Wilson looks to bounce back at Muhlenberg this Friday. The Bulldogs committed six turnovers in a 35-23 loss at Central Bucks West. As I first reported yesterday, Justice Hardy’s shoulder injury is not believed to be serious. If his rehab goes well this week, there’s a chance that Hardy could play against Muhlenberg. Keep in mind, however, that Wilson faces Manheim Township in Week 4. The Bulldogs will definitely want the two-time All-State pick ready for that key Section 1 battle.

Exeter heads south to York High this Friday. The Bearcats lost their opener to Harrisburg 40-19 before defeating Hempfield 32-21 a week ago. John Vellon is off to a great start for York. The speedy 5’8, 160-pound junior has 18 carries for 155 yards and a touchdown. Vellon also leads the team with 9 receptions for 94 yards and 2 TD.

Conrad Weiser is one position higher in my poll this week. The Scouts are preparing for another Thursday night contest. This time they’re on the road versus Eastern York. The (0-2) Golden Knights are relying heavily on sophomore quarterback Brady Cook. He’s 18-of-35 for 247 yards with 3 TD and 4 INT. Cook has a team-high 19 carries for another 176 yards and a score.

Muhlenberg got bumped up one spot after knocking off rival Reading 50-14 at Albright’s Shirk Stadium. The Muhls are taking on Wilson for the first time since 2008. The Bulldogs rolled to a 46-0 win in that District 3-4A quarterfinal.

Boyertown is back in my rankings following a 28-21 comeback victory at Gov. Mifflin. The Bears ended a 10-game losing streak to the Mustangs. Boyertown hosts Unionville this Thursday at 7pm. The Longhorns fell to Great Valley in overtime before beating Academy Park 17-8 in Week 2. Gov. Mifflin visits Hempfield this Friday. The Black Knights split their first two games.

Berks Catholic dropped out of my poll after allowing 88 points in two weeks. The (0-2) Saints have another difficult test on Friday when they host Bethlehem Catholic. Senior quarterback Axel Burkart (6’4, 210) recently committed to New Hampshire. He played quarterback, tight end, and defensive end for the Golden Hawks a season ago. As a junior, Burkart passed for 1,475 yards and 12 TD while only starting four games at quarterback. He added eight touchdowns on the ground. Bethlehem Catholic is (2-0) with wins over Delaware Valley and Allentown Central Catholic.

Without further ado, here are my new Berks County high school football rankings. Remember that no matter where your favorite team is ranked, the sun will come out tomorrow!

“The Great 8”

1.Twin Valley (2-0)

2.Wilson (1-1)

3.Exeter (1-1)

4.Wyomissing (0-1)

5.Conrad Weiser (2-0)

6.Muhlenberg (1-1)

7.Boyertown (1-1)

8.Gov. Mifflin (0-2)

The Scouts improved to (2-0) despite being limited to 130 total yards and 2 yards per carry. The (0-2) Spartans had three touchdowns called back and committed several encroachment penalties. “A lot of mistakes and miscues on their part, but we talked about that in the game plan. We thought we could take advantage of some of those things and we certainly did…Discipline is a big part of the game,” explained Moyer. Milton Hershey was without junior quarterback Kamari Cooper. He was injured by a questionable tackle in a 20-18 loss to rival Hershey last week.

The Spartans and Scouts both lost fumbles on their opening drives. On Milton Hershey’s second possession, a 26-yard touchdown run by Gomes Pedro was negated by a holding penalty. Conrad Weiser junior defensive end Lincoln Harting forced a fumble early in the second quarter. Luke Walter picked up the loose ball and returned it 45 yards for the first touchdown of his career. “I saw Lincoln come in and make that big tackle, punch the ball out. I scooped it up, saw my lane and went for the touchdown. It felt great,” replied Walter. Moyer added, “That’s our turnover drill. We do that twice a week, every week in spring ball up until now. One of the stations in the turnover circuit is the scoop and score. It’s nice to see it come to fruition.” Walter, a senior linebacker, is 5’8 and 175 pounds. “As long as you work your hardest and give your full effort, that’s all that matters. You don’t have to be the biggest, the strongest, or the fastest,” emphasized Walter. The extra point was missed which made it 6-0 with 11:28 to go in the first half.

