Shenandoah Valley opened the 2026 high school football season with a statement, scoring 49 points in the first half and finding the end zone on offense, defense and special teams during a 56-6 road victory over Columbia-Montour Vo-Tech.
The game was played at CMVT in Columbia County.
The win moved the Blue Devils to 1-0 and marked the first victory for David Bench since he was hired as Shenandoah Valley’s head varsity football coach in February 2024.
Shenandoah Valley took control immediately with four touchdowns during a 28-point opening quarter.
Quarterback Ethan Bench connected with Gene Sinkus for a 26-yard touchdown and found David Burrous for a 31-yard score. Joel Nunez added a 27-yard touchdown run, while Burrous struck again by returning an interception 45 yards for a touchdown.
The Blue Devils continued pulling away during the second quarter. Mike Elchisak scored on runs of 2 and 38 yards, while Sinkus returned a punt 53 yards for another touchdown, sending Shenandoah Valley into halftime with a 49-0 advantage.
Todd Seiger kept the momentum going by returning the second-half kickoff 70 yards for Shenandoah Valley’s final touchdown.
Sam Mentusky converted all eight extra-point attempts.
CMVT avoided the shutout during the fourth quarter when Cody Zimmerman scored on a 16-yard run. The Rams’ conversion attempt was unsuccessful.
“Getting that win to start our season was significant for myself and the team,” Coach Bench said.
Bench credited his players for continuing to work after many of them endured two consecutive seasons without a victory, saying their willingness to keep grinding and not give up demonstrated their character.
“I know it’s only one win, but the way we won, dominating on both sides of the ball and special teams, gave them some needed confidence as we head into Schuylkill League games,” Bench said.
Defensively, the Blue Devils accomplished their goal of controlling the line of scrimmage and making plays in the CMVT backfield.
On offense, Bench said the line gave Ethan Bench time to throw to Shenandoah Valley’s speedy receivers before helping the Blue Devils establish their running game. He also praised the receivers and lead backs for sustaining their blocks downfield.
“They played as a complete team, which every coach wants each week,” Bench said. “Hopefully, we carry this momentum into Week 2, which will make us a tough team to compete with.”
The victory also brought an emotional release for a program that had been waiting for a night like this.
“It was a great feeling in the huddle after the game and on the ride home,” Bench said. “You could just see it in the players’ and coaches’ eyes—just getting that monkey off our back and being ready for more football.”
Shenandoah Valley will remain on the road in Week 2 when the Blue Devils travel to Pine Grove to face the Cardinals.
Games stats provided by T102 Sports Now.