Top-seeded Twin Valley takes on #9 Cocalico this Friday in Elverson. These schools squared off here in Week 10. The Raiders pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 28-9 victory. The winner will advance to the District 3-5A semifinals.

Fourth-seeded Wilson battles fifth-seeded Harrisburg on Friday at John Gurski Stadium. PJ Dent, a Bryant commit, has 1,086 rushing yards and 19 TD for the (9-2) Cougars. They advanced to the District 3-6A quarterfinals by blowing out York High 42-6 a week ago. Kayden Stephens has thrown for 1,557 yards with 18 touchdowns and just two interceptions.

Fifth-seeded Exeter travels to fourth-seeded Spring Grove in the District 3-5A quarterfinals. The (8-2) Rockets are averaging 262 yards per game on the ground. Their top three rushers are all sophomores. Brody Redding (1,025) and Kade Gibbs (726) have combined for 1,751 yards this fall. Davon Melbourne has added 724 rushing yards from the quarterback position.

Wyomissing earned the #1 seed in the District 3-3A bracket. The Spartans face fourth-seeded Trinity on Saturday at Bob Wolfrum Field. Kickoff is at 1pm for this semifinal. The (6-4) Shamrocks are the defending champions. They’re led by Brandon Harris. The 6’1, 235-pound junior has rumbled for 1,276 yards and 18 TD. Harris is averaging 8.7 yards per carry.

Conrad Weiser is on the road this Friday against top-seeded West York. The undefeated Bulldogs have scored 40 or more points in eight consecutive games. Jensen Ferber has put up big numbers this year. The 6’2 junior has 1,937 passing yards with 22 TD and 3 INT. The winner will move on to the District 3-4A semifinals.

Schuylkill Valley is looking for revenge on Friday night in Leesport. The second-seeded Panthers play third-seeded Annville-Cleona in the District 3-3A semifinals. The Dutchmen hammered Schuylkill Valley 56-21 in Week 10. Yama Navarro set a Lebanon County rushing record with 411 yards. He finished with six touchdowns on 36 carries.

Berks Catholic ended its season with six straight wins. The Saints beat Hamburg 49-20 in the Eastern Conference Class 3A Championship.

Fleetwood crushed Daniel Boone 38-0 for the Eastern Conference Class 4A title.

Without further ado, here is my new Berks County high school football poll. Remember that no matter where your favorite team is ranked, the sun will come out tomorrow!

“The Great 8”

1.Twin Valley (10-0)

2.Wilson (8-2)

3.Exeter (9-2)

4.Wyomissing (7-2)

5.Conrad Weiser (7-4)

6.Schuylkill Valley (8-2)

7.Berks Catholic (7-4)

8.Fleetwood (5-6)

The fifth-seeded Eagles used a balanced offensive attack to defeat the Trojans in the first round of the District 3-5A playoffs. Exeter outgained #12 seed Hershey 489-to-214 at Don Thomas Stadium. A pick 6 by Alex Jones pulled the Trojans within 14-12 in the second quarter. The Eagles led 20-12 at halftime.

Josh Jackson ran for 161 yards on eleven carries. He had touchdown runs of 64 and 56 yards. Jackson also caught a 2-yard TD pass from Aidan Gerhart. Donovyn Alvarez added 115 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 17 carries. Gerhart finished 13-of-15 for 205 yards and 2 TD. Markeem Graham emerged with five receptions for 73 yards and a score.

Exeter advanced to the District 3-5A quarterfinals. The (9-2) Eagles travel to #4 seed Spring Grove on Friday. Hershey ended its season at (6-5). The Trojans lost their last four games.

Fleetwood-38, Daniel Boone-0

The Tigers blew out the Blazers in the Eastern Conference Class 4A Championship on Friday night. Fleetwood raced out to a 24-0 advantage at halftime. Chase Adams was 8-of-14 for 186 yards and 3 TD. His touchdown passes went to Jeyzaiah Pletz, Bryce Ryan, and Trey McKinney. Pletz was also a force on defense with two tackles for loss. Adams used his legs for 87 yards on just six carries. Beau Fegely provided a touchdown run and a pair of interceptions. Daniel Boone was held to 132 total yards.

