Coach Bruce Harbach’s Schuylkill Valley Panthers had a rough go of it in 2025, which was plagued by injuries, finishing 5-6.
But even then, the back-to-back Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 5 champions managed to punch their ticket to the District 3 playoffs for the fourth consecutive year.
The Panthers fell 35-7 in the quarterfinals at the hands of the eventual Class 3A champions, Trinity, for the second straight year.
“They were a better football team than we were,” Harbach said at the Lancaster-Lebanon League media day in early August. “I think our kids learned a lesson that you have to prepare for anybody, whether good, bad, mediocre, or whatever. You have to come out and play a game of football.”
It was not the season the Panthers had hoped for after remaining at the top of Section 5 in the previous two seasons, as Harbach has turned the program around since his arrival in 2021.
Harbach was inducted into the Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association (PSFCA) Hall of Fame in 2025 for his historic coaching career, winning two state championships at now-rival Lancaster Catholic.
Last season, the Panthers lost three of their five regular-season losses by just one score against Fleetwood, Annville-Cleona and Lancaster Catholic.
If the ball bounces a different way in those matchups, who knows, Schuylkill Valley could have three-peated as Section 5 champs.
But with that in the rearview mirror, the Panthers are ready to attack 2026 and hold the title once again.
“Our freshman and sophomore years we went 8-2 so we’ve seen what it looks like to be a good team and we saw how they compete with each other,” senior quarterback Alex Aletras said. “We know how good their chemistry was, and if we can replicate that, it helps us become great.”
Seniors Ervin Ortiz and Alex Gehret echoed the sentiment, saying their team chemistry and mental preparedness are light years ahead of where they were heading into last season.
At quarterback, Aletras returns for his senior season after finishing fourth in the entire Lancaster-Lebanon League in passing yards and passing touchdowns with 1,752 yards and 21 touchdowns.
There is no doubt Schuylkill Valley has one of the best field generals in the league to guide them this season.
“He’s part of that senior group that takes the younger kids under the wings, and condition themselves on Saturdays when the coaches aren’t around, and that’s the mark of a good football team when they do something when nobody is not looking,” Harbach said.
The senior has put on some weight this offseason but has gotten quicker in the process.
In the Panthers’ run/pass option offense, Aletras excels as he’s able to read defenses well with a strong arm and a good set of legs underneath him, showcasing that with four rushing touchdowns in 2025.
One of his top targets in Gehret is back after finishing with 25 receptions for 295 yards and one score.
Signs are pointing to a bounce-back season for Schuylkill Valley as Section 5 is set to be competitive for all 10 weeks, and possibly longer.
“We’re trying to stay healthy and win close games this year. That’s our goal,” Harbach said.
Schuylkill Valley
Coach: Bruce Harbach, sixth season, 170-81. (previously at Lancaster Catholic).
Last Year’s Record: 4-3 Lancaster-Lebanon Section 5, 5-6.
Key Players Lost: RB/LB Logan Cammuaf, RB/LB Brandon Pyle, WR Josiah Urbaez, OT/DE Noah Sonon, OT/DT Nick Moyer.
Key Players Returning: QB Alex Aletras, RB/LB Ervin Ortiz, WR/DB Alex Gehret, WR/DB Seth Klinikowski TE/LB Hunter Durland, TE/DE Landyn Keglovits, C Spencer Mountz, OG/DT Keandre Powell, K/P Reese Wamsher.
3 Keys to Success
Stay the course: Through battling injuries last season, it seemed like the Panthers were mentally out of it at times. That was a point of emphasis for improvement this offseason, and it should show when the Friday night lights turn on.
Pull out the win in close games: Schuylkill Valley lost three one-score affairs last year. If they were able to come out on top in those games, who knows how their season could have ended.
Aletras is atop the league again: The senior has both the arm and running ability, a premium for any high school quarterback looking to excel in any type of offense. With Harbach’s endorsement of his exceptional attention to detail and mental preparation, Aletras has a chance to lead the Panthers deep into the later months.
Schedule: Aug. 28, at Conrad Weiser; Sept. 4, Octorara; Sept. 11, Newport; Sept. 18, Columbia; Sept. 25, at Berks Catholic; Oct. 2, at Pequea Valley; Oct. 9, Lancaster Catholic; Oct. 16, Hamburg; Oct. 23, at Kutztown; Oct. 30, at Annville-Cleona.
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