Late TD sinks Mifflin upset bid at Conestoga Valley
2024 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
WITMER — It was an epic, clock-draining, chain-moving drive.
But Gov. Mifflin’s glorious 99-yard, fourth-quarter scoring journey was for naught.
Conestoga Valley answered the Mustangs’ game-tying drive with a quick-strike to grab the lead for good before Isaiah Sensenig’s fumble recovery capped it.
| Section 2 | ||
| Exeter | 4-0 | 7-0 |
| Conestoga | 3-0 | 7-0 |
| Elizabethtown | 2-1 | 2-5 |
| Gov. Mifflin | 1-2 | 3-4 |
| Ephrata | 1-2 | 3-4 |
| Muhlenberg | 1-3 | 3-4 |
| Lebanon | 0-4 | 0-7 |
Sawyer Esbenshade’s 5-yard TD keeper with 6:29 to go in regulation gave the Buckskins the lead for good, and Sensenig’s recovery off Seth Morgan’s forced fumble with 1:49 left gave Conestoga Valley an electrifying 28-21 Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 2 win Friday night.
“Battling back after that 99-yard drive was mental toughness,” Buckskins coach Jon Scepanski said. “I’m so proud of our guys for being able to match their physicality. And we were able to come back and make plays when we had to.”
None bigger than Morgan’s strip and Sensenig’s recovery.
Conestoga Valley (3-0, 7-0) survived Mifflin’s ground-and-pound rushing attack and a physical game up front to remain in a virtual first-place tie with unbeaten Exeter.
The Bucks couldn’t breathe a sigh of relief until Sensenig — who also had a first-half interception from his safety spot — secured the bouncing ball, thwarting Mifflin’s last-gasp drive.
“I saw Seth Morgan knock the ball out, and it was bouncing all over the place,” Sensenig said. “I say, ‘Hey, that’s gotta be my ball. I got it.’ And it ended the game. Everyone had to keep to their jobs and fill all the gaps. We were able to stop them.”
In riveting fashion.
Mifflin (1-2, 3-4) was marching into Buckskins territory late. The fumble ended up bouncing all the way inside the Buckskins’ 10, where Sensenig finally corralled it.
Mifflin was pinned at its 1 after the Mustangs stuffed Conestoga Valley on a fourth-and-goal in the third quarter. Trailing 21-14, Mifflin gambled and went for it on fourth-and-1 at its 20 and Grady Garner — who rumbled for 178 yards, including a 34-yard TD run — picked up the first down to keep the drive alive.
Reese Hohl capped the 99-yard march — which featured all running plays — with an 8-yard TD sprint for a 21-21 tie with 9:48 to play.
“I don’t know how long it was, but it felt like our offense wasn’t on the field the whole second half,” Scepanski said. “They made us pay for it.”
Undaunted, Conestoga Valley went right to work. Esbenshade — who clicked on 12-of-16 passes for 239 yards and two TDs — had a pair of 15-yard keepers, and his 5-yard TD dash gave the Bucks a 28-21 lead.
“I had great confidence in our offense, and they were able to punch it right back in,” Sensenig said. “We were able to go right back at them.”
Then Conestoga Valley buckled up for Mifflin’s last possession. The Mustangs were on the move — they rushed for 277 yards in all — before Morgan’s strip and Sensenig’s scoop clinched it.
“Two great senior football players — and all the other guys out there with them that helped the play unfold — making a huge play at the end of the game to seal it,” Scepanski said. “That’s big.”
And a great big reason why Conestoga Valley is still unbeaten.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Gov. Mifflin | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| Conestoga Valley | 14 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 28 |
Scoring summary
| 1 | Gov. Mifflin | Jenkins, 5 run (Koenig kick) | |
| 1 | Conestoga Valley | Bair, 31 pass from Esbenshade (Erb kick) | |
| 1 | Conestoga Valley | Ruble, 6 run (Erb kick) | |
| 2 | Gov. Mifflin | Garner, 34 run (Koenig kick) | |
| 2 | Conestoga Valley | Garcia, 8 pass from Esbenshade (Erb kick) | |
| 4 | Gov. Mifflin | Hohl, 8 run (Koenig kick) | |
| 4 | Conestoga Valley | Esbenshade, 5 run (Erb kick) |
Team statistics
| Gov. Mifflin | Conestoga Valley | |
| First downs | 19 | 21 |
| Rushes-yards | 53-277 | 26-148 |
| Passing yards | 0 | 239 |
| Total yards | 277 | 387 |
| Passes | 0-4-1 | 12-16-0 |
| Fumbles-lost | 3-1 | 1-1 |
| Punts-average | 2-40.5 | 0-0 |
| Penalties-yards | 9-54 | 8-70 |
Individual statistics
RUSHING
Gov. Mifflin: Garner 28-178, Pletz 15-73, Leaf 2-17, Jenkins 3-11, Hohl 2-8, Steuer 1-2, Mayo 1-1.
Conestoga Valley: Esbenshade 10-73, Ruble 13-73, Salisbury 2-2, Garcia 1-0.
PASSING
Gov. Mifflin: Pletz 0-4-1–0.
Conestoga Valley: Esbenshade 12-16-0–239.
RECEIVING
Conestoga Valley: Bair 4-81, Garcia 4-65, Salisbury 2-66, Ruble 1-14, Fisher 1-13.
