This post will serve as a rolling update of Week 1 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/Pine Grove recap was written by Gavin Sweeney, a local high school student and aspiring sports journalist.
The Annville-Cleona/Biglerville recap was written using information provided by Annville-Cleona student Jackson Hanley.
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.
Palmyra 30, Lebanon 0
The 2025 high school football season kicked off with two LebCo programs meeting on a neutral field, though Lebanon was technically listed as the home team against Palmyra. Both teams enter this fall without true home stadiums as renovations continue at their respective schools.
Palmyra came into the contest seeking its fourth consecutive opening-night victory over Lebanon before diving into nine straight weeks of Mid Penn Keystone play. For the Cedars, the matchup marked the beginning of a new chapter under interim head coach Brett Sylve, who is aiming to lay a foundation of improvement despite the challenges surrounding the program.
Lebanon showed early fight, forcing the Cougars into a quick three-and-out before driving across midfield on its first possession. The Cedars were stopped on downs at Palmyra’s 30-yard line, but the opening exchange set the tone for a competitive first half.
Cougars quarterback Roman Russek connected with Braxton Risser on a 41-yard strike to energize his team’s next drive, but Lebanon’s defense held strong and Palmyra came up empty on a missed field goal. The first quarter ended scoreless.
The defensive battle continued into the second quarter. After a fumble recovery gave Palmyra good field position, Lebanon’s Derek Franco immediately stole momentum back with an interception. Later, a facemask penalty extended a Cedars’ drive, only for freshman Mason Kyper to intercept a pass and flip possession again.
With less than a minute before halftime, Lebanon threatened to score when quarterback Elijah Read found Malachi Briddell on a big play down to the 1-yard line. However, a costly procedure penalty erased the opportunity, and the game went to halftime 0-0.
The second half belonged to Palmyra. After an interception gave them the ball early in the third quarter, senior playmaker Travis McDannell took over. He capped a long drive with a 14-yard touchdown run, and a successful two-point conversion put the Cougars ahead 8-0.
Momentum quickly snowballed against Lebanon. A misfired punt snap was recovered by Palmyra’s Anthony Pinko in the end zone to make it 15-0. Early in the fourth, Russek found Talon Speck on a 26-yard touchdown pass to stretch the lead to 22-0.
Lebanon continued to battle, but another interception by Kyper—his second of the game—ended a promising drive. On the return, Kyper was injured after fumbling the ball back to Lebanon.
The Cedars’ special teams issues resurfaced when another errant snap resulted in a Palmyra safety. Shortly after, Alex Csongradi broke free for a 52-yard touchdown run, closing the scoring in a 30-0 victory.
With the win, Palmyra (1-0) will prepare for a Saturday matchup against Mechanicsburg in Week 2. The Cougars will look to translate the momentum from this victory into Mid Penn Keystone action.
Lebanon (0-1) will look to regroup for a Friday night clash with Garden Spot. Coach Sylve and his staff will look to build on the positives.
Palmyra Stats
Passing: Roman Russek – 4/9, 84 yds, TD, INT (long 41)
Rushing: Travis McDannell – 20 carries, 132 yds, TD (long 17); J. Robinson – 1 carry, 15 yds (long 15); Braxtin Risser – 1 carry, 6 yds (long 6); Roman Russek – 4 carries, 0 yds (long 13); Aaron Villafane – 2 carries, 0 yds (long 1)
Receiving: Braxtin Risser – 1 reception, 41 yds; Talon Speck – 2 receptions, 32 yds, TD; Brayden Hoover – 1 reception, 11 yds
Defensive Leaders: Nate Holt – 5 tackles, 3 assists, 1 sack, 4 TFL; Jake Schelhorn – 4 tackles, 2 assists, 1 TFL; Aaron Villafane – 3 tackles, 1 assist; Talon Speck – 2 tackles, 1 assist; Braeden Basehore – 2 tackles, 2 assists, 1 sack, 1 TFL; Cadin Smith – 2 tackles, 2 assists; Tyler Comarnitsky – 2 tackles, 1 assist, 1 TFL; Garrison John – 2 tackles, 1 assist, 1 TFL; Travis McDannell – 1 tackle, 1 sack, 1 TFL; Greg Stoak – 1 tackle, 1 assist, 1 sack, 1 TFL; Justus Maina – 1 tackle, 2 assists, 1 TFL; Anthony Pinko – 1 tackle, 1 assist, 1 TFL; Chris Kleinfelter – 1 tackle, 2 TFL; Kyler Sparks – 1 tackle, 1 sack, 1 TFL; Adam McKelvey – 1 tackle; Noah Krupko – 1 tackle, 1 sack, 1 TFL; Jackson Smith – 2 assists, 1 sack, 1 TFL; Jackson Kipp – 1 assist; Riley Litzenberger – 1 assist; Camden Cope – 1 tackle; Sid Harrison – 1 INT; Mason Kyper – 2 INT (32 yds), 2 FF, 2 FR
Northern Lebanon 35, Pine Grove 8
The Northern Lebanon Vikings traveled north to take on the Pine Grove Cardinals on their home turf in a physical Week 1 matchup.
