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 Annville-Cleona recap was written with information provided by Jackson Hanley.
The Northern Lebanon recap was written by Braydin Adams.
The Cedar Crest recap was written with information provided by assistant editor Gavin Sweeney.
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.
Hanover 32, Annville-Cleona 27
Annville-Cleona entered Friday night’s season opener at Hanover with plenty of experience returning from a team that won eight games and reached the District 3 Class 3A semifinals last fall. However, the Dutchmen found themselves playing from behind throughout the night, as Hanover built an early lead and continually found answers to A-C’s second-half rallies in a 32-27 victory.
Hanover established control early, moving the football through both the rushing and passing games while Annville-Cleona struggled to sustain possessions. The Nighthawks scored touchdowns on consecutive possessions to build a 12-0 advantage, while A-C did not record its first first down until late in the second quarter. Devon Englehart finally provided that spark with a pair of strong runs, but the possession ended when John Ditzler was intercepted, sending the Dutchmen to halftime trailing 12-0.
Annville-Cleona’s offense came alive after the break. The Dutchmen scored on their opening possession of the second half to cut the deficit to 12-7, only for Hanover to answer and extend its lead to 18-7 with 3:59 remaining in the third quarter.
Yamaliel Navarro then delivered one of A-C’s biggest plays, breaking free for a 58-yard run that set the Dutchmen up near the goal line. Englehart finished the drive with an eight-yard touchdown run, and the extra point pulled A-C within 18-14 with 2:23 left in the third.
Just 16 seconds later, Hanover produced perhaps the game’s defining response. Anthony Wright returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown, quickly restoring the Nighthawks’ momentum and pushing the advantage to 25-14.
The Dutchmen kept coming. Ditzler helped move A-C back into Hanover territory on the next possession before Navarro scored on a 25-yard touchdown run, cutting the deficit to 25-21 early in the fourth quarter.
Hanover again answered immediately, connecting on a 40-yard touchdown pass to make it 32-21 with 7:57 remaining. Still, Annville-Cleona had one more push. Navarro scored his second touchdown of the fourth quarter to pull the Dutchmen within 32-27 with 3:01 to play. The ensuing two-point conversion failed, and Hanover protected its five-point advantage the rest of the way.
For Annville-Cleona, the difference was ultimately the first half and the Dutchmen’s inability to slow Hanover consistently. A-C managed only one first down before halftime and allowed the Nighthawks to answer nearly every time the Dutchmen created momentum after the break.
There were encouraging signs offensively. Navarro emerged as one of the biggest playmakers of the night, highlighted by his 58-yard run and two fourth-quarter touchdowns. Englehart helped ignite the offense after its slow start and added an eight-yard touchdown run as the Dutchmen erupted for 27 second-half points.
The comeback demonstrated the explosiveness Annville-Cleona possesses, but Hanover’s balanced offensive attack and ability to respond proved to be the difference.
The loss sends the Dutchmen (0-1) into their home opener Thursday night against Biglerville looking to turn a strong second half into a more complete performance.
Written with information provided by Jackson Hanley
Coach Gingrich’s Post-Game Thoughts
On the overall performance and slow start:
“We weren’t ready to go. A lot of first-game things caught us. We gave up a kickoff return for a touchdown, and that’s on me.”
On Hanover’s offensive success:
“Hanover’s much improved. They did a real good job running their Wing-T offense. We just couldn’t stop them.”
On the first-half struggles:
“We did not play good complementary football in the first half. I think we only had the ball for 11 plays, and I don’t think we had a first down the whole first half. Oh, we had one. We were down 12-0 at half, and it was just terrible.”
On the second-half response:
“We were down 12-0 at half, and we scored 27 points in the second half. Good signs from that, but it’s just not good overall.”
On what the loss means moving forward:
“This game will be a defining game of our season, one way or the other. We’ll find out next week. We’ve got to get back to playing football and not worrying about other stuff.”
Garden Spot 28, Palmyra 13
Friday night was about more than just the start of a new season for Palmyra. The Cougars officially opened the newly renovated Buck Swank Stadium and, prior to kickoff, honored the late Joe Buehler, the former Palmyra and Lebanon Valley College head football coach.
The final score will show a 28-13 Garden Spot victory, but it does not tell the story of how close the game was. Palmyra trailed by just one point entering the fourth quarter and remained within one possession until the closing minute before the Spartans added a late touchdown to create the final margin.
Garden Spot struck first to take a 7-0 lead, but Palmyra quickly capitalized on a special-teams mistake. After the Spartans muffed a punt, Roman Russek connected with Mason Kyper for a 29-yard touchdown with 5:51 remaining in the first quarter, tying the game at 7-7.
Palmyra’s defense forced a three-and-out on Garden Spot’s next possession, and the Cougars eventually took their first lead in the second quarter. Russek found Sid Harrison for a seven-yard touchdown with 9:07 remaining in the half, putting Palmyra ahead 13-7.
Garden Spot missed a field goal later in the quarter, but the Spartans put together a crucial drive just before halftime. Musselman caught a nine-yard touchdown pass from Lapp with 29 seconds remaining, sending Garden Spot into the break with a narrow 14-13 advantage.
