This post will serve as a rolling update of Week 4 football action across LebCo. With all six county teams in action this weekend, we’ll be compiling the latest details and highlights as the games unfold.
Be sure to check back often for updates on your favorite teams.
The Northern Lebanon/Cedar Crest recap was written by Gavin Sweeney, a local high school student and aspiring sports journalist.
The Annville-Cleona/Hamburg recap was written using information provided by Annville-Cleona student Jackson Hanley.
The Northern Lebanon/Wyomissing recap was written by Northern Lebanon student Braydin Adams.
If you like this type of coverage, please let us know by Following us on social media: Twitter/X – @lebcosports1 and Facebook.
For any questions, comments, or discrepancies, please reach out to dan@lebcosports.com.
The LebCo Scoreboard
Annville-Cleona 42, Hamburg 0
Coming off a disappointing loss to Littlestown last week, the Annville-Cleona Dutchmen had something to prove on Friday night. Despite missing starting quarterback Lane Peters, who was sidelined with a concussion, the Dutchmen showed no signs of slowing down as they rolled past Hamburg on the road, 42-0, to kick off Section 5 play.
With sophomore John Ditzler taking over under center, Annville wasted no time setting the tone. On their first offensive drive, Jon Moran pulled off a trick play, tossing a touchdown pass to James Garney. After Cian Soliday’s extra point, the Dutchmen had a quick 7-0 lead.
The scoring spree continued in the first quarter. At the 6:40 mark, Hudson Sellers sprinted 45 yards to the end zone, and just four minutes later, Devon Englehart broke free for a 61-yard score. When Hamburg attempted to respond, Annville’s defense came up big, forcing a turnover that Maddox White recovered. By the end of the opening quarter, the Dutchmen were firmly in control with a 21-0 lead.
The momentum carried into the second half. Englehart found the end zone again midway through the third quarter, this time on a 9-yard run that stretched the advantage to 28-0. In the fourth, Annville looked set to score once more but fumbled at the Hamburg two-yard line. The defense refused to bend, keeping the Hawks scoreless, and the offense quickly regained its rhythm. Ditzler powered his way in on a “tush push” to extend the lead to 35-0 with just over five minutes remaining.
The exclamation point came moments later when Jaylynn Moyer intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown, sealing the 42-0 shutout victory.
With the win, Annville-Cleona improves to 3-1 overall and 1-0 in Section 5 play. Next week, the Dutchmen will hit the road to face Columbia as they look to keep their momentum rolling.
Written using information provided by Annville-Cleona student Jackson Hanley.
Coach Gingrich’s Postgame Thoughts
“The kids played really well and responded from last week’s disappointment. Last week was one of the more upsetting games in my career, and it took us a while to get over it. We did a great job tonight. We had three starters out with injuries that all kind of happened late, giving us less time to prepare. Our three kids came in, including a sophomore quarterback, and the biggest compliment I can give is that we didn’t really notice the other kids were missing. The kids stepped up and did a great job.
We ran the trick play to start the game, and that was after we got a stop on defense. We scored, which took the pressure off our new kids. Then we had two more good possessions in the first quarter, and we kind of sealed the deal in the third quarter with a long drive.
The defense played great; gave up no points. We had a pick-six, and forced a couple of turnovers.
We also scored 42 points—and if my math is right, we had only scored 41 points the whole year up until then. So maybe we’re figuring some things out.
We’ve got a big week moving forward. We play Columbia, and they’re doing really well right now. Hopefully, we can add on to this with our youth continuing to develop in a positive way.”
