Twin Valley junior RB/DB Evan Johnson

Twin Valley's football team is ranked in the statewide polls for the first time in the history of the program.  Evan Johnson isn't letting the hype go to his head.  "I just block it out, honestly. I don't really care about rankings. We're just gonna go out and play as hard as we can," he told Paul Roberts of SV Sports.  Johnson starts at running back and safety for the (6-0) Raiders.  The 5'10, 160-pound junior is averaging nearly 11 yards per carry with eight touchdowns.  Johnson helped to keep Twin Valley's unbeaten season alive last week at Solanco.  He caught a 70-yard touchdown pass from Evan Myers with just 25 seconds remaining.  260-pound fullback Ean Winchester rumbled in for the two-point conversion and a thrilling 29-28 victory.  "We always go to the very last play. The game is not over until the horn sounds," said Johnson.  As a sophomore, he ran for 992 yards and scored 17 TD.  Johnson was named a second team RB and DB in Section 3 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League.  He started this year with a bang.  Johnson racked up 251 yards and 2 TD on 14 carries against Schuylkill Valley.  One week later, he finished with 185 yards and two scores on 24 carries versus Lower Dauphin.  Johnson (799 yards) and sophomore Drew Engle (847 yards) have developed into an electrifying duo.  They're both sprinters on the track and field team.  Johnson also plays basketball while carrying a 4.1 GPA.  "My mom always keeps me on top of my grades," he replied.  The Raiders host undefeated Garden Spot on Friday night.  The winner will sit alone atop the Section 3 standings.  When asked about the keys to the game, Johnson said, "Play with confidence, play with heart [and] be tough."  Twin Valley is putting up 329 rushing yards a night behind an offensive line that averages 269 pounds.  The Raiders are ranked #10 in the state in Class 4A by PennLive, but they know that there's more work to be done.