Bulldogs – Berks Sports Report

Matt Coldren-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 14:35:41 +0000

Central Dauphin and Wilson held the top two spots in the District 3-6A power rankings entering Monday. Their battle in West Lawn went down to the wire. The Bulldogs knocked off the Rams 59-53 in a potential playoff preview. “In my opinion, that’s the best starting five in our district…I think we proved ourselves a little bit tonight,” said Wilson coach Matt Coldren. All-County guard and All-State football player Madyx Gruber is comfortable playing in big games. The 5’11 senior poured in 27 points and knocked down six 3-pointers. “He was really fantastic. He was feeling it early. When he’s feeling it, we pretty much don’t run stuff. We let him do his thing,” noted Coldren. Gruber exploded for 19 points and hit five triples in the first half. He’s up to 958 career points. The (11-2) Rams trailed 25-15 in the second quarter. Standout sophomore Shakur Starling got his third foul midway through that period. The 6’2 guard finished with ten points and seven rebounds. A breakaway dunk by Wayne Fletcher II in the final seconds of the half tied it at 32-32. The 6’3 Navy commit ended up with a team-high 18 points and seven boards. “He’s a great player. He’s the best player that we have faced this year. He’s a tough matchup. He’s a 3-level scorer,” stated Coldren. Fletcher II has 1,046 career points. His father is in his seventh season as the head coach at Central Dauphin. Like Coldren, he also played basketball for Kutztown University. Gruber drilled a trey from the right wing to end the third quarter and expand the Bulldogs’ cushion to 50-42. That lead quickly evaporated as the Rams scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter. Gruber drove to the basket and found Luke Levan for a layup to make it 54-51. A putback by Jelani Easter got Central Dauphin within 55-53 with 52 seconds remaining. Easter, a 6’5 junior, provided 15 points, five rebounds and five assists. Tommy McFadden sank a pair of free throws with 47 seconds left. After Khalil Roberts missed a layup, McFadden went 2-for-2 again at the foul line with 12 seconds to go. The Albany soccer commit played great defense and converted at the charity stripe when the rest of the team was struggling. Wilson was 9-of-18 from the free throw line, while the Rams went 8-of-9. The (13-2) Bulldogs did an outstanding job of taking care of the ball. They only committed four turnovers and had none in the second half. “To have four turnovers is pretty amazing so kudos to our guys. They stepped up to the occasion. I’m super proud of them,” said Coldren. Correll Akings added a dozen points and made two of Wilson’s eight 3-pointers. Levan, a 6’6 senior, chipped in with ten points. “It was a great team effort. Every guy that played for us contributed in big ways. That’s what you need to do when you play good teams,” emphasized Coldren.

Madyx Gruber-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Sat, 04 Jan 2025 13:34:07 +0000

Wilson’s first game of 2025 didn’t get off to a great start. Manheim Township jumped out to an 8-0 lead which prompted longtime head coach Matt Coldren to call a timeout. “He was livid,” said Madyx Gruber. The Bulldogs got Coldren’s message loud and clear. They responded with a 14-to-1 run and went on to win 55-48 in West Lawn. Gruber knocked down three 3-pointers in the first quarter and finished with 19 points. The 5’11 senior guard also grabbed seven rebounds. Ty Gray led the (7-4) Blue Streaks with 22 points. The 6’ senior guard came into Friday averaging nearly 18 points per game. Manheim Township trailed 14-11 after eight minutes and 30-22 at halftime. Wilson expanded its cushion to double digits, but the Blue Streaks didn’t go down easily. They began the fourth quarter with a 7-to-2 run and pulled within 46-43. Gray provided all seven of those points. He ended up with nine in the quarter. Gruber answered with his fourth trey of the night from the top of the key. Manheim Township had a chance to get within one point late, but Ellis Vorhis Witmer missed a pair of free throws. Correll Akings sank a pair of foul shots to make it 53-48 with 1:10 remaining. The junior guard chipped in with a dozen points. Gruber split two free throws with 31 seconds left to give the Bulldogs a 54-48 edge. He was pleased with how they executed in a tight spot. “At practice, we prepare for those moments. We were prepared well,” noted Gruber. Wilson only committed nine turnovers. The (9-2) Bulldogs held the Blue Streaks well below their season average of 62 ppg. Senior guards Jordan Pettigrew (12) and Rocky Mack (8) combined for 20 points. Manheim Township went 7-of-12 from the foul line, while Wilson was just 9-for-18. Luke Levan, a 6’6 senior, had ten points. “We need to feed him the ball. He has a mismatch. We need to give him the ball and let him do his thing,” emphasized Gruber. Tommy McFadden added eight points and seven rebounds. The 6’1 senior committed to Albany for soccer this week. Gruber was recently named to the PA Football Writers’ All-State team. He guided Wilson past Manheim Township 34-16 for the Section 1 championship in the Lancaster-Lebanon League. Gruber threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score. He was looking forward to facing the Blue Streaks on the court. “I knew it was gonna be a good game just because it was Manheim. I was really excited. I know my teammates were excited. It was fun,” said Gruber.

