Xander Menapace, Josiah Jordan among Berks picks for East-West game

Xander Menapace, Pierce Mason and Charles Sheppard, centerpieces of the highest-scoring football team in Hamburg history, will play one more game together as teammates in the PSFCA East-West game.

They are among seven Berks seniors selected to play for the East Small School squad when it plays the West May 21 at Bishop McDevitt’s Rocco Ortenzio Stadium. Kickoff is noon.

They’ll be joined by Josiah Jordan and Andrew Kurtas of Berks Catholic and Ian Levering and Brock Kistler of Wyomissing.

Hamburg head coach Matt Hoffert will be an assistant coach on the East staff; Matt Gingrich of Annville-Cleona will be the head coach.

The Small School game includes players from Class 3A, 2A and 1A programs. The Big School game includes players from Class 6A, 5A and 4A programs.

Menapace, who will play at Columbia, earned All-Berks honors as he passed for a Berks-leading 1,833 yards and led the Hawks to a 9-2 record and the District 3 Class 3A semifinals.

Mason was a Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 5 all-league pick at running back after rushing for 1,367 yards and scoring 26 touchdowns.

Sheppard, named the Section 5 Outstanding Lineman and Defensive Lineman of the Year, anchored both lines as the Hawks won nine games, second-most in program history. He will play at Kutztown next season.

Jordan was a Class 3A All-State pick and Defensive Back of the Year in Section 4 of Lancaster-Lebanon League. He rushed for 1,225 yards and scored 22 TDs. He is committed to play at Wilkes University.

Levering handled kickoffs and placements and Kistler was the long snapper on the Spartans’ Section 4 and District 3 Class 3A champions. Levering was Berks’ leading scorer among kickers, with 70 points. He was good on 61-of-63 extra points and made three field goals.

Kurtas was the runner-up for the Berks Specialist of the Year award after sharing the Berks lead with six field goals. He made a 44-yard field goal for the Saints.