Kevin Guzman is piling up goals now that he’s back home with Reading High

By Jason Guarente — MikeDragoSports.com senior correspondent

Kevin Guzman was on target to become a four-year starter at Reading High. It was hard to picture him wearing any other uniform.

Then COVID-19 hit and the Red Knights opted out of fall sports last year. Guzman, desperate to play, moved in with his sister and transferred to Muhlenberg.

The striker, whose brother Omar was an All-State selection at Reading, has returned to his roots for his senior season. Everything looks right again.

Guzman scored his league-leading seventh goal and helped Reading tie Gov. Mifflin 3-3 at Shillington Thursday night.

“This is my home,” he said afterward. “This is where I’ve been all my life. It means everything to me.”

Playing at Muhlenberg didn’t work out. The Muhls lost all 12 games and Guzman only scored three times. He said his grades suffered and academics were the primary reason he returned to Reading.

After scoring five goals for Reading as a freshman and eight as a sophomore, Guzman is headed for his biggest season yet.

“He’s a handful,” Mifflin coach Jose Garcia said. “We talked about him. He loves to cut. He just needs half-a-yard to let one go. He’s a special player.”

The Red Knights always produce their share of dazzling plays because of their remarkable skill and teamwork. With Guzman lined up alongside Gotti Serrano at forward they’re one of the most dangerous attacking teams in the county.

Guzman credited his teammates for his surge in production.

“They definitely are the playmakers that help me make this happen,” he said. “Without them I wouldn’t have seven goals. I’m not an individual player. I play with my teammates who help me out a lot.”

Reading (0-1-1 Berks I, 1-2-1) scored twice in the opening 10 minutes and took a 3-0 lead into halftime. Gotti Serrano and Jose Serrano had the Red Knights’ other goals.

Mifflin was flat-footed at the start.

“The first half we came out so slow,” Garcia said. “We know how fast they work. We weren’t ready for it. As much as we tried to prepare for it, they caught us.”

Mifflin (1-0-1, 1-1-1) rallied after making a formation change. Sean Armour moved from center back to striker and deposited a goal early in the second half. That shifted the momentum and gave the Mustangs a chance.

Senior captain Joey Petricoin scored twice to pull Mifflin even. The first was a header off a corner kick and the second was a PK following a handball in the box with 15 minutes left in regulation. It stayed 3-3 through two 10-minute overtimes.

This matchup was a microcosm of the division race and maybe the entire league. Hard-fought and hard to predict will be the norm.

“Everybody is evenly matched,” Garcia said. “It’s wide open.”

Both of Reading’s league games have gone to overtime. Both were tied at 3 at the end of regulation. The Red Knights lost to Exeter Tuesday. Guzman had a hat trick in that game.

“My goal is to stay on top of the ranks in all of Berks County in scoring,” he said.

Now that Guzman is back home, he has a chance.