Lucas Myers-Twin Valley

Twin Valley traveled to Solanco on Friday in a highly anticipated Section 3 matchup in the Lancaster-Lebanon League. The Raiders and Golden Mules both entered the night without a blemish on their record. They were the top two teams in the District 3-5A power rankings. Twin Valley RB/LB Lucas Myers summed it up well. “One of the biggest things in football is protecting the ball. Turnovers win and lose games,” said Myers. The Villanova commit had three touchdown runs in a 34-17 victory. Solanco committed four turnovers, including three in the red zone. The (6-1, 2-1) Golden Mules were averaging 43.5 points through the first six weeks. Their triple-option attack produced just seven points in the second half. “Believe it or not, it’s just any other win for us. We pride ourselves on going week by week. Every week is our Super Bowl,” remarked Myers.

The (7-0, 4-0) Raiders were able to overcome interceptions on their first two possessions. Sophomore quarterback Gavan Foster launched a deep pass down the left sideline to his older brother, Maverik, on the first play. Jackson Eckardt made the pick and Solanco marched to the 1-yard line. Maverik Foster then ripped the ball away from quarterback Chase Sensenig and recovered the fumble in the end zone.

Twin Valley tried a trick play on its second series. Maverik Foster attempted a halfback pass, but once again Eckardt was there for an interception at the Raiders’ 37-yard line. This time the Golden Mules cashed in thanks to a 4-yard touchdown run by Wesley Bard midway through the opening quarter. Bard came into the contest with 1,036 rushing yards. The junior was averaging an astonishing 21 yards per carry. The Raiders responded with an 80-yard drive. Myers picked up five yards on fourth-and-5 from the 25-yard line. His 5-yard TD run evened things up at 7-7 with one minute left in the quarter.

Defensive end Alain Bazile, a 225-pound senior, provided a pivotal play with just over eight minutes remaining in the first half. After Sensenig tried to pitch the ball to Bard, Bazile picked up the fumble and went 85 yards for a touchdown. “I was expecting him to jump on it and we just get the ball. I see him scoop it up and take off. He’s a great player, great athlete,” replied Myers. On the next series, Sensenig connected with Bard for a 50-yard completion on third-and-11. That set up a 29-yard field goal by Tristan Brown. Solanco was within 14-10, however, there was still 1:59 on the clock before halftime. Twin Valley only needed 79 seconds to go 80 yards. Maverik Foster broke free on a 43-yard run down the right sideline. Myers finished it off with a 1-yard TD run and the Raiders took a 21-10 advantage into the locker room.

The Golden Mules covered 65 yards on the first possession of the third quarter. Kali Hines ripped off a 27-yard run to the 8-yard line. A 1-yard touchdown run by Sensenig made it 21-17 with nine minutes left in the quarter. Solanco then perfectly executed an onside kick and recovered the ball along the right sideline at the Raiders’ 49-yard line. The Golden Mules got into the red zone, but were turned back again. Twin Valley showed why its defense had only given up 33 points in its first six games. Sensenig rolled to his right and threw a pass to the goal line. Maverik Foster tipped the ball which hit the intended target in the helmet and bounced into the arms of senior linebacker Jayce Oliver for an interception.

Both teams then punted for the first time all night. The Raiders took over at their 34-yard line with 4:36 to play in the third quarter. They converted a fourth-and-3 at midfield and a fourth-and-1 at Solanco’s 37-yard line. Myers, a rugged 220-pound senior, grinded out some tough yards to move the chains on both plays. On third-and-9 from the 31-yard line, Gavan Foster tossed a short pass to Oliver who turned it into a 20-yard gain down the right sideline. Myers followed with an 11-yard TD run up the middle with 9:18 to go. His two-point conversion run was stopped, but Twin Valley was in front 27-17.

The Golden Mules faced a fourth-and-5 at their 43-yard line with 5:54 remaining. Bard’s halfback pass to Eckardt was incomplete. The Raiders got the ball back and opted not to punt on fourth-and-5 from Solanco’s 38-yard line. Maverik Foster delivered the nail in the coffin. The 6’, 180-pound junior took a handoff to the left and cut back across the entire field for a touchdown with 3:50 left to play. “I was excited. I trust our coaches that they’re gonna make the right call. I trust all eleven [players] on the field that they’re gonna do their job. That’s what happens when everybody works together,” emphasized Myers.