By Ethan Miller ‘23
In the first home game with fans in nearly two years, the hometown team did not disappoint with a high-octane 38-23 victory against Garden Spot. The atmosphere felt celebratory, as junior Conner Nafziger commented, “The parking lot was full and there was lots of energy in the stadium.” After a slow start in the first half, the Bucks roared back in the second half to take a commanding victory.
The Spartans struck first when QB Tristin Sadowski threw for a 9-yard touchdown, which gave them a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter. On the ensuing possession, the Buckskins were able to march right down the field for a quick score that tied the game at 7, which is how it would stay into the second quarter.
Following a fumble by CV deep in their own territory, Garden Spot capitalized on the error with a rushing touchdown from Sadowski that put them up 14-7. Once again, the Buckskins were able to respond quickly, this time with an electrifying 80-yard touchdown run by junior running back Nick Tran, tying the game up, 14-14. The Spartan offense continued to fire on all cylinders following the kickoff from CV, as they responded with yet another touchdown pass. The extra point missed, giving Garden Spot a 20-14 lead late in the first half. The turnover woes continued for CV as QB Macoy Kneisley threw an interception that gave the Spartans the ball with good field position. They were able to capitalize on the Buckskin mistake with a field goal with under a minute left in the half, and the score at halftime was 23-14, Garden Spot.
After a disappointing first half, especially on defense, for the Buckskins, both sides of the ball needed to step it up in the second half in order to claim their first victory of the season. And step up they did, as both offense and defense shone for the remainder of the game. However, it was a special teams play that swung the momentum back in favor of the Bucks.
Coach Gerad Novak, kicking off to Garden Spot to begin the third quarter, decided to go with one of the most difficult plays to execute in football – the onside kick. It worked to perfection, as the special teams for Conestoga Valley were able to catch the Spartans off guard and recover the football, setting the offense up with excellent field position. Kneisley led the offense downfield quickly, capped off with a 26-yard touchdown pass to WR Jayiell Plowden to pull the Buckskins within 2 points of Garden Spot, 23-21. The defense held strong on the following Spartan possession and forced a punt, which was promptly blocked by Colin Hoffner. The ball was placed at the 11, which set up a field goal from Jaden Walker to give CV their first lead of the night, a lead which they would not relinquish for the rest of the game. Late in the third quarter, the defense would come up big again, as they recovered a Garden Spot fumble at the CV 30-yard line, ending another promising Spartan drive. Kneisley led the offense to the endzone again, with a 55 yard touchdown to Plowden – his second of the game. At the conclusion of the third quarter, CV led 31-23.
The offense kept clicking and the defense continued being a brick wall, as the Spartans had no answer in the fourth quarter to both. The offense was able to pull off yet another scoring drive, as Nick Tran rumbled for a 19 yard touchdown, extending the lead to 38-23, CV. The defense managed another turnover, picking off Sadowski late in the quarter that sealed the deal. When the final whistle blew, the Buckskins emerged victorious with a 38-23 win.
Up next, the team hosts rival Lampeter-Strasburg in the Lampeter Bowl on Friday, September 10th.
Box Score
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL | |
| CV | 7 | 7 | 17 | 7 | 38 |
| Garden Spot | 7 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 23 |
Player of the Week
The POTW award for CV’s first win of the season goes to junior running back Nick Tran (#3). The starting RB continued his hot start to the season with a dominant game on the ground Friday night. He scored two touchdowns, with distances of 19 and 80 yards. In total, he tallied 178 yards on 19 carries- an average YPC of 9.37! Check back next week to see who garners POTW honors.
POTW Records for this Season
Week 1: WR Avery Tran
Note: Stats and other information provided by LNP and MaxPreps, as I was unable to attend the game in person this week.