Brenden Ackley-Kutztown

Last fall was Brenden Ackley’s first season with the Kutztown football team. He previously attended St. Marys Memorial High School in Ohio. Ackley made a great first impression in Kutztown. The 5’8, 195-pound fullback rumbled for a team-high 963 yards and eight touchdowns. Ackley averaged 6.7 yards per carry. The rising junior enjoyed running behind Tyler Hallock, the Section 5 Offensive Lineman of the Year. Hallock, a rising senior, is 6’1 and 300 pounds. “It’s a wonderful experience. It’s easy for me to hide behind him. He can collapse holes pretty well,” said Ackley. The (3-7, 2-5) Cougars averaged 5.6 yards a pop as a team. They finished tied for fifth place in a competitive new section that includes Lancaster Catholic, Hamburg, Schuylkill Valley, and Annville-Cleona. All four of those squads reached the District 3 playoffs. Kutztown split its last four games with victories over Northern Lebanon and Columbia. Ackley likes the chemistry among the returning players. He replied, “We’re coming pretty close together. Everyone is starting to know each other and even the young guys feel comfortable approaching the older guys, and think of us like family.” The Cougars currently have about 50 players on the roster. In 2022, that number was just 36 with only two seniors. Ackley expects running backs Jayden Swoyer and Jayce Gruber to be bigger factors in the Cougars’ run-heavy offense this year. Swoyer had 40 carries a season ago as a sophomore and Gruber got 36 touches. Gruber is a player to watch on the other side of the ball at linebacker. Ackley is expecting big things from senior defensive end Noah Ferrizzi. Ackley also enjoyed talking about his favorite bands and the team’s recent trip to Shady Maple.