eagles varsity football schedule

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A 76-yard drive late in the fourth quarter, capped by a 2-yard touchdown run from Isaac Hodgson with three seconds remaining, gave the Rams the road win over their Mid-Penn Commonwealth rivals.

Central Dauphin, the No. 10 seed, advances to face another familiar Mid-Penn Commonwealth foe in No. 2 Harrisburg Nov. 8 at Severance Field. Friday’s win was the first in the district tournament for the Rams (5-6) since they defeated Harrisburg for the 2019 title. Colton Stamy’s 6-yard touchdown pass to Zayden Smith gave the Eagles (5-6) the lead in the opening moments of the second quarter. Cumberland Valley clung to the lead until it evaporated with the Rams’ late charge.

CENTRAL DAUPHIN DEFEATS CUMBERLAND VALLEY FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2019 IN THE DISTRICT III-6A MATCHUP

By Rymir Vaughn-PennLive

Three seconds. That’s how long No. 10 Central Dauphin led No. 7 Cumberland Valley in their District 3 Class 6A first round matchup on Friday night. That’s all the Rams needed as Central Dauphin took down its Mid-Penn Commonwealth Division rival 7-6 in a defensive slugfest. The Rams struggled to muster up any offense for a majority of the game. But when it mattered most, Rams quarterback Mark Lebo led a 13-play, 76-yard touchdown drive capped off by an Isaac Hodgson two-yard touchdown and Robby Jimenez extra point. “You can’t even explain this feeling,” Lebo told PennLive. “Coming back late in the game down 6-0 with four minutes left and bringing the team to a win, nothing feels better than that.”

The Eagles offense struggled without Notre Dame commit Tyler Merrill on the offensive and defensive lines. Central Dauphin’s offense wasn’t much better, but when the game was on the line it made the necessary plays to win. Here’s how Central Dauphin defeated Cumberland Valley for the first time since 2019.

THE STARS

Hodgson’s game-tying touchdown wasn’t all he did for the Rams Friday night. The CD star ran tough all night, picking up tough yardage, including three third-down conversions on the Rams’ final drive. While Hodgson gets the credit for the touchdown, Lebo conducted the final drive to near perfection. He totaled 52 yards through the air and on the ground to set up Hodgson’s touchdown.

HOW IT HAPPENED

After stopping the Rams on their first offensive possession of the game, Cumberland Valley went on a monster 18-play drive that ended with a six-yard touchdown pass from Colton Stamy to Zayden Smith.

Carson Davis, who was in place of kicker Chayse Snyder, missed the extra point. CV’s first-possession touchdown was the only points for quite some time, however both squads had chances to put more points on the board.

On the Eagles next possession, a 13-yard run from Rocco Bushman was sandwiched in-between two passes from Stamy to Brody Pines that set up CV at the Rams 15. The next three plays saw a snap go over Stamy’s head for a loss of 13. Then back-to-back sacks by CD’s Brandon Cooper and Cameron Book knocked the Eagles out of field goal range.

On the Rams first drive of the second half, a stagnant offense came to life with a 17-play drive that stalled at the goal line. Davis missed a 33-yard field goal on the Eagles ensuing possession. The Rams and Eagles exchanged three-and-outs following Davis’ missed field goal, setting up Lebo’s game-winning drive with 4:06 remaining in the game. Lebo was poised as he connected with Jadyn Johnson three times on the drive. Mix in some quarterback keepers for Lebo and Hodgson runs, and the Rams found themselves with a third and two at the Eagles two yard line. The rest is history.

THEY SAID IT

“I’m proud of our kids resilience. Season long resilience and in-game resilience. We were behind on the scoreboard literally until there were three seconds left. That’s growth.” - Central Dauphin head coach Glen McNamee on the Rams 7-6 victory over Cumberland Valley.