Matt Coldren-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 15:09:50 +0000

It’s not how you start, but how you finish that matters. Coaches in all sports have often used that old adage. Wilson head coach Matt Coldren had a different opinion after a tense 44-41 win at rival Gov. Mifflin. “I think getting off to the great start won us the game,” said Coldren. A 3-pointer by Madyx Gruber gave the Bulldogs a 9-0 advantage with 4:39 left in the opening quarter. The Mustangs went nearly four minutes without scoring. Gruber finished with a game-high 19 points and went 5-of-6 from the free throw line. “What stood out to me was he didn’t press. They were denying him a lot. He didn’t have as many touches as he normally does. He’s a gamer. He makes shots that most guys can’t make,” noted Coldren. Wilson was in front 17-6 after eight minutes and 24-13 at halftime. The Mustangs trailed 36-26 entering the fourth quarter which is when things heated up. Gov. Mifflin went on a 12-to-3 run and pulled within 39-38 on a triple by Matt Koehler with 1:50 left. Koehler had a team-high 17 points, including a dozen in the second half. “His game has really evolved. Last year I thought he was strictly a 3-point shooter, much easier to guard. He’s taking advantage of his size now. He’s kind of a tough matchup for us,” explained Coldren. Koehler, a 6’3 senior, missed a 3-pointer that would have given the Mustangs their first lead with 50 seconds remaining. Correll Akings sank two clutch foul shots with 31 seconds to play to extend the Bulldogs’ cushion to 41-38. After Stephen Mayo missed a layup, Gruber made two more free throws for the (5-1) Bulldogs. Gov. Mifflin senior point guard Andrew Galantuomo banked in a 40-foot shot to make it 43-41 with two seconds to go. Gruber then went 1-of-2 from the charity stripe. The Mustangs’ inbounds pass was deflected by Cam Zullinger at half-court and fittingly ended up in the arms of Gruber. Akings chipped in with nine points and Tommy McFadden added six. Wilson starts four seniors and brings three more off the bench. “We’ve been there. We’ve got a lot of guards who have been in this situation before,” emphasized Coldren. The Bulldogs are the defending BCIAA champions. After going (15-29) over the past two seasons, the Mustangs are back on track under first-year head coach Garrett Etzel. They beat Muhlenberg and Berks Catholic last week. “I’m a Garrett Etzel fan. I think he was a great player…and I have a lot of respect for him. I’m happy for him,” said Coldren. There are ten seniors on Gov. Mifflin’s roster. Ian Fleming, the lone junior in their starting lineup, contributed twelve points. The (4-2) Mustangs were 5-of-9 from the free throw line, while Wilson went 12-for-16. The Bulldogs connected four times from beyond the arc. Gov. Mifflin splashed just two 3-pointers and one was the long range bomb by Galantuomo before the buzzer. The attendance in Shillington was 1,150 for this Division 1 battle in the Berks Conference. “Our division is gonna be a dog fight every night,” stated Coldren.

“I’ll be Back”-Doug Dahms

Paul Roberts — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 13:14:38 +0000

Doug Dahms has been a mainstay at Wilson High School for many years. Dahms confirmed to me that he will be back as the Bulldogs’ head football coach in 2025. He holds the school record for wins with a mark of (196-44) over 19 seasons. Dahms has the highest winning percentage (81.7%) in Berks County history.

Wilson finished (11-2, 6-0) this fall. The Bulldogs earned their record 29th Section 1 championship by winning 34-16 at Manheim Township in Week 10. Both teams were ranked in the top 10 in the state in Class 6A at the time. Wilson advanced to the District 3-6A championship game before falling to Harrisburg 42-14.

Wilson’s football program has been a model of consistency. The Bulldogs hold the state record with 49 consecutive winning seasons. They haven’t had a losing year since 1963. Dahms started as an assistant coach in West Lawn in 1976. He was part of 264 victories as an assistant before becoming the head coach.

