Robbie Schaeffer will be a senior leader for Pine Grove this season.

Pine Grove

Head coach: Dave Shiffer

2023: 2-8

Story by Leroy Boyer

Since its departure from the Tri-Valley League after the 2019 season, Pine Grove has been a small-school football program forced to battle the big schools on a weekly basis due to its enrollment. The new, three-division alignment of the Schuylkill/Colonial Football Cooperative gives the Cardinals a chance to be more competitive in 2024.

A Class 3A school by enrollment, Pine Grove will compete in the small-school Blue Division (Division III) of the cooperative this fall, joining Class 3A Panther Valley, Class AA schools Mahanoy Area, Minersville, Schuylkill Haven, Shenandoah Valley and Williams Valley, and Class A schools Marian, Nativity and Tri-Valley.

The new format keeps the Cardinals close to home with a Schuylkill County-based schedule and eliminates games against Class 3A and 4A powerhouses as part of the old Red Division alignment. Last season, Pine Grove was outscored 364-121 in going 2-8 overall, 1-6 in league play. In the four seasons since leaving the Tri-Valley League, Pine Grove is 10-31 overall, 3-22 in league games.

“We are thrilled to compete within a new division alongside longstanding rivals from Schuylkill County,” third-year coach Dave Shiffer said. “This new division promises a high level of competitiveness with exciting matchups scheduled on a weekly basis.”

To improve upon last year’s mark, Pine Grove will need to replace its quarterback, leading rusher, four offensive linemen and its top defensive players.

Junior Wyatt Dixon takes over as the Cardinals’ signal-caller, replacing Evan Karenda, who also excelled as Pine Grove’s placekicker. The Cards’ key loss is standout two-way player Lane Lehman, who rushed for 1,206 yards and seven touchdowns as a running back on offense and finished as the school’s all-time leader in tackles with 376 from his linebacker spot on defense. Last season, Lehman compiled 113 tackles and 13 tackles for loss.

Junior fullback Wyatt Snyder, senior running back Alex Pillsbury and sophomore running back Logan Troup are among the candidates to replace Lehman’s carries on offense. Seniors Brody Ibarra and Robbie Schaeffer are returning two-way starters at receiver and defensive back.

Up front, Pine Grove must replace multi-year starters Hunter McConnell, Alec Osatchuck, Tyler Sleva and Xaviar Yeagley on the offensive line. Junior James Barra returns, with senior Peyton Kintzel, sophomore Kolbey Buffington, junior Jackson Snuffer, sophomore Scout Frantz, junior Adam Venszl, junior Tyler Nein and senior Brayden Lyons battling for starting spots.

Defensively, Snyder, Lyons, junior Waylon Flasher, junior Jake Hatter and Colton Wickenheiser are among the players vying for playing time at the linebacker spot. Nein returns at nose guard, while senior Gage Lewis and sophomore Teagan Schneck-Haines are back in the secondary. Sophomore defensive back Angel Ditzler, DL Kintzel, LB Pillsbury, DL Buffington, DL Frantz and LB Troup will also see extensive time defensively.

Pine Grove opens the season Friday, Aug. 23, at Northern Lebanon.

“We have a winning season if we can establish a strong front five and have balance on the offensive side,” Shiffer said. “Defensively we need to be aggressive, force turnovers and do our jobs every play.”