The Tigers finished (5-6) in Mel Fegely’s first season as head coach. He took over for Steve Pangburn who left Fleetwood to take the job at Daniel Boone. The Blazers wound up (2-9) after splitting their first four games.

Berks Catholic-49, Hamburg-20

The (7-4) Saints piled up 360 yards on the ground in the Eastern Conference Class 3A Championship. The visiting Hawks made it 21-13 with 2:48 left in the second quarter thanks to a 28-yard TD run by Blaise Ernst. However, Berks Catholic scored the next 28 points in a row. Ryan Spatz turned eight carries into 161 yards and two touchdowns. Coy Koller reached the end zone three times. He had 125 yards on eleven rushing attempts. Mason Mace showed his versatility with a 16-yard TD run and a 6-yard TD catch.

The Saints outgained Hamburg 418-to-269. Isaac McFadden was 17-of-27 for 164 yards. The sophomore quarterback threw for one score and ran for another. Ernst gained 95 yards on 22 carries. The Hawks wrapped up their season at (6-5). Berks Catholic won its final six games.

The (6-5) Raiders faced a fourth-and-3 at the Scouts’ 28-yard line early in the second quarter. Brinley Donmoyer, a 195-pound senior quarterback, was held to a one yard gain. ELCO struggled to finish drives all night. “It was a team effort. We knew what we had to do. We had to stop their option, we had to stop the run. That’s most of their offense,” explained Harting. The 6’2, 235-pound junior finished with nine tackles and a sack. “He’s a huge factor coming off the edge. He’s got one motor in practice. He’s got one motor in a game and it’s go, go, go,” emphasized Moyer. Senior linebackers Luke Walter (7) and Donte Wilkins (6) combined for 13 tackles. Kupper made an interception on a halfback pass by Gavin Yeiser with 4:18 left. The (7-4) Scouts allowed just 240 total yards.

On third-and-12 at their own 25-yard line, Connor Sellars hit Chase Matthews for a 14-yard pickup in the second quarter. Conrad Weiser then went into its bag of tricks. Sophomore receiver Cam Colon took a toss and threw a pass over the middle to tight end Robbie Giffing for 23 yards. Kupper went 22 yards on a screen pass down the left sideline which set up his 2-yard TD run. The 73-yard drive made it 7-0 with 7:41 remaining before halftime. The Raiders marched into the Scouts’ territory late in the first half and had two chances to even the score. One long pass from Donmoyer was dropped by Griffin Kreider and the other was overthrown. Donmoyer was 7-of-18 for 116 yards, but several of his throws were dropped.

Conrad Weiser opened the third quarter with a 70-yard possession that took seven and a-half minutes. Kupper got it started with an 18-yard run. On fourth-and-4, Sellars connected with Giffing along the right sideline for just enough to move the chains at ELCO’s 29-yard line. Fullback Ethan Reinard rumbled up the middle for 21 yards and Kupper ended the series with a 5-yard TD run. The Scouts went on top 14-0 with 4:23 to go in the quarter.

In the final seconds of the third period, sophomore Cameron Tillison dropped a pass that could’ve been a 35-yard touchdown. On the first play of the fourth quarter, sophomore Noah Williams was limited to a 2-yard run on fourth-and-3 . Conrad Weiser took over at its 30-yard line and put together another 70-yard drive. It looked like the Raiders had bottled up Kupper, but somehow he broke free and raced 53 yards down the right sideline. A 1-yard quarterback sneak by Sellars gave the Scouts a 20-0 cushion with nine minutes on the clock.

Donmoyer responded with a 61-yard pass down the left sideline to Tillison. A 2-yard TD run by Donmoyer pulled ELCO within 20-6 with 7:38 left. The extra point attempt was wide right. Donmoyer provided 59 yards on 14 carries. Sellars was 6-of-12 for 50 yards through the air. The 5’9, 170-pound senior ran the ball eight times for 36 yards and a score. “He’s such a competitor. We’re running him a heck of a lot more than we did early in the season. That really takes some pressure off of Kole,” noted Moyer. Sellars has 139 carries for 708 yards and 12 TD this season. Conrad Weiser racked up 234 yards on the ground against the Raiders.

