This post will serve as a rolling update of Week 7 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 Cedar Crest/Manheim Township recap was written by Gavin Sweeney, a local high school student and aspiring sports journalist.
The Northern Lebanon/Lampeter-Strasburg 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
Friday
ELCO 21, Octorara 13
Following last week’s victory over Daniel Boone, the ELCO Raiders looked to keep momentum rolling in Week 7 against Octorara — a familiar foe they defeated twice last season, once in the regular season and again in the District 3 Playoffs. Entering Friday night at 2-4 after a grueling, front-loaded schedule, the Raiders knew a win would put them back on the same postseason trajectory they carved out a year ago. Standing in their way was a 3-3 Braves squad coming off consecutive losses to Twin Valley and Lampeter-Strasburg.
Octorara opened the scoring in the first quarter, jumping ahead 7-0. ELCO’s defense held strong the rest of the half, giving the Raiders a chance to respond. They did just that in the second quarter when quarterback Brinley Donmoyerbroke the plane for a touchdown, knotting the game at 7-7 heading into halftime.
The defensive battle continued after the break, but Octorara managed to edge back in front, 13-7, heading into the final frame. Still, the Raiders refused to back down. With eight minutes to play, sophomore running back Gavin Yeiser — the reigning LebCo Athlete of the Week — powered into the end zone to tie things up at 13-13.
From there, the Raider defense came up clutch, shutting down Octorara’s late attempts to regain the lead. With just 1:14 remaining, Donmoyer once again took matters into his own hands, punching in his second touchdown of the night to give ELCO a 21-13 advantage. The Raiders held firm until the final whistle to secure the hard-fought win.
With the victory, ELCO improves to 3-4 and has now won back-to-back games, a streak that mirrors last season’s turnaround. Next Friday, the Raiders will face a tough test on the road against Lampeter-Strasburg.
Coach Miller’s Postgame Thoughts
“We posed the question, ‘Who do you think you are?’ to them this week. We want these kids to know they are loved—no matter the scoreboard, their record, or any mistake they make in a game. And we want them to know they are more than any of those things.
This group needs to stop listening to people talk about our opponents or our record. We as coaches know they are warriors and that they can elevate this program to the point where negative people outside of it will no longer have a word to say about these kids.
We put it on them—they need to be who we think they are: loved, men of character who can be champions. Champions can’t be champions if they can’t handle adversity. These kids showed they have it in them, and their best football has still yet to be played.”
ELCO Stats
Passing: Brinley Donmoyer – 5/6, 73 yds; Ellis Gensamer – 1/1, 14 yds
Rushing: Brinley Donmoyer – 10 carries, 113 yds, 2 TD; Gavin Yeiser – 10 carries, 24 yds, 1 TD; Ellis Gensamer – 5 carries, 12 yds; Chandler Gass – 8 carries, 54 yds
Receiving: Ellis Gensamer – 2 rec, 16 yds; Kaden Tillison – 1 rec, 35 yds; Brady Showalter – 1 rec, 14 yds; Zach Pyszka – 1 rec, 8 yds
Defensive Leaders: Griffin Kreider – 15 solo tackles, 4 assists, 19 TT, 1 PBU; Paul Williams – 9 solo tackles, 5 assists, 14 TT; Riley McDonald – 8 solo tackles, 3 assists, 11 TT, 1 TFL; Jonathan Zimmerman – 3 solo tackles, 6 assists, 9 TT; Ethan Bretzius – 3 solo tackles, 6 assists, 9 TT, 1 sack, 1 INT; Cameron Tillison – 2 solo tackles, 4 assists, 6 TT, 1 TFL; Kayden Wagner – 5 solo tackles, 0 assists, 5 TT; Nathaniel Zimmerman – 5 solo tackles, 0 assists, 5 TT; Cody Landis – 5 solo tackles, 0 assists, 5 TT, 1 sack; Alejandro Weister – 4 solo tackles, 0 assists, 4 TT; Darryl LeGrande – 2 solo tackles, 1 assist, 3 TT; Blake LeGrande – 0 solo tackles, 2 assists, 2 TT; Gavin Yeiser – 0 solo tackles, 1 assist, 1 TT.
Turnovers: Ethan Bretzius – 1 INT
Scoring: Brinley Donmoyer – 2 rushing TD; Gavin Yeiser – 1 rushing TD; Chandler Gass – 1 two-point conversion; Austin Smith – 1/2 PAT
Annville-Cleona 21, Lancaster Catholic 20
The Annville-Cleona Dutchmen entered Week 7 with a 5-1 record, including a perfect 3-0 start in Section 5. After last week’s thrilling win over Kutztown, Annville traveled to Lancaster Catholic on Friday night looking to slow down a Crusaders offense that had put up 35 points in a Week 6 victory over Hamburg.
