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.

The offenses took center stage in the first quarter. Brandon Pyle’s 14-yard touchdown run capped the Panthers’ opening 50-yard possession. The Hawks responded by going 59 yards for a score. On fourth-and-6, freshman quarterback Isaac McFadden hit Owen Bentz for a first down to the 42-yard line. A defensive holding penalty on fourth-and-7 kept the drive alive. McFadden finished it off with a 1-yard touchdown run, but the extra point was no good. Pyle, a sprinter on the track & field team, ripped off a 60-yard run down the left sideline on the ensuing series. That set up a 3-yard TD pass from Alex Aletras to sophomore Anthony Batista along the right sideline. Hamburg answered almost immediately. McFadden raced 65 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown with ten seconds left in the first quarter. The Hawks trailed 14-13 after twelve minutes.

Harbach, who was inducted into the PSFCA Hall of Fame this year, had a very clear message to his players at the break. “Let’s play physical football, come out and control the line of scrimmage. Our kids listened at halftime and that’s what we did,” he said. Hamburg recovered an onside kick to begin the third quarter. However, Ervin Ortiz came up with an interception on fourth down at his 16-yard line. Pyle then took a shovel pass from Aletras and sprinted 84 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown. “That play really wasn’t run for about 3-4 weeks,” noted Harbach. The quick strike made it 21-13 with 8:55 remaining in the third quarter.

McFadden was sacked and fumbled at his 14-yard line a few minutes into the fourth quarter. The Panthers turned that takeaway into a 28-yard field goal by Reese Wamsher with 5:13 to go. An interception by Alex Gehret gave Schuylkill Valley the ball back at the Hawks’ 44-yard line. Ortiz went 25 yards up the middle for a 31-13 advantage with 2:15 left. Vogel picked off backup quarterback Isaak Stewart on the final play. The (5-3, 4-1) Panthers were +4 in turnover differential.

Schuylkill Valley outgained Hamburg 404-to-295. Aletras was 13-of-19 for 249 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The 6’, 175-pound junior added 59 yards on 13 carries. “In the past two weeks, we instituted the quarterback run game. He’s done real well with it,” explained Harbach. Pyle ran 13 times for 67 yards. The 5’10, 170-pound senior racked up 145 yards on three catches. Gehret chipped in with six receptions for 86 yards. The Hawks dropped to (2-6, 1-4). McFadden ended up 13-of-21 for 122 yards and 2 INT. The talented freshman ran for 66 yards and 2 TD on ten carries. Bryce Schmeck, a 205-pound sophomore, grinded out 73 yards on 20 touches.

The Panthers have won four of their last five games. They travel to Annville-Cleona next Friday. The Dutchmen and Berks Catholic are tied atop Section 5 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League with (5-0) league records. “It’s been more parity than most years. I call it the fun section. I guess it comes down to how healthy are you at the end of the year,” said Harbach.