Can Bulldogs’ ‘magician’ pull a win out of his hat against Blue Streaks?
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The spark that ignited Wilson’s run at the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 1 title began in December, during early morning workouts when Madyx Gruber began throwing passes rather than catching them.
It was just an ember of an idea at that point, some nine months before another season would kick off.
No one knew for sure how it play out but Wilson offensive coordinator Jeremy Palm knew this much: For the Bulldogs to be a playoff contender they had to have Gruber at the center of their offense.
“We saw (last season) that he made things happen when the ball was in his hands,” said Palm of Gruber, an all-league receiver, dangerous kick returner, and top cover corner as a junior. “Can we get him the ball enough if he’s not at quarterback? That’s what it came down to.”
The answer is obvious now: Gruber has emerged as one of the most dynamic and impactful players in the league. The Bulldogs aren’t 8-1 and playing for the Section 1 championship Friday at Manheim Township if they don’t make that move and if he doesn’t make the transition as smoothly and successfully as he has.
“He’s been the difference in our offense, obviously,” said Wilson coach Doug Dahms.
Gruber has thrown for 1,374 yards, sixth-most in the 37-team league, and 17 touchdowns, fourth-most. He’s also rushed for 504 yards and scored six TDs.
He played quarterback coming up through the program in junior high, on the freshman team, and with the JV squad as a sophomore. He worked closely with Palm, a former Wilson quarterback, and Bulldogs quarterbacks coach Chad Henne, who played at Wilson, Michigan and in the NFL, throughout the offseason to learn the ins and outs of the position.
“I give them all the props,” Gruber said of his coaches. “They’ve been by my side every day, getting me better.”
Gruber came into this season with an understanding of the offense, and where his receivers would be on given patterns. That’s helped him complete 66.2 percent of his passes, the second-highest figure in program history, and compile the highest passing efficiency rating (178.4) in program history.
He’s able to spread the ball around, too. Many young quarterbacks lock onto a target but Gruber showed in his first start, at Chelteham, that he sees the whole field: He completed 15 passes to seven different receivers.
“He’s a point guard,” said Palm. “He feels those open guys.”
Gruber was an All-Berks pick in basketball as a junior and helped the Bulldogs beat Reading High for the Berks Conference title. He’s been tested under those Friday night lights; that’s been a key, too.
The running game part, Palm said, has required more on-the-job training but Gruber is such a natural athlete that he’s become a dangerous weapon with his legs. He ran for 204 yards against Gov. Mifflin – the same night that saw him match the program record with five TD throws.
There’s not much too him – at 5-10, 160 pounds he’s one of the smaller quarterbacks in the league – but he’s made that work for him. He’s so elusive and has such good body control it’s been tough for opposing linebackers to get a good shot at him.
“He’s a ‘squirrely’ guy that’s hard for them to get ahold of,” Dahms said appreciatively.
Gruber is so tough to stop because of his Favre-like his ability to keeps plays alive with his feet and find a way to deliver the football, not always in an orthodox manner. Its an instinct that can’t be coached.
“He’s just a magician back there,” said Township coach Mark Evans.
Gruber may have to pull some plays out of his hat for the Bulldogs (5-0, 8-1) to keep pace with the Blue Streaks (5-0, 9-0), who are ranked No. 5 in the state and have seamlessly re-loaded after graduating the Section 1 Offensive Player of the Year, Receiver of the Year, and Defensive Lineman of the Year, along with six other all-league players.
They took out two of the better teams in District 3 Class 6A the first two weeks of the season, winning at Cumberland Valley and against Central York. They had a close call at Plymouth-Whitemarsh, escaping with a 20-18 win (the Bulldogs won there a couple weeks earlier, 21-7).
They’ve sprinted through league play without much heavy breathing.
Senior Declan Clancy is second in the league in rushing, with 1,472 yards, and anchors the defense; he was the Section 1 Linebacker of the Year as a junior.
The Streaks returned four starting offensive linemen and a couple of all-league defensive linemen from a team that won its first 12 games last season and was considered a state title contender before a 34-28 loss to Harrisburg in the district championship game.
The key to making it all work for the Streaks, like the Bulldogs, has been a first-year starter at quarterback. Senior Carson Weisser backed up the league’s best QB last season, Hayden Johnson; he’s done a more than adequate job replacing him, throwing for 1,562 yards with 22 touchdowns and just one interception.
“We were so talented and so explosive last year,” said Evans. “I wasn’t sure where the production would come (from this year). (This senior group) waited behind a very talented group. Now they’re taking their place at the table and maximizing their opportunity.”
A win will give the Blue Streaks back-to-back outright title for the first time since 1976-77. The Bulldogs — who have won the last three times they visited Neffsville — are looking for their first section title since 2021 and their record 30th overall.
“From Day 1 I felt we could be in this position,” Evans said, “to have an opportunity to do this in Week 10, and try to get back to the district championship game.”