Troy Godinet-Reading

If you talk with Troy Godinet, you could never tell that he’s taking over a football program that won one game and was outscored 293-98 a season ago. The former Reading High standout linebacker is always upbeat and full of energy. The first-year head coach is thrilled with the effort that he has seen from his 63 players. “We’re light years ahead of where we were in the past at this time. The kids are buying into each other as the most important thing right now. Culturewise, we’re farther than I thought we’d ever be. I’m very pleased with the way our kids are handling things, and they’re the reason why we’re here,” Godinet said. The Red Knights were (8-26) under Andre Doyle over the previous four years. Godinet was Reading’s defensive coordinator since 2018. He’s very familiar with that side of the ball. The all-county selection piled up 105 tackles and eleven sacks in 2003 when the Red Knights reached the District 3 championship game. James Bryant and company lost to Cumberland Valley 32-14. Godinet went on to play at Mansfield. He inherits a squad that is young up front, but experienced at quarterback. Amier Burdine returns after missing last season due to a broken collarbone. Burdine received significant playing time at QB as a freshman. “It’s a kid you know you can count on doing the right things on a regular basis. The kids follow him. He has an understanding of the offense [and] the defense as well. He gives you that big play threat. Everybody listens to him and gravitates towards him,” said Godinet. Burdine will be throwing to one of his basketball teammates. First team all-state guard Ruben Rodriguez is expected to get a lot of targets in Reading’s spread offense. The 6’1, 185-pound Rider commit enters his senior year with 1,291 career points. Godinet told me that sophomore WR/DB Kahlil Samuel has a lot of potential. Jahsir Drayton and Josh Orbe-Carreras are also part of the wide receiver group. Gabe Laws is another promising sophomore. The 6’, 210-pound linebacker can squat 475 pounds. He’s a versatile offensive player who will be utilized at TE, FB, and H-back. The Red Knights are back in Section 1 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League. Godinet is happy to have Wilson on the schedule once again. “That’s something that’s super important to not only me, but this community. We love playing Wilson. No matter what the record is, the stands are gonna be full. It’s exciting to get back to that rivalry because it means something,” he emphasized. Reading has a difficult test to begin the season. The Red Knights travel to Central Dauphin East on Friday. Godinet replied, “They have a great coach and you can see the things that he’s done with that program to steer them in the right direction. They’re a very athletic team. They’re disciplined. We know we’re going to have our hands full.” CD East finished (7-4) in 2021 and qualified for the District 3-6A playoffs. Reading also has Central York on its non-league slate. While the schedule is challenging, Godinet remains full of optimism.