The Scouts’ defense, which includes six returning starters, came up big again midway through the second quarter. On fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line, the Spartans put sophomore Halo Allen in the shotgun. He ran to his right, but Brennon Bond and Cam Colon combined on the tackle for a 1-yard loss. After forcing Conrad Weiser to punt, it looked like Milton Hershey got on the scoreboard. However, Calvin Gumbs-Jacobs had a punt return touchdown wiped out by a block in the back with 36 seconds on the clock. Moments later, a 50-yard TD pass from Blann Harris to Gumbs-Jacobs was erased by a holding penalty.

Elijah Gibbs, a junior defensive tackle, blocked a punt and recovered the ball at the Scouts’ 40-yard line midway through the third period. Pedro broke free up the middle for a 24-yard touchdown run. The extra point was blocked which kept the game even at 6-6. A punt by Conrad Weiser running back Kole Kupper pushed the Spartans back to the 8-yard line with 8:49 left to play. That kick shifted field position in favor of the Scouts. Sophomore Kellen Stoy returned a Milton Hershey punt from midfield to the 27-yard line with 7:12 remaining. On fourth-and-1 from the 19-yard line, Kupper picked up two yards to move the chains. Conrad Weiser then took a big loss back to the 30-yard line. On third-and-22, Connor Sellars stepped up in the pocket and found Tyler Keppley down the left sideline for a pivotal 27-yard pass. That led to a fourth-and-goal opportunity from inside the 1-yard line. Sellars kept it himself for a tiebreaking score with 1:20 to go.

The Spartans didn’t go away quietly. Will Davies took a short kickoff to the 49-yard line with 1:15 left. On fourth-and-four, Harris hit Whitehead-Walker on a wide receiver screen. The 150-pound sophomore slipped a tackle and went down the left sideline to the Scouts’ 34-yard line. Harris connected with Whitehead-Walker again moments later on a deep ball down the left sideline. The pass was right on the money and Whitehead-Walker made a sliding catch for a touchdown. Milton Hershey opted to go for two points and the lead with 47 seconds remaining. They put Allen in the shotgun and he tried to run up the middle, but Bond was the first to make contact for Conrad Weiser. Kupper and Harting combined on the hit. Allen tried to throw the ball as he was being driven backward, however, his pass bounced at the 1-yard line. The Scouts’ defense had answered the call one more time. “I think it shows our toughness, our grit, and the way we stay together throughout the entire game. We never let down,” stated Walter.

Kupper, who ran for 202 yards and 4 TD against Schuylkill Valley in Week 1, was held to 62 yards on 25 carries. Conrad Weiser ran the ball 40 times for only 80 yards. They faced a talented defensive line that included John Alicia (6’4, 275), Lawrence Delarosa (5’8, 291), Kobe Brown (6’3, 225), and Gibbs (6’1, 270). Sellars was 5-of-7 for 50 yards. The 5’9, 170-pound senior ran it nine times for 14 yards and a score. Keppley provided two receptions for 39 yards.

Harting (6’2, 235) made a big impact with four tackles, a fumble recovery, and a forced fumble. Linebackers Donte Wilkins, Bond, and Walter had five tackles apiece. Walter had blood on his cheek and a cut near his eye. He finished with 52 tackles as a junior in 2025. “He’s a valuable kid all over the field. He’s a straight-A student, great character kid. He’s a team leader on and off the field. He plays so much bigger than he is. He gives you everything he’s got,” said Moyer.

Week 2 is unique with eight teams from Berks County playing on Thursday. Reading, Muhlenberg, Wyomissing, Berks Catholic, Conrad Weiser, Daniel Boone, Fleetwood and Kutztown are all in action on Thursday.

The top five teams in my rankings remain the same this week. Wilson has a tough task this Friday night against a four-time PIAA champion. The Bulldogs travel to Central Bucks West. The Bucks hammered Easton 36-7 in their opener. CB West has won 47 games over the previous five years.

Twin Valley meets Susquehanna Township in Elverson on Friday. This is a rematch of the District 3-4A Championship which the Raiders won 41-21. The Indians have a pair of talented linebackers who transferred from Harrisburg. West Virginia commit Rick Brown (6’1, 220) had more than 100 tackles in each of the past two seasons for the Cougars. Sophomore Titus Brown (6’, 225) is the younger brother of West Virginia freshman offensive tackle Kevin Brown.

Exeter takes on Spring-Ford this Friday at Don Thomas Stadium. The Rams are the defending Pioneer Athletic Conference champs. They knocked off Souderton 31-14 last week.

