Coach of the Year Alan Moyer has had easier seasons but not a better one
2024 Berks football coverage presented by
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On paper it looked like a perfect ride through the regular season – 10 straight wins — but in reality Conrad Weiser’s journey was anything but smooth.
In late June defensive coordinator Dan Browne nearly lost his life in an automobile accident.
A week later former Scouts head coach Al Silveri, a mentor for current Weiser coach Alan Moyer, died.
Eight games into the season, with the Scouts on the threshold of surprising Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 4 championship, they lost several key players to injury and went into their league finale against defending champ Cocalico severely short-handed.
Somehow they made it past the Eagles, by a field goal, then edged Unionville by a single point in the regular season finale to finish 10-0.
“It wasn’t easy,” said Moyer, “that’s what makes it special.”
The Scouts’ magical season was punctuated Wednesday when four players were named to the All-Berks team and Moyer was named Coach of the Year.
“These last couple years it’s been a struggle,” Moyer said, looking back at a 2-8 finish in 2023 and a 3-7 mark the year before. “Then, starting off the season with that whole situation (with Browne’s accident and Silveri’s death).
“Then, dealing with that whole thing at the end of the year (when two-way performers Evan Rittle and Jonathan McQuillen and lead running back Javien Rivera were lost for the year with injuries).
“We had a good group of kids that really gave a lot and really had some struggles in their careers with losses, and injuries, and things like that. All in all, it was very special, but it was not easy.”
The John Gurski Award, bestowed upon the Berks Coach of the Year, is the third for Moyer. He was selected in 2018 when the Scouts pulled off a last-week upset of Gov. Mifflin to win the Berks Football League Section 1 title en route to a 9-3 finish. His first award came in 2009 when Weiser finished 10-3 and won the Section 1 title.
Moyer has coached the Scouts for 22 seasons, more than anyone in program history. His 148 wins are also a program record. Along the way his teams have won six section championships; the Scouts won five titles in their first 34 seasons, some of them with Moyer as an assistant coach, or on the field as a linebacker.
This year’s title was among the more unlikely. Before the season Weiser was picked to finish in the middle of the pack behind Section 3 heavyweights Manheim Central, Garden Spot, and Cocalico, which was coming off a pair of District 3 Class 5A championships.
Everything seemed to fall into place for the Scouts.
Donovan Gingrich, a starter at quarterback since his sophomore season, took a huge leap forward and threw for 1,545 yards, setting a program record for completion percentage. Wednesday he was named a first-team All-Berks pick at quarterback and punter.
His top target, Rittle, was named Berks Receiver of the Year. Last week Rittle drew that same honor in Section 3, and Gingrich was named Offensive Back of the Year. They were among 10 all-league picks; Moyer was named Section 3 Coach of the Year.
The Scouts went into their Week 9 showdown with Cocalico with a makeshift lineup but came up with all the key plays to win 24-21 and clinch the title.
| Team | Year | Previous season | Record | Wins gain | Head coach |
| Conrad Weiser | 2024 | 2-8 | 10-1 | 8 | Alan Moyer |
| Conrad Weiser | 1991 | 1-10 | 8-3 | 7 | Al Silveri |
| Hamburg | 1988 | 1-10 | 8-2-1 | 7 | Bill Sakusky |
| Kutztown | 1983 | 1-10 | 8-3 | 7 | Dick Ortwein |
| Reading High | 1981 | 0-10-1 | 7-4 | 7 | George Yaniger |
| Central Catholic | 1980 | 1-10 | 8-3 | 7 | Dave Piscitelli |
| Reading High | 1967 | 1-10 | 8-2-1 | 7 | Bob Dipipi |
“(It was an) amazing performance because we came into this game so banged up,” Moyer said afterward. “We knew what we were up against, and we made some adjustments and we huddled around some kids who maybe weren’t getting the ball all that much. Hat’s off to our kids. They’re all fighters.”
A week later they used a late fake punt to kill the clock and hold off Unionville 28-27, clinching their first perfect regular season in 24 years and the fifth in program history.
“It means a lot,” Moyer said after that win. “I tell the kids all the time, I bleed blue and white (Weiser colors). I’ve been here for every championship this school has ever had except for 1973 and then I was behind these bleachers playing tag football. Other than that I have been either a player, an assistant coach, or head coach of every championship this school has had. I am very proud of it.”
He was proud again Wednesday as the Berks coaching fraternity recognized the adversity the Scouts overcame and the job Moyer did managing rough waters and orchestrating the greatest turnaround in Berks history (improving by eight wins).
“My name’s on (the award) but it belongs to my coaches,” Moyer said, recognizing his staff: offensive coordinator Nate Luckenbill, wide receivers coach Tony Dianna, quarterbacks coach Nick Schoener, offensive line coach Brandon Naveiro, defensive backs coach Ernie Woolf, defensive line coach Dan Dierolf, special teams coach Nate Fehr, kicking coach Jake Roth, special assistant Joe Carey and Browne.
“Those guys are the ones who deserve (the credit),” Moyer said, “them and the kids. (Our guys) are tough. They battled through so much adversity. They pulled together and functioned as a team. As (former Weiser) Coach (Ferdie) Kuczala always said: ‘A good team finds a way to win.’ ”
