-6 win in Lancaster-Lebanon League Section Three football at Rettew Stadium.

A rivalry that has been lopsided against Solanco for much of its history has recently turned in the Golden Mules’ favor. These teams have met 65 times. This is only the seventh time Solanco has prevailed. Three of those wins have come in the past four years.

Solanco (3-0 L-L, 6-1) knows this fall can be special. The roster is loaded with a rare combination of talent and experience.

“It’s a blast,” quarterback Chase Sensenig said. “It’s great knowing I’ve got a great group of guys behind me. They’re always doing their best for me. I’m always doing my best for them.”

On Solanco’s second play from scrimmage in this one, Kris Burgos-Wise rushed 70 yards for a touchdown. On its seventh play, Burgos-Wise rushed 40 yards for

WEEK EIGHT

GAME

GREAT TEAM, GREAT TIMES

Senior Book helps Buckskins keep perfect season going

JASON GUARENTE

JGUARENTE@LNPNEWS.COM

The cheers were noticeably louder whenever Parker Book made a tackle. The Conestoga Valley senior had a lot of friends and family in the bleachers. Some of them came prepared with photos taped to oversized Popsicle sticks. One featured Book in his No. 8 uniform. One showed him in a button-down shirt and could’ve been clipped from a catalog. These are the salad days for CV. Great team. Great times. A great season that seems to have endless possibilities. Book personifies all of it. A perfect fit for the roster and his role.

“He’s a hard-working kid,” CV coach Jon Scepanski said. “He does everything you ask. He’s the perfect role model for what you want a football player to be.”

CV kept the ride going on Oct. 10. The Buckskins raced past Elizabethtown 42-7 in a Lancaster-Lebanon League Section Two game at Witmer.

Book recorded a few tackles and earned a few cheers. The best came on a blitz that turned into a sack for a 12-yard loss.

Scepanski couldn’t say enough nice things about Book. The coach called the 5-foot-10, 175-pound linebacker “a gamer” and “a big-timer.”

“I try to fly to the ball,” Book said. “Just be a leader and call the plays I see.”

CV’s offense is so extraordinary it can obscure what the Buckskins have achieved on defense. They’ve held eight opponents to a total of 63 points. That’s No. 1 in the entire L-L. They’re one of only four teams allowing fewer than 200 yards per game.

It starts up front with Sam Matonti at nose guard and Connor High and Liam Price at end. It continues with the three linebackers: Book, Teagan Ruble and Jonathon Serrano.

“We’ve all got a connection and we all trust each other,” Ruble said. “We play gap defense pretty much. Everyone has their gap. I do my job and I don’t have to worry about them.”

The five defensive backs aren’t too shabby. Two of them, Cordell Bair and Camryn Bair, recorded interceptions against Elizabethtown (1-3 L-L, 4-4). Konner Fisher, JoJo Garcia and Anthony Rodriguez have made their share of plays.

“Obviously, we’ve been doing very well so far,” Book said. “I feel like it’s all levels. The defensive line eats up a lot of blocks so we get to move around. We just run to the ball and have fun.”

It’s impossible not to mention CV’s offense, which is a study in precision and preparation.

For most of the first half, the question wasn’t whether the Buckskins were go-

ing to win or how many points they might score. It was whether or not the ball was ever going to touch the ground.

Quarterback Sawyer Esbenshade was 11-for-11 for 221 yards and three touchdowns at one point. He looked like a student with all the answers to the test. Ruble, Fisher and Jayden Conaway caught those TDs.

“Hats off to the kids,” Scepanski said. “They put in the work to be where they are. I’m super-proud of their dedication. Everybody is bought in. Everything is coming around and working well together.”

WEEK EIGHT

THE SCORES

THURSDAY, OCT. 9

n Berks Catholic 37, Columbia 0

FRIDAY, OCT. 10

n Cedar Crest 48, McCaskey 6

n Wilson 42, Penn Manor 7

n Manheim Township 63, Reading 0

n Conestoga Valley 42, Elizabethtown 7

n Muhlenberg 33, Ephrata 28

n Governor Mifflin 49, Lebanon 7

n Solanco 38, Cocalico 7

n Warwick 20, Conrad Weiser 0

n Manheim Central 42, Fleetwood 3

n Lampeter-Strasburg 36, Elco 14

n Octorara 56, Northern Lebanon 31

n Schuylkill Valley 31, Hamburg 13

n Lancaster Catholic 49, Kutztown 7

n Annville-Cleona 35, Pequea Valley 14

n Hempfield 30, Exeter 28

n Garden Spot 34, Bristol 20

SATURDAY, OCT. 11

n Twin Valley 28, Wyomissing 6

MONDAY, OCT. 13

n Donegal 30, Daniel Boone 8

GOING FOURTH

Knights score 10 in final quarter, stop tying 2-point try in upset win

KYLE KUTZ FOR LNP |

LANCASTERONLINE

Coming off a tough loss to Wilson in Week Seven, Hempfield bounced back more than nicely on Oct. 10, scoring a 3028 upset over Exeter in a nonleague game at Landisville.

After being down two, the Black Knights (4-4) scored 10 points in the fourth quarter to pull out a last-minute victory against the previously unbeaten Eagles (7-1).

