NTL FOOTBALL: COWANESQUE VALLEY BATTLES, FALLS TO MONTGOMERY (2026-10-29)

Northern Tier West Sports Report
MANSFIELD — Cowanesque Valley pushed Montgomery in the Indians’ season finale but ultimately fell 28-13 to the repeat NTL small school champion, 9-1 Red Raiders.

CV held a Montgomery offense coming off an 84 point, 612-yard explosion last week to 233 yards on the night and the Indians were 15 seconds from going into the halftime break tied at 13-all.

A back-and-forth first quarter ended with the first score of the night as Montgomery punched one in from the CV one with 15 seconds left in the opening frame. 

Down 7-0 and backed up in their own half of the field, CV would get a huge play from Stevie Olson when the junior backer stepped in front of an errant Raider pass .. caused by a hit to the Montgomery QB as he released from Dave Hess .. at the 2-yard line and took it all the way back for the score. The Indians went for two and the lead but were stuffed and trailed 7-6 with 8:51 left in the first half.

Montgomery answered with a 28-yard TD run to go up 13-6 with 4:37 left before CV’s Cam Stahli hauled in a 41-yard touchdown catch from Gavin Churchill with just 35 seconds remaining and Mason Wonderlich’s good PAT kick tied the game at 13-13.

But Montgomery wasted little time as they took over at their 46 after a CV onside-kick attempt and got down to the 1-yard line on a long pass play. They’d punch it in from there and go into the break up 21-13.

The Indians finished with 201 yards of offense as Hess rushed 13 times for 46 yards, Churchill had six carries for 22 yards and Olson had five rushes for 16 yards. 

Churchill was 6-for-16 for 121 yards and a score as Hess had five catches for 57 yards, Olson had two for eight yards, Stabile had the 41-yard TD catch and Max Millard had a catch for 14 yards. 

Montgomery would return the second half kickoff back for the final points of the night as the Indians fought to get into the end zone throughout the second half .. putting together drives that ended at the Montgomery five, 20 and 21-yard lines .. but the Raider defense pitched a second-half shutout and escaped with a win.

Cowanesque Valley finishes their 2026 season with a 3-7 record. Look for a season recap soon.

PHOTOS: Lance Larcom

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Montgomery 28, Cowanesque Valley 13

Montgomery 7 14 7 0--28 

CV 0 13 0 0--13

First Quarter 

M--Josh Knoebel 1 run (Dylan Sherman kick), :15

Second Quarter 

C--Stevie Olson 98-yard interception return (run failed), 8:51

M--Lincoln Miller 28 run (kick failed), 4:37

C--Cam Stahli 41 pass from Gavin Churchill (Mason Wonderlich kick), :35

M--Knoebel 1 run (Knoebel run), :15

Third Quarter 

M--Briar Persing 80-yard kickoff return (Sherman kick), 11:48

TEAM STATISTICS M C

First Downs 11 10

Rushes-yards 35-118 26-80

Passing yards 115 121

Total yards 233 201

Comp-Att-Int 6-16-1 11-25-3

Fumbles-lost 2-0 5-1

Penalties-yards 7-70 9-64

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS 

RUSHING: Montgomery, Lincoln Miller 7-53, TD; Josh Knoebel 14-30, 2 TD; Trace Furman 4-19; Briar Persing 7-10; Gage Furman 2-2; Team 1-(-6). CV, Dave Hess 13-46; Gavin Churchill 6-22; Stevie Olson 5-16; Max Millard 1-1; Team 1-(-5). 

PASSING: Montgomery, G Furman 6-16-1, 115 yards. CV, 

RECEIVING: Montgomery, Hayden Denton 2-55; T Furman 2-35; Miller 1-13; Persing 1-12. CV, Hess 5-57; Olson 2-8; Brody Bruce 2-1; Cam Stahli 1-41, TD; Millard 1-14. 

INTERCEPTIONS: Montgomery, Logan Joy 2; Denton. CV, Olson.