Danny Fleischood steps to the plate, delivers a triple as Spartans complete home run
2024 Berks football coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
By Mike Drago — MikeDragoSports.com Managing Editor
Max Tipton didn’t see Danny Fleischood sprinting down the sideline early Saturday on the way to Wyomissing’s first touchdown, but he enjoyed the run as much as anyone.
The senior guard knew he played a part in getting the Spartans on the board, setting a seal block on the right edge that allowed Fleischood to turn the corner on his 34-yard run to the end zone.
“I came around the edge and I saw my guy,” Tipton said. “He went real low so I just kind of laid on top of him. I look up and Danny’s in the end zone. That’s all you can really ask for as a lineman.”
Tipton’s play, unnoticed by many, was one small building block in the Spartans’ towering 35-7 win over West York in a District 3 Class 4A semifinal at Bob Wolfrum Field.
There were lots of them, small plays turned in by linemen such as Tipton, guard Ayden Jimenez, and tackle Keaton Piacine. They’re part of an all-senior offensive line playing their final game at home, where they’re undefeated in the postseason.
“I was just trying enjoy every single moment,” said senior center Francisco Fabian. “We’re not going to be able to play on this field anymore. I just took everything in and had fun today with my guys.”
The second-seeded Spartans (10-2) earned a rematch against top-seeded Lampeter-Strasburg Friday at 7 at Warwick. The unbeaten Pioneers won at Wyomissing 20-7 in the regular season finale, snapping the Spartans’ 36-game home winning streak.
Wyomissing is ranked No. 5 in the state in Class 4A; Lampeter is No. 3.
The Spartans have made it through the first two rounds of the playoffs without their home run hitter Justice Hardy, who leads them in rushing, receiving and scoring, and is their top cover corner. He was injured in the Week 10 loss to Lampeter, as was starting tight end Andrew Bresnahan, who also didn’t dress Saturday.
The Spartans haven’t missed Hardy because Fleischood – a basketball star who considered not playing football this season – has performed so well, with five touchdowns in two postseason games.
He followed his first score with a 56-yard TD run late in the opening half. He completed his hat trick in the third quarter when he went up high to grab a short pass, spun and split two defenders, then raced 36 yards to the end zone.
He rushed for a career-high 132 yards on seven carries; his last TD gave Wyomissing a 35-0 lead and started the running clock with 6:50 left in the third quarter.
“It was a big deal for another guy to step up,” Tipton said of Fleischood, a backup until Hardy, a sophomore sprint star, went out. “We love (Justice), but if he can’t go somebody’s gotta step up. Danny, obviously (has); five touchdowns in the playoffs so far. Love to see that moving forward.”
“We’re really excited for him because he stepped up when we needed him the most,” said Fabian. “It was really important. It’s a big game: Win or go home. We can’t let off the gas.”
The third-seeded Bulldogs (9-3) advanced to the semifinals with a 5-3 win over Eastern York. They again had trouble moving the ball against a strong Wyomissing defensive front that recorded eight negative plays and scored three sacks. West York was held to minus-9 yards rushing.
Junior linebacker Tyler Niedrowski dropped quarterback Jensen Ferber for a 13-yard loss on the Bulldogs’ first series, setting the tone for the day.
“It’s always important to get pressure on the quarterback,” said Tipton, a defensive tackle. “(The late) Coach (Al) Silveri told me that. He always said a quarterback can’t throw when he’s on his back. When you get pressure you shut down an offense. We showed that the last two weeks with a 31-0 shutout and a 35-7 blowout. Two great weeks up front. (Coach Silveri) would’ve loved it.”
The Spartans picked off a pair of passes and forced a fumble that linebacker Chase Eisenhower took back 28 yards for a touchdown and 28-0 lead 32 seconds before halftime.
The Bulldogs didn’t score until late in the third quarter, after a 62-yard kickoff return set them up at the Wyomissing 20.
Wyomissing’s offensive line of Fabian, Tipton, Jimenez, Piacine and tackle Caleb Beane made the defensive work stand up by leading the way for a running game that produced 313 yards.
Senior halfback Derek Macrina ran for 78 yards on nine carries, with a 23-yard touchdown run. Eisenhower, a junior fullback, rushed for 72 yards on 12 carries.
“I thought they did a very good job,” Wyomissing coach Bob Wolfrum said of his front line. “(West York was) bringing people (on blitzes) and was giving us some bad plays. And we had some big plays. With our backs, we can score from distance now. We’d like to score (off) long, methodical drives, but that was happening today. So we were lucky that we had some big plays.”
Wyomissing has won the last five District 3 Class 3A championships. This is its first year in Class 4A after being elevated by the PIAA’s “Success Formula.”
The Spartans won their last three championships on their home field. They won’t get that chance this season, with District 3 opting to again play its championship games at neutral sites.
That made Saturday all the more emotional for Tipton and Wyomissing’s other seniors, many of whom first played on their home field when they were Mites and Midgets.
“Coming out (onto the field), realizing it’s your last time, it gets to you a little bit,” Tipton said. “The memories we’ve had on this field, some of us for 10 years, those are special. Saturday mornings . . . you don’t get anything like it.”
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| West York | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Wyomissing | 7 | 21 | 7 | 0 | 35 |
Scoring summary
| 1 | Wyomissing | Fleischood, 34 run (Maher kick) | 5:57 |
| 2 | Wyomissing | Macrina, 23 run (Maher kick) | 5:53 |
| 2 | Wyomissing | Fleischood, 56 run (Maher kick) | 0:59 |
| 2 | Wyomissing | C. Eisenhower, 28 fumble return (Maher kick) | 0:32 |
| 3 | Wyomissing | Fleischood, 36 pass from White (Maher kick) | 6:50 |
| 3 | West York | Roberts, 3 run (Kuhn kick) | 5:00 |
Team statistics
| West York | Wyomissing | |
| First downs | 9 | 16 |
| Rushes-yards | 19-(-9) | 43-313 |
| Passing yards | 143 | 61 |
| Total yards | 134 | 374 |
| Passes | 12-22-2 | 4-4-0 |
| Fumbles-lost | 1-1 | 4-1 |
| Punts-average | 4-33.2 | 3-32.0 |
| Penalties-yards | 1-5 | 10-99 |
Individual statistics
RUSHING
West York: Roberts 12-17, Wagner 4-3, Ferber 3-(-29).
Wyomissing: Fleischood 7-132, Macrina 9-78, C. Eisenhower 12-72, Niedrowski 4-27, Armistead 3-17, Westwood 1-3, Sierra 1-0, B. Eisenhower 1-(-1), Team 2-(-2), White 2-(-13).
PASSING
West York: Ferber 11-19-2–125, Roberts 1-3-0–18.
Wyomissing: White 4-4-0–61.
RECEIVING
West York: Madden 5-48, Beatty 3-41, Torres 3-22, Thomas 1-4, Roberts 0-28.
Wyomissing: Fleischood 2-43, DiFabrizio 1-16, Niedrowski 1-2.
INTERCEPTIONS
Wyomissing: D. Delp, Queenan-Coleman.
