24 intriguing numbers that wrap up the 2024 Berks football season
2024 Berks football coverage presented by
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.694
Berks Catholic quarterback Zach Suski’s completion percentage, highest in a single season in Berks history. That eclipsed the record of .684, set by Wilson’s Tony Cipolla in 1999. Suski was good on 100-of-144 throws. He completed 12-of-14 in Week 10 against Annville-Cleona and 8-of-8 in the opening round of districts against Biglerville.
3
Weeks ranked No. 1 in the state by Twin Valley, a first for the Raiders, who all told spent the first eight weeks of the season ranked in the Top 10 in Class 4A. They were No. 7 in the preseason and moved into the No. 1 spot after a 5-0 start. They ended up as an honorable mention after a 10-3 season that included a pair of losses to PIAA finalist Lampeter-Strasburg and one to Wyomissing, which ended the year ranked No. 5 in the state.
4
Wins by Muhlenberg, which matched the total won by the Muhls over the previous six seasons. They opened the season with a stunner, a 29-20 win over Schuylkill Valley, which went on to win the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 5 title, and closed it with a 24-0 win over William Allen to claim the Eastern Conference Class 5A/6A title. After a 1-9 finish last season the Muhls did a complete about-face in their first season under Rob Flowers.
5
Interceptions by Wilson cornerback Madyx Gruber, the most in Berks this season. He helped Wilson lead Berks teams with 14 picks. On the other end Gruber, the Bulldogs’ quarterback threw 25 TDs and for 2,018 yards.
8
Improvement in wins by Conrad Weiser over last season, a Berks record. The Scouts went from 2-8 to 10-1; no team in Berks history had ever improved by more than seven wins from one season to the next. Weiser recorded its first perfect regular season in 28 years and the fifth in program history. Alan Moyer coached this one; Al Silveri coached the last one. Ferdie Kuczala coached the first three, in 1973, 1981 and 1982.
10
Receptions by Hamburg’s Ty Werley against Schuylkill Valley, the most in a game this season by a Berks receiver. He ended his career with 104 receptions for 1,788 yards, both program records. As a junior he set a program record with 253 receiving yards against Halifax.
11
The number of completions, in 11 attempts, by Conrad Weiser’s Donovan Gingrich in a win over Fleetwood, the only perfect passing performance of the season in Berks. Schuylkill Valley’s Logan Nawrocki came close, hitting 13-of-14 against Columbia; so did Reading High’s Kayson Fritz, who was good on 10-of-11 vs. Muhlenberg.
18
Wins over the past two seasons by Schuylkill Valley, most in back-to-back seasons in the program’s 52-season history. The Panthers went 9-3 this season and made a perfect run through Section 5 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League to claim their first outright league championship. Last year they went 9-3 and shared the title, their first of any kind in football.
35
Touchdown passes by Schuylkill Valley’s Logan Nawrocki, the most in Berks history, eclipsing the record of 34 by Daniel Boone’s Jon Monteiro in 2008. Nawrocki’s 63 career TD passes are second-most in Berks history, behind Chad Henne’s 74. Nawrocki was a starter for less than 2 ½ seasons.
36
Wyomissing’s home winning streak, which was snapped by Lampeter-Strasburg in Week 10 in what turned out to be the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 4 championship game. The winning streak dated back to 2018 when the Spartans lost a season finale to Berks Catholic. The streak included nine district playoff wins and one PIAA Tournament win.
42.7
Exeter’s scoring average, a program record and the seventh-highest in Berks history. The Eagles scored 55 or more points four times and set a program single-game record with 71 points, against Elizabethtown. The Eagles were the highest-scoring team in District 3 and the highest-scoring Class 5A team in the state. The previous program record was 37.9 points per game, in 2021.
45
Longest field goal in Berks this season, by Fleetwood’s Gryffin Cappellano, against Cocalico. The Oley Valley junior and infielder on the Lynx baseball team also converted a 40-yard kick, against Solanco.
45
Yards Fleetwood’s Brody Nowotarski took a punt back for a touchdown, against Schuylkill Valley. That was the only punt returned for a score this season by a Berks player.
60
Receptions for Schuylkill Valley’s Luke Spotts, most in the Lancaster-Lebanon League and most ever by a Berks tight end. The previous Berks high was 54, by Conrad Weiser’s Matt Weiser in 2010.
61
Consecutive non-losing seasons for Wilson, which finished 11-2 with a Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 1 title and spot in the District 3 Class 6A championship game. The Bulldogs recorded their 49th consecutive winning season, the longest active streak in the state. In Berks, Exeter is next in line with 14 straight winning seasons; Wyomissing has had 11 straight.
85
Interception return by Exeter’s Carter Redding, against South Western, the longest Pick-Six of the season in Berks. Teammate Jayden Ware also had one that game, from 36 yards.
95
Longest scoring run of the season, by Wilson’s Monty Greer, against Reading High. The junior tailback also had the second-longest scoring run, 88 yards, against Hempfield.
125
Wins for Exeter coach Matt Bauer, most in program history and 10th-most in Berks history. He passed Don Thomas’ record with a playoff win against unbeaten New Oxford and ended his 16th season ranked No. 10 in Berks history in winning percentage (.683) and games coached (183).
223
Receiving yards by Daniel Boone’s Max Heffner against Muhlenberg, the only 200-yard receiving game this season in Berks.
323
Passing yards by Hamburg’s Tyler Shuey against Midd-West, the most this season by a Berks passer. Shuey leaves after setting program records for passing yards in a season (2,762, last year) and career (4,256) and TD passes in a season (25, last year) and career (37). His passing efficiency mark of 156.2 this season topped the record of 153.5 set by Xander Menapace.
346
Rushing yards by Muhlenberg’s Cameron Small against unbeaten Exeter, in Week 7. It’s a program record, eighth-highest in Berks history, and one of five games in which Small rushed for 200 or more yards. He finished with 2,051.
372
Wins by Wyomissing’s Bob Wolfrum, most in Berks history, second-most among active coaches in Pennsylvania and sixth-most overall in state history. Wolfrum added to his total with a 10-3 finish, the fourth straight season the Spartans have won 10 or more games. They are 50-7 over that span, 59-8 over the past five seasons, and 71-9 over the past six seasons. Wolfrum has won 92 more games than any other Berks football coach.
2,093
Yards by Exeter’s Jayden Zandier, a program record and second-most in Berks history, behind Central Catholic’s David Gilmore, who ran for 2,403 in 1983. Zandier is one of just fives Berks back to rush for 2,000 yards, along with Gilmore, Gov. Mifflin’s Nick Singleton, Muhlenberg’s Cameron Small, and Fleetwood’s Tyler Emge. Zandier and Small are the only ones to do it in the same season.
5,772
Career passing yards by Twin Valley’s Evan Myers, second-most in Berks history behind only Wilson’s Chad Henne (7,071). He became just the second passer in Berks history to record four straight 1,000-yard seasons, joining Henne. He set program records for completions in a season (116) and career (410), completion percentage in a season (61.4), and touchdown passes in a season (21) and career (47).
