Amier Burdine flashes skills but Red Knights can’t hold early lead, lose to C.D. East

By Sean McBryan — MikeDragoSports.com correspondent

HARRISBURG — Reading High quarterback Amier Burdine showed what the Red Knights have been missing with him relegated to the sideline the past few seasons, even if the end result was a 31-12 non-league loss to Central Dauphin East at Landis Field Friday.

First it was a COVID- and concussion-hindered sophomore season. Then a broken collarbone ended his junior season before it started. Now as a leader and senior signal-caller, Burdine finally showed his skills on the field.

He rushed for 100 yards and passed for 129, including two touchdown scores, as the Red Knights came out hot against the Panthers, a district qualifier last season.

As an unfamiliar spectator watching the first half, one wouldn’t have had any idea Reading won just one game last season and had a first-year head coach. The Red Knights had a 12-7 lead at the end of the first quarter on two long bombs, a 34-yarder to Jahsir Drayton and a 46-yarder to Ruben Rodriguez.

“My emotions were high coming into the game and I just wanted to have the fast start that we had,” Burdine said. “It was great for us to have a start like that.”

That hot start eventually fizzled but it also signaled the ongoing mindset change in the Reading program needed to get it back to the heights it reached in 2003, when it reach a district title game.

First-year head coach Troy Godinet was an all-league linebacker on that team.

“We just talk about getting better every single day,” Godinet said. “We’re not going to be able to skip this process or skip stages.

“We need to take it day by day and get better at every single thing we do as a coaching staff, as a team, and as a community.”

The Red Knights outgained the Panthers 264-262 in total offense. The turnovers (four) and penalties (nine for 60 yards) hurt; that’s an area they can improve. It’s a start.

“We need to learn how to finish and not resort back to bad habits,” Godinet said. “Other than that I think we did some things really well. We did some things we know we can correct. But we’ll be alright, we had some players that showed up and balled out today.”

Drayton finished with 72 receiving yards and Rodriguez had 49, plus an interception on the defensive side of the ball. Reading’s wide receivers were burning the Panthers secondary in the beginning. The Red Knights secondary held East’s passing attack in check for the majority of the game.

The problem for Reading was bruising running back Nehemiah Ewell, who grinded out 120 yards and two scores on the ground, the second of which gave the Panthers a 14-12 lead with 6:55 left in the second quarter. 

Reading began to wear down in the trenches and East scored the final 17 points before the game was delayed due to lightning. Both teams came to a collective decision to end the game and Reading accepted the defeat with 50.4 seconds left in the third quarter.

For the Red Knights it all starts with Burdine and keeping him upright. His leadership qualities are just as important to the program as his play on the field. 

“My goal is my leadership,” Burdine said. “Coach Troy is new and we have a big young class. I feel like it’s my job to keep them on track so they can keep building.”

Next up for the Red Knights is rival Muhlenberg with a chance to get revenge for the 38-9 drubbing they took last season.

“It was great to have momentum like that to start this year,” Burdine said on the fast start. “It’s big. We’ve just got to learn to keep pushing throughout the game. We can’t let little stuff happen and have our heads go down, just got to keep the momentum up to finish the game.”

	1	2	3	4	Final
Reading High	12	0	0		12
C.D. East	7	10	14		31

Scoring summary

1	Reading	Drayton, 34 pass from Burdine (Burdine run failed)	10:02
1	East	Ewell, 7 run (Bloss kick)	8:39
1	Reading	Rodriguez, 46 pass from Burdine (Burdine pass failed)	6:10
2	East	Ewell, 38 run (Bloss kick)	6:55
2	East	Bloss, 41 FG	2:05
3	East	Hitchcock, 14 pass from Jalloh (Bloss kick)	2:05
3	East	Amegatcher, recovered blocked punt in end zone (Bloss kick)	:50.4

Team statistics

	Reading High	C.D. East
First downs	6	8
Rushes-yards	24-135	18-142
Passing yards	129	120
Total yards	264	262
Passes	8-17-1	13-25-1
Fumbles-lost	3-3	2-2
Punts-average	2-25.5	3-33.3
Penalties-yards	9-60	10-74

Individual statistics

RUSHING

Reading: Burdine 10-100, Small 6-27, Rodriguez 4-4, Alvarado 3-3, Drayton 1-1.

East: Ewell 11-120, Jalloh 3-13, Porter 2-11, Armstrong 1-3, Jackson-Copnay 1-(-5).

PASSING

Reading: Burdine 8-17-1–129.

East: Jalloh 13-25-1–120, team (-5).

RECEIVING

Reading: Drayton 3-72, Rodriguez 3-49, Small 1-8, Orbe 1-0.

East: Jackson-Copnay 4-25, Hitchcock 3-16, Brown 2-33, Porter 2-15, Foust 1-15, Neal 1-6.

INTERCEPTIONS

Reading: Rodriguez. East: Armstrong.