The Scouts are making their 19th appearance in the District 3 playoffs. They will travel to top-seeded and undefeated West York next Friday in the quarterfinals. “If you want to win a District championship, you gotta beat the best. I heard they have a heck of a squad so we got a lot of work to do,” replied Moyer.

Wilson, Twin Valley, Wyomissing, and Schuylkill Valley all had byes in the District 3 tournament.

Exeter-40, Hershey-19

Conrad Weiser-20, ELCO-6

Fleetwood-38, Daniel Boone-0

Berks Catholic-49, Hamburg-20

Hempfield senior Ramel Lyles ran for 168 yards and 2 TD on 21 carries.

Exeter’s Donovyn Alvarez turned 20 carries into 118 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Seth Musselman of Garden Spot showed off his versatility with four combined touchdowns. He had three receptions for 108 yards and 2 TD. Musselman added 57 rushing yards and a score. He also threw a 9-yard touchdown pass.

Octorara quarterback Collin Wood used his legs for 250 yards and 3 TD on 16 carries.

Yama Navarro from Annville-Cleona ran wild on Friday night. He piled up a staggering 411 yards and 6 TD on 36 carries.

Here are the PowerPro Linemen of the Week from the L-L League:

Senior guard AJ Luciani played a key role on Manheim Township’s offensive line during a 20-19 win over Hempfield.

Braylon Reinert of Exeter earned a 96% blocking grade with five pancake blocks. The senior tight end was a big reason why the Eagles gained 238 yards on the ground.

Twin Valley left tackle Liam Sheehan had multiple pancake blocks for an offense that averaged more than 9 yards per carry.

Lucas Reid from Octorara helped the Braves rack up 486 rushing yards. The senior right tackle provided four pancake blocks.

Annville Cleona senior OL/DL Dan Shuey finished with eleven tackles and a sack. He also paved the way for 578 yards on the ground.

Four local programs will be competing on Friday in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Berks Catholic hosts Hamburg in the Class 3A Championship at 6pm. Daniel Boone travels to Fleetwood for the Class 4A Final at 7pm.

Twin Valley put together another unbeaten regular season. The Raiders overcame a sluggish start to defeat Cocalico 28-9 for the Section 3 crown in the Lancaster-Lebanon League. Twin Valley earned the #1 seed in the District 3-5A bracket. The Raiders await the winner of the Cocalico at Dover first round matchup.

Wilson claimed its record 31st section title in the L-L League. The Bulldogs finished alone atop the Section 1 standings. They’re the #4 seed in the District 3-6A field. They will meet either #5 Harrisburg or #12 York High in the quarterfinals on November 13th.

Exeter held off Conestoga Valley 23-13 to capture the Section 2 championship in the L-L League. The fifth-seeded Eagles square off with #12 Hershey in the opening round of the District 3-5A tournament on Friday at Don Thomas Stadium.

Wyomissing had an impressive 27-14 victory over Lampeter-Strasburg for the Section 4 crown. The Spartans will play #4 seed Trinity in the District 3-3A semifinals on Saturday, November 14th. Kickoff is scheduled for 1pm at Bob Wolfrum Field. Wyomissing’s winning streak is up to seven.

Schuylkill Valley has time to regroup following a 56-21 loss at Annville-Cleona. The Panthers and Dutchmen shared the Section 5 title with Berks Catholic. Schuylkill Valley will get another shot at Annville-Cleona in the District 3-3A semifinals. That contest is in Leesport on Friday, November 13th.

Conrad Weiser earned a berth in the District 3-4A bracket with a 47-28 win at Daniel Boone. The eighth-seeded Scouts will face ninth-seeded ELCO this Friday night in Robesonia. The (6-4) Raiders have won four of their last five games. They knocked off Conrad Weiser 21-12 in Week 4. The Scouts moved up two spots in my latest rankings. Schuylkill Valley fell one position.

Without further ado, here is my new Berks County high school football poll. Remember that no matter where your favorite team is ranked, the sun will come out tomorrow!

