Bruce – Berks Sports Report

Bruce Harbach-Schuylkill Valley

Paul Roberts — Thu, 12 Oct 2023 13:08:00 +0000

Bruce Harbach gave a very simple message to his team last week. “The last four games, you’re playing for a Section championship. You can determine your own fate,” he emphasized. The (6-1, 4-0) Panthers took care of business at Columbia last Friday 28-12. Schuylkill Valley extended its winning streak to six. Next up, the (4-3) Hamburg Hawks in the 49th edition of the Frost Bowl. The Hawks have a slight edge in the rivalry (24-23-1), but the Panthers won 41-34 a season ago. All-State running back Dom Giuffre finished with 300 rushing yards and four touchdowns in that shootout. Giuffre won’t be available on Friday due to an arm injury suffered at Kutztown on September 15th. The speedy 175-pound senior is practicing without contact, and is expected to return before the end of the season. Giuffre is averaging 6.1 yards per carry with six combined touchdowns. Despite missing a significant piece to the puzzle, Schuylkill Valley remains unbeaten in league play while putting up 31 points a night. “That says a lot about the character of our football team and the hard work the kids put in,” said Harbach. Logan Nawrocki has thrown for 1,300 yards with 16 TD and 5 INT. Kowen Gerner has emerged as the Panthers’ top receiver with 27 catches for 637 yards and nine scores. Dillon Lackner and tight end Luke Spotts (6’2, 200) are among the other targets in the passing attack. Nawrocki, Gerner, Lackner, and Spotts are all juniors. Versatile RB/DB Cooper Hohenadel is also part of that promising class. They helped Harbach surpass 150 career victories earlier this season. “I guess it means you’re getting older,” joked Harbach. The Wilson graduate has been in coaching for nearly 50 years. He went (139-55) over 16 years at Lancaster Catholic. Harbach guided the Crusaders to two state gold medals, four District titles, and eight Section championships in the Lancaster-Lebanon League. He’s trying to take Schuylkill Valley to the top of the Section 5 standings in his third season in Leesport. The road ahead is a bumpy one. After hosting Hamburg, the Panthers travel to (5-2, 4-0) Annville-Cleona and (6-1, 3-1) Lancaster Catholic. Harbach has been in plenty of big games over the years. He talked about the keys to building a successful program. “Surround yourself with good people; coaches, administration and players,” he replied.

Bruce Harbach-Schuylkill Valley

Paul Roberts — Sun, 16 Oct 2022 09:08:00 +0000

Dom Giuffre stole the headlines, but Schuylkill Valley head coach Bruce Harbach was praising several other players on Friday night. Sabier Mateo, Paul Engleman, Jadon Swain, Theo Wysocki, Christian Davila, and Alex Rider comprise the Panthers’ offensive line. That group, along with sophomore tight end Luke Spotts, controlled the line of scrimmage in a 41-34 victory at Hamburg. Although they may not be household names outside of Leesport, Harbach fully understands their importance. “You gotta give our offensive line a lot of credit. Those kids came to play. We got comments from some of the officials [who] said they haven’t seen blocking like that for awhile,” stated Harbach. Schuylkill Valley ran for 371 yards and stopped a 3-game skid in the Frost Bowl. “I’m a Wilson guy, and I was in the Lancaster-Lebanon League for awhile, and I go ‘Frost Bowl, what’s the Frost Bowl’? But this meant a lot to the school, a lot to the community, [and] a lot to these kids,” said Harbach with a smile. He won 139 games and two state championships over 16 years at Lancaster Catholic. A crowd of about 1,500 witnessed an incredible performance from Giuffre. The 6’1, 165-pound junior finished with a career-high 304 yards and 4TD on 26 carries. His 63-yard score put the Panthers on top 17-3 early in the second quarter. Giuffre’s 96-yard touchdown run broke it open with two minutes remaining before halftime. Noah Wamsher converted a 43-yard field goal as time expired to give Schuylkill Valley even more momentum at the break. Harbach noted that it was their best first half effort all season. Giuffre’s last trip to the end zone was a 33-yard burst up the middle with 1:21 left in the third period. The Panthers held a 41-20 advantage entering the final quarter. Harbach, a former Wilson quarterback, brought up the names of John Gurski, Gerry Slemmer, and Doug Dahms when discussing their rushing attack. “When we go Power I, our kids get so excited. This is old school football man. Line up and here we come, try and stop us. I got that from Coach Gurski and Slemmer and Dahms. It’s a Wilson thing,” emphasized Harbach. This is his second year at the helm at Schuylkill Valley. After a (2-9) campaign a season ago, the (6-2, 5-0) Panthers are riding a 6-game winning streak. They’re tied with Lancaster Catholic atop the Section 5 standings. Those squads will meet on October 28th in Leesport. Schuylkill Valley’s roster has increased from 39 in 2021 to 56. They returned 17 starters. Hamburg leads the all-time series with the Panthers (24-23-1). The rivalry kicked off in 1970. Schuylkill Valley won the first seven matchups. The (6-2, 3-2) Hawks committed ten penalties for 75 yards and were plagued by several dropped passes. Xander Menapace went 18-of-31 for 180 yards and 2TD. The 6’4, 210-pound senior was held to 33 yards on a dozen carries. He had a 3-yard touchdown run called back in the second quarter due to a holding penalty. Pierce Mason, who has been dealing with an ankle injury, was limited to 42 yards before breaking free for a 36-yard score with 45 seconds to play. Mason has 944 rushing yards and 17TD this season. The Hawks were outgained 438-to-282. After dropping their first two games, the Panthers have turned things around. Harbach replied, “I think it’s their attitude. They started really buying into the game. They’re becoming students of the game a little bit more. They’re excited. We’re gonna be a tough out.”

