Berks rushing record book has gotten a full makeover in recent seasons
2026 Berks football coverage presented by
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The Berks rushing record book has gotten a real makeover over the past two seasons, with a new single-season leader, two additions to the 4,000-yard club and some of the biggest single-game performances in Berks history.
(PhilMarPhoto)
The headline grabber was Exeter’s Leo Brown, who ran past a 40-year-old record in piling up a single-season record with 2,444 yards.
Brown was one of two Berks ballcarriers to top the 2,000-yard milestone in 2025. Drew Engle, who carried Twin Valley to its best season, finished with 2,095 yards, the last 175 of it coming in the PIAA Class 4A championship game.
Before the 2024 season there had been just three 2,000-yard seasons in Berks history; now there are seven. Exeter’s Jayden Zandier and Muhlenberg’s Cameron Small topped that milestone in 2024.
For 31 years Central Catholic’s David Gilmore was the only Berks back to reach 2,000 yards; he went for 2,403 in 1983. Fleetwood’s Tyler Emge joined him in 2014.
Governor Mifflin’s Nick Singleton became the third in 2021; he would’ve been the only Berks player to top 2,000 yards twice had it not been for COVID-19. His junior season, in 2020, was limited to six regular season games and eight total. He still ended up with 1,303 yards.
Berks single-season rushing leaders
| Leo Brown | Exeter | 2,444 | 2025 |
| David Gilmore | Central Catholic | 2,403 | 1983 |
| Drew Engle | Twin Valley | 2,095 | 2025 |
| Jayden Zandier | Exeter | 2,093 | 2024 |
| Nick Singleton | Gov. Mifflin | 2,059 | 2021 |
| Cameron Small | Muhlenberg | 2,051 | 2024 |
| Tyler Emge | Fleetwood | 2,000 | 2014 |
| Angel Cruz | Conrad Weiser | 1,885 | 2012 |
| Jason Reinhart | Muhlenberg | 1,883 | 1998 |
| Joe Rys | Central Catholic | 1,835 | 2010 |
| Rodney Gillin | Wilson | 1,829 | 2010 |
| Brian Roth | Boyertown | 1,825 | 1977 |
| Eric Nangle | Exeter | 1,814 | 2021 |
| Julio Pellegrini | Central Catholic | 1,814 | 1974 |
| Pete Gilmore | Wilson | 1,810 | 1999 |
| Nate Romig | Daniel Boone | 1,805 | 2005 |
| Isaac Ruoss | Gov. Mifflin | 1,789 | 2017 |
| Jeff Niedrowski | Wilson | 1,788 | 1991 |
| Dave Dykie | Boyertown | 1,781 | 1990 |
| Cameron Small | Muhlenberg | 1,766 | 2025 |
| Ben Ortiz | Muhlenberg | 1,748 | 2013 |
| Marc Panepinto | Boyertown | 1,705 | 2002 |
| Rodney Gillin | Wilson | 1,704 | 2011 |
The Berks career rushing list saw a pair of new names land near the top: Engle and Small. Engle ended up fifth with 4,212 yards; Small is right behind with 4,117. They are among seven 4,000-yard backs in Berks history.
Each did it in roughly two seasons. Engle missed most of his junior season with a shoulder injury; Small got very few touches at Reading High as a sophomore before transferring to Muhlenberg, where he became the program’s all-time rushing leader.
Small’s biggest performance came as a junior when he went for 346 yards against Exeter; that ranks No. 8 on the all-time Berks list. Zandier cracked the Top 20 with 312 yards in that same game.
Brown joined the 300 Club by rushing for 305 yards against unbeaten Conestoga Valley this season.
Small became just the third Berks player with a pair of 300-yard games when he went for 301 against Academy Park. He joined Central Catholic’s Joey Rys and Daniel Boone’s Todd Schaeffer.
Singleton rushed for more than 6,000 career yards but only cracked the 300-yard figure once.
Boone’s Tanner Vanderslice remains the only Berks play to top 400 yards.
Berks career rushing leaders
| Nick Singleton | Governor Mifflin | 6,326 | 2018-21 |
| Iggy Reynoso | Hamburg/Wilson | 4,778 | 2014-17 |
| Nate Romig | Daniel Boone | 4,492 | 2002-05 |
| David Gilmore | Central Catholic | 4,288 | 1981-83 |
| Drew Engle | Twin Valley | 4,212 | 2022-25 |
| Cameron Small | Reading/Muhlenberg | 4,117 | 2022-25 |
| Tyler Emge | Fleetwood | 4,097 | 2011-14 |
| Julio Pellegrino | Central Catholic | 3,867 | 1972-74 |
| Brian Roth | Boyertown | 3,861 | 1975-77 |
| Codie Butler | Conrad Weiser | 3,741 | 2006-09 |
| Jason Reinhart | Muhlenberg | 3,703 | 1997-99 |
| Dominic Caruso | Twin Valley | 3,684 | 2018-21 |
| DJ Robinson | Conrad Weiser | 3,667 | 2007-10 |
| Rodney Gillin | Wilson | 3,604 | 2009-11 |
| Jake Stopper | Wilson | 3,510 | 2004-08 |
| Pete Gilmore | Wilson | 3,506 | 1997-99 |
| Jayden Zandier | Exeter | 3,451 | 2022-24 |
| Angel Cruz | Conrad Weiser | 3,410 | 2010-12 |
| Dan Ciabattoni | Holy Name | 3,409 | 2005-08 |
| Marc Panepinto | Boyertown | 3,378 | 2000-02 |
Berks single-game rushing leaders
| Player | School | Yards | Opponent | Year |
| Tanner Vanderslice | Daniel Boone | 403 | Muhlenberg | 2019 |
| Joey Rys | Central Catholic | 379 | Kutztown | 2010 |
| Angel Cruz | Conrad Weiser | 374 | Muhlenberg | 2012 |
| Dominic Caruso | Twin Valley | 358 | Fleetwood | 2020 |
| Dan Ziegler | Twin Valley | 358 | Hamburg | 2014 |
| David Gilmore | Central Catholic | 356 | Wyomissing | 1983 |
| Dustin Manz | Gov. Mifflin | 352 | Conestoga Valley | 2006 |
| Cameron Small | Muhlenberg | 346 | Exeter | 2024 |
| Calvin Laing | Kutztown | 341 | Fleetwood | 2005 |
| Elly Salamo | Reading | 340 | McCaskey | 1998 |
| Eric Nangle | Exeter | 332 | Cedar Cliff | 2021 |
| Joey Rys | Central Catholic | 332 | Upper Dauphin | 2010 |
| Alex Auston | Wilson | 331 | McCaskey | 1997 |
| Nick Singleton | Gov. Mifflin | 330 | Warwick | 2021 |
| Lennon Neiman | Kutztown | 330 | Pequea Valley | 2021 |
| Nate Romig | Daniel Boone | 330 | Hamburg | 2005 |
| Malcom Williams | Reading | 322 | Manheim Township | 2005 |
| Jeff Niedrowski | Wilson | 319 | Gov. Mifflin | 1991 |
| Jayden Zandier | Exeter | 312 | Muhlenberg | 2024 |
| Todd Schaeffer | Daniel Boone | 308 | Muhenberg | 1998 |
