Red Knights’ inexperience stings in loss to Hornets

By Pete Beck Last updated Sep 6, 2025

2025 Berks football coverage presented by

Utilities Employees Credit Union

By Pete Beck — MikeDragoSports.com correspondent

With the outcome already decided late in Friday night’s non-league game against visiting Emmaus, Reading High completed a grueling 18-play, 76-yard, 14-minute touchdown drive.

Final
Emmaus	41
Reading	14

The determination demonstrated on that drive is exactly what Reading High coach Troy Godinet was hoping to see from his young roster.

“We have a lot of freshmen and sophomores out there, and they showed us grit,” said Godinet following the 41–14 loss to the Hornets at Shirk Stadium. “They’re playing their tails off.”

Throughout the game, the young Reading High defenders battled and frequently found themselves in a position to make plays, only to have Emmaus wriggle away.

“We couldn’t finish tackles,” said Godinet. “We’re very young and we know we’re very young. But that doesn’t mean we’re going to stop coaching these kids. We know they have a level they can reach, and we have to help them develop to get there.”

The Red Knights (0-3) could overcome some of that youthful inexperience but they could not overcome a disastrous end to the second quarter. Trailing 21-6 with 3:40 left in the first half they faced a fourth-and-12 from their own 34-yard line.

Hoping to punt the ball away and work for a defensive stop, the Red Knights instead saw the snap sail over punter Carmin Kauffman’s head, resulting in a 33-yard loss and setting up the Hornets at the 1-yard line, which led to a Jay Santos touchdown on the next play.

Four plays later, with the punt team backed up deep into its own territory, the sequence repeated.

Reading’s long snap dribbled toward Kauffman, who was tackled at his own 15-yard line. Two plays later Emmaus quarterback Jerek Cooper found flanker Nick Guzzo to make it 35-6 heading to halftime.

“Emmaus is a very good team,” said Godinet. “If we make those plays it’s a totally different ballgame.”

In the second quarter, Reading cut a 14-0 Emmaus by six points thanks to a Tyrice Bradley interception, setting up a 19-yard Jason Plylaham touchdown to a toe-tapping Idris Weaver in the back of the end zone.

However, the Red Knights were unable to capitalize on the sudden change in momentum, surrendering a six-play, 65-yard drive on the ensuing possession, culminating in a 15-yard Santos touchdown, his second of three on the night.

“I’m proud of the kids, the way they came out,” said Godinet. “They competed, they played hard, and they played for each other, and that’s what we’re building here.”

	1	2	3	4	Final
Emmaus	7	28	6	0	41
Reading	0	6	0	8	14

Scoring summary

1	Emmaus	Santos, 1 run (Yartymyk kick)	2:45
2	Emmaus	Cooper, 64 run (Yartymyk kick)	9:20
2	Reading	Weaver, 19 pass from Plylaharn (kick blocked)	6:45
2	Emmaus	Santos, 15 run (Yartymyk kick)	3:40
2	Emmaus	Santos, 1 run (Yartymyk kick)	2:07
2	Emmaus	Guzz, 18 pass from Cooper (Yartymyk kick)	0:40
3	Emmaus	Edwards, 3 run ( kick failed)	4:43
4	Reading	Bradley, 8 run (Jacobs pass from Plylaharn)	2:39

Team statistics

	EMMAUS	READING
First downs	11	11
Rushes-yards	31-286	28-42
Passing yards	25	56
Total yards	311	98
Passes	4-6-1	8-17-1
Fumbles-lost	0-0	0-0
Punts-average	1-35	3-40
Penalties-yards	5-62	6-40

Individual statistics

RUSHING

Emmaus: Cooper 6-135, Santos 18-78, Attar 3-49, Garcia 3-21, Edwards 1-3.

Reading: Boston 13-50, Weaver 6-25, Bradley 3-12, Wilkins 3-4, Plylaharn 1-(-1), Team 2-(-48).

PASSING

Emmaus: Cooper 4-6-1—25.

Reading: Plylaharn 8-17-1—56.

RECEIVING

Emmaus: Camacho 2-15, Guzzo 1-9, Sanders 1-1.

Reading: Weaver 6-55, Munoz 1-8, Bradley 1-(-7).

INTERCEPTIONS

Emmaus: Vasquez.

Reading: Bradley.