Defense, special teams help Panthers avoid Vikings’ upset bid
2023 Berks football coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
By John Nagy — MikeDragoSports.com correspondent
Making a defensive stand isn’t easy work. That was precisely what Schuylkill Valley had to do against Northern Lebanon to keep its win streak alive.
With All-State running back Dominic Guiffre out with an injury the Panthers’ defense and special teams stepped up, delivering a final stop and a thrilling 7-6 Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 5 win in front of a packed Homecoming crowd.
It was the Panthers fifth straight win after a season-opening loss to Twin Valley, which is unbeaten.
The game was a defensive slugfest from the start. The Panthers defense surrendered just three first downs the entire first half.
“(Our) defense came through,” said Schuylkill Valley coach Bruce Harbach. “They made stops when we needed critical stops. (It) really helped us out.”
The Panthers entered the game riding a four-game winning streak dating back to their 22-19 win over Upper Perkiomen a month ago. They had scored 48 points or more in their last three wins.
The Schuylkill Valley defense tormented Northern Lebanon quarterback Kael Erdman, who finished with minus-29 rushing yards, 88 passing yards and four fumbles (one lost). The Vikings offense finished with 167 yards.
With the defense holding Erdman and company at bay, Panthers running back Cooper Hohenadel scored a 39-yard touchdown early in the third quarter to break the game’s scoreless tie.
“The lineman had a great block set up; I found the hole and took off.” Hohenadel said.
Setting up Hohenadel’s score was tight end Lucas Spotts, who recorded a 33-yard reception from quarterback Logan Nawrocki. He had four receptions for 60 yards.
Northern Lebanon (1-2, 2-4) ended the shutout a minute into the fourth quarter, with Erdman throwing a 4-yard touchdown pass to tight end Luke Shaffer.
The Vikings missed the extra point, allowing the Panthers (3-0, 5-1) to stay on to.
The Vikings had a chance to win it with a 22-yard field goal attempt in the final minute but the kick was tipped, sending it wide right. That sent the crowd into a frenzy.
“(Special teams) came through for us tonight, and you never know when the special teams are going to come through.” Harbach said. “I aged five extra years. I’ve been coaching 46 years. There are a dozen to 20 or so games that you have like this.
“I told my kids, ‘It doesn’t matter if you win by 35 points or one point . . . it’s a ‘W’ in the column.’ ”
“I love winning,” Spotts said. “I don’t think there’s anyone who loves winning more than me.”
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Northern Lebanon | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| Schuylkill Valley | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
Scoring summary
| 3 | Schuylkill Valley | Hohenadel, 39 run (Wamsher kick) | 7:24 |
| 4 | Northern Lebanon | Shaffer, 8 pass from Erdman (kick failed) | 11:11 |
Team statistics
| Northern Lebanon | Schuylkill Valley | |
| First downs | 9 | 10 |
| Rushes-yards | 27-79 | 30-111 |
| Passing yards | 88 | 147 |
| Total yards | 167 | 258 |
| Passes | 11-20-0 | 11-19-1 |
| Fumbles-lost | 4-1 | 0-0 |
| Punts-average | 6-33.3 | 6-25.2 |
| Penalties-yards | 3-30 | 9-65 |
Individual statistics
RUSHING
Northern Lebanon: Ostermayer 6-71, Gonzalez 7-36, Watson 5-1, Ryan 1-0, Erdman 8-(-29).
Schuylkill Valley: Hohenodel 19-92, Cammauf 5-27, Team 2-(-2), Nawrocki 4-(-6).
PASSING
Northern Lebanon: Erdman 11-19-0–88, Gonzalez 0-1-0–0.
Schuylkill Valley: Nawrocki 11-19-1–147.
RECEIVING
Northern Lebanon: Shaffer 4-46, Ryan 3-13, Mitzel 2-2, Gonzalez 1-16, Watson 1-11.
Schuylkill Valley: Spotts 4-60, Lackner 4-22, Gerner 3-65.
INTERCEPTIONS
Northern Lebanon: Gonzalez.
MISSED FIELD GOALS
Northern Lebanon: Bohn 22.
