This post will serve as a rolling update of Week 6 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 ELCO/Daniel Boone recap was written by Gavin Sweeney, a local high school student and aspiring sports journalist.
The Annville-Cleona/Kutztown recap was written using information provided by Annville-Cleona student Jackson Hanley.
The Northern Lebanon/Twin Valley 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
Saturday
Conestoga Valley 49, Lebanon 15
On Saturday morning, the Lebanon Cedars hosted Conestoga Valley at Annville-Cleona, a shift made necessary due to the ongoing renovations at Alumni Stadium. While the venue was different, the meaning of the day wasn’t lost—the official homecoming game was followed by a homecoming carnival that brought the community together at Lebanon High School in a spirited celebration of Cedar pride.
That pride has been on full display all season. Despite an 0-5 record entering Week 6, Lebanon has consistently battled against larger and more experienced opponents. On Saturday, they faced perhaps their toughest challenge yet: the undefeated Buckskins, who entered with a 5-0 record and an overwhelming 176-20 scoring margin through five weeks. Conestoga had yet to give up more than a single score in any of those games, which included two shutouts.
Conestoga Valley wasted no time proving why they’ve been so dominant. On their opening possession, Teagan Ruble powered in for a rushing touchdown. After Lebanon’s first drive stalled, a punt miscue set the Buckskins up in the red zone, where quarterback Sawyer Esbenshade connected with Ruble for a 12-yard score to quickly make it 14-0.
The Buckskins struck again just seconds into the second quarter on a Josiah Garcia touchdown run. Moments later, another interception by the Buckskins set up Ruble’s second rushing touchdown of the day, extending the lead to 28-0 with nine minutes still left before halftime.
A Cedar fumble then led to Esbenshade finding Cordell Bair for a 25-yard touchdown strike. On the next possession, Esbenshade connected with Gabe Justiniano for a 42-yard score. With starters still in, Conestoga Valley capped the half with a Camryn Bair touchdown run in the final minute, taking a 49-0 lead into the break.
Just as in past weeks, if there’s one thing to know about these Cedars it’s that they don’t quit. In the third quarter, Lebanon’s defense forced a fumble, a sign that they were going to fight until the very end.
Late in the game, they proved it. Refusing to be another shutout victim of the Buckskins, Camron Buchmoyer broke free for a rushing touchdown prior to the two-minute warning, followed by a successful two-point conversion. The Cedars weren’t done there—after forcing a punt, Briddell hauled in a 40-yard touchdown pass to give Lebanon two scores in the closing minutes.
While the game ended 49-15, Lebanon once again showed a level of fight that outsiders often overlook. Even against one of the most dominant teams in District 3, the Cedars played with pride and heart until the final whistle.
They’ll now take those lessons and momentum into Week 7’s matchup against Elizabethtown.
Friday
Annville-Cleona 42, Kutztown 39
After grinding out a road win at Columbia last week, the Annville-Cleona Dutchmen entered Friday night’s matchup against Kutztown with hopes of improving to 5-1 overall and 3-0 in Section 5. What followed was a back-and-forth thriller that wasn’t decided until the final minutes, with the Dutchmen ultimately holding on for a 42-39 victory.
The fireworks started early. Quarterback John Ditzler opened the scoring by connecting with Jon Moran on a 45-yard strike to give Annville a 7-0 lead. Kutztown answered quickly to tie the game, but just minutes later, quarterback Lane Peters pushed in a goal-line sneak to put the Dutchmen back in front. By the end of the first quarter, Annville led 14-7.
The second quarter brought a flurry of points. Kutztown tied the game early, only to see Yamaliel Navarro break free for a 45-yard touchdown run seconds later. Incredibly, Kutztown struck right back, capping a sequence of three touchdowns in just over three minutes. With the score knotted at 21-21 late in the half, Moran powered in another short touchdown run with 1:24 remaining, sending Annville into the break ahead 28-21.
