Four Downs: Four big takes from Week 4

By Mike Drago Last updated Sep 26, 2024

2024 Berks football coverage presented by

Utilities Employees Credit Union

Four biggest takeaways from Week 4 of the 2024 high school football season.

1ST DOWN

Twin Valley’s Evan Myers. (PhilMarPhoto)

It’s interesting to note that the top-rated passer in each of the Lancaster-Lebanon League’s five sections is a Berks quarterback: Madyx Gruber of Wilson, Riley Martinez of Exeter, Donovan Gingrich of Conrad Weiser, Evan Myers of Twin Valley, and Logan Nawrocki of Schuylkill Valley.

That’s hardly a surprise for Myers, a four-year starter who will leave with every Raiders passing record in the book, or for Nawrocki, a three-year starter who just passed the 3,000-yard career mark.

It’s not a huge surprise to see Martinez there, either. He gained valuable time as the Eagles’ starter as a sophomore and has come back even better, as you might have expected.

Martinez is completing nearly 74 percent of his throws, with six TDs and no interceptions. He’s the highest-rated passer among the league’s 37 starting quarterbacks.

Gingrich is a three-year starter who worked hard at his game in the offseason, tacked on an extra 20 pounds, and returned brimming with confidence. He’s completing 72 percent of his throws, with five TDs and one pick.

The biggest surprise is Gruber, who didn’t start playing quarterback until late in the spring. With the Bulldogs needing an experienced play-maker at that spot they turned to Gruber, an all-league receiver. He has used his overall athletic talent and grit to lead the Bulldogs to a 3-1 start and make them a contender for the Section 1 title.

2ND DOWN

Eagles’ Jayden Zandier breaks free for a big gain. (PhilMarPhoto)

Exeter’s Jayden Zandier is putting up Madden-like offensive numbers.

The senior tailback is averaging a ridiculous 18.1 yards per carry, easily the best in the Lancaster-Lebanon League and among the top five in the state through four weeks.

Granted, the Eagles played a soft non-league schedule but Zandier continued to run like crazy in the Section 2 opener against Gov. Mifflin, a very competitive team.

He went for 216 yards on 13 carries, with an 81-yard run in the opening quarter and a 54-yard score early in the second half.

He has reached the end zone on 25 percent of his carries.

Breaking big ones is nothing new for Zandier: He averaged 10.7 yards over a full season as a junior.

Only one player in Berks history has averaged better than 13 yards per carry over the course of a season (with at least 50 carries): Reading High’s Jason Poulson, who averaged 18.2 in 2003.

Zandier is one of three players in the league with at least 20 carries averaging better than 10 yards per carry. The others: Twin Valley’s Evan Myers (10.7) and Donegal’s Leelan Baughman (10.7).

3RD DOWN

Donovan Gingrich, left, and Evan Rittle of Conrad Weiser.

You wouldn’t have gotten much of an argument if you said Conrad Weiser hadn’t beaten anybody after a 3-0 start against Abington, Elco, and Lebanon, teams with a combined 2-10 record at this point.

You can’t say that after a 35-7 win over Fleetwood, which had won two its first three games and easily could’ve been 3-0.

The Scouts dominated the Tigers in the same manner they did their first three opponents, building a 35-point lead in the third quarter and outgaining them 357-166.

Weiser is 4-0 for just the second time in 10 years and is just one win away from matching its victory total of the last two seasons combined.

Now comes a real test, Friday at home against Manheim Central.

This obviously is not one of the Barons’ better teams: They’re 2-2 after squeaking past a subpar Martin Luther King team Friday in overtime. Still, it’s Manheim Central, and the Scouts will be in for a battle. If they come out of this one unbeaten they’ll be stamped a true contender for the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 3 title.

4TH DOWN

Muhlenberg’s Rob Flowers. (Emily Grube photo)

The three biggest surprises (on the plus side) in the Lancaster-Lebanon League are Cedar Crest, Octorara, and Muhlenberg, each off to a 3-1 start.

The Falcons graduated 11 all-league players and have a new head coach, Nick Lambros, but have scored wins over Lower Dauphin, Spring Grove, and Penn Manor.

We’ll see just how well rebuilt the Falcons are when they show up at Gurski Stadium Friday to face Wilson.

There was no reason to think the Braves would be any better than they were a year ago, when they finished 2-8.

They got our attention with a 30-7 win over Hamburg in Week 1 and held off a high-scoring Daniel Boone team 10-8 the other night. That joyride is about to hit the brakes, hard, with Twin Valley up next, followed by Lampeter-Strasburg.

Section 4 is an unforgivingly tough neighborhood these days.

The feel-good story of the year is in Laureldale, where the beaten-down Muhls got a fresh start this season with the return former Muhlenberg quarterback Rob Flowers as their head coach.

Flowers’ upbeat approach is just what the doctor ordered.

The Muhls have already matched their win total of the last two seasons combined. They’re hitting the sharp end of their schedule right now, with Gov. Mifflin up this week and Exeter, Ephrata, and Conestoga Valley ahead. Still, there could be another win or two out there for the Muhls.