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Line Mountain stays perfect by edging out Steelton-Highspire Friday night

Tagged under: District 3, District 4, Gameday Hub, News, pfn

| September 27, 2025

Despite losing key [layer early on the contest the Line Mountain Eagles rallied around each other in a huge win in a key Mid-Penn Capital Division contest.

HERNDON- In coach speak when a key player is lost, due to an injury, it’s always “next man up”. Well on Friday night at Glenn Ressler field on the campus of Line Mountain high school, several men stepped to fill in the void after two-way star Max Johnson left the game in the first quarter, players such as Kaden Dunkelberger and Ethan Lenker stepped up and kept the Eagles unbeaten with a gutsy 36-34 win over Steelton-Highspire Steamrollers before an elated homecoming crowd.

Steel-High would receive the opening kick and drove the ball inside the Eagles 10, but two penalties and a sack pushed themselves back to the 18 yard line, The Rollers did manage to get the ball to the two yard line but on fourth down Bryce Smeltz made the table to stop the drive.

Line Mountain would then mount a drive of their own, culminating in a 57 yard touchdown pass from Kaiden Maurer to Henry Malfara with 3:47 left in the opening quarter after Cade Fegar made the point-after making it 7-0.

The Steamrollers would answer right back as running back Jerome Rose would bust up the middle and out-raced the Eagles defense for a 77 yard score making it 7-6 as the two-point try failed. Ross would finish the night as the games leading rusher with 268 yards on 21 carries and three touchdowns.

On the ensuing Line Mountain drive Dunkelberger would gash the Steel-High line and dart into the end zone from 51 yards out, Feger added the PAT and go up 14-6 with 1:38 still lat in the quarter. Dunkelberger rushed for 134 yards on 14 touches and two scores.

Nearly mid-way through the second quarter Ethan Lenker would punch a score from a yard out, but this time the conversion failed leaving score 20-6 in favor of Line Mountain. The scoring went back and forth much of the night. Steel-High was hurt mostly by self-inflicted wounds as they racked up 22 penalties for for 112 yards while Line Mountain only had 5 for 42 yards.

Ross added a one yard touchdown run and the Dunkelberger scored from 5 yards out with just 43 seconds left before intermission making the score 28-14 in favor of the home team

Line Mountain would receive the second half kickoff and would score on a 14 yard pass from Maurer toDalton Schadel at the 10:01 mark and convert the 2-point try making the score 36-14. Maurer finished the night completing 11 of 16 passes for 216 yards and and 2 touchdowns.

The Rollers would not go down easy, the perennial state powerhouse, who last week lost a tough decision to Susquehanna Twp, fought back as quarterback Kayden Cole Stephens would score from nine yards out, again the two-point conversion failed making it 36-20 with 8:04 left in the third quarter.

Early in the final quarter Stephens would drop a dime to speedy wide-out Silas Hernandez along the Roller sideline and Hernadez crossed the goal line to make the score 36-26 with still 10:38 left in regulation. Stephen was 16 of 21 passing for 236 yards.

Ross would then score from 5 yards out and Stephens converted the conversion making the score 36-34. However two consecutive offside calls on the Rollers prevented them from executing a successful onside kick and the Eagles ran out the clock.

“We wanted to just play hard and with conviction. We proved to ourselves what’s inside us as a team tonight Regardless of the result, we showed what kind of resilient team we are.” Line Mountain coach Brandon Carson stated after the game.

Line Mountain (6-0) will be on the road next Friday to face Middletown Area (3-3) The Blue Raiders lost to Susquehanna Twp last night 21-0. The Rollers (3-2)will try to snap a two game losing streak next week as the face James Buchanan (2-4) at home. The Rockets dropped a 35-26 loss to Upper Dauphin.

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