Masen Ketner-Twin Valley

While his teammates were making history, Masen Ketner could only watch. The Twin Valley center tore his ACL and MCL during lacrosse season and missed his junior year on the gridiron. “It hurt me so bad. Just to see my guys having so much fun and I was still stuck on the sidelines. It hurt a lot,” said Ketner. The (6-5) Raiders won four of their first five games and qualified for the District 3 playoffs for the first time. It was their first winning season since 2007. I asked Ketner how it feels to be healthy again. He replied, “It’s absolutely amazing. It’s absolutely wonderful to be back on the field.” He has noticed that his teammates are more confident due to last year’s success. “Everything has just been different. Intensity is up. Goals are higher. Everything is set to a higher bar,” said Ketner. Twin Valley has to replace a pair of 4-year starters. Trey Freeman established a new Berks County record with 2,250 career receiving yards. Freeman had 58 receptions for 1,094 yards and eight touchdowns a season ago. Dom Caruso broke the school record for career rushing yards with 3,684. He grinded out 933 yards last year with twelve touchdowns. Caruso was also the Raiders’ second-leading tackler with 63. The good news is that leading tackler, Ean Winchester, is back. The 6’2, 220-pound junior made 89 stops last season with two sacks. He was named a second team linebacker in Section 2 of the Berks Football League. Winchester is an all-county wrestler and lacrosse player. He posted a (36-5) record at 215 pounds as a sophomore. Nick Harris, a 3-year starter, also returns along with sophomore quarterback Evan Myers. He threw for 1,454 yards with ten touchdowns and nine interceptions. Myers can use his legs when needed as well. His father, Brett Myers, has taken over as head coach. The Twin Valley School District decided to open the position after Kris Olsen led the Raiders to the postseason in his first season. Myers spent eight years as Middletown’s head coach. The Blue Raiders won three consecutive District 3 championships and reached the Class 3A state final in 2016-18. Myers, a Middletown graduate, stepped down after the 2020 season. Ketner has enjoyed working with Myers. “It’s absolutely awesome. He’s been around the game for such a long time. He knows so much about it. He’s given me new stuff to look at, and looking at it at different angles,” said Ketner. I learned that the 250-pound lineman is a Steelers fan. I also found out about his favorite food and subject in school. In addition, Ketner weighed in on who are the smartest and funniest players on the team. There won’t be any joking around on Friday night. That’s when the Raiders open the season at Schuylkill Valley. Ketner is excited about joining the Lancaster-Lebanon League. He remarked, “I think it’s a huge opportunity for us Berks County teams. We’re all happy to see some new faces and get after it.” Twin Valley is in Section 3 with Daniel Boone, Fleetwood, Elizabethtown, Solanco, Garden Spot, and Ephrata.