Youth Football Weekly Round-Up: August 31, 2023

This feature recaps last weekend’s action from the youth football organizations that chose to partner with LebCoSports.com.  Much of the reporting below is written by the dedicated volunteers within these organizations.  

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     Northern Lebanon Vikings

CFA – Federal Conference Age group information 

Midgets (1-0)     Vikings 8, Carlisle Thundering Herd 0

Ponies (1-0)       Vikings 14, Carlisle Thundering Herd 0

Peewees (0-1)    Carlisle Thundering Herd 25, Vikings 0

Smurfs                Exhibition/Skill Development

This past Saturday marked the season and home opener for the Northern Lebanon Midget Football Association. It was a very busy day for the Vikings in their newly remodeled high school stadium with  three JV games in the morning  against the Falcons from Lower Dauphin and four Varsity games in the evening against the Carlisle Thundering Herd.

In varsity action, the Viking Midget squad came to play with a vicious defense. Landon Graby led the defensive line with multiple sacks including a sack in the endzone for a safety and a blocked punt early in the game to set the tone. The defensive backs also had a hand in stopping the Herd with interceptions from Cody Leedy and Landon Copenhaver. On offense the lone score came from a 23 yard TD run from QB Blake Burdick. The Vikings won by a score of 8-0.

The Viking Pony team came to play and it was their defense that shined the brightest in a 14-0 victory. With the defensive line setting the tone on the first play with a big tackle for a loss by Eyran Bonilla. Blayze Kimm also had a huge day with 2 sacks and multiple tackles for losses. It was Luke Copenhaver finding the endzone first on offense for the Vikings on a 20 yard run. Copenhaver also recorded two interceptions for the Vikings defense. The 2nd touchdown was through the air with a TD pass from Markus Miller to Nolan Anspach.

The Northern Lebanon Peewees had a rough day with the Herd losing 25-0. This squad showed some bright spots on defense with a few key tackles from Braiden Harris and Lucas Hart. This peewee team is looking to regroup and find their way this coming week at Red Land.

The Viking Smurfs took the field in their exhibition game. With a lot of new player this season, their first game action was a good learning experience for the young Vikes. With many players getting touches it was Lennox Perez with the most exciting run of the day for 40 yards.

Up Next: This week the Vikings travel to Red Land to battle with another new opponent in the Patriots on Saturday afternoon.

What’s more important than the win? Teaching sportsmanship. Midget player Vinnie Moyer helps his opponent up during the JV game with Lower Dauphin.

#10 Sam Kline looks to catch a pass from QB Markus Miller during the Pony game.

Defensive Lineman, Landon Graby, sacks the Carlisle QB during the midget game.

Photos: Susan Dengler

   Palmyra Cougars

 CFA – Federal Conference    Age group information 

Midgets (1-0)     Cougars 34 v Lower Dauphin Falcons 6

Ponies (1-0)       Cougars 12 v Lower Dauphin Falcons 6

Peewees (1-0)   Cougars 13 v Lower Dauphin Falcons 0

Smurfs               Exhibition/Skill Development

After the entire program earned a bump up in competition level following a successful 2022 season, the Palmyra Youth Cougars opened up their 2023 with the CFA in the Federal Conference arrived at The Buck with brooms in hand and swept the visitors from Lower Dauphin.

The Midget Cougars jumped out in front early and kept their paw on the gas pedal. The Falcons brought their big front line to harass the Cougars 7th grade QB. But Palmyra’s front 5 played a physical trench game to match the intensity from the other side of the ball. This start was exactly what the, now 8th graders, to shake off last season’s Super Bowl loss and start anew in a higher level. If this 13U team can continue to play their type of game, then playoffs may be within their grasp. They just need to take it one game at a time.

The Pony Cougars went back and forth with a stingy Falcons defense. The back and forth play largely stayed between the 35 yard lines until a Palmyra score opened up the game. After the Cougar score, the defense came alive and stifled the Lower Dauphin offense. A quick back and forth score by both teams late in the game brought the game to a close with the Home team on top. While the fans watched each play with bated breath, the 11U team looked calm and unshakeable. If they can continue to grow in confidence with each other as a team, there are many upsides to the season ahead.

The Peewee Cougars, fresh off a 2023 Liberty Super Bowl win, extend their winning streak to 13. Roaring onto the field to see whom the bell would toll for as the church bells rang out during Kickoff. The 9U squad’s running game took a bit to get going but once it did, everything opened up for them. But like an old sports car you only drive a few month out of the year, the team just needed a little gas to get going. Their defense stepped up on a big way late in the 4th to deny the Falcons any points.

The Cougar Smurfs, filled with a very young and new team, looked like they’ve done this before. The back to back physical scrimmage weeks proved to help the 7U Cougars stay solid on areas the coaches had question marks on. The youngest Cougars wasted no time marking their territory and showing their older Cougar family to keep an eye on us, because we’re coming!

Up Next: The Cougars will go on the road to face the Swatara Tigers in their den. Games will take place on Sunday, September 3rd with the following game times: Smurf 11am / Peewee 12pm / Midget 1:30pm / Pony 3pm.

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