Football: Northern Lebanon Battles Past Daniel Boone on Senior Night, Bolsters Playoff Position

 

Featuring photos by Susan Dengler (Owlcatraz Photography) & reporting by Braydin Adams 

 

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Written by Braydin Adams

 

 

Northern Lebanon Battles Past Daniel Boone on Senior Night, Bolsters Playoff Position

It is crazy to believe we have nearly reached the end of the 2026 high school football season. With the playoffs quickly approaching, the Northern Lebanon Vikings welcomed Daniel Boone to town Friday night for Senior Night, looking to strengthen their postseason position.

The Vikings entered the matchup at 5-3 following last week’s comeback victory over Octorara, while the Blazers came in at 2-6. With plenty on the line, Northern Lebanon was looking to send its seniors out with one final victory on their home field while taking another important step toward the District 3 playoffs.

By the end of the night, the Vikings had accomplished that goal, overcoming a slow offensive start to earn a 23-7 victory behind another strong defensive performance and three touchdowns from senior Brady Ryan.

The game started in the Vikings’ favor, as Ryan intercepted a pass on Daniel Boone’s opening possession. Unfortunately, Northern Lebanon couldn’t capitalize, as quarterback Ryan Clemmer, who recently took over the starting role, threw an interception that gave the Blazers possession deep in Vikings territory.

Daniel Boone took advantage, scoring on a one-yard touchdown run to grab a 7-0 lead with 5:43 remaining in the first quarter.

Northern Lebanon responded by moving the ball into Blazers territory, but the Vikings were unable to turn the drive into points. The offensive struggles continued in the second quarter when another promising possession ended with a turnover on downs at the Daniel Boone 12-yard line.

Fortunately, the Vikings’ defense continued coming up with important stops, something that would become a major theme throughout the night.

After forcing another Blazers punt, Northern Lebanon took over at the Daniel Boone 35-yard line, giving the offense excellent field position.

This time, the Vikings made the opportunity count.

Clemmer connected with Ryan on a 32-yard touchdown pass, evening the score at 7-7 with 1:46 remaining before halftime. The completion was the biggest of Clemmer’s 111 passing yards, as the quarterback finished the night completing 10 of 16 attempts with one touchdown and two interceptions.

Northern Lebanon had another opportunity to add points before the break, but Clemmer threw his second interception with 38 seconds remaining, giving Daniel Boone possession at its own 24-yard line.

The Blazers looked to take advantage, but senior Bryce Yocum delivered a big open-field tackle to end the threat and send the teams into halftime tied at 7-7.

It was also a memorable night for Yocum, who reached 300 career tackles, while junior Christian Spencer reached the milestone of 100 tackles this season. Both players continued to play important roles in the Vikings’ defensive effort, with Yocum finishing with seven tackles, including five solo stops and a tackle for loss, while Spencer added eight tackles.

Despite the first-half offensive struggles, Northern Lebanon head coach Nate Monroe was pleased with how his players continued battling through adversity.

“Another week where our kids had to step up and battle adversity,” Monroe said. “I couldn’t be more proud of our guys for stepping up to the challenge.”

The Vikings came out of the locker room looking to take control, immediately putting together a productive drive to open the second half.

Although Northern Lebanon couldn’t finish with a touchdown, junior kicker Aaron Wanyo connected on a field goal with 4:24 remaining in the third quarter, giving the Vikings their first lead at 10-7.

The defense continued making its presence felt, as Landon Graby recovered a Daniel Boone fumble to give Northern Lebanon another opportunity to extend its advantage.

The Vikings took advantage, driving inside the Blazers’ 12-yard line before the third quarter ended.

Northern Lebanon wasted little time finishing the drive in the fourth quarter.

Ryan powered into the end zone on a one-yard touchdown run, extending the Vikings’ lead to 16-7. The extra-point attempt was unsuccessful, but Northern Lebanon had put itself in a strong position to secure the Senior Night victory.

The touchdown was part of an impressive night for Ryan, who carried the ball 22 times for 134 yards and two rushing touchdowns. He also caught three passes for 44 yards, including the first-half touchdown, giving him 178 combined rushing and receiving yards and all three of Northern Lebanon’s touchdowns.

The performance also pushed Ryan past another significant milestone. After entering the game with 1,077 rushing yards, the senior now stands at 1,211 rushing yards through nine games. His two rushing touchdowns increased his season total to 16, while his three scores against Daniel Boone brought him to 23 total touchdowns on the year. With one regular-season game remaining, Ryan continues to put together an outstanding senior campaign.