Central Dauphin 0 0 0 7 — 7

Cumberland Valley 0 6 0 0 — 6

SCORING

SECOND QUARTER

CV-Zayden Smith 6 pass from Colton Stamy (Carson Davis kick failed), 11:54

FOURTH QUARTER

CD-Isaac Hodgson 2 run (Robby Jimenez kick), :03

TEAM STATISTICS CD CV

First downs: 10, 13

Rush yards: 31-147, 23-15

Passing: 83, 219

Comp-Att-Int: 8-15-0, 17-28-1

Fumbles-lost: 0-0, 2-0

Punts-avg.: 4-40.75, 3-46

Penalties-yards: 2-25, 1-10

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING– Central Dauphin, Isaac Hodgson 19-77, Mark Lebo 12-29, Kah’mani Garcia 2-11; Cumberland Valley Hayden Johnson 7-18, Rocco Bushman 5-17, Colton Stamy 11-(-20)

PASSING– Central Dauphin, Lebo 8-15-0—83; Cumberland Valley Stamy 17-27-0—219, Kameron Wolfe 0-0-1—0

RECEIVING– Central Dauphin, Jadyn Johnson 6-45, Garcia 1-23, Jalen Mayville 1-16; Cumberland Valley Brody Pines 6-83, Wolfe 4-73, Zayden Smith 5-49, Beck Collins 2-14

CUMBERLAND VALLEY'S SECOND HALF OFFENSIVE EXPLISION POWERS KEY WIN OVER CEDAR CLIFF

By Tom DeMartini – PennLive

The Cumberland Valley football team finally got the offensive explosion it sought for the majority of the 2025 season on Friday night at Chapman Field. And it couldn’t have come at a more opportune time. Cumberland Valley scored 42 second half points – 21 of them on its first three possession of the third quarter – and rolled to a 48-17 Mid-Penn Conference Commonwealth Division decision over Cedar Cliff on Senior Night. The win unofficially locked down the seventh seed for Cumberland Valley in next week’s District 3, Class 6A tournament. Barring any changes, the Eagles will host 10th seeded Central Dauphin Friday night.

“At halftime, we made some adjustments in both sides of the ball and we executed,” said Cumberland Valley head coach Josh Oswalt. “To score 42 points in a half in high school football shows how potent our offense can be. “At the end of the day, this was a slobber knocker battle and that’s what we expect the next couple of weeks,” Oswalt said.

THE STARS

Cumberland Valley quarterback Colton Stamy threw for 260 yards on 18 completions and three touchdown passes. Brody Pines snagged two of those TD throws and hauled in 6 passes on the night for 123 yards. CV’s Hayden Johnsonscored on runs of 8 and 7 yards. Cedar Cliff quarterback Jalen Hinton completed 10 passes for 205 yards and two touchdown passes – both to Owen Anastasi – for 63 yards and 80 yards. Cedar Cliff running back Landon Howell (13 rushes, 66 yards) left the game late in the first half with an injury, walked off the field under his own power, but did not return.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Cumberland Valley, ahead 6-3 at intermission, scored on three consecutive third quarter possessions. Pines took a pass from Stamy over the middle and zoomed 67 yards for a score just 27 seconds into the second half. The Eagles defense forced a three-and-out and had a short field to work with when Rocco Bushman rambled 48 yards for a touchdown that opened a 20-7 edge. Cumberland Valley capped a 10-play, 46-yard march the next time it touched the football with Stamy hitting Pines for a 12-yard score and 27-3 lead. The Eagles opened the fourth quarter by capping a 40-yard drive with Johnson’s second rushing touchdown of the contest and a 34-3 advantage.

THEY SAID IT

“My offensive line worked hard all week and that’s all them, man. They make my job so much easier to score those touchdowns. We were locked in, knowing if we came out and did our thing, we’d be good,” --Cumberland Valley’s Hayden Johnson. “Rocco our freshman back ran well. Colton was slinging the ball around. Kam pops in there every now and again. The thing people have to understand is that Commonwealth football is smash mouth. We’ve got guys getting beat up every week. Injuries are beating up all of us. We have to ask for new guys to step up. We have relied on guys who are a few weeks ahead of schedule being in the varsity field, and they’r finally starting to fall in their shoes and do good stuff,” - Cumberland Valley head coach Josh Oswalt.

