What are Berks teams facing this week in District 3 playoffs?
Five Berks teams won to advance in the District 3 playoffs last week. Wilson, in Class 6A, and Wyomissing, in 3A, play for championships Saturday at 1. Gov. Mifflin and Exeter, in 5A, and Berks Catholic, in 4A, play Friday at 7; each is one win away from a championship game.
If the Mustangs and Eagles each win they’ll get a rematch at Mifflin Stadium next week.
Here’s a brief look at what’s in store for each Berks team this weekend:
Wilson (9-3) vs. Harrisburg (11-1): The Cougars haven’t lost since mid-September, and that came at Gov. Mifflin, and without their starting quarterback, freshman Shawn Lee. After some close calls — they beat Manheim Township in OT, edged C.D. East 25-20 and State College 15-13 — the Cougars seem to be picking up momentum. They dispatched Hempfield rather easily last week, 32-10.
Head coach Calvin Everett has become masterful at rebuilding teams on the fly and having them peak in November, and he’s done it again, even with a small (44-player) roster.
The offense revolves around Kyle Williams, a flashy multi-threat who has 14 TDs, and powerful 235-pound back Mahkai Hopkins, who has nine TDs.
The defense is fast and adept at taking the ball away from its opponents. The Cougars have 45 sacks and 33 takeaways; they have allowed just six TDs over their last five games. They’re a speed-based unit but will have to stop Wilson’s power running attack. No one’s been able to lately.
Gov. Mifflin (9-0) vs. Spring Grove (10-1): The Rockets won just two games two years ago and one game the season before that. They’re on the upswing and have a lot of seniors who have been on the field for three seasons.
Zyree Brooks scored three TDs and rushed for 150 yards in last week’s 21-6 win over Waynesboro; he has rushed for 2,253 yards and 30 TDs.
Their best athletic might be quarterback Andrew Osmun, who has an offer to play safety at Valparaiso. He returned in Week 7 from broken ribs and a punctured lung, and the Rockets haven’t lost since. Osmun earned all-league spots at Athlete and placekicker.
They have played for the six weeks without one of their top players, linebacker Tyree Brooks — Zyree’s twin brother — who was suspended after allegedly assaulting a referee at the end of a game in which he was ejected. He’s no longer listed on their roster.
Lone loss came in Week 6, 48-17 to Central York; they trailed by just 10 at the half before Beau Pribula got things cranked up.
The defense is allowing just 168 yards per game but then it hasn’t faced anyone quite like Nick Singleton.
Exeter (8-3) vs. Cedar Cliff (10-2): The Colts are back in the semifinals for the third time in four years and they’re using the same formula as in the past, riding a dominant back. When they knocked out the Eagles in this round two years ago they did it with plowhorse Jaheim Morris; now they’re doing it with his little brother.
Jontae Morris ran 40 times for 202 yards a week ago as the Colts took out unbeaten Shippensburg 10-7. Morris has rushed for 1,998 yards and scored 22 TDs, a year after he was sidelined by an ACL tear in the season-opener (against Berks Catholic).
Calude Godineaux, a 310-pound two-way all-league lineman, anchors a defensive front that held Shippensburg to 133 total yards and six first downs.
Losses came to C.D. East (20-7) in Week 3 and Bishop McDevitt (56-0) in Week 7.
The Eagles have seen their season end three times at Cedar Cliff — 2011, 2018, and 2019 — but this is different caliber Exeter team.
Berks Catholic (7-4) at Bishop McDevitt (9-1): The Saints are truly up against this week as they face a Crusaders team that’s a threat to win a state title. They’re absolutely loaded, with 14 Mid-Penn Keystone all-league picks, nine from an offense that’s averaging 54.5 points — tops among all teams in District 3.
With 15 starters back from a team that went 6-0 last season (yet somehow didn’t qualify for the truncated playoffs) you’d think their biggest concern coming into the season was starting a freshman quarterback. Think again. Stone Saunders had an offer from Michigan before he ever threw a pass. In the months since he’s thrown for 2,366 yards, 38 touchdowns and — get this — one interception. One.
Running back Marquese Williams, who has offers from Arizona State and Arkansas, averages 13.3 yards per carry. Kamil Foster, who has offers from Buffalo and Western Michigan, averages 27.6 yards per receptions; nearly half his catches have gone for touchdowns (12). Wide receiver Mario Easterly, who has committed to Old Dominion, has 11 TDs on 38 catches.
Lineman Gabe Arena has an offer from Virginia Tech and Michigan, and Saunders has added one from Maryland.
The Crusaders are looking for their first district title since they beat the Saints in the 2018 championship game.
Wyomissing (12-0) vs. Boiling Springs (11-1): The Bubblers knocked off some good teams on the way to the Mid-Penn Capital title — Big Spring and Middletown — but really got everyone’s attention a few weeks ago when they handed defending PIAA Class 1A champ Steel-High a 29-28 defeat, going for two and the win in the final minutes.
They played error-free football last week in a 35-7 win over Hamburg, with just one penalty and no turnovers. Joey Menke ran for 135 yards and a TD.
The Bubblers went 0-10 two seasons ago before a 4-2 finish last year, when they reached the playoffs and lost in the semifinals to Wyomissing, 47-7. Then, as now, the Spartans were the No. 1 seed and ranked No. 2 in the state.
Bubblers’ lone loss came in mid-September, 39-34 at Mechanicsburg. They have allowed just two TDs in the first two playoff games.