Section 1:

Outstanding Back of the Year-Orion Abrams (Hempfield)

Outstanding Lineman of the Year-Mike Glover (Wilson)

Wide Receiver of the Year-Orion Abrams (Hempfield)

Offensive Back of the Year-Isaiah Zimmerman (Cedar Crest)

Offensive Lineman of the Year-Mike Glover (Wilson)

Defensive Lineman of the Year-Cadyn Buckwalter (Hempfield)

Linebacker of the Year-Landyn Kline (Cedar Crest)

Defensive Back of the Year-Jaiden Carpenter (Wilson)

Coach of the Year-Mark Evans (Manheim Township)

Section 2:

Outstanding Back of the Year-Sawyer Esbenshade (Conestoga Valley)

Outstanding Lineman of the Year-Joel Ummarino (Exeter)

Wide Receiver of the Year-Josiah Garcia (Conestoga Valley)

Offensive Back of the Year-Sawyer Esbenshade (Conestoga Valley)

Offensive Lineman of the Year-Joel Ummarino (Exeter)

Defensive Lineman of the Year-Joel Ummarino (Exeter)

Linebacker of the Year-Chase Prange (Ephrata)

Defensive Back of the Year-Jayden Ware (Exeter)

Coach of the Year-Jon Scepanski (Conestoga Valley)

Section 3:

Outstanding Back of the Year-Johnny Garcia (Solanco)

Outstanding Lineman of the Year-Vinny Bagonis (Warwick)

Wide Receiver of the Year-Cody Hess (Manheim Central)

Offensive Back of the Year-Johnny Garcia (Solanco)

Offensive Lineman of the Year-Calvin Bent (Warwick)

Defensive Lineman of the Year-Vinny Bagonis (Warwick)

Linebacker of the Year-Gabe Martin (Garden Spot)

Defensive Back of the Year-Gabe Forren (Solanco)

Coach of the Year-Tony Cox (Solanco)

Section 4:

Outstanding Back of the Year-Drew Engle (Twin Valley)

Outstanding Lineman of the Year-Greyson Miller (Twin Valley)

Wide Receiver of the Year-Ben Grundy (Twin Valley)

Offensive Back of the Year-Drew Engle (Twin Valley)

Offensive Lineman of the Year-Greyson Miller (Twin Valley)

Defensive Lineman of the Year-Greyson Miller (Twin Valley)

Linebacker of the Year-Lucas Myers (Twin Valley)

Defensive Back of the Year-Justice Hardy (Wyomissing)

Coach of the Year-Bob Wolfrum (Wyomissing)

Section 5:

Outstanding Back of the Year-Colton Hegener (Lancaster Catholic)

Outstanding Lineman of the Year-Hudson Sellers (Annville-Cleona)

Wide Receiver of the Year-Colton Hegener (Lancaster Catholic)

Offensive Back of the Year-Mason Sherry (Kutztown)

Offensive Lineman of the Year-Eric Bennethum (Berks Catholic)

Defensive Lineman of the Year-Hudson Sellers (Annville-Cleona)

Linebacker of the Year-Logan Cammauf (Schuylkill Valley)

Defensive Back of the Year-Colton Hegener (Lancaster Catholic)

Coach of the Year-Matt Gingrich (Annville-Cleona)

Randy Guthrie of Penn Manor ran for 199 yards and 4 TD. The junior running back added a touchdown reception and 243 all-purpose yards.

Ephrata’s Malachi Knowles was 11-of-12 for 204 yards and a touchdown. The sophomore quarterback had 62 yards on the ground and two scores. Knowles made 13 tackles at safety.

Connor Horning from Cocalico ran for 103 yards and 3 TD. The sophomore quarterback also tossed a touchdown pass.

Leland Baughman of Donegal finished with 248 yards and 2 TD on 29 carries. The junior provided 14 tackles and an interception on defense.

Kutztown’s Ryan Walters racked up 186 yards on 25 carries. The sophomore running back scored four touchdowns.