Coming into the opener, the Vikings made it clear all offseason that they were eager and excited for this game.
After winning the coin toss, the Vikings chose to defer. Pine Grove opened their drive facing a 4th down situation. Cardinals head coach David Shiffer made the bold call to go for it, but the attempt failed, giving the Vikings possession at midfield. Northern Lebanon wasted no time—just three plays later, Brady Ryan found the end zone to put the Vikings up 7-0. A 55-yard drive capped with a touchdown in three plays? That’s how you set the tone.
Early in the second quarter, quarterback Bryan Mitzel showed off his legs, scoring on a 10-yard run to extend the lead to 14-0. That momentum carried into the next possession, as Ryan broke free for a 32-yard touchdown, pushing the advantage to 21-0.
With one second left before halftime, Pine Grove called a timeout to try one more play. But Mitzel, proving he could do it on both sides of the ball, intercepted the pass and returned it for a pick-six, sending the Vikings into the break up 28-0.
Defense ruled the third quarter, as neither team managed to score.
In the fourth, Northern Lebanon sealed the deal. Ryan tallied his third touchdown of the night to make it 35-0, as Coach Rice leaned on him to both move the chains and drain the clock.
Pine Grove finally broke through on the final play of the game, scoring a touchdown with just a fraction of a second left and adding a two-point conversion to make the final 35-8.
The Vikings opened their season in style, taking Week 1 under the Friday Night Lights, 35-8.
Northern Lebanon (1-0) will be back in action at home next Friday when they take on Oxford High School. They will not rest on this victory as they work to start the season 2-0.
Northern Lebanon Stats
Passing: Bryan Mitzel – 5/7, 66 yds
Rushing: Brady Ryan – 16 carries, 156 yds, 3 TD (long 40); Bryan Mitzel – 11 carries, 69 yds, TD (long 34); Jaxin Bush – 2 carries, 12 yds (long 7); Landon Copenhaver – 2 carries, 11 yds (long 7)
Receiving: Ryan Clemmer – 4 receptions, 42 yds (long 14); Brady Ryan – 1 reception, 24 yds (long 24)
Special Teams: Johnny Hilton – FG: 1/1 (long 35), PAT: 2/2, 3 punts, 130 yds (long 25), 1 punt return, 0 yds; Landon Copenhaver – 2 kickoff returns, 32 yds, 1 touchback
Defensive: Bryan Mitzel – INT, 57-yd TD return; Bryce Yocum – 4 tackles, 4 assists, 4 TFL; Brady Ryan – 5 tackles, 1 assist; Jaxin Bush – 4 tackles, 1 assist; Landon Copenhaver – 4 tackles, 2 assists; Landon Graby – 4 tackles, 2 assists, 2 TFL; Kael Erdman – 2 tackles, 3 assists; Matthew Chernich – 2 tackles, 2 assists; Kaleb Barr – 2 tackles, 1 assist; William Spayd – 2 tackles; Ryan Clemmer – 2 tackles, 2 assists; Andrew Stohler – 2 assists; Johnny Hilton – 1 tackle, 1 PD; Christian Anspach – 1 tackle, 1 PD; Vinny Moyer – 1 tackle; Blake Burdick – 1 tackle; Owen Dohner – 1 tackle; Justin Bennethum – 1 tackle; Simeon England – 1 assist
Coach Rice’s Post-Game Thoughts
“The boys pulled out a solid 35-8 win. Pine Grove’s eight points came in the last four seconds of the game.
