“Roberts Rankings”-Football

Berks County football teams made a statement last week by going (5-0) with four double digit wins. Twin Valley and Wyomissing outscored their opponents 78-21 in the District 3-4A quarterfinals. Berks Catholic crushed Bermudian Springs 37-6 in the District 3-3A semifinals. However, the competition is about to get a lot tougher. You don’t see any cupcakes when Week 13 rolls around in Pennsylvania high school football. I’ll tell you about some of the top players to watch this Friday night.

#3 seed Twin Valley travels to #2 seed West York. The Raiders have reached the District 3 semifinals for the fourth consecutive year. The (10-1) Bulldogs are making their 18th appearance in the District 3 tournament. They’ve won three championships with the most recent title coming in 2008. Jensen Ferber has thrown for 2,408 yards and 29 touchdowns this season. The 6’1, 176-pound sophomore is completing 62% of his passes. West York’s only loss came in Week 8 against undefeated New Oxford.

#4 seed Wilson visits #1 seed Central York in the District 3-6A semifinals. The Bulldogs knocked off the Panthers 28-20 in this round last year. Old Dominion commit Brooklyn Nace is putting up eye-popping numbers. The 6’3, 195-pound senior has passed for 2,513 yards while completing 78% of his attempts. Nace has tossed 34 touchdowns and just one interception! His top target is Kent State commit Brendyn Smith. The senior receiver has 70 receptions for 1,116 yards and 21 TD. Legend Johnson provides Central York with balance on offense. The 6’1, 195-pound junior has 1,094 rushing yards and 19 TD. Johnson is averaging 8.5 yards per carry. The (10-1) Panthers are in the District 3 tournament for the 19th time. Their lone championship was in 2020.

#4 seed Wyomissing makes the trip to top-seeded Susquehanna Township in the District 3-4A semifinals on Friday. The (11-0) Indians are led by Torin “TD” Evans. The Marist commit has 32 touchdowns through the air and a dozen more on the ground. The 6’, 175-pound senior has 2,429 passing yards and 773 rushing yards. Evans has completed 69% of his attempts with only 3 INT. Jarrett Kern, a 6’2 senior, has reeled in 39 catches for 652 yards and eight scores. Susquehanna Township qualified for the District 3 bracket for the 19th time. The Indians are searching for their first title. The Spartans have claimed the crown on twelve occasions.

#7 seed Exeter is on the road versus #3 seed Bishop McDevitt in the District 3-5A semifinals. These squads squared off in the final a season ago with the Crusaders prevailing 48-14. Bishop McDevitt earned its 18th District 3 championship and 4th in a row. The (9-2) Crusaders have won nine straight games since falling to Harrisburg 29-21. Bishop McDevitt has a loaded backfield that includes Eastern Michigan commit Nazir Jones-Davis, sophomore Jerome Larue, and Maurice Barnes. Larue has already received offers from Tennessee, Baylor, Indiana, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse. Barnes is a force on defense with more than 250 career tackles. The 6’2, 215-pound linebacker has several offers including Penn State, Pittsburgh, Michigan, and Notre Dame. Tyler Reinhart controls the secondary with a team-high five interceptions. He’s committed to Monmouth. Liam Fuller, a 6’6 senior tight end, is headed to UConn. Sebastian Williams has taken over at quarterback for Stone Saunders. The 6’1, 190-pound junior has completed 70% of his attempts for 1,502 yards and 14 TD. The Crusaders are a staggering (70-9) all-time in the District 3 playoffs. The Eagles, who won it all in 2021, are (15-14).

#1 seed Berks Catholic battles #3 seed Trinity in the District 3-3A championship at ELCO. The Saints’ winning streak stands at eight. The (9-3) Shamrocks have caught fire after dropping their first two contests. Their leading rusher and tackler is 230-pound sophomore Brandon Harris. Senior quarterback Mason Boyer has two big targets in wide receiver Maddox Jarzynski (6’2, 210) and tight end Marcus Yeager (6’4, 225). Jarzynski erupted for 3 TD receptions and a pick-6 in the first half last week against Annville-Cleona. He has 1,000 receiving yards this fall. Yeager, a Richmond commit, leads Trinity in sacks and tackles for loss. The Shamrocks are going for their fourth title, while the Saints are looking for their fifth. Berks Catholic has an overall mark of (21-6) in the District 3 tournament.

Without further ado, here are my Berks County high school football rankings. There aren’t any changes in the poll this week. Remember that no matter where your favorite team is ranked, the sun will come out tomorrow!

“The Great 8”

1.Twin Valley (11-0)

2.Wilson (9-2)

3.Wyomissing (10-1)

4.Exeter (10-2)

5.Muhlenberg (8-3)

6.Berks Catholic (9-2)

7.Boyertown (6-5)

8.Gov. Mifflin (4-7)