Here are the Linemen of the Week from the L-L League:

Penn Manor guard Elijah Hess earned a 95% blocking grade as the Comets ran for 215 yards. The senior defensive tackle added two tackles for loss and forced a fumble.

Connor High from Conestoga Valley received the highest blocking grade on his team. The senior OT/DL also made six tackles including two tackles for loss.

Cocalico’s Aidan Sola helped the Eagles pile up 334 yards on the ground. The junior guard had three pancake blocks.

Wyomissing senior guard Andrew Bresnahan paved the way for 475 rushing yards in a 46-7 win.

Berks Catholic junior defensive end Faith Zudie had 14 tackles, 5 TFL, and blocked a field goal.

Muhlenberg lost to Conestoga Valley 45-24 in Laureldale. The undefeated Buckskins earned the Section 2 title. The (8-2) Muhls trailed 28-0 at halftime.

Twin Valley rolled over Daniel Boone 71-7. The (10-0) Raiders captured the Section 4 crown. They’re ranked #3 in the state in Class 4A by PennLive.

Wyomissing blew out Lampeter-Strasburg 46-7. The (9-1) Spartans are #7 in the Class 4A state rankings.

Exeter hammered Elizabethtown 42-7 at Don Thomas Stadium. The Eagles head to the District 3 playoffs with a (8-2) record.

Berks Catholic won the Section 5 championship in thrilling fashion. The (8-2, 7-0) Saints outlasted Annville-Cleona 14-7 in overtime. Owen Schalk had a 10-yard touchdown run in OT.

Gov. Mifflin fell to Ephrata 28-20 in Shillington. The (3-7) Mustangs were without senior quarterback Lebron Leaf due to a shoulder injury.

Reading lost to Hempfield 43-6 at Shirk Stadium. The Red Knights end up (1-9).

Schuylkill Valley came up short in a nailbiter at Lancaster Catholic 17-16. The (5-5) Panthers scored a touchdown with 1:07 left. They opted to go for two points, but the conversion was stuffed by the (6-4) Crusaders.

Fleetwood got tripped up at Cocalico 49-21. The Tigers finished (2-8).

Kutztown left Pequea Valley with a 36-28 victory. The (2-8) Cougars claimed their first league win of the season.

Hamburg got thumped at Columbia 34-6. The Hawks sink to (2-8).

Conrad Weiser lost a non-league game at Unionville 49-14. The Scouts have gone from (4-0) to (4-6).

Marcos Fernandez of Manheim Township ran for 249 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. The senior linebacker added six tackles.

Muhlenberg’s Cam Small racked up 301 rushing yards and 4 TD on 34 carries. He also provided ten tackles.

Garden Spot’s Gabe Martin was 14-of-25 for 137 yards and 2 TD. The senior quarterback ran 16 times for another 116 yards. Martin was a force on defense as well with seven tackles, an interception, and a fumble recovery.

Drew Engle from Twin Valley ran for 199 yards and 6 TD on 25 carries.

Columbia’s Kareem Nichols piled up 110 receiving yards, 109 rushing yards, and 3 TD. The junior defensive back made 10.5 tackles.

Here are the Linemen of the Week from the L-L League:

Manheim Township defensive lineman Will Milazzo contributed nine tackles, including three tackles for loss, and a sack.

Muhlenberg guard Zavier Otero earned a 90% blocking grade with seven pancake blocks.

Cocalico junior defensive end Nathan Bourassa finished with ten tackles, three sacks, and a forced fumble.

Twin Valley defensive end Aaryn Sumner made four solo tackles as the Raiders allowed just 91 total yards.

Berks Catholic’s Damoni Daglis had ten tackles, three tackles for loss, and a pair of sacks. The junior defensive tackle forced two fumbles and recovered one.

Section 1:

Wilson and Manheim Township will not meet at the end of the season. The Bulldogs and Blue Streaks will square off at John Gurski Stadium in Week 4. Wilson battles Central York in West Lawn in Week 9. They’re two of the top programs in District 3-6A.

