Twin Valley facing first of what could be several big games this season

It’s safe to say Twin Valley hasn’t played in many big games in its relatively brief, 27-year football history.

The Raiders have reached the District 3 playoffs just once. They’ve enjoyed only three winning seasons. They have just one section championship, and they shared that one.

The biggest game they’ve ever played, arguably, came in 2007 when they beat Wyomissing 34-14 in the regular season finale to finish tied for first with the Spartans in Section 2 of the Berks Football League.

That meager big-game history is about to change.

Twin Valley is off to a 3-1 start under first-year coach Brett Myers and making sounds like a contender. They might not win Section 3 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League this season but the Raiders will be a factor in the race and appear to be on a path that sees them contending for that title on a regular basis going forward.

A win over unbeaten Elizabethtown Friday at Twin Valley Stadium will push the Raiders’ record to 4-1 at the season’s midpoint; they had never done that before last season. A will will also stamp Twin Valley as a legit Section 3 contender.

Myers, who wasn’t officially named head coach until early July, won’t say the Raiders are ahead of schedule but that “we’re right where we should be.”

He won’t label the game against the visiting Bears (0-0, 4-0) a big game, either; that’s just not his style. Besides, if they win it the Week 6 match-up against Solanco, also unbeaten to this point, will be even bigger.

If the Raiders (1-0, 3-1) continue to improve week by week, as Myers says they are, they could face a string of big games and return to districts.

“Every game’s a big game to us,” said Myers, who knows a thing or two about them, having won three District 3 championships at Middletown and played in two PIAA championship games.

“Since the beginning we’ve always said we’re 0-0 (each week) and every game’s the Super Bowl,” Myers said, “and this week’s no different. Schuylkill Valley (in Week 1) was the Super Bowl for us; Lower Dauphin (in Week 2) was the Super Bowl. Conrad Weiser and Fleetwood, as well. (This) is a big game, because every game’s a big game; you only get 10.”

Stopping Elizabethtown will be a handlful. The Bears are averaging 42 points and ranked No. 1 in the entire 37-team Lancaster-Lebanon League in total offense, aveaging 505 yards per game.

Quarterback Josh Rudy, a three-year starter, has thrown for over 1,000 yards without an interception. Wide receiver Braden Cummings has 10 touchdown receptions — in four games, not for his career.
“What a great opportunity to play a team as explosive as E-town to see how much we’ve improved,” said Myers. “They’re a really balanced, explosive team that wants to put up points.”

Twin Valley’s defense has been allowing 171 yards per game through the air and is ranked last among the seven teams in Section 3 in total defense. Still, the Raiders haven’t given up a lot of points and they’ve been effective at taking the ball away, forcing 10 turnovers.

They’re a plus-5 in turnover differential, a winning figure.

Myers is encouraged by his defense because it’s all new to his players and they’re making strides with it, he said. Plus, they haven’t unvieled everything they’ve been working on yet, either.

“We feel pretty good about how they’re growing and how they’re learning and how they’re trying to understand (it),” he said. “We’re tackling better every week and excited with how we’re improving.”

Myers expects the defense to continue to improve over the second half of the season. One reason is because he’s been able to implement a two-platoon system. He has no full-time, two-way starters.

That helps players improve faster. It’s been especially important for the offensive line, which — at an average of 6-3, 255 pounds — is big, experienced and has been setting the tone. The Raiders are controlling the game by running on about 75 percent of their snaps.

Jaydon Goebel, a 6-2, 210-pound senior, leads with 308 rushing yards. Shifty sophomore Evan Johnson is averaging 7.9 yards per carry, freshman Drew Engle 7.4 and quarterback Evan Myers 8.3.

Elizabethtown is 4-0 first time since 2008; it’s a big game for the Bears, too. They have a modest trophy case, as well.