While Ryan led the offensive effort, Landon Copenhaver emerged as Clemmer’s most frequent target, hauling in six passes for 60 yards. Chase Birkhead added a seven-yard reception as Northern Lebanon finished with 271 yards of total offense, including 160 on the ground.

Monroe credited the offensive line for helping the Vikings find their rhythm after halftime.

“I thought our line came together really well in the second half,” Monroe said. “They were able to open up holes for Brady Ryan and Christian Spencer to run through, and we got back to running the ball effectively.”

The coach also praised Clemmer’s ability to respond after a difficult first half.

“Ryan Clemmer did another good job of managing the game. Even after throwing a couple of interceptions early, he was able to keep his head up and keep our offense together. I was really pleased with how he handled that adversity.”

Daniel Boone wasn’t ready to go away quietly.

The Blazers moved the ball to the Northern Lebanon 36-yard line with under seven minutes remaining. Needing two scores, Daniel Boone was running out of time, and the Vikings’ defense made sure the situation became even more difficult.

Graby recorded two sacks during the possession, while Connor Wallish added another, helping Northern Lebanon force a turnover on downs.

The sacks were part of a dominant effort by the Vikings’ defensive front, which finished the night with five sacks. Jaxin Bush joined Graby with two sacks of his own, while Wallish contributed the fifth.

Bush also shared the team lead with Ryan at nine tackles apiece, adding a quarterback hit and a fumble recovery according to the individual defensive statistics. Copenhaver and Spencer each finished with eight tackles, while Yocum and Graby recorded seven apiece.

In total, Northern Lebanon was credited with 70 tackles, including 33 solo stops and 37 assists. The Vikings also forced two turnovers, with Ryan’s interception and a fumble recovery, and kept Daniel Boone off the scoreboard for the final three quarters.

Monroe was particularly pleased with the defense’s ability to make plays when the Vikings needed them most.

“Our defense had another really good week,” Monroe said. “They’re back on track and flying around, delivering some really big hits and key tackles for loss. They got us off the field in some really tough spots, and I thought they played really well.”

With the Vikings looking to put the game away, Ryan delivered one final highlight in his last home game.

The senior broke loose to the right side for a 15-yard touchdown run, extending Northern Lebanon’s lead to 23-7 with just 2:09 remaining.

From there, the Vikings controlled the final minutes, closing out an important victory and giving their seniors a memorable sendoff.

For Northern Lebanon, the win was another strong response as the team continued building momentum toward the postseason.

Ryan played a major role on both sides of the ball, recording an opening-drive interception, catching a 32-yard touchdown pass and adding two rushing touchdowns. His performance helped the Vikings secure their second consecutive victory, while also providing a memorable finish to his final home game.

Defensively, the Vikings showed their ability to respond when things weren’t going their way offensively. Northern Lebanon’s five sacks and two takeaways helped overcome the two interceptions thrown by Clemmer, while the defense prevented Daniel Boone from building on its early advantage.

The milestone performances by Yocum and Spencer added even more significance to the Senior Night celebration, highlighting the contributions of two important members of the Vikings’ defense.

Northern Lebanon improves to 6-3, strengthening its position in the District 3 playoff race with just one week remaining in the regular season. Daniel Boone falls to 2-7 and will host Conrad Weiser in its regular-season finale.

For the Vikings, however, there is no time to celebrate for long. Waiting in Week 10 is a familiar Lebanon County rival, and the stakes could hardly be much higher.

Northern Lebanon will make the short trip to Myerstown next Friday night to face ELCO (5-4) in a rivalry matchup that carries significance well beyond local bragging rights. Both teams enter the regular-season finale with postseason positioning on the line, adding another layer of intensity to a matchup that already means plenty to both communities.

The Vikings will be looking for their third consecutive victory and an opportunity to finish the regular season at 7-3. The Raiders, meanwhile, will be eager to defend their home field and improve their own playoff outlook.

With the postseason looming, Friday’s meeting provides both teams with one final opportunity to strengthen their résumés before the District 3 brackets are finalized. For Northern Lebanon, a victory would also provide a fitting conclusion to a regular season that has seen the Vikings respond to adversity and build momentum when it matters most.

After back-to-back victories, the Vikings will look to carry that momentum into one of their biggest games of the season. For Monroe, the challenge will be finding a way to put together a complete performance against a tough opponent.