SCORING

Cedar Cliff 3 0 0 14 — 17

Cumberland Valley 6 0 21 21 — 48

FIRST QUARTER

CC-Wyatt Easton 23 field goal 4:45

CV-Hayden Johnson 8 run (kick failed) 1:21

SECOND QUARTER

None

THIRD QUARTER

CV-Brody Pines 67 pass from Colton Stamy (Chase Snyder kick) 11:33

CV-Rocco Bushman 48 run (Snyder kick) 8:56

CV-Pines 12 pass from Stamy (Snyder kick) 3:43

FOURTH QUARTER

CV-Johnson 7 run (Snyder kick) 11:23

CC-Owen Anastasi 63 pass from Jalen Hinton (Easton kick) 9:13

CC-Anastasi 80 pass from Hinton (Easton kick) 4:46

CV-Kameron Wolfe 55 pass from Stamy (Syder kick) 3:48

CV-Elijah Gonzalez 2 run (Snyder kick) 1:09

TEAM STATISTICS

CC CV

First downs: 13,16

Rush yards: 32-86, 29-152

Passing: 205, 260

Comp-Att-Int: 10-17-0, 18-28-0, 260

Fumbles-lost: 1-1, 0-0

Punts/(avg): 4/32.5, 1/47

Penalties: 2-30, 4-30

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING – Cumberland Valley: Johnson 6-21, Stamy 2-9, Bushman 8-71, Cole Hockenberry 7-26, Gonzalez 5-26, Team 1-(1)….Cedar Cliff: Landon Howell 13-66, Hinton 7-6, Alex Otero 8-7, Khy’meir Richardson 3-8, Team 1-(-1)

PASSING – Cumberland Valley: Stamy 18-27-0, 260, Wolfe 0-1-0, 0… Cedar Cliff: Hinton 10-17-0, 205

RECEIVING – Cumberland Valley: Zayden Smith 7-39, Pines 6-123, Jaden Erole 2-30, Gus Senos 1-8, Wolfe 2-70… Cedar Cliff: Jaden Heckard 2-10, Amarion Autry 1-15, Owen Anastasi 6-175, Howell 1-5

SECOND-HALF SURGE HELPS CV PULL AWAY FROM CEDAR CLIFF IN REGULAR SEASON FINALE

By Mick Reinhard – The Sentinel

In a crowded field of potential Class 6A playoff teams, it's difficult to predict what a win or loss means in the calculations of the power rankings that determine the postseason tournament field. Even with that uncertainty, Cumberland Valley knew it needed a win in Friday's Week 10 Mid-Penn Commonwealth game against Cedar Cliff if it wanted any chance of playing beyond the regular season. The Eagles showed up and showed out, reeling off 41 second-half points on their way to a resounding 48-17 victory over the Colts in the regular season finale at Chapman Field. The win all but guarantees Cumberland Valley (5-5, 4-4 Commonwealth) not only a spot in the District 3 Class 6A playoffs, but a home game in the first round. Unofficially, Cedar Cliff also has the inside line on hosting a first-round contest despite the loss. "You practice all week with a game plan," Cumberland Valley head coach Josh Oswalt said. "It's a chess match. (Cedar Cliff) had a great game plan for moving the ball. We were able to execute that first touchdown. In the second half, we imposed our will and went after it."

After Cedar Cliff (5-5, 5-3) received the opening kickoff, the Colts chewed up yards and over seven minutes on the ground behind running back Landon Howell. The junior keyed the drive with 52 yards on seven carries as the Colts rumbled into the red zone. But Cumberland Valley's defense came to life as it tightened up, forcing Cedar Cliff's Wyatt Easton to kick a 24-yard field goal. Cumberland Valley immediately answered through the air behind quarterback Colton Stamey. The sophomore completed seven straight passes for 54 yards to begin the possession, connecting with receivers Zayden Smith and Brody Pines. The Eagles called their first running play of the game for Hayden Johnson. who punched it in from 8 yards out to give them the 6-3 lead they would nurse into halftime. "That was huge," Pines said. "That turned the game around. We knew we had to bounce back. That really changed the momentum."

The second half was a completely different story for Cumberland Valley, as it scored touchdowns on six of seven possessions, quickly building an insurmountable cushion that Cedar Cliff couldn't counter. Twenty-seven seconds into the half, Stamey floated a pass into the soft spot of the Colts' defense to find Pines wide open. The senior wideout didn't break stride, outrunning everyone for the 67-yard score. Next possession, running back Rocco Bushman burst through the line and avoided a couple of tackles in his 48-yard rumble to the house. The freshman finished with 70 yards, leading Cumberland Valley, on eight carries.

Cedar Cliff's three-and-out on offense that followed did little to slow down the Eagles. Stamey orchestrated a 10-play drive culminating in a 12-yard pass to Pines in the back of the end zone for the 27-3 lead. Johnson's second touchdown on the ground added to the advantage at the start of the fourth quarter. "We all really bought in," Stamey said. "We all knew what we were doing, and it really started clicking together." The sophomore signal caller finished 18-of-27 for 273 yards, including three touchdowns.

