Boys Basketball: With Cougars Hitting Stride, Palmyra Rides Five-Game Streak Into Hershey Showdown

Written by Tommy Steelman

Steelman is a senior at Palmyra & a member of the Cougars Basketball team.

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After the front half of the 2025-2026 basketball regular season, the Cougars find themselves sitting two games above .500, with a record of 7-5 and winners of their last five contests.

They started the season off rough, staring down a 2-5 record and dropping multiple games that they could have easily come out with wins. After losing to a short-handed Mechanicsburg team, Palmyra knew that something had to change.

The Cougars turned things around quickly, returning to their true identity. They regained their focus on the defensive end, disrupting and frustrating opposing offenses, and have sharpened their multiple-action offense. Seniors Micah Warnerand Luke Grumbein have led the way offensively. The two veterans are averaging close to 10 points per game, both hitting their career highs in recent games.

The team ended the 2025 calendar year hot, winning the Cedar Crest Holiday Tournament and stacking up a three-game win streak. Their first game of the new year came during the Rhoades Classic at Lebanon Valley College, where the Cougs extended their streak to four straight Ws.

Palmyra already has big wins against Exeter Township and Cedar Crest, but there’s still work to do in order to secure a playoff spot. With league play in full swing, Coach Tim Bean has preached to the team that every night is a playoff game for them—knowing they’ll have to be ready for a dogfight late in the game.

The Cougars then began the new year with a thrilling win over Red Land on Monday night, a game won when Luke Johnson converted a game-winning layup with just four seconds remaining.

Thursday, January 8th pits a huge matchup, as Palmyra hosts cross-town rival and top-seeded Hershey, looking to pick up where they left off last year and get back-to-back wins vs. the Trojans.

Thursday night’s game can be watched via our live broadcast, brought to you in collaboration with YG Productions.