Gov. Mifflin holds off Wilson

Paul Roberts — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 15:12:53 +0000

How did the Gov. Mifflin girls basketball team get out of West Lawn with a win? “That’s a good question,” replied Mustangs’ head coach Mike Clark with a laugh. Gov. Mifflin beat rival Wilson 47-45 in a nailbiter on Monday night. “The kids gutted it out…I don’t know how we actually pulled it out,” said Clark. He’s in his 13th season with the Mustangs and recently surpassed 300 career victories. Clark went (93-18) over four years at Oley Valley which included a District 3 championship in 2011. His Mustangs got all they could handle from a short-handed Bulldogs squad. All-County point guard Laila Jones is out with a torn ACL and All-Division forward Violet Houck didn’t play due to a hamstring injury. The 5’11 junior is expected back soon. Wilson trailed 14-7 in the first quarter before scoring the last five points of the period. Ryan Leaman hit a jumper from the left wing at the buzzer that was ruled a 3-pointer, although video showed that her feet were inside the line. Bella Super had a dozen points in the first half as Gov. Mifflin took a 27-24 lead into the break. Laura Crocona, a 5’7 junior, scored eight of her eleven points in the third quarter. The Bulldogs were down 39-38 entering the final period. Leaman drilled a trey from the right wing to put Wilson on top 45-42 with five and a-half minutes remaining. The 5’7 sophomore started in place of Houck and provided nine points. Kailani Hardy, an electric 5’9 sophomore, finished with a team-high 13 points. Both teams went scoreless for nearly three minutes until Super connected from beyond the arc to even it up at 45-45. Her 3-pointer from the right wing rattled around, popped up in the air, and fell through the net with 2:40 left. The 5’8 sophomore had a game-high 20 points. “Sometimes she played out of control, but she also made some good shots,” noted Clark. Bridget Martin fired a nice bounce pass to Mia Vasquez on the left block with 59 seconds to play. Vasquez was fouled and sank both free throws for a 47-45 advantage. “That was great,” said Clark about his 5’10 senior center. Vasquez was in foul trouble in the first half when the Mustangs struggled to rebound. They start three sophomores and a freshman. Hardy missed a driving attempt to tie the game, but Gov. Mifflin committed a turnover on the ensuing possession. Janai Tisdale was tied up while trying to drive down the right side of the lane with six seconds remaining. The arrow was in the Bulldogs’ favor, however, Brooklyn George stole the inbounds pass under the basket. George, a 5’6 sophomore, contributed ten points including two of the Mustangs’ five 3-pointers. Martin and Vasquez added seven points apiece. The (5-1) Mustangs went 8-of-14 from the free throw line, while the (2-4) Bulldogs were 8-of-12. The two schools are separated by just a few miles. “You can throw the records out when they play,” stated Clark.

Kingston McKoy-Berks Catholic

Paul Roberts — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 05:51:30 +0000

Kingston McKoy has scored 62 points in the first three games of the season, but it was his assist that helped Berks Catholic hold off Wilson on Monday night. McKoy was trapped in the corner with 30 seconds left when he threw a pass over the top of the Bulldogs’ defense. Zach Suski grabbed the ball just past half-court and went in for a twisting layup. Suski made the shot and drew a foul. His three-point play gave the Saints a 53-49 edge. They went on to beat Wilson 54-49 in West Lawn. “That closed the game for us in my opinion. I got buried down too deep in the corner. That one was on me. I should’ve stayed up a little higher…Thankfully, he converted. That was a great layup on his part,” said McKoy. After Suski’s bucket, Jon Etim missed a 3-pointer. Freshman Carmelo Harper then sank 1-of-2 from the foul line with 21 seconds remaining. Harper provided eleven points off the bench. “He’s gonna be great. I love his game. He’s got the pullup, the 3 down, and he can finish. He’s crafty. He can get a bucket whenever he wants,” emphasized McKoy. Gavin Welker, a transfer from Daniel Boone, got Berks Catholic off to an incredible start. The 6’2 junior forward scored all eight of his points in the first five and a-half minutes. “Gavin is a great addition. He does everything on the court. His rebounding is great and he can shoot the ball,” noted McKoy. The (3-0) Saints raced out to a 14-0 advantage. Correll Akings’ putback before the buzzer accounted for the Bulldogs only points in the opening period. Harper started the second quarter with a trey and Berks Catholic went on to build a 19-2 cushion. The Bulldogs trailed 29-16 at halftime. Wilson looked like a different team in the third quarter. The Bulldogs went on a 22-to-6 run. Correll Akings hit three straight triples to put Wilson in front for the first time at 38-35 with two and a-half minutes to go in the third period. The Saints bounced back and led 42-40 entering the fourth quarter. A layup by Luke Levan pulled the Bulldogs within 50-49. The 6’5 senior ended up with eight points. Suski’s breakaway bucket made it a two possession game. He had eight points. McKoy and Akings finished with 18 points apiece. McKoy was responsible for four of Berks Catholic’s seven 3-pointers. All five of Wilson’s long range field goals came in the third quarter. Madyx Gruber, an All-County selection, had 14 points. Wilson went just 8-of-15 from the free throw line, while the Saints were 5-of-9. The (2-1) Bulldogs were limited to nine points over the last eight minutes. Wilson senior guard Tommy McFadden and Berks Catholic junior guard Brady Altimar were back in action. McFadden had been out with an illness and Altimar was dealing with an ankle injury. McKoy, a third team All-State pick last season, loves facing tough competition. “Playing those games is what I live for. Those games are really fun. Moving up to Division 1, we’re gonna have a lot of those games. That’s what really makes a good basketball team,” replied McKoy.