“The Great 8”

1.Twin Valley (10-0)

2.Wilson (8-2)

3.Exeter (8-2)

4.Wyomissing (7-2)

5.Conrad Weiser (6-4)

6.Schuylkill Valley (8-2)

7.Berks Catholic (6-4)

8.Fleetwood (4-6)

The (8-2, 6-0) Bulldogs earned the Section 1 championship on Friday night in Lancaster. Wilson has won 31 section titles overall, the most in Lancaster-Lebanon League history. The Bulldogs led 21-0 after twelve minutes and 35-0 at halftime. Damian Greer returned an interception 14 yards for a score just 90 seconds into the game. Mike Glover made it 14-0 midway through the first quarter with a 2-yard TD run. Sophomore Jaiden Whitehurst followed with a pair of touchdown runs. He finished with 73 yards on seven carries. Cole Peterson was an efficient 6-of-9 for 96 yards. The Bulldogs allowed 187 total yards and only 58 on the ground against the (1-9) Red Tornado.

Exeter-23, Conestoga Valley-13

The (8-2, 6-0) Eagles wrapped up the Section 2 championship with a 74-yard drive late in the game. Donovyn Alvarez’s 1-yard TD run put Exeter on top 23-13 with 1:31 on the clock. That possession included 13 plays and lasted six minutes and fourteen seconds. Alvarez turned 20 carries into 118 yards and 2 TD. Josh Jackson added 99 yards on 21 carries. The Eagles were in front 10-0 at halftime and 10-6 entering the fourth quarter. Conestoga Valley quarterback Camryn Bair pulled the Buckskins within 16-13 on a 4-yard TD run with 7:50 remaining. Conestoga Valley’s defense couldn’t stop Exeter’s rushing attack on the ensuing drive.

Aidan Gerhart went 10-of-15 for 107 yards. He threw a 22-yard TD pass to Braylon Reinert with 1:14 left in the second quarter. Sophomore tight end Cayden Reinert, Braylon’s younger brother, had three catches for 46 yards. The Buckskins fell to (8-2). The fifth-seeded Eagles host Hershey on Friday in the first round of the District 3-5A tournament.

Conrad Weiser-47, Daniel Boone-28

The (6-4) Scouts clinched a spot in the District 3 playoffs, but it wasn’t easy on Friday in Birdsboro. The (2-8) Blazers trailed 28-6 at the half, but got as close as 35-28 with 7:46 to play. An 8-yard TD run by Kole Kupper gave Conrad Weiser a 41-28 advantage. Connor Sellars sealed the deal with a 27-yard touchdown run. The Scouts’ senior quarterback was 7-of-12 for 158 yards and a touchdown. Sellars used his legs for 95 yards on 16 carries. Conrad Weiser ran the ball 46 times for 303 yards. Kupper, a 185-pound junior, piled up 132 yards and 3 TD on 16 carries. Luke Walter and Lincoln Harting led the defense with ten tackles apiece.

Daniel Boone ended up with 304 total yards. Freshman John Burmester went 11-of-25 for 143 yards. Mason Ruffner, Dominic Stoudt, Donovan McKenzie, and Burmester each had a rushing touchdown. Ruffner contributed 53 yards on just three carries. Taran Robinson chipped in with four receptions for 81 yards. Conrad Weiser is the #8 seed in the District 3-4A bracket. The Scouts face ELCO on Friday in Robesonia.

Berks Catholic-30, Lancaster Catholic-14

The (6-4) Saints won their fifth straight game, but missed out on the District 3 playoffs by a slim margin. Berks Catholic’s .577 power ranking was slightly lower than Trinity’s .582 rating. The Shamrocks grabbed the fourth and final berth in the Class 3A tournament. Trinity will visit top-seeded Wyomissing in the District 3 semifinals on Saturday, November 14th at 1pm.

The Saints outgained the Crusaders 330-to-139 on Friday in Lancaster. Berks Catholic turned 43 rushing attempts into 308 yards. Coy Koller ran for 149 yards and 4 TD on 20 carries. The 180-pound junior also came up with an interception on defense. Freshman Lincoln Miller rumbled for 74 yards on ten touches. Mason Mace added 40 yards on a handful of carries. All-State defensive end Faith Zudie was in on 17 tackles. The 6’3, 210-pound senior made two tackles for loss. Lancaster Catholic quarterback Rowan DeMarco was 11-of-23 for 79 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Chris Baumler ran for 57 yards and a score on eleven carries. The (4-6) Crusaders have lost five consecutive games.