Early in the third quarter, Ditzler extended the lead by hitting Max Ortwein for a 21-yard touchdown, with Cian Soliday adding the extra point to make it 35-21. But Kutztown refused to go away, returning the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown and later tacking on a field goal to cut the lead to 35-31 heading into the fourth quarter.
With just over five minutes left, Kutztown surged ahead for the first time, scoring a touchdown and converting a two-point attempt to make it 39-35. The Dutchmen, however, were far from finished. Less than a minute later, Devon Englehart broke loose for a 45-yard touchdown run, reclaiming the lead at 42-39.
From there, the Annville defense delivered when it mattered most, coming up with a critical late stop to secure the win.
With the victory, Annville-Cleona improves to 5-1 overall and remains unbeaten in Section 5 at 3-0. The Dutchmen will look to keep their momentum going when they host Lancaster Catholic next Friday night.
Coach Gingrich’s Postgame Thoughts
“As usual, the game with Kutztown came down to the last drive. I think this is five years now that the game’s been decided by a point or a touchdown. We got stops when we needed to at the end of the game. We were hot on offense, but we fumbled three times without anyone causing a fumble. We fumbled. We just dropped balls. So we probably should have won by three or four touchdowns. But once again, this game always is nuts and never ends any other way than by a point here or there.
Yama Navarro had 125 yards rushing. Devo (Englehart) had around the same—150. John Ditzler played most of the game and did really well. Lane Peters came in and had some big plays for us. Max Ortwein scored his first touchdown at tight end.
Overall, we did well. We could have been better. Always close, and it’s great to be 5-1. We haven’t been 5-1 in a long time, but we have a lot of really tough opponents coming up. The meat of our schedule is coming up, but to be 5-1 with a young team and to win more games than we did last year after six games is pretty awesome.”
Annville-Cleona Stats
Passing: John Ditzler – 2/4, 68 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Devon Englehart – 15 carries, 150 yds, 2 TD; Yamaliel Navarro – 11 carries, 124 yds, 1 TD; Jonathan Moran – 7 carries, 63 yds, 1 TD; Lane Peters – 2 carries, 7 yds, 1 TD; John Ditzler – 4 carries, 7 yds
Receiving: Jonathan Moran – 1 reception, 47 yds, 1 TD; Max Ortwein – 1 reception, 21 yds, 1 TD
Defensive Leaders: Devon Englehart – 13 tackles (8 solo, 5 assists), 1 FF; Daniel Shuey – 11 tackles (6 solo, 5 assists), 1.0 TFL, 1.0 sack; Jaxon Speece – 11 tackles (5 solo, 6 assists), 1.0 TFL; Hudson Sellers – 10 tackles (5 solo, 5 assists), 1.0 TFL, 1.0 sack; Logan Radocha – 10 tackles (5 solo, 5 assists), 1 FR, 1 FF; Jonathan Moran – 10 tackles (5 solo, 5 assists); Luke Wentling – 8 tackles (4 solo, 4 assists), 1 QB hurry; Jordan Nickens – 8 tackles (4 solo, 4 assists); Maddox White – 6 tackles (2 solo, 4 assists); Max Ortwein – 6 tackles (2 solo, 4 assists), 1 QB hurry; Dan Bright-Walck – 6 tackles (2 solo, 4 assists); Kaidavin Ginting – 5 tackles (3 solo, 2 assists), 1.0 TFL, 1 PD; Armani Santos – 4 tackles (2 solo, 2 assists); Levi Kreider – 3 tackles (2 solo, 1 assist); Jaylynn Moyer – 3 tackles (3 solo), 1 FF; Dominick Smith – 3 tackles (3 assists)
Scoring: Devon Englehart – 2 rushing TD; Jonathan Moran – 1 rushing TD, 1 receiving TD; Yamaliel Navarro – 1 rushing TD; Lane Peters – 1 rushing TD; Max Ortwein – 1 receiving TD; Cian Soliday – 7 kick pts
Turnovers: Logan Radocha – 1 fumble recovery, 1 forced fumble; Jaylynn Moyer – 1 forced fumble; Devon Englehart – 1 forced fumble; Kaidavin Ginting – 1 pass deflection
Special Teams:
Kicking: Cian Soliday – 7/7 PAT (7 pts)
Kick Returns: Jonathan Moran – 5 KR, 150 yds (30.0 avg); Cory Weiss – 1 KR, 15 yds (15.0 avg)
ELCO 44, Daniel Boone 28
The ELCO Raiders hosted the Daniel Boone Blazers on Friday night for their Homecoming game under the lights.
