State College Shuts Out Cumberland Valley in Return to Memorial Field

By: fioreMarketing | October 10, 2020 | Original Article

Conrad Moore scored on the first play from scrimmage in State College’s 31-0 win over Cumberland Valley Friday night at the newly renovated Memorial Field.

Moore helped the Little Lions improve to 1-1 on the season following a three-touchdown performance against the Eagles, who fell to 1-2. In State High’s only home game of the regular season, the Little Lions jumped out to an early lead and maintained it on senior night.

It marked the Little Lions’ first game at Memorial Field since November 2018 as last year the downtown stadium underwent a $14.3 million renovation project that added new locker rooms, restrooms, pedestrian plazas, home-side seating and concessions. In 2019, State College played its games at the South Track field on the high school campus.

This year the season got off to a delayed start — first as the Mid Penn Conference pushed back its start because of the COVID-19 pandemic and then as State College waited for in-person classes to resume, a stipulation of the school district’s health and safety plan for returning to competition. The Little Lions opened on the road last week before making their long-awaited return on Friday night.

And they made sure to bring some excitement to their first game back.

Moore, a senior quarterback and co-captain, opened the game with a 66-yard run up the middle. Fellow senior Nehemiah Howell took a handoff 49 yards for a touchdown to make it 14-0 with 2:30 to go in the first quarter.

“I saw the [linebackers] going with the running back, and I was able to find a hole,” Moore said of his opening touchdown. “Michael Dincher had a great block on the D-end, opened up a hole, and from there, I just saw green and took off.”

Moore continued his strong night with a 61-yard touchdown pass to two-way standout Sammy Knipe, whose wheel route gave the Little Lions a three-score lead a little over two minutes into the second quarter. Knipe is verbally committed to the United States Naval Academy.

Four minutes later, State High kicker Aiden Spitler drilled a 28-yard field goal to make it 24-0 over the Eagles, who had a familiar face roaming their sideline. Former Penn State and NFL defensive lineman Jordan Hill is in his first season as a member of Cumberland Valley’s coaching staff.

Moore capped the scoring with a 44-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter before the Little Lions buckled down and preserved the shutout. It was also the second consecutive year State College beat CV in a special setting. Last October the Little Lions downed the Eagles in the inaugural Beaver Stadium Classic, the first ever regular season high school football game played at Penn State’s stadium.

State College’s defense looked much better than it did in a 35-13 loss to Central Dauphin in last week’s season opener. The Little Lions will play Carlisle on the road next Friday at 7 p.m.

“Coming off the loss last week, I feel like we looked a lot sharper earlier in the game, scoring on the opening play from scrimmage,” Knipe said. “You love to see it. It got us moving early. Let’s just keep that going for the rest of the season.’

 

State College quarterback Conrad Moore lines up in the backfield with running back Dresyn Green during a 31-0 Little Lions’ win against Cumberland Valley on Oct. 9, 2020 at Memorial Field. Photo by Ethan Kasales

Parents of the players were in attendance for the reopening of Memorial Field, but it was far from a normal senior night for the Little Lions. State High held a remote viewing party at the new North Athletic Field on the high school campus for students interested in cheering on their classmates.

“This is something we’ve been looking forward to for so long, but at times it kind of looked like we wouldn’t get to experience it,” Knipe said. “Being here is an unreal feeling. I just love it.”


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