Reese Hohl-Gov. Mifflin

Gov. Mifflin won its first District 3 football championship in 2020. The Mustangs followed up that accomplishment with a (10-1) campaign in 2021. They extended their winning streak to 18 consecutive years. The past two seasons have been a different story. Gov. finished (3-7) in 2022 and went (5-6) last fall. The Mustangs will begin this year with some adversity. New head coach Nick Morrissey will miss the first two games. According to multiple sources, the suspension is related to an issue that happened during the school day late last year. Athletic director John Guiseppe said he had no information to pass along at this time. Morrissey has been on the Gov. Mifflin coaching staff since 2015. The Muhlenberg and Albright graduate served as defensive coordinator from 2021-23. Senior RB/DB Reese Hohl has enjoyed working with Morrissey. “It’s a blast. The energy is there, the atmosphere is always good. We’re just having fun and working hard,” replied Hohl at Lancaster-Lebanon League media day earlier this month. The Mustangs will be in good hands during Morrissey’s absence. Mick Vecchio will serve as head coach for the first two games. Vecchio was inducted into the Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2022. He accumulated 181 victories over 26 years during his tenure in Shillington.

Gov. Mifflin returns seven starters on offense and six on defense. Hohl can be utilized all over the field. He was a first team pick on offense and defense in Section 2 of the L-L League last fall. The 6’, 160-pound senior came up with six interceptions. He was also a second team selection as a kick returner. Being a member of the wrestling team has benefited him on the gridiron. “It helps mentally and physically with the conditioning…The one-on-one combat factor kind of transfers right over to me being a corner lined up right next to someone,” explained Hohl. He was also part of the Mustangs’ state championship baseball team this spring. Quarterback Javien Pletz and fullback Grady Garner (5’10, 200) are back in Gov. Mifflin’s option attack. Hohl likes what he has seen from the offensive line which includes Presley Rinker (6’1, 305) and Gavin Kelly (6’, 250). “We’re pretty good in size. We just need the aggression to come through. If that does, we’ll be moving people off the ball for sure,” stated Hohl. Derek Dinatale, Lebron Leaf, Stephen Mayo, Jahmair Johnson, and Travis Jenkins are some other players to keep an eye on in Shillington. The Mustangs got bumped up to Class 6A this year. In an interesting twist, they start the season at home against Pleasant Valley on Friday. Gov. Mifflin fell to Pleasant Valley 28-19 in the Eastern Conference championship last year.