Wilson tops Liberty in Nailbiter

Paul Roberts — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 18:22:32 +0000

Wilson versus Liberty was a highly anticipated matchup in the CoBL Winter Classic at Exeter High School. The Bulldogs and Hurricanes didn’t disappoint. Wilson pulled out a gutsy 45-43 victory on Saturday night. The Bulldogs were without All-County soccer player Tommy McFadden due to an illness. Jon Etim made two free throws with six seconds left to put Wilson on top. Jake Pukszyn’s heave from just inside half-court hit the backboard and then the back of the rim at the buzzer. The 6’3 junior and standout football player led Liberty with 17 points. Pukszyn had seven points over the last eight minutes. The Hurricanes were the District 11-6A runner-up a season ago. They brought back four starters from a 20-win squad. The Bulldogs are the defending BCIAA champions with a very experienced team. Wilson got off to a slow start and fell behind 13-4. Jarrell Teague sank two 3-pointers and scored eight points in the opening quarter. The 5’11 junior ended up with 15 points. Madyx Gruber kept the Bulldogs in the game. The All-County guard reeled off Wilson’s first 15 points. The star quarterback had a game-high 21 points, despite not making a shot in the second half. Gruber was 6-for-6 from the free throw line. Liberty was in front 24-21 at halftime. Cam Zullinger’s trey gave the Bulldogs a 27-26 edge. They had a slim 33-31 advantage entering the fourth quarter. Correll Akings connected from long range to make it 39-38 midway through the final period. The 5’10 guard provided eleven points. Chase Dusseau came off the Hurricanes’ bench and splashed a triple that tied it at 41-41 with three minutes remaining. Liberty was limited to two points the rest of the way. Pukszyn fouled Etim beyond the 3-point line in the final seconds. Etim, a senior guard, came through on his first free throw attempts of the night. He chipped in with six points. The (2-0) Bulldogs were 11-of-12 from the foul line. The (2-1) Hurricanes were just 2-of-5. They made five 3-pointers, one more than Wilson. The Bulldogs square off against another tough opponent on Monday night. They meet Berks Catholic in West Lawn. McFadden is expected to return for Wilson. The (2-0) Saints defeated Cumberland Valley and Pope John Paul II at the CoBL Winter Classic. All-State guard Kingston McKoy had 44 combined points for Berks Catholic.

