Javien Pletz-Gov. Mifflin

If Javien Pletz was grading his football team, the Mustangs would receive a B- at the midway point of the season. “There’s some room for improvement. The line has been doing their job. It’s just little mistakes like fumbles,” explained Pletz. Gov. Mifflin is (3-2) and coming off a 41-6 rout of Muhlenberg. Pletz had two touchdown passes and a pair of touchdown runs on Sunday afternoon. The 5’10, 155-pound senior doesn’t get to put the ball up in the air much. That’s just part of playing quarterback in Shillington. The Mustangs prefer to grind it out on the ground. Pletz has only attempted 47 passes this year. He’s completed 25 of them for 424 yards and three scores. Grady Garner has been a workhorse at fullback. The 5’10, 200-pound senior has racked up 712 yards and 13 TD on 119 carries. “He runs hard, runs fast. It’s hard to tackle him,” said Pletz. Garner is a sprinter on the track and field team. Pletz can also use his legs. He can be tough to find behind an offensive line that averages nearly 250 pounds and includes Presley Rinker. The senior guard is 6’1 and 305 pounds. Pletz has 128 rushing yards on 28 carries. Reese Hohl, Travis Jenkins, and Lebron Leaf are slotbacks that can be effective on the edge. Gov. Mifflin also has a solid tight end in 190-pound junior Derek Dinatale. Nick Morrissey is in his first season as head coach, but a familiar face is calling the plays. Mick Vecchio is back on the sidelines. He won 181 games over 26 years with the Mustangs. Vecchio was inducted into the PSFCA Hall of Fame in 2022. Gov. Mifflin’s losses have come against quality opponents in Exeter and Perkiomen Valley. The Eagles remain undefeated. The Mustangs have another tough matchup this Friday when Wilson visits Shillington. The (4-1) Bulldogs have taken ten of the last thirteen contests in this heated rivalry. Gov. Mifflin and Wilson are squaring off for the 67th time. The Bulldogs hold a (39-27) edge in the series. “We just gotta run the offense, make sure they don’t get the ball as much. We just chew that clock and don’t make any mistakes,” said Pletz.