The Saints were missing Owen Schalk, their top running back, and 285-pound defensive tackle Damoni Daglis. Schalk returns next week and Daglis will be back in Week 3. Berks Catholic went three and out on the opening drive. Grant Moser then blocked a punt to set up Twin Valley at the 33-yard line. Engle’s 29-yard TD run made it 7-0 three and a-half minutes into the game. Sophomore quarterback Maverik Foster, who made his first career start, hit Ben Grundy for a 27-yard gain on the Raiders’ second series. Ryan Rementer capped it off with an 8-yard run up the middle. The 6’1, 200-pound senior had 41 yards on five carries, as well as a team-high seven tackles. “He’s definitely gonna make plays. He’s been working hard all offseason. He’s one of those guys that has been at every lift, always working hard,” noted Myers. With 1:46 remaining in the first quarter, Myers ripped off a 27-yard touchdown run for a 20-0 advantage.

Berks Catholic sophomore Coy Koller recovered a fumble which gave the Saints the ball at Twin Valley’s 17-yard line midway through the second quarter. Berks Catholic settled for a 31-yard field goal from Jay Tripathi. Grundy, a track standout, took the ensuing kickoff 98 yards up the middle for a touchdown. The Saints then lost a fumble at their 23-yard line while returning a kickoff. Myers rumbled nine yards for another score and a 32-3 lead with four minutes to go before halftime. After Engle’s interception, Foster found Dominic Summers on the right side of the end zone for a 12-yard score. Foster was 6-of-8 for 80 yards. “He’s comfortable, he’s making plays, and he’s communicating. He looks like he’s not a sophomore. He looks like he’s a vet that’s been here for years,” remarked Myers. Foster took over for Myers’ older brother, Evan, who’s at Kutztown University. Evan was a four-year starter under center and the school’s all-time passing leader with more than 5,000 yards. A 7-yard touchdown run by Lucas Myers put the Raiders in front 45-3 with 6:49 left in the third quarter. Koller and backup quarterback Braden Pennington had touchdown runs for Berks Catholic in the fourth quarter.

Twin Valley ended up with 362 total yards, including 282 on the ground. The Raiders had 236 rushing yards in the first half. They went (9-3, 5-2) a season ago and reached the District 3-4A semifinals. This is Brett Myers’ fourth year as head coach. “It’s awesome playing for my dad. We can go home and talk about the game…It’s always football, even in the offseason, it’s always football. It’s a football household,” said Lucas Myers.

The Panthers have won nine games in back-to-back years. They claimed their first outright section championship in 2024 by going (7-0) in league play. “We’ve changed the culture. We’re a winning culture now,” emphasized Cammauf. Schuylkill Valley reached the District 3-3A semifinals last year before falling to Trinity 20-17 in overtime. Logan Nawrocki tossed a remarkable 37 touchdown passes in twelve games. He broke the school record for career passing yards with 5,109. Nawrocki and tight end Luke Spotts were All-State selections. Skill position players Cooper Hohenadel, Kowen Gerner, Dillon Lackner, and Johnny Kowalski were also lost to graduation. Alex Aletras, a 6’ junior, will take over at quarterback. “He has the potential to be really good,” noted Cammauf. The Panthers return six starters on each side of the ball, including some key linemen. Seniors Nick Moyer (6’1, 285) and Noah Sonon (6’1, 220) were both first team picks in Section 5 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League in 2024. They’re captains this year along with Cammauf and Aletras.

Bruce Harbach enters his fifth season as the head coach in Leesport. Harbach has an all-time mark of (165-75) over twenty years. He led Lancaster Catholic to two state titles, four District 3 championships, and eight section crowns before stepping down there in 2017. Harbach was inducted into the PSFCA Hall of Fame this summer. “His intensity, I fit right in with that. He pushes me, he pushes the whole team. He’s a great coach,” replied Cammauf. Schuylkill Valley went (2-9) in Harbach’s first season. However, it didn’t take the Wilson graduate long to turn things around. In 2022, the Panthers put together a winning season for the first time since 2013. They won just their second District 3 playoff game in program history in 2023.

Schuylkill Valley begins a new chapter tomorrow night when Muhlenberg heads up Route 61 to Leesport. The Muhls took this matchup 29-20 last fall. The Panthers will host Berks Catholic on September 26th. They’ll be home again on October 10th for the 51st Frost Bowl. Schuylkill Valley has a very slim (25-24-1) edge over Hamburg in the rivalry. “It’s always good to win, but it’s just another game on the schedule…We’re looking at District championships now, not Frost Bowls,” stated Cammauf. The Panthers wrap up the regular season with a big Section 5 battle at Lancaster Catholic.

Bauer didn’t agree with the ruling. “I think it was clear. He was in,” he said. The officials took their time before signaling that Zandier didn’t score. “The explanation to me was no one had it either way,” stated Bauer. That possession began at the 17-yard line with 1:23 left. Hafer, a 6’2 junior who joined the team in early September, hit Carter Redding on a completion near midfield. A targeting penalty moved the football to Conestoga Valley’s 38-yard line. Genuine Stutzman reeled in a 19-yard pass to get the (8-1, 4-1) Eagles in the red zone. Ware’s second touchdown grab of the night pulled Exeter within one point after trailing 14-0 and 21-7. “I couldn’t be prouder. We wanted to see how we’d respond to adversity. I think we faced basically a season’s worth tonight. We never lost faith,” emphasized Bauer. He’s in his 16th year at the helm in Reiffton with a record of (121-57).

The Buckskins started quickly with consecutive 52 and 66-yard touchdown drives. On fourth-and-12 from the 23-yard line, Sawyer Esbenshade connected with JoJo Garcia over the middle for a 7-0 lead. Following a 25-yard pass to Garcia, Esbenshade’s 2-yard run made it 14-0 with three minutes remaining in the first quarter. The 6’1, 175-pound junior finished 19-of-31 for 277 yards and 3 TD. Zandier scored from 1-yard out early in the second period to get the Eagles on the board. They entered the night averaging 45 points per game. Zandier broke free for a 51-yard sprint down the left sideline to set up his 6-yard TD run with 4:21 to go in the half. That came after Esbenshade found 6’2 junior Cordell Bair for a 28-yard touchdown. Ware’s 22-yard TD catch from Hafer tied it at 21-21 with 1:33 to play before halftime. Conestoga Valley went in front 28-21 on a 30-yard pass to speedster Jayden Johnson with just 34 seconds before the break. Johnson, who returned from an injury last week, has offers from Temple, Maine, and Monmouth.

The offensive fireworks came to a halt in the second half. Neither team scored until eight seconds remained on the clock. Seth Frankford came up with an interception of a pass by Zandier on fourth-and-7 with 5:28 to go. Exeter’s defense forced back-to-back punts after that turnover. Bauer noted that the Eagles played more man coverage in the second half. Navy commit Logan Wegman (6’5, 275) injured his shoulder in the third quarter and didn’t return. Exeter was already without junior quarterback Riley Martinez due to a leg injury that occurred earlier this month against Muhlenberg. Zandier and Hafer split time at quarterback on Friday. Zandier piled up 172 yards on 27 carries. “He has amazing body control and he’s so explosive with everything he does,” Bauer said of the 6’2, 180-pound senior.

The Eagles sit one game behind the Buckskins in the Section 2 standings. Exeter visits (2-7) Elizabethtown next week, while Conestoga Valley hosts (3-5) Muhlenberg. Bauer was proud of his team’s effort after an emotional and frustrating game. “They have nothing to be ashamed of. They did everything they needed to do. This is gonna galvanize us,” he said.