The Dutchmen set the tone early with an 8-minute opening drive that ended in a 2-yard touchdown run by Devon Englehart. Catholic wasted little time in answering, breaking off a 61-yard run to tie the game 7-7 at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Annville took a gamble on 4th down from the 10-yard line. Jon Moran made it pay off, punching in the touchdown to give the Dutchmen a 14-7 lead with 7:30 left before halftime. The defenses held firm the rest of the way, and the score stood heading into the break.
The Crusaders struck quickly in the third quarter, capitalizing on an interception and scoring just one play later to even the game at 14-14. Annville answered with 2:29 left in the quarter, as Yama Navarro broke free for a 19-yard rushing touchdown. Cian Soliday added the extra point to make it 21-14.
Most of the fourth quarter passed without scoring, but the final minute provided plenty of drama. With just 33 seconds remaining, Lancaster Catholic found the end zone to cut the lead to 21-20. Opting to go for the win, the Crusaders lined up for a two-point conversion. The Dutchmen defense stood tall, with Moran coming off the edge and Jordan Nickens assisting to stuff the play, sealing Annville-Cleona’s hard-fought victory.
The Dutchmen now sit at 6-1 overall and 4-0 in Section 5. They will turn their attention to next week’s home matchup against Pequea Valley.
Coach Gingrich’s Postgame Thoughts
“Another game, another way to find a win. Our defense played really well this week. We only gave up a couple of big plays to their Division I recruit, Villanova-bound running back Brandon Way — he’s really good.
Outside of that, the defense was great. Offensively, we showed a lot of positive things, but we didn’t finish drives — missed a touchdown opportunity in the first half and had a turnover in the second. We’ve got to clean that up.
Still, the offense did some good things, but the defense was the difference. We stopped a two-point conversion to win the game — that’s how we pulled out the 21–20 victory. Jon Moran really came up big tonight. He was outstanding on both sides of the ball and saved us on several plays. His athleticism and competitiveness really showed.
A lot of kids stepped up. We had some injuries, but the guys who filled in did a great job for us.
Being 6–1 at this point is amazing. If you’d told us we’d be here, we probably would’ve been just as surprised as everyone else. I’m really proud of this team — they were young once, but not anymore. We’re an experienced team now.”
Annville-Cleona Stats
Passing: Bode Garney – 1/1, 28 yds; Lane Peters – 2/3, 13 yds, 1 INT; John Ditzler – 0/1, 0 yds
Rushing: Devon Englehart – 28 carries, 117 yds, 1 TD; Jonathan Moran – 10 carries, 91 yds, 1 TD; Yamaliel Navarro – 8 carries, 61 yds, 1 TD; Lane Peters – 5 carries, 17 yds; John Ditzler – 1 carry, 1 yd; Team Total – 287 yards
Receiving: Max Ortwein – 2 receptions, 35 yds; Hudson Sellers – 1 reception, 6 yds
Defensive Leaders: Hudson Sellers – 10 tackles (5 solo, 5 assists), 1 TFL, 2 QBH; Armani Santos – 9 tackles (2 solo, 7 assists); Kaidavin Ginting – 8 tackles (5 solo, 3 assists); Jordan Nickens – 7 tackles (3 solo, 4 assists); Jaxon Speece – 7 tackles (3 solo, 4 assists), 1 TFL; Maddox White – 6 tackles (3 solo, 3 assists); Devon Englehart – 5 tackles (3 solo, 2 assists); Dominick Smith – 5 tackles (2 solo, 3 assists), 1 TFL; Jonathan Moran – 4 tackles (2 solo, 2 assists); Levi Kreider – 3 tackles (2 solo, 1 assist), 1 TFL; Logan Radocha – 3 tackles (3 solo); Jaylynn Moyer – 3 tackles (1 solo, 2 assists); Dan Bright-Walck – 3 tackles (1 solo, 2 assists); Tanner Copenhaver – 1 tackle (1 solo)
Special Teams:
Kicking: Cian Soliday – 3/3 PAT, 3 kick pts
Punt Returns: Kaidavin Ginting – 1 punt, 25 yds (25.0 avg); Jonathan Moran – 1 punt return, 17 yds (17.0 avg)
Scoring: Devon Englehart – 1 rushing TD (6 pts); Jonathan Moran – 1 rushing TD (6 pts); Yamaliel Navarro – 1 rushing TD (6 pts); Cian Soliday – 3/3 PAT (3 pts)
Manheim Township 42, Cedar Crest 13
The Cedar Crest Falcons traveled to take on powerhouse program, the Manheim Township Blue Streaks, for a Friday Night Lights matchup.