Annville-Cleona Stats
Passing: Jonathan Moran – 1/1, 52 yds; John Ditzler – 0/1, 0 yds
Rushing: Devon Englehart – 20 carries, 155 yds, 2 TD; Jonathan Moran – 9 carries, 95 yds; Yamaliel Navarro – 19 carries, 93 yds; John Ditzler – 4 carries, 4 yds, 1 TD; Hudson Sellers – 1 carry, 45 yds, 1 TD
Receiving: James Garney – 1 reception, 52 yds, 1 TD
Defensive Leaders: Hudson Sellers – 10 tackles (6 solo, 4 assists), 3 TFL; Maddox White – 10 tackles (5 solo, 5 assists), 1 TFL, 1 FR; Levi Kreider – 8 tackles (5 solo, 3 assists); Kaidavin Ginting – 6 tackles (2 solo, 4 assists), 2 TFL, 1 sack, 1 hurry; Jordan Nickens – 5 tackles (3 solo, 2 assists), 2 TFL, 1 sack; Armani Santos – 4 tackles (3 solo, 1 assist), 2 TFL, 1 sack; Devon Englehart – 4 tackles (2 solo, 2 assists), 1 TFL; Jaxon Speece – 4 tackles (2 solo, 2 assists); Logan Radocha – 2 tackles (1 solo, 1 assist), 1 blocked FG; Daniel Shuey – 3 tackles (3 solo); Jaylynn Moyer – 1 tackle (1 solo), 1 INT (49 yds, TD); Bode Garney – 1 tackle (1 solo), 1 PD; Cory Weiss – 1 tackle (1 assist); Dominic Bleecker – 1 tackle (1 assist); Luke Wentling – 1 tackle (1 solo); Tanner Copenhaver – 3 tackles (2 solo, 1 assist); Max Ortwein – 1 tackle (1 solo)
Scoring: Devon Englehart – 2 rushing TD (12 pts); Hudson Sellers – 1 rushing TD (6 pts); John Ditzler – 1 rushing TD (6 pts); James Garney – 1 receiving TD (6 pts); Jaylynn Moyer – 1 INT return TD (6 pts); Cian Soliday – 6 PAT (6 pts)
Special Teams: Cian Soliday – 6/6 PAT; Max Ortwein – 2 punts, 66 yds, 33.0 avg
Touchdowns: Devon Englehart – 2 rushing TD; Hudson Sellers – 1 rushing TD; John Ditzler – 1 rushing TD; James Garney – 1 receiving TD; Jaylynn Moyer – 1 INT return TD
Ready for your next getaway?
Shippensburg 13, Palmyra 12
One week removed from a lopsided rivalry loss, the Palmyra Cougars showed resilience and heart in their Week 4 matchup. Hosting Shippensburg on Friday night at LVC’s Arnold Field, the Cougars went toe-to-toe with the Greyhounds before falling in a hard-fought 13-12 decision.
The Greyhounds entered with a 2-1 record after edging Waynesboro a week ago, while Palmyra was looking to regroup from a difficult 48-0 setback against Hershey. This time, execution and steady improvement were the focus, and the Cougars delivered a gritty performance that had them on the brink of an upset.
Palmyra’s defense held strong in the first half, limiting Shippensburg to just one touchdown. With time winding down in the second quarter, the Cougars struck back. Quarterback Roman Russek connected with Braxtin Risser on a highlight-reel 50-yard touchdown pass with just 10 seconds left before halftime, trimming the deficit to 7-6 and injecting new life into the home sideline.
The momentum carried into the third quarter, when Peter DiGuardia intercepted a Shippensburg pass to give the Cougars a spark. Moments later, senior running back Travis McDannell powered his way into the end zone on a 22-yard run, giving Palmyra its first lead of the night at 12-6 with one minute remaining in the quarter.
But the Greyhounds answered quickly, as their bruising fullback turned a simple screen into an 80-yard rumble down the sideline to retake the lead, 13-12.
Still, Palmyra refused to fold. Behind gutsy fourth-down conversions, the Cougars drove deep into Shippensburg territory late in the game, setting up a potential game-winning 30-yard field goal. The kick, however, sailed just wide left, allowing the Greyhounds to escape with the narrow victory.Keep in mind that college goalposts are narrower than those in high school, measuring 18 feet 6 inches wide versus 23 feet 4 inches.
