By Ethan Miller ‘23
With thunderstorms rolling through Lancaster and Lebanon Counties Friday night, many L-L League games were delayed or pushed to Saturday. Fortunately, Conestoga Valley’s Week One matchup against the Penn Manor Comets was able to happen, albeit after a 45 minute delay.
Both offenses had some rust to shake off, as neither team was able to make any headway in the first quarter. In the second, CV was able to get going first, with a 51-yard drive that ended with a 20-yard touchdown run by junior running back (RB) Nick Tran. The ensuing extra point missed wide, and the Buckskins had their first lead of the game. The CV defense stalled out the ensuing Penn Manor drive, but a brilliant punt from the Comets punter gave the Buckskin offense bad field position to start their next possession. On the first play of that drive, from the CV 2, the Comet defense broke through for a safety, bringing the score to 6-2 Buckskins. The Comets then marched down the field for a touchdown to make the score 9-6, which was how it stayed going into the half.
Neither team managed to score in the third quarter, but in the fourth quarter both offenses started to find their rhythm. Once again, the Comets managed to pin the Buckskins deep in their own territory, at the CV 5 yard line. This time, however, things went a little differently. Junior quarterback (QB) Macoy Kneisley uncorked a 95-yard touchdown pass to Avery Tran to give the Buckskins a 12-9 lead with a little over 8 minutes left in the game (extra point unsuccessful). The Comets quickly mounted a comeback and marched down the field to retake the lead, and CV needed another touchdown to grab the victory. The offense was able to get to midfield before turning it over on downs, and Penn Manor took possession of the football with a little over 2 minutes remaining. The Buckskin defense was able to get the ball back to the offense, but 3 desperation plays were unsuccessful and the team lost 16-12.
Next week Conestoga Valley plays host to Garden Spot for their home opener on Friday, September 3rd at CVHS Stadium at 7 PM.
Box Score
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL | |
| Comets | 0 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 16 |
| Buckskins | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 12 |
Player of the Week
This week’s POTW goes to Avery Tran, who hauled in Macoy Kneisley’s 95-yard pass for a touchdown that gave the Buckskins the lead late in the fourth quarter.
