Below, you will find several pieces of information about the upcoming season for Palmyra Football, including our Outlook, the Schedule, and the full Team Roster.
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Mid Penn Conference – Keystone Division (AAAAA)
Head Coach: Chris Pavone – 4th season
Top Returners:Brayden Hoover (Sr., TE/LB); Nate Holt (Sr., WR/P); Travis McDannell (Sr., RB); Braxtin Risser (Sr., WR/DB); Jake Schelhorn (Sr., LB); Talon Speck (Sr., WR/DB); Tyler Comarnitsky (Sr., OL/DL); Braeden Basehore (Jr., OL/DL); Roman Russek (Jr., QB); Aaron Villafane (Jr., RB/DB)
Emerging Game Changers: Sid Harrison (Sr., WR/DB); Justus Maina (Sr., WR/DB); Gavin Zimmerman (Sr., OL/DL); Brenden Crout (Jr., Kicker); Ryan Craig (So., OL/DL); Cadin Smith (So., RB/LB); Chris Kleinfelter (So., OL/DL); Louis Loew (So., WR/DB); Anthony Pinko (So., TE/LB); Greg Stoak (So., OL/DL); Kyler Sparks (So., FB/DL); Jackson Smith (So., OL/DL); Mason Kyper (Fr., WR/DB); Jaxin Robinson (Fr., QB/DB)
Key Losses: Joseph Altebrando, Justin Kaplan, Ryan Kowalski, Hayden LeVan, Charlie Stewart, Beau Toler
2024 Results: 1-9
On the Radio: Palmyra Cougar Football can be heard on WLBR/Froggy Valley two times this season: August 22nd in their season opener against Lebanon and on October 3rd when they host Lower Dauphin at LVC. Click for the full radio schedule.
Palmyra Football Season Outlook
The Palmyra Cougars enter the 2025 season looking to turn the corner after a challenging 1-9 campaign in the new-look Mid Penn Keystone, a division that now features nine league games. While the record was tough to swallow, Head Coach Chris Pavone and his team believe last year’s experience laid the foundation for growth, as many of their contests were more competitive than the scores suggested.
On offense, the Cougars return a strong core of starters, including multiple experienced linemen tasked with protecting junior quarterback Roman Russek, who started five games in 2024. Palmyra’s ground game will lean on senior running back Travis McDannell, who rushed for 447 yards and scored 5 touchdowns last season. He’ll split carries with junior Aaron Villafane, while Braxtin Risser’s reliable hands out of the backfield with 13 receptions a year ago make him a prime candidate to move to receiver. In addition to Risser, Russek will look to seniors Talon Speck and Nate Holt to provide big-play potential through the air. Beyond the returning veterans, several newcomers are expected to add depth and energy to the unit.
Pavone emphasized that the keys on offense will be “execution on our assignments at every position, limiting both negative plays and turnovers, finishing drives with points on the board, and playing a fast, physical, and balanced brand of football.”
Defensively, Palmyra brings back playmakers at all three levels, including senior linebackers Jake Schelhorn and Brayden Hoover, who will anchor a group tasked with playing “physical, fast, and aggressive.” If the Cougars can limit big plays and generate turnovers, they have the potential to turn close games in their favor.
Field position, as in years past, will also be a critical factor, and Pavone believes his experienced special teams unit can create momentum in the kicking game while limiting opponent opportunities.
If there’s a theme for 2025, it’s consistency. As Pavone told Wilbur 99.7’s Noah White, “It just comes down to consistency, consistency, consistency in our preparation, whether that’s both off season and in season. Consistency in our play and being able to play a complementary style of football on offense, defense and special teams.” Having veteran leaders like Russek, McDannell, Risser, Speck, Holt, and Schelhorn will be vital in setting that tone.
Schelhorn echoed his coach’s message, saying, “Every week we’re going to show up and compete to the best of our ability.”
One thing that will not be consistent this season is the unique challenge of not playing at Buck Swank Stadium, which is under renovation. Instead, Palmyra will split its home games between Northern Lebanon and Lebanon Valley College, with two contests scheduled for Saturday afternoons.
Pavone views the adjustment as another opportunity for growth: “We’re going to approach the season just like any other year. While we don’t play true home games in Palmyra, we’ve been blessed with the opportunity to play at LVC for three and two out at Northern Lebanon. I think our approach will have to just change because two of our games will be on Saturday afternoons. Hopefully, the school and community will show up to get those real home game feels even though it may not feel like home.”
When asked, Holt said he sees the change as a motivator, adding, “I feel like as a team we do better in away games just because no one was rooting for us and we just play with aggression.”
Palmyra will kick off the season with a road matchup against Lebanon, another program forced out of its home stadium by renovations. Fittingly, that game will take place at Northern Lebanon—the same field the Cougars will play on two more times this season. A strong start could help carry momentum into Keystone play beginning in Week 2.
