SHENANDOAH — The Blue Devils held on to defeat Minersville for the first time since 2015 in a high school football classic. Ethan Bench and Joel Nunez helped lead Shenandoah Valley to a thrilling 33-28 victory over the Battlin’ Miners.
Shenandoah Valley started strong, forcing a three-and-out on Minersville’s opening possession. Sam Mutunsky then connected on a field goal with 6:32 remaining in the first quarter to give the Blue Devils a 3-0 lead.
The Blue Devils continued their strong start with another defensive stop before adding a rushing touchdown. The PAT was unsuccessful, giving Shenandoah Valley a 9-0 advantage with 3:45 remaining in the opening quarter.
Minersville began to fight back early in the second quarter. Derek Derenzo scored on a 24-yard touchdown run to cut the Blue Devils’ lead to 9-7 with 11:30 remaining in the half.
The Battlin’ Miners struck again after coming up with a defensive stop. John Lutsky scored on a 16-yard touchdown run with 5:09 remaining in the second quarter, giving Minersville a 14-9 lead.
Shenandoah Valley answered late in the quarter when Joel Nunez scored a touchdown to put the Blue Devils back in front, 15-14, heading into halftime.
The Blue Devils opened the second half much like they started the game, with a defensive stop followed by a rushing touchdown. The PAT was unsuccessful, but Shenandoah Valley extended its lead to 21-14 with 8:00 remaining in the third quarter.
Minersville continued to battle. Derenzo scored his second rushing touchdown of the game to tie the score at 21-21.
Shenandoah Valley responded by scoring touchdowns on back-to-back possessions, both coming on the ground, to build a 33-21 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.
The Battlin’ Miners refused to go away. Jordan Bowers scored his first touchdown of the game to pull Minersville back within striking distance at 33-28 with 7:19 remaining.
With approximately five minutes remaining, Minersville came up with a huge interception, setting the stage for a dramatic finish.
The game eventually came down to a fourth-and-5. Derenzo rolled out and attempted a pass, but it fell incomplete. Shenandoah Valley took possession and kneeled out the remaining time to secure the 33-28 victory.
Shenandoah Valley (5-1) will welcome the Schuylkill Haven Hurricanes (2-4), who are coming off a loss to Williams Valley.
Minersville (1-5) will welcome the Williams Valley Vikings (5-1) next week.