Berks Sports Report Paul Roberts
Twin Valley-42, Middletown-0
After reaching the PIAA-4A championship game last season, Twin Valley opened its 2026 campaign with a 42-0 win at Middletown. The Raiders were in front 14-0 at halftime. They took control by outscoring the Blue Raiders 21-0 in the third quarter. “Our kids played really hard. We made too many mistakes, but our effort made up for them,” said coach Brett Myers. He won 72 games over eight years as Middletown’s head coach.
Villanova commit Lucas Myers ran for 138 yards and two touchdowns on eleven carries. Alain Bazile, a 225-pound senior, added 100 yards and a score on eight touches. Twin Valley displayed its big play ability. Grant Moser ripped off a 76-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Chase Reilly went 69 yards to the house in the final period. Gavan Foster made his first start at quarterback. The 6’3, 180-pound sophomore finished 5-of-9 for 58 yards and a touchdown.
Conrad Weiser-27, Schuylkill Valley-13
Kole Kupper stole the show in Conrad Weiser’s home opener. The 6’, 185-pound junior piled up 202 yards and four touchdowns on twenty carries. “Kupper had a lot of nice holes to run through, but he was very elusive and broke a lot of tackles. He has some great vision,” explained longtime head coach Alan Moyer. All of the Scouts’ points came in the first half. Their defense allowed just six points in the second half. Linebackers Luke Walter (8) and Brennon Bond (7) combined for fifteen tackles.
Sophomore Kellen Stoy provided 100 yards on nine carries. Conrad Weiser racked up 360 yards on the ground. Senior quarterback Connor Sellars was 2-of-5 for 60 yards. “The offensive and defensive line played outstanding for us. That game was won in the trenches,” emphasized Moyer.
Alex Aletras went 11-of-17 for 108 yards and an interception. Schuylkill Valley’s 6’2 senior passed for 1,767 yards and 21 TD a season ago. Ervin Ortiz had 65 yards on just six carries.
Fleetwood-46, Kutztown-26
Mel Fegely earned a victory on the road in his debut as Fleetwood’s head coach. His sons, Beau and Hunter, played key roles for the Tigers. Beau Fegely, a senior running back, had a 65-yard punt return touchdown in the second quarter and a touchdown run. Hunter Fegely, a sophomore wide receiver, ended up with 106 yards and a score on four receptions.
Chase Adams has made the transition from receiver to quarterback this year. The 6’1, 195-pound senior threw for 207 yards and ran for 53 more on a dozen carries. “Chase was an all-star at quarterback. He ran the ball well. He threw some absolute dimes in key situations,” replied Mel Fegely. Adams made three touchdown tosses and used his legs for another score. Bryce Ryan, a 6’3 senior tight end, and Trey McKinney each caught a touchdown pass.
Fleetwood was on top 25-12 at halftime and 39-20 after the third quarter. The Tigers outgained the Cougars 339-to-236. “Defensively, I’m really happy with our performance. The linebackers filled gaps and made some great stops,” mentioned Mel Fegely.
Kutztown struck first when Hunter Amato took the opening kickoff 91 yards for a score. Ryan Walters led the Cougars with a trio of touchdown runs, including a 72-yard sprint in the second quarter. Kutztown ran the ball 43 times for 233 yards. “Kutztown is a tough team. They were physical and they brought it all night,” said Mel Fegely.
Hamburg-42, Midd-West-7
Isaac McFadden began his sophomore season with an impressive performance on the road. He finished 12-of-17 for 266 yards and 4 TD. “Isaac stepped up and made some big time throws. We have a lot of confidence in our receiving corps. He did a great job distributing the football and getting our playmakers involved,” remarked head coach Tyler Hartranft.
McFadden connected with Eli Metzler for a 61-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter. He found Alex Soto for a 60-yard score in that period. The Hawks held a 28-7 advantage at halftime. Blaise Ernst churned out 79 yards and 2 TD on ten carries. The 5’9, 175-pound senior suffered a broken leg in Week 2 last year and missed the rest of the season. Hamburg is looking to bounce back after going (2-8) in 2025.
Notre Dame-Green Pond-48, Berks Catholic-14
Berks Catholic had a difficult test in Week 1. Notre Dame-Green Pond went (12-1) last year and was the District 11-3A runner-up. The Crusaders outgained the Saints 435-to-283 on Friday night at Lafayette. Berks Catholic pulled within 14-7 in the second quarter thanks to a 39-yard touchdown pass from freshman Kellen Bowman to Coy Koller. However, Notre Dame-Green Pond outscored the Saints 34-7 in the second half. Berks Catholic struggled to move the chains. The Saints went 3-for-10 on third down and 1-for-4 on fourth down.
