What’s in store for 7 Berks teams in District 3 playoffs this weekend

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2024 Berks football coverage presented by

Utilities Employees Credit Union

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Here’s a look at what seven Berks teams face in the District 3 Tournament this weekend:

Wilson Bulldogs

The Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 1 champion Bulldogs (9-1) enter the Class 6A tournament as the No. 2 seed and with a lot of momentum. They knocked off unbeaten and top-seeded Manheim Township 34-16 in Week 10, then earned a week off.

They get a rematch against Section 1 rival Cedar Crest, which gave them their toughest challenge in league play. The Bulldogs came up with a terrific goal-line stand in the final minute of the first half and that turned out to be the key to a hard-fought 14-7 Week 5 victory.

That was the fewest points Wilson has scored this season; it turned out to be Cedar Crest’s lowest scoring output in league play.

The seventh-seeded Falcons (8-3) have gone 5-1 since that loss and have averaged nearly 48 points during their current four-game winning streak. Of course, the recent wins came against lower-tiered Section 1 teams. Last week they opened districts with a 49-29 win over Hempfield.

The Falcons’ key guy is running back Isaiah Zimmerman, who has rushed for 1,482 yards and 17 TDs. He went for 72 yards on 12 carries in the first meeting.

Wilson owns a commanding 50-4-1 lead in the series but one of Cedar Crest’s wins is memorable: It came in a 1995 district semifinal three weeks after the Bulldogs had beaten them 20-6 in the regular season.

Conrad Weiser Scouts

So, how were the Scouts rewarded for their first unbeaten season in 28 years?

With a district opener against Bishop McDevitt, probably the favorite of the Class 5A field, that’s how.

McDevitt ended up as the No. 6 seed because of an early season overtime loss to then state-ranked Harrisburg and a 58-55 Week 10 loss to State College, which is ranked No. 5 in the state in Class 6A.

The Crusaders, who won the last three district Class 4A titles, feature Kentucky quarterback recruit Stone Saunders, who has thrown for over 12,000 yards and 189 TDs in his career.

Most of his top targets graduated and the Crusaders aren’t as stocked with top-shelf talent as they have been in recent years, but they’re still a formidable team. They’re ranked No. 8 in the state in Class 5A.

They’ve been a true nemesis to the Scouts over the decades, ending their season five times in districts, including the last time Weiser had an unbeaten season, in 1996.

The Scouts haven’t been at full strength for several weeks after injuries cost them five starting positions, including all-league receiver and two-way starter Evan Rittle.

Exeter Eagles

The eighth-seeded Eagles (10-1) are playing with a chip on their shoulder, a valuable commodity this time of year.

They’re still smarting over a call they think went against them in their only loss and figure to be an angry bunch when they show up at New Oxford, which earned a first-round bye and the No. 1 seed in the Class 5 tournament after completing the first perfect season in program history.

The Colonials have been a perennial district qualifier but haven’t done much in Novembers past. They haven’t won a postseason game since 2019.

The Eagles, on the other hand, know their way around this part of the calendar. They went out in the first round last year but reached the district title game the two years before that, with a KO of unbeaten Gov. Mifflin and Nick Singleton in 2021.

Their biggest issue is the absence of quarterback Riley Martinez, the league’s top-rated passer who’s been out since Week 7 with a lower leg injury. He could return this week, but don’t count on that. He was still wearing a protective boot as he walked the sidelines Friday night.

Even without him the Eagles have been a potent scoring machine, with All-State tailback Jayden Zandier on the verge of a 2,000-yard season.

Exeter’s defense has been strong; it has allowed the fewest points of any team in District 3.

The Colonials are winning with defense, too; they allow just 10.4 points per game and they’ve played a solid competition, with wins over 9-1 Bermudian Springs and West York and Eastern York, each of which finished 8-2.

For what it’s worth they beat South Western 48-20 in Week 3; the Eagles just roughed up the Mustangs 56-3 in their district opener.

Wyomissing Spartans

The Spartans (8-2) earned the No. 2 seed and a week off in the Class 4A tournament after ending the regular season with a 20-7 loss to Lampeter-Strasburg; that snapped a seven-game winning streak.

To win a sixth straight district title the Spartans will likely need to stop the unbeaten Pioneers, or perhaps No. 5 Twin Valley, which is in the top half of the bracket along with Lampeter.

