Kowen Gerner-Schuylkill Valley

Maybe Schuylkill Valley will schedule more Thursday night games in the future. The energetic crowd saw a thrilling finish in Leesport as the Panthers battled Upper Perkiomen. Logan Nawrocki hit Kowen Gerner on a hitch and go for a 33-yard touchdown with 1:11 left. The pass down the right sideline gave Schuylkill Valley a 22-19 victory. “As soon as I saw the corner bite on it, I knew I was gone. I knew I was gonna score,” said Gerner. The 6’1, 175-pound junior used some nifty footwork to stay inbounds. The go-ahead score came immediately after a roughing the passer penalty against the Indians on third-and-13. Upper Perkiomen had the ball with 3:41 remaining after an interception by sophomore Zane Saeger at the 18-yard line. The Panthers forced a critical three-and-out. Schuylkill Valley took over at the Indians’ 45-yard line with 1:55 to go. “In previous years, we haven’t had that kind of energy, especially late in the game when we were down. This year, we knew that we could win that game,” stated Gerner. Upper Perkiomen struck first early in the second quarter on a 25-yard TD pass from Logan O’Donnell to fellow sophomore Tucker Ruch. Dom Giuffre answered with a 4-yard TD run that capped a 95-yard drive. The (0-2) Indians responded with a 16-yard TD pass from O’Donnell to Aiden Void. The (1-1) Panthers marched 69 yards in 65 seconds to take a 14-13 lead on Nawrocki’s 10-yard toss to Giuffre. The all-state running back was wide open in the middle of the end zone with fifteen seconds on the clock. “He’s a great player and he keeps the energy up around here,” noted Gerner. Giuffre, a 175-pound senior, had six receptions for 87 yards. Upper Perkiomen limited him to 42 yards on 14 carries. Void stole the show in the third quarter. The 5’9, 155-pound junior followed his interception with a 10-yard TD grab. That leaping catch in the left corner of the end zone put the Indians on top 19-14 with 3:51 to play in the period. The pass on the two-point conversion was incomplete. O’Donnell finished 8-19 for 105 yards with 3TD and a pick. Brody Weiss, another sophomore in the starting lineup, piled up 114 yards on 28 carries. Nawrocki went 12-25 for 223 yards with two scores and a pair of interceptions. The 170-pound junior was on target when it mattered most. Gerner, who also plays outside linebacker, enjoyed the Thursday night experience. “I like it, especially since it was a packed house here,” he said.