“We still have some mistakes to clean up and things we need to work on, but I’m proud of our guys, especially in the second half,” Monroe said. “The challenge now is putting four quarters together because we’re facing a really good ELCO team, and we need to play our best football yet.”

Northern Lebanon 23, Daniel Boone 7

 

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Photos by Susan Dengler (Owlcatraz Photography)

 

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Northern Lebanon Stats

Passing

• Ryan Clemmer: 10/16, 111 Yds, 1 TD, 2 INT (32 Long)

Rushing

• Brady Ryan: 22 Att, 134 Yds, 2 TD (33 Long)
• Ryan Clemmer: 11 Att, 17 Yds (10 Long)
• Christian Spencer: 3 Att, 9 Yds (6 Long)
• Team: 36 Att, 160 Yds, 2 TD

Receiving

• Landon Copenhaver: 6 Rec, 60 Yds (18 Long)
• Brady Ryan: 3 Rec, 44 Yds, 1 TD (32 Long)
• Chase Birkhead: 1 Rec, 7 Yds
• Team: 10 Rec, 111 Yds, 1 TD

Defensive Stats

• Jaxin Bush: 2 Solo, 7 Assist, 9 Total, 2 Sacks, 1 QB Hit, 1 FR
• Brady Ryan: 3 Solo, 6 Assist, 9 Total, 1 INT
• Landon Copenhaver: 7 Solo, 1 Assist, 8 Total, 1 TFL
• Christian Spencer: 5 Solo, 3 Assist, 8 Total
• Landon Graby: 3 Solo, 4 Assist, 7 Total, 2 Sacks
• Bryce Yocum: 5 Solo, 2 Assist, 7 Total, 1 TFL, 1 Pass Defended
• Simeon England: 5 Solo, 1 Assist, 6 Total
• Johnny Appleton: 4 Assist, 4 Total
• Chase Birkhead: 1 Solo, 2 Assist, 3 Total
• Connor Wallish: 1 Solo, 2 Assist, 3 Total, 1 Sack
• Joe Billing: 2 Assist, 2 Total
• Ryan Clemmer: 1 Solo, 1 Total
• Sam Kline: 1 Assist, 1 Total
• Kian Gibson: 1 Assist, 1 Total
• Justin Bennethum: 1 Assist, 1 Total

Sacks

• Jaxin Bush: 2 Sacks
• Landon Graby: 2 Sacks
• Connor Wallish: 1 Sack
• Team: 5 Sacks

Turnovers

• Brady Ryan: 1 INT
• Jaxin Bush: 1 FR
• Team: 2 Takeaways (1 INT, 1 FR)

Scoring

• Brady Ryan: 2 Rushing TD (1, 15 Yds), 1 Receiving TD (32 Yds)
• Ryan Clemmer: 1 Passing TD (32 Yds)
• Aaron Wanyo: 1 FG
• Team: 3 TD, 1 FG, 23 Points

Special Teams

• Brady Ryan: 2 Punt Returns, 12 Yds
• Chase Birkhead: 1 Kickoff Return, 18 Yds
• Landon Copenhaver: 1 Kickoff Return, 13 Yds
• Aaron Wanyo: 5 Kickoffs, 241 Yds (57 Long)
• Aaron Wanyo: 1 Punt, 27 Yds

Team Offense

• 271 Total Yds
• 160 Rushing Yds
• 111 Passing Yds
• 52 Offensive Plays
• 13 First Downs
• 3 Offensive TD
• 2 INT Thrown
• 0 Recorded Fumbles
• 5 Penalties, 45 Yds

Team Defense

• 70 Total Tackles
• 33 Solo Tackles
• 37 Assists
• 5 Sacks
• 1 INT
• 1 Fumble Recovery
• 2 Total Takeaways
• 1 Pass Defended
• 1 QB Hit

Defensive Milestones

• Bryce Yocum: 300 Career Tackles
• Christian Spencer: 100 Tackles This Season

Brady Ryan Season Totals (Through 9 Games)

• 1,211 Rushing Yards
• 16 Rushing Touchdowns
• 23 Total Touchdowns

 

 

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Northern Lebanon Viking Football – 2026 Season Outlook

 

For more Week 1 Coverage, check out: LebCo High School Football: Week 1 Results

 

2026 LebCo Football Team-by-Team Season Outlooks

 

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