Cedar Cliff quarterback Jalen Hinton hooked up with Owen Anastasi for two long scores (63 and 80 yards), but it came too little, too late. The Colts played the second half without the services of leading rusher Howell, who left with 1:19 in the second quarter with an injury. Howell walked off under his own power, but didn't return to the field.

"I love these kids," Oswalt said. "In 16 years as a head coach, I've never enjoyed a group top to bottom like I do this group. We've had our trials and tribulations this year, but adversity is something that has chiseled us into who we are right now."

 HAYDEN JOHNSON'S LATE TD CREATES THE EAGLES WIN

Cumberland Valley defeated Chambersburg 7-0 in a low-scoring football game on October 17, 2025, thanks to a late touchdown run by Hayden Johnson. The win was a significant defensive battle… the Cumberland Valley and Chambersburg defenses were brick walls throughout this Mid-Penn Conference meeting. It took until the final minute for a breakthrough. Hayden Johnson delivered it with his 4-yard touchdown with 26 seconds remaining in the game to lift Cumberland Valley to their 7-0 victory.

Final Score: Cumberland Valley 7, Chambersburg 0

Key Play: Hayden Johnson's touchdown run in the final minutes broke the scoreless tie and secured the victory for Cumberland Valley. 

Game Summary: The game was a defensive battle that remained scoreless for the majority of the contest before Johnson's late score. 

Player of the Game: Hayden Johnson was a key player for Cumberland Valley, ultimately scoring the game's only touchdown. 

By Eric F. Epler pennlive

Cumberland Valley may have administered the most in-game adversity that Harrisburg has endured Friday at Chapman Field. How the Cougars handled that pressure is truly the mark of a championship caliber team. The Eagles collected five turnovers, including three first-half interceptions by Zayden Smith, and had Harrisburg within spitting distance until the final horn. Alas, it was the PJ Dent progression that ultimately secured the Cougars’ 21-16 Mid-Penn Commonwealth win. 

Dent carried 34 times for 194 yards and a pair of touchdowns to help Harrisburg (8-0, 7-0) remain unbeaten. Mixing in another combustible performance by Calvin Everett’s defense was another factor in the taught contest along the Carlisle Pike. The Eagles did spoil a handful of Harrisburg drives with its opportunistic pace. However, the Eagles (3-5, 3-4) were outgained 386-78 in total yards, lost the first down race 18-7, and banked just 14 rushing yards on 18 attempts.

THE STARS

With Penn State recruit Messiah Mickens still out with an injury, Dent again was the main engine for the Cougars, who opened the contest with a steady 13-play, 80-yard scoring drive. Dent capped the series from the Eagles’ 4. A Chayse Snyder 29-yard field goal brought the Eagles within four, but a Mikal Shank Jr. TD pass to Elias Coke later in the second quarter seemed to change the mood. For a few seconds Brody Pines returned the ensuing kickoff 94 yards to paydirt, giving CV a mere 14-10 halftime deficit to deal with. Smith’s three INTs were pivotal, including his third pick near the CV goal line in the final seconds of the half. Coke chipped in nine receptions for 127 yards. On the other side, LBs Noah Ewell (sack, 2 TFLs) and Rick Brown charged the Cougars’ defense. CV lineman and Notre Dame pledge Tyler Merrill did not play.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Leading 21-10, Harrisburg handed the Eagles a short field following a high punt snap late in the third quarter. QB Colton Stamy and RB Hayden Johnson worked CV down to Harrisburg’s 19. Seconds later, Stamy hit Kameron Wolfe for 6. A fumble on Harrisburg’s ensuing possession gave the Eagles a chance to rally, but a Trays Walker pass deflection, coupled with a 19-yard loss on a high CV snap, forced the Eagles to punt it away with under three minutes to play. Dent’s 19-yard scamper on HBG’s second play allowed the Cougars to run out the clock.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Harrisburg 7-7-7-0 – 21

