Bruce Harbach-Schuylkill Valley

Dom Giuffre stole the headlines, but Schuylkill Valley head coach Bruce Harbach was praising several other players on Friday night. Sabier Mateo, Paul Engleman, Jadon Swain, Theo Wysocki, Christian Davila, and Alex Rider comprise the Panthers’ offensive line. That group, along with sophomore tight end Luke Spotts, controlled the line of scrimmage in a 41-34 victory at Hamburg. Although they may not be household names outside of Leesport, Harbach fully understands their importance. “You gotta give our offensive line a lot of credit. Those kids came to play. We got comments from some of the officials [who] said they haven’t seen blocking like that for awhile,” stated Harbach. Schuylkill Valley ran for 371 yards and stopped a 3-game skid in the Frost Bowl. “I’m a Wilson guy, and I was in the Lancaster-Lebanon League for awhile, and I go ‘Frost Bowl, what’s the Frost Bowl’? But this meant a lot to the school, a lot to the community, [and] a lot to these kids,” said Harbach with a smile. He won 139 games and two state championships over 16 years at Lancaster Catholic. A crowd of about 1,500 witnessed an incredible performance from Giuffre. The 6’1, 165-pound junior finished with a career-high 304 yards and 4TD on 26 carries. His 63-yard score put the Panthers on top 17-3 early in the second quarter. Giuffre’s 96-yard touchdown run broke it open with two minutes remaining before halftime. Noah Wamsher converted a 43-yard field goal as time expired to give Schuylkill Valley even more momentum at the break. Harbach noted that it was their best first half effort all season. Giuffre’s last trip to the end zone was a 33-yard burst up the middle with 1:21 left in the third period. The Panthers held a 41-20 advantage entering the final quarter. Harbach, a former Wilson quarterback, brought up the names of John Gurski, Gerry Slemmer, and Doug Dahms when discussing their rushing attack. “When we go Power I, our kids get so excited. This is old school football man. Line up and here we come, try and stop us. I got that from Coach Gurski and Slemmer and Dahms. It’s a Wilson thing,” emphasized Harbach. This is his second year at the helm at Schuylkill Valley. After a (2-9) campaign a season ago, the (6-2, 5-0) Panthers are riding a 6-game winning streak. They’re tied with Lancaster Catholic atop the Section 5 standings. Those squads will meet on October 28th in Leesport. Schuylkill Valley’s roster has increased from 39 in 2021 to 56. They returned 17 starters. Hamburg leads the all-time series with the Panthers (24-23-1). The rivalry kicked off in 1970. Schuylkill Valley won the first seven matchups. The (6-2, 3-2) Hawks committed ten penalties for 75 yards and were plagued by several dropped passes. Xander Menapace went 18-of-31 for 180 yards and 2TD. The 6’4, 210-pound senior was held to 33 yards on a dozen carries. He had a 3-yard touchdown run called back in the second quarter due to a holding penalty. Pierce Mason, who has been dealing with an ankle injury, was limited to 42 yards before breaking free for a 36-yard score with 45 seconds to play. Mason has 944 rushing yards and 17TD this season. The Hawks were outgained 438-to-282. After dropping their first two games, the Panthers have turned things around. Harbach replied, “I think it’s their attitude. They started really buying into the game. They’re becoming students of the game a little bit more. They’re excited. We’re gonna be a tough out.”