Season preview: Schuylkill Valley Panthers
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Top Players To Watch in Section 5 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League
What to expect in Section 5 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League
Classification: Class 3A.
League: Lancaster-Lebanon Section 5.
Schedule: Click here.
Last season: 7-0 Section 5 champ, 9-3 overall.
Last District 3 playoff appearance: 2024.
Head coach: Bruce Harbach, fifth season, 26-20.
Key losses: All-State QB Logan Nawrocki, all-league WR Kowen Gerner, second-team all-league WR Dillon Lackner, All-State TE Luke Spotts, Section 5 Defensive Back of the Year Cooper Hohenadel, DB John Kowalski, P Alex Reali.
Top offensive players: QB Alex Aletras, RB/KR Brandon Pyle, second-team all-league FB Logan Cammauf, FB Tristan Goda, WR Alex Gehret, TE Hunter Durland, TE Landyn Keglovits, C Spencer Mountz, G Nickolas Moyer, G Nate Kier, all-league T Noah Sonon, T Gabe Kier, all-league PK Reese Wamsher.
Top defensive players: Second-team all-league E Faud Abdullateef, E Landyn Keglovits, all-league T Nick Moyer, T Keandre Powell, Section 5 Linebacker of the Year and All-State ILB Logan Cammauf, ILB Noah Sonon, OLB Brandon Pyle, OLB Anthony Batista, S Alex Gehret, CB Josiah Urbaez, CB Seth Klinikowski, P Reese Wamsher.
Did you know? Before last season Schuylkill Valley had just one All-State pick, Dominic Giuffre in 2022. Last year three Panthers were selected: QB Logan Nawrocki, TE Luke Spotts, and LB Logan Cammauf.
For the record: Luke Spotts had 60 receptions last year, most ever by a Berks County tight end. He led the entire Lancaster-Lebanon League in receptions, receiving yards (975), and touchdown catches (10).
On schedule: The Panthers beat Lancaster Catholic for the first time last year, 40-29, to clinch the Section 5 title. They had lost the first three meetings in the series. They’ll face each other to close the regular season Oct. 24 at Rossmere Stadium.
Quotable: “They might think (we’re down after winning a championship), but we still are a threat and they should be scared of us and what we can do. We lost guys, but this isn’t a rebuilding year, this is another championship year.” — Panthers senior tackle Nickolas Moyer
Fast fact: The Panthers went 50 seasons without winning a league championship before sharing the Section 5 title in 2023. Last year they won it outright.
Outlook: Since the first day Bruce Harbach showed up in Leesport he’s been saying the culture of Schuylkill Valley football has changed. That might have seemed like lip service at first, especially as the Panthers won just twice in his first season, 2021.
Now it’s gospel. Generations flip quickly in high school sports and all the current Panthers know about now is winning.
The seniors got a taste of that as freshmen when the team finished 6-5. The current juniors have known only success: a share of the Section 5 title in 2023 and the program’s first outright championship last year.
Logan Cammauf, an All-State linebacker last year as a junior, was in eighth grade when Harbach was named the head coach. He remembers Harbach, who won a pair of state titles at Lancaster Catholic, coming to talk to his junior high team and inviting them to share a pregame meal with the varsity squad. That made him feel part of the prgram and left a lasting impression.
“Everyone (now) is used to us being good,” Cammauf said.
That’s why even after graduating a pair of All-State picks and needing to replace seven all-league players the Panthers believe they’ll again be right at the top of Section 5.
“This is a new team but we’re still a good team,” insists senior tackle Nicholas Moyer, “and we’re still going to compete for a title.”
The mindset int he program has changed along with the won-loss record.
“If they’re not predicted (to finish) No. 1,” Harbach said, “that’s gonna be (hanging) up in the locker room — circled, I’ll tell you that right now. These kids understand.”
As positive as the attitude is there’s still much work to be done and considerable holes to fill.
The most critical fill-in job comes at quarterback, which Logan Nawrocki occupied the last 2 ½ seasons. He set program records with 35 touchdown passes and 2,559 yards last season.
Those numbers will not be equaled this year. The Panthers won’t even try. Instead, they’ll change their spots and become more of a running team. Their strength could be the offensive line where four starters return, including all-league tackle Noah Sonon. That unit is more athletic than in past seasons, Harbach says, and he’ll exploit it by utilizing the ground game more than ever.
“We’ve got bigger dudes up front to take care of bigger defensive tackles,” said the 6-1, 285-pound Moyer, “and we should be a big threat (to run).”
The ball will mostly be in the hands of Cammauf, a durable, hard-nosed fullback who averaged 6.3 yards per carry last year in leading the team in rushing. He’s not going to run away from people but he’ll sure as heck run over them.
“When we need 2 yards, he’s gonna get it for us,” Harbach said.
Junior Alex Aletras takes over at QB and fits into the run-game narrative. He’s more mobile than Nawrocki and will be given RPO opportunities.
“Logan was like a mentor to him the last two years,” Harbach said. “We got him equal reps at practice, to get him ready. He understands our offense, and he’s improved throwing the ball. He’s a smart football player. We’re not changing a lot (on offense).”
Schuylkill Valley gave up some yardage last year but allowed the fewest points of any Section 5 team. The strength of the defense will be up front, with the return of Moyer, an all-league tackle; second-team all-league end Faud Abdullateef; and of course with Cammauf.
He’ll clean up anything that gets past the front four. He was in on a Berks-leading and program-record 193 tackles last year and already has the program career tackles record – by more than 70.
The secondary is all new but should be aided by cornerback Josiah Urbaez, who played at Muhlenberg last season.
All-League placekicker Reece Wamsher returns after kicking four field goals, including a 40-yarder, and converting 36-of-40 PATs. He’ll take over punting duties after Alex Reali transferred to Berks Catholic.
At the wire: Panthers will again compete for Section 5 title and could make some noise in District 3 Class 3A Tournament.
(PhilMarPhoto)