Cumberland Valley 10-0-0-6 – 16

First quarter

H-PJ Dent 4 run (Enrique Garces kick), 7:06

Second quarter

CV-FG Chase Snyder 29, 10:58

H-Elias Coke 12 pass from Mikal Shank Jr. (Garces kick), 5:05

CV-Brody Pines 94 kickoff return (Snyder kick), 4:50

Third quarter

H-Dent 1 run (Garces kick), 6:41

Fourth quarter

CV-Kameron Wolfe 19 pass from Colton Stamy (pass failed), 11:10

TEAM STATISTICS: Hbg- CV

First downs: 18 7

Rush-yards: 39-177 18-14

Passing: 209 64

Comp-Att-Int: 18-26-4 10-16-0

Fumbles-lost: 1-1 1-1

Punts-Avg.: 1-41 4-30

Penalties-yards: 7-62 2-9

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: Harrisburg, PJ Dent 34-194, Ja’auan Johnson 1-1, Titus Brown 2-(minus-4), Team 2-(minus-14); Cumberland Valley, Colton Stamy 7-24, Hayden Johnson 3-10, Kameron Wolfe 1-5, Rocco Bushman 6-(minus-6), Team 1-(minus-19).

PASSING: Harrisburg, Mikal Shank Jr. 18-26-4—209; Cumberland Valley, Stamy 10-16-0—64.

RECEIVING: Harrisburg, Elias Coke 9-127, Amir Russell 2-28, Johnson 2-23, Dent 1-20, Trays Walker 3-10, Kaijaun Sinkler 1-1; Cumberland Valley, Wolfe 6-46, Brody Pines 2-12, Jaden Erole 1-5, Bushman 1-1

By Eric F. Epler pennlive

Despite myriad injuries and the stench of starting the 2025 season 0-2, Bishop McDevitt continued its quest to become a complete Football-Friday-Against-Worthy opponent. Quarterback Sebastian Williams connected for a pair of first quarter touchdowns and RB Nazir Jones added two scores on the ground, leading the Crusaders to a resounding 34-13 Commonwealth Division triumph over Cumberland Valley.

On a night when McDevitt honored the members of both the District 3 championship squad in 1985, and the program’s first state title team in 1995, the current cast played the part of an aggressive top five crew at Rocco Ortenzio Stadium. On both sides of the football. So dominant was McDevitt’s pacing defense the Eagles were pinned down to 90 offensive yards, and a mere 12 rushing yards on 19 attempts. On the other side, McDevitt’s offensive line continued to surge during a now five-game win streak, allowing Jones-Davis to pitch in 135 yards on 20 carries.

THE STARS

Jones-Davis paced the offense while Williams connected o 10 of 14 passes for 123 yards and those two scores, one apiece to Ish Palmer and Howard Holton Jr. It gifted McD a brisk 13-0 cushion. Barnes, fellow LB RJ Duffy and DT Ja’kye Logan were among the defensive standouts that effectively forced the Eagles to all but abandon the run. In addition, platooning CV QBs Colton Stamy and Kameron Wolfe were under duress throughout. Palmer’s three catches for 51 yards led McDevitt’s receiving corps.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Palmer’s speed on a Williams’ tap pass put the Crusaders in front on the opening possession. CV’s first attempt ended in disaster when a high snap on its punt attempt resulted in a short-field opportunity for the hosts. Two plays later, Williams located Holton Jr. for a 13-0 McDevitt lead. The margin would swell to 20-0 early in the second when Jones-Davis capped a 10-play drive from the Eagles’ two. Despite gaining some momentum late in the half – Wolfe spun a 14-yard TD strike to Zayden Smith at the 1:23 mark of the second quarter – Cumberland Valley’s first chance in the third quarter ended with a Tyler Reinhart interception.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Cumberland Valley 0-7-0-6 -- 13

Bishop McDevitt 13-7-14-0 – 34

First quarter

McD… Ish Palmer 38yd pass from Sebastian Williams (Aidan Grella kick), 9:08

McD… Howard Holton Jr. 11yd pass from Williams (kick failed), 5:54

Second quarter

McD… Nazir Jones-Davis 2yd run (Grella kick), 8:15

CV… Zayden Smith 14yd pass from Kameron Wolfe (Chayse Snyder kick), 1:21

Third quarter

McD… Maurice Barnes 1yd run (Campbell Miltsch kick), 9:08

McD… Jones-Davis 5yd run (Miltsch kick), 6:57

Fourth quarter

CV… Hayden Johnson 1yd run (pass failed), 10:19

TEAM STATISTICS CV… McD

First downs: 11… 13

Rush-yards: 19-12… 39-194

Passing: 78… 123

Comp-Att-Int: 8-26-1… 10-14-0

Fumbles-lost: 1-0… 1-1

Punts-Avg.: 6-26.7… 2-24

Penalties-yards: 3-15… 9-98

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: Cumberland Valley, Kameron Wolfe 8-20, Hayden Johnson 4-9, Rocco Bushman 3-3, Brody Pines 1-(minus-3), Colton Stamy 3-(minus-17); Bishop McDevitt, Nazir Jones-Davis 20-135, Jerome Larue Jr. 9-23, Maurice Barnes 6-19, Sebastian Williams 4-17.

