Mustangs defense comes up big in 20-19 win over Black Knights
2025 Berks football coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
By Clay Oberholtzer — MikeDragoSports.com correspondent
Governor Mifflin’s defense bent but did not break against Hempfield’s all-our air attack in a nail-biting 20-19 non-league victory Friday night in Mustangs Stadium.
| Final | |
| Mifflin | 20 |
| Hempfield | 19 |
The Mustangs (2-1) stuck to their M.O.: ground and pound, racking up 229 yards on 50 rushes. That did not allow Hempfield (1-2) much time to work with.
The Mustangs jumped out to an early lead when Lebron Leaf galloped for a 43-yard touchdown run.
The defense kept the Knights out of the end zone through the first half, highlighted by Dylan Worley’s first career interception off a deflected Derek Katch pass.
Hempfield scored due to a Leaf interception that was taken back for a touchdown by senior linebacker Cadyn Buckwalter to tie it at 7-7.
On its last drive of the half Hempfield started at the Mustangs 46-yard line. Despite a personal foul and holding penalty, the Knights drove to the 1. The Mustangs stood tall as Donte Lewis was mobbed behind the line of scrimmage, turning it over on downs.
Midway through the third quarter, the Knights recovered a costly fumble by Leaf on their own side of the 50. In just two plays, Katch was able to connect with Zion Caban to gain a 14-7 lead.
Hempfield started to find more answers. Mifflin had the Knights run game figured out, but Katch was able to gash the Mustangs defense on the outside, connecting with his receivers for five plays of 20-plus yards.
The only problem for the Knights: the Mustangs only let them finish one drive with a touchdown despite totaling 306 yards.
“I said it before the game, this is going to be a fist fight,” said Worley. “We just have to make harder blows and knock them out, wear them down.”
The Mustangs scored on a 1-yard sneak by Leaf to tie it with 12 seconds left in the third quarter.
Katch and the Knights drove the ball down the field, but Mifflin stopped the drive and Hempfeld had to settle for a 32-yard field goal with 10:05 remaining.
That left plenty of time for the Mustangs, who culminated a long drive with Leaf’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Joe Murray that proved to be the game-winner.
A blocked PAT left the Knights down by three. Two completions to wide receivers Caban and Josh Howarth for 62 yards helped Hempfield move the ball inside the Mustangs’ 10-yard line.
The Mustangs forced two incompletions at the 9-yard line to force fourth down and blocked a chip shot with 29 seconds left that would have tied the game.
“Our defense was the absolute glue for us tonight,” said Mifflin coach Nick Morrissey. “Kudos to the defensive staff. They worked together all week hard to put this game plan together. They all row the boat in the same direction, and they all believe in one another.”
Hempfield used the three timeouts it had remaining to prevent the Mustangs from running out the clock. On Mifflin’s fourth down deep in its own territory, Leaf took a snap and ran it back 27 yards into the end zone for a safety with just three seconds remaining.
On the free kick, Hempfield resorted to pitching the ball around before fumbling it to end the game.
“We did not want to risk a blocked punt in that situation, Morrissey said. “I would’ve liked them to run three more seconds off, but there is no way we were punting the ball in that situation.”
“I’m just so proud of the kids,” said Morrissey. “I told them this game was going to be won on Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s practice, how hard we practice on Tuesday and Wednesday, bouncing back from last week against a really tough opponent, and our kids took the challenge.”
Mifflin looks to take this momentum into Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 2 play as they head to Reiffton to play rival Exeter next week.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Hempfield | 0 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 19 |
| Governor Mifflin | 7 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 20 |
Scoring summary
| 1 | Governor Mifflin | Leaf, 43 run (Koenig kick) | 6:56 |
| 2 | Hempfield | Buckwalter, 35 interception (Biscoe kick) | 8:13 |
| 3 | Hempfield | Caban, 14 pass from Katch (Biscoe kick) | 7:45 |
| 3 | Governor Mifflin | Leaf, 1 run (Koenig kick) | 0:12 |
| 4 | Hempfield | Biscoe, 32 FG | 10:05 |
| 4 | Governor Mifflin | Murray, 13 pass from Leaf (kick failed) | 4:51 |
| 4 | Hempfield | Safety, Leaf tackled in end zone | 0:03 |
Team statistics
| HEMPFIELD | GOVERNOR MIFFLIN | |
| First downs | 13 | 13 |
| Rushes-yards | 13-16 | 50-229 |
| Passing yards | 290 | 22 |
| Total yards | 306 | 248 |
| Passes | 20-29-1 | 2-6-1 |
| Fumbles-lost | 1-1 | 1-1 |
| Punts-average | 2-53.5 | 1-25 |
| Penalties-yards | 6-75 | 4-35 |
Individual statistics
RUSHING
Hempfield: Lewis 10-23, Abrams 1-5, Katch 2-(-12).
Governor Mifflin: Steuer 9-84, Kalis 20-79, Leaf 13-72, Millisock 4-19, Overley 2-3, Team 2-(-28).
PASSING
Hempfield: Katch 20-29-1–290.
Governor Mifflin: Leaf 2-6-1–22.
RECEIVING
Hempfield: Poole 7-66, Abrams 5-93, Caban 4-86, Lewis 3-15, Haworth 1-30.
Governor Mifflin: Murray 2-22.
INTERCEPTIONS
Hempfield: Buckwalter.
Governor Mifflin: Worley.
MISSED FIELD GOALS
Hempfield: Biscoe 26.
