Conrad Weiser finds new weapons, shoots down Muhlenberg
By Sam Cavalieri –MikeDragoSports.com correspondent
Berks football coaches and players are familiar with the standout senior duo of Conrad Weiser quarterback Logan Klitsch and wide receiver Aanjay Feliciano.
They will need to familiarize themselves with more of the Scouts’ personnel after a 38-7 victory over Muhlenberg Friday night at Laureldale.
Senior running back Cole Rothermel and junior wide receiver Trey Dianna spurred the Conrad Weiser (1-1) offense after a slow start.
Aaron Shuker, who finished with a game-high 90 yards, gave Muhlenberg a 7-0 lead on its first possession with a 39-yard touchdown run.
The Scouts had a turnover on downs on their first possession and went three-and-out on their second.
The third time they got the ball Klitsch hooked up with Dianna on a 55-yard strike after Dianna got behind the Muhlenberg defense. Klitsch tied it up two plays later with a 1-yard touchdown run and Conrad Weiser never trailed again.
“I was just trying to make a name for myself,” Dianna said. “Logan and Aanjay, they always put on a show, but this was my time.”
Rothermel was the steadiest form of attack that the Scouts had. His running kept the Scouts in favorable down and distance and his 17-yard touchdown run in the second quarter gave them a 14-7 lead.
“He’s a downhill runner and that’s what impressed us last year,” Conrad Weiser coach Alan Moyer said of Rothermel. “He got a lot of JV playing time and sat behind some good kids. That’s where you develop players, at the JV level, and you love to see them mature and get to this level.”
The Scouts historically have had tough running backs and Rothermel is no different. He ran through Muhlenberg defenders on a 28-yard run in the second half that set up a 2-yard Klitsch touchdown run.
“I think I am more of a lower-the-shoulder (type of runner),” Rothermel said. “(I) get 3 to 4 yards, that’s good with me, and if I get anything else that’s just a bonus.”
There were bonuses all over for Rothermel as he finished with 88 yards on just 10 carries.
“I liked that we established the run game a little bit and that’s what concerned me last week,” Moyer said. “We played against a tough defense (Cocalico) but we have to establish a run game and let our kids be athletic.”
Dianna certainly flashed athleticism and appeared to be on the same page as his elusive and very athletic quarterback. Klitsch generally does a lot of his damage outside the pocket; early in the game he converted a fourth-and-long with a pass to Dianna along the sideline.
The combination of Klitsch-to-Feliciano never got going but the passing game didn’t miss a beat as Klitsch finished with 217 yards. Klitsch and Moyer both said this offense is built to get the ball to the open playmakers. Feliciano saw a lot of attention in the secondary and it resulted in five different Scouts with receptions.
“It’s backyard football sometimes,” Klitsch said. “When we are in our sprint or waggle game, it’s backyard football. Dropback, we have designed routes, but if I escape the pocket they know to work with me and get in open spaces.”
Two more threats just got added to the backyard in Robesonia.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Conrad Weiser | 0 | 24 | 7 | 7 | 38 |
| Muhlenberg | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
Scoring summary
| Team | Player | Play | From | PAT Player | Extra Point |
| Muhlenberg | Shuker | 39 run | Hnatuick | kick | |
| Conrad Weiser | Klitsch | 1 run | Noll | kick | |
| Conrad Weiser | Rothermel | 17 run | Noll | kick | |
| Conrad Weiser | Pazdrick | 12 pass | Klitsch | Noll | kick |
| Conrad Weiser | Noll | 30 field goal | |||
| Conrad Weiser | Klitsch | 2 run | Noll | kick | |
| Conrad Weiser | Cameron Jones | 7 run | Noll | kick | |
Team statistics
| Conrad Weiser | Muhlenberg | |
| First downs | 20 | 9 |
| Rushes-yards | 42-166 | 29-134 |
| Passing yards | 217 | 79 |
| Total yards | 383 | 213 |
| Passes | 12-20-0 | 10-16-0 |
| Fumbles-lost | 2-1 | 4-2 |
| Punts-average | 1-31 | 4-33 |
| Penalties-yards | 5-40 | 8-55 |
Individual statistics
RUSHING
Conrad Weiser: Rothermel 10-88, Klitsch 12-28, Cameron Jones 7-19, Morgan 3-12, Gingrich 6-10, Feliciano 1-5, Dianna 3-4.
Muhlenberg: Shuker 10-90, Zaorski 7-45, Cavanna 1-4, Rivera 4-2, Dipini 1-1, Archie 6-(-8).
PASSING
Conrad Weiser: Klitsch 12-20-0-217.
Muhlenberg: Archie 7-11-0-78, Zaorski 3-5-0-1.
RECEIVING
Conrad Weiser: Dianna 5-114, Feliciano 2-39, Fizz 2-28, Traynor 2-24, Pazdrick 1-12.Muhlenberg: Cavanna 7-61, Adonis 1-16, Rivera 1-2, Shuker 1-0.