PASSING: Cumberland Valley, Stamy 5-17-0—42, Wolfe 3-9-1—26; Bishop McDevitt, Williams 10-14-0—123.

RECEIVING: Cumberland Valley, Zayden Smith 3-29, Pines 2-27, Elijah Sherman 1-11, Wolfe 2-11; Bishop McDevitt, Ish Palmer 3-51, Howard Holton Jr. 2-29, Larue Jr. 1-13, Liam Fuller 1-12, Gage Ruth 1-11, Jontai Quick 2-7.  

 Cumberland Valley earned its second home victory in as many weeks, defeating CD East 24-6 in a Mid-Penn Commonwealth contest at Chapman Field. The Eagles (3-3, 3-2 Commonwealth) jumped to a 10-0 lead with 10 points on two CD East turnovers on the Panthers’ first two possessions.

Zayden Smith ended the first CD East drive with an interception, which set up a 28-yard Chayse Snyder field goal. Later in the first quarter, Colton Stamy’s one-yard touchdown run capped a scoring drive set up by a fumble forced by Carson Davis and recovered by Martin Francis.

The 10-point lead was enough for Cumberland Valley, which held the Panthers (2-4, 1-4) to a pair of field goals and added to the lead with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Stamy to Smith and a Kam Wolfe 12-yard touchdown run.

The Eagles’ Rocco Bushman was the offensive standout of the game as he rushed for 128 yards and Ethan Bruaw recovered a CD East fumble defensively in the second half. Another reason for the win was Cumberland Valley's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for four sacks. That dominant display was truly a team effort as four different players picked up one apiece. 

By Eric F. Epler- PennLive

Generating momentum through the first four weeks of the season was a struggle for Cumberland Valley. But these four quarters can turn a season around in a hurry. Quarterback Colton Stamy accounted for a pair of touchdowns and the Eagles’ defense did plenty to deter Commonwealth rival Central Dauphin Friday in a 24-15 CV win. The gutsy Rams did threaten to keep Josh Oswalt’s assembly searching for answers, holding a 15-14 cushion late in the third quarter. However, Stamy and his seemingly endless supply of outside targets countered with an eight-play, short-field TD drive that swung momentum for the final time. Chayse Snyder’s 27-yard field goal ended Central Dauphin’s hopes with 8:17 to play.

THE STARS

Stamy drove CV’s short, productive pass game from start to finish, completing 22 of 31 attempts for 185 yards and a second quarter TD flip to Zayden Smith. Ironically, the connection down the seam came on third-and-goal from the CD 19. Stamy also opened the Eagles’ scoring with a TD blast early in the second. Top target Brody Pines collected 10 receptions for 69 yards, while teammate Jaden Erole (6 catches, 56 yards) and Smith (2-26) weighed in. The numbers were paramount with CV athlete Elijah Sherman injured on the opening kickoff. Hayden Johnson’s 37 yards paced CV’s rushing attack, which did just enough to keep the Rams guessing. Stamy earned the MVP nod in the Great American Rivalry Series game.

CD signal caller Mark Lebo, who returned in the second half after suffering an arm injury with roughly eight minutes remaining in the first half, was 11 of 17 for 72 yards. It was Lebo’s surge that got the Rams first on the board at Chapman Field. Isaac Hodgson (13 carries, 58 yards) accounted for CD’s other touchdown. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

The outcome remained in doubt until Cumberland Valley used a short field early in the fourth to press ahead by nine. Sparked by a terrific out pass from Stamy to Erole, which came on fourth-and-3, Snyder slammed in the 27-yard field goal to put the Rams out of reach. Johnson would later pick off Lebo’s throw on CD’s final possession of the game.

Big picture

Cumberland Valley football answers adversity in cathartic rivalry win over Central Dauphin

By Tim Gross

Cumberland Valley’s fourth play from scrimmage Friday night, a fourth-down attempt from midfield, landed in the hands of senior Brody Pines, who gained enough yards for a first down and swung around a throng of Central Dauphin defenders before the Rams knocked the ball loose and recovered. The Eagles’ promising opening drive ended abruptly, and the Rams capitalized on the turnover to take a 7-0 lead. Miscues and mistakes mounted against Cumberland Valley’s football team through the first month of the season, pushing the Eagles to the wrong end of the narrow margins to a 1-3 record.