Exeter remained tied for first with Conestoga Valley atop the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section Two standings at 4-0.

Eagles standout Leo Brown, who leads the league in rushing yards, wasted no time finding the end zone on an 80-yard touchdown run early in the first quarter to give Exeter an immediate advantage.

Senior Jayden Ware mishandled the

QUARTERBACK CLUB L-L PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

SECTION ONE

n BACK OF THE WEEK:

P.J. Poole, WR-DB, Hempfield

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Griffin Schomp, OT, Cedar Crest

SECTION TWO

n BACK OF THE WEEK:

Cameron Small, RB, Muhlenberg

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Liam Price, OT-DE, Conestoga Valley

SECTION THREE

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Cody Hess, WR-LB, Manheim Central

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Teagan Upton, OTDE, Garden Spot

SECTION FOUR

n BACK OF THE WEEK:

Drew Engle, RB-DB, Twin Valley

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Greyson Miller, OGDT, Twin Valley

SECTION FIVE

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Hudson Sellers, RB-DE, Annville-Cleona

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Faith Zudie, RBDE, Berks Catholic

snap on the extra point attempt, but salvaged the broken play by connecting with Braylon Reinert on a desperation throw to stake an 8-0 lead.

Black Knights senior Orion Abrams, the L-L leader in receiving yards and receptions, soon responded by reeling in a 14yard Derek Katch pass over the middle to narrow the gap.

Early in the second quarter, the Eagles’ dual-threat passer, Jacob Hafer, took to the air and found Jayden Ware on a TD connection of 84 yards, once again extending the deficit to eight points.

Hempfield answered by marching down the field, allowing senior PJ Poole to catch a 7-yard TD pass from Katch and cut the Eagles’ lead to 15-14 before halftime.

Out of the break, Brown recorded his second rushing score of the evening on a 16-yard carry to put Exeter up 22-14.

Ruble rushed for 100 yards and a second score. Cordell Bair caught CV’s first pass, E-town’s first pass for an interception and rushed for a 7-yard touchdown. Garcia ran four yards on a jet sweep for the final TD.

But Katch dialed up another big-play TD pass for Poole, this time on a 55-yarder, to close out the third quarter at 22-20.

The Eagles’ defense then buckled down and tackled Katch short of the goal line on a quarterback keeper to thwart the ensuing two-point conversion attempt.

However, Hempfield assumed control with two quick scores in the fourth. Senior kicker Brady Biscoe nailed a 37-yard field goal attempt, and Poole returned a clutch red-zone interception 77 yards.

Hafer connected with senior Aiden Dauble on a 34-yard TD pass later in the quarter, trimming the Knights’ lead to 30-28, but the Eagles could get no closer.

The Knights’ entire defensive line swarmed to Brown during Exeter’s twopoint try and tackled the senior shy of the end zone to ice the game and snap the Eagles’ seven-game hot streak.

against Exeter for first place. Exeter couldn’t avoid the same trap. The Eagles fell to Hempfield 30-28 in a nonleague game.

The Oct. 17 matchup will likely determine the Section Two champion. It’s time to answer what Scepanski called, “The question everybody has asked since August.”

he headed toward the locker room. No. 8 stopped for a few more pictures.

No matter what happens next, these have been a memorable few months for CV.

“It’s definitely really cool,” Ruble said. “A lot of people don’t get this opportunity. I’m just trying to soak it all in.”

CV (4-0, 8-0) avoided looking ahead to its showdown

So is Book. One tackle and one cheer at a time. Continued from 10

Book’s family was waiting for him along the fence when

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Mounts: Picking up a milestone W vs. Central

Continued from 4

“It’s huge for our alumni and our community. That’s what this is all about.”

Ephrata’s fans filled the entire visitors section of the bleachers. The students, dressed in pink, were a large portion of the crowd.

When the final seconds ticked off the clock, the players ran toward that pink cluster to begin their celebration. The opponent and the big, round number were secondary to something else. A feeling of personal satisfaction.

“It’s winning a football game that’s just amazing,” Nolt said. “It’s winning alongside all my brothers.”

This effort was “gritty” as quarterback Carson Martin put it. It was “hardfought” to use Miller’s words. Ephrata trailed 6-3 at halftime and was struggling to produce the offensive plays it needed. One came in the closing minutes of the third quarter.

Martin threw an up-for-grabs pass to Josiah Grant who hauled it in for a 19yard touchdown. That put Ephrata ahead 10-6. Grant wasn’t open on the play. Far

Science

another score. The second time Central tried to pass, Wesley Bard intercepted and ran 24 yards into the end zone.

That’s how quickly it unraveled for Central (2-1, 4-3). Solanco was ahead 21-0 less than 10 minutes into the first quarter.

Sensenig orchestrates one of the LL’s most potent offenses; the 5-foot-11, 170-pound junior helps make the tripleoption flourish.

Some of the time it’s simple. Just hand the ball to fullback Johnny Garcia and let him plow between the tackles. Other times Sensenig flips it to Burgos-Wise, who’s averaging more than 15 yards per carry. Or No. 14 will elect to keep it for himself.

Clutch: L-S

Continued from 5 from it. Martin decided to throw it anyway.