Doug Dahms-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 01:29:31 +0000

Football coaches often say that speed kills. Harrisburg’s speed was on full display on Saturday afternoon at Don Thomas Stadium. The fourth-seeded Cougars beat second-seeded Wilson 42-14 in the District 3-6A Championship. “Their skill kids are off the charts and they’ve got speed everywhere. Their linebackers are fast, their linemen are fast. They’re an athletic group,” said Bulldogs’ head coach Doug Dahms. Harrisburg claimed its fourth straight District 3 title and seventh overall. The (11-2) Cougars outgained Wilson 306-to-155, including 150-to-26 on the ground. Penn State commit Messiah Mickens had two short touchdown runs to put Harrisburg in front 14-0 early in the second quarter. The 6’, 200-pound junior sacked Madyx Gruber three times from his defensive end position. Nehemiah Ewell broke off a 52-yard TD run down the left sideline with 4:22 left before halftime. The (11-2) Bulldogs responded with a 58-yard drive. Gruber’s 1-yard sneak made it 21-6 with 15 seconds remaining in the first half. The extra point was no good. Jayion Lewis hit Elias Coke over the middle for a 37-yard score on the Cougars’ opening possession of the third quarter. Coke had three catches for 110 yards before leaving with an injury. The 6’3, 200-pound junior was on crutches after the game. Coke has more than twenty Division I offers, including Penn State and Michigan. Lewis was 6-of-8 for 156 yards. D’Antae Sheffey, a Syracuse commit, increased the margin to 35-6 with a 10-yard TD run midway through the third period. Quincy Brannon then took a pop pass from Lewis and raced 30 yards down the right sideline with four minutes left in the third quarter. Brannon, a senior defensive back, added a team-high six tackles. Wilson got within 42-14 on Gruber’s 22-yard touchdown pass to sophomore tight end Mike Glover. That score came one minute into the final quarter. Gruber ended up 12-of-20 for 133 yards and two interceptions. He was under pressure most of the afternoon. Gruber threw for 2,018 yards and 25 TD this year after making the switch from wide receiver. “He’s the reason we were what we were. He was our offense, no doubt about it. Who knew he was gonna be that good,” said Dahms with a smile. Despite returning just two starters on defense and four on offense, the Bulldogs won their 29th Section 1 championship in the Lancaster-Lebanon League. They also completed their 49th consecutive winning season, a state record. “I think we grew a lot from the beginning of the year. Our underclassmen grew a lot and the senior leadership was there,” noted Dahms. He’s (196-44) over 19 seasons in West Lawn. Dahms, who started as an assistant at Wilson in 1976, owns the highest winning percentage in Berks County history.

Mike Glover-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Sat, 16 Nov 2024 06:30:25 +0000

Central York entered Friday’s District 3-6A semifinal averaging 38 points. Junior quarterback Brooklyn Nace had thrown for 2,147 yards and 27 TD in eleven games. However, the third-seeded Panthers managed just 3 points and 71 yards in the second half of a 28-20 loss at Wilson. “I’m so proud of our defense. They did great. They gave our offense chances…our coaches made up a great game plan,” said Mike Glover. The 6’3, 220-pound sophomore TE/DE finished with five receptions for a game-high 117 yards and two touchdowns. Glover made a pivotal 61-yard catch with four minutes left. “It was just a go [route] and they didn’t stick with me so I was open. Madyx threw a great ball and I did what I could to get the yards,” explained Glover. He’s a nightmare for defenders to bring down. On fourth-and-13 with two and a-half minutes remaining, Madyx Gruber found Cam Zullinger for a 16-yard gain. On the next play, Correll Akings ran six yards off the left side for a score. Akings capped a quick 80-yard drive that put the second-seeded Bulldogs up 28-20 with 2:24 to go. Brendyn Smith returned the ensuing kickoff to Central York’s 46-yard line. On fourth-and-10 from Wilson’s 42-yard line, Nace overthrew UConn commit Saxton Suchanic down the right sideline with 35 seconds to play. Wilson fans could finally breathe a sigh of relief. The (11-1) Bulldogs extended their winning streak to nine. The Panthers end up (9-3). They outgained Wilson 292-to-283, but committed three turnovers and nine penalties. Sophomore running back Legend Johnson fumbled on Central York’s first two possessions, but the Bulldogs couldn’t take advantage of either red zone opportunity. On the Panthers’ third series, punter Matthew Parker fielded a low snap which caused his knee to touch the turf at the 13-yard line. This time Wilson cashed in with an 8-yard TD toss from Gruber to Zullinger. The senior tight end had five receptions for 49 yards. Central York responded immediately with a 66-yard bomb from Nace to Smith down the left sideline. It was 7-7 with 2:51 left in the first quarter at John Gurski Stadium. Smith, a 150-pound speedster, hauled in six catches for 107 yards. Johnson ripped off a 52-yard TD run up the middle to put the Panthers in front 14-7 with 8:16 remaining in the first half. The Bulldogs replied with an 80-yard drive. Gruber hit Glover for a 12-yard touchdown pass to even the score at 14-14. Nace then attempted a deep ball down the left sideline, but Jaiden Carpenter tipped the pass into Gruber’s hands for an interception. Three plays later, Glover boxed out his defender for an 18-yard touchdown grab. Wilson went just 34 yards for the 21-14 lead. In the final minute of the half, Gruber got hit and his fluttering pass was picked off by Dwayne Morgan at the 42-yard line. That set up a 56-yard field goal by Parker as time expired. The Penn State commit with a strong leg pulled Central York within 21-17 at the break. Parker added a 43-yard field goal with 4:40 to play. The Panthers were suddenly within 21-20. Gruber engineered an 80-yard drive when it mattered most. “We’ve got a great connection. He’s a dog back there…he takes hits all day and he just gets back up. He’s tough,” said Glover. Gruber went 13-of-24 for 172 yards and 3 TD. The first-year starter at quarterback was sacked five times. Akings was limited to 45 yards on 14 carries. Johnson ran for 123 yards on 17 carries for Central York. Nace was 18-of-32 for 171 yards. He was sacked four times. Mel Gaston, a 215-pound junior, had three tackles for loss. Junior outside linebacker Ethan Harding made a team-high eight tackles for the Bulldogs. Senior linebacker Christo Hunsicker added six tackles and a 71-yard punt on a very windy night. Wilson advanced to the District 3-6A championship game against Harrisburg. “A lot of critics were saying that we weren’t gonna go far because we didn’t have a lot of starters back. I always believed in my guys and I knew we could do this,” stated Glover.

