SHENANDOAH — Suddenly there is a resurgent Shenandoah Valley football program that has been dormant for over a decade.

That was bad news for Panther Valley, which hasn’t gotten off to its hoped-for start this season.

And so it was the same Friday evening when the Blue Devils broke free from a one-touchdown lead in the second half, lighting up Veterans Memorial Stadium with four touchdowns en route to an impressive 35-6 victory and staying undefeated at 3-0.

It is the first time that Shenandoah Valley has won its first three games since 2012, and it was the first home win in three seasons.

Physicality is where this Blue Devils team has done an about-face. They made jarring hits, not just on defense but on offense, too.

It also helped they have one of the premier quarterbacks in the region in 6-foot-5-inch Ethan Bench. The junior is lethal with his big arm and a receiving corps that can flat-out run, from superb athlete Gene Sinkus, to bruising two-way senior standout David Burrows, plus a contingent of running backs that have instincts, too.

“They’re a physical football team. They’ve got athletes and kids that can run. Impressive.” That’s how Mark Lavine, the Panther Valley head coach, assessed things.

On a night when the hosts paid a fitting tribute to 9/11, and with another Shenandoah Valley Hall of Fame tribute, it started quickly for the Blue Devils.

Bench cranked up his big arm to fuel a 6-play, 90-yard march to pay dirt. Bench was firing on all cylinders, making four completions. His first was a 7-yarder to speedy and elusive Todd Seiger. He found “The Man” Sinkus for a 35-yard gain. And later in the drive, he hit Sinkus on a terrific route down to the 10.

Bench wasn’t hanging it up just yet, for Burrows, a sturdy stud, used his big paws to haul in a touchdown pass. Bingo — the Blue Devils looked off and running after Sam Mentusky kicked the first of his five extra points.

“We got off to that quick start, but they did some things to slow us down with their converges, and I thought Ethan was rushing his throws,” said David Bench, Shenandoah head coach and father of Ethan.

The son would agree: “Yeah, I was. And I got a little anxious.”

Much to its credit, Panther Valley dug in and thwarted the next four Shenandoah Valley possessions. However, the Panthers never could find consistency, mostly because of the Blue Devils’s unyielding defense.

“Yeah, we didn’t make things easy on ourselves,” Lavine said. “Our execution wasn’t what you need to be. I really thought we’d be much (further) along.”

The big note for the winners was the play of its interior line.

“We just want to play tough football, be physical, and all the hard offseason work is getting us to the where we are at,” said Burrows, one of the team leaders. He also picked off a pass and returned it to the PV 10, which set up the fifth touchdown of the game. At the 10, Bench pulled off a great fake on a naked bootleg and sprinted in.

The first of two Panther Valley fumbles gave Shenandoah Valley grand field position at the 25-yard line. Six plays later, Burrows hit the end zone on a 2-yard pass from Bench. Burrows also caught a 10-yard pass in the drive. On their next possession, the Panthers turned the ball over on a fumble at their 41-yard line. Three plays into that drive, which featured a penalty that had pushed the Blue Devils back, Bench found Seiger free and he zoomed 51 yards to the end zone. The tight affair was loosening up in the Blue Devils’ favor.

“We’re a determined football team,” said Brayan Chargolla, a first-time player who came out for the team. His 6-foot-3-inch, 270-pound frame was a big factor.

Panther Valley never could recover and was forced to punt, ending the third quarter. The Blue Devils turned to Bench and Burrows to set the wheels in motion, resulting in a fantastic 29-yard hookup to the PV 24.

Senior Mike Elchisak turned the corner on a pitchout to his right and lowered his shoulder to physically cap off the 24-yard touchdown run.

“That was a big time run the way he got into the end zone,” Dave Bench said excitedly.

That was not lost on junior bruising tackle Aiden Longo, who is 6 feet tall and weighs 280 pounds. “That run was something else,” Longo said. “Mike just wanted that badly.”

Seconds later Burrows set his team up with the interception return to the 10. Ethan Bench then carried it in.

The only solace for the Panthers came when they showed moxie with an impressive 12-play, 80-yard touchdown march. Quarterback Cy Maynard lofted a strike to a wide-open Jason Ahn in the middle of the field for a 30-yard touchdown.

Unfortunately for the Panthers, it was a moot point. On the other side, Shenandoah is experiencing a revival of its once-proud football program, which just may be on the verge of stardom with the echoes of the past stirring the fan base.

“This is great to be able to play in front of fans who have been very loyal,” Dave Bench said while leaving the field.

DIFFERENCE MAKER … Shenandoah Valley’s balance created issues for Panther Valley. The Blue Devils went 8-for-15 in passing for 199 yards and rushed for 185 yards on 17 carries; that’s tough to defend. Bench the QB is accurate and the receivers find the open spaces.

PANTHERS PLUS … PV’s QB Maynard was extremely tough to bring down, rushing for 69 yards, while sneaky-quick Tory Nunez rushed for 90 yards. And kudos to running back Nathan Rolon, tacking on 65 yards on 11 carries.

BIG TIME LEG … SV kicker Mentusky booted five of his kicks into the end zone. He is getting looks as a big-time placekicker. Impressive, for a kid who came over from the soccer team three seasons ago.

GREAT TRIBUTE … The SV administration and athletic department did a fantastic pregame tribute for the 25th anniversary for 9/11.

ON TAP … Panther Valley hosts Nanticoke next, while Shenandoah Valley hosts Tri-Valley.

Shenandoah Vly. 35

Panther Vly. 6,

PV 0 0 0 6 – 6

SV 7 0 14 14 – 35

SV – Burrows 11 pass from Bench (Mentusky kick)

SV – Burrows 2 pass from Bench (Mentusky kick)

SV – Seiger 51 pass from Bench (Mentusky kick)

SV – Elchisak 24 run (Mentusky kick)

SV – Bench 10 run (Mentusky kick)

PV – Ahn 30 pass from Maynard (run failed)