“He’s 6-foot-3 and he can jump like crazy,” Martin said. “I saw the matchup and I’m like, ‘He’s gonna go get that.’ That’s basically what he’s there for.”

Grant, who didn’t play football until eighth grade, made the catch despite a pass interference penalty. In a game where every yard was contested, something extraordinary was required to create some points.

“That was huge,” Miller said. “It allowed us to catch our breath for a second. To say, ‘We’re all right.’ ”

Ephrata (2-0) only managed 12 first downs and most of those were at the end. The Mounts had 70 yards on the ground and 114 through the air.

Evan Honberger delivered a 39-yard field goal that would’ve been good from much farther late in the first half. The senior has to be on the short list of best kickers in the Lancaster-Lebanon League.

Ephrata added another touchdown early in the fourth. Martin connected with Elijah Frain, who used his back to shield

the defender and secure a 10-yard connection.

Central (1-1), after scoring 47 points against West Philadelphia in Week One, couldn’t muster much offense. The Barons’ TD came on Logan Geib’s 7-yard run after they were given a short field because of a fourth down stop. Central was held to 100 net yards and seven first downs.

Ephrata ended a 36-year playoff drought when it reached the District Three Class 5A championship game two years back. The Mounts are off to a fast start in pursuit of another postseason appearance.

As they gathered together for the postgame speech, the players erupted in another chant. Six words this time: “It’s great … to be … a Mountaineer.”

“It’s especially great tonight,” Miller said, smiling.

“100%,” Nolt added. “I will always bleed purple and gold.”

The bus pulled out of Central’s parking lot about 45 minutes later. It was time for Ephrata to head home and start working on No. 401.

“Any way possible to move the chains,” the quarterback said. “If the first couple of reads aren’t there, you’ve got to take off.” L-S faced fourth-and-3 from Cocalico’s 15. The safe choice was a 32-yard field goal attempt by Peter Fiorello that likely would’ve forced overtime. The Pioneers didn’t play it safe.

“We were struggling on offense to sustain drives,” coach Victor Ridenour said. “Sometimes you need to find a spark. You put it on your offense.”

Ridenour could tell by his players’ reaction that going for it was the right call.

“We knew the game was on the line at that point,” the coach said. “Our kids wanted it. It was good to see their eyes that way.”

Again, it was Jones who picked up the first down. On the next play, Colby DeJessa scored from the 10 and the Pioneers were back in front.

Cocalico took the lead on Dane Horning’s 2-yard touchdown run with 7:07 left. Horning rushed for 85 yards and threw his No. 20 jersey into almost every defensive play. The senior couldn’t have done more to help the home team prevail.

There’s no question Sensenig is in charge once the ball is snapped.

“He brings leadership,” Burgos-Wise said. “He likes to talk a lot. He’s very vocal. If we’re having a down practice, he’s always speaking up. He’s always there for us.”

Sensenig has been the QB since many in this group came together. It goes back to the D team days when these young men were still boys.

Last season, Sensenig spent some time at wide receiver. He was quick to point out he was “always a quarterback at heart.”

“This year,” he said, “I knew I had the keys to the car.”

This isn’t a Honda Civic he’s driving. It’s a Ferrari.

In addition to the three running threats, along with occasional carries by Ander-

sen Miller, there’s a formidable offensive line. Haag and Tyler Kreider are the tackles. Desmond Ferguson and Noah Gote are the guards. Evan Bennethum is at center.

“We’ve got some big guys up front,” Sensenig said. “They always do their best and I love them for it.”

The linemen realize every play has a chance to produce six points. Solanco has scored at least 35 points in each game.

Garcia had touchdown runs of 12 and 39 yards against Central. Sensenig scored from 13 yards. Sensenig’s decision-making is as reliable as the weapons at his disposal.

“It makes it worth it,” Kreider said. “You know when you’re blocking, something is gonna happen out of it. It’s really nice.”

Solanco is in the driver’s seat in Section Three with wins over Warwick, Central and Conrad Weiser. A tough matchup with Cocalico awaits in Week Eight. The Golden Mules will be a dangerous opponent in District Three Class 5A.

Speed to power. Power to speed. No matter which order the words are in, Solanco has both.

During the halftime break, with Central trailing 35-0, someone in the press box asked, “When was the last time we got mercy-ruled at home?”

It doesn’t happen to the Barons often. Then again, it’s not often Solanco has a team like this one.

The first three weeks were frustrating for the Eagles. They went 0-3. They could have been 1-2 or 2-1 or 3-0. They led all three games in the fourth quarter.

“Obviously, that’s not the situation you want to be in,” Cocalico coach Bryan Strohl said. “I would certainly hope we’ve learned a lot from these games. No. 1 is that we can compete and have a good chance of winning against very good teams.”

Cocalico had two fumbles that stalled drives. One deep in L-S territory. The Eagles had two chances to stall the Pioneers’ last drive and couldn’t make the tackle that got their defense off the field.

That’s how a program that claimed District Three Class 5A championships in 2022 and 2023 ended up winless heading into Week Four.

“There are so many what-ifs,” Strohl said. “What if I would have done this? What if I would have called that? Like I told our kids, we’re not losing games for a lack of effort.”

L-S (2-1) doesn’t have the same roster that charged into the PIAA Class 4A final undefeated in December. The Pioneers do have many of the same traits.

