Witt’s Heroics Seal Palmyra’s Thrilling State Championship Win Over Warwick

Written by Tommy Steelman

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

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On Saturday, November 15th, the Palmyra Cougars faced off against the Warwick Warriors in the PIAA 2A Field Hockey State Championship. These teams know each other well, having battled for the District III title just two weeks earlier, when Palmyra came away with a dominant 5–0 win. The Cougars expected Warwick to bounce back and knew this game would be much more competitive than the first … and they were right.

Palmyra looked to be in full control early, keeping the ball on Warwick’s side of the field for much of the first quarter. They earned multiple corners and several strong looks, but just couldn’t capitalize. The defensive battle continued throughout the rest of the half, sending both teams into the break still tied 0–0.

The action picked up in the second half. Warwick’s offense finally found some rhythm, earning a corner early in the third. The initial shot was saved by senior goalie Abby Bennett, but star freshman Addie Martin was there for the putback, giving Warwick a 1–0 lead. The goal seemed to spark the Cougars. Just 18 seconds later, sophomore standout Maddie Stahl rifled a cross to forward Madelynn Witt, who found the back of the cage to tie the game at 1–1. After that quick flurry, the teams settled in again, and the game remained 1–1 heading into the fourth.

Palmyra opened the final quarter strong, scoring early off a blistering shot from star forward Jovie Weaver, giving the Cougars their first lead of the game. With under six minutes left, Warwick earned a crucial corner. Knowing this might be one of their last chances, the Warriors called up their signature “Flop Shot,” the high-arcing play that beat Palmyra in last year’s State Semifinal. Bennett batted down the first attempt, but the ball fell right to Elena Care, who pushed in the game-tying goal.

State Championship. Tie game. Under five minutes left. These are the moments you dream of as a kid.

And once again, it was Witt who delivered. With four minutes remaining, she weaved through the defense and fired a shot into the bottom right of the cage. 3–2 Cougars. In the final minute, Warwick threatened again, sending a dangerous cross into the circle, but Bennett came up with one last stop to preserve the State Championship. As the horn sounded, the Cougars swarmed their goalie, and the Palmyra faithful who made the trip to Cumberland Valley exploded from the stands.

Although this Palmyra team was extremely balanced, it was Witt who became the hero down the stretch. She scored just seven goals this season — but three of them came in the final two games. She had the lone goal in their State Semifinal win over Mt. Saint Joseph, and added two more in the State Championship, including the game-winner.

Even though the final margin was only one goal, it often felt like Palmyra dominated. They out-cornered Warwick 18–6 and controlled nearly 75% of possession. Final score: Palmyra 3, Warwick 2.

The instant classic capped off an incredible season for the Cougars, during which they went 23-3. In those games, they scored 114 goals, while only surrendering 20 goals against, allowing them to rack up 15 shutouts. This decorated group featured four first-team (Maddie Stahl, Leigha Kane, Jovie Weaver, AJ Walker) and two second-team (Addie Barger, Bree Aughenbaugh) Mid Penn Keystone Division selections, plus the Coach of the Year. It resulted in their 16th District Championship — and their 4th State Title in school history.

Scoring Summary

Palmyra Season Stats

Defensive Saves: Leigha Kane #17 –5, AJ Walker #25 – 1