Game of the Week: Muhlenberg vs. Spring Grove, presented by Kevin Miller of Berkshire Investment Group
District 3 Class 5A first round
No. 9 Muhlenberg (8-2) vs. No. 8 Spring Grove (7-3)
Kick: Friday, 7, at Papermakers Stadium, Spring Grove.
Series: Muhls lead 2-0.
District playoff history: Muhls are 6-11 overall with championship-game appearances in 1998 and 2005. Their last appearance was in 2013. . . Rockets are 4-9 overall with a championship-game appearance in 2001. Last appearance was in 2021, a 38-13 loss to Gov. Mifflin.
Fast fact: Muhlenberg and Spring Grove have one common opponent: Conestoga Valley. The Rockets lost to the Buckskins 29-7 in Week 5; the Muhls lost to the Bucks 45-24 in Week 10.
Muhls update: Return to districts for first time since 2013, when they lost to Bishop McDevitt in 3A quarterfinal. . . Eight wins are the most in the program since 2013, when they finished 8-4. . . Eight regular-season wins are the most since 2005, when they went 8-2 and won two district games to finish 10-3. . . Eight wins matches total of last six seasons, including last year’s 4-7 finish. . . Senior RB Cameron Small last week became program’s all-time rusher, with 3,769 yards; that topped mark of 3,598 set by Jason Reinhart in 1999. . . Small has 4,171 career rushing yards, fifth-most in Berks history. . . He has 1,718 yards this season and is in position to become first Berks back to reach 2,000 yards in consecutive seasons. . . Senior WR Michael Miller Jr. leads team with 35 receptions. . . QB Adriel Baez has completed 62.4 percent of his passes for 1,343 yards. . . Averaging 38.0 points per game. . . Senior LB Emilio Alvarez leads team with 88 tackles. . . Senior LB Cooper Burr is second with 72 tackles and leads team with 6 pass break-ups and 2 forced fumbles. . . Burr and Small each have 9 tackles for loss. . . Junior S Chase Zona leads Berks with 5 interceptions.
Fast fact: Spring Grove owns two wins vs. playoff qualifiers: 27-13 over Cedar Crest in Week 2 and 61-8 over Kennard-Dale in Week 3. . . Muhlenberg owns one win vs. a playoff qualifier: 45-14 over Schuylkill Valley in Week 1.
Rockets update: Finished third in Division 1 of the YAIAA behind Central York and York High. . . Lost to both those teams, as well as to Conestoga Valley 29-7 in Week 5. . . Lost explosive RB Malik Cain to a broken wrist after four games but offense has not slowed down. Averaging 247 rushing yards and 351 total yards per game. . . Averaging 35.2 points since Cain went out. . . 5-8, 180-pound freshman Brody Redding has taken over at RB, and is averaging 6.4 yards per carry with 6 TDs. . . Cain was injured after averaging 12.2 yards per carry through the first 4 games. . . Cain was leading the league in rushing with 597 yards. . . Senior QB Davis Baum has completed 62.6 percent of his passes for 1,037 yards and 12 TDs, with 5 INTs; he’s ranked No. 2 in the league in passing efficiency. . . Junior WR/CB Jordan Eisenhart leads team with 13 TDs, 7 on receptions. He also has two punt return TDs and has scored three times on defense. . . Allowing 16.3 points. . . Defense has 15 interceptions and 23 takeaways; Eisenhart leads team with five INTs. . . Line is anchored by 6-2, 260-pound All-State C David Czapp, a Virginia Military Institute recruit. The 6-2, 260-pound DE has 11 tackles for loss. . . Finished 5-5 last season.
Fast fact: In its seven wins, Spring Grove has allowed an average of 6.0 points. . . In its three losses it allowed an average of 40.6 points.
Quotable: “They’re gonna play very gritty, work very hard. They have an identity of what they do on the offensive side, the defensive side. That’s always a plus.” – Muhlenberg coach Rob Flowers, on Spring Grove
Did you know? Muhlenberg and Spring Grove have never met in the postseason. They played twice in the regular season, with the Muhls winning 38-17 in 2006 and 37-9 in 2007.
Winner plays: At No. 1 New Oxford Nov. 7 in district quarterfinal. New Oxford is idle this week after receiving a first-round bye.
