Jeff Lang-Gov. Mifflin

Gov. Mifflin head coach Jeff Lang still isn’t sure who all of his starters will be for this Friday’s season opener against Spring-Ford. It’s understandable considering that the Mustangs only return three starters from last year’s (10-1) squad that averaged 48 points. Star running back Nick Singleton is at Penn State after being named the Gatorade National Football Player of the Year. Singleton smashed the Berks County career records with 6,326 rushing yards and 116 touchdowns. He reached the end zone 44 times a season ago when Gov. Mifflin won the Section 1 championship in the Berks Football League. The Mustangs will rely on another Division I commit in 2022. Senior Ayden Martin is headed to Monmouth. The 5’11, 185-pound RB/S made over 40 tackles last year with 5 TFL, 2 INT, and 14 pass breakups. Lang believes there are some definite similarities between Martin and Singleton. “Both very strong, athletic kids that have put their work ethic above everything else. They’re the strongest kids I’ve ever coached,” he said. Martin ran for 119 yards and two scores on just 14 carries last season. He’ll be getting a lot more touches because Gov. Mifflin lost its top four rushers to graduation. Aiden Gallen and Trey Rock combined for 1,053 yards out of the fullback position. Brayden Reis, Brandon Jones, and promising sophomore Grady Garner will see snaps at that spot. Delsin McNeil is the full-time starter at quarterback. “Last year I wouldn’t blink an eye to put him in to give Eden Johnson a break. He would’ve started any other year, but Eden was just a man amongst boys out there,” said Lang. McNeil went 6-for-7 passing for 122 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 188 yards on 26 carries. Clay Reynolds is the only returning starter on the offensive line. The 5’9, 210-pound guard helped the Mustangs average 9.3 yards per carry. They ran the ball 40 times a night. Mykell Ford, Devin Johnson, and Aden Krause will be counted on to control the line of scrimmage. Ford, who started as a freshman, can bench press more than 400 pounds. Johnson is a 6’3, 255-pound junior. Reynolds and Jones are expected to rack up the tackles at linebacker. Gov. Mifflin is going back to the Lancaster-Lebanon League this year. The Mustangs competed in the L-L League from 1975-2003. They’ll be part of Section 2 which will be hotly contested. “It’s good for football. Every week is going to be a dog fight now. I think that’s in all the divisions. I think you’ve got a lot of parity now. It needed to happen,” Lang replied. Gov. Mifflin will be joined by Exeter, Muhlenberg, Manheim Central, Warwick, Lebanon, and Conestoga Valley. The Mustangs fell to Exeter 31-28 in the District 3-5A final last season. Lang is entering his sixth year as head coach with a mark of (43-13). This will be his 31st season on the Gov. Mifflin coaching staff. “It’s my life. Mick Vecchio and I poured everything we’ve had into it. You know, brought it from the cellar up to where we’re at now being a very competitive football team,” he said. Vecchio won 181 games over his 26 years as the head coach in Shillington. He was inducted into the Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame this summer. Lang thanked the administration and the community for supporting their program.