Javien Pletz scores four TDs, leads Gov. Mifflin over Carlisle
2023 Berks football coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
By Sean McBryan — MikeDragoSports.com correspondent
It was pivotal for Gov. Mifflin to get back in the win column early in the season after a down last year.
Especially playing on its home field following a 30-point loss in Week 1 with a new quarterback running the Midline Option against a team it lost to by 34 points last season.
“I feel like everything comes easier after handing it off a few times,” junior quarterback Javien Pletz said. “Then you just have that one pull and no one knows what’s coming. I could tell when they started coming down after handing it off a few times, and then I’d pull it.”
Pletz accounted for four touchdowns Friday night in Shillington — two through the air and two on the ground — and the Mustangs grinded out a 28-21 victory over Carlisle.
“We needed it big time,” Pletz said of the win. “I just feel like we gave everything we could in practice. We’ve been on top of the game plan. And, you know, we just executed today.”
The Mustangs (1-1) came out ready to play after the 49-19 opening-week loss to Spring-Ford and, after jumping out to a three-score lead, showed guts by closing the game out after the Thundering Herd made a spirited comeback.
“It was a big win,” Gov. Mifflin head coach Jeff Lang said. “We have some outstanding leadership right now and we’ve been battling, battling, trying to overcome stuff from last year. Our seniors have stepped up and taken the lead. They’re keeping this team together and creating a new atmosphere.”
The seniors have provided leadership and lifted morale; the younger classes stole the show Friday.
Pletz rushed for 85 yards on top of the four touchdowns, fellow junior running back Grady Garner rushed for 102 yards, and sophomore Lebron Leaf had an interception and a highlight touchdown catch to lead the Mustangs.
Pletz scored the deciding touchdown on a 9-yard run with 4:29 remaining in a game Mifflin looked to be running away with.
After a scoreless first, Pletz scored on a 1-yard run on the first play of the second quarter and then hit Leaf on a 16-yard TD pass with 7:34 left. Leaf made an incredible catch on the play, collecting the ball with one hand and quickly securing it before he hit the ground.
Pletz then hit Derek Dinatale for a 14-yard touchdown with 2:27 left in the first half and the Mustangs (1-1) took a 21-0 lead.
But Carlisle senior QB Lucas Smith hit wideout Carson Swartz for a 90-yard touchdown on the Thundering Herd’s first play of the next drive to draw within two scores.
Then, on the first drive of the second half for the Thundering Herd (1-1), Marquise Miller dashed 53 yards for another big-play score to make it 21-14.
Carlisle forced a punt on the next drive, but Mifflin pinned it at the Thundering Herd’s 5.
No matter, Smith hit Swartz again for a 95-yard score on the next play to tie it up; the teams were even heading to the fourth.
The Thundering Herd stopped Mifflin’s 15-play, 70-yard drive, forced a turnover on downs, and again took over at their own 5 with under 9:00 left in the game.
“We just kept saying ‘Next play,’” Pletz said. “We just kept going. You can’t hang your head for too long. That’s what the coaches have been teaching us.”
The Mustangs forced a punt and took seven plays to go 47 yards before Pletz scored the game-winning touchdown.
Carlisle got down to Mifflin’s 29 on its final drive, but the Mustangs eventually forced a turnover on downs and kneeled out the clock.
Mifflin hosts Boyertown, which lost 36-14 to Exeter Friday, next week while Carlisle hosts York High.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Carlisle | 0 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 21 |
| Gov. Mifflin | 0 | 21 | 0 | 7 | 28 |
Scoring summary
| 2 | Gov. Mifflin | Pletz, 1 run (Koenig kick) | 11:56 |
| 2 | Gov. Mifflin | Leaf, 16 pass from Pletz (Koenig kick) | 7:34 |
| 2 | Gov. Mifflin | Dinatale, 14 pass from Pletz (Koenig kick) | 2:27 |
| 2 | Carlisle | Swartz, 90 pass from Smith (Crim kick) | 2:02 |
| 3 | Carlisle | Miller, 53 run (Crim kick) | 10:36 |
| 3 | Carlisle | Swartz, 95 pass from Smith (Crim kick) | 5:33 |
| 4 | Gov. Mifflin | Pletz, 9 run (Koenig kick) | 4:29 |
Team statistics
| Carlisle | Gov. Mifflin | |
| First downs | 9 | 21 |
| Rushes-yards | 21-122 | 58-286 |
| Passing yards | 241 | 38 |
| Total yards | 363 | 324 |
| Passes | 9-23-1 | 3-8-0 |
| Fumbles-lost | 1-0 | 0-0 |
| Punts-average | 3-18.3 | 2-35.5 |
| Penalties-yards | 11-95 | 4-30 |
Individual statistics
RUSHING
Carlisle: Miller 7-85, Bonner 7-32, Smith 2-10, Pretopapa 2-5, Hargrove 1-5, Swartz 1-2, Team 1-(-17).
Gov. Mifflin: Garner 22-102, Pletz 19-85, Jones 9-70, Huber 2-22, Hohl 4-7, Alvarez 1-0, Jenkins 1-0.
PASSING
Carlisle: Smith 9-23-1—241.
Gov. Mifflin: Pletz 3-8-0—38.
RECEIVING
Carlisle: Swartz 5-220, Stroud 2-9, Barclay 1-11, Bonner 1-1.
Gov. Mifflin: Leaf 1-16, Dinatale 1-14, Huber 1-8.
INTERCEPTIONS
Gov. Mifflin: Leaf.