Wyomissing heads to Philadelphia on Thursday afternoon. The Spartans battle Frankford at 3:30pm. Did you know that Bob Wolfrum’s father was once the head coach at Frankford.

Berks Catholic hosts Executive Education Academy on Thursday. Make a note of the 6pm kickoff. The Raptors try to bounce back from a heartbreaking defeat. They lost to Northern Lehigh 17-14 on a last second field goal.

Conrad Weiser jumps into my poll after beating Schuylkill Valley 27-13. The Scouts square off with Milton Hershey on Thursday night in Robesonia. The Spartans fell to rival Hershey 20-18 in Week 1.

Bragging rights are on the line Thursday night at Albright’s Shirk Stadium. Muhlenberg and Reading continue their heated rivalry at 7pm. The Muhls toppled the Red Knights 48-0 last fall. Muhlenberg dropped one spot in this week’s poll after getting run over by Cocalico 40-21.

Gov. Mifflin entertains Boyertown this Friday in Shillington. The Bears fell out of my rankings following a 24-0 loss to Upper Perkiomen. Speaking of the Indians, they host Fleetwood this Thursday at 7pm. As mentioned earlier, Daniel Boone is also playing on Thursday. The (1-0) Blazers face Pottstown at 7pm. The Trojans began the season with a 53-0 rout of Harriton.

Without further ado, here’s my new Berks County high school football poll. Remember that no matter where your favorite team is ranked, the sun will come out tomorrow!

“The Great 8”

1.Wilson (1-0)

2.Twin Valley (1-0)

3.Exeter (1-0)

4.Wyomissing (0-1)

5.Berks Catholic (0-1)

6.Conrad Weiser (1-0)

7.Muhlenberg (0-1)

8.Gov. Mifflin (0-1)

Despite returning just two starters on offense from a (10-1, 6-0) squad, Conrad Weiser got off to a fast start last fall. The Scouts rallied to top Fleetwood 26-23 and improved to (4-0). However, their 14-game regular season winning streak came to a halt the following week with a 20-7 loss at Manheim Central. Conrad Weiser ended 2025 on a six-game slide while dealing with several injuries.

Connor Sellars is back for his second year at quarterback. As a junior, he threw for 762 yards and four touchdowns with seven interceptions. Sellars is one of the top wrestlers at the school with 90 career victories. He went (37-9) last season at 145 pounds. The Scouts will have a lot of new faces at the skill positions. Javien Rivera, Dylan Parr, Joseph DePrince, Brayden Sweitzer, and Kaiden Leonard all graduated. Rivera led the team with 546 rushing yards and 20 receptions. He was named a first team running back in Section 3. Kole Kupper, a rising junior, will be the primary ball carrier this season. “He ran kickoffs for us last year, pretty shifty guy,” replied Kase. Kupper only had 22 carries during his sophomore campaign.

Kase provides versatility along the line of scrimmage. The 6’, 260-pound senior will likely start at guard or center. “Ryan is a veteran player with many games under his belt. We expect him to be a force on the offensive line,” noted head coach Alan Moyer. Kase excels in the classroom with a 4.0 GPA. His older brother, Adam, went on to play football at Kutztown University. Lincoln Harting and Westyn Ulrich are also back on the offensive line for Conrad Weiser.

The Scouts will miss Eugene Booth and Chase Colon along the defensive front. They were both first team DL selections in Section 3. Booth is at Division I New Haven. Seniors Luke Walter and Ethan Reinard will lead the linebacker corps. Walter finished with a team-high 52 tackles in 2025. Conrad Weiser returns a-half dozen starters on each side of the ball.

Moyer is entering his 24th season at the helm in Robesonia. The former Scouts’ RB/LB owns the school record with 152 wins. “He has a great mentality about the game. He’s very business-oriented, and then he gets on the field and he has the biggest smile on his face. I love him,” said Kase. Moyer has guided Conrad Weiser to 14 winning seasons over the past 19 years.

The Scouts begin the season at home against Schuylkill Valley on August 28th. They then have back-to-back Thursday night games versus Milton Hershey and at Eastern York. Conrad Weiser hosts Wyomissing on October 16th. The Scouts travel to Lampeter-Strasburg the following week before wrapping up the regular season at Daniel Boone on October 30th. “I’m so ready. I think senior year is gonna be a pretty good one,” emphasized Kase.