Berks Catholic earned a share of the Section 5 championship, along with Schuylkill Valley and Annville-Cleona. The (8-2) Panthers fell to the Dutchmen 56-21 in Week 10. Yama Navarro had a career night. He finished with 411 yards and 6 TD on 36 carries. Schuylkill Valley and Annville-Cleona will square off again on Friday, November 13th. That District 3-3A semifinal will take place in Leesport.

Wyomissing limited Lampeter-Strasburg to seven points through three quarters. The Pioneers entered the day averaging 28 points per game. The Spartans went on top 7-0 on Ethan Nye’s 1-yard TD run with 1:17 left in the first quarter. The 6’, 170-pound fullback had a 27-yard run on that 67-yard drive. “He runs our trap really well. It’s not like he’s running people over, he’s not that kind of fullback. He’s sort of emerged. We’ve had a lot of different backs play because we’ve been loaded with injuries,” explained Wolfrum. Wyomissing remains without sophomore RB/LB Rylan Overley due to a quadriceps injury. They hope to have him back for the District 3-3A playoffs. Nye, a junior, finished with 111 yards and 2 TD on 22 carries. The Spartans ran the ball 47 times for 203 yards against the Pioneers.

Wyomissing faced a fourth-and-1 at Lampeter-Strasburg’s 37-yard line in the second quarter. Sophomore Nehzion Carter picked up two yards to move the chains. On third-and-9 from the 19-yard line, junior quarterback Brady Eisenhower found room off the left edge and got inside the pylon for a touchdown. That run put the Spartans in front 14-0 with 5:35 remaining before halftime. Eisenhower was 8-of-14 for 112 yards and a touchdown through the air. He added 33 yards on seven touches on the ground. “When you’ve got a double-threat quarterback, that makes it tough on a defense. That’s a killer,” noted Wolfrum.

The Pioneers put together a 75-yard series to pull within 14-7. Asher Jones tossed a 15-yard pass to his younger brother, Parker, which got them to midfield. Asher is a 6’3, 205-pound senior, while Parker is a 6’2, 187-pound sophomore tight end. Asher lofted a pass to Andre Flaud for a 36-yard gain down the right sideline. Saddiq Taylor capped the drive with a 9-yard TD run with 2:25 to go in the first half.

Wyomissing began the ensuing possession at its 35-yard line and Eisenhower found Andrew DiFabrizio for a 33-yard completion along the right sideline. Zander Westwood followed with a 13-yard run. The Spartans went back to Westwood for a touchdown with 34 seconds on the clock. Eisenhower rolled to his right and threw a screen pass back to his left where Westwood was wide open for a 9-yard score on third-and-1. “The play before we saw that they weren’t keeping anybody home,” said Wolfrum. Westwood’s catch made it 21-7 at the break.

Wyomissing’s defense forced a punt on the opening series of the second half. The Spartans then marched 76 yards for a 27-7 advantage with 3:29 left in the third quarter. On third-and-14 from the Lampeter-Strasburg 24-yard line, Eisenhower zipped a pass to DiFabrizio along the left sideline. DiFabrizio, a 6’ senior, did a great job of staying in bounds for a 21-yard reception. Nye went up the middle for a 3-yard TD run.

Asher Jones connected with Parker Jones for a 23-yard TD pass with 10:11 remaining. Asher Jones ended up 9-of-16 for 158 yards. Colby DeJessa chipped in with 53 yards on 16 carries. The Pioneers got the ball back with eight and a-half minutes to play. A sack by Westwood put a halt to that drive at midfield. The 6’3, 225-pound linebacker has also been Wyomissing’s leading rusher this fall. The Spartans finished with 315 total yards. They extended their winning streak to seven and will be the #1 seed in the District 3-3A tournament which begins in two weeks.