In the first quarter, the Blazers, looking to snap their 0-5 start to the season, struck first with a touchdown from Haydn Moyer, taking a 6-0 lead. ELCO’s offense was quiet early, but they came alive in the second quarter when sophomore running back Gavin Yeiser powered in from five yards out to tie the game at 6-6.
The Raiders quickly built on that momentum. After the defense forced a three-and-out, Yeiser broke free for a 69-yard touchdown run, putting ELCO ahead 14-6 after a successful two-point conversion. The defense kept the pressure on, forcing two turnovers on downs before halftime. With just one second left in the half, the Raiders tried a Hail Mary, but Moyer came up big again for the Blazers with an interception, keeping the score 14-6 at the break.
ELCO opened the second half with the ball and wasted no time. Yeiser capped off his dominant night with his third touchdown of the game, extending the Raiders’ lead to 21-6. The Blazers answered with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Malachi Rowe, cutting the deficit to 21-12.
The fourth quarter turned into a Raider showcase. The defense set the tone by forcing a safety, pushing the lead to 23-12. Soon after, Homecoming King Paul Williams electrified the crowd with a 53-yard pick-six, making it 30-12. On the very next series, defensive back Jonathan Zimmerman snagged another interception, setting up Chandler Gass, who scored on a 22-yard run to stretch the lead to 37-12.
ELCO wasn’t finished. Quarterback Brinley Donmoyer added another score on a rushing touchdown, pushing the lead to 44-12. Daniel Boone managed two late touchdowns in the final minutes, but it wasn’t enough to spoil the celebration as the Raiders secured a 44-28 Homecoming victory.
The Raiders improve to 2-4 and will look to carry this momentum into next Friday’s matchup against Octorara Area High School on October 3.
ELCO Stats
Defensive Leaders: Paul Williams – 6 tackles (6 solo), 1.0 TFL, 1 PD, 1 INT, 1 TD; Jonathan Zimmerman – 6 tackles (6 solo, 5 assists), 1 INT; Alejandro Weister – 8 tackles; Cameron Tillison – 3 tackles (3 solo, 5 assists), 2.0 TFL, 1 sack, 1 safety; Riley McDonald – 5 tackles (5 solo, 2 assists); Cody Landis – 3 tackles (3 solo, 4 assists); Blake LeGrande – 6 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 1 PD; Darryl Legrande – 5 tackles; Ethan Bretzius – 4 tackles (4 solo, 1 assist); Griffin Kreider – 2 tackles (2 solo, 2 assists); Dale Kohr – 2 tackles (2 solo, 2 assists); James Kuhne – 2 tackles (2 solo, 1 assist); Dalton Pyszka – 1 tackle (1 solo, 1 assist); Nathaniel Zimmerman – 1 tackle (1 solo, 1 assist); Michael Seifert – 1 tackle (1 solo, 1 assist); Collin Carpenter – 1 tackle, 1.0 TFL; Brayden Goodison – 1 tackle; Gavin Gass – 1 assist; Connor Savitsky – 1 assist; Wyatt Dietrich – 1 assist; Rogan Bogart – 1 assist
Turnovers: Paul Williams – 1 INT; Jonathan Zimmerman – 1 INT; Gavin Gass – 1 fumble recovery
Ready for your next getaway?
