A couple of thoughts . . . from Week 3

By Mike Drago Last updated Sep 8, 2025

A friend asked if Nazareth’s highly rated quarterback, Peyton Falzone, is the real deal. In a word, yes. He’s got it all. A 6-5 frame, fast, big arm and he gets rid of it quick. He grew up with a coach as a father so he understands the game. Reads the field well, picks up blitzes, finds open receivers. Moves well in the pocket, keeps plays alive, and once he tucks it under he’s a threat; he’s a sprinter on the track team. And he’s got poise. When he lunged for a poor snap from center and fell backwards the Wilson student section, for some unknown reason, started with the “Overrated” chants. (What were they watching?) He shook it off. “It’s all in good fun,” he said after the 30-20 win at Gurski Stadium. “It just provides me with a little bit more energy.”

I always tell myself that if its still officially summer (still two weeks left) it’s too early to look at the District 3 power ratings. But I can’t help myself; they’re as tempting as a bag of M&Ms. Some early observations: There are only two unbeatens in Class 6A, Harrisburg and Central York. Governor Mifflin (2-1) is way ahead of Wilson (2-1) in 6A because of its strength of schedule (one of the highest in the district). Two of Wyomissing’s first three opponents are non-PIAA members, so those wins don’t count in the power ratings. That won’t hurt the Spartans, but it doesn’t help them, either. Berks Catholic is way back in 3A but will move up quickly now that it’s about to start play in Section 5 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League. The Saints look like a playoff team.

Berks Catholic’s Alex Reali Friday became the first player in Berks history to hit a pair of 40-yard field goals in the same regular season game. He nailed kicks of 44 and 42 yards in a 48-41 loss to Bethlehem Catholic. Only one other Berks kicker has made a pair of 40-yarders in the same game: Wyomissing’s Aidan Cirulli nailed kicks of 44 and 40 yards in the 2020 Class 3A PIAA championship game against Central Valley.

Close games are rare at the high school level, especially one-point wins. Governor Mifflin earned one Friday over Hempfield, 20-19. The Mustangs clung to a 20-17 lead by blocking a field goal with 29 seconds remaining. They then took an intentional safety to run out the clock. The Mustangs had not recorded a one-point win since 2019, when they beat Conrad Weiser 21-20.

Section 2 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League is one tough neighborhood right now. Four of the seven teams are 3-0. The top six teams are a combined 16-2. Conestoga Valley has outscored its opponents 116-6. Exeter has outscored its 134-17. Muhlenberg is averaging 48 points. Doesn’t look like Lebanon’s losing streak, now up to 45 games, is gonna end anytime soon.

Cocalico, the District 3 Class 5A champ in 2022 and 2023 and expected to be a contender in Section 3 this season, is off to a 0-3 start. First time that’s happened in Denver since 2006 according to Jeff Reinhart of LancasterOnline.com. The Eagles lost by a point to Elizabethtown, by four to New Oxford and 10-6 Friday to Lampeter-Strasburg, surrendering a touchdown with 1:25 left. This much we know: Way too early to write the Eagles off.

Muhlenberg’s 3-0 start, its first since 2013, is not the least bit surprising. The Muhls were expected to take a big leap forward this year, perhaps landing in the district playoffs. Conrad Weiser at 3-0? Now that’s a surprise. The cupboard was cleaned out in Robesonia following last year’s 10-0 run through Section 3. Apparently these Scouts have been playing with a chip on their shoulder, determined to prove people wrong. They have. Weiser, by the way, has now won 13 straight regular season games.

Muhlenberg is about to start a seven-game homestand. The Muhls won’t play on the road again this season unless they get to the District 3 Class 5A playoffs. They’ll need some kind of home cookin’ advantage down the stretch when they play Exeter, Ephrata and Conestoga Valley in a four-week stretch.

Speaking of winning streaks, Conestoga Valley has now won 15 straight in the regular season and 17 of its last 19. That streak gets put to the test this week in a Section 2 opener against Ephrata, which is also unbeaten and on quite a roll itself.

Beau Fegely became just the third Fleetwood player to intercept three passes in a game – and one of the only players ever to do it three times in the same quarter. He had three first-quarter picks, taking one back to the house, in Friday’s 31-24 win over Schuylkill Valley. The Tigers’ Josh Goretzke tied a Berks record with four interceptions in a 2004 game vs. Bucktail. Tanner Maddocks had three picks against Upper Perkiomen in 2021; he took two back to the house.

Defending District 3 Class 6A champ Harrisburg could be on the way to an unbeaten regular season now that it’s cleared two major hurdles. The Cougars held off state-ranked Bishop McDevitt 29-21 in Week 2, then survived a wild double-overtime contest against State College on Friday, winning 48-45. The Cougars trailed 13-0 in the first quarter; the Little Lions were down 21 before storming back to force OT. Harrisburg was ranked No. 2 in the state; State College was No 6.

Jeremiah Camara will be eligible to play Friday for Berks Catholic in its Section 5 opener at Pequea Valley. He transferred from Reading High just before the start of the season. In a tightly packed section such as Section 5 adding a player who can impact all three phases of the game could be a difference-maker for the Saints.

Other than the occasional lightning storm football games generally aren’t delayed or stopped once the ball is kicked off. Now that we’re a quarter of the way through the 21^st century we have a new obstacle: Drone delays. Officials twice had to halt play at Wilson Friday during the third quarter because someone was flying a drone over the field. It wasn’t the visiting Blue Eagles . . . it wasn’t the Bulldogs . . . (that would be against PIAA rules, by the way). It was, we learned later, a couple of fans sitting up on the hill behind the scoreboard who wanted a closer view of the action. Hmmm. This can be stopped going forward. Wilson has a rifle team, right? Station a couple your top shots on the press box roof. Anything flies over the stadium: Bang.