Amier Burdine runs, passes Red Knights to Border Trophy victory
By Sam Cavilieri — MikeDragoSports.com correspondent
Amier Burdine has taken on a leadership role off the field for the Reading High football team.
He showed Friday night that he is more than capable of the on-field leadership role, as well. He rushed for 141 yards and two touchdowns and added a passing touchdown in a 33-20 non-league win over Muhlenberg at Laureldale.
The win not only returned the “Battle of the Border” trophy to the Red Knights (1-1), but it gave Reading coach Troy Godinet his first win as head coach.
“Our guys came in here wanting to play for each other and that’s what we preach on a regular basis,” Godinet said. “We are going to build this program off of playing for each other. Playing for love, passion, your city and respect. I know our guys took to heart what happened last year.”
Burdine was often a one-man show against the Muhls (1-1) as he made plays with his feet on designed runs and ad-libbed plays that would break down. His biggest run came with Reading leading 20-12 in the fourth quarter and facing third-and-12. Nearly every Muhl had a shot to stop Burdine but he made a series of moves and reversed field twice before getting 15 yards.
“He’s a kid that doesn’t come around often,” Godinet said. “Amier is a guy that can do a whole bunch of things. That’s why it is so important to have Coach (Sean) Gaul. He trusts Coach Gaul.”
Gaul is the former Fleetwood head coach and now the Red Knights’ offensive coordinator. Gaul dialed up a call that connected Burdine with his basketball teammate, Ruben Rodriguez, for a 9-yard touchdown to give the Red Knights a two-score lead, 27-12.
“From the basketball court to this field, I grew up with him and I know we have that connection,” Burdine said. “I know he is going to show up for me all the time.”
Muhlenberg answered with a 73-yard kickoff return for touchdown by Michael Miller and added a Jermicky Gumby two-point run to close within 27-20.
But, Burdine was up to the task of running out the clock. He carried the ball seven times on the final Reading drive and finished it off with a 4-yard touchdown.
The Red Knights limited the Muhls to a total of just 113 yards. Muhlenberg thrashed Octorara to the tune of 452 yards last week, but it was a different story against the Reading defensive front. They controlled Gio Cavanna, who had three touchdowns and 288 yards of offense last week, and held him to 87 total yards with one touchdown.
“We saw they had a big week last week and our goal was to limit the run,” said Burdine, who also plays defensive back. “Gio had a big game last week. We tried to limit him a little bit. That was a focus coming into this game.”
The Reading defense was in the backfield all night and made life miserable for Cavanna and Muhlenberg quarterback Brady Fidler. Fidler faced pressure that led to three interceptions; he was sacked four times.
Godinet formerly held the Defensive Coordinator position at Reading; now as the head coach he is tasked with turning around a program that’s won only 10 games the past five seasons.
“We coach for our kids,” Godinet said. “We go through things that no one else in this county goes through. To see our kids work and the way they work and the way they came together and to get this win. It’s beautiful.”
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Reading | 6 | 8 | 7 | 12 | 33 |
| Muhlenberg | 6 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 20 |
Scoring summary
| 1 | Reading | Burdine, 2 run (Run failed) | 9:10 |
| 1 | Muhl | Gumby, 9 run (Run failed) | 3:39 |
| 2 | Reading | C. Small, 1 run (Burdine run) | 6:29 |
| 3 | Reading | C. Small, 4 run (Murcia-Guzman kick) | 5:05 |
| 3 | Muhl | Cavanna, 8 run (Run Failed) | :06.1 |
| 4 | Reading | Rodriguez, 9 pass from Burdine (Kick failed) | 8:08 |
| 4 | Muhlenberg | Miller, 73-yard kickoff return (Gumby run) | 7:57 |
| 4 | Reading | Burdine, 4 run (Kick failed) | :41.3 |
Team statistics
| Reading | Muhlenberg | |
| First downs | 15 | 11 |
| Rushes-yards | 41-219 | 38-82 |
| Passing yards | 55 | 31 |
| Total yards | 274 | 113 |
| Passes | 6-12-0 | 3-14-3 |
| Fumbles-lost | 2-1 | 2-1 |
| Punts-average | 4-29.75 | 4-29.50 |
| Penalties-yards | 13-115 | 11-101 |
Individual statistics
RUSHING
Reading High: Burdine 19-141, C. Small 14-54, Alvarado 8-24.
Muhlenberg: Cavanna 15-62, Gumby 3-16, Williams 3-8, Cruz 7-6, Team 1-0, Fidler 9-(-10).
PASSING
Reading High: Burdine 6-12-0-55.
Muhlenberg: Fidler 3-14-3-31.
RECEIVING
Reading High: Rodriguez 4-46, Philistin 1-6, Drayton 1-3.
Muhlenberg: Cavanna 2-25, Davis 1-6.
INTERCEPTIONS
Reading High: Rodriguez, Carreras-Orbe, Roman Jr.
