Sophs step up as Dutchmen pick off Hanover
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 Jeff Reinhart — LNP/Lancasteronline
HANOVER –Jalynn Moyer and Danny Shay were at the right place at exactly the right time.
Annville-Cleona’s sophomore duo came up with game-changing interceptions in the end zone as the Dutchmen gutted out a 10-7 non-league victory over Hanover Thursday night for a 2-0 start.
| Final | |
| Ann.-Cleona | 10 |
| Hanover | 7 |
Moyer’s interception came first. He picked off Hanover’s Boden Strausbaugh on the goal line on second-and-goal from the 3 with six seconds to go in the third quarter, thwarting the Nighthawks’ potential go-ahead touchdown.
“Third down and they were going for the touchdown pass,” Moyer recounted. “I was backed up deep, trying to make sure nobody got in front of me. I saw the ball go up, and I came up and I grabbed it.”
Annville-Cleona denied Hanover (0-2), which also couldn’t overcome 10 penalties for 85 yards.
Shay’s interception came late; with Hanover driving and looking to take the lead and rain on Annville-Cleona’s parade, Shay pirated Strausbaugh’s pass about a yard deep in the end zone with 3:14 to play.
“At first I thought I was going to get beat deep,” Shay said. “My guy got behind me, but I caught up to him at the end. I was able to bump him from the side, and I jumped in front of him. It was like a slow-motion play. So cool.”
It was even cooler a couple minutes later when Annville-Cleona, which topped Biglerville 18-9 in its opener, got two first downs, and quarterback Lane Peters, who scored the Dutchmen’s lone TD, took a couple knees and that was that.
“Two sophomores making the second varsity start of their lives,” Annville-Cleona coach Matt Gingrich said about Moyer and Shay. “And here’s the cool part: Our look squad in practice gave them all the right looks, so our kids saw those routes a thousand times.”
Peters put Annville-Cleona on the board first late in the first quarter. After Hudson Sellers had an 11-yard sack to force Hanover to punt, Peters hit Sellers for a big 37-yard catch and run and Annville-Cleona was in business.
Peters’ 1-yard TD sneak made it 7-0 with 2:38 to go in the first quarter. Hanover answered. The Nighthawks took advantage of a face-mask flag on Annville-Cleona, and Carter Alverez punched in a 3-yard TD run to knot it at 7-7 with 10:05 to go in the first half.
The Dutchmen grabbed the lead for good when Cian Soliday drilled a 34-yard field goal at the halftime horn.
Little did anyone know at the time that nobody would score in the game’s final 24 minutes. Hanover had two terrific chances, but Moyer and Shay came up big.
“Amazing for our team,” Moyer said. “Our defense was on lock-down for sure, and there was so much excitement on the sideline after the interceptions.”
Peters went 5-for-7 through the air for 100 yards and picked up 49 rushing yards. Devon Englehart paced Annville-Cleona with 70 rushing yards, and Sellers caught three passes for 96 yards.
Annville-Cleona has scored a grand total of three touchdowns in two games, but the Dutchmen’s defense has been opportunistic — and clutch, like it was on Thursday.
“We have no turnovers in two games,” Gingrich said. “We’ve scored a grand total of 28 points, but we’ve won two games. It’s insane.”
Insane, perhaps. But true. Thursday, it was a pair of 10th-graders who showed the way, and the Dutchmen will go for a 3-0 start next Friday when Littlestown comes to Annville.