The fact is, they came out with such a team mentality and with guns ablaze. We came out hot on our first drive, where it took just three plays to go down and score. That set the tone for the rest of the game.
Brady Ryan had about 20 touches on offense and scored three touchdowns. The guy’s just a menace, so we’ll look to keep feeding that horse.
Brian Mitzel at quarterback has the ability to extend plays, which is such an asset for us. He’s a great athlete, he understands the offense as a whole, and he also added a pick-six to end the first half—right after Pine Grove called a timeout to try and take a shot down the field. He grabbed it and took it back to put us up 28-0.
I’m really proud of our core guys upfront, anchored by a senior captain and Andrew Stohler – especially on the offense side.
Defensively, we had 20 different guys record a tackle or some sort of defenses statistic last night. That just says a lot about what we’re trying to do with you know getting a rotation of guys and not only that but but having 20 guys who can get in there and then make plays, but just being able able to stay fresh on that side of the ball helps tremendously. The guys were flying around in all in all positions on defense and just knocking some heads down so proud of that.
I want to give a quick recognition to Johnny Hilton, who is a sophomore and a first year guy with us. He went 5-5 on extra points and kicked off then five times that even had himself a touchback. He’s not a kicker. He’s just an athlete that can kick.
A huge shoutout to Josh Thompson, our new offensive coordinator this year. He put together a great play-calling system that really put us in a position to score points. Another big shoutout to my dad, Mark Rice, for another fantastic defensive game tonight. I have all the confidence in the world in our defense. We truly should’ve come out with the shutout, but nonetheless, they played their rear ends off.
Overall, I’m really happy with the performance.”
Cedar Crest 25, Lower Dauphin 21
On Friday evening at Hersheypark Stadium, the “Battle of the Falcons” lived up to the billing as Cedar Crest and Lower Dauphin opened their seasons in front of an energized crowd. A year ago, Cedar Crest used a dominant 45-16 victory in this same matchup to spark a memorable run that ended with the program’s first District 3 playoff win since 1997. Lower Dauphin also reached the postseason in 2024, competing in the rugged Mid Penn Keystone. Both teams entered this year’s meeting looking for an early-season statement.
The first big play came late in the opening quarter when Luke Oriel electrified the Crest sideline with an 85-yard punt return for a touchdown. The extra point was blocked, but Cedar Crest held a 6-0 lead at the break of the first.
Lower Dauphin punched back midway through the second quarter, breaking through with a rushing touchdown to go up 7-6. Crest countered just before halftime as quarterback Kai Speaks connected with Garrett Starry on an 8-yard touchdown strike. However, Lower Dauphin answered immediately with another rushing score, giving the home team a 14-13 edge at the intermission.
The momentum stayed with Lower Dauphin early in the second half. An interception on Crest’s opening possession set up a short touchdown run, stretching the lead to 21-13. The hosts missed a field goal later in the third, but Cedar Crest’s offense struggled to move the chains.
That changed early in the fourth quarter. Senior running back Isaiah Zimmerman, who torched Lower Dauphin for 217 yards in last year’s matchup, finally broke loose with a 39-yard touchdown run. The two-point conversion failed, leaving Crest trailing 21-19.
Moments later, the tide turned for good. Conner McCracken pounced on a Lower Dauphin fumble, and Zimmerman capitalized two plays later with a 13-yard touchdown run to put Cedar Crest ahead 25-21.
Lower Dauphin mounted one final drive in the closing minutes, but Cedar Crest’s defense stood tall, denying any late heroics and sealing a gritty road win.
With the victory, Cedar Crest (1-0) opened the season much the same way it did a year ago—on the back of Zimmerman’s playmaking and a resilient defense. The Falcons will look to build momentum when they travel to face Spring Grove next Friday night.