Wolfrum improved his all-time record to (389-96-1) over 40 years at the helm in Wyomissing. He’s guided the Spartans to a dozen District 3 titles and the 2012 state championship. “I don’t enjoy a lot of practices. It’s wearing on me. I love game day. I would really miss this, but I’m 76 and it’s kicking my butt a little bit,” he remarked.

After a scoreless first quarter, Grant Moser broke free for a 74-yard TD run. It was negated, however, by a holding penalty. The Raiders committed eight penalties for 80 yards and fumbled the ball twice. Good teams, however, find a way to win. Lucas Myers rumbled 20 yards to Cocalico’s 45-yard line on Twin Valley’s second possession. The Villanova commit provided 111 yards on a dozen carries and seven tackles. Foster bounced an inside run out to the right and cruised 29 yards for a 7-0 lead with 7:04 to go before halftime. “Obviously, gotta give a shout out to my linemen. They were opening up holes all night for me and Lucas. They were paving the way for us,” emphasized Foster.

The Raiders put together another 85-yard drive late in the first half. They faced a third-and-13 from the Eagles’ 17-yard line and called a throwback screen pass. Sophomore Gavan Foster, Maverik’s younger brother, rolled to his right and then dumped the ball off to Jayce Oliver. The 6’2, 215-pound senior tight end followed his blockers down the left sideline for a touchdown with ten seconds to play. Twin Valley went in front 14-0 by covering 85 yards in 83 seconds. Oliver had four catches for 65 yards and made a team-high nine tackles at linebacker. Gavan Foster ended up 7-of-14 for 97 yards. The Raiders ran the rock 31 times for 289 yards behind an offensive line that averages 269 pounds.

Cocalico senior linebacker Rocco Rigney recovered a Twin Valley fumble at midfield at the beginning of the third quarter. The (6-4, 4-2) Eagles converted a fourth-and-2 and a fourth-and-1 on that series. On fourth-and-1 from the 2-yard line, fullback Logan Horning got tripped up at the line of scrimmage. A measurement showed that the 5’5, 170-pound junior was just short of a first down. On the next play, the Raiders fumbled and the ball fell back into the end zone where Myers fell on it. The safety made it 14-2 with 1:34 to play in the third quarter. Cocalico began the ensuing drive at its 40-yard line. Quarterback Jasiah Rios kept the ball on an option play to the left and went 57 yards down the sideline for a touchdown. All of a sudden, the Eagles were within 14-9 with 31 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Rios, a 130-pound junior, took over at quarterback after Connor Horning was injured in Week 5. Horning has returned, but Rios was playing well and stayed under center in Cocalico’s flexbone offense.

The Eagles reached midfield with nine minutes left and a 21-9 deficit. Senior cornerback Kwesi Banahene broke up a pass on fourth-and-6 to end that possession. Twin Valley senior defensive end Andrew Andrew Cabigas (6’4, 220) recovered a fumble at Cocalico’s 36-yard line to seal the deal with four minutes on the clock. “We definitely have a physical team. Our motto is eleven to the ball. With these option teams, we just gotta do our responsibility,” explained Maverik Foster. The Raiders faced another well-coached option team in Week 7 when they traveled to Solanco. “Playing Solanco, running the same offense, gave us a head start for Cocalico. During practice this week, we had a great scout team helping us prepare for this offense,” noted Foster. The Eagles entered the night averaging 26 points per game, but were limited to one touchdown.

Twin Valley is the #1 seed in the District 3-5A playoffs. The Raiders will have a bye next week. They won their first District 3 championship a season ago at the 4A classification. On Friday, Brett Myers picked up his 50th victory at Twin Valley. This is his fifth year as the Raiders’ head coach. Myers has an impressive (50-11) mark in Elverson.

Wilson-43, McCaskey-12

Exeter-23, Conestoga Valley-13

Twin Valley-28, Cocalico-9

Cedar Crest-31, Reading-22

Elizabethtown-34, Muhlenberg-14

Garden Spot-48, Gov. Mifflin-17

Conrad Weiser-47, Daniel Boone-28

Annville-Cleona-56, Schuylkill Valley-21

Berks Catholic-30, Lancaster Catholic-14

Solanco-45, Fleetwood-13

Hamburg-33, Kutztown-28

Boyertown-34, Norristown-7 (Thursday)