Like most coaches, Frank Isenberg finds his biggest challenge to be in attempting the impossible, in controlling the uncontrollable.
Lebanon High’s head football coach for the last four seasons, Isenberg is in the midst of enduring a third straight winless season with the Cedars, who stand at 0-8 with two weeks remaining in the regular season.
The fact that Lebanon’s last win came towards the end of the 2020 season is partially within its control, but the Cedars have also been a victim of circumstances. The COVID-19 pandemic didn’t do the team any favors, neither did the Lancaster-Lebanon League football expansion and realignment that placed Lebanon in Section 2, where it has been forced to fight above its weight class, so to speak.
Still, Isenberg and his squad find reasons to smile and be proud of their efforts, even as the losses mount.
“I truly enjoy seeing my guys reach their goals of playing in college,” Isenberg said of what he enjoys most about coaching. “Every year I enjoy National Signing Day and watching my guys and their families celebrate their dreams.”
Isenberg is in his fourth season as Lebanon’s head coach, after spending the previous 10 years as defensive coordinator. He also spent three years as the head coach at Hershey High School, as well as a one-year stint as an offensive line coach at Lebanon Valley College.
Along the way, he has coached some outstanding players and been a part of some memorable games and seasons.
Among those was the 2013 season, when he had the opportunity to coach future Bucknell linebacker Mark Pyles, who also starred at quarterback while leading Lebanon to just its second ever district playoff berth.
“There have been a lot of great players that I’ve coached, but Mark Pyles from Lebanon was the complete student athlete,” Isenberg said. “He was the valedictorian of his graduating class. He had an unmatched work ethic, and he was extremely successful on the field as a linebacker.”
As for his most memorable game as a head coach, that came during the 2016 season, when he guided Hershey to a Cocoa Bean Bowl victory against arch rival Milton Hershey.
Also a physical education teacher at Lebanon High, Isenberg played college football as an offensive lineman at Kent State and Slippery Rock before getting into coaching.
His favorite college football team is Kent State, while his pro football rooting loyalties go to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Lebanon Cedars
Read all our coverage of the Cedars here.
Roster
Head Coach: Frank Isenberg
Assistant Coaches: Greg Herr, Tyler Roth, Jason Capello, Nathan Myers
| Jersey Number | Name | Position | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Derek Infante | WR/DB | Senior |
| 4 | Riquelme Estevez | WR/DB | Senior |
| 5 | Jack Herr | WR/LB | Senior |
| 6 | Derrick Briddell | WR/DB | Senior |
| 7 | Tayvian Rivera | WR/DB | Senior |
| 8 | Malachi Briddell | WR/DB | Sophomore |
| 9 | Aidan Fernandez | TE/LB | Senior |
| 10 | Brandyn Castro | QB | Junior |
| 11 | Braylon Beaver | WR/DB | Senior |
| 12 | Jahkeim Medlock | RB/DB | Senior |
| 13 | Benjamin Fenstermaker | WR/DB | Senior |
| 14 | Jeavon Cortes | WR/LB | Senior |
| 15 | Paul Trace | WR/DB | Senior |
| 16 | Josiah Wright | TE/DL | Senior |
| 17 | Kareem Stoner | QB/DB | Junior |
| 18 | Juan Rivera | WR/DB | Sophomore |
| 19 | Jovani Rivera-Gonzalez | WR/DB | Sophomore |
| 20 | Kai Rivera | RB/LB | Junior |
| 21 | Sebastian Polanco | RB/LB | Sophomore |
| 22 | Camron Buchmoyer | RB/LB | Sophomore |
| 24 | Anthony Klish | WR/DB | Sophomore |
| 25 | Nathan Border | RB/LB | Senior |
| 26 | Jesucristo Echevarria Figueroa | WR/LB | Junior |
| 27 | Jamil Gordon | WR/DB | Sophomore |
| 30 | Messiah Wilson | TE/LB | Junior |
| 32 | Josean Wright | WR/LB | Freshman |
| 33 | Issac Cortes | WR/LB | Junior |
| 34 | Reinaldo Rivera | RB/LB | Junior |
| 50 | Colin Daugherty | K | Senior |
| 52 | Omar Aguilar-Ortiz | OL/DL | Junior |
| 54 | Ethan Rivera | OL/DL | Sophomore |
| 60 | Dujhan Baez | OL/DL | Junior |
| 62 | Daniel Hershey | OL/DL | Sophomore |
| 64 | Derryck Brickle | OL/DL | Sophomore |
| 65 | Mahkye Cortes | OL/DL | Senior |
| 65 | Colin Johnsen | OL/DL | Senior |
| 70 | Elis Bentez Jimenez | OL/DL | Sophomore |
| 72 | Cayden Clentimack | OL/DL | Junior |
| 75 | Cameron Harbaugh | OL/DL | Sophomore |
| 76 | Omar Milete | OL/DL | Junior |
| 78 | Corbett Brickle | OL/DL | Senior |
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