Cedar Crest Stats
Passing: Kai Speaks – 6/13, 70 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT; Steven Reyes – 1/3, 12 yds
Rushing: Isaiah Zimmerman – 19 carries, 122 yds, 2 TD; Kai Speaks – 14 carries, 28 yds; Cam Tirado – 1 carry, 14 yds
Receiving: Cam Tirado – 4 receptions, 42 yds; Garrett Starry – 2 receptions, 23 yds, 1 TD
Special Teams: Luke Oriel – 85-yd punt return TD
Defensive Leaders: Landyn Kline – 2 tackles, 12 assists, 5 TFL; Eli Beard – 2 tackles, 11 assists; Connor McCracken – 10 assists, 3 TFL, 1 FR; Garrett Starry – 1 tackle, 7 assists, 1 TFL, 1 INT; Kasen Dudek – 7 assists; Skyler Sherman – 6 assists; Caden Wolfe – 6 assists; Jackson Chernich – 1 tackle, 4 assists; Peyton Witmer – 3 assists, 1 TFL; Antonio Tirado – 3 assists; Yadi Rosario – 2 assists; Luke Oriel – 2 assists; Mason Copenhaver – 2 assists; Jimmy Trump – 2 assists; Damarius Galarza – 2 assists, 1 TFL; Cameron Tirado – 1 tackle; Jamil Gordon – 1 tackle; Diego Yanez – 1 assist; Christian Simpson – 1 assist; Damyen Derr – 1 assist; Jayden Storm – 1 assists
Annville-Cleona 18, Biglerville 9
Last season, Biglerville spoiled Annville-Cleona’s opener with a late touchdown in a 39-36 heartbreaker. On Friday night, the Dutchmen were determined to change that narrative. Backed by a roster of young athletes eager to prove themselves, Annville-Cleona set out to make a statement under the Week 1 lights.
The first quarter was a defensive battle, with the only points coming from a Biglerville field goal that gave the visitors a 3-0 edge.
Early in the second quarter, the Dutchmen offense found its rhythm. Jon Moran broke free for a 36-yard touchdown run, and with Cian Soliday’s extra point, Annville-Cleona took a 7-3 lead. Moments later, the Dutchmen struck again, this time with quarterback Lane Peters powering in from two yards out. A successful two-point conversion by Peters stretched the advantage to 15-3 heading into halftime.
The defense carried the momentum into the third quarter. Facing a critical 4th-and-short, the Dutchmen stuffed Biglerville’s attempt to extend their drive. On the next possession, sophomore Danny Shay came up big with an interception to halt another Canners push.
With four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Soliday connected on a 26-yard field goal to make it 18-3. Biglerville finally broke through with a touchdown in the closing minutes, threatening déjà vu. But this time, Annville-Cleona was ready. The Dutchmen secured the onside kick, marched into victory formation, and sealed a long-awaited redemption.
The 18-10 victory not only avenged last season’s opener but also gave Annville-Cleona the fresh start they wanted, improving their record to 1-0.
In the game, Annville-Cleona relied on their game attack to which racked up 196 yards.
The Dutchmen (1-0) will return to action next Thursday when they travel to Hanover.
Annville-Cleona Stats
Passing: Lane Peters – 1/5, 1 yd, INT
Rushing: Jonathan Moran – 6 carries, 66 yds, TD; Devon Englehart – 13 carries, 42 yds; Lane Peters – 14 carries, 42 yds, TD; Danny Shay – 4 carries, 25 yds; Yamaliel Navarro – 5 carries, 21 yds
Receiving: Jonathan Moran – 1 reception, 1 yd
All-Purpose Yards: Jonathan Moran – 90 yds; Danny Shay – 48 yds; Lane Peters – 42 yds; Devon Englehart – 42 yds; Yamaliel Navarro – 21 yds; Dominic Nash – 12 yds
Defensive Leaders: Armani Santos – 8 tackles, 1 sack; Kaidavin Ginting – 7 tackles, 1 sack; Jonathan Moran – 6 tackles; Logan Radocha – 6 tackles, 1 fumble recovery; Danny Shay – 5 tackles, INT (23 yds); Maddox White – 2 tackles; Jaylynn Moyer – 2 tackles; James Garney – 1 tackle; Daniel Shuey – 1 tackle; Jordan Nickens – 1 tackle
Kicking: Cian Soliday – 1/1 PAT, 23-yd FG, 4 pts; also 4 kickoffs (2 touchbacks)
Punting: Max Ortwein – 4 punts, 146 yds (36.5 avg)
Kick/Punt Returns: Jonathan Moran – 1 KR, 23 yds; Dominic Nash – 1 KR, 12 yds
Scoring: Lane Peters – 1 rushing TD, 1 two-point conversion (8 pts); Jonathan Moran – 1 rushing TD (6 pts); Cian Soliday – 1 FG, 1 PAT (4 pts)
Coach Gingrich’s Post-Game Thoughts
“This was a good first win for a very young team. Our older kids, particularly Hudson Sellers, played really well on defense. We gave up a lot of yards in the 20s, but didn’t give up any points. We played well down at the goal line. Sellers, Jaxson Speece, and Kada Benson led the defensive effort. Danny Shay had the first interception of his career. A lot of young kids played and did well to help the effort.
