Four Downs: Four big takes from Week 11
2023 Berks football coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
1ST DOWN
In a night of wild comebacks, Fleetwood recorded the wildest, rallying from a 27-point, second-half deficit Friday to beat Shamokin 42-41 – the go-ahead points coming on a two-point conversion in overtime.
“Everyone remembers their last high school game,” said senior wide receiver Mason Musitano after the Tigers claimed an Eastern Conference Class 4A championship. “This is pretty special.”
The Tigers got record performances from Musitano and quarterback Jack Riffle and saw running back Czion Brickle go over 100 yards in both rushing and receiving.
They amassed a program-record 646 total yards of offense, among the highest on record in Berks. The teams combined for 40 first downs and 1,220 total yards.
A Shamokin penalty on the Tigers’ OT touchdown moved them a yard closer to the goal line, prompting their decision to go for two and the win rather than a tie.
“It was like it was out of a movie,” Riffle said.
2ND DOWN
Football coaches often tell their teams: You’re never as good as you think you are when you win and you’re never as bad as you think you are when you lose.
That sums up Exeter’s season, which came to a screeching halt Friday with a 28-27 loss to Hershey in a District 3 Class 5A first-round game.
The Eagles won their first eight games and lost their last three. The truth lies somewhere in between.
After reaching the district championship game two years in a row, then opening with some big wins, the Eagles may have raised expectations a little too high. Some forgot this was a very young team, with just nine seniors.
Their starting quarterback and several other key players are sophomores. Their top running back, junior Jayden Zandier, opened the season at wide receiver.
The program continues to produce talented young players; the Eagles will be back to make another run at a Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 2 title next season.
3RD DOWN
If you were looking for upsets in the opening round of the District 3 Tournament Friday you came away disappointed.
Just one road team won and that was only an “upset” on paper: No. 4 Camp Hill beating No. 1 Annville-Cleona in a Class 2A semifinal. Camp Hill’s .500 record was deceiving; it took losses to three state-ranked opponents: Steel-High, West Perry and Trinity. Few were surprised to see the Lions win.
The first-round results set up one particularly interesting quarterfinal in Class 5A: No. 4 Garden Spot vs. No. 5 Ephrata. Those teams tied for the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 3 title, along with Twin Valley. Ephrata took its only loss at Garden Spot, 42-22.
4TH DOWN
Schuylkill Valley’s eight seniors enjoyed their final home game Friday with a 45-21 win over Littlestown in a District 3 Class 3A quarterfinal.
They took time to celebrate the program’s first home district playoff victory, posing for group pictures. Dominic Giuffre, known more for his offensive exploits, happily wore the team’s Turnover Chain after a pair of interceptions on defense.
Panthers coach Bruce Harbach enjoyed the moment, too. In his third season with the program he’s seen the team earn a share of its first league championship and set a record with nine wins.
Harbach is smiling because he knows his team could be even better next season, what with the return of quarterback Logan Nawrocki, wide receiver Kowen Gerner, two-way back Cooper Hohenadel, defensive back Dillon Lackner and tight ends Luke Spotts and Dimitrios Aletras – all juniors.
His team’s leading tackler is a sophomore, Logan Cammauf.
Reese Wamsher, who kicked a 35-yard field goal and was 6-for-6 on PATs Friday, is a freshman.
Nearly 80 percent of the roster returns.
