Doug Dahms-Wilson

Doug Dahms became an assistant football coach at Wilson in 1976. He’s never left West Lawn. The former standout athlete at Muhlenberg High School and Lebanon Valley College has been part of 434 victories with the Bulldogs. “It’s a huge part of my life. You’ve got to love the kids because you spend so much time with them. The coaching staff is like my extended family. Their kids are like my nieces and nephews. It’s a love affair,” he said. Dahms is getting ready for his 17th season as head coach. His record is a staggering (170-35). Dahms’ winning percentage of 83% is the highest in Berks County history. He also piled up 264 wins as an assistant under John Gurski, Gerry Slemmer, and Jim Cantafio. Dahms captained his team through some rough waters last year. Wilson was (2-3) at the midway point after a 24-21 loss to Manheim Central. The Bulldogs wouldn’t taste defeat again until the District 3-6A championship against Harrisburg. They knocked off top-seeded Central York 14-11 in the semifinals. Wilson is (42-22) overall in the District 3 playoffs with seven titles. This year’s squad features five returning starters on defense and four on offense. All-state pick Cam Jones will be all over the field. Dahms said, “He’ll touch the ball a little bit more either in jets (jet sweeps) or maybe sometimes from running back or even from wildcat. The idea is to try and get him 15 to 18 touches a game.” The wide receiver and cornerback only had eight receptions in 2021. He finished fifth on the team in tackles with 37 and was a never-ending highlight reel on special teams. Jones averaged 47 yards on kickoff returns and nearly 29 yards on punt returns. He took seven kick returns to the house! The Bulldogs will have a new quarterback and running back in 2022. Juniors Tommy Hunsicker and Adam Woods are competing for the QB spot. Cleveland Harding, a starting guard on the basketball team, is expected to take over for Jadyn Jones at RB. Dahms told me the offense will be more balanced this season. The Bulldogs lost a trio of starters on the offensive line and three more on the defensive line to graduation. “Certainly a piece of the puzzle that I’m very concerned with, but you really can’t tell until the pads go on. We’re probably going to be very young up front. They’ve got to buy in. It’s tough playing juniors against seniors,” he said. Jack Dendall and Brendan Hopp will anchor the offensive line along with promising sophomore tight end Brady Kline. Nick Weitzel, a 210-pound defensive end, is back for his senior campaign. He led Wilson with five sacks a season ago. The Bulldogs have won 14 consecutive league games. I asked Dahms about the competition in Section 1 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League which once again includes Reading. Wilson has a very difficult non-league slate. The Bulldogs open up with Roman Catholic and Central Dauphin. According to Dahms, Roman Catholic has six Division I recruits. Don’t forget to circle October 1st on your calendar. Wilson will make the short trip to Shillington to battle Gov. Mifflin on a Saturday afternoon. You better get there early if you want a seat.