Bruce Harbach-Schuylkill Valley

Paul Roberts — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 20:26:00 +0000

Bruce Harbach has been coaching football for 45 years. He led Lancaster Catholic to two state championships, four District 3 titles, eight Section crowns, and 139 victories over 16 seasons. The former Wilson quarterback was an assistant at Albright, West Chester, Reading, Wilson, and most recently Conrad Weiser. He told me that teams make the biggest jump from Year 1 to Year 2 under a new coaching staff. This is Harbach’s second season at the helm in Leesport. “These kids gotta know how to win. They have to know how to finish,” he stressed. That didn’t happen in Schuylkill Valley’s season opener last Friday against Twin Valley. The Panthers finished with five turnovers, including three in the red zone, and committed ten penalties. Despite gaining nearly 400 yards, Schuylkill Valley fell to Twin Valley 39-12. Dominic Giuffre, a 165-pound junior, ran for 144 yards and two touchdowns. Senior quarterback Michael Goad was 19-of-31 for 218 yards and two interceptions. Harbach mentioned that sophomores Luke Spotts and Dillon Lackner are players to keep an eye on. Spotts can play wide receiver or tight end at 6’1 and 200 pounds. He had six receptions for 94 yards versus Twin Valley. Lackner, who has some of the best hands on the team, chipped in with four catches for 38 yards. The Panthers return nine starters on offense and eight on defense. Another positive is that their roster has increased from 39 a season ago to 56. Harbach is excited to be part of the new Lancaster-Lebanon League. He replied, “I was one of the first on board because of knowing that we’re down in Section 5. It’s parity. Playing schools that are similar to us, and everybody has a chance to win. That’s the nice thing about it.” It also means that Harbach will have a chance to face Lancaster Catholic. “It’s gonna be fun. I think we’ll have a great crowd here. Hopefully, it’s for the Section championship. That’s gonna be special and it’s here,” he said. Harbach guided the Crusaders to state titles in 2009 and 2011. He stepped down at Lancaster Catholic in 2017. Harbach emphasized that right now he’s only concerned with preparing for Upper Perkiomen. Schuylkill Valley travels there this Friday. The Indians got crushed by Boyertown last week 61-0. We also talked about his induction this summer into the Berks County Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Harbach was honored to be recognized by his peers. “I just like working with the kids, seeing them progress. Being on the field, calling plays, interacting with other coaches and other teams is great,” he said.

Bruce Harbach-Schuylkill Valley

Paul Roberts — Wed, 29 Sep 2021 20:40:00 +0000

Bruce Harbach had a tremendous run at Lancaster Catholic. He went (139-55) with two state championships, four District 3 titles, and eight Section championships over 16 seasons. Harbach is enjoying his first year as the head coach in Leesport. He told me about one of the big differences between coaching at Schuylkill Valley and Lancaster Catholic. We discussed the competition in Section 2 of the Berks Football League, and the upcoming merger with the L-L League. Harbach spent the past few years as the strength and conditioning coach at Conrad Weiser. His (2-3) Panthers are preparing to face the Scouts on Friday. Harbach also talked about how valuable senior QB Drew Campbell is to his team.