Written by Tommy Steelman
Steelman is a senior at Palmyra & a member of the Cougars Football team. In this article, he lends his insight to provide a recap of the Week 4 battle.
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.
On Friday, September 12, Palmyra took on Shippensburg at Lebanon Valley College. Heading into Week 4, Palmyra knew they had a huge task at hand, as they were listed as 29.5-point underdogs*. After a brutal loss in Week 3, the Cougars used it as a wake-up call and came out swinging, silencing the doubters.
Palmyra opened on offense. After a big loss on first down and a short run on second, the Cougars faced 3rd-and-long on their opening series and couldn’t convert, punting the ball away. The Cougars knew Shippensburg’s game plan: use their power to run the ball down their throats. But Palmyra’s defense came ready, completely shutting down the Greyhounds’ offense for most of the game. Trouble struck midway through the first quarter when a Shippensburg interception set them up inside the Palmyra 5-yard line. Two plays later, the Greyhounds were in the end zone. After one quarter, Shippensburg led 7–0.
The second quarter turned into a defensive battle, with both teams trading stops. After forcing a three-and-out, Palmyra regained possession just shy of midfield with under 90 seconds left in the half. With the offense struggling to move the ball, they decided to take a shot. Junior quarterback Roman Russek (4-for-13, 62 yards, 1 TD) dropped back and delivered a perfect ball down the sideline to senior receiver Braxtin Risser (2 receptions, 47 yards, 1 TD), who went up over two defenders for an incredible touchdown grab. A special teams miscue left the extra point no good, sending the teams into halftime with Shippensburg ahead 7–6.
The third quarter mirrored the second, with both defenses playing lights-out. Palmyra’s defensive line held firm while the secondary made big plays. Sophomore Sid Harrison picked off a pass in the end zone to halt a Shippensburg drive, and later in the quarter senior Peter DiGuardia (4 tackles, 1 INT) intercepted another pass on third-and-long, giving the Cougars great field position and momentum. The offense capitalized, feeding senior running back Travis McDannell (18 carries, 100 yards, 1 TD) to spark the ground game. After multiple first downs, McDannell bounced a run outside and scored from 23 yards out. The two-point attempt failed, but Palmyra held a 12–7 lead. It lasted just two plays before Shippensburg answered with a 62-yard screen pass for a touchdown. After three quarters, Shippensburg led 13–12.
Heading into the fourth, the Cougars kept the energy high. With the fans and student section fully engaged, belief spread through the team that the upset was within reach. The defense rebounded from the earlier mistake, forcing back-to-back three-and-outs. Senior leaders like Kyler Sparks (9 tackles, 1 TFL) and Jake Schelhorn (8 tackles) anchored the unit, keeping the Greyhounds bottled up. With just under six minutes left, Palmyra got the ball back at their own 28-yard line, needing only a field goal to take the lead.
They leaned again on McDannell, pounding the run to move the chains. Facing 4th-and-3 at the Shippensburg 40, Russek rolled out and scrambled for 10 yards to keep the drive alive. A few plays later, on 4th-and-8, senior receiver Talon Speck (2 receptions, 13 yards) ran a sharp comeback route, made the catch, and picked up another crucial first down.
With the clock under two minutes and Palmyra inside the red zone, the stadium atmosphere was electric. McDannell carried the ball twice more, giving the Cougars their fifth first down of the drive. After a penalty and an incompletion, Palmyra faced 3rd-and-goal from the 16. Russek rolled right, drifted 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage, and fired a cross-body throw to Speck, who made another clutch grab at the 4-yard line. With under a minute left, Palmyra lined up for the game-winning field goal.
The snap was clean, the hold was down, the kick was up—and it missed just left of the uprights by less than a foot. On most high school fields, where the posts are 23 feet, 4 inches apart, the kick would have likely snuck inside. But at Lebanon Valley College, the narrower NCAA standard of 18 feet, 6 inches was in play, and the ball sailed wide. Shippensburg took over, picked up a first down, and ran out the clock. In the end, the scoreboard read: Shippensburg 13, Palmyra 12.
Despite the heartbreaking ending, the Cougars’ effort was undeniable. Coach Chris Pavone praised his team afterward:
“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 know they’ll be rewarded moving forward with their continued growth and development.”
Palmyra finished with 189 yards of total offense, highlighted by McDannell’s 100-yard rushing night and Risser’s highlight-reel touchdown. The defense forced two interceptions and held the Greyhounds’ usually dominant ground game in check for most of the night.
Although the Cougars didn’t come away with the win, their gritty performance sent a message across the league: Palmyra can compete with anyone on its schedule. Next week, they’ll travel to Waynesboro looking to turn that fight into a win.
Shippensburg 13, Palmyra 12
*The referenced prediction was made by another publications. At LebCoSports.com we do not place score predictions on high school athletes
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)
For more Week 4 Coverage, check out: LebCo High School Football: Week 4 Results
2025 LebCo Football Team-by-Team Season Outlooks
ProSeal
Penn Realty