On offense, we only had the ball for six series and we only had Jon Moran for three of them. He cramped up and barely played in the second half. In the first half, we scored 15 points on three series with two touchdowns in a row. After the first series, we only ran 47 plays because they held the ball a lot.
Lane Peters played really well. The offensive line played really well. We kind of just salted the game away in the second half. After not scoring on the first series, we scored on the next two, then later kicked a field goal after a long drive—that was it.
The kids played very well. They played physical. You could tell it was their first game. There were definitely some nerves to start, but once they got going, they were fine.
We have a big test this week with Hanover. They are much better and we have to travel down there on a Thursday.”
West York 42, ELCO 7
A year ago, the ELCO Raiders overcame a 1-4 start to fight their way into the District 3 playoffs. One of those early setbacks was a tough 33-6 loss to West York. The Bulldogs continued on with a nine-win season that ended against Wyomissing in the District 3 AAAA semifinals.
On Friday night, the Raiders had a chance to take on the West York while also breaking in a large number of new starters eager to set the tone for the 2025 season.
The game started with West York striking first, jumping out to a 7-0 lead in the opening quarter. By halftime, the Bulldogs had extended their advantage to 28-7.
ELCO’s lone score came in the 2nd quarter when quarterback Brinley Donmoyer broke through for a touchdown run.
However, West York’s defense tightened after the break. The Bulldogs added two more scores in the second half, while keeping ELCO from finding the end zone again. The result was a decisive win for West York and an 0-1 start for the Raiders.
Despite the loss, the game provided valuable experience for ELCO’s new-look lineup. The Raiders (0-1) will look to build on those lessons quickly as they prepare for a Thursday night road matchup against Conrad Weiser.
ELCO Stats
Passing: Brinley Donmoyer – 6/13, 128 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Ellis Gensamer – 9 carries, 36 yds; Gavin Yeiser – 2 carries, 29 yds (22 long); Brinley Donmoyer – 21 carries, 6 yds, TD; Dale Kohr – 1 carry, -7 yds
Receiving: Gavin Yeiser – 4 receptions, 89 yds (63 long); Kaden Tillison – 2 receptions, 39 yds
Defensive Leaders: Conner Showalter – 5 solo tackles, 8 assists, 1 INT, 1 PD; Ethan Bretzius – 4 solo tackles, 9 assists; Avery Shenk – 3 solo tackles, 7 assists; Riley McDonald – 5 solo tackles, 3 assists; Kaden Tillison – 4 solo tackles, 6 assists; Cody Landis – 2 solo tackles, 9 assists, 2 TFL; Paul Williams – 3 solo tackles, 4 assists, 3 TFL; Gavin Gass – 3 solo tackles, 6 assists; Dalton Pyszka – 4 solo tackles, 4 assists; Jonathan Zimmerman – 2 solo tackles, 4 assists; Gavin Yeiser – 1 solo tackle, 6 assists; Brinley Donmoyer – 1 solo tackle, 4 assists; Cameron Tillison – 2 solo tackles, 2 assists; James Kuhne – 2 solo tackles, 1 assist; Cooper Eberly – 1 solo tackle, 2 assists; Hunter Mehaffey – 1 solo tackle, 1 assist; Nathaniel Zimmerman – 1 INT; Ellis Gensamer – 1 assist
2025 LebCo Football Team-by-Team Season Outlooks
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