Kutztown Cougars rushing toward program milestone
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The Kutztown Cougars, among the top rushing teams in the Lancaster-Lebanon League all season, are approaching a program first.
With another 142 yards from Iah Bahr the Cougars will have a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in the same backfield for the first time. Mason Sherry reached 1,000 yards last week.
Bahr enters Friday’s game against Columbia with 858 yards.
Kutztown has produced eight 1,000-yard rushers in its history but never two in the same season.
That’s a somewhat rare feat. It’s happened 18 times in Berks history, by 10 different programs.
The most recent was in 2023 by Twin Valley, when Drew Engle rushed for a program-record 1,599 yards and Evan Johnson ran for 1,089. It was the only time the Raiders accomplished that feat.
Conrad Weiser has accomplished the milestone four times, more than any other Berks program.
Carmine Lenzi and Kevin Sadowski became the first pair of 1,000-yard rushers in Berks history in 1992.
They were followed by DJ Robinson and Codie Butler, in 2009; Robinson and quarterback Mike Oliveto in 2010; and Alex Guilbe and quarterback Aidan Brosious in 2013.
Exeter, Governor Mifflin, Hamburg, Schuylkill Valley, and Wyomissing have each had a pair of 1,000-yard backs twice.
The Mustangs lay claim to the most productive rushing tandem in Berks history. In 2014 tailback Wilson Fontanez rushed for 1,634 yards and quarterback Jan Johnson for 1,197; that’s 2,831 yards.
The Raiders’ Engle and Johnson are next at 2,688, following by Weiser’s Robinson and Butler, 2607.
Berks Catholic’s Isaac and Cooper Lutz are the only brother tandem to each rush for 1,000 yards in the same season. They did it in 2015 with Isaac, a senior, going for 1,492 and Cooper, a sophomore, reaching 1,001.
Only two tandems have each gone over 1,200 yards: Robinson and Butler and Wyomissing’s Gregory Lord and Pat McDonough, in 2006.
Not Berks team has produced three 1,000-yard rushers in the same season, though Kutztown has a shot. Ryan Walters has rushed for 691 yards. He would need another 309 yards over the final two games, against Columbia and Pequea Valley. That’s not out of the question considering he’s had a pair of 100-yard games this season.
Twin Valley is in position to produce a pair of 1,000-yard backs this season. Engle is seventh in the league with 886 yards; Lucas Myers has rushed for 680 yards. The Raiders have clinched a berth in the district playoffs so they will play at least three more games, and probably more.
