Muhlenberg responds to first loss with gritty win over Ephrata
2025 Berks football coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
By Sean McBryan — MikeDragoSports.com senior correspondent
Upstart Muhlenberg was knocked down a peg after suffering its first loss of the season, a 30-point setback to Exeter last week.
How would the Muhls — off to their best start since 2007 — respond?
| Final | |
| Muhlenberg | 33 |
| Ephrata | 28 |
The answer was with another ‘W,’ their seventh of the season in a gritty 33-28 victory over Ephrata in a Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 2 game Friday night in Laureldale.
“We always talk about our young men becoming men — showing character when things get tough,” Muhlenberg coach Rob Flowers said. “They fought, they did the best they could, and came out victorious today. That says a lot about who they are.”
Chase Zona came down with a diving interception — his second of the night — on the sideline with 1:26 remaining to seal the win for the Muhls (4-1, 7-1), who remained on track for their first District 3 playoff berth since 2013.
“I saw their No. 1 receiver, read the quarterback’s eyes perfectly, and knew I had to make a play for my team,” Zona said.
On keeping his feet in bounds?
| SECTION 2 | League | Overall | PF | PA |
| Con. Valley | 4-0 | 8-0 | 318 | 63 |
| Exeter | 4-1 | 7-1 | 335 | 80 |
| Muhlenberg | 4-1 | 7-1 | 314 | 143 |
| Ephrata | 1-3 | 4-4 | 178 | 178 |
| E-town | 1-3 | 4-4 | 188 | 135 |
| Gov. Mifflin | 1-3 | 3-5 | 180 | 262 |
| Lebanon | 0-5 | 0-8 | 62 | 355 |
“That’s just second nature,” said Zona, who now has four interceptions. “I’ve gotten used to it. Gotta keep doing it.”
The seven wins is the most for Muhlenberg since that 2013 season, when they finished 8-4. They proved something to themselves Friday, beating a team that had shut them out 32-0 and 59-0 the previous two seasons. These are different Muhls.
“Everyone’s bought in,” Zona said. “Everybody’s happy to be here, following our coaches and great role models. You can just feel the difference.”
Cameron Small rushed for 193 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Muhls, including the deciding touchdown with 4:29 left that regained Muhlenberg the advantage after the Mounts (1-3, 4-4) stormed back from a 13-point hole to take the lead in the fourth quarter.
Small scored the first points of the game on a 1-yarder with 8:24 remaining in the first quarter.
Micah Spring intercepted a pass by Adriel Baez off a tip drill and returned it 33 yards for a touchdown with 3:36 left for the Mounts.
Michael Miller Jr. scored on 5-yard and 21-yard touchdown runs for the Muhls in the second.
Chase Prange, who finished with 113 rushing yards after starter Bentley Rearich left the game with an arm injury, scored on a 2-yard bash in the second for the Mounts.
Ephrata moved the ball to start the second half, but its drive was thwarted when Miller made a stellar tackle on fourth down at Muhlenberg’s 37.
The Muhls embarked on a nine-play scoring drive which Small completed with a 4-yard TD run, the only points in the third quarter, to give the Muhls a 27-14 lead after the extra point was blocked.
Malachi Knowles, the game’s third 100-plus yard rusher from his quarterback position, scored from 4 yards out on fourth down for the Mounts with 11:20 left in the game.
Ephrata then recovered a Muhlenberg fumble on a backward pass at the Muhls’ 35-yard line. Six plays later, Knowles gave the Mounts a 28-27 lead on a 15-yard TD run with 7:53 left in the game.
Adversity struck; the Muhls responded.
Jayden Faulkner’s 45-yard kickoff return set the Muhls up at Ephrata’s 35. Seven plays later, Small gave the lead back to the Muhls on a 7-yard TD run, but a failed 2-point conversion left the score 33-28 with 4:29 remaining.
After starting on its own 26, Ephrata advanced to Muhlenberg’s 41 before Zona made the game-sealing interception. Three runs from Small resulted in a first down and forced the Mounts to use all of their timeouts before Muhlenberg kneeled twice to run out the clock.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Ephrata | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 28 |
| Muhlenberg | 7 | 14 | 6 | 6 | 33 |
Scoring summary
| 1 | Muhlenberg | Small, 1 run (Shupp kick) | 8:24 |
| 1 | Ephrata | Spring, 33 interception return (Honberger kick) | 3:36 |
| 2 | Muhlenberg | Miller, 5 run (Shupp kick) | 9:52 |
| 2 | Ephrata | Prange, 2 run (Honberger kick) | 3:52 |
| 2 | Muhlenberg | Miller, 21 run (Shupp kick) | 1:43 |
| 3 | Muhlenberg | Small, 4 run (Shupp kick blocked) | 4:06 |
| 4 | Ephrata | Knowles, 4 run (Honberger kick) | 11:20 |
| 4 | Ephrata | Knowles, 15 run (Honberger kick) | 7:53 |
| 4 | Muhlenberg | Small, 7 run (Miller run failed) | 4:29 |
Team statistics
| EPHRATA | MUHLENBERG | |
| First downs | 16 | 14 |
| Rushes-yards | 48-263 | 44-248 |
| Passing yards | 16 | 39 |
| Total yards | 279 | 287 |
| Passes | 3-7-2 | 5-9-1 |
| Fumbles-lost | 4-2 | 2-1 |
| Punts-average | 0-0 | 1-39 |
| Penalties-yards | 5-35 | 12-125 |
Individual statistics
RUSHING
Ephrata: Prange 18-113, Knowles 20-104, Ciran 2-21, Rearich 3-13, Grant 3-6, Bryant 1-4, Santos 1-2.
Muhlenberg: Small 32-193, Miller 4-40, Baez 7-20, Team 1-(-5).
PASSING
Ephrata: Knowles 3-6-2–16, Prange 0-1-0–0.
Muhlenberg: Baez 5-9-1–39.
RECEIVING
Ephrata: Rearich 1-13, Prange 1-2, Frain 1-1.
Muhlenberg: Miller 3-24, Lacey 1-8, Cantres 1-7.
INTERCEPTIONS
Ephrata: Spring.
Muhlenberg: Zona 2.
