Four Downs: Four big takes from Week 2
2024 Berks football coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
Four biggest takeaways from Week 2 of the 2024 high school football season:
1ST DOWN
A 2-0 start might not seem like a big deal at a program as storied as Wilson’s, but maybe this one is.
The Bulldogs came into the season with lots of questions to answer, with a quarterback who hadn’t played quarterback before (at this level), and following – by their standards – some subpar years.
Their 21-7 win over Plymouth-Whitemarsh Friday answered some of those questions and gave this new group an identity: A team that can play defense.
“We got after it,” Bulldogs coach Doug Dahms said after seeing his defense hold a second straight opponent under 100 rushing yards and get a score of its own, on Madyx Gruber’s Pick-Six.
Wilson is ranked No. 1 in Section 1 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League in rushing defense and No. 5 overall in the 37-team league.
Gruber, the converted receiver now playing quarterback, has played well at his new position in back-to-back games to help Wilson to its first 2-0 start in five years. Last year it was 0-2 at this juncture.
The Bulldogs will find out just how good their defense is Friday when they travel to Nazareth, which is 2-0 and ranked No. 6 in the state in Class 6A.
2ND DOWN
(PhilMarPhoto)
Every football coach can recall details of his first victory no matter how many years ago it was.
Dave Stahler, Berks Catholic’s first-year coach, will have no trouble recounting his.
The Saints went 48 yards for a touchdown in the final minute Friday and scored the go-ahead touchdown with two seconds left in beating Executive Education 22-18.
The Saints had surrendered the lead with 1:20 remaining before first-year starting quarterback Zach Suski completed a pair of passes on the game-winning drive, then capped it with a 1-yard run.
“It feels great,” said Stahler, a longtime assistant under Rick Keeley, who resigned following last season. “We were doing all of the things we have been practicing for months now. I’m just so proud of our kids’ effort. I couldn’t be happier.”
3RD DOWN
There’s a lot of pride around Conrad Weiser football, a program that’s won 10 league or section championships and long ago earned a reputation for its toughness.
That pride was wounded after back-to-back losing seasons – the first time that’s happened in Robesonia in more than 40 years.
The Scouts responded by getting after it even harder in their offseason training; now they’re 2-0 for the first time in five seasons after a resounding 31-7 win at Elco.
“We’re where we’re at now because these kids really bought in,” said long-time head coach Alan Moyer. “They didn’t like losing. They wanted to do something about it, and they have worked their butts off.”
That trademark toughness was on display Thursday when the Scouts came within a couple minutes of a shutout. A late turnover by their backups deep in their own territory set up Elco’s only score.
“Coach (Moyer) has been telling us to get back to being us,” said senior safety Evan Rittle. “We believe that’s hard-nosed football.”
4TH DOWN
Exeter and Conestoga Valley entered the season considered the top dogs in Section 2 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League and neither has given any indication that’s not the case. They’re each 2-0, and in dominant fashion.
Ephrata made it known Friday that Section 3 is a three-team race. The Mounts used a 17-point fourth quarter to pull away from long-time L-L power Manheim Central for a 31-14 victory.
It was Ephrata’s first win over Manheim since 1997.
“This definitely lived up to the hype,” Ephrata’s Brayden Brown told Jeff Reinhart of Lancasteronline.com after he scored three touchdowns, two in the final five minutes.
Ephrata opened with a 35-14 win at Red Lion.
Exeter has beaten Daniel Boone and Boyertown by a combined 85-7. Conestoga Valley has been even more dominant, outscoring Penn Manor and McCaskey 90-6.
Exeter gets Ephrata at home in Week 6 and plays Conestoga Valley at Don Thomas Stadium in Week 9.
The Buckskins and Mounts meet in the Section 2 opener in two weeks at Ephrata.
Ephrata shared the Section 3 title last year with Garden Spot and Twin Valley.
