Shenandoah Valley reclaimed the Damato-Szematowicz Trophy on , defeating neighboring rival Mahanoy Area 21–12 for the Blue Devils’ first victory in the series since 2012.
The rivalry win capped a 7–3 regular season for Shenandoah Valley, which enters the District XI Class 2A playoffs as the No. 2 seed. The Blue Devils are making their first appearance in the district playoffs since 2012.
Mahanoy Area finished the regular season at 4–6.
Shenandoah Valley Builds a Halftime Lead
Shenandoah Valley opened the scoring in the first quarter when Joel Nunez reached the end zone on a 3-yard run. Sam Mentusky added the extra point to give the Blue Devils a 7–0 lead.
The Golden Bears answered in the second quarter with a 1-yard touchdown run by Quinton Rucker. Shenandoah Valley maintained a 7–6 advantage after Mahanoy Area’s two-point rushing attempt failed.
The Blue Devils added another touchdown before halftime as Ethan Bench connected with Gene Sinkus on a 34-yard scoring pass. Mentusky’s second extra point extended Shenandoah Valley’s lead to 14–6 at the break.
Blue Devils Hold Off Mahanoy Area’s Fourth-Quarter Challenge
Neither team scored in the third quarter, setting up a fourth quarter in which Mahanoy Area pulled within two points.
JD Kowalchick found John Redgate for a 9-yard touchdown pass, cutting the Golden Bears’ deficit to 14–12. The ensuing two-point pass attempt failed, keeping Shenandoah Valley in front.
Mike Elchisak then scored on a 4-yard run, and Mentusky converted his third extra point to give the Blue Devils their final 21–12 margin.
Shenandoah Valley finished the regular season with a 4–3 league record, while Mahanoy Area closed at 2–5.
For the Blue Devils, Friday’s victory brought the rivalry trophy back to Shenandoah and provided a memorable finish to a regular season that also ended a district playoff absence dating to 2012.
Shenandoah Valley vs. Mahanoy Area Photo Gallery
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