First the Spartans get No. 7 East Pennsboro, a 42-14 winner over Susquehannock in the opening round.

The Panthers have won eight of their last nine after an 0-2 start and August losses to Becca and Trinity. They finished third in the Mid-Penn Colonial, behind Trinity (8-2) and Susquehanna Township (8-2).

Junior quarterback Turner Barlup has thrown 14 touchdowns with just one interception, most of the TDs to Aaron Angelo, who is averaging more than 20 yards on his team-high 43 receptions.

East Pennsboro is making its first appearance in districts since 2017; its win last week snapped an 18-year district drought.

Wyomissing is playing in 4A for the first time after five straight Class 3A titles. The Spartans were bumped up a level by the PIAA’s “Success Formula.”

Twin Valley Raiders

A few weeks ago Twin Valley was unbeaten, ranked No. 1 in the state, and favored to win its first district title. Then came back-to-back losses to Wyomissing and Lampeter-Strasburg, the latter by a whopping 62-14.

The Raiders played Lampeter without all-time touchdowns leader Evan Johnson; he missed the regular season finale, too. Drew Engle, who set the program rushing record last year as a sophomore, hasn’t played since the season opener.

The fifth-seeded Raiders (8-2) will need those two to have a chance to advance. First they have to get past fourth-seeded Susquehanna Township (8-2) in a Class 4A quarterfinal.

Township is ranked No. 10 in the state and enters with a six-game winning streak. That streak includes a 41-20 win over Steel-High, the No. 1 seed in Class 2A, and a double-overtime victory over Trinity, the No. 2 seed in 3A.

The Indians’ offense is driven by Torin “TD” Evans, who has thrown for 2,367 yards and 26 touchdowns. He works behind an O-line that includes three returning all-league picks.

Most of Evans’ completions have gone to PIAA sprint champ Lex Cyrus, who has 52 receptions and eight TDs. The University of South Carolina recruit won PIAA gold as a sophomore, clocking a 10.67; he finished second last year in 10.53.

The Indians were beaten just once, by West Perry in Week 4. They beat Boiling Springs 61-10 in Week 3 but later took a forfeit loss after reporting use of an ineligible player.

It’s interesting to note: Susquehanna Township finished 0-10 in 2021, when the current seniors were freshmen.

Schuylkill Valley Panthers

The third-seeded Panthers (9-2) had some early season hiccups but come into their Class 3A semifinal on a roll, with eight straight wins, including a 55-13 district opener over Littlestown.

Logan Nawrocki had four more TD passes last week and has put together a monster senior season that includes 2,436 passing yards and 34 touchdowns, tied for most in Berks history. He’s one or two throws away from being just the sixth in Berks history to throw for 5,000 career yards.

Trinity (8-2) earned a week off after finishing as the No. 2 seed. The Shamrocks have won eight of their last nine games, the lone loss coming to Susquehanna Township, 40-34 in double-overtime.

The Shamrocks took a hit when Division I running back recruit Messiah Mickens transferred to Harrisburg before this season but Christian Joy has filled in adequately: He averages 10.4 yards per carry, has rushed for 1,366 yards and scored 19 TDs.

Offensive line coach Kevin Yarnevich was elevated to head coach in late July when Jordan Hill took a job at Penn State.

Trinity lost in the Class 2A championship game to Camp Hill last year before moving up a class. Schuylkill Valley has never won a semifinal.

Berks Catholic

The Saints (7-4) haven’t lost since giving up a last-minute touchdown pass to Schuylkill Valley six weeks ago. A win would set up a rematch with the Panthers in the Class 3A championship game.

Top-seeded Bermudian Springs (9-1) has an impressive winning streak of its own: nine straight after an opening-week loss to New Oxford, which is unbeaten and the top seed in Class 5A.

The Eagles and Saints have just one common opponent: Biglerville. Bermudian beat the Canners 28-6 in Week 6; Berks Catholic handled them 48-7 last week in their district opener.

Bermudian hasn’t won a district playoff game since 2018, losing five in a row in that span.

Saints quarterback Zach Suski is enjoying a record-breaking season: He’s completing 72.3 percent of his passes, which would be a Berks record.

He’s already thrown for more yards (1,524) than any passer in Saints history.