Section 2:

Exeter faces Gov. Mifflin in Week 5. The Eagles travel to Conestoga Valley in the regular season finale. That’s fitting as these schools have quickly developed a strong rivalry. Muhlenberg visits Exeter in Week 8. The Muhls take on Gov. Mifflin the following week in Laureldale.

Section 3:

As Berks Sport Report first revealed a few days ago, Twin Valley is moving up from Section 4. The Raiders head to Manheim Central in Week 4. That one should be feisty. Twin Valley is at Exeter in Week 9. There will certainly be some buzz surrounding that contest. The Raiders wrap up the regular season against Cocalico in Elverson.

Section 4:

Conrad Weiser is dropping down from Section 3 in 2026. The Scouts will entertain Wyomissing in Week 8 in Robesonia. The Spartans end their regular season versus Lampeter-Strasburg at Bob Wolfrum Field.

Section 5:

The Frost Bowl is set for Week 8 next year when Hamburg makes the short trip south on Route 61 to Schuylkill Valley. The Panthers will visit Annville-Cleona in their regular season finale. Berks Catholic hosts Schuylkill Valley in Week 5. The Saints’ new Week 10 opponent is Lancaster Catholic. Berks Catholic will be on the road for that one.

As we first reported, teams in Section 1 of the L-L League will have one crossover game against teams in Section 1 of the YAIAA. Here’s how those matchups look for 2026.

Crossover Games:

Central York at Wilson-Week 9

Manheim Township at York High-Week 6

Hempfield at Spring Grove-Week 5

Dallastown at Cedar Crest-Week 8

Penn Manor at New Oxford-Week 10

Reading at South Western-Week 7

Red Lion at McCaskey-Week 4

I’ll be in West Lawn on Friday night to see Wilson battle Manheim Township for the Section 1 title. The Bulldogs and Blue Streaks are both (8-1, 5-0). Wilson took down Manheim Township 34-16 a season ago. The Bulldogs are going for their 31st section crown. Nobody has won more in the L-L League.

Twin Valley takes on Daniel Boone in Elverson on Friday. The Raiders can wrap up the Section 4 championship with a victory. The Blazers are coming off their first win of the year.

Wyomissing switched spots with Exeter in my rankings this week. The Spartans travel to Lampeter-Strasburg on Friday. The (7-2) Pioneers were without quarterback Asher Jones in last week’s 42-7 loss at Twin Valley. L-S had no answer for Drew Engle who ran for 185 yards and 6 TD on 25 carries.

Exeter meets Elizabethtown at Don Thomas Stadium on Friday. The Eagles try to put a halt to their two-game slide. The (5-4) Bears knocked off Gov. Mifflin 34-16 last week.

Muhlenberg and Conestoga Valley go at it on Friday in Laureldale. The (9-0) Buckskins will clinch the Section 2 title with a win. If the Muhls come out on top, there could be a three-way tie for first place with Exeter.

Berks Catholic hosts Annville-Cleona on Friday for the Section 5 crown. The (8-1) Dutchmen are riding a six-game winning streak. Their lone loss came at the hands of Littlestown in Week 3.

Boyertown is home this week against Phoenixville. The Phantoms are (3-6) this season.

Gov. Mifflin sits at #12 in the District 3-6A power ratings. The top 10 teams qualify for the playoffs. The Mustangs face Ephrata on Friday in Shillington. The (5-4) Mounts had lost three games in a row before blowing out Lebanon 57-12 last week.

“The Great 8”

1.Wilson (8-1)

2.Twin Valley (9-0)

3.Wyomissing (8-1)

4.Exeter (7-2)

5.Muhlenberg (8-1)

6.Berks Catholic (7-2)

7.Boyertown (5-4)

8.Gov. Mifflin (3-6)

In 2026 and 2027, schools in Section 1 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League will be playing one crossover game against teams from the York-Adams League. Berks Sports Report has been told that Wilson will take on Central York, and Reading will face South Western. In addition, Manheim Township will meet York High.

The teams in Section 2 and Section 3 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League will have one crossover game against each other. Berks Sports Report has learned that these are the matchups for 2026 and 2027.