“It’s just a mentality,” Jones said. “We’ve got to play for the person beside us. We played our best drive when we needed it the most.”

After Cocalico’s final possession went nowhere, L-S’s players celebrated. They stood arm-in-arm and swayed to the alma mater as the band played.

The Pioneers didn’t just say the creed that night. They lived it.

WEEK NINE

THE SCORES

FRIDAY, OCT. 17

n Hempfield 43, Cedar Crest 13

n Manheim Township 34, Penn Manor 13

n Wilson 56, McCaskey 0

n Conestoga Valley 21, Exeter 17

n Elizabethtown 34, Governor Mifflin 16

n Ephrata 57, Lebanon 12

n Cocalico 27, Conrad Weiser17

n Garden Spot 31, Manheim Central 14

n Solanco 49, Fleetwood 13

n Elco 27, Donegal 20

n Twin Valley 42, Lampeter-Strasburg 7

n Daniel Boone 26, Northern Lebanon 23

n Berks Catholic 38, Hamburg 7

n Columbia 40, Kutztown 35

n Lancaster Catholic 35, Pequea Valley 0

n Annville-Cleona 14, Schuylkill Valley 7

n Muhlenberg 42, Academy Park 37

n New Oxford 14, Warwick 7

n Oxford 44, Reading 12

SATURDAY, OCT. 18

n Wyomissing 49, Octorara 8

QUARTERBACK CLUB

L-L PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

SECTION ONE

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Marcos Fernandez, RB-LB, Manheim Township

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Will Milazzo, TE-DE, Manheim Township.

SECTION TWO

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Cameron Small, RBLB, Muhlenberg

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Zavier Otero, OG, Muhlenberg

SECTION THREE

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Gabe Martin, QBLB, Garden Spot

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Nathan Bourassa, TE-DE, Cocalico

SECTION FOUR

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Drew Engle, RB-DB, Twin Valley

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Aaryn Sumner, DE, Twin Valley

SECTION FIVE

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Kareem Nichols, RB-WR-DB, Columbia

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Damoni Daglis, DT, Berks Catholic

GAME OF THE WEEK: CONESTOGA VALLEY 21, EXETER 17

‘ABSOLUTLEY AMAZING’

Unbeaten Buckskins rally past Eagles

JEFF REINHART

JREINHART@LNPNEWS.COM

On a night when Exeter’s defense registered six sacks, held Conestoga Valley to negative rushing yards, and had a running back tie the program record for most rushing yards in a single game, the Buckskins got the last laugh.

Jayden Conaway caught two fourthquarter touchdown passes, including the go-ahead score with 51 seconds to play and recovered a must-have onside kick to set up the winning TD as CV rallied past Exeter for an electrifying 21-17 LancasterLebanon League Section Two win on Oct. 17 in Witmer.

“Amazing,” Conaway said. “Absolutely amazing. I’m just so proud. I’m kind of speechless right now.”

CV (5-0 L-L, 9-0) won its 21st regular season game in a row and clinched no worse than a tie for the section title.

It was an incredibly tough break for Exeter (4-1, 7-2), which was seemingly in control midway through the fourth quarter. Joel Ummarino had four of the Eagles’ six sacks, Exeter held the Bucks to minus-1 rushing yards, and Leo Brown tied the school record with 332 rushing yards.

The Bucks are on the doorstep of backto-back outright championships after a crazy fourth-quarter comeback.

Brown’s 38-yard TD burst gave the Eagles a 17-7 lead with 2:37 to go in the third quarter, but the Bucks never buckled.

CV, which had 27 yards and one first down in the first half, finally punched it into gear in the fourth quarter. The Bucks were within 17-14 when Esbenshade fired a 4-yard TD dart to Conaway with 2:49 to go.

That set up CV’s onside kick. Colson Erb booted a chopper that got through Exeter’s “hands” team across the front, Conaway scooped it up and the Bucks were in business at the Eagles’ 45.

“The onside kick was definitely the bigger play for me,” Conaway said. “We wouldn’t even have the ball back or scored the touchdown without that. It all started with that play.”

“We practice it every week, because you never know when you’re going to use it,”

CV coach Jon Scepanski said. “I counted everybody four times to make sure they were in there. Colson kicked a great ball. We got a good bounce. And Jayden made a great play.”

Esbenshade hit Konnor Fisher for 26 yards and Teagan Ruble for another 15 yards to get the drive started. Esbenshade threaded the needle on the go-ahead score, heaving a laser through a pair of converging defenders and into Conaway’s waiting hands. Conaway had to go up in traffic to cradle the pass in the back of the end zone.

“When I was rolling out I saw Jayden, with a guy on his right and a guy on his left,” Esbenshade said. “If we were going to score, I had to throw it right there. He found some space and he caught the ball. Felt great. There’s probably not a better feeling than that.”

“He’s a great player, and he wants the ball,” Scepanski said of Conaway. “Tonight, he made plays.”

Three gigantic plays — two TD catches and the onside kick recovery — in 2:49 of clock time.

Exeter, which lost its second straight, had one last-gasp drive, needing to go 65 yards in 41 seconds. The Eagles got a 44yard pass to CV’s 40, but misfired on four straight passes and the Bucks won it.

