Juniata's Gage Harlon (31) and Hunter Erb (78) celebrate as teammate Lane Peiper (34) hoists the 2024 District 6 Championship trophy after beating Bellefonte on Nov. 9. (Sentinel file photo by MIKE GOSS)

MIFFLINTOWN – Kurt Condo doesn’t need to ask Merriam-Webster Dictionary for the definition of a champion. Without a doubt, the Juniata High School football coach, his staff and players are champions.

They have the trophy case to prove it.

The Indians won its fifth-consecutive District 6 football crown this past fall after beating Bellefonte 20-6 at Mansion Park in Altoona.

“I think a good definition of a champion is a resilient fighter,” Condo explained. “We’ve been fortunate to have a lot of student-athletes fit that description over the years.”

That’s right, a drive for five: Juniata topped Bellefonte this year and advanced all the way to the PIAA Championship quarterfinals before losing to Southern Lehigh. The Indians finished 9-4 overall.

“We’ve had a core group of kids each year that have really bought into our program and philosophies,” Condo said. “They’ve learned to be competitive and have raised the bar of expectations with one another.”

In 2023, Juniata dominated Bellefonte 37-0 for the school’s fourth district title then advanced to the PIAA quarters where the Indians lost to Selinsgrove. Juniata went 8-6 and picked up three postseason wins, including the district final.

In 2022, the Indians were the only team in the district playoffs and topped DuBois in a subregional to advance to states.

The second championship came in 2021 when Juniata routed Bellefonte 41-12 in the district final. The Indians won its state opener before losing to Meadville. That Juniata squad went 10-3 and also captured the Mid-Penn Liberty Conference crown.

The initial title in the run came in 2020, which might have been one of the toughest. The score was definitely the closest of the five as Juniata edged Bellefonte 24-21. The Indians dropped their state opener to Oil City by a point to end the year at the pandemic-shortened season.

“Championships are hard to win because anyone that is competitive has that goal to win a championship,” Condo said. “It often comes down to who has made more sacrifices and has wanted it more.”

This marked Juniata’s first district title since 1987.

The last two classes of senior football players graduated as four-time district champions, a feat that is difficult to accomplish.

“I think it’s very hard to repeat,” Condo said. “It puts a target on your back from your opponents. And the expectation of winning is there from those surrounding your program. You have to learn to not only outwork others but also outwork ourselves.”

Like most players, Lane Peiper started playing football in the youth leagues. He was about age 9 or 10 when he suited up for the Juniata Little Indians in Pee Wees.

Now 18, Peiper will graduate this spring from Juniata as a four-time champion. He credits his success to hard work and perseverance.

“When I started out, I wasn’t that great,” recalled Peiper, who played linebacker and fullback this past season for the Indians. “As time went on, I caught my stride and never looked back.”

Peiper was fortunate enough to play for Juniata teams that returned a wealth of experience. He finished as the Indians’ second-leading rusher averaging 53.1 yards per game offensively and, on defense, sported a team-best 9.3 tackles per game. He also ranked second with seven touchdowns scored.

“Coming in my first year, we had a lot of guys coming and the same with my second year,” Peiper said. “My junior year, we graduated a lot of guys.

“My senior year, there was no doubt we would be an amazing team,” Peiper added.

Still the games are won on the gridiron and not on paper. Peiper and Juniata had to earn every win with blood, sweat and tears.

“I think pretty much any win gives you a good feeling,” he explained. He singled out the state playoff win over Shamokin this year and another over Meadville last year as special ones.

“Every single win is a good thing,” Peiper said.

His teammates agree with that sentiment.

Senior Connor Boreman said, “I would say for sure it’s a unique experience being one of the few classes to do it. It’s definitely an honor and (feel) blessed with the opportunity to do so.”

Boreman also started in the Pee Wee ranks for the Little Indians. This year, he played wide receiver, cornerback and returned kicks.

As a senior, his average of 50.9 receiving yards was second as were his 11 total touchdowns scored. Defensively, Boreman averaged 6.7 tackles and turned in four interceptions.

The fact that Boreman contributed in so many ways has made the accomplishments even more special. “Yeah for sure, like coach had always told us as young freshmen and sophomores, ‘You get out of it what you put into it.'”

Junior Jasper Shepps hopes to add to the hardware haul next year, but the 6-1 speedster has caught the championship bug. He was also named to the all-state team each of the past two seasons, which along with the success on the field, has kept Juniata football in the spotlight.

Shepps led the Indians with 71.8 yards receiving per game as well as 16 total touchdowns and 14 receiving TDs. Defensively, he also intercepted a team-best eight passes.

“It feels good winning all those games,” Shepps said. “We know even if we are predicted to beat them (opponents) that we still have to go out and play our hardest game. I just love winning.”

The Juniata Indians are certainly champions of that.