“Roberts Rankings”-Football

Where did the summer go? It’s hard to believe, but the high school football season begins in two days across Pennsylvania. In 2024, six Berks County teams won at least nine games. Wilson, Exeter, and Wyomissing advanced to Week 14 of the season. Hopefully, several local squads will have success on the gridiron once again this fall.

Many media outlets focus too much on last year’s results when making predictions for the upcoming season. That’s not how I roll. I prioritize how many key players have returned and the experience factor. What you did on the field last year doesn’t really matter when the clock strikes 7pm on Friday. It’s also extremely important to remember that no matter where your favorite team is ranked, the sun will come out tomorrow!

Wilson has a new quarterback in Mason Young, however the Bulldogs have plenty of experience surrounding him. They looked very sharp in their scrimmage with Coatesville. Wilson faces Cheltenham in Week 1 at John Gurski Stadium.

Exeter takes on rival Daniel Boone for the Pig Iron Trophy this Friday in Reiffton. The Eagles have won twelve straight in this series. It’s the 67th meeting between the two schools.

Wyomissing travels to Southern Columbia which is a big matchup on paper. The Tigers were (7-5) a season ago and fell 35-21 at Bob Wolfrum Field. Southern Columbia has claimed a staggering 14 state championships. The Spartans’ backfield could be one for the ages.

I’ll be in Elverson on Friday to see Twin Valley battle Berks Catholic. Both teams reached the District 3 semifinals in their respective classifications last year. Evan Myers, Evan Johnson, Aris Drake, and Carter Faubel graduated, but it would be foolish to overlook the Raiders. Drew Engle, Ben Grundy, Lucas Myers, Greyson Miller, Noah DiGiacomo, Joey Buckley, and Ryan Rementer all return. The Saints will be missing some key pieces in Week 1. They should be in better shape after the first few games.

Gov. Mifflin visits Pleasant Valley in its opener. The Bears were winless a season ago. Lebron Leaf takes over under center for the Mustangs. He’s a gifted athlete who can break a long run at any time. Patrick Steuer and Cam Overley will handle the slot back duties in Gov. Mifflin’s option attack. Nick Kalis and Tom Millisock are the fullbacks for Nick Morrissey’s second year at the helm. Pat Sisk will be his new defensive coordinator this fall.

Schuylkill Valley takes on Muhlenberg this Friday in Leesport. The Muhls received serious consideration to crack my preseason rankings. They have eight starters back on offense and seven on defense. In addition, this is Rob Flowers’ second season as head coach at his alma mater, and they’ll have eight home games. The Panthers lost All-State picks Logan Nawrocki and Luke Spotts, but head coach Bruce Harbach remains very confident.

Conrad Weiser went undefeated during the regular season last fall and earned the Section 3 title in the Lancaster-Lebanon League. However, the Scouts return just two starters on offense and four on defense. They’re on the road against Abington on Friday. The Galloping Ghosts finished (1-9) in 2024.

Without further ado, here are my preseason Berks County high school football rankings. The records that you see below are from last year.

“The Great 8”

1.Wilson (11-2)

2.Exeter (12-2)

3.Wyomissing (10-3)

4.Twin Valley (9-3)

5.Gov. Mifflin (5-6)

6.Berks Catholic (7-5)

7.Schuylkill Valley (9-3)

8.Conrad Weiser (10-1)