Berks Sports Report Paul Roberts
Berks Catholic’s football season didn’t exactly get off to a roaring start. A lot of that had to do with the Saints’ non-league foes from the Lehigh Valley. They fell to Notre Dame-Green Pond 48-14 in their opener. Executive Education Academy beat Berks Catholic 40-21 in Week 2. The Saints followed up that loss with a 35-14 defeat at the hands of Bethlehem Catholic. Berks Catholic’s first three opponents currently have a (10-2) combined record. “We learned that we have to be more physical. Those teams were really good,” acknowledged Coy Koller.
The (1-3, 1-0) Saints earned their first victory at Hamburg last Friday. They outgained the Hawks 305-to-86 on the ground and rolled to a 38-7 win. “It felt really good. I think it gave us a lot of confidence coming into this week,” said Koller. The 5’11, 180-pound junior ran for 120 yards and 2 TD on ten carries against Hamburg. He got the Saints marching in the right direction with an early 68-yard touchdown run. Koller leads Berks Catholic’s Wing-T attack with 328 rushing yards and three scores. He’s averaging 7.1 yards per carry this fall. Koller has caught six passes for 107 yards and two more touchdowns.
Ryan Spatz added 73 yards on seven carries a week ago. The 5’11, 180-pound senior linebacker has a team-high 36 tackles. “He’s very valuable. He’s a great teammate also, he’s always there picking people up. He’s making plays all the time,” remarked Koller. Faith Zudie has been a force at defensive end. The 6’3, 210-pound senior has 34 tackles, including a team-high four tackles for loss. Dave Stahler, in his third year as head coach, turned to a freshman at quarterback. Kellen Bowman is 19-of-35 for 337 yards with 5 TD through four games. He’s only tossed one interception. “Kellen has been playing great,” replied Koller.
The Saints are facing a very experienced quarterback this Friday night. They host Alex Aletras and Schuylkill Valley. Aletras threw for 271 yards and 3 TD last week in a 45-34 win over Columbia. He’s completing 64% of his passes for 626 yards and 10 TD this season. Aletras was voted the second team quarterback in Section 5 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League in 2025. Will Johns, Anthony Batista, and Alexander Gehret form a solid receiving corps for the (3-1, 1-0) Panthers. Johns, a 5’11 sophomore, is coming off a huge performance. He finished with eight receptions for 161 yards and 2 TD versus Columbia. Johns also returned a kickoff 79 yards for a touchdown. Koller believes Berks Catholic has an advantage over Schuylkill Valley. “I think we’re better than them up front,” he noted.
The Saints won nine games a season ago and claimed the Section 5 title with a perfect (7-0) mark in league play. They reached the District 3-3A Championship before falling to Trinity 17-0. Despite their slow start, Koller remains optimistic. “I’m very confident that we’re the best team in the section again. I think we have playmakers,” he said.