Schuylkill Valley faced a third-and-14 at the Hawks’ 46-yard line in the fourth quarter. Will Johns went in motion, ran a wheel route down the left sideline, and got behind the defense. Aletras rolled to his left and found Johns for a tiebreaking touchdown pass with 8:33 left. Johns, a speedy 5’11 sophomore, finished with eleven catches for 92 yards. He capped a 71-yard drive that lasted five minutes.

Sophomore quarterback Isaac McFadden ran seven yards on third-and-3 to put Hamburg on the Panthers’ 37-yard line with 5:15 remaining. A sack by senior Sebastian Batista pushed the Hawks back to midfield. “It was a really huge play. If he didn’t get that sack, who knows where the game would’ve went. I’m really proud of my brother. That’s my best friend,” replied junior WR/S Anthony Batista. McFadden’s pass on fourth-and-15 was incomplete and Schuylkill Valley took over with 3:29 to go. A quarterback sneak by Aletras moved the chains on fourth-and-1 from Hamburg’s 46-yard line with 1:50 on the clock. He then broke free on a big run and wisely slid at the 15-yard line to seal the game. The Panthers ended up with 229 rushing yards.

Anthony Batista returned an interception 33 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown on the second play of the night. “I just read the quarterback’s shoulders. As soon as I saw him turn, I knew it was going to that side,” he explained. The Panthers have five defensive touchdowns this season and three have come from Anthony Batista. They held the (5-3, 3-2) Hawks to three points in the second half.

After the early pick 6, Hamburg settled in and put together a 70-yard drive. Blaise Ernst scored from the 3-yard line on fourth-and-1 to make it 7-7 midway through the first quarter. Ernst rushed for 404 yards and 5 TD in the previous two games. The 5’9, 174-pound senior had 70 yards on 15 carries against Schuylkill Valley. Bryce Schmeck rumbled 32 yards for a touchdown to put the Hawks in front 14-7 with 58 seconds to play in the opening quarter. He chipped in with 58 yards on six carries, all in the first half. McFadden went 10-of-17 for 121 yards and just his second interception of the year. Meanwhile, Aletras was 14-of-22 for 127 yards and 2 TD.

Reese Wamsher drilled a 39-yard field goal to pull Schuylkill Valley within 14-10 with 41 seconds left before halftime. That was a 16-play drive for the Panthers that began at their 3-yard line and lasted eight minutes. It looked like Hamburg was going up 21-10 in the third quarter, however, Ernst’s 20-yard TD run was called back due to a penalty. The Hawks settled for a 28-yard field goal by sophomore Aron Moser and a 17-10 advantage.

Aletras showed his mobility on the ensuing possession. He had a 25-yard run followed by a 16-yard carry. On third-and-12, Aletras scrambled to his left and dumped off a short pass in the flat to Anthony Batista. The 6’2, 170-pound junior made two defenders miss and went 16 yards for a touchdown. The 80-yard drive tied it at 17-17 with 2:21 remaining in the third quarter. “I think we’re playing exceptionally well. We still have a lot of stuff to clean up. We’re first in the section and we plan to keep it that way,” said Batista.

This was the 52nd meeting between Schuylkill Valley and Hamburg. The rivalry goes back to 1970. The Panthers hold a (27-24-1) edge over the Hawks. Harbach made sure his players were focused on the task at hand. “To me and the coaching staff, it was Week 8. I said to the kids, ‘Don’t get wrapped up in all the stuff going on this week.’ It’s Week 8, we need to win,” stated Harbach.

Johns is healthy once again and Schuylkill Valley is riding a four-game winning streak. The (4-1, 2-0) Panthers knocked off defending Section 5 champion Berks Catholic 18-16 a week ago. “It meant a lot, it was a lot of fun. B.C. played amazing. It was an amazing game playing with the guys I love. It was a whole team effort,” emphasized Johns. The 5’11, 175-pound sophomore caught a pair of touchdown passes, including a 49-yard score that came on a flea-flicker. “I didn’t expect us to run it, especially with a close game. When I heard it, I was stoked. I knew I was getting the ball,” he explained. Johns had five receptions for 69 yards in the victory over the Saints.

