Zollers, Spring-Ford throw Gov. Mifflin for a loss
2023 Berks football coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
(This story will be updated later tonight with additional details and postgame reaction.)
By Matt Hagy — MikeDragoSports.com correspondent
ROYERSFORD – Gov. Mifflin had an uncharacteristic subpar 2022 season that ended a near 20-year run of winning seasons. The Mustangs looked to get back to the success Friday on opening night but were reminded of last season as they were downed 49-19 by Spring-Ford at Coach McNally Stadium.
It was unsure who was going to start under center for the Mustangs headed into the contest as Bryce Wunderlich and Javien Pletz competed throughout the summer.
Wunderlich got the start and threw an interception on the opening drive to set the Rams up at their own 35-yard line.
Rams quarterback Matt Zollers quickly sliced through the Mifflin defense and put Spring-Ford up 7-0 after scampering in from 6 yards out.
Mifflin’s Reese Hohl countered on the ensuing kickoff with a brilliant 96-yard return for a touchdown and left the Mustangs down 7-6 after a missed extra point.
The Mustangs got no closer. The Rams closed out the first half with 28 unaswered points to go up 35-6.
Zollers torched the Mustang defense through the air and on the ground, most of his passes going to Mason Scott. Scott got the scoring run going with a 67-yard catch-and-run to respond to the Hohl kickoff return and followed with two catches for 55 yards one drive later to extend the lead to 21-6.
Zollers added one more on the ground from 17 yards out halfway through the second quarter before capping the half with a 21-yard scoring strike to tight end Ryan Kerchner on fourth-and-15.
Zollers found Scott for a third time wide open from 28 yards out to open the third quarter that extended the Rams’ sizable advantage to 42-6.
Pletz ended the Rams’ scoring point run by punching the ball in at the goal line; the score was set up by his 40-yard scramble.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Gov. Mifflin | 6 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 19 |
| Spring-Ford | 14 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 49 |
Scoring summary
| 1 | Spring-Ford | Zollers, 6 run (Fields kick) | 6:48 |
| 1 | Gov. Mifflin | Hohl, 96 kickoff return (kick failed) | 6:32 |
| 1 | Spring-Ford | Scott, 67 pass from Zollers (Fields kick) | 4:42 |
| 2 | Spring-Ford | Scott, 21 pass from Zollers (Fields kick) | 11:09 |
| 2 | Spring-Ford | Zollers, 17 run (Fields kick) | 4:03 |
| 2 | Spring-Ford | Kerchner, 21 pass from Zollers (Fields kick) | 0:15 |
| 3 | Spring-Ford | Scott, 28 pass from Zollers (Fields kick) | 8:31 |
| 3 | Gov. Mifflin | Pletz, 3 rush (Kick failed) | 3:52 |
| 4 | Spring-Ford | Bendowski, 6 rush (Fields kick) | 7:28 |
| 4 | Gov. Mifflin | Jones, 18 rush (Koenig kick) | 1:04 |
Team statistics
| Gov. Mifflin | Spring-Ford | |
| First downs | 8 | 22 |
| Rushes-yards | 32-187 | 25-109 |
| Passing yards | 0 | 306 |
| Total yards | 187 | 415 |
| Passes | 1-2-1 | 19-26-0 |
| Fumbles-lost | 2-1 | 0-0 |
| Punts-average | 2-37.0 | 0-0 |
| Penalties-yards | 3-25 | 7-45 |
Individual statistics
RUSHING
Gov. Mifflin: Garner 12-64, Pletz 7-56, Jones 7-35, Hohl 3-18, Huber 1-10, Sanchez 1-2, Alvarez 1-2.
Spring-Ford: Zollers 6-72, Lewis 10-37, Bendowski 5-22, Broderick 2-0, Yoder 1-(-1), TEAM 1-(-21).
PASSING
Gov. Mifflin: Pletz 1-1-0-0, Wunderlich 0-1-1-0.
Spring-Ford: Zollers 19-25-0-306, Yoder 0-1-0-0.
RECEIVING
Gov. Mifflin: Jones 1-0.
Spring-Ford: Scott 7-204, Kerchner 4-55, Abdelrahman 2-25, Marsilio 2-8, Bendowski 2-7, Moyer 1-5, Finney 1-2.
INTERCEPTIONS
Spring-Ford: Earley.