Despite the heartbreak, Palmyra (1-3) showed they are more than capable of bouncing back from adversity. The Cougars will look to build on this strong performance when they travel to Waynesboro next Friday night.
Coach Pavone’s Postgame Thoughts
“I’m really proud of our kids heart, fight, and effort tonight in a great game against Ship.
We’ve had a tough week as a program and we challenged a lot of our guys and they all delivered tonight in key moments to put us in position to win the game in the end. Just some details to clean up to push the needle in the direction of a win, but I feel that this night can be a turning point for our program moving forward.
I love this group of kids and their continued belief and buy-in. They’ve stuck together through some hard times, and I’ll know they’ll be rewarded moving forward with their continued growth and development.”
Palmyra Stats
Passing: Roman Russek – 4/13, 62 yds, 1 TD; Jaden Robinson – 1/5, 13 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Travis McDannell – 18 carries, 100 yds, 1 TD; Roman Russek – 10 carries, 32 yds; Aaron Villafane – 3 carries, 9 yds; Braxtin Risser – 3 carries, 5 yds; Team – 2 carries, 31 yds
Receiving: Braxtin Risser – 2 receptions, 47 yds, 1 TD; Brandon Hoover – 1 reception, 15 yds; Talon Speck – 2 receptions, 13 yds
Defensive Leaders: Kyler Sparks – 9 tackles (4 solo, 5 assists), 1 TFL; Jake Schelhorn – 8 tackles (2 solo, 6 assists); P. DiGuardia – 4 tackles, 1 INT; Nate Holt – 4 tackles (2 solo, 2 assists); Anthony Pinko – 4 tackles (1 solo, 3 assists); Gavin Stoak – 3 tackles (1 solo, 2 assists), 1 TFL; Braxtin Risser – 3 tackles (1 solo, 2 assists), 1 sack, 1 TFL; Travis McDannell – 1 tackle; Talon Speck – 1 tackle; Nick Krupko – 1 tackle; Tanner Comarnitsky – 1 assist
Scoring: Travis McDannell – 1 rushing TD; Braxtin Risser – 1 receiving TD; Roman Russek – 1 passing TD
Special Teams: Kick Returns: Ryan Litzenberger – 1 KR, 11 yds; Team – 1 KR, 23 yds; Punt Returns: Alex Csongradi – 2 PR, 36 yds (18 avg, long 20); Kickoffs: Brady Crout – 3 KO, 119 yds, long 45; Punting: Nate Holt – 5 punts, 125 yds, long 50 (25.0 avg)
Wyomissing 42, Northern Lebanon 0
The Northern Lebanon Vikings knew they had their hands full on Friday night, opening Section 4 play against perennial state power Wyomissing. Despite entering with a 1-2 record, the Vikings had shown grit in recent battles with Oxford and Delone Catholic, and hoped to build on those efforts against the Spartans.
For a moment, things looked promising. Wyomissing fumbled on its opening possession, giving Northern Lebanon an early chance to seize momentum. But the Vikings couldn’t capitalize, punting the ball back, and from there the Spartans’ machine-like offense took over.
Wyomissing struck quickly with back-to-back long touchdown runs—one from 43 yards out and another from 42—to take a 14-0 lead. A botched Northern Lebanon snap on 4th-and-9 set up the Spartans at the one-yard line, where they cashed in with a short touchdown pass. Another 34-yard sprint to the end zone made it 28-0 by the end of the first quarter.
The Spartans tacked on a seven-yard touchdown pass in the second to stretch the lead to 35-0 at halftime, effectively putting the game out of reach. The Vikings continued to fight in the second half, but Wyomissing added one more exclamation point in the fourth quarter with another 34-yard touchdown run, sealing a 42-0 victory.
While the result was lopsided, Northern Lebanon (1-3) will look to regroup and continue its growth when it travels to Donegal next Friday night.
Written by Northern Lebanon student Braydin Adams.
