Madyx Gruber is Wyomissing Physical Therapy Offensive Player of the Week

By Mike Drago Last updated Oct 3, 2024

Wilson’s Madyx Gruber. (Jeremy Drey photo)

Madyx Gruber worked with former NFL quarterback and Wilson quarterbacks coach Chad Henne throughout the summer to learn to intricacies of a new position.

Now he finds his name in the Bulldogs’ record book right alongside Henne’s.

“It just feels amazing,” Gruber said after tying the program record with five touchdown passes Friday in a 43-20 win at Gov. Mifflin. “Especially to do it with this group of guys. We knew this whole season that no one expected us to be good, but we came out fired up.”

Gruber, a converted wide receiver, passed for 232 yards and ran for 204 yards to earn Wyomissing Physical Therapy Offensive Player of the Week for the first time.

He completed 15-of-20 passes and threw TDs of 21, 4, 10, 29, and 17 yards, to four different receivers.

Gruber didn’t score himself but broke off seven runs of 10 or more yards, including runs of 61 and 41. His dangerous running ability helped open up the passing lanes.

“We knew that if we spread it out, it gave me a good chance to run it up the middle and then bounce to the outside and get some points on the board,” Gruber said.

All of this is fairly new to Gruber, an all-league receiver as a junior. He hadn’t played quarterback on a regular basis since junior high. When Wilson offensive coordinator Jeremy Palms looked around this spring for someone to replace Berks Offensive Player of the Year Tommy Hunsicker he thought Gruber would be a good fit.

He’s turned into the same kind of dual threat who can break down defenses with his legs and beat them with his arm. Gruber is completing 67.3 percent of his passes and has thrown for 1,017 yards and 12 touchdowns – each among the Lancaster-Lebanon League leaders.

“He’s reading the field well, understands our offense, and moves well in pocket,” said Wilson coach Doug Dahms. “He keeps looking downfield while moving and makes good choices on when to run and when to pass.”

Gruber threw an interception in the red zone on Wilson’s first possession Friday. That didn’t faze him.

“I always tell myself to not put my head down,” he said, “because that’s when the whole game goes down. I just had to make the next play.”

Gruber matched a program record set in 2002 by Henne, against Manheim Township, and equaled in 2005 by Eric Hetrich, against Red Lion. Hunsicker twice threw four TDs in a game last season.

The 232 passing yards are one off Gruber’s season high; he threw for 233 at Nazareth. His best game, from a passing efficiency standpoint, came at Reading when he completed 11-of-14 for 203 yards and four TDs without an interception.

Over his last three games Gruber has completed 72 percent of his passes for 572 yards.

The 204 rushing yards are a career high.

Gruber, Wilson’s best cover corner, also forced a fumble against the Mustangs.

Players considered for Player of the Week honors are nominated by their coaches or by members of the MikeDragoSports.com coverage team.

This is the fourth consecutive season that Wyomissing Physical Therapy has sponsored the Offensive Player of the Week award. At the end of the season an Offensive Player of the Year will be selected.