Penn Manor no match for red-hot Conestoga Valley
2024 Berks football coverage
presented by UECU
(This story was produced by LNP/Lancasteronline, and published in partnership with MikeDragoSports.com.)
By Jeff Reinhart — LNP/Lancasteronline
WITMER — Coming in hot.
It didn’t take Conestoga Valley very long to fire its afterburners, flex its muscles, and attack the end zone with authority Friday night.
Jayden Johnson started the season with a bang, returning the opening kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown and QB Sawyer Esbenshade, making his much-anticipated starting debut behind center for the host Buckskins, fired three TD passes in a 35-0 non-league win over Penn Manor.
Conestoga Valley held the Comets to minus-12 rushing yards, 37 total yards and four first downs.
“A lot of excitement there,” Esbenshade said about Johnson’s electrifying season-opening kick-return. “It was great to get that score right away. When I saw it coming to him, I was thinking, ‘That’s a touchdown.’ And he did it. It took a lot of pressure off.”
Conestoga Valley picked up right where it left off in 2023, when it won nine games, had a runner-up finish in Section 2, and picked up a District 3 playoff victory for the first time since 2009.
“We’re proud of what we accomplished last season, and we wanted to build on where we left off,” Conestoga Valley coach Jon Scepanski said. “Having a night like this makes the kids realize that hey, this was our goal, and we’re taking the steps to be where we want to be.”
Conestoga Valley dominated from start to finish. The mercy rule was triggered in the middle of the third quarter, as the Bucks’ defense bum-rushed the backfield at will, piling up six sacks — two by reigning Section 2 Linebacker of the Year Seth Morgan, plus a 15-yard loss on a sack by Justin Corson.
It was not what the doctor ordered for Penn Manor, which watched Johnson pop the opening kickoff for a score, and the Comets suffered 11 penalties for 80 yards, including a pair of 15-yard personal fouls, which got Conestoga Valley out of jam just before halftime.
The Bucks were facing third and long at their own 10, but two flags on Penn Manor kept the drive alive. Esbenshade ended up flipping a 4-yard TD toss to JoJo Garcia for a 26-0 cushion at the break.
Earlier, Teagan Ruble was in on a pair of scoring plays for the Bucks. Already up 7-0 after Johnson took the opening kick to the house, Esbenshade hit Ruble with a swing pass on Conestoga Valley’s first play from scrimmage, and he zoomed 33 yards for a TD and a 13-0 lead with 9:42 to go in the first quarter.
Later, Esbenshade — who clicked on 9-of-14 attempts for 138 yards in his debut — hit Konnor Fisher for an 18-yard gain, setting up Ruble’s 3-yard TD run.
Conestoga Valley gouged out 131 yards on the ground with 15 first downs and just three penalties for 15 yards.
The Bucks tacked on a safety for a 28-0 lead, and Conestoga Valley triggered the mercy rule with 5:47 to go in the third quarter when Esbenshade connected with Isaiah Sensenig for a 29-yard TD strike for the final margin.
“This one is important,” Esbenshade said, “and now we need to keep this going.”
“We lacked a certain toughness at the line of scrimmage, and that’s something we have to get better at,” Penn Manor coach John Brubaker said. “We’ll see how much we improve between Week 1 and Week 2. That’s going to be a big tell with how we’re going to be moving forward.”