Coach Rice’s Postgame Thoughts
Coach Rice on the game:
“One of the things we really stressed going into this week, and our mental approach each day, was focused on two things: effort and execution of assignments. There was absolutely no doubt that effort was there. I was very proud of the boys—despite going down early on the first drive, we actually forced a fumble, got it back, and had some momentum. That was nice.
We weren’t able to establish too much on the offensive side early, and once they got into scoring, it became more difficult to stop them. But our boys fought as hard as they could while on the field. There was no lack of effort. Execution-wise, there were just a few mental errors along the way—not that they didn’t want to do their assignments.
We’ve moved on from last week’s game, which seemed to have a lack of effort at times. So to go against an opponent like this last night and give everything you can—that’s what we want out of the boys, and that’s what they gave. As a coach, it’s frustrating to watch them get beaten down, 42–0, but we’ll move on.”
Rice on the challenges of Section 4 and facing a team like Wyomissing:
“Last night was a challenge. That was a very good football team we played. There isn’t a soul on this planet who can convince me that those two teams that took the field last night should be in the same section. I don’t care who you are or where you come from—those are two teams that shouldn’t be lined up against each other in a section game. If they want to do non-league games, sure, go ahead, but we’re not crazy like that. We recognize our abilities, and that’s all I’m going to say about that.
I hope there’s a realization in the future of a better way to approach section alignment so more teams can be competitive and matchups like that don’t have to happen.”
Coach Rice on moving past this game:
“This week we’re focused on Donegal. I just saw them play last night—they competed with LS, so there’s no moment of expecting an easy game. Donegal will have us marked on their calendar. Last year at homecoming it was a tight game, and I guarantee they want a win. We’re going to go in hungry and ready to compete.
We’ll turn the page from last night’s game and focus on what’s ahead. I also look forward to the possibility in the future of Northern Lebanon being able to compete more evenly with teams like this.”
Rice finished his thoughts by praising Wyomissing’s class and sportsmanship:
“They are one of the most respectable well-coached programs we’ve gone against.”
Northern Lebanon Stats
Passing: Bryan Mitzel – 4/14, 40 yds
Rushing: Vinny Moyer – 13 carries, 21 yds; Landon Copenhaver – 5 carries, 13 yds
Receiving: Ryan Clemmer – 2 receptions, 25 yds; Christian Anspach – 1 reception, 26 yds; Landon Copenhaver – 1 reception, 8 yds
Defensive Leaders: Bryce Yocum – 7 tackles, 2 assists; Kaleb Barr – 4 tackles, 4 assists, 1 TFL, 1 fumble recovery; Landon Copenhaver – 4 tackles; Ryan Clemmer – 2 tackles, 1 assist, 1 FF; Kael Erdman – 2 tackles
Cedar Crest 40, Penn Manor 15
The Falcons (1-2) entered Week 4’s matchup against Penn Manor looking to even their record as they opened Section 1 play. Following the last two weeks against Spring Grove and Warwick, the Falcons aimed to apply lessons learned and move the program forward.
In the 1st quarter, the Falcons didn’t waste any time as Isaiah Zimmerman broke free for a 50-yard touchdown. The Comets blocked the extra point, keeping it 6-0. The Falcons’ defense was locked in from the start, led by LB Landyn Kline, who completely controlled the game and shut down the Comets’ offense. That effort set up a blocked punt, and the Falcons quickly capitalized with a 21-yard touchdown run from WR Cameron Tirado. Zimmerman threw a crushing block on the play, clearing the way for Tirado to find the end zone and extend the lead to 13-0 at the end of the first.
In the 2nd quarter, the Comets showed some fight with a 1-yard touchdown run by RB Jalen Dupree to cut the lead to 13-7. But the Falcons answered right back—Zimmerman once again finding the end zone to make it 20-7. Feeding off the roar of the Falcons’ student section, Kline jumped in front of a pass and intercepted it, returning it 37 yards before being tackled at the goal line. Zimmerman punched it in again for his third score of the night, giving him a hat trick and the Falcons a 27-7 lead. The defense wasn’t done either—DB Eli Beard came up with an interception after LB Mason Copenhaver tipped the ball into the air, adding yet another turnover.