With Pavone and his staff entering their fourth year at the helm, optimism surrounds the program that steady progress will soon translate into victories. “I am really starting to feel a lot of the wheels turning in the direction that we want,” Pavone said. “I think we’re going to get the results that we want pretty soon.”
If the Cougars’ experience and consistency shine through, those winning results might just arrive in 2025.
2025 Palmyra Football Schedule
8/16 @ Lebanon (@ Northern Lebanon)
8/22 vs Mechanicsburg* – 12:00 pm (@ Northern Lebanon)
9/5 @ Hershey High School*
9/12 vs Shippensburg* (@ LVC – Arnold Field)
9/19 @ Waynesboro*
9/26 @ Mifflin County*
10/3 vs Lower Dauphin*# (@ LVC – Arnold Field)
10/11 vs Gettysburg* – 1:30 pm (@ Northern Lebanon)
10/17 vs Red Land* (@ LVC – Arnold Field)
10/24 @ Northern York*
- All games are slated for 7 pm unless otherwise noted
* Keystone Division game
# Wilbur 99.7 FM Broadcast
2025 Palmyra Football Roster
2 Riley Litzenberger 12 FB/LB 5’10″/180
4 Braxtin Risser 12 WR/DB 5’8″/150
5 Jaxin Robinson 9 QB/DB 5’11″/150
6 Justus Maina 12 WR/DB 5’10″/155
7 Aaron Villafane 11 RB/DB 5’8″/185
8 Roman Russek 11 QB/DB 6’2″/185
9 Brayden Hoover 12 TE/LB 6’2″/185
10 Peter Diguardia 12 WR/DB 5’11″/160
11 Talon Speck 12 WR/DB 6’0″/165
12 Mason Lane 11 WR/LB 5’10″/180
13 Wyatt Fogleman 11 WR/DB 5’9″/145
14 Louis Loew 10 WR/DB 5’6″/135
15 Nate Holt 12 WR/DL 6’0″/180
17 Sid Harrison 10 WR/DB 5’8″/125
18 Elijah Reed 10 WR/DB 5’7″/130
19 Adam McKelvey 11 TE/LB 5’9″/165
20 Mason Kyper 9 WR/DB 5’9″/135
21 Korbin Bashore 10 WR/DB 5’5″/135
22 Thomas Steelman 12 WR/DB 6’1″/180
23 Marcus Wahby 9 RB/LB 5’8″/150
24 Jasiah Francis 12 WR/DB 5’8″/150
25 Alex Csongradi 11 RB/LB 5’11″/180
26 Nolan Bown 10 WR/DB 5’9″/150
27 Cadin Smith 10 RB/LB 5’4″/150
28 Camden Cope 9 WR/DB 5’3″/115
29 Brenden Crout 11 K 5’6″/135
30 Luke Vanatta 12 RB/DB 5’7″/165
31 Jayden Hernandez 9 RB/LB 5’6″/140
33 Caden Varney 9 WR/DB 5’4″/120
34 Travis McDannell 12 RB/LB 5’9″/185
35 Jake Schelhorn 12 FB/LB 5’8″/175
37 Mason Foutz 9 RB/DB 5’2″/125
38 Kyler Sparks 10 FB/DL 5’7″/175
41 Dominic Altebrando 9 WR/DB 5’4″/120
42 Landon Sears 9 RB/LB 5’10″/150
47 Micah Porter 10 WR/DB 5’11″/140
50 William Perez 10 TE/DL 6’0″/215
51 Garrison John 9 OL/DL 5’11″/240
53 Tyler Comarnitsky 12 OL/DL 6’4″/275
55 Ryan Craig 10 OL/DL 6’0″/240
56 Braeden Basehore 11 OL/DL 6’0″/200
58 Noah Krupko 10 OL/DL 6’0″/220
59 Gavin Zimmerman 12 OL/DL 6’1″/230
62 Kamren Koennecke 12 OL/DL 6’0″/215
63 Tyler Aughenbaugh 9 OL/DL 5’11″/205
64 Jackson Kipp 11 OL/DL 5’8″/235
65 Thomas Knight 9 OL/DL 5’9″/220
67 Wesley Ward 11 OL/DL 5’11″/160
75 Chris Kleinfelter 10 OL/DL 6’0″/225
76 Jackson Smith 10 OL/DL 6’3″/245
77 Greg Stoak 10 OL/DL 5’9″/325
82 Owen Kupstas 9 TE/LB 5’10″/180
83 Tyler Craig 9 TE/DL 5’11″/190
87 Anthony Pinko 10 TE/LB 5’10″/195
88 Bradlee Snipes 11 FB/LB 5’6″/150
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