HS FOOTBALL: Mahanoy handily wins 8th straight against Shen. Valley, 47-0
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL - Shenandoah Valley's #8 Owen Kosar attempts to wrap up Mahanoy Area's #24 John Babinsky, who recovered Kosar's fumble.
MAHANOY CITY – The trophy is staying put in Mahanoy City for the eighth straight year, after the Golden Bears soundly defeated Shenandoah Valley Friday night.
Mahanoy scored early and often, thanks to their consistently dominant ground attack.
All seven of Mahanoy Area’s scores came on the ground and in the first half.
Quarterback Ben Terry eclipsed the 1,000 yard rushing mark for the season, finding paydirt twice. Terry was named Mahanoy Area’s MVP at game’s end, with Shenandoah lineman Jason Migliaccio receiving SV’s MVP award.
Friday’s match-up marked the 112th meeting between the two squads since 1899, when they were Shenandoah High and Mahanoy City High respectively, and the 41st “trophy game,” in which the Damato/Szematowicz Memorial Trophy was awarded.
The trophy series began in 1945 and continued until Mahanoy City High School merged with Mahanoy Township, Delano, and Gilberton to form Mahanoy Area in 1959.
In 1995, Mahanoy Area’s John Murtin and Shenandoah Valley’s Chuck Nowak revived the series. Murtin passed away recently, and Friday’s game began with a moment of silence in his honor.
With Friday’s win, Shenandoah continues to lead the series overall 58-48-6, and the trophy series 20-19-1.
Though, for most teams, this weekend marks the end of the regular season, Shenandoah (1-8) has a Week 9 game next Friday night, as the Blue Devils travel to the East Penn Valley of Berks County to face Kutztown Area (0-5).
Mahanoy Area (4-4) moves on to the District XI playoffs. That bracket is expected to be released tomorrow.
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