That one-point margin remained throughout the third quarter, with Harrison giving Palmyra an opportunity to retake the lead by intercepting a pass on the final play of the period. The Cougars could not turn the takeaway into points, however, and Garden Spot eventually extended its advantage when Swavely caught a six-yard touchdown pass from Lapp, making it 21-13.
Even then, Palmyra remained very much in the game. The Cougars drove to the Garden Spot 35 midway through the fourth quarter before the possession ended on downs with 4:44 remaining. They got the ball back with 3:46 left, still needing just one touchdown and a two-point conversion to tie the game.
Garden Spot’s pass rush finally ended the threat with back-to-back sacks, eventually leaving Palmyra facing fourth-and-32 from its own 1. After taking over near the goal line, Musselman scored on a one-yard run with just 51 seconds remaining, turning what had been a one-possession game deep into the fourth quarter into the 28-13 final.
Despite the loss, Russek threw a pair of touchdown passes, while Harrison impacted the game on both sides of the ball with a touchdown reception and an interception. Kyper also provided one of Palmyra’s early highlights with his 29-yard touchdown reception.
For the Cougars, the result was disappointing, but the final score should not overshadow how competitive the season opener was. Palmyra led during the first half, entered the fourth quarter down just 14-13, and had multiple opportunities late to erase an eight-point deficit. Garden Spot ultimately made the plays necessary to finish it, while Palmyra will look to build on a performance that was much closer than the final margin suggests.
The Cougars will now turn their attention to Week 2, when they travel to Red Land next Friday night.
Palmyra Stats
Passing: Roman Russek – 11/20, 196 yds, 1 TD; Jaxin Robinson – 2/2, 29 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Roman Russek – 15 carries, 21 yds; Jaxin Robinson – 5 carries, 20 yds; C. Smith – 2 carries, 7 yds; Aaron Villafane – 4 carries, 7 yds
Receiving: Aaron Villafane – 1 reception, 77 yds; Sid Harrison – 4 receptions, 68 yds, 1 TD; Mason Kyper – 2 receptions, 51 yds, 1 TD; C. Smith – 1 reception, 17 yds; L. Loew – 1 reception, 4 yds; Jaxin Robinson – 1 reception; Team – 3 receptions, 8 yds
Defensive Leaders: C. Smith – 8 tackles, 4 assists; Jaxin Robinson – 3 tackles, 3 assists; L. Loew – 2 tackles, 3 assists; C. Jones – 2 tackles, 1 assist; W. Fogleman – 2 tackles; Nick Krupko – 1 tackle, 3 assists; C. Kleinfelter II – 1 tackle, 2 assists; Anthony Pinko – 1 tackle, 1 assist; O. Kupstas – 1 tackle; Gavin Stoak – 1 assist; B. Basehore – 1 assist; Sid Harrison – 1 assist, 1 INT; Mason Kyper – 2 assists; Team – 8 tackles, 6 assists, 1 TFL
Scoring: Mason Kyper – 1 receiving TD; Sid Harrison – 1 receiving TD; Jaxin Robinson – 1 passing TD; Roman Russek – 1 passing TD; Brenden Crout – 1/2 PAT
Special Teams: Kick Returns: O. Kupstas – 1 KR, 2-yd avg, long 2; Team – 3 KR, 18-yd avg, long 27; Punt Returns: Team – 2 PR, long 8; Kickoffs: Brenden Crout – 3 KO, 143 yds, long 51; Punting: Alex Csongradi – 2 punts, 41.0 avg, long 44; Anthony Pinko – 2 punts, 38.0 avg, long 40; Roman Russek – 1 punt, 41 yds, inside the 20
Team Totals: 280 total yds (225 passing, 55 rushing); 8 first downs; 0 turnovers; 7 penalties for 60 yds; 0/10 on third down; 1/4 on fourth down
Northern Lebanon 41, Pine Grove 2
Ladies and gentlemen, we have officially made it through the offseason. High school football is back.
Northern Lebanon began its 50th season in program history Friday night by hosting Pine Grove with plenty of new surrounding the program. Nate Monroe made his debut as the Vikings’ head coach, while freshman Markus Miller took over at quarterback. By the end of the night, the Vikings had given Monroe his first career victory and Miller his first varsity win with a commanding 41-2 performance.
Northern Lebanon’s defense set the tone immediately. Pine Grove went three-and-out on its opening possession before attempting a fake punt, but Landon Copenhaver made the tackle to give the Vikings excellent field position. Brady Ryan, back after missing most of the 2025 season due to injury, finished the opportunity with a one-yard touchdown run to give Northern Lebanon a 7-0 lead.
The Vikings quickly added to it. Miller connected with Johnny Hilton for a 46-yard touchdown, extending the lead to 14-0 by the end of the first quarter.
Things continued to snowball for Pine Grove in the second. Freshman Blayze Kimm recovered a fumble at the Cardinals’ 49-yard line, setting up another Northern Lebanon scoring opportunity. Miller capitalized by finding Ryan Clemmer for a 22-yard touchdown that pushed the advantage to 21-0.
