Week 6 preview: League play finally set to kick off in Berks 1, Lancaster-Lebanon 1
The regular season might be half over but in Section 1 of the Berks Football League, and in Section 1 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League, things are just getting started.
Both kick off league play this week; games in Berks 2 started two weeks ago.
The biggest game of the weekend — in Berks, and throughout the center part of the state — is a non-league game between unbeatens Southern Columbia and Wyomissing. The Tigers are ranked No. 1 in the state in Class 2A; the Spartans are No. 3 in Class 3A.
Wyomissing will be attempting to snap Southern’s 65-game winning streak, the longest in the nation.
Wilson (2-3) has little time to waste as it opens league play at Penn Manor (4-1), which is off to one of its best starts in years. The Bulldogs have little margin for error if they’re to make a return to the District 3 playoffs; it might take a perfect five-game run through Section 1 to nab a playoff spot.
The key opener in Berks 1 is Berks Catholic (3-2) at Daniel Boone (3-2), a pair of teams with playoff potential. The Saints are a contender in Class 4A, the Blazers in 5A.
Boone will be missing several key linemen due to injuries or COVID precautions. It has dealt with setbacks since the season-opener, when it lost starting quarterback Carter Speyerer to a season-ending injury. Sophomore Dean Rotter has stepped in and led the Blazers to three straight wins.
Gov. Mifflin (5-0), the overwhelming Berks 1 favorite, will find itself on the sidelines as league play opens. Its Week 6 opponent, Reading High (1-3), was forced to suspend its program last week due to a COVID situation and couldn’t resume practice in time to play the Mustangs.
Elsewhere in Berks 1, Muhlenberg (0-5) plays at Exeter (3-2).
There are three games in Berks 2, the best them on Saturday night when Twin Valley (1-0, 4-1) heads to Fleetwood (0-2, 2-3). The Raiders are flying high after a double-overtime victory over Conrad Weiser last week; they have four wins at midseason for the first time in program history and positioned for their first district playoff appearance.
Elsewhere in Berks 2, Schuylkill Valley (1-0, 2-3) is at Conrad Weiser (1-1, 3-2) and Hamburg (0-1, 4-1) is at Kutztown (0-2, 2-3).
The Panthers are looking for their third straight win.
The Cougars are seeking their first league win in 12 years; they are riding a record 63-game league losing streak. It’ll be tough to snap that against Hamburg, which is off to its best start since 2016 and has a chance to have five wins at this juncture for the first time since 2006, when it won its first six games.
In the Pioneer Athletic Conference, Boyertown (0-1, 2-3) looks for its first Liberty Division win when it heads to Spring-Ford (0-1, 2-3). The Rams have lost three straight, including their league opener last week, 28-22 to Perkiomen Valley. The Bears opened league play with a 27-20 loss to Owen J. Roberts.
