Five Fast Football Facts for Week 2
2023 Berks football coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
1
Twin Valley set a program record with 619 total yards last week in a season-opening 44-13 win over Schuylkill Valley. The Raiders’ 479 rushing yards were the second-most in program history.
The rushing record of 481 was set in 47-14 win over Central Catholic in 2007, the same game in which the Raiders compiled 574 total yards, which had been the program record.
The 600-yard mark is a rarity. It has been reached only about a dozen times by Berks teams over the last 30 years.
Evan Johnson rushed for 278 yards and Drew Engle for 192 against Schuylkill Valley.
In that 2007 game, Nick Wilkinson rushed for 201 yards and Zach Hunter for 165; the Raiders averaged 10.0 yards per carry.
2
Wilson has won three straight in its series against Central Dauphin for the first time since they began playing in 1996.
The Bulldogs won 17-10 last season, 27-21 in 2021 and 21-13 in 2019; no game was played in 2020 due to the coronavirus.
The teams have split eight regular season meetings. The Rams hold a 3-2 advantage in postseason play, including two wins in three district championship game meetings.
Nine of the 13 meetings have been decided by eight or fewer points; four have been decided by a field goal or less, including both of Central Dauphin’s championship wins.
3
Muhlenberg and Reading High are playing for the Battle of the Border Trophy for the 20th time.
The Red Knights took a 10-9 series lead with last year’s 33-20 victory.
The trophy series was inaugurated in 1974, with the Red Knights winning 14-13. The rivals played for seven straight years before suspending the series.
When Reading High joined the Inter-County League in 2010 they dusted off the trophy and resumed the series. Since then, the Muhls have won 8-of-12.
Reading once went 35 years between wins in the series, from 1979 to 2014.
4
Hamburg junior Ty Werley caught five passes for 253 yards in the season-opener against Halifax, a program record and the fourth-highest single-game total in Berks history.
Werley had touchdown catches of 87, 27 and 54 yards; his other two receptions went for 48 and 37 yards, respectively.
Dave Golden of Schuylkill Valley set the record with 271 receiving yards in 1984 (against Hamburg). Muhlenberg’s Brett Fox had 258 yards against Hempfield in 2008. Conrad Weiser’s Danny Sanchez had 254 yards against West York in 2008.
The previous record at Hamburg was 182 yards.
5
When Conrad Weiser and Fleetwood get together you can count on two things:
- Plenty of points.
- The Scouts will win.
The teams meet for the 15th time tonight; the Scouts have won 13 of the first 14 meetings. And they’ve won them with offense, averaging 44.3 points. In one three-year stretch, from 2014-16, Weiser scored 173 points against Fleetwood.
The Tigers have scored a bunch, too. They put up 41 points in 2015 and 38 two years ago. Over the last 12 meetings Fleetwood has averaged 23.1 points.
Fleetwood’s only win in the series came in 2019, 27-14. Later that season they met in the district playoffs, with Weiser winning 44-15.
In their 2015 meeting the teams combined for more than 1,110 total yards.