INSTANT CLASSIC: Bears outlast Devils in shootout, escape with 13th-straight win in rivalry
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL - Mahanoy Area's Kyler Quick reaches out for the endzone during a high school football game against Shenandoah Valley at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Shenandoah on Oct. 24, 2025.
SHENANDOAH – Friday’s edition of the longstanding rivalry between Shenandoah Valley and Mahanoy Area surely won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
FULL COVERAGE
> INSTANT CLASSIC: Bears outlast Devils in shootout, escape with 13th-straight win in rivalry
> TOGETHER, WE FIGHT: School communities unite to support one of their own
> Legendary ’75 upset over Mt. Carmel commemorated
Especially if your name is Kyler Quick.
The standout Golden Bear senior ran all over Veterans Memorial Stadium for a total of 332 yards, good for the single game record for Mahanoy Area.
“Kyler Quick, he had a great game, he just ran all over us,” Shenandoah Valley Head Coach Dave Bench said. “We’ve got to tackle. That’s been our issue all season.”
A key difference from the last 12 years of blowouts in the annual matchup? The Blue Devils’ ability to answer on offense, sometimes explosively.
Junior wide-receiver Todd Seiger, named the James J. Rhoades MVP for Shenandoah Valley, broke off three touchdown receptions for 72, 61, and 32 yards respectively. Mikey Elchisak added to the firepower with an 83-yard rush and Gene Sinkus pitched in with a 75-yard run.
“I thought we had it there,” Bench said. “Hopefully this is a positive night for some of our Blue Devil fans.”
The Devils came within one point of tying the game in the fourth quarter. Standout placekicker Sam Mentusky returned from an injury to play Friday night with mixed results, missing a game-tying extra point.
Both teams’ defenses showed force in the fourth with back-to-back stops, including a critical fourth down stop by the Bears with a minute left, sealing the 44-43 victory for the Golden Bears and the 13th win in a row, extending the longest win streak in the rivalry dating back more than a century.
First-year Mahanoy Area head coach Mick Connolly was ecstatic to win in a storied rivalry he’d played in decades ago.
“What a game, I can’t even put it into words,” Connolly told the Sentinel postgame. “Great game, great effort. They just kept fighting, fighting, fighting.”
“Both teams fought hard and it was a hell of a game,” Connolly added. “One for the record book, I’ll tell you that.”
For Shenandoah Valley, Bench expressed optimism for next season as most of the team is staying put. Only five seniors walked midfield in the pregame senior night ceremony.
“The team we saw tonight is who we have next year,” Bench said. “We have a good core coming back.”
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL – Mahanoy Area celebrates with the Damato-Szematowicz Trophy. 
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL – Mahanoy Area celebrates with the Damato-Szematowicz Trophy. 
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL – Mahanoy Area celebrates with the Damato-Szematowicz Trophy. 
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL – Mahanoy Area celebrates with the Damato-Szematowicz Trophy. 
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL – The Rhoades family presents the plaques for the James J. Rhoades Most Valuable Player award. From L-R, Jim Rhoades, Shenandoah Valley’s Todd Seiger, Mahanoy Area’s Kyler Quick, and Jack Rhoades.
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