Northern Lebanon’s defense was not finished. Ryan intercepted a pass and returned it 46 yards for a touchdown, giving him his second score of the night and putting the Vikings ahead 28-0. Clemmer later added another interception to stop a Pine Grove drive. The Cardinals finally got on the board when Miller was brought down in the end zone for a safety, making it 28-2 at halftime.
Any hopes Pine Grove had of getting back into the game disappeared quickly after the break. Ryan opened the second half with an explosive 72-yard touchdown run, then later returned a punt for another score. His fourth touchdown of the night gave Northern Lebanon a 41-2 advantage, which held through the final whistle.
It was a dominant season-opening performance for a Northern Lebanon team looking to establish a new identity under Monroe. The Vikings forced turnovers, created explosive plays on offense and special teams, and kept Pine Grove out of the end zone.
Ryan’s return could hardly have gone much better. The senior scored four different ways, finding the end zone on a pair of rushing touchdowns, an interception return, and a punt return. Miller also had an impressive varsity debut, throwing touchdown passes to Hilton and Clemmer while directing an offense that quickly took control of the game.
Afterward, Miller kept his assessment of the victory simple.
“It was a good team win.”
Northern Lebanon starts the season 1-0 while giving Monroe his first victory as a head coach. The Vikings will remain at home for Week 2, hosting Hamburg next Friday night as they look to build on an emphatic opening-night performance.
Written by Braydin Adams
Cedar Crest 45, CD East 12
Cedar Crest entered Friday night looking to build on last season’s postseason appearance and take another step forward in 2026. The Falcons finished 5-6 and reached the District 3 Class 6A playoffs a year ago before opening the new season on the road against Central Dauphin East.
The Falcons received the opening kickoff and wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. Terrance Wilson hauled in a touchdown catch to give Cedar Crest a 7-0 lead before Skyler Sherman intercepted a pass to create another opportunity for the Falcons.
Cedar Crest threatened again after a fourth-down completion to Mason Cevette and a big gain from Antonio Tirado, but the Panthers came up with an interception to stop the drive. The Falcons defense quickly responded by forcing a punt, and Isaiah Zimmerman found the end zone to extend the lead to 14-0.
Central Dauphin East made its push in the second quarter. A fake-punt pass went for 50 yards and helped set up a touchdown run that cut the deficit to 14-6. The Panthers later connected on a deep touchdown pass to make it 14-12, suddenly turning a comfortable Cedar Crest advantage into a two-point game.
The Panthers then came up with another interception, this time by Tristan Sok, but Cedar Crest’s defense prevented them from taking advantage and forced another punt. Zimmerman followed with his second touchdown of the night, pushing the lead back to 21-12.
Cedar Crest began taking control from there. Tirado intercepted a pass, and Gabe Kaighn connected on a field goal with two seconds remaining before halftime to send the Falcons into the break ahead 24-12.
The Falcons carried that momentum into the second half. Zimmerman scored his third touchdown in the third quarter to extend the advantage to 31-12, while Damyen Derr recovered a fumble at the Panthers’ goal line as Cedar Crest’s defense continued to shut down Central Dauphin East.
Zimmerman, an Army commit, eventually found the end zone for the fourth time, pushing the lead to 38-12 and putting the finishing touches on a huge season-opening performance.
Cedar Crest added one more score before the final whistle. Jackson Smith hauled in a deep completion to set up Steve Reyes, who finished the drive with a rushing touchdown to complete the 45-12 victory.
Zimmerman led the way with four touchdowns, while Cedar Crest received contributions throughout the lineup. Sherman and Tirado each recorded interceptions, Derr recovered a fumble, and Kaighn added a field goal as the Falcons turned a 14-12 battle into a runaway victory.
The 33-point final margin does not fully reflect the challenge Cedar Crest faced early. Central Dauphin East pulled within two during the second quarter, but the Falcons responded by scoring the game’s final 31 points and keeping the Panthers off the scoreboard the rest of the way.
Cedar Crest opens the season 1-0 and now turns its attention toward its biggest local rivalry. The Falcons return home Thursday night to host Lebanon in the Cedar Bowl.
Written with information provided by assistant editor Gavin Sweeney
ELCO 35, Boiling Springs 6
ELCO opened the 2026 season with a victory over Boiling Springs on Friday night, giving Bob Miller his 77th career win as the Raiders’ head coach and moving him into sole possession of first place on the program’s all-time coaching wins list.
The Raiders were forced to adjust when starting quarterback Brinley Donmoyer left the game with an injury. Jaden Rivera stepped in at quarterback and rose to the occasion, helping ELCO finish off the season-opening victory.
Noah Williams and Gavin Yeiser were among the Raiders who found the end zone as ELCO put together a winning performance to begin the 2026 campaign.
The Raiders start the season 1-0 while giving Miller a milestone victory to begin his latest campaign at the helm. ELCO will hit the road in Week 2, traveling to Dover for a Thursday night matchup with the Eagles.
Daniel Boone 55, Lebanon 0
2026 LebCo Football Team-by-Team Season Outlooks
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