“The team battled so hard together through a lot of ups and downs,” Esbenshade said. “And I know they have my back. If we played together as a team, we knew we were going to score those (fourth-quarter) touchdowns.”

REELING IN A TITLE

Golden Mules wrap up 1st outright section championship since 2022

JEFF REINHART

JREINHART@LNPNEWS.COM

Mission accomplished.

Solanco’s football team has been lugging around plenty of bull’s-eyes since August. The Golden Mules were the team to beat in Lancaster-Lebanon League Section Three from the jump and pretty much everyone knew it.

After a gut-punch Week One nonleague loss in overtime at Lampeter-Strasburg, Solanco coach Tony Cox immediately got his team’s attention in the postgame huddle. Flush it was his message. There will be bigger fish to fry later on.

Later on was Oct. 24 and the Golden Mules did indeed land the biggest fish in the Section Three pond.

Johnny Garcia had two touchdown runs, Chase Sensenig and Eric Koch connected on two long TD passes and Solanco fended off pesky Garden Spot 28-21 to capture the outright section championship at New Holland with their ninth win a row.

“We got some adversity right away with the L-S game,” Cox said. “But everybody buckled up, and the seniors became our leaders.”

“Biggest thing was the dedication after that L-S loss,” Solanco senior secondary standout Gabe Forren said. “I’m so proud of everybody. We worked so hard in the offseason and this whole season for these wins. After the L-S game I told the guys, ‘Hey, this wasn’t a section game.’ And we came out and started hitting harder right away. To get this win here … so, so happy.”

Solanco’s seniors will go out with book-

end outright crowns; the Mules went 10-0 when they were freshmen in 2022.

“Storybook,” said Garcia, one of those seniors. “It’s a real honor. The last two seasons haven’t been the greatest. So to come out in our senior year and the win the section, this means the world to us.”

And to everyone in Solanco Nation.

“It’s a big deal,” Cox said about winning a section crown. “And it’s good for the program. Having the program have some success like this, and seeing the kids come together as a family … that leads to some really good camaraderie with the team.”

Garden Spot drew first blood when Gabe

Martin had a 1-yard keeper on the second play of the second quarter to put the Spartans up 7-0. That only seemed to fire up Solanco, which scored three unanswered touchdowns to close the half. Garcia’s 5-yard plunge made it 7-7. Sensenig’s 26-yard TD flip to Koch gave the Mules a 14-7 lead. And Solanco (6-0 L-L, 9-1) executed a perfect two-minute drill to grab a 21-7 lead at the half on Garcia’s 3-yard body slam with eight ticks left in the second quarter.

Undaunted, Garden Spot (3-3, 5-5) kept slugging in the second half and sliced Solanco’s lead down to 21-14 on Martin’s second TD keeper, an 8-yarder, with 9:26 to play in regulation.

The Mules punched right back when Sensenig hit Koch, who was wide open deep downfield, for a 54-yard TD strike to give them a seemingly safe 28-14 cushion with 5:24 to play.

But Garden Spot made one last gasp, getting a 4-yard TD pass from Martin to Gavin Compton with 1:12 left. The Spartans’ ensuing onside kick did not travel the requisite 10 yards, Solanco got it back and took two knees in section-championshipclinching formation.

“Extremely proud,” Garcia said. “We could have gone down or we could have gone up after the L-S game. We kept pushing through that adversity. We made the best out of it. We knew after that loss that we didn’t want to lose again.”

They haven’t.

“We took it one week at a time,” Forren said. “It didn’t matter who we were playing. We were going to come out every week and play hard. So to do this is just really amazing.”

THE SCORES

THURSDAY, OCT. 23

n Cedar Crest 41, Lebanon 7

FRIDAY, OCT. 24

n Manheim Township 20, Wilson 14

n Hempfield 43, Reading 6

n Penn Manor 48, McCaskey 0

n Conestoga Valley 45, Muhlenberg 24

n Ephrata 28, Governor Mifflin 20

n Exeter 42, Elizabethtown 7

n Solanco 28, Garden Spot 21

n Warwick 28, Manheim Central 7

n Cocalico 49, Fleetwood 21

n Wyomissing 46, Lampeter-Strasburg 7

n Elco 42, Northern Lebanon 27

n Donegal 20, Octorara 14

n Twin Valley 71, Daniel Boone 7

n Berks Catholic 14, Annville-Cleona 7 (OT)

n Lancaster Catholic 17, Schuylkill Valley 16

n Columbia 34, Hamburg 6

n Kutztown 36, Pequea Valley 28

n Unionville 49, Conrad Weiser 14

QUARTERBACK CLUB

L-L PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

SECTION ONE

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Randy Guthrie, RB, Penn Manor

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Elijah Hess, G-DT, Penn Manor

SECTION TWO

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Malachi Knowles, QB-S, Ephrata

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Connor High, T-DL, Conestoga Valley

SECTION THREE

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Connor Horning, QB-S, Cocalico

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Aidan Sola, G, Cocalico

SECTION FOUR

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Leelan Baughman, RB, Donegal

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Andrew Bresnahan, G, Wyomissing

SECTION FIVE

n BACK OF THE WEEK: Ryan Walters, HB, Kutztown

n LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Faith Zudie, DE, Berks Catholic

GAME OF THE WEEK, PART 2: MANHEIM TOWNSHIP 20, WILSON 14

UNBREAKABLE

Blue Streaks make late interception, hold off Bulldogs for Section 1 championship WEEK TEN

JASON GUARENTE JGUARENTE@LNPNEWS.COM

WEST LAWN — Almost everyone on Manheim Township’s sideline was doing the same thing. One look at the clock. One look at the line of scrimmage.

