ELCO

Football: ELCO Grinds Out Senior Night Win Over Donegal

by
LebCoSports Staff
October 19, 2025

Written by Gavin Sweeney, a local high school student and aspiring sports journalist.

Photos by Heather Daub

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The ELCO Raiders hosted the Donegal Indians for a Friday Night Lights showdown with hopes of qualifying for the District 3 Playoffs — and they delivered when it mattered most.

The Indians started things off by driving down the field but threw an interception to Reilly Mehaffey, setting an early tone for the ELCO defense. Both teams traded turnovers on downs through the first quarter, resulting in a scoreless 12 minutes of play.

As the second quarter kicked off, Brinley Donmoyer broke the stalemate with a 78-yard touchdown run, electrifying the home crowd and giving the Raiders a 7-0 lead. Donegal quickly answered with a quarterback keeper from Chase Marshall, cutting the deficit to 7-6. ELCO’s offense then shifted gears as Ellis Gensamer hauled in a 15-yard touchdown pass from Donmoyer to push the lead to 13-6 heading into halftime.

In the third quarter, the Raiders continued to control the pace. Chandler Gass powered his way into the end zone on a 2-yard touchdown run to make it 20-6. The Indians kept things interesting when Marshall connected with Jacir Johnson for a 15-yard score to trim the lead to 20-12. Near the end of the quarter, ELCO punted for the first time — the game’s first punt by either team — showing how efficient both offenses had been moving the ball.

The fourth quarter sealed the Raiders’ win, as Dalton Pyszka capped off a balanced offensive effort with a 15-yard touchdown reception from Donmoyer. Donegal added one final score, but ELCO held strong for the 27-20 victory.

Offensively, Donmoyer led the way, going 3-for-6 for 61 yards and two touchdowns through the air while adding 189 yards rushing and a touchdown on the ground. Gensamer, Pyszka, and Gavin Yeiser all contributed big plays, with Yeiser rushing for 64 yards and Gensamer tallying 49 on the ground along with his touchdown reception. In total, ELCO racked up 319 rushing yards.

Defensively, Jonathan Zimmerman led a gritty Raider unit with 18 total tackles, while Kayden Wagner and Griffin Kreider each tallied 9 tackles. Mehaffey’s interception and timely stops from Riley McDonald and Paul Williams helped secure the win.

After the game, Coach Miller praised his team’s effort and resilience, saying,

“We are really proud of our kids and their effort and execution. These kids dig down and just continue to play physical football. It’s a terrific way for these seniors to go out on senior night, and we’re also excited about having so many underclassmen stepping up to the victory at home.”

The Raiders improved to 4-5 and will look to finish the season at .500 next week against rival Northern Lebanon. A win could earn them a District 3 Playoff berth — in nearly the same fashion as last year.