Season preview: Daniel Boone Blazers
2024 Berks football coverage
presented by UECU
PIAA classification: 5A.
League: Lancaster-Lebanon Section 4.
Schedule: Click here.
Last season: 0-6 Section 3, 1-9 overall.
(Chris Knight/LNP photo)
Last District 3 playoff appearance: 2021
Head coach: J.D. Okuniewski, second season, 1-9.
Key losses: QB Dean Rotter, all-league LB Ethan Kryman, all-league DT Jordan Myer.
Top offensive players: QB Haydn Moyer, RB Anthony High, RB Jayden Williams, RB/WR/PK Max Heffner, WR Harrison Delissaint, WR Brandon Schutter, WR Blake Elliot, TE Jayden Salata, C Trent Lenker, G Jabrae Pratt, G Chase Kitchen, T Maddox Roy, T Zion Samuel.
Top defensive players: E Jabrae Pratt, E Zion Samuel, T Jorge Pingarron, DL Maddox Roy, LB Harrison Delissaint, LB Brad Floria, LB Jayden Salata, LB Anthony High, LB/CB Ryan Poore, LB Chase Kitchen, S Darius Cruz, S Haydn Moyer, CB Max Heffner, CB Aidan Shearn.
Did you know? Head coach J.D. Okuniewski was a linebacker on Boone’s last championship team in 2010. The Blazers went 21-4 over his sophomore and junior seasons, the best back-to-back seasons in program history.
For the record: The Blazers are a rare program with a pair of 5,000-yard passers in Chris Bokosky (2003-05) and Jon Monteiro (2006-09).
On schedule: Daniel Boone and Exeter play for the “Pig Iron Trophy” for the 59th time when they meet in a season-opener Aug. 23. The Eagles have won 11 straight in the series – the longest streak by either team — and lead the trophy series 39-18-1.
Quotable: “I want this program to change around and I want to be the reason why.” – Blazers QB Haydn Moyer.
Outlook: The Blazers got off to a disastrous start last season — and things only got worse from there.
RB Jake Myers broke his leg in the first official practice. The next day the Blazers learned that Jordan Meyer, their best lineman, was lost for several weeks due to an infection. Harrison Delissaint, a focal point of the offense, dislocated his elbow in the preseason scrimmage and was lost for the season.
On and on it went as most of the Blazers’ seniors and top players missed all or part of a season that ended with seven straight losses.
“We had a tough year,” said head coach J.D. Okuniewski in a vast understatement.
Even though 15 players return with starting experience the Blazers are essentially starting over, no more so than at quarterback. With no experienced QB available Okuniewski is taking his best athlete, junior Haydn Moyer, and putting the ball in his hands.
Moyer established himself last season at RB; now there’s a big learning curve as he gets under center for the first time — ever. He’s a natural athlete who could be just as dangerous, if not more so, with his feet than with his arm.
He’ll have weapons to work with. Max Heffner, who led the team in receptions last season, returns at WR along with Delissaint, who looms as a go-to guy. Anthony High, a former TE who caught 20 passes a year ago, brings physicality to the backfield.
A lot of players are changing positions and depth will be a challenge after several players, all potential starters, transferred out.
The schedule is no picnic, either, especially with Exeter and Schuylkill Valley – each a section favorite – in Weeks 1 and 2 and state-ranked Wyomissing and Twin Valley in the final month. The move from Section 3 to Section 4 was not a move down in competition, that’s for sure.
At the wire: Blazers in building mode coming off a one-win season.