Alan – Berks Sports Report

Alan Moyer-Conrad Weiser

Paul Roberts — Sat, 09 Nov 2024 12:06:05 +0000

Chad Henne threw for 7,071 yards at Wilson and went on to be a four-year starter at Michigan. He spent 15 seasons in the NFL and won two Super Bowls with the Chiefs before retiring. It says a lot that Conrad Weiser head coach Alan Moyer would compare Bishop McDevitt senior Stone Saunders to Henne. Saunders passed for 303 yards and 5 TD in a 42-7 victory in the District 3-5A quarterfinals. “I equated him to watching Chad Henne throw back when I had a chance to coach him in an All-Star Game. It’s very, very similar to Chad and the quick release and the velocity of the ball,” stated Moyer. Saunders holds the state record with 195 touchdown passes. The 6’2, 215-pound Kentucky commit is closing in on 13,000 career passing yards. He was 11-of-13 on a windy Friday night in Robesonia. Saunders heaved a 40-yard touchdown pass over the middle to Dominic Diaz-Ellis on the Crusaders’ opening 80-yard drive. Jontai Quick made a diving grab for a 13-yard score early in the second quarter. The 5’9, 150-pound sophomore finished with four receptions for 167 yards and three touchdowns. Quick was wide open down the right seam for a 69-yard TD with 8:44 left before halftime. He used a big time stiff arm to go 64 yards down the left sideline on Bishop McDevitt’s next possession. The (10-1) Scouts trailed 28-0 midway through the second period. Nazir Jones-Davis broke off a 67-yard touchdown run less than three minutes later that put him over 1,000 rushing yards for the season. The (10-2) Crusaders reached the end zone on their first five drives which covered a total of 345 yards. Saunders had 250 passing yards in the first half. He tossed a 41-yard TD down the left sideline to Diaz-Ellis with four minutes to go in the third quarter. Diaz-Ellis, a 6’ senior, surpassed 1,000 receiving yards on the year. Third-seeded Conrad Weiser got on the board with eleven minutes remaining. Donovan Gingrich hit Davis Keppley for a 14-yard strike. They’re two of the twenty seniors on the Scouts’ roster. Conrad Weiser was without running backs Javien Rivera and Jonathon McQuillen, as well as standout WR/S Evan Rittle, due to injuries suffered in Week 8. Coach Moyer told his team to focus on the positives this season, including a Section 3 championship in the Lancaster-Lebanon League. “A lot of real good life lessons for these kids about picking each other up, battling adversity, and how to be successful,” he noted. The sixth-seeded Crusaders improved to (67-9) all-time in the District 3 tournament. The 17-time champions will visit unbeaten Mechanicsburg in the semifinals next Friday. The Scouts have a lot to be proud of after going (2-8) a season ago. This year marked their first (10-0) start since 1996. “It’s not by accident. It’s a lot of hard work. It’s the kids and coaching staff buying in to getting back to what we do here. It is pretty remarkable,” said Moyer.

Alan Moyer-Conrad Weiser

Paul Roberts — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 04:52:37 +0000

After a (2-8) campaign last fall, Conrad Weiser was determined to turn things around. “We have a very good memory. These last two years have been difficult, but this group really made a commitment in the offseason,” said longtime head coach Alan Moyer. The Scouts won just five games over the past two seasons. They’re off to a (2-0) start in 2024. Conrad Weiser dominated ELCO 31-7 on Thursday night in Myerstown. The Scouts scored on their first five possessions and outgained the (0-2) Raiders 318-to-153. Conrad Weiser set the tone with an 80-yard opening drive. Donovan Gingrich avoided a sack, rolled right and found Evan Rittle for a 4-yard touchdown pass on 4th down. Rittle was named the Wide Receiver of the Year in Section 4 last season. “Him and Donovan work very well together. They have a real good connection,” noted Moyer. That score was set up by a 61-yard pass down the left sideline to Dylan Parr. Gingrich, who’s up to 200 pounds this year, capped a 56-yard drive with a 6-yard TD run early in the second quarter. “Instead of absorbing hits, I think he’s delivering blows and getting those extra yards that maybe he didn’t get before,” replied Moyer. Gingrich finished 9-of-12 for 127 yards. The three-year starter ran five times for another 35 yards. Rittle provided five receptions for 42 yards. Javien Rivera went untouched up the middle for a 5-yard score with two minutes remaining in the first half. The Scouts forced a three-and-out and got the ball back at their 45-yard line with 1:27 on the clock. That possession ended with a 32-yard field goal by Alex Malone with 13 seconds to go before halftime. It was 24-0 at the break. Following a 1-yard punt into a very strong wind, Conrad Weiser took over at ELCO’s 43-yard line. Another 5-yard touchdown run by Rivera expanded the cushion to 31-0 with 3:43 to play in the third quarter. The 5’8, 150-pound junior had 82 of the team’s 191 rushing yards. “His height is to his advantage. He kind of sneaks behind the big linemen. He’s explosive,” stated Moyer. Rivera got a team-high eleven carries. Jonathon McQuillen added 41 yards on seven carries. He’s a 5’8, 155-pound senior who attends Tulpehocken. The Scouts’ offensive line averages 248 pounds. The Raiders cashed a short field into their only touchdown with 2:08 left. Zane Trostle took a pitch from senior quarterback Steven Rosado for a 13-yard score. Rosado ran for 60 yards and threw for just 57. He was 8-of-15 with an interception. The Raiders have been outscored 64-13 in two games. They won eight games and reached the District 3-4A quarterfinals in 2023. Meanwhile, Conrad Weiser could get to (3-0) with a win next week against Lebanon. “This is not a result of anything but hard work,” said Moyer.

