Wyomissing slams Neumann Goretti, gets championship rematch
PERKASIE — The Wyomissing Spartans have gotten their wish: A rematch against Central Valley in the state championship game.
The three-time District 3 champs overcame an early deficit and used their steady ground game to wear down Neumann Goretti 42-6 in a PIAA Class 3A semifinal Friday at Pennridge High School.
The Spartans (15-0) advance to the PIAA championship next Saturday at noon at Hersheypark Stadium. They’ll face defending champ Central Valley, a 35-21 winner Friday over Martinsburg Central.
Drew Eisenhower scored a pair of touchdowns and Ben Zechman threw a pair of TD passes for the Spartans, who scored three TDs in the first 6 1/2 minutes of the third quarter to put the game away.
Wyomissing became just the second team in Berks history to reach 15-0. The Spartans’ 2012 team was the first; it finished 16-0 and with the only PIAA football championship in Berks history.
Amory Thompson and Tommy Grabowski each rushed for over 100 yards for Wyomissing.
The Spartans trailed for the first time all season when Neumann Goretti took the opening kickoff and went 78 yards in 12 plays for a touchdown and 6-0 lead.
Playing without injured quarterback Marqui Adams, the Saints went to a Wildcat offense with Shawn Battle, a speedy Division I prospect, taking direct snaps. Battle carried eight times on the opening drive, including the last play, a 2-yard run. The Saints went for two and were stopped.
Adams started the second half but was ineffective, and completed just one pass.
Wyomissing’s first possession stalled on downs at the Neumann Goretti 6, but it scored its next two possessions to take a 14-6 lead into halftime.
Drew Eisenhower finished the first drive, with a stirring 15-yard run that saw him break several tackles inside the 10. Ian Levering’s PAT gave the Spartans the lead for good at 7-6.
They expanded a few minutes later after Aiden Mack’s fumble recovery at midfield. Ben Zechman’s 11-yard fourth-down flip to Tommy Grabowski kept the drive alive and pushed the ball to the 14. Three plays later Grabowski finished it with a 5-yard run.
The Spartans defense entered the game playing at an historic level. They were allowing 134 total yards per game. Over the last 30 seasons no Berks team has allowed fewer yards.They’re allowing 49 passing yards per game. You’d have to go back nearly 30 years — to an era when the passing game at this level wasn’t nearly as sophisticated, or prominent — to find a smaller number.
In four postseason games — wins over Northern Lebanon, Middletown, Boiling Springs and Scranton Prep — they had allowed 10 pass completions.
In their regular season finale, against Conrad Weiser and its all-time passing leader Logan Klitsch, the Spartans allowed 93 passing yards.
Wyomissing reached rare territory with its 35-14 win over Scranton Prep Saturday in the PIAA Class 3A quarterfinals. The Spartans became just the seventh Berks team to win 14 games in a season, and the first in seven seasons.
It was the third time in program history Wyomissing has won 14 or more games. It first did it in 2006 when it won the District 3 Class AA championship and beat Montoursville in a PIAA quarterfinal before running into Wilson Area in the semifinals.
In 2012 the Spartans became Berks’ only state football champion and the first Berks team to win 15 and eventually 16 games. They reached 16-0 with a 17-14 win over Aliquippa in the PIAA championship game.
Bob Wolfrum has been head coach for each of Wyomissing’s winningest seasons.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Wyomissing | 0 | 14 | 28 | 0 | 42 |
| Neumann Goretti | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
Scoring summary
| 1 | Neuman Goretti | Battle, 2 run (run failed) | 5:52 |
| 2 | Wyomissing | Eisenhower, 15 run (Levering kick) | 7:50 |
| 2 | Wyomissing | Grabowski, 5 run (Levering kick) | 3:14 |
| 3 | Wyomissing | Eisenhower, 8 pass from Zechman (Levering kick) | 9:18 |
| 3 | Wyomissing | McIntyre, 10 pass from Zechman (Levering kick) | 6:42 |
| 3 | Wyomissing | Thompson, 57 run (Levering kick) | 5:20 |
| 3 | Wyomissing | Jackson, 2 run (Levering kick) | 0:56 |
Team statistics
| Wyomissing | Neumann Goretti | |
| First downs | 21 | 7 |
| Rushes-yards | 51-347 | 28-141 |
| Passing yards | 59 | 17 |
| Total yards | 406 | 158 |
| Passes | 5-7-0 | 1-11-1 |
| Fumbles-lost | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| Punts-average | 2-32.5 | 4-26.0 |
| Penalties-yards | 7-40 | 5-25 |
Individual statistics
RUSHING
Wyomissing: Thompson 6-114, Grabowski 17-107, Eisenhower 12-65, Jackson 5-33, McIntyre 3-8, W. Delp 2-8, A. Delp 1-6, Niedrowski 1-4, Jones 2-4, Team 2-(-2).
Neumann Goretti: Battle 14-89, Sumpter 8-57, Styles 2-4, Jefferson 3-(-3), Johnson 1-(-6).
PASSING
Wyomissing: Zechman 5-7-0–59.
Neumann Goretti: Adams 1-10-0–17, Jefferson 0-1-1–0.
RECEIVING
Wyomissing: Grabowski 2-23, Mack 1-18, McIntyre 1-10, Eisenhower 1-8.
Neumann Goretti: Calleung 1-17.
INTERCEPTIONS
Wyomissing: Hyde.
