Township quarterback throws 5 first-half TDs in rout of Reading
2023 Berks football coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
(This story was produced by LNP/Lancasteronline, and published in partnership with MikeDragoSports.com.)
By Michael Pollis — LNP/Lancasteronline
NEFFSVILLE — Unbeaten Manheim Township continued its dominant season, steamrolling visiting Reading High 41-0 in a Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 1 football game Friday night.
Senior quarterback Hayden Johnson reached a career milestone, setting a school record with his 83rd touchdown pass.
Johnson topped the mark held by Pat Bostic, who went on to play quarterback at the University of Pittsburgh.
Johnson went 9-for-11 for 143 yards and found five different receivers for first-half touchdowns. He exited the game midway through the second quarter with Township comfortably in front 41-0.
On the first play of the game a Manheim Township (4-0, 8-0) receiver dropped a would-be touchdown pass. On the third play of the game, the Blue Streaks had a 56-yard touchdown negated by a holding penalty.
Once the offense got out of its own way, however, the Streaks electrified with big plays up and down the field.
Running back Declan Clancy jump-started the attack after the initial slow start with a 24-yard run and 10-yard touchdown reception on a sing pas from Johnson. Clancy added a 13-yard rushing score later in the first half one play after he recovered a fumble on defense.
After the first score to Clancy, Johnson found Carter Bair on a 6-yard pass that was set up by a 34-yard pass down the left sideline to Landon Kennel.
The third touchdown connection came when Johnson hit Asher Wolfe on a 9-yard slant; the fourth was a 36-yard pass on a long seam route down the middle of the field.
Johnson saved his best for last as he connected with Kennel in the corner of the end zone on a perfect fade route. Kennel leapt high, snatching the ball at its highest point right out of the grasp of a defensive back.
The Blue Streaks’ defense proved to be a stalwart unit, limiting Reading (0-5, 1-7) to two first downs and pass completions and just 47 yards. In addition to the forced fumble, the Township defense had interceptions by Carson Weisser and Stewars Jaquez Cabral.
Despite their dominant performance, the Blue Streaks were plagued by penalties throughout the game, including personal fouls, false starts, and illegal substitutions. In all, they committed eight penalties for 70 yards.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Reading High | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Manheim Township | 28 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 41 |
Scoring summary
| 1 | Manheim Township | Clancy, 10 pass from Johnson (Nguyen kick) |
| 1 | Manheim Township | Bair, 6 pass from Johnson (Nguyen kick) |
| 1 | Manheim Township | Clancy, 13 run (Nguyen kick) |
| 1 | Manheim Township | Wolfe, 9 pass from Johnson (Nguyen kick) |
| 2 | Manheim Township | Palumbo, 36 pass from Johnson (Nguyen kick) |
| 2 | Manheim Township | Kennel, 18 pass from Johnson (Johnson pass failed) |
Team statistics
| Reading High | Manheim Township | |
| First downs | 2 | 10 |
| Rushes-yards | 21-34 | 22-84 |
| Passing yards | 13 | 152 |
| Total yards | 47 | 236 |
| Passes | 3-11 | 10-17 |
| Fumbles-lost | 1-1 | 1-1 |
| Punts-average | 7-25 | 2-35 |
| Penalties-yards | 11-105 | 8-70 |
Individual statistics
RUSHING
Reading High: Alvarado 13-25, Small 2-19, Plylaharn 4-11, Laws 2-1.
Manheim Township: Clancy 7-34, Arcudi 6-24, Fernandez 1-17, Feliciano 4-12, Haberbosch 1-0, Metias 1-(-2), Johnson 1-(-5).
PASSING
Reading High: Plylaharn 4-11-2–25.
Manheim Township: Johnson 9-11-0–142, Weisser 2-4-0–6, Kenneff 1-4-0–25.
RECEIVING
Reading High: Santos 2-7, Alvarado 1-12, Beatty 1-6.
Manheim Township: Kennel 3-61, Palumbo 2-42, Wolfe 2-31, Clancy 2-8, Dixon 2-6, Dotter 1-9.
