Inspired effort by Donegal receiver sinks Daniel Boone
2025 Berks football coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
(This story was produced by LNP/Lancasteronline, and published in partnership with MikeDragoSports.com.)
By Christian Eby — LNP/Lancasteronline
MOUNT JOY — Angel Mendez could feel his friend’s presence in more ways than one. Some hints were smaller, some loomed large. But even if those hadn’t been present Monday against Daniel Boone, Donegal’s junior wide receiver had the most important honor of all.
| Final | |
| Donegal | 30 |
| Boone | 8 |
Mendez wears No. 5 for the Indians football team. Joey Williams wore the same number on the basketball court.
Williams died in a car crash Oct. 5 at age 17. The matchup between Donegal and Daniel Boone, originally scheduled for Friday, was postponed to Monday so football players and the student body could attend Williams’ services.
With a heavy heart, Mendez celebrated his companion and teammate with a career night. He secured four receptions for 113 yards and two touchdowns, helping catapult the Indians to a convincing 30-8 Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 4 victory.
“(Joey) would’ve loved to see this,” said Mendez. “Every day he played basketball, and he just wanted to get out there and play the game he loved. And I think me being out here doing that with his number, and mine, I think was a great way to remember him. I just want to keep the love up for him.”
Williams had a reputation for sinking the clutch shot and being a 3-point specialist. Mendez had a flair for the dramatic Monday.
Quarterback Chase Marshall and Mendez connected for a 60-yard fourth-quarter TD heave to seal the Blazers’ fate. Mendez also won a 50-50 ball in the corner of the end zone, on a 6-yard score with 1.9 seconds left before halftime as the Indians (2-3, 3-5) took a 14-0 lead into intermission.
Marshall threw for 164 yards and three TDs; Mendez had four catches for 113 yards.
“We’ve been playing together since fifth grade,” Marshall said of his relationship with Mendez. “It’s always been the same positions, quarterback and receiver. We’ve had a good connection for a long time. It’s just sometimes we click, and that was what happened tonight.”
Jacir Johnson stamped his name into the deep-shot playbook, shaking out his defender on a 29-yard sluggo route in the third quarter for a 22-8 Donegal lead. He snatched the deciding interception with 20 seconds remaining in regulation.
The loss was the 10th straight over two seasons for the Blazers (0-8), who got their only points in the third quarter when Maddox Roy ran 22 yards for a touchdown and Haydn Moyer followed with a conversion run. That cut Donegal’s lead to 22-8.
The Blazers managed 202 rushing yards and 287 total yards, just 23 less than the Indians. They were hurt by two turnovers, an 11-yard punt, and 12 penalties for 95 yards.
Moyer rushed for 120 yards and caught three passes for 64 yards.
Boone’s best chance at avoiding a winless season comes Friday at home against Northern Lebanon, but a short week of preparation won’t help that effort. The Vikings are 1-7 and have lost seven straight.
Boone wraps up the regular season against state-ranked Twin Valley, on the road.
It wasn’t always crisp for the Indians Monday. They were saddled with six penalties and turned the ball over twice downs. The Indians overcame the imperfections by keeping Williams’ memory close, donning No. 5 stickers on the back of their helmets and writing messages on their undershirts.
Leelan Baughman, another close friend of Williams’, punched in the game’s opening score on a 6-yard burst. He pointed his fingers to the rain-filled sky before being swarmed by teammates.
“I think these guys understand it,” Donegal coach Anthony Sottasante said. “We’re a source of pride for the community. And when a tragedy happens like this, we have an opportunity to start the healing process, and these guys did a great job of that. And I think that’s really what they wanted to do.
“(Angel) was extremely close to Joey. So for him to have a night like tonight, it’s really special. It’s something he’s going to remember the rest of his life.”
No. 5 means something different, something more in the Donegal community now.
Mendez honored it the right way. By going out and playing the game he loves. By doing it at a high level.
“I think we all came together,” Mendez said. “We realized it was bigger than just us. It was a community. It was God showing us that life is precious. We came out on this field, and we showed them what we had to do.”
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Daniel Boone | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| Donegal | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 30 |
Scoring summary
| 1 | Donegal | Baughman, 6 run (kick failed) | 7:00 |
| 2 | Donegal | Mendez, 6 pass from Marshall (Marshall run) | 1.9 |
| 3 | Donegal | Johnson, 29 pass from Marshall (Marshall run) | 8:38 |
| 3 | Daniel Boone | Roy, 22 run (Moyer run) | :48 |
| 4 | Donegal | Mendez, 60 pass from Marshall (run failed) | 2:36 |
Team statistics
| BOONE | DONEGAL | |
| First downs | 12 | 13 |
| Rushes-yards | 38-202 | 30-148 |
| Passing yards | 85 | 162 |
| Total yards | 287 | 310 |
| Passes | 7-12 | 6-9 |
| Fumbles-lost | 1-1 | 2-0 |
| Punts-average | 1-11.0 | 0 |
| Penalties-yards | 12-95 | 6-50 |
Individual statistics
RUSHING
Daniel Boone: Moyer 17-120, Roy 5-32, Ruffner 2-5.
Donegal: Baughman 18-84, Smith 3-33, Marshall 8-26, Johnson 1-5.
PASSING
Daniel Boone: Stoudt 7-12-1–85.
Donegal: Marshall 6-9-0–162.
RECEIVING
Daniel Boone: Moyer 3-64, Floria 2-20, Roy 1-3, Ruffner 1-(-2).
Donegal: Mendez 4-113, Johnson 2-49.
INTERCEPTIONS
Donegal: Johnson.