Friday, the Eagles pushed back.

Pines finished with 69 receiving yards on 10 catches, quarterback Colton Stamy passed for a touchdown and rushed for another, and the Eagles authored an answer for the mistakes and the miscues in a 24-15 win over the Rams on a warm, humid night at Chapman Field. “We faced it,” Cumberland Valley head coach Josh Oswalt said. “That’s the thing that we’ve been doing. We were 1-3 going into tonight. We faced the adversity that was in front of us and used it as coachable moments. It’s not easy to come back here after losses that we’ve had this year, but we understand that it’s the grand scheme of things. We’re not here only to win games in August and come out and be undefeated in the regular season. We want to play our best ball by the end of the year.”

Almost every coachable moment for Cumberland Valley (2-3, 2-2 Commonwealth), from earlier in the game and earlier in the season, turned into a positive play or a slice of retribution later in Friday’s contest. Kicker Chayse Snyder, who missed an extra point in the Eagles’ one-point loss to Altoona in Week 3, gave the Eagles three crucial points with a 26-yard field goal Friday that extended the Cumberland Valley lead to two possessions with 8:17 remaining. “It was a cool opportunity,” Snyder said. “It’s hard going up and down the bench knowing that I’m not playing much, but they’re going to need me in certain spots during the game. I was happy I was able to come up big.”

Central Dauphin blocked a Cumberland Valley punt and earned points and possession via safety in the aftermath to cut the Eagles’ 14-7 lead to five before halftime. But with a 24-15 lead and 3:37 remaining, the punt team pinned Central Dauphin (2-3, 2-2) on its own 20 with a successful attempt. After fumbling away the opening offensive drive, Pines returned on his next series and caught four passes for 30 yards during Cumberland Valley’s game-tying scoring drive that culminated with a Colton Stamy 1-yard plunge. “Brody’s fantastic,” Oswalt said. “The thing that people maybe fail to pay attention to is that he’s playing unbelievable ball defensively. If you know anything about Brody, he’s going to come in tomorrow and he’s going to be upset because of the fumble. He’s going to ignore the fact that he probably led the team in tackles and was all over the field defensively and had big possession catches. That’s just who he is, and that’s what’s going to drive him to the next level and beyond. He’s a great leader, and he doesn’t want to let his team down.”

Stamy’s rapport with Pines and the rest of his receivers provided the pulse in the victory. The sophomore completed 22 of his 31 pass attempts for 183 yards and a touchdown, trusting his receivers with short passes that turned into big gains and throws that allowed Zayden Smith to make a play in a tight window for a 19-yard touchdown and Jaden Erole to tiptoe inside the sideline for a chain-moving play in a key spot in the second half. “Colton loves his receivers,” Oswalt said. “He doesn’t love one receiver. He doesn’t love two. He loves all of them. That entire receiving corps works their tail off every day, and if they’re the hot hand and they’re the ones open against the coverage, he’s going to get them the ball.”

Central Dauphin, which lost quarterback Mark Lebo to injury for most of the second quarter, took a lead on the opening drive of the third when Lebo engineered a 16-play, 69-yard scoring drive capped by a 1-yard touchdown run from Isaac Hodgson.  The Rams’ lead lasted four minutes, as Stamy and the Cumberland Valley offense marched down the field and scored on a 5-yard run from Hayden Johnson. “I thought it was two teams that played hard out here tonight,” said Central Dauphin head coach Glen McNamee. “They made a few more plays than we did.”

The Cumberland Valley defense limited the Rams to nine first downs and bottled up the Central Dauphin run-heavy attack to 115 rushing yards on 29 carries after getting gashed for 210 yards in a Week 4 loss to State College. “We still made mistakes,” Pines said. “We got flags. We had a blocked punt. I fumbled. Once we stop making those mistakes, it’s just going to help so much. Once we play our game and stop making and worrying about those mistakes, it’s going to make the biggest difference.”

Despite the mistakes, which included nine accepted penalties against his team, Oswalt liked what he saw from a big-picture standpoint in the way his team responded to its adverse moments Friday night and through the first half of the regular season. “The good news is we won a big game tonight against a tough rival,” he said. “The other good news is we have a lot more we have to get better at, and I think we have the guys who can do it.”