Four Downs: Four big takeaways from Week 12 in Berks football

Four takeaways from Week 12 of the 2021 high school football season:

1ST DOWN

Two months ago Wilson was setting all kinds of “firsts.” First time with a losing record at midseason since . . . first time with back-to-back losses since . . . first time mercy-ruled in back-to-back games since . . .

The Bulldogs are doing it again, only in a different light.

They toppled unbeaten Central York Friday to reach their first District 3 championship game for the first time in five years.

Brad Hoffman became the first Wilson quarterback to rush for 1,000 yards in a season.

Along with Jadyn Jones, Hoffman became part of the first duo of Wilson backs to top 1,000 yards in the same season.

Now they’ll try to be the first team in nine weeks to beat Harrisburg when they meet Saturday at 1 at Severance Field for the Class 6A championship The Bulldogs haven’t brought back that title since 2016.

2ND DOWN

If you haven’t taken a Friday night to go out and watch Gov. Mifflin play this season, shame on you. You’re missing a true football phenom make history each week.

Nick Singleton showed no signs of rust after two weeks off, matching a Berks record with seven touchdowns and setting a personal record with 330 rushing yards in a 63-35 win over Warwick.

Singleton became the first Berks player to score seven TDs in 67 years and just the third ever. He became only the second in District 3 Tournament history to reach that mark; LeSean “Shady” McCoy, who played at Bishop McDevitt and for the Philadelphia Eagles is the other.

The Penn State recruit has 1,832 yards — in nine games. The Mustangs had a pair of games erased from the schedule due to COVID issues at other schools, and had a bye last week. Otherwise Singleton would be about to pass David Gilmore’s Berks record of 2,403 yards in a season.

As it is he’s averaging a staggering 13.5 yards per carry, and no one around here has ever done anything like.

3RD DOWN

Exeter entered rare territory Friday when it went to Manheim Central and mercy-ruled the Barons in a District 3 Class 5A quarterfinal. The Eagles were up 36-0 at the half, and it could’ve been worse. They ended up beating the No. 5 team in the state 43-26.

Teams just don’t do that to the Barons, who have more wins and more championships than anyone in District 3 history. You’d have to go back to 2013 to find the last time the Barons were mercy-ruled in a postseason game (against Bishop McDevitt, at Hersheypark Stadium).

The Eagles have been doing some special things all season; now they’re one win away from playing for their first district championship. They play Cedar Cliff in the semifinals Friday at 7.

A win will likely send the Eagles to Mifflin Stadium and a rematch with the Berks Section 1 rival Mustangs, the team they’ve been overshadowed by all season, and for many seasons prior.

4TH DOWN

Wyomissing didn’t have a first down in the first quarter Saturday against Middletown. Didn’t score until the final minutes of the first half. Didn’t have a play that went longer than 17 yards in the first half. But the Spartans were never in trouble, not for a moment.

Why? Defense. They play that as well as anyone.

They’re allowing just 7.7 points per game after their second shutout, 14-0 over the Blue Raiders. That’s the second-lowest figure in District 3 and third-lowest in the state among Class 3A teams. They’re allowing just 2.9 points in the first half.

Bob Wolfrum saw five All-State picks from his defense walk across stage at graduation last spring; he’s assembled another group that’s been nearly as stingy.

“Our defense is pretty damned good,” Wolfrum allowed.