The Comets opened the 3rd quarter hoping to stop the bleeding, but Kline came up with a huge sack that forced a punt. The Falcons wasted no time, as QB Steven Reyes connected with WR Luke Oriel for a 70-yard touchdown bomb to push the lead to 33-7. The Comets kept trying to find some rhythm, but the Falcons’ defense was relentless. DB Antonio Tirado added another interception, and the Falcons cashed in with a 17-yard strike from Reyes to a wide-open WR Liam Sectcavage, making it 40-7. The Comets attempted a late field goal, but missed, ending the quarter with no points.
In the 4th, the Falcons rotated in their young backups—freshmen and sophomores gaining valuable reps. The Comets managed a late touchdown from Dupree to cut it to 40-15, but the Falcons still had one more defensive highlight. LB Nolan Brubaker recovered a fumble to officially seal the victory, 40-15.
The Falcons’ defense forced 6 turnovers on the night.
With the win, the Falcons improve to 2-2 and will look to carry this momentum into next week’s matchup against Wilson High School.
Written by Gavin Sweeney, a local high school student and aspiring sports journalist.
Cedar Crest Stats
Passing: Steven Reyes – 7/12, 131 yds, 2 TD; Cameron Hansell – 0/1
Rushing: Isaiah Zimmerman – 10 carries, 101 yds, 3 TD; Eddiel Nunez – 7 carries, 31 yds; Steven Reyes – 4 carries, 26 yds; Cameron Tirado – 2 carries, 20 yds, TD; James Smith – 2 carries, 18 yds; Cameron Hansell – 5 carries, 7 yds
Receiving: Luke Oriel – 2 receptions, 75 yds, TD; Isaiah Zimmerman – 2 receptions, 25 yds; Liam Setcavage – 1 reception, 17 yds, TD; Cameron Tirado – 0 receptions, 9 yds; Travis Kemberling – 1 reception, 5 yds
Defensive Leaders: Landyn Kline: 9 Assists, 2 Solo, 11 total tackles, 5 TFL, 1 Sack, 1 INT; Garrett Starry: 8 Assists, 2 Solo, 10 total tackles, 1 TFL, 3 QH; Connor McCracken: 9 Assists, 9 total tackles, 2 TFL, 2 QH; Kasen Dudek: 7 Assists, 1 Solo, 8 total tackles, 1 TFL; Mason Copenhaver: 5 Assists, 2 Solo, 7 total tackles, 1 QH; Jackson Chernich: 5 Assists, 1 Solo, 6 total tackles, 2 TFL; Eli Beard: 2 Assists, 2 Solo, 4 total tackles, 1 INT; Skyler Sherman: 4 Assists, 4 total tackles; Damyen Derr: 4 Assists, 4 total tackles; Jayden Storm: 3 Assists, 3 total tackles, 1 TFL; Connor Shanaman: 3 Assists, 3 total tackles; Damarius Galarza: 2 Assists, 2 total tackles; Jamil Gordon: 2 Assists, 2 total tackles; Antonio Tirado: 1 Assists, 1 Solo, 2 total tackles, 1 INT; Jackson Smith: 1 Assists, 1 Solo, 2 total tackles; Yadi Rosario: 1 Assists, 1 total tackles; Diego Yanez: 1 Assists, 1 total tackles; Travis Kemberling: 1 Assists, 1 total tackles; Christian Simpson: 1 Assists, 1 total tackles; Caden Wolfe: 1 Assists, 1 total tackles; Jimmy Trump: 1 Assists, 1 total tackles, 1 TFL; Nolan Brubaker: 1 Assists, 1 total tackles, 1 TD; Josh Grove: 1 Assists, 1 total tackles; J. Simspon Anderson: 1 Assists, 1 total tackles, 1 FF; Jayden Marley: 1 Solo, 1 total tackles; Luke Oriel: 1 Solo, 1 total tackles; Cameron Tirado: 1 Solo, 1 total tackles; Gabe Kaign: 1 Solo, 1 total tackles
Twin Valley 60, ELCO 0
After struggling in Week 1 against West York, the Raiders have shown significant development over the past two weeks in games against Conrad Weiser and Lancaster Catholic, culminating in a big win fueled by their dominant defense against the Crusaders.
