PINE GROVE — In a remarkable turnaround, the Shenandoah Valley Blue Devils have started their season 2-0 for the first time in nearly 20 years. This resurgence was highlighted by their impressive offensive performance, as they defeated the Pine Grove Cardinals 52-13 on Friday night.
The Blue Devils showcased a potent passing attack, with quarterback Ethan Bench throwing four touchdown passes to four different receivers. Bench's first touchdown came at 7:18 in the second quarter, connecting with David Burrous on a 9-yard catch-and-run that extended Shenandoah Valley's lead to 14-0.
Following this, Mike Elsichak added a 27-yard touchdown run, and Sam Mentusky capped off the first half with a 22-yard field goal, sending the Blue Devils into halftime with a commanding 24-0 advantage. The Blue Devils' offense was relentless, as they missed several opportunities for additional touchdowns on deep passes that could have further inflated their lead.
“Last week, we had some deep throws,” said Shenandoah Valley coach Dave Bench. “We practice a lot of deep throws, but if that’s not going for us, we go to our short passes.” The strategy proved effective as the Blue Devils adapted their game plan to exploit the Cardinals' defensive weaknesses.
Just 30 seconds into the second half, Ethan Bench struck again, this time hitting Gene Sinkus on a hitch route that turned into a 68-yard touchdown. “Well, obviously they know we try to go deep a couple of times on them, so their corners played back, 10 yards off,” Coach Bench explained. “So we noticed that and we started going with the hitches.”
After Pine Grove managed to score with an 8-yard run by Logan Troup, Shenandoah Valley quickly responded. Todd Seiger became the third Blue Devil to catch a touchdown pass, racing 63 yards on a similar play call to the one that had just scored for Sinkus.
The depth of the Blue Devils' receiving corps posed a significant challenge for the Cardinals' defense. Coach Bench noted, “You can’t really double-team one guy because you have one, two or three other guys on the field that have that speed to spread that defense out. So that’s huge for us.”
Ethan Bench concluded the night with 248 passing yards, completing 10 of 17 attempts, with only one interception tarnishing his performance. Sinkus finished with 83 receiving yards and two touchdowns, while Seiger led the team with 86 yards. The Blue Devils also demonstrated versatility in their running game, with Elsichak, Joel Nunez, and Jonnuel Reyes each contributing a touchdown.
This season marks a stark contrast to last year when the Blue Devils struggled through a winless campaign. Coach Bench emphasized the positive shift in the team's mentality, stating, “Last year, we had our backs against the wall most of the season. There’s a different feeling and aura around the team this year. We put a lot of work in.”
Despite their strong start, Coach Bench is mindful of the challenges that lie ahead. “Two wins is a good start to the season, but we have to keep pressing because it’s in the thick of things in Schuylkill League. Football is tough.” The Blue Devils will face Panther Valley in their first home game of the season in Week 3, a matchup that Coach Bench anticipates will be another tough test.
On the other side, Pine Grove's Logan Troup was a standout performer, finishing with 229 rushing yards and two touchdowns, but it was a challenging night overall for the Cardinals. They will look to bounce back as they prepare to face Mahanoy Area next Friday.
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