Conestoga Valley victory sets up rematch with Exeter
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 — Isaiah Sensenig certainly has a flair for the dramatic.
Back on the field for the first time in two weeks, Sensenig wasted zero time kick-starting Conestoga Valley’s football team Friday night.
The Buckskins’ multi-purpose fiend returned the opening kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown, blocked a pair of PAT attempts and broke up a pass on fourth down to thwart a drive in Conestoga Valley’s 35-24 victory over Shippensburg in a District 3 Class 5A quarterfinal.
“Glad I was able to pull that one off,” Sensenig said of his game-opening, tone-setting kick return. “Thanks to the blockers. They gave me a clear lane to the end zone. Super big play. It raised the morale for the whole team, and it took it away from them.”
The fourth-seeded Bucks improved to 11-0 for the first time since 1985 and set up a must-see, all-L-L Section 2 rematch next week against eighth-seeded Exeter, which KO’d top-seeded New Oxford 24-21 on Friday.
Conestoga Valley edged the Eagles 28-27 in Week 9 at Reiffton on a controversial call that disallowed a two-point play in the waning minutes. The Bucks went on to win their first section championship since 2006.
“It’s going to be a wild one, that’s for sure,” Conestoga Valley coach Jon Scepanski said about Exeter coming to Witmer next week. “It was a great game the first time. I know they’ll be prepared and ready to go, and we’ll be in the same boat. It’s going to be a very physical game. We’ll enjoy this win for now. But we’ll have to put in a lot of work and be ready for them next week.”
Friday, Sensenig got CV’s postseason party started just like last year; in 2023, the Bucks’ Jayden Johnson opened a first-round victory over Dover with a kick-return TD.
“To do that in back-to-back years is pretty exciting,” Scepanski said. “It livens everybody up. It wakes up the crowd. It wakes up the players. It’s a big play, and what a way to start the playoffs.”
“It definitely helped out us a lot,” Conestoga Valley defensive back Seth Frankford said. “Same thing as last year. And that’s so exciting. We haven’t played in so long, so you’re a little nervous. And then he does that, and it really got us going for the rest of the game. What an exciting way to get it going.”
Conestoga Valley really never looked back after Sensenig’s electrifying lid lifter. The Greyhounds were within 7-6 later in the first quarter — Sensenig blocked that PAT — but Johnson and Teagan Ruble had second-quarter TD runs to help give the Bucks a 21-6 lead at the half.
Sensenig helped preserve that cushion with a key pass break-up from his safety slot, stymieing Shippensburg at CV’s 24 with 45 seconds to go in the second quarter.
“When a ball goes up in the air like that, you’re thinking about knocking it down or even intercepting it,” Sensenig said. “That’s what we do in the secondary.”
Sensenig batted down the pass and Conestoga Valley held on downs. The Bucks’ defense bent a little — the Greyhounds (10-2) rushed for 251 yards — but Conestoga Valley answered every time.
Mark Carothers had three TD runs for fifth-seeded Shippensburg. But CV was able to ice it in the fourth quarter when Sawyer Esbenshade broke off a 30-yard QB keeper TD, and Ruble’s 2-yard bolt put it away with 3:25 to go.
Sensenig and the Bucks are looking forward to their rematch with Exeter.
“We’ll have the home turf this time,” Sensenig said. “We’re really just enjoying this ride right now. Nothing seems real just yet, but it sure has been exciting.”