Crossover Games:

Exeter vs. Twin Valley

Muhlenberg vs. Solanco

Gov. Mifflin vs. Garden Spot

Fleetwood vs. Lebanon

Conestoga Valley vs. Cocalico

Ephrata vs. Manheim Central

Warwick vs. Elizabethtown

Section Alignment for 2026/2027:

Section 1-Wilson, Manheim Township, Cedar Crest, Hempfield, Penn Manor, Reading, McCaskey

Section 2-Conestoga Valley, Exeter, Muhlenberg, Gov. Mifflin, Ephrata, Elizabethtown, Lebanon

Section 3-Twin Valley, Warwick, Solanco, Cocalico, Manheim Central, Garden Spot, Fleetwood

Section 4-Wyomissing, Lampeter-Strasburg, Conrad Weiser, Daniel Boone, ELCO, Octorara, Donegal, Northern Lebanon

Section 5-Berks Catholic, Schuylkill Valley, Hamburg, Kutztown, Lancaster Catholic, Annville-Cleona, Columbia, Pequea Valley

Brown’s 39-yard run set up a 26-yard field goal by Jake Franek on Exeter’s opening possession. Brown made it 10-0 on a 35-yard run with 3:16 left in the second quarter. The 6’, 176-pound senior finished with 33 carries. He has surpassed 1,700 rushing yards for the season with 21 TD. Conestoga Valley was averaging 39.8 points per game coming into the night. The Eagles held them scoreless for the first 24 minutes. “They’re a great D-line. I was getting a lot of pressure, but I think my O-line did a great job of keeping them away for the most part [in the fourth quarter],” replied Esbenshade. Joel Ummarino, a 273-pound defensive tackle, racked up four sacks.

The Buckskins got on the scoreboard in dramatic fashion midway through the third quarter. On fourth-and-11, Esbenshade hit Cordell Bair down the left sideline for a 25-yard touchdown. The 6’3 senior made a tremendous catch after making a key adjustment. “Cordell was supposed to run a comeback [route] there, but he saw what the defense was so he ran a fade,” explained Esbenshade. Bair ended up with five receptions for 57 yards. Esbenshade showed off his accuracy by going 21-of-24 for 219 yards and 3 TD. The 6’, 180-pound senior passed for 2,075 yards and 25 TD last year. He’s closing in on another 2,000 yards this fall.

Exeter responded in the third period with an 85-yard drive. A 25-yard run by Brown got them to midfield. He then went up the middle for 38 yards to extend the Eagles’ advantage to 17-7. Exeter got the ball back quickly and seemed in control when Brown raced 74 yards down the right sideline for another touchdown. However, a holding penalty negated the score with 46 seconds left in the third quarter. Brown wasn’t done. He sprinted 57 yards to put Exeter in the red zone. The Eagles reached the 4-yard line, but didn’t come away with any points after Franek missed a 29-yard field goal that was wide left. Conestoga Valley took over at its 20-yard line with 7:31 to play. The Buckskins utilized the short passing game to march down the field. Esbenshade connected with Conaway for 17 yards. They hooked up again for a 4-yard touchdown when Esbenshade zipped a ball through traffic with 2:49 on the clock. Conaway, a 185-pound junior, made a huge play on special teams by recovering an onside kick at Exeter’s 45-yard line. Esbenshade found Konner Fisher over the middle for 22 yards. He then dumped a pass off to senior running back Teagan Ruble in the right flat. Ruble broke two tackles and gained 15 yards. With 51 seconds remaining, Esbenshade lofted a perfect 16-yard TD pass over the middle to Conaway who made a leaping catch. “He had some big plays out there. I know when I throw it to him, he’s gonna make plays and I know he’s gonna get open,” emphasized Esbenshade. Conaway had a team-high six receptions for 34 yards. Ruble chipped in with five catches for 64 yards on a night when Conestoga Valley couldn’t run the ball. Jayden Ware returned the ensuing kickoff to the Eagles’ 35-yard line with 42 seconds to go. Jake Hafer then completed a 25-yard pass to Franek. Four straight incompletions from the Buckskins’ 40-yard line ended the game. Hafer took over at quarterback after 3-year starter Riley Martinez suffered a shoulder injury at Boyertown in Week 2. Hafer, an East Stroudsburg baseball commit, was 5-of-15 for 86 yards and an interception.

