Jayden Johnson powers Conestoga Valley over Warwick
2023 Berks football coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
(This story was produced by LNP/Lancasteronline, and published in partnership with MikeDragoSports.com.)
By Bruce Morgan — LNP/Lancasteronline
WITMER — Suffering a one-point loss to Garden Spot last week was a tough pill to swallow for Conestoga Valley.
As Buckskins coach Jon Scepanski noted, it was the kind of loss which tends to linger.
On Friday night, however, CV officially put that defeat in the rear-view mirror, getting two TD runs and 215 yards rushing from junior Jayden Johnson in a 19-7 victory over Warwick in a Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 2 opener.
“For us to come back out tonight and be focused and get back on the right track shows that the kids can handle some adversity,” Scepanski said. “I’m just very proud of the way they performed tonight.”
The Bucks’ defense was certainly focused, sacking Warwick quarterback Trevor Evans five times, getting a pick from Isaiah Sensenig, blocking a punt and limiting the Warriors to just 34 yards on the ground.
After Warwick (1-3) took a 7-6 lead by scoring on its opening possession of the second half, with Evans (21-42-1, 233 yards) connecting to Keldyn Loraw for a 12-yard TD strike, they crossed midfield only one more time.
And their lead didn’t last long, thanks to Johnson darting through a hole and outracing Warwick’s defenders for a 65-yard TD run on the next play from scrimmage, putting the Bucks back in front 12-7 with 10:04 remaining in the third.
“He’s a heck of an athlete,” Scepanski said of Johnson, who also scored on a 1-yard run in the second quarter. “When you give him the ball, you don’t know what’s going to happen really. He sees the field very well.”
Teagan Ruble also saw the field very well when he hauled in a short pass over the middle from QB Liam Cheek (6-of-12, 140 yards), broke a tackle and went 40 yards to paydirt to complete the scoring with 9:23 to go.
Next Friday night, Conestoga Valley (3-1) will host Solanco in a non-league matchup, while the Warriors look to snap a three-game losing streak when they travel to Manheim Central for a Section 2 clash.
