Being able to say they’re 4-1 just ‘feels good’ for Raiders

It wasn’t exactly the Super Bowl but for Kris Olsen and his Twin Valley players it felt like something close.

They scored one of the biggest victories in program history last week by beating Conrad Weiser 37-34 in double-overtime; in the process they shed some long-time frustrations.

“It reminded me of (San Francisco 49ers quarterback) Steve Young winning the Super Bowl (XXIX in 1994 over the San Diego Chargers),” Olsen said, “(when he said) ‘Finally, the monkey is off my back.’

“This is one the program wanted. It had been 16 years since we had beaten Weiser. It was kind a relief and excitement all rolled into one.”

The Raiders have been a middling team for much of their 26-year existence. After the usual growing pains in the early years they broke through in the mid 2000’s, with their first winning record in 2004, then a shared section title with Wyomissing in 2007.

In recent years they’ve been mostly a .500 program, respectable but never a playoff challenger.

Friday’s win over Conrad Weiser, a perennial playoff team, opened new doors for the Raiders, who are now 4-1 and enjoying a breakout season.

“It feels good to have 4-1 come out of your mouth,” said Olsen, in his first season as Raiders head coach after spending the last five as offensive coordinator under Dean Owens. “I forgot how good that felt.

“To be at 4-1 and to be the first Twin Valley team to do that, it is exciting. And to see the support from the school… the atmosphere for that Conrad Weiser game is something our athletic director (John Guiseppe) said he hasn’t seen in a long, long time.

“That’s one of the reasons I stuck around, to bring that excitement back, to bring what I experienced (as an assistant coach) at Downingtown West. Playoff football is fun. Changing the culture is part of that process; it’s been a five-year process for us.”

It wasn’t that long ago that the Raiders went winless: In back-to-back seasons, 2012 and 2013, they finished 0-10.

They have had trouble maintaining continuity in the program. They went through five head coaches in a seven-year span.

Owens brought stability, and respectability, to the program. The Raiders finished exactly .500 four times in his five seasons. That might not seem like much but it’s the most consistent stretch the program has ever known.

“We’ve had our struggles in Berks County against the big teams, Conrad Weiser, Exeter, Wyomissing, for as long as anyone can remember,” Olsen said. “We’ve struggled against those teams.

“The goal for six years has been to change the culture. We’ve laid the ground work for that. The goal was to get over that hump. The kids realize that all the hard work they’ve put into it has started to pay off.”

The Raiders showed that by hanging in with the Scouts and one of the top players in the Berks Football League, Logan Klitsch. He hooked up with Aanjay Feliciano to tie the game with 2 1/2 minutes left but the Raiders executed well in overtime to win it.

When the Scouts fumbled the ball away on their second overtime possession the Raiders pounced and won it on Matt Puccino’s short field goal.

Trey Freeman, the Raiders’ all-time receiving leader, had a big game, with five catches for 112 yards, but it was more of an overall team effort.

Freeman and Dominic Caruso are two of the league’s top offensive weapons but it took more than those two to beat the Scouts.

“You could say all 20 kids who played for us did a job beyond what we expected,” Olsen said.

The Twin Valley roster includes just eight seniors; it is relying on a lot of young players.

Three freshman start: Quarterback Evan Myers, cornerback Evan Johnson and tackle Aris Drake.

Defensive ends Aidan Kozan and Kyle Kline played critical roles in containing Klitsch. He ran for 70 yards but didn’t have any of those game-busting long runs that break down defenses. Sophomore linebacker Ean Winchester had a big game, with 18 tackles.

Olsen sited the play of Kenny Godwin, who moved from safety to corner, as being a vital link on defense this season.

It’s not often you see freshmen start at quarterback, especially on winning teams, but Myers has been the rare exception. He’s poised and well-versed in the game; his dad, Brett, was a highly successful coach at Middletown, winning three straight district championship and taking his team to three straight PIAA title games.

He completed 11-of-16 against Weiser; his 67.6 completion percentage is tops among Berks passers.

“When he’s playing well, he doesn’t play like a freshman,” Olsen said. “There are moments where you think you can do more (on offense), then you realize there’s still a lot of development that needs to take place. It’s been fun to watch him grow the last five weeks.”

The Raiders find themselves ranked No. 6 in the District 3 Class 6A power rankings. The top 14 qualify. Twin Valley has never made the district playoff field but with a couple more wins it could get in; with a 7-3 finish or better it could even host a first-round game.

The Raiders have never won more than six wins in the regular season; they could top that mark, too.

Olsen doesn’t want to look too far down the road. The Raiders face one of the top quarterbacks in the state in Tanner Maddocks when they play at Fleetwood Saturday night. Then comes Wyomissing. Then a much-improved Hamburg team two weeks after that.

And don’t forget: Two of Twin Valley’s four wins have come in overtime. It could easily be 2-3.

Olsen wants the Raiders to take a cue from Penn State coach James Franklin, whose goal is to go 1-0 every week.

“That’s the mentality that we’re taking,” he said. “Our job is to go 1-0. And we want to get paid on a Friday night. That’s been our belief all season.

“Honestly, I don’t think I’ve heard anyone mention (playoffs). There’s been no talk of it. Let’s keep winning and let the chips fall where they may.”