A pick 6 by Drew Boyd made it 21-7 in the third quarter. The senior WR/DB also contributed on offense with four catches for 91 yards and a score. Aaron Gordon chipped in with a pair of touchdown runs, including an 8-yarder that put the Crusaders up 28-7. Tommy Murphy was very sharp at quarterback. The 6’2, 200-pound junior went 19-of-22 for 279 yards with 3 TD. Murphy ran 15 times for 72 yards and another score.
Koller had a big game for Berks Catholic with 128 yards on 13 carries. Ryan Spatz ended up with 73 yards and a touchdown on 17 touches. Bowman was 2-of-9 for 45 yards in his debut under center.
Cocalico-40, Muhlenberg-21
In an era of spread offenses galore, Cocalico relies on an old school approach. The flexbone offense is a ground-and-pound attack. The Eagles ran the ball 59 times for 373 yards against Muhlenberg. Junior quarterback Connor Horning only attempted two passes all night. His twin brother, Logan, racked up 111 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. The 5’5, 170-pound fullback also made a team-high nine tackles at outside linebacker. Cocalico got 91 yards and 2 TD from Rocco Colatta-Rigney. “After last season’s rough start with three losses by nine points to start the season, it’s awesome to have a win against a quality team to build upon. Hopefully, it helps build some confidence for our very tough schedule ahead,” said head coach Bryan Strohl.
The Muhls were on top 14-13 after the first quarter. Adriel Baez hooked up with Noel Irizarry for a 52-yard touchdown pass. Baez then connected with Kalib Perez for a 23-yard score. The Eagles responded with the next 27 consecutive points. Connor Horning escaped for a 42-yard touchdown in the third quarter. He had 73 yards and 2 TD on ten carries. Baez tossed a late 16-yard touchdown to Ian Rodriguez.
Daniel Boone-55, Lebanon-0
Steve Pangburn is off to a (1-0) start at Daniel Boone. The former Fleetwood head coach guided the Blazers to a 55-0 rout of Lebanon in Birdsboro. Daniel Boone built a 35-0 halftime cushion and averaged 12.3 yards per carry. The Cedars have lost 53 straight games.
The Blazers piled up 397 total yards, including 345 yards on the ground. Mason Ruffner erupted for 180 yards on just six carries. The 5’6, 155-pound junior reached the end zone four times. Senior quarterback Dominic Stoudt added 89 yards and 2 TD on eleven carries. He was 2-of-4 through the air for 17 yards. Chace Jardin helped lead Daniel Boone’s defense. The 6’3, 195-pound junior DE ended up with six tackles and one TFL.
Upper Perkiomen-24, Boyertown-0
The Indians’ defensive unit was the big story on Friday at Boyertown. They held the Bears to 115 total yards and six first downs. The first score of the game came from the defense. Ryder Jones returned a fumble seven yards for a touchdown with 9:16 left in the second quarter.
Upper Perkiomen struck again right before halftime. Grayson Sabo fired a 40-yard touchdown pass to Aaron Maiden with 50 seconds remaining in the second quarter. Sabo was an efficient 7-of-9. The 6’3, 230-pound senior threw for 103 yards. Zach Adam broke free for a 86-yard touchdown run with ten minutes to play. He wound up with 123 yards on 14 carries. Boyertown sophomore Aziyah Brown had a team-high 39 yards on nine touches. Gavin Royce was 6-of-12 for 51 yards and an interception.
Exeter-28, Norristown-6
Exeter’s Josh Jackson is taking over at running back for Leo Brown this year. The 6’, 185-pound senior got off to a great start. Jackson, one of four captains on the team, ran for 147 yards on 18 carries at Norristown. Jackson was also a force on defense at outside linebacker. He made a team-high five tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss. “Josh is a natural leader and tremendous worker. He’s worked very hard to prepare for this opportunity,” remarked head coach Matt Bauer.
Jaiheer Dasilvio put the Eagles up 7-0 in the first quarter with a 12-yard touchdown run. The 5’10, 185-pound sophomore chipped in with 39 yards on six carries. Junior Aidan Gerhart made his first start at quarterback. His 15-yard run was the first of three touchdowns in the second quarter for Exeter. Jackson followed with a 4-yard score to give the Eagles a 21-0 cushion. Nick Pashley’s 14-yard catch from Gerhart increased the margin to 28-0 at halftime.
Gerhart wound up 9-of-19 for 97 yards and two interceptions. Brady Adams had three receptions for 27 yards. Sophomore tight end Cayden Reinert added two catches for 33 yards. The 6’4, 210-pound sophomore also made four tackles, including 1.5 TFL. Senior RT/DT Wyatt Richard, a Towson commit, came up with 1.5 sacks.
