Game of the Week: Twin Valley vs. Southern Lehigh, presented by Kevin Miller of Berkshire Investment Group (updated)
PIAA Class 4A championship
Twin Valley (14-0) vs. Southern Lehigh (14-1)
Kick: Thursday, 7, at Chapman Field, Mechanicsburg.
Series: First meeting.
How they got here: District 3 champ Twin Valley beat District 7 champ Aliquippa 28-24 in semifinals. . . District 11 champ Southern Lehigh beat District 12 champ Cardinal O’Hara 28-24 in semifinals.
Coaches: Twin Valley – Brett Myers, fourth season, 40-10. . . Southern Lehigh – Phil Sams, sixth season, 54-18.
PIAA playoff history: This is the first championship game appearance for each team.
Southern Lehigh schedule: Click here.
Twin Valley schedule: Click here.
PIAA Class 4A bracket: Click here.
Fast fact: Southern Lehigh’s senior class is 45-9, the winningest in program history. Four of those losses have come to Colonial/Schuylkill League rival Northwestern Lehigh, which is 46-1 over the last three seasons. . . Twin Valley’s senior class is 40-10, also the winningest in program history.
(PhilMarPhoto)
Raiders update: Played error-free football for the ninth time last week in turning back Aliquippa 28-24. . . Needed to stop last-minute pass into end zone to preserve the victory. . . Have committed 6 turnovers in 14 games. . . Plus-15 in turnover differential. . . Drew Engle was held to a postseason-low 65 yards on 20 carries last week. . . He rushed 31 times for 281 yards, both career-highs, in district championship win over Susquehanna Township and for 750 yards and 12 TDs over three district playoff games. . . Extended program records to 1,920 yards in a season and 4,037 in career last week. . . Has scored program-record 36 touchdowns in a season and 60 in a career. . . Junior RB Lucas Myers, who topped 1,000 yards in district semifinal, has 1,147 yards and is averaging 9.6 yards per carry. . . He has 24 TDs after reaching end zone three times last week. . . Averaging 50.6 points per game, second-most in the state. . . LB Keenan Munn had an INT, fumble recovery, and pass break-up last week vs. Aliquippa; he leads team with 5 fumble recoveries . . . LB Ryan Rementer had an INT and sack; he leads team with 131 tackles, and has 15 tackles for loss. . . LB Lucas Myers and DE Liam Sheehan each had sacks. . . Myers has 129 tackles, leads team with 12 sacks, and has 21 tackles for loss. . . DT Greyson Miller shares team lead with 21 tackles for loss and has a pair of Pick-6’s. . . Rementer and Engle each have 3 INTs. . . Team has 23 takeaways, 6 turnovers, for plus-17 turnover differential. . . Allowed season-high 229 passing yards last week. . . Allowed season-high 391 total yards to Susquehanna Township, the only team to rush for 200 yards. . . Earned first district title with 41-21 win over Susquehanna Township. . . Set program record with 11th win against West Perry in district quarterfinal. . . Finished regular season ranked No. 1 in the Lancaster-Lebanon League in total offense, total defense, scoring, scoring defense, and pass defense during the regular season; No. 2 in rush defense. . . Have mercy-ruled 10-of-14 opponents, including West Perry in district opener. . . Ranked No. 1 in state for past six weeks by PennLive.com.
Did you know? Twin Valley coach Brett Myers has coached in a PIAA championship game three times, leading Middletown to the Class 3A finale in 2016, 2017, and 2018. The Blue Raiders lost each: to Beaver Falls, Quaker Valley, and Aliquippa.
Spartans update: Beat Cardinal O’Hara last week on senior running back Sean Steckert’s 4-yard touchdown run with 31 seconds left . . . it was second straight week they scored in the final minute to win. . . beat Shamokin 30-27 the week before on a Steckert TD run. . . Steckert, who has rushed for a program-record 2,911 yards, ran for 210 yards and three touchdowns on 40 carries last week. . . Steckert is committed to play at East Stroudsburg. . . QB Colton Sams, the son of head coach Phil Sams, completed 14-of-18 passes last week for 149 yards and a TD. . . Sams has thrown for 2,543 yards and 34 TDs, with 5 INTs; he set a program record as a sophomore when he threw for 2,999 yards . . Sams has a 136.6 passing efficiency rating. . . Steckert and Sams were All-State picks last year. . . Leading receiver Darius Roman has 49 catches for 713 yards and 9 TDs. . . Otto Young has 8 TD catches, Luke Kawczenski 7. . . Offense averaging 403 total yards per game, 172 of that through the air. . . Averaging 39.9 points per game. . . Have turned the ball over just 7 times with a plus-14 turnover differential. . . Defense has 15 INTs and 21 takeaways. . . LB Dariuz Lightner recorded nine total tackles, forced a fumble, and had an INT last week. . . He shares team leads with 95 tackles and with 4 INTs. . . DT Dylan Gretz leads team with 7 ½ sacks and 12 tackles for loss; he is drawing Division I interest. . . DL Carter Giberson, who has committed to play at Albany, has 3 sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss. . . Allowing 16.5 points per game, 18.6 during postseason. . . Recorded three shutouts, including one against Bangor in district opener. . . Have not converted a field goal in three tries. . . Have missed 9-of-76 PATs. . . Beat Bethlehem Catholic 49-28 for District 11 championship, its second straight and third overall. . . Lost Class 5A district title games in 2022 and 2023 to Whitehall. . . Lone loss this season came in Week 10 to Northwestern Lehigh (36-28), which is unbeaten and in the Class 3A championship game.
Fast fact: Maxpreps.com, which does not include complete stats from every Pennsylvania team, lists Factoryville’s Isaac Ryon with 2,880 rushing yards. Southern Lehigh’s Sean Steckert has rushed for 2,911. It lists Ryon with a high of 49 touchdowns; Steckert has 41.
Fast fact: The Born Power Index lists Southern Lehigh with an 83.1 rating, Twin Valley at 75.5. (Aliquippa is at 94.8, Cardinal O’Hara at 78.8.)
Fast fact: With 709 points Twin Valley is the highest-scoring team in Berks history. It broke the record of 670 set by Wyomissing in 16 games in 2021.
Fast fact: Southern Lehigh did not turn over the ball on a fumble during its first 14 games before losing two last week against Cardinal O’Hara.
