Season preview: Berks Catholic Saints [updated]
Classification: Class 4A
League: Berks Section 1
Last season: 3-1 league, 5-3 overall
Schedule: Click here
Last District 3 playoff appearance: 2019
Head coach: Rick Keeley, 11th season, 101-24 (263-143-3 overall, in 35 seasons).
Key losses: QB/LB Brad Hoffman, all-league G Ryan Wethey, all-league C Mark McFadden, all-league RB & LB Justin Small, all-league RB Colby Newton, all-league LB Aiden Gallen, all-league PK Alex Zavala.
Top offensive players: QB Mitchell Gatz, all-league HB Christian Cacchione, HB Josiah Jordan, FB Luke Hughes, HB Alex McGeary, all-league SE Trace Brown, TE Tyler Givens, C Ty Barreto, G Jackson Haas, G Alex Witmer, T Jackson Huddleson, T Jacob Collazo.
Top defensive players: All-league E Luke Hughes (moving to LB), E Alex Witmer, E Jackson Huddleson, T Xavier Cifredo, ILB Aron Reinhart, ILB Gabe Davis, ILB Tyler Givens, all-league SS/OLB Trace Brown, OLB Alex McGeary, all-league FS Christian Cacchione, all-league CB Josiah Jordan, DB Ryan Scheivert, all-league P Tyler Givens.
Notable: Rick Keeley is in his Berks-record 36th season as a head coach and has coached more football games (409) than any other head coach in Berks history. He coached 22 seasons at Holy Name, three at Hamburg and the last 11 at Berks Catholic.
Program record of note: Issac Lutz owns Saints records for most touchdowns in a season (32, in 2015) and career (61, from 201-15).
Quotable: “It’s gonna be tough to complete passes against us, and none of our defensive backs are afraid to come up and tackle. They’ll all come up in run support. That’s going to be a nice secondary back there.” —Saints coach Rick Keeley.
Outlook: The Saints will have as much speed and as many play-makers as any team in the league. If they can patch together an offensive line they could match last season’s production, when they averaged 39 points per game and ranked second in Berks in total offense. Christian Cacchione returns after averaging 7.9 yards per carry and leading the team with 11 TDs in eight games. Speedy Josiah Jordan will man the other halfback spot and provide an equal big-play threat. Luke Hughes moves from guard to fullback and, at 230 pounds, could give the Saints a tough inside runner. His move to the backfield created another hole in an offensive line that had already graduated three starters; tackle Jackson Huddleson is the lone return starter.
The Saints certainly don’t lack for size, or linemen; they’ve got plenty of depth on the defensive side, where they return seven starters. Hughes, who moves from D-end to linebacker, figures to be a stalwart there. They’ll have one of the fastest and best defensive backfields in the league: Cacchione, Jordan and strong safety/outside linebacker Trace Brown each earned all-league honors a year ago.
Senior Mitchell Gatz takes over at quarterback, replacing two-year starter Brad Hoffman, who transferred to Wilson. Gatz heads in the scrimmage with a lead over Ryan Scheivert, a senior who transferred from Twin Valley. Gatz has command of the offense but has never thrown a pass; Saints QBs are not called upon to do that very often.
The Saints missed the playoffs last year for first time in nine seasons, in large part because the Class 4A field was cut in half, from eight teams to four due to COVID concerns. They had played in seven straight district championship games, something no other Berks program had ever achieved.
They should return to the postseason, and they’ll be battle-tested once they get there. Their schedule is again brutal, with Class 6A powerhouse Central Dauphin, Pope John Paul II, Malvern Prep, Exeter and finally state-ranked Gov. Mifflin in the regular season finale. (This will be the last go-round with both Central Dauphin and Malvern, who won’t be on the schedule in 2022.)
At the wire: Battling Exeter for second place in the league … and returning to the District 3 Tournament.
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