Alan Moyer-Conrad Weiser

Paul Roberts — Tue, 20 Sep 2022 00:45:00 +0000

Homecoming night, perfect weather, a nice crowd, and a thrilling finish; there was a lot to be excited about on Saturday in Robesonia. However, longtime head coach Alan Moyer knows there’s a lot of room for improvement. “It was kind of a loss for words after the game. We tried to find a lot of ways to lose that game unfortunately. Luckily, we found a way to win it,” said Moyer. The (2-2) Scouts defeated ELCO 22-21 despite being outgained 406-239. Conrad Weiser managed just 16 rushing yards while committing ten penalties. The (3-1) Raiders went in front with a ten minute, 95-yard drive in the fourth quarter that included two key infractions by the Scouts. An offsides penalty on fourth-and-five was followed by a horse-collar tackle that moved the ball to the 12-yard line. Jake Williams scored on the next play to give ELCO a 21-14 lead with 1:49 remaining. Moyer, who’s been on Conrad Weiser’s coaching staff for 35 years, understands the big picture which is why he was subdued after the victory. The Scouts have struggled to put together a complete game this season. Fortunately, they came through when it mattered most. Sophomore quarterback Donovan Gingrich engineered a 58-yard scoring drive in only 41 seconds. “Donovan is really progressing. It’s gonna take some time, but he’s an athlete. He’s a winner,” stated Moyer. Gingrich found a wide open Ousmane Conde for 44 yards on a throwback pass. He then lofted a fade to Trey Dianna for a 14-yard touchdown with 62 seconds left. Moyer opted to go for two points and Gingrich hooked up with Dianna again for the go-ahead conversion. Moyer explained, “We talked about it well before that [touchdown]. We were confident we were gonna go for two. It’s a great play when it works.” The Raiders reached Conrad Weiser’s 37-yard line on their final possession. The Scouts held Williams to a 1-yard gain on fourth-and-three with 18 seconds to go. “A lot of these kids are young. This is a good lesson. When you’re in a tight spot, you gotta figure out how to win those games,” noted Moyer. Conrad Weiser has 24 sophomores on its roster. Gingrich finished 13-of-23 for 223 yards 3TD. Josh Miller, an elusive 5’4 junior, had touchdown catches of 51 and 8 yards in the first half. The Scouts were on top 14-6 at the break. Dianna reeled in three receptions for 55 yards. Evan Rittle added three grabs for 51 yards. The 5’8, 145-pound sophomore also had an interception at Conrad Weiser’s 8-yard line with 26 seconds left in the first half. Williams racked up 209 yards and 2TD on 28 carries for ELCO. I asked Moyer about the 5’11, 180-pound junior. He replied, “His legs never stop. We had him bottled up, I don’t know how many times. He’s strong from the waist down. You’ve got to kill that engine. If you don’t kill the engine, he’ll run you over.” Prior to facing the Scouts, Williams rumbled for 250 yards and 2TD against Columbia. He also returned a kickoff 95 yards for a score. The Raiders ended up with 275 yards on the ground at Conrad Weiser. Senior Dom Thornton was 7-of-15 through the air for 131 yards. Junior tight end Elliott Kreider made four catches for 86 yards. Moyer and I discussed playing on Saturday. He responded candidly, “Not a big fan of it. It’s all about the homecoming. It’s all about the school. It kind of puts you behind a day the following week. We came out with a win so I guess I gotta be happy with it.” This was his 135th victory over twenty seasons as head coach. Moyer is the winningest coach in program history. He played for the Scouts from 1982-84. Conrad Weiser returns to action this Friday at (1-3) Octorara.