The Falcons opened their first drive with a deep completion to Luke Oriel, which was followed by a 1-yard touchdown run from Eli Beard to give them a 7-0 lead. The Blue Streaks answered immediately with a 47-yard touchdown strike from Jack Kenneff to Daryus Dixon, knotting the game at 7-7. Cedar Crest responded with a huge momentum play when Landyn Kline blocked a punt, setting up a 7-yard touchdown pass from Steven Reyes to Jack Sectcavage. The extra point was no good, but the Falcons regained the lead, 13-7.
Entering the second quarter, the Blue Streaks struck again as Kenneff connected with Dixon for a 60-yard touchdown, putting them ahead 14-13. Township kept the pressure on, marching 90 yards before Marcus Fernandez capped the drive with a 21-yard touchdown. Just before halftime, Antonio Tirado came up with a key interception to halt any further Blue Streak momentum.
The third quarter belonged to Manheim Township. Riley Rantal made a diving interception, which set up a quarterback sneak touchdown by Kenneff. Shortly after, Taylor Veilleux added an 8-yard touchdown reception to extend the Blue Streaks’ advantage to 35-13.
In the fourth quarter, the Blue Streaks sealed the victory when Kenneff flipped a 13-yard touchdown pass to Veilleux, closing out the game with a 42-13 final. Manheim Township scored five unanswered touchdowns after trailing 13-7 early.
The Falcons (3-4) battled hard despite missing Isaiah Zimmerman and will look to bounce back at home next week against McCaskey High School.
Elizabethtown 42, Lebanon 7
Lebanon may be 0-6, but through the first six weeks of the season, the Cedars have shown plenty of fight. Last week, they scored two touchdowns against a Conestoga Valley defense that had only allowed 20 points all season prior to their matchup with the Cedars.
Ahead of this week’s game against Elizabethtown, members of the Bears’ student section went all out, hiring Antonio Brown via Cameo to make a video encouraging Elizabethtown to “stomp” the Cedars. While the video was somewhat hilarious, it could also serve as motivation for Lebanon, who faced a Bears team carrying a 3-3 record, including two shutouts and a Week 1 win over Cocalico.
The Bears came out strong, building a 14-0 lead by the end of the first quarter and appearing poised to take a 28-0 lead into halftime.
However, the Cedars refused to roll over, with Anthony Klish connecting with Juan Rivera on a long touchdown pass just before the break.
Elizabethtown would go on to score twice more, but Lebanon again proved they would not be a doormat — refusing to be “stomped” on.
The Bears will now turn their attention to a Week 8 matchup at Governor Mifflin. Could the Mustangs bring in a surprise guest, perhaps Terrell Owens, to liven up the pregame festivities?
Lower Dauphin 41, Palmyra 7
In recent weeks, the Palmyra defense has been impressive, limiting Shippensburg, Waynesboro, and Mifflin County to a combined 28 points. Though the Cougars went 1-2 in those three games, they were just two plays away from turning each into a victory.
On Friday night, Palmyra hosted Lower Dauphin at LVC’s Arnold Field in front of a lively homecoming crowd eager to see the Cougars add another win. To do so, they would have to contain a Lower Dauphin squad that entered the game 3-3, including wins over Mechanicsburg and Hershey and a close loss to Shippensburg the previous week.
Lower Dauphin made it clear early that they were ready for another playoff push, building a 20-0 lead by halftime and adding more points in the second half.
Palmyra finally found some traction on offense when Roman Russek connected with Talon Speck on a 22-yard touchdown pass, putting the Cougars on the board.
Palmyra (1-5) will now look to bounce back from the loss as they prepare to host Gettysburg next Saturday afternoon.