Johns leads Schuylkill Valley with 29 catches for 401 yards and 7 TD. He was unstoppable against Columbia in Week 4 at Leesport. Johns racked up 161 yards and 2 TD on eight receptions. He also returned a kickoff 79 yards to the house in a wild 45-34 win. Johns is part of an experienced receiving corps that includes Anthony Batista, Alexander Gehret, and Seth Klinikowski. Gehret is the lone senior in that group. They’re working with one of the top quarterbacks in the Lancaster-Lebanon League. Alex Aletras, one of eight returning starters on offense, is completing 66% of his passes. The 6’2, 185-pound senior has thrown for 822 yards with 13 touchdowns and just one interception. “This is our first year really getting close and it’s amazing. I trust him. I know he’s gonna make a perfect throw and he trusts me. Our chemistry is perfect,” noted Johns.

The Panthers dropped their season opener at Conrad Weiser 27-13. The Scouts piled up 360 rushing yards. Meanwhile, Aletras was limited to 108 yards through the air. “I knew I needed to get better. I knew the way we played, and the way I played, wasn’t going to get us where we want. After that, we all locked in,” acknowledged Johns. Schuylkill Valley put up 121 points in its next three games.

The Panthers are tied for first place in Section 5 with Annville-Cleona. Schuylkill Valley visits Pequea Valley on Friday night. The (4-1, 1-1) Braves we’re blown out at Hamburg 36-7 last week. “We had a nice talk this week about staying focused, doing our job and don’t worry about anybody else,” replied Harbach.

Aletras will be working with a wide receiver group that has plenty of experience. Alexander Gehret, Anthony Batista, Seth Klinikowski, and Will Johns are all back. “It’s great throwing the ball to them. It’s a luxury to have that,” replied Aletras. Gehret was a first team pick at receiver and defensive back in Section 5. The rising senior caught 24 passes for 291 yards and one score last year. Batista, a 6’2 junior, added 21 receptions for 366 yards and 8 TD. Will Johns opened some eyes as a freshman. He racked up 126 yards and 3 TD on six catches against Daniel Boone in Week 2. Ervin Ortiz will step in at running back for Brandon Pyle. Ortiz averaged 6.2 yards per carry on his 43 touches in 2025. In addition, he was a second team selection at outside linebacker in Section 5.

The Panthers return eight starters on offense and seven on defense, according to head coach Bruce Harbach. They will miss Logan Cammauf. The two-time All-State linebacker was a three-year starter and a tackling machine. Spencer Mountz, a 255-pound senior, will anchor the offensive line at center. Aletras likes what he sees from the guys up front. “They’ve been developing all summer. We do have a few really big guys. They’ve been working hard in the weight room. I think they’re gonna be really good,” he noted.

Harbach is entering his sixth season in Leesport. He guided Lancaster Catholic to 139 wins and a pair of state championships over 16 years. Harbach was inducted into the PSFCA Hall of Fame in 2025. The Panthers have gone (31-26) under his leadership. They claimed their first outright section title in 2024 and tied for first place in 2023. “Every team that I’ve been a part of here has been a unit. We’ve all worked together, played together as a team and that’s what helps us be successful,” emphasized Aletras.

Schuylkill Valley is looking to improve upon its (5-6, 4-3) mark from a season ago. The Panthers ended up tied for third place in Section 5 with Lancaster Catholic and Columbia. Berks Catholic (7-0) and Annville-Cleona (6-1) were atop the standings. The Dutchmen bring back eight starters on each side of the ball. Columbia returns eight starters on offense and nine on defense. Cam McClair will be a four-year starter at quarterback for the Crimson Tide. McClair scored 20 combined touchdowns last fall and had 11 sacks at defensive end. He’s committed to West Chester for baseball. Berks Catholic is expected to be solid in the trenches with Eric Bennethum, Faith Zudie, and Jack McKeone. “A lot of teams are looking really good. There’s not gonna be many games where it’s gonna be a landslide. I feel like every game both teams have an equal chance to get the win. The competition is gonna be really good,” said Aletras. Schuylkill Valley travels to Robesonia to face Conrad Weiser in its opener next Friday night. The Panthers’ first home contest is against Octorara on Friday, September 4th.