“Roberts Rankings”-Football

Berks County football teams went (3-1) last Friday as the District 3 playoffs kicked off. Exeter, Schuylkill Valley, and Berks Catholic rolled to easy victories. Gov. Mifflin fell at Cumberland Valley 44-12 in the Class 6A bracket. Seven local squads are in action this week!

Wilson meets #7 seed Cedar Crest in West Lawn on Friday. The winner advances to the District 3-6A semifinals. These schools met on September 20th with the Bulldogs prevailing 14-7. Wilson had a goal line stand in that one. The Falcons soared past #10 Hempfield 49-29 in the opening round.

Exeter travels to top-seeded New Oxford in the District 3-5A quarterfinals on Friday. The (10-0) Colonials are making their 11th appearance in the tournament. They’ve scored at least 30 points in eight consecutive contests. New Oxford’s closest game was its opener versus Bermudian Springs. The Colonials won 28-13. Exeter is hoping that 6’3 junior quarterback Riley Martinez can return this week from a fractured right leg.

Conrad Weiser takes on #6 Bishop McDevitt in Robesonia on Friday. Don’t be fooled by that seed. The Crusaders are (66-9) all-time in District’s with 17 championships, including three in a row. Kentucky commit Stone Saunders has thrown for 2,473 yards and 34 touchdowns. Bishop McDevitt’s two losses were to Harrisburg 35-33 in overtime and at State College 58-55 in Week 10. The third-seeded Scouts are making their 18th trip to the District 3 playoffs. I’ll have live updates from this Class 5A quarterfinal.

Twin Valley visits fourth-seeded Susquehanna Township in the District 3-4A quarterfinals on Friday. The (8-2) Indians are riding a 6-game winning streak. They have an explosive offense which features South Carolina commit Lex Cyrus and junior quarterback Torin “TD” Evans. Cyrus, a sprinter on the track team, has 52 catches for 819 yards and 8 TD. Evans is completing 65% of his passes with 26 TD and just 3 INT. He has thrown for 2,367 yards. The fifth-seeded Raiders are making their fourth straight appearance in the District 3 playoffs. Senior Evan Myers is now second in Berks County history with 5,595 career passing yards.

Wyomissing entertains #7 East Pennsboro on Saturday at 1pm at Bob Wolfrum Field. The second-seeded Spartans are (20-0) all-time in home playoff games! The (8-3) Panthers have won eight of their last nine contests. Junior quarterback Turner Barlup is completing 69% of his attempts for 1,430 yards. He has 14 touchdown tosses and only one pick. East Pennsboro eliminated #10 Susquehannock 42-14 last week. This is the Panthers’ 12th appearance in District’s. Wyomissing had a bye after getting tripped up by Lampeter-Strasburg 20-7.

Schuylkill Valley is on the road at #2 Trinity on Friday. The Panthers’ winning streak has climbed to eight. They hammered #6 Littlestown 55-13 last week in the Class 3A quarterfinals. That was Schuylkill Valley’s third victory in the District 3 tournament. The (8-2) Shamrocks competed in Class 2A in 2023. This is their 12th trip to District’s. Trinity has claimed three championships.

Berks Catholic heads to top-seeded Bermudian Springs on Friday. The (9-1) Eagles haven’t lost since their opener against New Oxford. Senior fullback Eddie Sebright has a team-high 943 rushing yards and 14 TD. He’s averaging 6.5 yards per carry. Bermudian Springs is in the District 3 field for the 21st time. The Eagles own three titles. The fifth-seeded Saints have won five games in a row. They’re (20-5) all-time in the District 3 playoffs with four championships. Berks Catholic cruised by #4 Biglerville 48-7 last week in the Class 3A quarterfinals.

Without further ado, here are my Berks County high school football rankings. The only change this week is that Berks Catholic and Gov. Mifflin switched spots. Remember that no matter where your favorite team is ranked, the sun will come out tomorrow!

“The Great 8”

1.Wilson (9-1)

2.Exeter (10-1)

3.Wyomissing (8-2)

4.Conrad Weiser (10-0)

5.Twin Valley (8-2)

6.Schuylkill Valley (9-2)

7.Berks Catholic (7-4)

8.Gov. Mifflin (5-6)