Drew Engle-Twin Valley

Twin Valley is just a few days away from its first appearance in the District 3 football championship. Standing in the way of the Raiders is #1 seed Susquehanna Township. The (12-0) Indians have speed and plenty of it. “They’ve got a ton of fast kids, probably the fastest team we’ve played,” said senior RB/DB Drew Engle. Susquehanna Township is averaging 41.7 points and 421 total yards per game. It’s a balanced offense with playmakers all over the field. Marist commit Torin Evans runs the show through the air and on the ground. The senior southpaw has thrown for 2,684 yards with 36 TD and only 5 INT. Evans has a team-high 885 rushing yards and a dozen more touchdowns with his legs.

The Indians are also searching for their first District 3 title. They stunned fourth-seeded Wyomissing 37-35 in the semifinals. Evans scrambled to his left before finding Josh Nengite in the end zone for a 15-yard TD on the final play. Nengite, who’s headed to Temple, is a standout on defense. The 6’3, 205-pound linebacker leads Susquehanna Township in tackles with 81. Evans also has a pair of 6’2 wide receivers to target in a passing attack that averages 226 yards per contest. Jarrett Kern has a team-high 46 catches for 724 yards and nine scores. Syracuse commit Zi’khere Leaks has provided 38 receptions for 629 yards and 10 TD. Running back Rakhi Seville, a 5’8 senior, has chipped in with 741 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. Twin Valley fell behind #2 seed West York 14-0 last week before reeling off 45 unanswered points. “The teams get better as we keep winning. We know that if we get down 14-0 again, it’s gonna be a lot harder to come back this time,” replied Engle.

The third-seeded Raiders haven’t had to play from behind very often this fall. They’ve dominated almost all of their opponents during a historic year. Twin Valley went unbeaten in the regular season for the first time in the program’s 29-year history. The (12-0) Raiders are putting up an eye-popping 53.3 points a night while allowing just 9.1 ppg. Engle has set school records with 3,690 career rushing yards and 57 touchdowns. “I’m pretty proud, but I wouldn’t have been able to do it without my offensive line. They’re fantastic at what they do,” he emphasized. Twin Valley’s front five averages 279 pounds. “They’re some of our hardest workers and you can see them improve throughout the year. They keep getting better week by week and it’s awesome to watch them improve as a unit,” remarked Engle. The Army lacrosse commit is averaging 10.4 yards per carry this season with 28 TD. He needs just 26 yards to top his single-season school record of 1,599 rushing yards. Engle is joined in the backfield by 215-pound junior Lucas Myers. He’s added 1,020 yards and 20 TD while averaging a lofty 11.2 yards per pop.

The Raiders are piling up 399 yards per game and 293 of that total comes on the ground. Maverick Foster has been extremely efficient in his first year as the starting quarterback. The sophomore is completing 72% of his attempts without a single interception. “He’s doing fantastic. He’s done a great job. He works super hard at practice,” noted Engle. Foster has thrown for 1,145 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Susquehanna Township’s defensive line features Coastal Carolina commit Yendor Mack and Jayden Riley. Mack (6’3, 295) leads the Indians with ten tackles for loss and four sacks. Riley (5’10, 290) has racked up 50 tackles including 6.5 TFL. Steph Malette and Jasani Brown have combined for six interceptions. Brown, a 6’2 junior with 42 tackles, has offers from Old Dominion and Akron. They’re joined in the secondary by Kern who’s an invaluable piece to the puzzle for Susquehanna Township.

Two of the premier Class 4A squads in Pennsylvania will square off on Friday. Kickoff is set for 7pm at ELCO. The Raiders are ranked first in the state by PennLive. The Indians aren’t far behind at #4 in the statewide poll. They met in the District 3-4A quarterfinals a season ago with Twin Valley prevailing 47-19. “We can’t wait. We’re super excited for this game,” said Engle.