Sentinel photo by MIKE GOSS Mifflin County's Reese Christine breaks up a pass intended for Palmyra's Brayden Hoover.

LEWISTOWN – For Mifflin County, Friday night was about stopping the slide. The Huskies had dropped three straight, the offense sputtering and the penalties piling up, but against Palmyra under the lights at Kish Bank Field at Donald M. Chapman III Stadium, they found just enough to grind out an 8-6 win. It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t easy. But as the Huskies walked off the field, all that mattered was the win column.

The night began with a moment that resonated far beyond the scoreboard. Before kickoff, Mifflin County honored World Champion Trent Hidlay, the homegrown wrestling star whose accomplishments have inspired the entire community. The ovation for Hidlay, now recognized among the best in the world, seemed to set a tone–a reminder of what’s possible with grit and resolve, and a boost for a Huskies team desperate to rediscover its edge.

This was homecoming for Mifflin County, and with it came extra noise, extra eyes, and the burden of ending a losing streak. Palmyra arrived with a matching record, both teams needing a victory to avoid sinking below the surface of the Mid-Penn Keystone standings. From the opening kick, it was clear that this would be a game about mistakes, field position, and who could capitalize when the rare chance appeared.

The first half was a tangle of penalties, punts, and missed opportunities. Mifflin County’s defense set an early tone, stuffing the run and forcing Palmyra to punt on its opening drives. On offense, the Huskies leaned on Jaxon Strohecker, who bounced off tacklers and churned out tough yards. Still, every time either side gained momentum, yellow flags flew.

By halftime, both teams had combined for over a dozen penalties and little to show for it. The scoreboard at Kish Banf Field at Donald M. Chapman III Stadium stayed frozen at 0-0, with neither side crossing the goal line.

The second half opened with a different energy. After another Palmyra punt, the Huskies finally broke through. It was Strohecker again, this time bursting through the left side and outrunning the pursuit for a 20-yard touchdown. Mifflin County went for two, and the call worked–Dodger Weaver pulled in a quick pass from Reese Christine to make it 8-0 midway through the third. The stands erupted for the first time all night, students pounding the bleachers, the band erupting. For a moment, it felt like the Huskies’ season had snapped back to life.

But Palmyra, which had struggled all night to generate offense, answered instantly. On the very next possession, Cougars running back Travis McDannell took a handoff off right tackle, broke free from a would-be tackler, and sprinted 82 yards for a touchdown–erasing the Huskies’ momentum in a flash. Palmyra lined up for two, but Mifflin County’s defense stood tall, stuffing the attempt and clinging to an 8-6 lead.

The final quarter was a battle of nerves, penalties, and field position. Mifflin County’s offense stalled with Strohecker sidelined after his touchdown run, and neither side found a rhythm. The Huskies tried to pound the ball behind Brandon Kauffman and Christine, but Palmyra’s defense, desperate and swarming, forced punt after punt. Each possession started deeper and deeper in each team’s own territory, but neither squad could find the one drive to put the game away.

The defenses, though, kept taking center stage. Zyhair Hill and the Mifflin County secondary broke up two third-down passes. The Huskies front stuffed Palmyra’s next two drives, forcing punts and bleeding the clock. Palmyra’s best chance came after a penalty on Mifflin County set the Cougars up near midfield, but a fumbled snap and a sack sent them backward, and the drive fizzled out near the Huskies’ 40.

With less than two minutes left, Palmyra got the ball one last time, needing a miracle. McDannell slipped through the line for a short gain, but on fourth down, Roman Russek’s deep shot down the right sideline sailed out of bounds. Mifflin County took over, needing only to kneel out the clock.

The final stats told the story of a grind: Mifflin County ran 46 times for 142 yards, led by Strohecker’s 21 carries for 100 yards and a touchdown. Hartung added 6-of-17 passing for 55 yards, spreading completions to four different receivers.

Palmyra finished with 145 yards on 24 carries–82 of those on McDannell’s single scoring run–and went 9-for-26 through the air for 86 yards. The two teams combined for 31 penalties, totaling an astounding 300 yards, making every gain a battle and every drive a test of discipline.

The Huskies’ special teams chipped in six punts for a 33.3-yard average, flipping the field when the offense couldn’t. Each phase mattered. A blocked punt, a tipped pass, a third-down tackle–every play had outsized meaning in a game where points were rare.

Mifflin County improved to 3-3 (2-3 Mid-Penn) with the win, keeping hope alive as the season enters its final stretch. For the Huskies, the formula was simple: defense, physicality, and a refusal to let another close game slip away. Palmyra dropped to 2-4 (1-3 Mid-Penn), still searching for consistency and a spark.

The Huskies travel to Waynesboro on Friday.

Mifflin County 8, Palmyra 6

Palmyra 0 0 6 0 – 6

Mifflin County 0 0 8 0 – 8

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Third Quarter

MC–Jaxon Strohecker 20 run (Dodger Weaver pass from Weaver), 4:23.

P–Travis McDannell 82 run (pass failed), 4:07.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING:

MC–Jaxon Strohecker 21-100-1, Brandon Kauffman 8-25, Chase Hartung 4-(-22), Zyhair Hill 8-8, Reece Christine 5-31.

P–Travis McDannell 13-106-1, Roman Russek 5-7, Jaxin Robinson 4-23, Braxtin Risser 2-9.

PASSING:

MC–Chase Hartung 6-17-55-0-1.

P–Roman Russek 7-19-73-0-2, Jaxin Robinson 2-7-13-0-0.

RECEIVING:

MC–Joel Beamer 2-16, Nevin Farley 1-4, Lucas Hartung 1-27, Jaxon Strohecker 2-8.

P–Braxtin Risser 4-39, Talon Speck 3-35, Peter Diguardia 1-5, Alex Csongradi 1-7.