Madyx Gruber-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Sat, 26 Oct 2024 06:12:44 +0000

It was fitting that Manheim Township’s final possession ended with an interception by Madyx Gruber. The 5’11, 160-pound senior threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score in a 34-16 victory at Neffsville. The (9-1, 6-0) Bulldogs claimed their record 29th Section 1 championship in the Lancaster-Lebanon League. “It feels so awesome. This is what we work for all season. I can’t even put words to describe it,” said Gruber. The (9-1, 5-1) Blue Streaks had won 21 of their previous 22 games. They were ranked #5 in the state in Class 6A by PennLive. Wilson marched 77 yards on 13 plays to begin this heavyweight battle. A tremendous leaping 20-yard reception by Christo Hunsicker on fourth-and-3 set up Correll Akings’ 1-yard score. Manheim Township responded by going 62 yards in just four plays. Declan Clancy broke free for a 42-yard run. The physical 195-pound senior capped the drive from five yards out. Clancy finished with 137 yards on 27 carries. He surpassed 1,600 rushing yards for the season. Early in the second quarter, Gruber scrambled to his left and launched a pass to Akings down the sideline for a 65-yard touchdown. Akings had 16 carries for 52 yards. The 5’10, 170-pound junior added three catches for 79 yards. “He’s a special athlete,” noted Gruber. They’re basketball teammates in the winter. The Bulldogs put together an 85-yard drive before halftime. Gruber found sophomore Michael Glover in the left corner of the end zone for a 10-yard TD. A two-point conversion run by Akings made it 22-7 with 2:35 remaining in the second period. The Blue Streaks got the ball first in the second half and went 57 yards on eleven plays. Taylor Veilleux, a 260-pound fullback, crashed in from the 1-yard line, however, the extra point was not good. Manheim Township trailed 22-13. Johnny Morales kicked a 21-yard field goal with 16 seconds left in the third quarter to cut Wilson’s lead to 22-16. The play of the night came with seven minutes to go. Gruber heaved the ball over the middle and Brady Kline made the reception between two defenders. The 235-pound tight end raced 15 yards for a 41-yard touchdown. “I was in disbelief…I underthrew him. It was a pretty bad ball and he made a play. I gotta give all the props to Brady,” replied Gruber. The two-point conversion failed, but the Bulldogs’ edge had grown to 28-16. With six minutes remaining, Wilson stuffed the Blue Streaks on fourth-and-1 at the 29-yard line. The Bulldogs took advantage of the short field. Gruber’s 4-yard touchdown run created a 34-16 cushion with 1:37 on the clock. He provided 55 rushing yards on 16 carries. Gruber’s mobility is a huge asset. “It’s really important. If I don’t have any receivers open, I’m gonna try to get the yards with my legs,” he explained. The converted wide receiver was 11-of-18 for 207 yards and one interception. Gruber, who also plays cornerback, picked off Carson Weisser’s deep ball at the 1-yard line with 19 seconds left. Weisser was 10-of-27 for 123 yards. Wilson outgained Manheim Township 376-312. The Blue Streaks entered the night averaging 39 points per game. They struggled in short yardage situations, and were hurt by ten penalties for 128 yards. Wilson’s defense adjusted quickly after Manheim Township’s opening drive. The Bulldogs will get a bye in the District 3-6A tournament. Their first playoff game will be on Friday, November 8th. “We’re not done yet,” stated Gruber.