Panthers score quick TKO over Dutchmen, head to championship bout
2024 Berks football coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
By Chris DeAntonio — MikeDragoSports.com correspondent
It took just one play for the Schuylkill Valley Panthers to get on the scoreboard Friday night: A 60-yard touchdown pass from Logan Nawrocki to Lucas Spotts set the tone for a 49-28 Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 5 win over visiting Annville-Cleona.
| Section 5 | ||
| Sch. Valley | 6-0 | 7-2 |
| Lanc. Cath. | 5-1 | 6-3 |
| Berks Cath. | 4-2 | 5-4 |
| Hamburg | 3-3 | 5-4 |
| Ann.-Cleona | 3-3 | 4-5 |
| Pequea | 2-4 | 4-5 |
| Kutztown | 1-5 | 1-8 |
| Columbia | 0-6 | 0-9 |
“That’s how you want to start off,” said Schuylkill Valley head coach Bruce Harbach. “That’s what good teams do.”
That was the first of three times the Panthers (6-0, 7-2) scored on one play helped set them up for a chance to win their first outright title league next week when they play Lancaster Catholic (4-1, 5-3) in Leesport.
If Catholic wins the teams will again share the Section 5 title, as they did last year, along with Annville-Cleona.
“We came into this one with a good mindset,” said Schuylkill Valley’s Dillon Lackner. “We did what we had to do, and we know what’s on the line for next week.”
The Panthers got a 59-yard run from running back Cooper Hohenadel and a 72-yard catch by Lackner. Those three possessions took a combined 30 seconds.
The cost of the Panthers’ quick-strike offense was that its defense was on the field for 66 plays. While Annville-Cleona (3-3, 4-5) had some success moving the ball and picking up first downs, Schuylkill Valley’s defense yielded just two touchdowns until the fourth quarter.
Annville-Cleona did cut into a two-score Panthers’ lead early in the second quarter. It capped off a 13-play drive with a 1-yard touchdown run by Bryce Keller.
Schuylkill Valley continued to answer, quickly and efficiently.
“That’s what Annville-Cleona will try to do to you,” said Harbach. “Run the clock and keep your defense on the field. We tried to run some clock off with runs, but then we’d break off a long run, or a deep pass.”
Schuylkill Valley intercepted two Keller passe, including a one-handed grab in the end zone by Hohenadel.
Hohenadel finished with 111 yards on seven carries.
He was one of five players who reached the end zone for the Panthers. Schuylkill Valley had scores from Spotts, Hohenadel, Lackner, Logan Cammauf, and Brandon Pyle.
Lackner led the Panthers in receiving, with four catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns.
Cammauf found the end zone on a 2-yard pass from Nawrocki in the first half and on 39-yard run in the second half. Pyle’s touchdown was another big one — 60-yard run, which turned out to be the Panthers’ last score. Pyle picked up 98 yards on just five carries.
“Our kids practiced hard this week,” said Harbach. “Coaches kept them focused and we did what we had to do. It was a good win for us.”
Annville-Cleona reached the end zone three times in the fourth quarter, including two from Jonathon Shay. Shay carried 14 times for 62 yards and a touchdown. He also caught a team-high two passes for 37 yards and a touchdown.
Nawrocki had an efficient night for Schuylkill Valley, racking up over 227 yards on 9-of-14 passing, with four touchdowns.
Spotts caught three passes for 97 yards and a touchdown.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Annville-Cleona | 0 | 7 | 0 | 21 | 28 |
| Schuylkill Valley | 14 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 49 |
Scoring summary
| 1 | Schuylkill Valley | Spotts, 60 pass from Nawrocki (Wamsher kick) | 11:43 |
| 1 | Schuylkill Valley | Hohenadel, 59 run (Wamsher kick) | 4:07 |
| 2 | Annville-Cleona | Keller, 1 run (Kreider kick) | 9:45 |
| 2 | Schuylkill Valley | Cammauf, 2 pass from Nawrocki (Wamsher kick) | 7:59 |
| 2 | Schuylkill Valley | Lackner, 72 pass from Nawrocki (Wamsher kick) | 4:27 |
| 3 | Schuylkill Valley | Lackner, 38 pass from Nawrocki (Wamsher kick) | 3:28 |
| 4 | Annville-Cleona | Shay, 35 pass from Peters (Kreider kick) | 11:35 |
| 4 | Schuylkill Valley | Cammauf, 39 run (Wamsher kick) | 9:58 |
| 4 | Annville-Cleona | Shay, 5 run (Kreider kick) | 6:17 |
| 4 | Schuylkill Valley | Pyle, 60 run (Wamsher kick) | 4:51 |
| 4 | Annville-Cleona | Barrientos, 1 run (Kreider kick) | 0:20 |
Team statistics
| Annville-Cleona | Schuylkill Valley | |
| First downs | 19 | 13 |
| Rushes-yards | 59-297 | 16-249 |
| Passing yards | 81 | 227 |
| Total yards | 378 | 476 |
| Passes | 6-9-2 | 9-14-0 |
| Fumbles-lost | 1-0 | 1-0 |
| Punts-average | 4-39 | 2-33 |
| Penalties-yards | 7-45 | 6-51 |
Individual statistics
RUSHING
Annville-Cleona: Keller 16-94, Englehart 17-88, Shay 14-62, Moran 5-29, Sellers 3-15, Barrientos 4-9.
Schuylkill Valley: Hohenadel 7-111, Pyle 5-98, Cammauf 3-40, Nawrocki 1-0.
PASSING
Annville-Cleona: Keller 4-7-2–45, Peters 1-1-0–35, Shay 1-1-0–1.
Schuylkill Valley: Nawrocki 9-14-0–227.
RECEIVING
Annville-Cleona: Shay 2-37, Moran 2-36, Sellers 1-7, Keller 1-1.
Schuylkill Valley: Lackner 4-134, Spotts 3-97, Cammauf 1-2, Kowalski 1-(-6).
INTERCEPTIONS
Schuylkill Valley: E. Ortiz, Hohenadel.
