Four Downs: Four big takes from Week 9
2023 Berks football coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
Four biggest takeaways from Week 0 of the 2023 high school football season:
1ST DOWN
For most of their existence the Schuylkill Valley Panthers and Twin Valley Raiders have been at the bottom of the football standings, scratching for wins.
Schuylkill Valley went 25 years between winning seasons, including a five-year stretch in the 1990’s when the program was suspended due to lack of interest. Twin Valley has had as many winless seasons as it has winning seasons and has lost more than twice as many games as it has won.
Each will end this season in first place.
The Panthers clinched a share of the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 5 title Friday with a 14-13 win at Annville-Cleona. They can take the title outright Friday by winning at Lancaster Catholic.
That win would be doubly sweet for Schuylkill Valley coach Bruce Harbach, who coached the Crusaders for many years.
The Raiders have completed their Section 3 schedule. They clinched a share of the title Friday with a win over Daniel Boone.
In its first 50 years of football Schuylkill Valley went without a championship of any kind. Twin Valley had one section championship to show for its first 27 seasons.
2ND DOWN
Wyomissing has been dominant in recent years wherever it plays but at home the Spartans have been downright unbeatable.
Actually, for the past five seasons they have been unbeatable at home, with 31 straight victories. Last year’s senior class – Drew Eisenhower, Scott Kramer, Jven Williams, Pacen Ziegler, etc. – never lost a game at home. Neither have this year’s seniors.
Ryker Jones, Caleb Brewer, Ethan Brower and the other seniors will get at least one more chance to play at home in the District 3 Class 4A playoffs. The four teams with the highest power rating open at home.
If the Spartans, currently No. 2 in the power ratings, lose their season finale Friday at Lampeter-Strasburg they could drop to No. 3 in Class 3A, which would guarantee them just one home game in districts. If they win and pass No. 1 West Perry — which closes against Steel-High — the Spartans will end up No. 1 and have homefield advantage throughout the district playoffs.
They were able to play two district games at home last year, including the championship against West Perry.
3RD DOWN
It’s conceivable, though highly unlikely, Berks teams could finish first in four of the five sections of the Lancaster-Lebanon League.
Twin Valley, in Section 2, and Schuylkill Valley, in Section 5, have already clinched at least a tie for first place.
Wilson, in Section 1, and Exeter, in Section 2, can finish first by winning their final regular season games Friday, though each looms as a decided underdog.
The Bulldogs (5-0, 7-2) close at home against Manheim Township (5-0, 9-0), which is ranked No. 4 in the state in Class 6A and has won each of its games by more than four touchdowns.
The Eagles (4-1, 8-1), also playing at home, can force a tie for first place by beating Manheim Central (5-0, 8-1). Exeter is coming off its first loss.
The Barons have won six straight, are ranked No. 8 in the state in Class 4A and are highly motivated: They lost the section title and a perfect season to the Eagles in Manheim last season on the final play of the game.
4TH DOWN
(Tim Macrina photo))
This appears to be an exceptional freshman class in Berks with several, including Justice Hardy of Wyomissing and Lucas Myers of Twin Valley, playing key roles for playoff-bound teams.
Hardy scored two touchdowns in the Spartans’ season opener and two more Saturday in a win over Octorara. He has been starting at cornerback and returning kicks. On a team without as much backfield depth he’d be speeding toward a 1,000-yard season.
Myers, a linebacker, is the Raiders’ leading tackler and Friday started at running back due to injuries: He scored four touchdowns and rushed for 102 yards. How many Berks freshmen have ever scored four TDs in a game?
Schuylkill Valley freshman Reese Wamsher nailed both his PAT kicks Friday – not an easy task in a steady rain – in a 14-13 win at Annville-Cleona.
Hamburg freshman Blaise Ernst rushed for 122 yards Friday and ran for two TDs, including the go-ahead score with 20 seconds left in a 41-34 win over Northern Lebanon.