Conestoga Valley was outgained 411-to-218, but found a way to win. “We all trust each other. We trust these coaches. We know the guy right next to us is gonna keep going, pushing hard. That’s what keeps us going,” said Esbenshade. The Buckskins travel to Muhlenberg next week. The (8-1, 4-1) Muhls could force a tie for the Section 2 championship with a win. Exeter will try to regroup after a second straight heartbreaking loss. The Eagles host Elizabethtown next Friday.

Twin Valley blew out Lampeter-Strasburg 42-7 in Elverson. Drew Engle scored 6 TD for the (9-0, 6-0) Raiders. They’re alone atop the Section 4 standings.

Wilson blanked McCaskey 56-0 in Lancaster. The (8-1) Bulldogs had three defensive touchdowns against the winless Red Tornado. Wilson outgained McCaskey 337-to-37.

Muhlenberg outlasted Academy Park 42-37 in Laureldale. Adriel Baez tossed a go-ahead 18-yard touchdown pass to Freddy Lacey on fourth down with 28 seconds left. The Muhls improved to (8-1).

Gov. Mifflin fell at Elizabethtown 34-16. Mustangs’ quarterback Lebron Leaf suffered a shoulder injury late in the second quarter and didn’t play after halftime. Gov. Mifflin dropped to (3-6).

Reading got tripped up by Oxford 44-12 at Shirk Stadium. The Red Knights fell to (1-8).

Berks Catholic cruised past Hamburg 38-7 on “Hawk Hill.” Meanwhile, Annville-Cleona doubled up Schuylkill Valley 14-7. The Dutchmen and Saints remain tied for first place in Section 5.

Cocalico left Robesonia with a 27-17 victory over Conrad Weiser. The (4-5) Scouts have lost five straight games.

Daniel Boone earned its first win of the season. The Blazers knocked off Northern Lebanon 26-23 in Birdsboro.

Fleetwood got thumped at home by Solanco 49-13. The Tigers sit at (2-7).

Kutztown came up short in a high-scoring affair with Columbia. The (1-8) Cougars fell 40-35.

On Saturday, Wyomissing hosts Octorara at 1:30pm. The (7-1) Spartans are ranked #7 in the state by PennLive in Class 4A.

Hempfield’s PJ Poole caught five passes for 85 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also made a big impact on defense with two interceptions including a 77-yard pick-6.

Cam Small from Muhlenberg ran for 193 yards and three scores on 32 carries.

Cody Hess of Manheim Central racked up seven tackles, two interceptions, and a pick-6. Hess added 100 combined rushing and receiving yards, along with a touchdown.

Twin Valley senior and Army lacrosse commit Drew Engle rushed for 205 yards and 2 TD on 26 carries. He provided four solo tackles at defensive back.

Hudson Sellers from Annville-Cleona ran for 104 yards and 2 TD on just three touches. He finished with ten tackles and two sacks.

Here are the Linemen of the Week from the L-L League:

Cedar Crest’s Griffin Schomp earned the highest blocking grade on his team. The freshman left tackle had five pancake blocks.

Conestoga Valley left tackle Liam Price didn’t allow a sack and helped the Buckskins pile up 461 yards. The defensive end added seven tackles and two tackles for loss.

Teagan Upton of Garden Spot received the highest blocking blocking on his team as the Spartans churned out 258 yards on the ground. The sophomore also made seven tackles.

Twin Valley guard Greyson Miller had a blocking grade of 90% with five pancake blocks. He provided seven solo tackles at defensive tackle.

Berks Catholic defensive end Faith Zudie forced a fumble to go along with seven tackles and 3 TFL. The junior chipped in on offense with a 48-yard touchdown run.