Wilson’s drive seemed to last forever and there were moments when its destination seemed undeniable. None of the Blue Streaks felt that way. No matter how much ground they surrendered and how much time slipped away, they expected to get a stop.

“There was no doubt in my mind we were going to become victorious in this game,” senior Will Milazzo said. “I have no doubt in my team. They have my back and I have theirs.”

On the 16th play, 7:13 after it started, Luke Wagner ended the drive with an interception. Township held off Wilson 20-14 in a Lancaster-Lebanon League football thriller at Gurski Stadium on Oct. 24.

Township (6-0 L-L, 9-1) clinched the Section One championship against the opponent that took that title away last season.

In the adrenaline-filled postgame huddle, coach Mark Evans reminded his players of the resiliency they’ve shown and the identity they’ve forged. They like to call themselves unbreakable and they’ve lived up to it.

“These guys have exceeded expectations at every turn,” Evans said. “They’ve built on adversity and not playing their best. They’re a class that seized their opportunity. They seized the day.”

Wilson (5-1, 8-2) was on the verge of taking it all away. The Bulldogs, trailing by six, marched from their 9-yard line to Township’s 9-yard line. Eighty-two yards were behind them with only a handful to go.

Township forced a fumble that turned into a big loss and benefited from a penalty that put Wilson in third-and-forever. The Bulldogs went from being on the cusp of the end zone to being desperate.

Quarterback Mason Young danced in the pocket and searched for the big play that could save the home team. The senior settled for a pass across the middle and Wagner was there waiting.

“It’s surreal,” Wagner said. “That was a once-in-a-lifetime moment.”

Township never trailed. It built a 10-0 lead in the second quarter on quarterback Jack Kenneff’s 10-yard run and Rowen Crispeno’s 31-yard field goal.

Wilson managed to get within three points twice. The Bulldogs never managed to pull even.

Township maintained its lead on Dehyvn Lauano’s three-yard TD reception and Crispeno’s second field goal, a clutch 38-yarder near the end of the third quarter.

Prior to the Blue Streaks’ final TD, Daryus Dixon made a remarkable 32-yard catch near the goal line. It was a

stop-and-go pattern that Wilson covered perfectly. Dixon jumped and turned a possible interception into a big gain.

“My quarterback allowed me to be an athlete,” said Dixon, who caught eight passes for 111 yards. “He put trust in me. I appreciate that 100%.”

Township intercepted three passes and recovered a fumble. The last turnover was a pick by Allan Feliciano on a Hail Mary as time expired. He slid to the turf and the Blue Streaks celebrated.

“No matter what happens, no matter what hits us, no matter the adversity we face, it’s always about staying together,” four-year starter Taylor Veilleux said. “And not breaking down.”

Evans said something clicked with his team in the second half of Week Seven against Cedar Crest. The Blue Streaks, who haven’t lost since Week Two, found themselves.

Township vs. Wilson has become the only game that matters in Section One. This is the third consecutive year the powerhouses have alternated who gets to hold a banner after Week 10.

Township in 2023. Wilson in 2024. Township in this one.

Milazzo was the first player to take his place in front of the band after the win was secured. The senior hugged Jake Ruch when he arrived and waited for the rest of the players to join them.

The fight song played. It never sounded better.

“As a senior, you hear it year after year and game after game,” Wagner said. “We’re approaching our last games. I’m just taking it in. There’s no other word for it. Just feel the moment.”

Township’s players bent a few times over the course of four high-stakes quarters. They didn’t break.

L-L FOOTBALL STATISTICAL LEADERS

H

ere are the leading rushers, passers and receivers through the L-L League football regular season:

