Twin Valley got off to a fast start. Drew Engle ripped off a 39-yard run on the first play from scrimmage. Lucas Myers, Brett’s son, went untouched up the middle for a 20-yard touchdown just two minutes into the game. Southern Lehigh responded quickly with an 80-yard drive that took less than three minutes. Steckert followed up his 46-yard run with an 11-yard score to make it 7-7. The Raiders’ 21-yard field goal attempt on the ensuing possession was no good after a low snap bounced back to the holder. Freshman Declan Walsh converted the first field goal of the Spartans’ season for a 10-7 edge. The 24-yard kick came with 3:17 left in the second quarter. Sophomore Maverik Foster then hit Dominic Summers over the top of Southern Lehigh’s defense for a 64-yard touchdown pass. Once again, the Spartans had an answer. On fourth-and-1 with 25 seconds remaining in the second quarter, Steckert bounced outside and raced 27 yards down the left sideline for a score. The District 11 champs were in front 17-14 at halftime.

On the first series of the second half, Colton Sams found Otto Young down the left seam for a 40-yard touchdown pass. Sophomore Adam Fritts then picked off Foster, setting up Southern Lehigh at Twin Valley’s 31-yard line. A 6-yard run by Steckert put the Spartans on top 30-14 midway through the third quarter. Engle capped a 65-yard drive by the Raiders with a 4-yard touchdown run. Twin Valley opted not to try a 2-point conversion and trailed 30-21 with 2:44 to go in the third period.

One of the pivotal plays of the night came early in the fourth quarter with Southern Lehigh facing a fourth-and-6 at the Raiders’ 43-yard line. Sams had plenty of time to throw and connected with Luke Kawczenski over the middle for a 12-yard gain to move the chains. Sams, the son of head coach Phil Sams, fired a slant to Young moments later for a 30-yard touchdown pass. Although the 2-point conversion was stuffed, Southern Lehigh had extended its advantage to 36-21 with 10:21 to play. Twin Valley decided to punt on fourth-and-11 near midfield with eight minutes left. The Spartans marched down the field, but Ben Grundy turned them away with an interception in the end zone with 4:45 remaining. Fritts, however, came up with his second pick on the very next play. Steckert polished off a short 13-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run with 2:06 on the clock. On the ensuing series, sophomore safety Jack Pavis made his team-high fifth interception.

After going 4-of-4 for 90 yards in the first half, Foster was 0-for-6 in the second half with 3 INT. He had not thrown a pick in the Raiders’ first 14 games. Engle ran 22 times for 175 yards. The Army Lacrosse commit finished with 2,095 rushing yards this season and 4,211 in his career. Those totals are both school records. He also holds the program record with 61 career touchdowns. “Drew is special. The way he competed tonight is special. He’s a great kid and he’s a leader,” noted Myers. Twin Valley had 325 total yards including 235 on the ground. Lucas Myers, a 215-pound junior, provided 52 yards on 11 carries.

Sams went 13-of-18 for 145 yards. The 5’11, 169-pound junior already owns the all-time records for passing yards and touchdown passes at Southern Lehigh. Sams threw for 2,688 yards and 36 TD this year. He and Steckert were All-State selections a season ago in Class 4A. Young had three catches for 79 yards and two scores against the Raiders. Kawczenski chipped in with six receptions for 48 yards. The Spartans’ offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage. That group includes 6’4, 336-pound senior Carter Giberson who’s committed to Albany.

When the pain of this loss subsides, Twin Valley will look back at a lot of special memories. The Raiders established a school record with 14 wins. They knocked off Wyomissing and Lampeter-Strasburg in back-to-back weeks to claim the Section 4 title in the Lancaster-Lebanon League. They defeated top-seeded Susquehanna Township 41-21 for their first District 3 crown. Twin Valley held off five-time state champion Aliquippa 28-24 in the PIAA-4A semifinals. The Raiders averaged 48.7 ppg. during the historic 2025 campaign. “Twin Valley is a special place, special families. It’s a special school. If I was a young person looking for a place to raise my kids, I’d be moving to Twin Valley because it’s a great place,” said Myers.

Drew Engle kicked off the afternoon with a 54-yard run. The 5’11, 185-pound senior ended up with 196 yards and 2 TD on 26 carries. Engle, who also starts at safety, is committed to Army for lacrosse. Lucas Myers polished off Twin Valley’s opening 70-yard drive by taking a direct snap out of the shotgun for a 3-yard touchdown. Myers, a 215-pound junior, provided 83 yards and 2 TD on 15 carries. The linebacker duo of Myers and senior Ryan Rementer combined for 16 tackles. “They’re always playing with an edge, running fast to the ball. It’s really blessed to have those type of guys on our team,” said Miller. Rementer racked up a team-high ten tackles.

The (7-1, 4-1) Spartans put together a nine and a-half minute possession that stretched into the second quarter. It included a 23-yard pass from sophomore Brady Eisenhower to junior tight end Diamante Strong. However, Wyomissing settled for a 32-yard field goal from Keegan Maher with five minutes left in the first half. Ben Grundy fumbled the ensuing kickoff which was recovered by Strong at the Raiders’ 43-yard line. Maher made a 22-yard field goal to pull the Spartans within 7-6 before halftime.

Twin Valley marched 70 yards on the first series of the second half to go up 14-6. Myers’ 19-yard run up the middle set up his 3-yard touchdown. The Raiders pinned Wyomissing deep in its own territory late in the third quarter. A nifty punt return by Grundy put Twin Valley at the Spartans’ 21-yard line. Engle scored on a 3-yard run to extend the lead to 21-6 with 10:45 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Raiders went on a 70-yard drive on their following possession. Engle’s 10-yard run off the right edge put Twin Valley in front 28-6 with 4:11 on the clock. “It’s the way football should be in the state of Pennsylvania. Two state-ranked teams playing on a grass field in rain and mud. It’s good stuff,” replied Myers. The Raiders are ranked #5 in Class 4A by PennLive. They got an efficient performance from sophomore quarterback Maverik Foster. He was 7-of-9 for 51 yards.

Wyomissing junior Justice Hardy had a quiet afternoon. The All-State selection managed just 17 yards on six carries. Chase Eisenhower, a 220-pound senior fullback, had a team-high 55 yards on ten touches. The Spartans ran the ball 36 times for 156 yards. Twin Valley’s defensive line was up to the challenge. That group includes Miller, Mark Minardi, Joey Buckley, Aaryn Sumner, Noah DiGiacomo, and Andrew Cabigas.

The Raiders return home on Friday when Lampeter-Strasburg visits Elverson. That will be a battle for first place in Section 4 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League. The Pioneers are the defending section champions. They’re (7-1, 5-0) this season.