Cedar Crest 42, Reading 6
Coming off a tough Week 5 loss to Wilson, the Cedar Crest Falcons hit the road Friday night to face Reading, eager to put the lessons of their first five games to work. Entering at 2-3, the Falcons were matched up against a Red Knights squad still searching for its first win of the season.
It didn’t take long for Cedar Crest to seize control. Less than a minute into the game, sophomore quarterback Steven Reyes, making just his third career start, broke loose for a dazzling 67-yard touchdown run to put the Falcons on the board. Moments later, he showed his arm strength, connecting with Kai Speaks on a 34-yard scoring strike to extend the lead to 14-0.
The big plays kept coming. With four minutes left in the opening quarter, Isaiah Zimmerman burst through for a 57-yard touchdown run, pushing the lead to 21-0. Cedar Crest then capitalized on a Reading miscue, with Damyen Derr recovering a fumble in the end zone to close out the first-quarter scoring at 28-0.
Early in the second quarter, Zimmerman struck again, notching his second rushing touchdown of the night. Before halftime, Reyes added to his impressive evening with a 46-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Tirado, sending the Falcons into the break ahead 42-0.
In the second half, Cedar Crest eased off the gas, but the defense remained sharp. The shutout held until the final play of the game, when Reading found the end zone for their lone score.
On the night, Reyes accounted for three touchdowns—two through the air and one on the ground—while Zimmerman delivered a pair of long scoring runs to pace the Falcons’ offense.
With the dominant win, Cedar Crest improves to 3-3 on the season. The Falcons now turn their attention to a major challenge as they travel to face powerhouse Manheim Township next Friday.
Cedar Crest Stats
Passing: Steven Reyes – 8/9, 162 yds, 2 TD; Cameron Hansell – 1/3, 2 yds, 1 INT; Ben Danz – 1/3, 2 yds
Rushing: Isaiah Zimmerman – 12 carries, 143 yds, 2 TD; Steven Reyes – 5 carries, 38 yds, 1 TD; Eli Beard – 4 carries, 29 yds; Eddiel Nunez – 3 carries, 12 yds; Tyler Carroll – 1 carry, 3 yds
Receiving: Antonio Tirado – 1 reception, 46 yds, 1 TD; Kai Speaks – 2 receptions, 45 yds, 1 TD; Isaiah Zimmerman – 2 receptions, 31 yds; Liam Setcavage – 2 receptions, 29 yds; Cameron Tirado – 1 reception, 11 yds; James Smith – 1 reception, 2 yds
Defensive Leaders: Garrett Starry – 7 tackles (2 solo, 5 assists), 3.0 TFL; Landyn Kline – 6 tackles (1 solo, 5 assists); Jackson Chernich – 9 tackles (2 solo, 7 assists), 4.0 TFL, 1 QB hurry; Damyen Derr – 3 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 1 QB hurry, 1 FR, 1 TD; Mason Copenhaver – 6 tackles, 2.0 TFL; Kasen Dudek – 3 tackles, 1.0 TFL; Connor McCracken – 1 tackle, 1.0 TFL, 1 QB hurry; Skyler Sherman – 2 tackles (1 solo, 1 assist); Jackson Smith – 2 tackles (1 solo, 1 assist), 1 INT; Ray Diaz – 3 tackles (2 solo, 1 assist); Antonio Tirado – 1 tackle; Luke Oriel – 1 tackle; CJ Hallman – 1 tackle; Christian Simpson – 3 tackles (1 solo, 2 assists); Jayden Storm – 2 tackles, 1.0 TFL; Carter Ober – 1 tackle; Damarius Galarza – 3 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 1 QB hurry; Nolan Brubaker – 1 tackle; Mason Cevette – 1 tackle; Matt Szajda – 2 tackles (1 solo, 1 assist), 1.0 TFL; Jon Sherk – 2 tackles; Nick Seyler – 1 tackle; Caden Cruz – 2 tackles (1 solo, 1 assist), 1.0 TFL; Gabe Kaighn – 1 tackle; Wyatt Laughlin – 2 tackles; Jordan Reedy – 1 tackle; Uriah Gibble – 1 tackle; Caleb Stehman – 1 tackle; Jesiah Kunhardt – 1 QB hurry
Turnovers: Jackson Smith – 1 INT; Damyen Derr – 1 FR
Scoring: Isaiah Zimmerman – 2 rushing TD; Steven Reyes – 1 rushing TD, 2 passing TD; Antonio Tirado – 1 receiving TD; Kai Speaks – 1 receiving TD; Damyen Derr – 1 defensive TD
Twin Valley 67, Northern Lebanon 0
On Friday night, the Northern Lebanon Vikings faced a tall task on the road against undefeated Twin Valley. Coming off a hard-fought 44-22 loss to Donegal in Week 5, the 1-4 Vikings entered the matchup as heavy underdogs against a Raiders team riding high at 5-0.
