When the 2026 Lancaster-Lebanon Football League schedule was released, everyone immediately circled one game.
And as Week 9 is upon us, that game has arrived, bringing plenty of storylines along the way.
The undefeated Twin Valley Raiders will travel to Reiffton Friday night to take on the Exeter Eagles in one of the most highly anticipated games of the 2026 season.
Since this is an out-of-section matchup, both squads can hoist their respective section titles next week with wins.
But first, with the teams ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the District 3 5A power rankings, this potentially may not be the only meeting of the season between the two Berks County powerhouses.
Both backed by strong running attacks, brick-wall defenses and disciplined rosters, it’ll be a clash to see which team shows a chink in its armor first.
As for Twin Valley (5-0, 8-0), the Raiders are looking for their 20th consecutive regular-season victory and have all but clinched their third section title in the past four seasons, moving back up to Section 3 in 2026.
“This year’s group just tells you that they’re a mature, big, strong group that could handle playing larger schools,” Myers said. “I don’t know if that makes it better schools, but larger schools. They put a lot of work into being able to play this way. So, you’re happy for them because they put the time in.”
Year in and year out, the Raiders are one of the most disciplined teams around, and that’s a tip of the cap to Myers and his staff.
Taking things week by week without looking too far ahead is exactly how successful teams remain successful. The Raiders will look to add another tally to the win column this Friday night while focusing on getting better and improving.
The Raiders are allowing a league-low 57 points on the season while nearly putting up 40 points per game through the first eight weeks.
One player who has been a huge part of the Raiders’ success this season is junior quarterback-turned-running back Maverik Foster.
After leading Twin Valley to the PIAA Class 4A state championship game last season under center, throwing for over 1,300 yards and 17 touchdowns, the junior thought he could help his team in a different way by being on the field more.
Discussions in the offseason between Myers and Foster led to him making the full-time transition, with his younger brother Gavin taking over quarterback duties. Gavin has done well so far, throwing for 979 yards and 11 touchdowns to four interceptions.
With the way Maverik plays, especially on defense with reckless abandon, it was best to relieve him of his quarterback duties while allowing him to do more elsewhere on the field.
“He said, ‘Coach, I’ll play running back, I’ll return kicks, whatever you need, whatever I need to do to help the team and play more. That’s what I want to do.’ Kind of an easy answer (to me),” Myers said.
Leading the team with 13 touchdowns, Foster has become more and more comfortable each week and will certainly be a player to look out for against Exeter in Week 9.
On the other side, the Eagles (5-0, 7-1) are having themselves quite a season as well, with their lone loss coming in Week 2, a 21-7 defeat to Spring-Ford.
Facing some adversity along the way, head coach Matt Bauer is proud of where his team is at.
“Our goals are still all right in front of us and are attainable,” Bauer said. “They’ve kept their heads down and gone one week at a time throughout…I always tell them that we’ll be playing their best football come November, and we’re on track to do so.”
Similar to the Raiders, Exeter’s defense is one of the best units in the league. The Eagles are one of three teams that have not allowed 100 points on the season while also allowing fewer than 200 yards per game.
Bauer has his team prepared for another hard-nosed, tough matchup, and the Eagles are not looking down the road when it comes to playoff seeding based on the outcome of this game.
Offensively, unlike the last few years, when Exeter had 2,000-yard rushers in Jayden Zandier and Leo Brown, the Eagles’ backfield is a collection of workhorse backs who have the potential to break off a big run on any given down.
Joshua Jackson leads the team with 664 yards and five touchdowns and is complemented by Donovyn Alvarez and Jaiheer Dasilvio, who have combined for 537 yards and seven scores.
Both teams know this heavyweight matchup will be determined by who wins the game in the trenches.
“They’re explosive all over the field,” Bauer said of Twin Valley. “The big thing for us is being able to make them earn every yard and not give up the big play. For us, it always starts up front in the trenches, and if we have a chance to control the line of scrimmage, we have a chance to be successful.”
This is a regular-season matchup fans will not want to miss.
There are two other Berks-Berks matchups in Sections 2 and 5 this Friday night.
Muhlenberg (1-3, 2-6) hosts Gov. Mifflin (1-4, 1-7) at Laureldale, with both teams looking to wrap up 2026 on a positive note.
Up in Kutztown, the Cougars (1-4, 2-6) take on Schuylkill Valley (5-0, 7-1), who are coming off a huge victory over Hamburg in the Frost Bowl.
Senior quarterback Alex Aletras rushed for a season-high 174 yards while letting it fly for 150 yards and two second-half touchdowns.
The Panthers are on the verge of clinching their third section title in four seasons, needing two more wins to close out the regular season.
Elsewhere, Wilson (5-0, 7-1) hosts Central York in a non-league Class 6A matchup as the Bulldogs close in on their 31st Section 1 title.
Ranked ninth in the state in Class 6A, Wilson’s defense is allowing fewer than 10 points per contest, while the offense is lighting up the scoreboard with nearly 40 points per game.
Saturday’s lone game will also hold section title implications, as Wyomissing hosts the winless Octorara Braves. The Spartans enter at 5-0 in section play and 5-2 overall.
With a win, Bob Wolfrum’s Spartans will take on Lampeter-Strasburg in Week 10 to decide the Section 4 title outright.
In two games last season, in Week 10 and in the District 3 Class 4A quarterfinals, Wyomissing defeated the Pioneers by a combined score of 69-13.
Last week, the Spartans escaped a dogfight against Conrad Weiser with a 47-41 victory, as fullback Ethan Nye rushed for more than 200 yards and five touchdowns to lead the way.
Friday
Twin Valley at Exeter, 7 p.m.
Gov. Mifflin at Muhlenberg, 7 p.m.
Schuylkill Valley at Kutztown, 7 p.m.
Central York at Wilson, 7 p.m.
Reading High at Manheim Township, 7 p.m.
Fleetwood at Cocalico, 7 p.m.
Conrad Weiser at Lampeter-Strasburg, 7 p.m.
Daniel Boone at Northern Lebanon, 7 p.m.
Pequea Valley at Berks Catholic, 7 p.m.
Annville-Cleona at Hamburg, 7 p.m.
Saturday
Octorara at Wyomissing, 1:30 p.m.