RUSHING

n Leo Brown, Exeter — 214 carries for 1,906 yards, 8.9 avg., 23 TD

n Cameron Small, Muhlenberg — 227 carries for 1,718 yards, 7.6 avg., 25 TD

n Johnny Garcia, Solanco — 169 carries for 1,473 yards, 8.7 avg., 20 TD

n Mason Sherry, Kutztown — 168 carries for 1,351 yards, 8.0 avg., 9 TD

n Brayden Mastrippolito, Octorara — 153 carries for 1,275 yards, 8.3 avg., 15 TD

n Heath Schnipke, Warwick — 235 carries for 1,220 yards, 5.2 avg., 15 TD

n Leelan Baughman, Donegal — 183 carries for 1,171 yards, 6.4 avg., 11 TD

n Isaiah Zimmerman, Cedar Crest — 122 carries for 1,133 yards, 9..3 avg., 16 TD

n Drew Engle, Twin Valley — 116 carries for 1,105 yards, 9.3 avg., 21 TD

n Ryan Walters, Kutztown — 137 carries for 1,031 yards, 7.5 avg., 13 TD

n Ian Bahr, Kutztown — 153 carries for 1,008 yards, 6.6 avg., 10 TD

n Devon Englehart, Annville-Cleona — 194 carries for 987 yards, 5.1 avg., 9 TD

n Kris Burgos-Wise, Solanco — 60 carries for 953 yards, 15.9 avg., 13 TD

n Brandon Way, Lancaster Catholic — 174 carries for 930 yards, 5.3 avg., 15 TD

n Randy Guthrie, Penn Manor — 136 carries for 897 yards, 6.6 avg., 11 TD

n Lucas Myers, Twin Valley — 72 carries for 839 yards, 11.7 avg., 17 TD

n Prince Wratto, Elizabethtown — 135 carries for 834 yards, 6.2 avg., 11 TD

n Logan Horning, Cocalico — 146 carries for 811 yards, 5.6 avg., 5 TD

n Brinley Donmoyer, Elco — 143 carries for 806 yards, 4.5 avg., 11 TD

n Justice Hardy, Wyomissing — 68 carries for 793 yards, 11.7 avg., 13 TD

n Beau Fegely, Fleetwood — 121 carries for 774 yards, 6.4 avg., 11 TD

n Marcos Fernandez, Manheim Township — 119 carries for 760 yards, 6.4 avg., 8 TD

n Xavier Gerald, Berks Catholic — 73 carries for 748 yards, 10.3 avg., 7 TD

n Gabe Martin, Garden Spot — 115 carries for 734 yards, 6.4 avg., 8 TD

n Lebran Woods, Pequea Valley — 121 carries for 727 yards, 6.0 avg., 7 TD

n Teagan Ruble, Conestoga Valley — 120 carries for 711 yard, 5.9 avg., 8 TD

n Patrick Steuer, Governor Mifflin — 121 carries for 698 yards, 5.8 avg., 10 TD

n Jeremiah Camara, Berks Catholic — 78 carries for 680 yards, 8.2 avg., 7 TD

n Jon Moran, Annville-Cleona — 75 carries for 680 yards, 9.1 avg., 6 TD

n Brandon Pyle, Schuylkill Valley — 85

carries for 651 yards, 7.7 avg., 7 TD

n Chase Eisenhower, Wyomissing — 76 carries for 622 yards, 8.2 avg., 9 TD

PASSER EFFICIENCY RATING

(Per NFL formula, minimum 35 attempts)

n Maverik Foster, Twin Valley — 67-of-91 for 1,057 yards, 14 TD, 0 INT — 151 rating

n Landon Charles, Hempfield — 33-of-45 for 462 yards, 6 TD, 0 INT — 146 rating

n Sawyer Esbenshade, Conestoga Valley — 140-of-194 for 2,146 yards, 30 TD, 3 INT — 141 rating

n Rowan DeMarco, Lancaster Catholic — 27of-39 for 429 yards, 5 TD, 1 INT — 135 rating

n Chase Sensenig, Solanco — 20-of-38 for 585 yards, 12 TD, 1 INT — 127 rating

n Jack Kenneff, Manheim Township — 138of-195 for 1,808 yards, 21 TD, 6 INT — 123 rating

n J.J. Boas, Lancaster Catholic — 25-of-39 for 415 yards, 6 TD, 2 INT — 118 rating

n Brady Eisenhower, Wyomissing — 29-of44 for 420 yards, 11 TD, 2 INT — 117 rating

n Cameron McClair, Columbia — 71-of-124 for 1,220 yards, 12 TD, 2 INT — 116 rating

n Mason Young, Wilson — 120-of-178 for 1,824 yards, 23 TD, 11 INT — 115 rating

n Carson Martin, Ephrata — 32-of-54 for 502 yards, 8 TD, 2 INT — 114 rating

n Adriel Baez, Muhlenberg — 88-of-141 for 1,343 yards, 14 TD, 6 INT — 109 rating

n Jacob Hafer, Exeter — 45-of-86 for 981 yards, 13 TD, 5 INT — 109 rating

n Asher Jones, Lampeter-Strasburg — 72of-121 for 949 yards, 11 TD, 2 INT — 108 rating

n Alex Aletras, Schuylkill Valley — 130-of220 for 1,670 yards, 20 TD, 6 INT — 102 rating

n Derek Katch, Hempfield — 124-of-196of-1,571 yards, 15 TD, 8 INT — 97 rating

n Thomas Myers, Warwick — 43-of-76 for 605 yards, 6 TD, 4 INT — 87 rating

n Gabe Martin, Garden Spot — 52-of-100 for 623 yards, 8 TD, 3 INT — 86 rating

n Chase Marshall, Donegal — 38-of-78 for 600 yards, 8 TD, 5 INT — 82 rating

n Mason Prokay, Octorara — 29-of-48 for 407 yards, 5 TD, 5 INT — 83 rating

n Isaiah Lapp, Garden Spot — 22-of-39 for 265 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT — 82 rating

n Bryan Mitzel, Northern Lebanon — 103-of206 for 1,497 yards 15 TD, 9 INT — 80 rating

n Jack Miller, Governor Mifflin — 21-of-40 for 231 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT — 78 rating

n Steven Reyes, Cedar Crest — 61-of-112 for 743 yards, 8 TD, 6 INT — 77 rating

n Isaac McFadden, Hamburg — 109-of-202 for 1,214 yards, 7 TD, 5 INT — 73 rating

n Colton Hegener, Lancaster Catholic — 26of-47 for 375 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT — 71 rating

