Wyomissing Physical Therapy Offensive Player of the Week: Bryce Gumby

By Mike Drago Last updated Sep 29, 2024

Berks Catholic's Bryce Gumby. (PhilMarPhoto)

The plan Friday against Lancaster Catholic was to ease Bryce Gumby back into the lineup at running back after he missed a couple weeks of practice due to an injury.

Gumby simply wouldn’t allow Berks Catholic coach Dave Stahler to execute that plan; he was just too good with the football.

“(When) you’re down (early), you’ve got to feed the hot hand,” Stahler said. “(You) can’t give a lot of possessions away (so) we played him more on offense than we really wanted to.”

More than the Crusaders would’ve liked, too.

Gumby had a record-setting breakout game, rushing for 268 yards and four touchdowns in a 30-28 loss to earn Wyomissing Physical Therapy Offensive Player of the Week for the first time.

He scored on runs of 22, 72, 70 and 5 yards, the last pulling the Saints within two points with about 4 ½ minutes remaining.

“He had two or three runs that were just outstanding highlight runs,” Stahler said, “(where you) can’t believe he’s still on his feet. And they came at really big times. Both of his 70-yard runs were immediately after we’d given up a score. He kept us in the game for as long as possible.”

Berks Catholic trailed 16-0 in the first quarter and 24-7 in the second quarter.

Gumby, who hadn’t had a carry out of the backfield since Week 1 against Twin Valley, remarkably helped the Saints climb back as he continued to spin away from tacklers and find his way to the end zone.

On his 72-yard scoring run just before halftime the senior halfback took the ball around left end, caught an inside seal block from Owen Schalk and cut up inside an outside seal block from Eric Bennethum to get free.

On his 70-yard scoring run in the third quarter he made at least six different defenders miss, tip-toed down the right sideline to stay inbounds, then cut back at the 10, again eluding a couple defenders.

“He’s our best ability guy in the secondary,” Stahler said. “He’s our best guy with his hands on the ball in space. We’re gonna use him as much as we possibly can.”

Gumby wasn’t able to play or practice in Weeks 2 and 3 after an injury in the season-opener. He returned Sept. 13 against Pequea Valley but was used more as a receiver and didn’t get any carries. He had a touchdown catch and an interception in that game.

“We’re trying to ease him back into it as much as we can,” Stahler said. “He missed two full weeks of practice (and) conditioning. He’s not quite in football shape. His agility is back, but his wind is not back where he’d like it to be yet.”

Gumby had a 20-yard run to spark the Saints’ final drive after they got the ball back with about three minutes left. He had an 8-yard run to the 15 with 35 seconds left but was stripped of the ball on his next carry, ending the Saints’ comeback chances.

Gumby smashed the school rushing record of 234 yards, set by Abdul McFoy against Fleetwood in 2019.

He tied the program record for rushing touchdowns in a game, shared by Josiah Jordan (2022), Cooper Lutz (2017), and Isaac Lutz (2015). MacFoy and Isaac Lutz share the program record with five TDs in a game.

Gumby is the first Berks Catholic player to be named Player of the Week this season.

Players considered for Player of the Week honors are nominated by their coaches or by members of the MikeDragoSports.com coverage team.

This is the fourth consecutive season that Wyomissing Physical Therapy has sponsored the Offensive Player of the Week award. At the end of the season an Offensive Player of the Year will be selected.