The game turned quickly in Twin Valley’s favor. After Northern Lebanon’s opening drive ended in a blocked punt, the Raiders capitalized with a 1-yard touchdown run to go up 7-0. Another Viking punt soon set up a 2-yard score, and just like that, the Raiders were rolling. By the end of the first quarter, Twin Valley had added an 8-yard touchdown run and a 29-yard touchdown pass to take a commanding 28-0 lead.
The second quarter brought little relief. Northern Lebanon gained some momentum when sophomore Landon Copenhaver recovered a fumble, but the Vikings were unable to convert it into points. Twin Valley responded with a 12-yard touchdown run, and after a promising 49-yard pass from Bryan Mitzel to Bryce Yocum fell short on a failed fourth-down attempt, the Raiders struck back with a 72-yard touchdown pass. Two more explosive plays—a 45-yard run and a 50-yard punt return—pushed the lead to 56-0 at halftime.
The second half saw more of the same. Twin Valley tacked on a field goal early in the third quarter, followed by a safety off a mishandled snap by quarterback Blake Burdick, stretching the margin to 61-0. The Raiders capped the night with another touchdown in the fourth quarter, sealing a 67-0 victory.
Despite the lopsided score, Northern Lebanon had bright spots to build on, including Copenhaver’s defensive play and Yocum’s long reception. With the most difficult stretch of their schedule behind them, the Vikings will look to regroup and find momentum as they enter the heart of their season.
Up next for Northern Lebanon (1-5) is another tough matchup at home against Lampeter-Strasburg.
Mifflin County 8, Palmyra 6
After a tough Week 3 loss to rival Hershey, the Palmyra Cougars had shown real progress with a near upset of Shippensburg and a breakthrough win over Waynesboro that ended a 27-game Keystone Division losing streak. Riding that momentum, Palmyra hit the road Friday night to face the Mifflin County Huskies with hopes of evening their record at 3-3.
The game quickly developed into a defensive struggle. Both teams battled through a scoreless first half, with the scoreboard still reading 0-0 at halftime.
In the third quarter, Mifflin County caught a break when a roughing-the-passer penalty extended a drive. The Huskies capitalized with the first touchdown of the night and followed it with a successful two-point conversion to take an 8-0 lead.
Palmyra answered immediately, breaking loose for an 81-yard touchdown run that electrified their sideline. The Cougars’ conversion attempt came up short, leaving them down 8-6.
From there, the game grew increasingly physical and penalty-heavy. Both teams exchanged stops, but neither found the end zone again. The defenses held firm, and the Cougars’ comeback effort stalled as the Huskies held on for the 8-6 victory.
With the loss, Palmyra drops to 2-4 on the season. The Cougars will look to bounce back next Friday when they return home to face Lower Dauphin.
Palmyra Stats
Week 5 Results
2025 LebCo Football Team-by-Team Season Outlooks
ProSeal
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