5 Things to watch tonight in Berks football
Here are five things to watch tonight as the Berks football season kicks off with 13 games (and a 14th game Saturday):
1. Gov. Mifflin’s Nick Singleton is at the top of many lists, so we’ll start there.
The Penn State running back recruit opens his senior season with 4,267 career yards, currently fourth on the all-time Berks list but just 511 away from Iggy Reynoso’s record of 4,778.
Singleton averaged a staggering 12.5 yards per carry last season.
The yards might not come so easily tonight against York High.
The Bearcats reached the District 3 Class 6A title game last season, losing to Central York 48-21; seven starters from that defensive unit return.
Bearcats coach Russ Sterner told the York Daily Record this defense could be better than last year’s.
“We’re big, we’re fast, we’re athletic,” Stoner told the Daily Record. “And we’re a little bit nasty.”
Singleton won’t be the only top back on the field.
The Bearcats feature junior Jahiem White, who topped 1,300 yards, scored 16 TDs and averaged 10 yards per carry last season. He has offers from Bowling Green and Old Dominion.
Stoner’s son, junior Sam Stoner, return at quarterback. He threw for over 1,200 yards with 17 TDs and just two interceptions.
2. Wilson vs. Central Dauphin will be one of the premier match-ups in the state tonight.
It’s big boy football, featuring two of the best programs in District 3.
Both teams have veteran quarterbacks. The Rams bring back Max Mosey, who torched the Bulldogs in West Lawn two seasons ago.
Wilson is going with Brad Hoffman, a transfer from Berks Catholic who has stepped up his game. He looked comfortable in the scrimmage against Coatesville and seems eager to play with his new team.
These Wilson/CD battles are generally won up front and the Rams bring back plenty of good linemen (they always do).
The Bulldogs more than held their own up front against Coatesville. Those match-ups in the trenches will be critical.
3. Exeter will be facing big-time challenges all season, none more daunting than tonight’s.
The Eagles go up against Central York and Beau Pribula, perhaps the No. 1 quarterback in the state.
The Penn State recruit was named the Pennsylvania Football News Class 6A Player of the Year — over St. Joe’s quarterback Kyle McCord and receiver Marvin Harrison, Jr., both now at Ohio State.
He threw 34 touchdowns passes and ran for 14 (in 11 games) in leading Central to its first District 3 Class 6A championship and to the PIAA title game.
“He has the ‘it’ factor,” York High coach Russ Stoner told the York Daily Record. “When (Beau) wants his team to go, all he has to do is look at them and they go.”
The Eagles have a pair of Division I linebackers in J.R. Strauss and Ty Yocum who figure to be chasing Pribula all over Don Thomas Stadium.
4. Wyomissing vs. Daniel Boone makes for an intriguing inter-sectional game.
The Spartans are the pick to win Section 2 of the Berks Football League.
The Blazers are expecting a big bounce-back season and to move up in the Section 1 standings after a 2-6 finish.
This is Year Four for head coach Rob Flowers at Boone, and he’s got a big senior class eager to turn things around this season. This would be a good place to start. The Blazers will gain a lot of attention, and respect, if they perform well in this one.
The Blazers have a top pass-catch combination in Carter Speyerer and Alex Vassallo.
The Spartans are very talented, but also very young and untested in many spots.
5. Bruce Harbach makes his debut as a head coach in Berks tonight.
It’s not like Harbach hasn’t been around before — he’s 66, and has been on the sidelines for 45 seasons — but his game with Schuylkill Valley tonight will be the first time running a Berks club.
The Panthers open at Springfield-Montco (their original game vs. Annville-Cleona was postponed).
Harbach had great success at Lancaster Catholic, where he won a pair of state titles and eight district titles.
No one’s expecting him to match that at Schuylkill Valley but it’ll be interesting to see how fast he can change the culture and direction of the program.