Opening Section 4 play at home on Friday night, ELCO hosted the formidable Twin Valley Raiders—a team that not only entered the game with a perfect 3-0 record, but had also outscored their opponents 175-39. The Raiders from Elverson were looking to make an early statement in league play.
Twin Valley did just that. They returned the opening kickoff for a score and immediately followed it with an onside kick recovery. Within moments, the scoreboard read 14-0, a lead that would hold through the remainder of the first quarter.
The Raiders didn’t slow down in the 2nd quarter, piling on points to build a 53-0 advantage. They would score just once more for the rest of the game, having already made their statement.
ELCO (1-3) will look to regroup, but their challenge won’t get any easier next week as they travel take on Wyomissing in a matchup that will take place Saturday afternoon.
ELCO Stats
Defensive Leaders: Cameron Tillison – 5 solo tackles, 3 assists; Conner Showalter – 5 solo tackles, 2 assists, 1 TFL; Griffin Kreider – 4 solo tackles, 3 assists; Darryl Legrande – 4 solo tackles, 1 TFL; Addan Hartranft – 3 solo tackles, 3 assists; Paul Williams – 3 solo tackles, 2 assists; Riley McDonald – 2 solo tackles, 3 assists, 1 TFL; Gavin Gass – 2 solo tackles, 4 assists; Jonathan Zimmerman – 2 solo tackles, 2 assists; Alejandro Weister – 1 solo tackle, 3 assists; Jackson Wetherill – 2 solo tackles, 2 assists; Dale Kohr – 2 solo tackles; Blake LeGrande – 1 solo tackle, 1 assist; Connor Savitsky – 1 solo tackle, 1 assist; Nathaniel Zimmerman – 1 solo tackle, 1 TFL; Michael Seifert – 2 assists; Dalton Pyszka – 1 solo tackle; Avery Shenk – 1 solo tackle; James Kuhne – 1 assist; Ellis Gensamer – 1 assist; Ethan Bretzius – 1 assist; Ezra Kohl – 1 assist
Muhlenberg 55, Lebanon 21
The Lebanon Cedars have continued to show grit this season, but a small roster has sometimes made it tough to finish strong in the late stages of games. On Friday night, the Cedars traveled to Muhlenberg looking to put forth another solid effort against one of the area’s top teams.
The 3-0 Muhlenberg squad came into the game riding impressive momentum, having blown out Reading 48-0 and Daniel Boone 51-0 in their first two matchups. Lebanon’s primary goal was to slow down the Muhl offense, much like they had done against Conrad Weiser the previous week, when they limited the Warriors to 28 points.
While full scoring details are still coming in, here’s what we know: the Cedars found the end zone in the 1st quarter when Anthony Klish found Malachi Briddell on a long touchdown pass. Lebanon trailed 21-7 by the end of the opening frame and 40-7 at halftime. Lebanon refused to give in, though, adding two Cam Buchmoyer rushing touchdowns in the second half.
No matter the final score, the Cedars can take pride in putting up three scores against a team that had outscored its previous two opponents 99-0. Lebanon continues to fight hard each week, and this performance showed plenty of promise for the rest of the season.
Week Three Coverage
Defense, Rushing Touchdowns Fuel ELCO’s Victory Over Catholic
Trojans Defeat Cougars in Cross-Town Rivalry Game
Week 3 Results
2025 LebCo Football Team-by-Team Season Outlooks
ProSeal
Penn Realty
