Wyomissing Physical Therapy Offensive Player of the Week: Richie Karstien
Wyomissing Physical Therapy Offensive Player of the Week
Richie Karstien wasn’t set as Exeter’s lead ballcarrier before the season began. He was one of several potential backfield options for the Eagles. He was also considered at tight end and tackle. He’s 6-1, 215 pounds and strong enough to play either of those spots.
The senior didn’t emerge as the Eagles’ lead back until a Week 3 win over Boyertown when he carried the ball 15 times for 108 yards.
Two months later he’s become an indispensable part of Exeter’s drive to another District 3 Class 5A championship.
When the Eagles went into playoff mode with a late-season game against eventual Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 1 championship Hempfield the rugged Karstien carried the ball 32 times for 212 yards and four touchdowns.
Friday, one win away from a spot in the district championship game, the Eagles put the ball in Karstien’s hands 35 times. He responded with 179 rushing yards and an early TD to earn Wyomissing Physical Therapy Offensive Player of the Week honors.
Eagles coach Matt Bauer has no qualms about giving Karstien a heavy workload. He’s proven he can handle it.
“He trains for it,” Bauer said. “He’s a hard worker, a blue-collar kid. He wants the ball and he doesn’t wear down.”
Karstien actually looked stronger in the fourth quarter of a 21-7 semifinal win over Northern than he did early in the game.
He carried the ball 10 times in the fourth quarter for 71 yards, including a key 22-yard run to set up a late score.
“I stopped thinking and started going,” Karstien said. “At first I was letting the play develop a little bit, and it wasn’t really working well.
“I just had to hit the hole and that’s what I did in the fourth quarter.”
Karstien ended up with a career-high 35 carries, six shy of the program record set in 1966 by Mike Funke and matched last season in the district championship win over Gov. Mifflin by Eric Nangle.
If Friday’s championship game against Cocalico turns into trench warfare, as expected, Karstien could take a run at that record.
He’s also closing in on Exeter’s single-season record for rushing attempts, 254, set last season by Nangle; he has 213.
Karstien is also within range of Nangle’s program-record 1,814 rushing yard in a season. After 12 games he has 1,533 yards, fifth-most in the Lancaster-Lebanon League. He’s also fifth in the league in rushing attempts.
He’s three shy of Nangle’s single-season record of 23 touchdowns and two away from Nangle’s record of 21 rushing TDs.
Karstien is the first Exeter player to earn Offensive Player of the Week honors this season and the ninth overall to be named a Player of the Week. Lucas Palange, Nate Pashley and Jonathan Martin have been named Defensive Player of the Week. Kyle Lash and Anthony Caccesse have each been named twice as Lineman of the Week and Palange once.
Players considered for Player of the Week honors are nominated by their coaches or by members of the MikeDragoSports.com coverage team.
Also considered for Wyomissing Physical Therapy Offensive Player of the Week:
- Joey Schlaffer, WR, Exeter
- Matt Kramer, FB, Wyomissing
- Charlie McIntyre, HB, Wyomissing
Players selected earlier this season:
- Week 1: Gio Cavanna, RB, Muhlenberg
- Week 2: Cam Jones, RB, Wilson
- Week 3: Pierce Mason, RB, Hamburg
- Week 4: Gio Cavanna, RB, Muhlenberg
- Week 5: Josiah Jordan, RB, Berks Catholic
- Week 6: Ruben Rodriguez, WR, Reading High
- Week 7: Cam Jones, RB/KR, Wilson
- Week 8: Dominic Giuffre, RB, Schuylkill Valley
- Week 9: Leland Moore, RB, Hamburg
- Week 10: Cam Jones, RB/KR Wilson
- Week 11: Pierce Mason, RB, Hamburg
- Week 12: Evan Johnson, RB, Twin Valley
Players selected last season:
- Week 1: Nick Singleton, RB, Gov. Mifflin
- Week 2: DeShawn Wilson, WR, Reading High
- Week 3: Nick Singleton, RB, Gov. Mifflin
- Week 4: Logan Klitsch, QB, Conrad Weiser
- Week 5: Nick Singleton, RB, Gov. Mifflin
- Week 6: Diohnny Ruiz, RB, Hamburg
- Week 7: Nick Singleton, RB, Gov. Mifflin
- Week 8: Cameron Jones, KR, Wilson
- Week 9: Trey Freeman, WR, Twin Valley
- Week 10: Jadyn Jones, RB, Wilson
- Week 11: Logan Klitsch, QB, Conrad Weiser
- Week 12: Nick Singleton, RB, Gov. Mifflin
- Week 13: Eric Nangle, RB, Exeter
- Week 14: Colin Payne, Exeter
