Four Downs: 4 big takes from Week 4
2023 Berks football coverage presented by
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Four biggest takeaways from Week 4 of the 2023 high school football season:
1ST DOWN
The landscape in Section 3 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League has shifted dramatically over the past 12 months.
A year ago at this time Solanco and Elizabethtown were slamming their opponents; Twin Valley did its best just to stay close in their Week 5 and 6 games against those two.
There’s a new sheriff in town now. The Raiders are 4-0 for the first time in program history. Their next two opponents, Solanco and Elizabethtown, are a combined 1-7 and have been outscored 285-96. A year ago they were a combined 18-2 in the regular season.
The Raiders, meanwhile, are averaging over 40 points per game, winning by an average of four touchdowns per game and league the 37-team Lancaster-Lebanon League in total offense at 524 yards per game.
Their toughest games will come late in the season, in Weeks 7 and 8, when they play Garden Spot and at Ephrata; each of those teams are also 4-0.
2ND DOWN
Schuylkill Valley has won three straight and remains on course to challenge for the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 5 title. It might have to win without its top weapon for the foreseeable future.
All-State running back Dominic Giuffre left Friday’s win against Kutztown in the first half with what appeared to be a hand injury; his status for the coming games is uncertain. Panthers coach Bruce Harbach hopes to know by Monday.
Schuylkill Valley has other offensive weapons and is entering the softest part of its schedule, with Pequea Valley (1-3) up next, followed by Northern Lebanon (2-2) and Columbia (1-3).
With Logan Nawrocki playing well at quarterback, Kowen Gerner emerging as a dangerous downfield threat and Cooper Hohenadel more than capable of taking Giuffre’s spot in the backfield the Panthers should be fine in the short term.
Their biggest games come in the final three weeks of the season, against Hamburg (3-1), at Annville-Cleona (2-2) and at defending champ Lancaster Catholic (4-0). The Section 5 title will again be decided in late October.
3RD DOWN
Wilson fans are eyeing that Week 10 showdown against Manheim Township, which usually determines the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 1 title.
Before the Bulldogs get there they need to take a hard look at Cedar Crest, which is off to a surprising 4-0 start, and with wins over C.D. East and Warwick. They’ll get the chance Friday in South Lebanon.
The jury’s still out on the Falcons; they haven’t beaten Wilson or Township in the last decade and have beaten Hempfield just twice in that span.
The Bulldogs, meanwhile, have back-to-back wins but haven’t beaten a quality opponent yet.
And Township? It seems to be in another class. It wrecked unbeaten Spring-Ford 63-28 Friday; the Blue Streaks dropped 42 first-half points.
4TH DOWN
Wyomissing’s defense was pretty good over its first three games. Sure, the Spartans allowed 34 points at Trinity but two off those touchdowns came off blocked punts.
Now that Ryker Jones is back at inside linebacker a good defense got a lot better. Jones, who spent the past nine months rehabbing his surgically-repaired injured left knee, played for the first time Saturday; it looked like he hadn’t missed a beat.
The Princeton recruit was all of the field and full of energy. He recorded nine tackles, two for loss, in the first half alone.
The Spartans are so strong, at linebacker and elsewhere, they won without their All-State ’backer. Now that he’s back it’ll be even tougher to move the chains against them.