Nick Singleton on the threshold of the Berks rushing record . . . and many more
Nick Singleton wasn’t all that caught up in his latest records Friday; he was more interested in celebrating Gov. Mifflin’s victory over Wilson with teammates and family members.
The senior tailback ran for 137 yards and scored three TDs in the 42-14 victory. His 32-yard run, early in the final quarter, was his 80th career touchdown, giving him the Berks record.
The score before that — an 8-yard run in the third quarter — gave him the Berks all-time record for points (he now has 484, 10 more than the previous mark).
Singleton ended Friday’s game just 87 yards away from the all-time Berks rushing mark of 4,778 and certain that would be his shortly, as well.
“I’ll probably get that next week,” the Penn State recruit said casually, looking ahead to Friday’s game at Cocalico, “but getting the touchdown record means a lot.”
One by one Singleton is checking Berks’ all-time records off the list.
In the season-opener, when he reached the end zone five times, he broke the record for career rushing TDs, previously set by Wilson’s Iggy Reynoso, at 67; Singleton now has 74.
Last week he scored three more times and topped Reynoso’s all-time TD mark of 79; Singleton has 80.
Up next: Reynoso’s career rushing mark, set just four years ago.
Singleton could cover the 87 yards needed in one or two plays; no matter, he’ll have that record and a lot more before he’s through.
The Mustangs still have eight scheduled games to play, plus the bonus round, which they figure to exploit. They could play as many as three District 3 playoff games and, if they win each of those, as many as three more in the PIAA Class 5A Tournament.
Mifflin reached the state semifinals last year; if it does that again that’s 15 games. Win that and it plays No. 16.
It’s not a stretch to say Singleton could average 200 yards per game for the remainder of the regular season. The biggest obstacle will be his own team, which is so good most of its games will be settled by halftime. That means Singleton’s second-half touches will be limited.
They’ll also be limited because the guys around him — quarterbacks Eden Johnson and Delsin McNeil and fullback Trey Rock, wing/receiver Ayden Martin — are gobbling up yards, too. There are only so many yards to gain.
If Singleton averages 180 yards in each of the remaining eight regular season games he’ll be well-positioned to challenge the most coveted record in Berks football: David Gilmore’s single-season rushing record of 2,403 yards.
Gilmore did that with Central Catholic in 1983, leading the Cardinals to a District 3 championship.
Only one other player — Fleetwood’s Tyler Emge, in 2014 — has reached 2,000 yards in a season.
The only things that seemingly could keep Singleton from seeing 2,000 yards is an injury or another COVID outbreak that shuts down, or truncates, the season.
One record Singleton likely won’t see is the Berks single-game mark of 403 yards, set in 2019 by Daniel Boone’s Tanner Vanderslice.
Again, that comes down to opportunity. The Mustangs are unlikely to need him to carry the ball so much that he chases down such a huge number.
He could get the Berks single-season touchdown mark of 39, set by Muhlenberg’s Jason Reinhart in 1998, and with it Reinhart’s record for points in a season (236) and Gilmore’s record for rushing TDs in a season (36).
Here’s a look at the Berks record book in some key categories for Singleton.
Career rushing yards
| Iggy Reynoso | Hamburg/Wilson | 4,778 | 2014-17 |
| Nick Singleton | Gov. Mifflin | 4,691 | 2018-21 |
| Nate Romig | Daniel Boone | 4,492 | 2002-05 |
| David Gilmore | Central Catholic | 4,228 | 1981-83 |
| Tyler Emge | Fleetwood | 4,097 | 2011-14 |
| Julio Pellegrini | Central Catholic | 3,867 | 1972-74 |
| Brian Roth | Boyertown | 3,861 | 1975-77 |
| Codie Butler | Conrad Weiser | 3,741 | 2006-09 |
| Jason Reinhart | Muhlenberg | 3,703 | 1997-99 |
| DJ Robinson | Conrad Weiser | 3,667 | 2007-10 |
Career touchdowns
| Nick Singleton | Gov. Mifflin | 80 | 2018-21 |
| Iggy Reynoso | Wilson | 79 | 2014-17 |
| Jason Reinhart | Muhlenberg | 70 | 1997-99 |
| Nate Romig | Daniel Boone | 69 | 2002-05 |
| Freddy Caruso | Holy Name | 68 | 2007-10 |
| David Gilmore | Central Catholic | 65 | 1981-83 |
| Isaac Lutz | Berks Catholic | 61 | 2013-15 |
| DJ Robinson | Conrad Weiser | 61 | 2007-10 |
| Pete Gilmore | Wilson | 61 | 1996-99 |
| Derek Gaul | Schuylkill Valley | 60 | 2007-10 |
Single-season rushing
| David Gilmore | Central Catholic | 2,403 | 1983 |
| Tyler Emge | Fleetwood | 2,000 | 2014 |
| Angel Cruz | Conrad Weiser | 1,885 | 2012 |
| Jason Reinhart | Muhlenberg | 1,883 | 1998 |
| Joey Rys | Central Catholic | 1,835 | 2010 |
| Rodney Gillin | Wilson | 1,829 | 2010 |
| Brian Roth | Boyertown | 1,825 | 1977 |
| Julio Pellegrini | Central Catholic | 1,814 | 1974 |
| Pete Gilmore | Wilson | 1,810 | 1999 |
| Nate Romig | Daniel Boone | 1,805 | 2005 |
Single-season touchdowns
| David Gilmore | Central Catholic | 36 | 1983 |
| Jason Reinhart | Muhlenberg | 33 | 1998 |
| Pete Gilmore | Wilson | 32 | 1999 |
| Nick Singleton | Gov. Mifflin | 29 | 2019 |
| Isaac Ruoss | Gov. Mifflin | 29 | 2017 |
| Alex Anzalone | Wyomissing | 29 | 2012 |
| Angel Cruz | Conrad Weiser | 28 | 2012 |
| Cooper Lutz | Berks Catholic | 27 | 2017 |
| Tyler Emge | Fleetwood | 27 | 2014 |
| Andy Cavorsi | Gov. Mifflin | 27 | 2000 |
| Kevin Dice | Wyomissing | 27 | 1983 |