Four Downs: Four big takeaways from Week 8 in Berks football
Four takeaways from Week 8 of the high school football season:
FIRST DOWN: Many happy returns
After the way Cameron Jones wrecked Cedar Crest Friday night, taking a pair of kicks back to the end zone in Wilson’s 49-24 victory, it figures that no one will kick to his side of the field the rest of the season.
The junior returned a punt 69 yards for a touchdown and a kickoff 91 yards for a score.
He has six return touchdowns this season: Four on punts, two on kickoffs. Surprisingly he hasn’t take an interception back to the house, but that seems only a matter of time.
In case you’re wondering, the four punt return TDs matches a program record set by Jimmy Brooks in 2012.
SECOND DOWN: The door to the playoffs opened slightly in Class 5A
Conrad Weiser did its Berks brothers a big solid Friday, knocking off New Oxford. That, combined with wins by each of the Berks teams fighting to squeeze into District 3 Class 5 playoff field — Exeter, Daniel Boone, Twin Valley and Fleetwood — saw the picture brighten considerably for Berks’ hopes.
The numbers aren’t official yet but a glance Sunday morning shows Exeter and Daniel Boone moving up considerably, Twin Valley getting off the bubble and Fleetwood squeezing into playoff position.
New Oxford and Ephrata, which were at Nos. 9 and 10, respectively, each lost and dropped five or more spots.
The Blazers, Raiders and Tigers still aren’t out of the woods. They’ll each need another win, or they’ll be sweating it out at the wire to make the 14-team field.
THIRD DOWN: What can’t Tanner Maddocks do?
That’s a trick question, because the Fleetwood senior apparently can do it all.
As a quarterback he can throw it, run it, even throw a block if needed. As a cornerback he comes up to hit and catches anything thrown to his side of the field. He had his seventh interception in Friday’s 28-26 win over Hamburg, giving him the program record (Josh Goretzke had six in 2004).
The Villanova recruit punts, handles field goals and PATs and works the concession stand at halftime.
It seems inevitable that Gov. Mifflin’s Nick Singleton will be Berks Player of the Year, but Maddocks’ name should be high on everyone’s ballot.
FOURTH DOWN: It turns out they were only mostly dead
Wilson is alone in first place in Section 1 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League.
That’s a sentence that’s been written many times over the years, and should almost never come as a surprise. This year is a little different. The Bulldogs were 2-3 at midseason and banged up as league play opened. Now they’ve won three in a row.
Hempfield’s win over Manheim Township Friday was a bonus for the Bulldogs. Now they’re one win away from sharing the section title. Of course, that one win won’t come easily. They play at Hempfield this week and close against Manheim Township.
They can win the section title outright — or miss the playoffs entirely.