Game of the Week: Gov. Mifflin vs. Muhlenberg, presented by Kevin Miller of Berkshire Investment Group
Gov. Mifflin (2-2) vs. Muhlenberg (4-0)
Kick: Friday, 7, at Laureldale.
League records: Mustangs 0-1, Muhls 1-0.
Series: Mifflin leads 46-18-2.
Last meeting: Grady Garner ran for 165 yards and two TDs and the Mustangs’ defense shut down league rushing leader Cameron Small in a 41-6 win last year at Mifflin Stadium. Quarterback Javien Pletz ran for a pair of scores and threw a TD pass. Cameron Small was held to a season-low 22 yards on 12 carries. The Muhls’ only score came on Adriel Baez’s 56-yard pass to Michael Miller Jr.
Fast fact: Before beating Lebanon last week Muhlenberg had not won four straight games in a season since 2017 and had not started 4-0 since 2013. Dating back to last year the Muhls have now won five straight, their longest winning streak since 2013.
(Tim Macrina photo)
Mustangs update: Couldn’t get much going on offense last week in falling 43-15 in Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 2 opener at Exeter. . . Lone score against Eagles first-team defense came on a 37-yard run by QB Lebon Leaf. . . Patrick Steuer leads team with 217 rushing yards; Nick Kalis has 216. . . Ranked next-to-last in Section 2 in total offense at 232 yards per game. . . Defense has allowed 727 passing yards, the most in the 37-team league. . . DT Dylon Worley leads team with 19 tackles; LB Derek Dinatale has 16. . . DT Dave Facey leads with four tackles for loss. . . Lance Koenig has 13 touchbacks on 14 kickoffs. . . Ranked No. 5 in District 3 Class 6A power ratings, behind Harrisburg, Central York, Manheim Township and Wilson. . . Qualified for districts last year, their first season at the 6A level.
Did you know? Governor Mifflin has won 21 straight games in the series, dating back to 2004. The last five of those came against John Yocum-coached teams. Muhlenberg’s last win in the series came in 2003 when it stop a late two-point conversion bid and held on for a 14-13 win.
(Brad Drey/Purdon Photography)
Muhls update: Cameron Small scored four TDs and Michael Miller Jr. had a Pick-6 in a 55-21 victory last week over Lebanon. . . It was the Muhls’ third straight mercy-rule victory and the first time they have scored 50 or more points in back-to-back games since 1998, when head coach Rob Flowers was their starting quarterback. . . Emilio Alvarez had a team-high 10 tackles and Julian Baez had a pair of sacks in win over Lebanon. . . Small leads Lancaster-Lebanon League with 13 TDs and is third in rushing with 605 yards despite sitting out the second half three straight weeks. . . Small, who played at Reading as a sophomore, went over 3,000 career rushing yards last week. . . He’s rushed for 2,656 yards in 15 games at Muhlenberg, fourth-most in program history and 1,047 away from Jason Reinhart’s career record. . . QB Adriel Baez leads the league in passing efficiency with a 240.2 rating. He has completed 61.7 percent of his throws with 8 TDs and 2 INTs. . . Michael Miller Jr. is averaging 29.7 yards on his team-leading 11 receptions. . . Freddy Lacey is averaging 21.5 yards on his 10 catches. . . Emilio Alvarez leads team with 33 tackles; Cooper Burr has 29. . . Jediah Quinones has 3 sacks. . . Ranked No. 3 in District 3 Class 5A power ratings, behind Section 2 rivals Exeter and Conestoga Valley.
Did you know? Muhlenberg is averaging 49.7 points, second-highest in District 3 and eighth-highest in the state.
Fast fact: Muhlenberg has scored three touchdowns in its last six meetings against Governor Mifflin and has been outscored 278-21 over that span.
Quotable: “Everybody was tired of losing. We all wanted to win. Everybody elevated their work during the offseason. Everybody bought in to wanting success and was willing to do anything to win.” — Muhlenberg senior Michael Miller Jr., on the team’s turnaround.
| SECTION 2 | League | Overall | PF | PA | Up next |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exeter | 1-0 | 4-0 | 177 | 32 | Lebanon |
| Muhlenberg | 1-0 | 4-0 | 199 | 35 | Gov. Mifflin |
| Con. Valley | 1-0 | 4-0 | 147 | 13 | Spring Grove |
| E-town | 0-0 | 2-1 | 60 | 31 | Ephrata |
| Ephrata | 0-1 | 3-1 | 109 | 74 | @ Elizabethtown |
| Gov. Mifflin | 0-1 | 2-2 | 83 | 127 | @ Muhlenberg |
| Lebanon | 0-1 | 0-4 | 27 | 151 | @ Exeter |