n Johnny Sauppee, Berks Catholic — 21-of46 for 220 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT — 71 rating

n Connor Smeigh, Penn Manor — 112-of-183 for 962 yards, 8 TD, 8 INT — 71 rating

n Logan Kappel, Manheim Central — 87-of166 for 1,028 yards, 9 TD, 8 INT — 70 rating

n Trent Kauffman, Elizabethtown — 138-of257 for 1,578 yards, 9 TD, 9 INT — 69 rating

n Malachi Knowles, Ephrata — 39-of-73 for 656 yards, 4 TD, 6 INT — 68 rating

n Colin McGaw, Warwick — 41-of-81 for 433 yards, 4 TD, 4 INT — 62 rating

n Connor Sellars, Conrad Weiser — 73-of130 for 790 yards, 4 TD, 7 INT — 62 rating

n LeBron Leaf, Governor Mifflin — 46-of-94 for 524 yards, 4 TD, 5 INT — 58 rating

n Wyatt Stoess, Kutztown — 15-of-39 for 291 yards, 3 TD, 5 INT — 51 rating

n Chase McMonagle, Fleetwood — 106-of223 for 964 yards, 5 TD, 10 INT — 48 rating

n Brinley Donmoyer, Elco — 39-of-83 for 558 yards, 3 TD, 7 INT — 46 rating

n Kai Speaks, Cedar Crest — 22-of-45 for 277 yards, 2 TD, 4 INT — 46 rating

n Anthony Klish, Lebanon — 55-of-137 for 776 yards, 6 TD, 11 INT — 40 rating

n Anthony Stoltzfus, Pequea Valley — 37of-79 for 363 yards, 3 TD, 7 INT — 36 rating

n Liam Stinchfield, McCaskey — 23-of-61 for 272 yards, 2 TD, 4 INT — 36 rating

n Dominic Stoudt, Daniel Boone — 86-of165 for 750 yards, 4 TD, 15 INT — 35 rating

n Elijah Read, Lebanon — 18-of-44 for 189 yards, 0 TD, 3 INT — 26 rating

n Jason Plylaharn, Reading — 29-of-75 for 311 yards, 2 TD, 7 INT — 22 rating

RECEPTIONS

n Orion Abrams, Hempfield — 77 catches for 1,017 yards, 13.2 avg., 12 TD

n Daryus Dixon, Manheim Township — 48 catches for 884 yards, 18.4 avg., 13 TD

n Kyle Capello, Elizabethtown — 41 catches for 449 yards, 11.0 avg., 1 TD

n Jalen Dupree, Penn Manor — 40 catches for 386 yards, 9.7 avg., 1 TD

n Cody Hess, Manheim Central — 37 catches for 388 yards, 10.5 avg., 4 TD

n Ryan Clemmer, Northern Lebanon — 36 catches for 541 yards, 15.0 avg., 5 TD

n Michael Miller, Muhlenberg — 35 catches for 525 yards, 15.0 avg., 5 TD

n Zion Caban, Hempfield — 33 catches for 455 yards, 13.8 avg., 5 TD

n Bryce Ryan, Fleetwood — 33 catches for 287 yards, 8.7 avg., 1 TD

n Chase Fletcher, Manheim Township — 32 catches for 241 yards, 7.5 avg., 2 TD

n Freddy Lacey, Muhlenberg — 32 catches for 504 yards, 15.8 avg., 5 TD

n Jayvior Morales, Manheim Central — 32 catches for 369 yards, 11.5 avg., 3 TD

n Ethan Horvath, Hamburg — 31 catches for 297 yards, 9.6 avg., 1 TD

n JoJo Garcia, Conestoga Valley — 30 catches for 479 yards, 16.0 avg., 6 TD

n Michael Glover, Wilson — 30 catches for 492 yards, 16.4 avg., 6 TD

LEAGUE FINAL

n Alex Soto, Hamburg — 30 catches for 246 yards, 8.2 avg., 1 TD

n Bryce Yocum, Northern Lebanon — 30 catches for 557 yards, 18.6 avg., 6 TD

n Cordell Bair, Conestoga Valley — 27 catches for 454 yards, 16.8 avg., 7 TD

n Keegan Curtis, Lampeter-Strasburg — 27 catches for 336 yards, 12.4 avg., 2 TD

n Elijah Dean, Wilson — 27 catches for 317 yards, 11.7 avg., 4 TD

n Malachi Briddell, Lebanon — 26 catches for 482 yards, 18.5 avg., 4 TD

n Jaiden Carpenter, Wilson — 26 catches for 509 yards, 19.6 avg., 10 TD

n Konnor Fisher, Conestoga Valley — 26 catches for 378 yards, 14.5 avg., 4 TD

n Randy Guthrie, Penn Manor — 26 catches for 153 yards, 5.9 avg., 1 TD

n P.J. Poole, Hempfield — 26 catches for 356 yards, 13.7 avg.,4 TD

n Joe Murray, Governor Mifflin

catches for 387 yards, 15.5 avg., 4 TD

n Tyler Musser, Warwick — 25 catches for 438 yards, 17.5 avg., 4 TD