Alan Moyer-Conrad Weiser

Paul Roberts — Fri, 19 Aug 2022 19:26:00 +0000

Alan Moyer has been part of the Conrad Weiser football program for nearly four decades. “I bleed blue and white. It’s in my blood. It’s a family thing for me. Nobody misses a game. I love the school. I love everything that we’ve done here over the years,” he said. Moyer played linebacker and running back for the Scouts from 1982-84. The Shippensburg graduate spent 15 years as an assistant at Conrad Weiser. He’s about to enter his 20th season as the head coach in Robesonia. Moyer (133-80) has the most victories in school history. He was named Berks County Coach of the Year in 2018. The Scouts have finished with a winning record in 13 of the past 15 years. Moyer said, “We always want to talk about being a first-class organization. I think we’ve had tough, hard-nosed, bring your lunch pail to work type of kids. Kids that will hit you on a Friday night; win, lose or draw.” Conrad Weiser made its 17th appearance in the District 3 playoffs last season. The seventh-seeded Scouts fell to Big Spring 49-35 in the opening round of the Class 4A tournament. There will be a lot of new faces on the field in 2022. Only three starters return on each side of the ball. The record-setting duo of Logan Klitsch and Aanjay Feliciano has moved on to Dartmouth and Stetson respectively. Klitsch ended his career with 5,110 passing yards and 51 touchdown passes. Feliciano compiled 2,008 receiving yards and 23 touchdown grabs. Both were all-state picks in Class 4A. Promising sophomore Donovan Gingrich will take over for Klitsch. The coaching staff has high hopes for Gingrich. He’ll be targeting senior Trey Dianna who had 40 catches a season ago. Sevon Parham and Ousmane Conde will handle the running back duties. They’re both juniors. Parham will also be counted on heavily on defense. The linebacker was Conrad Weiser’s second-leading tackler last year with 48. The defensive line includes Jake Fox (6’4, 320), Nate Casiano (6’5, 310), and Evan Miller who started at DE as a freshman. Moyer acknowledged that his team will have to mature quickly in the gauntlet that is Section 4 of the new Lancaster-Lebanon League. Their league schedule includes Wyomissing, Berks Catholic, Cocalico, and Lampeter-Strasburg. Wyomissing is ranked #2 in the state by PennLive in 3A. L-S is #7 in 4A. Moyer joked, “I sleep like a baby…I wake up every two hours and cry.” The Scouts’ roster is up from 47 players to almost 70 this season. After many years, Conrad Weiser and Tulpehocken finally reached a cooperative agreement. Moyer admitted that he opposed the proposal in the past because it could bump his team up a classification. The longtime coach had a change of heart. “I looked myself in the mirror a lot. I brag so much about this great sport and giving kids the opportunity to play, and here I am the guy that’s holding it up. You know, not allowing some kids to play from another district,” he said candidly. Moyer told me that he’s happy to have the six Tulpehocken students on his squad. He added that they’re working hard. The Scouts open the season next Friday against Garden Spot.

Alan Moyer-Conrad Weiser

Paul Roberts — Sat, 23 Oct 2021 00:52:00 +0000

The Scouts led Kutztown 21-14 early in the second quarter before turning it on and cruising to a 62-30 victory. It was senior night in Robesonia. Head coach Alan Moyer told me that group of players has really improved over the course of the season. There are 14 seniors on the Conrad Weiser roster. We discussed the dynamic QB-WR combination of Logan Klitsch and Aanjay Feliciano. Klitsch threw for 139 yards and 4TD against the Cougars. Feliciano had seven catches for 136 yards and 3TD. Freshman QB Donavan Gingrich replaced Klitsch with 1:44 left in the second quarter. Gingrich went 4-for-4 for 67 yards and a score. Moyer talked about his potential. He also praised senior linebacker Brett Organtini and senior running back Cole Rothermel. Organtini had 115 tackles in the Scouts’ first eight games. Rothermel ran for 81 yards and 2TD on ten carries vs. Kutztown. The Scouts are (7-2) with undefeated Wyomissing coming up next. Moyer knows that will be a tough challenge against a well-coached team.

Alan Moyer-Conrad Weiser

Paul Roberts — Sat, 18 Sep 2021 00:42:00 +0000

The Scouts extended their winning streak to three with an exciting 52-38 victory over Fleetwood. Logan Klitsch threw for 330 yards and ran for 145 more. He had seven combined TD! Aanjay Feliciano finished with six catches for 159 yards and 2TD. Josh Pazdrick hauled in four passes for 94 yards and a TD. Cole Rothermel ran for 76 yards on 16 carries. Moyer told me that it’s a blessing to have a quarterback like Klitsch, and several playmakers around him. We also discussed a defensive adjustment that the Scouts made to try and slow down Tanner Maddocks. I asked Moyer for his early impressions on Section 2 of the Berks Football League. Finally, he talked about the environment in Robesonia on a Friday night.

Alan Moyer-Conrad Weiser

Paul Roberts — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 21:14:00 +0000

Alan Moyer has been a mainstay in Robesonia. He played RB/LB for the Scouts from 1982-‘84. Moyer was an assistant football coach for 15 years and is now in his 19th season as head coach. He holds the school record for wins with 126. Moyer has guided the Scouts to 12 winning seasons over the past 14 years. He’s one of only four head coaches in program history. Moyer was named Section 1 Coach of the Year five times. Conrad Weiser finished (6-1, 5-0) last season and qualified for the District 3-4A playoffs. The Scouts dropped their opener this season at Cocalico 36-21. Moyer said coaching is about a lot more than the X’s and O’s. He told me about some unsung heroes on this year’s team. Moyer believes more college coaches should be showing interest in senior QB Logan Klitsch. He also gave his thoughts on the upcoming merger with the Lancaster-Lebanon League.