Palmyra Stats
Passing: Roman Russek – 8/15, 67 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT; Jaxin Robinson – 2/4, 18 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Roman Russek – 6 carries, 23 yds; Aaron Villafane – 1 carry, 4 yds; Braxtin Risser – 1 carry, -2 yds; Travis McDannell – 5 carries, -2 yds
Receiving: Brayden Hoover – 4 receptions, 32 yds; Talon Speck – 2 receptions, 32 yds, 1 TD; Braxtin Risser – 2 receptions, 12 yds; Aaron Villafane – 2 receptions, 10 yds
Defensive Leaders: Aaron Villafane – 13 tackles (6 solo, 7 ast); Jake Schelhorn – 14 tackles (6 solo, 8 ast), 1 TFL; Anthony Pinko – 10 tackles (2 solo, 8 ast); Kyler Sparks – 6 tackles (1 solo, 5 ast); Garrison John – 4 tackles (1 solo, 3 ast); Noah Krupko – 1 tackle; Wyatt Fogleman – 1 tackle; Chris Kleinfelter II – 3 assists; Nate Holt – 2 assists; Travis McDannell – 1 assist; Jackson Kipp – 1 assist; Justus Maina – 1 assist; Greg Stoak – 1 assist; Mason Foutz – 1 assist; Jackson Smith – 1 assist; Team – 4 tackles (2 solo, 2 ast)
Special Teams:
Kicking: Brenden Crout – 1 PAT (1 pt)
Kickoffs: Brenden Crout – 1 KO, 42 yds, long 42; Kyler Sparks – 1 KO, 10 yds, long 10; Team – 1 KO, 58 yds, long 58
Punting: Nate Holt – 4 punts, 38.0 avg, 1 inside 20, long 48
Ready for your next getaway?
Thursday
Lampeter-Strasburg 59, Northern Lebanon 13
On Thursday evening, the Northern Lebanon Vikings hosted the Lampeter-Strasburg Pioneers in a Week 7 matchup, looking to bounce back from a 67-0 loss last Friday to Twin Valley. Lampeter-Strasburg, a perennial powerhouse, entered the game with a 5-1 record, their only loss coming against Warwick. Meanwhile, the Vikings were on short rest after a physically taxing game six days ago.
The game began with Northern Lebanon taking the opening possession, but the Vikings went three-and-out immediately. Northern Lebanon’s defense held strong early, forcing Lampeter-Strasburg into a 4th-and-1 situation, but the Pioneers converted with a 6-yard touchdown run to make it 7-0. Lampeter-Strasburg struck again quickly, this time with a 62-yard touchdown pass to extend the lead to 14-0. Adding to the Vikings’ struggles, the Pioneers blocked a punt and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown, giving Northern Lebanon little chance to settle into the game.
Northern Lebanon did get a significant defensive stop when Lampeter-Strasburg failed to convert on 4th-and-12, but the Vikings were unable to capitalize, punting on the ensuing possession to close the first quarter.
Early in the second quarter, the Pioneers added a 46-yard field goal to go up 24-0. Lampeter-Strasburg continued to dominate with a 44-yard rushing touchdown, pushing the score to 31-0 well before halftime. Northern Lebanon’s quarterback Bryan Mitzel connected with Bryce Yocum for a 30-yard pass during a promising drive, but an interception ended the threat. The Vikings’ defense held strong, though, preventing further damage. Mitzel later completed another big pass to Yocum for 21 yards, and a crucial pass interference penalty put Northern Lebanon at the 28-yard line. Unfortunately, a deep throw into the end zone resulted in Mitzel’s second interception, and the first half ended with the score at 31-0.
The Pioneers came out strong to start the second half, returning the opening kickoff to the Northern Lebanon 10-yard line, followed by a 10-yard rushing touchdown to extend the lead to 38-0. Lampeter-Strasburg then blocked another punt and quickly turned it into a 24-yard rushing touchdown, making it 45-0.
Northern Lebanon had a spark when Mitzel connected with Landon Copenhaver on a 66-yard completion, followed by a 1-yard touchdown run from sophomore running back Christian Spencer to make the score 45-6. The Vikings attempted a fake field goal but were unsuccessful. Lampeter-Strasburg responded with a 60-yard kickoff return touchdown to push the lead to 52-6.
Sophomore quarterback Blake Burdick then fired a 78-yard touchdown pass to Yocum, cutting the deficit to 52-13 and ending the third quarter.
The Pioneers struck first in the fourth quarter with a 27-yard rushing touchdown to make it 59-13. Lampeter-Strasburg later had a field goal attempt blocked, which concluded the game.
While the final score wasn’t what the Vikings hoped for, this Northern Lebanon team showed fight throughout the contest. The Vikings (1-6) will look to continue improving as they host Octorara next Friday.
The Coach’s Corner – Insights on LL League Football, Week 7 Predictions
Week 6 Results
2025 LebCo Football Team-by-Team Season Outlooks
ProSeal
Penn Realty
