Muhlenberg shut out Reading 48-0 in the “Battle of the Border” at Laureldale. Cam Small had five touchdown runs for the (2-0) Muhls.

Wilson won at Plymouth Whitemarsh 27-7. EJ Brownback returned an interception 40 yards for a score. Mason Young tossed two touchdown passes for the (2-0) Bulldogs. They host Nazareth next week. The Blue Eagles outlasted Whitehall 62-33.

Gov. Mifflin lost its home opener 45-13 to Perkiomen Valley. The Mustangs slip to (1-1).

Exeter left Boyertown with a 28-10 victory. The Eagles improved to (2-0).

Twin Valley has started the season with back-to-back blowouts. The Raiders crushed Selinsgrove 62-0. Drew Engle provided 138 yards and 2TD on 14 carries. Lucas Myers added 125 yards and 3TD on seven touches.

Hamburg rallied past Midd-West 22-21 on Hawk Hill. Freshman quarterback Isaac McFadden scored on a 1-yard run with just 26 seconds left. He ran in the 2-point conversion to complete the comeback. The (1-1) Hawks trailed 21-7 in the fourth quarter.

Kutztown evened its record with a 66-26 rout of York Tech.

Thursday:

Conrad Weiser got two late touchdowns to top ELCO 28-14 and give Alan Moyer his 150th career win.

Schuylkill Valley hammered Daniel Boone 42-0. Alex Aletras tied the school record with five touchdown passes. Freshman William Johns finished with 3TD receptions.

Berks Catholic used a big second half to defeat Executive Education Academy 45-20. The (1-1) Saints were down 20-14 at halftime. Aidan Curley ran for 123 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. Berks Catholic racked up 356 yards on the ground.

Fleetwood fell at home to Upper Perkiomen 35-7. The Tigers drop to (1-1).

Saturday:

Wyomissing battles The Haverford School at 1:30pm on Bob Wolfrum Field.

Cedar Crest linebacker Landyn Kline made 14 tackles with 5 TFL.

Conestoga Valley quarterback Sawyer Esbenshade was 15-of-18 for 249 yards and 3 TD.

Fleetwood running back Beau Fegely finished with 224 yards and 4 TD on 19 carries.

Wyomissing cornerback Marcus Armistead made 2 INT including a pick-6. He also forced and recovered a fumble.

Kutztown sophomore running back Ryan Walters scored 4 TD and ran for 121 yards. He added 3 receptions for 98 yards.

Here are the Linemen of the Week from the L-L League:

Wilson TE/DE Mike Glover caught 5 passes for 77 yards. He also had 4 tackles and 2 sacks.

Exeter G/DE Andre Osborne received a blocking grade of 96% with 5 pancake blocks. He made 9 tackles, including 5 TFL, and forced a fumble.

Conrad Weiser guard Cody Sayers earned a 93% blocking grade as the Scouts rumbled for 284 rushing yards.

Octorara guard Josh Ross helped the Braves pile up 390 yards on the ground. He had 2 pancake blocks.

Pequea Valley OT/DE Sterling Furches racked up 11 tackles, 5 TFL, and a sack.

Mason Young was 17-of-22 for 190 yards and 3TD in his debut for Wilson. The Bulldogs have some things to clean up, however, following a 35-24 win against Cheltenham. Wilson allowed 329 passing yards. The Bulldogs travel to Plymouth Whitemarsh this Friday. The Colonials lost 18 starters from a season ago. They fell to West Chester Henderson 40-35 last week.

Riley Martinez was a perfect 4-of-4 for 100 yards and three scores as Exeter demolished rival Daniel Boone 64-7. Jayden Ware provided a 53-yard touchdown catch and a 25-yard pick-6. The Eagles soar into Boyertown on Friday. The Bears knocked off Upper Perkiomen 20-17 in their opener.

Wyomissing has a tougher test this Saturday after cruising past Southern Columbia 49-27. The Spartans host the Haverford School at 1:30pm. The Fords have plenty of beef up front including Max Powers (6’7, 265), Brennan Apple, (6’2, 275), and the Bernard twins. Owen and Preston Bernard are each 6’3 and 290 pounds. Tight end Quinn Gallagher (6’5, 225) is committed to Columbia. Matthew Jones, a wide receiver and linebacker, is headed to James Madison. His younger brother, Marcus, recently got an offer from Syracuse.

Twin Valley travels to Selinsgrove this Friday, and Gov. Mifflin faces Perkiomen Valley in Shillington. Lebron Leaf ran for 68 yards and 2TD in his first start at quarterback. The Mustangs piled up 280 yards on the ground at Pleasant Valley. Meanwhile, the Vikings got tripped up by Springfield 33-24 in Week 1.

There’s a Thursday night contest this week in Robesonia. Conrad Weiser entertains ELCO. The Raiders committed four turnovers in a 42-7 loss to West York. ELCO’s roster of 61 players includes 25 freshmen.

Sophomore Adriel Baez threw for 233 yards and two scores in Muhlenberg’s rout of Schuylkill Valley. Mike Miller finished with four receptions for 156 yards and 2TD. The Muhls square off with Reading on Friday in the “Battle of the Border.” The Red Knights have won three straight in this rivalry.

Berks Catholic tries to rebound this Thursday. The Saints are home against Executive Education Academy at 6pm. Owen Schalk, who missed the opener at Twin Valley, will be back for Berks Catholic. The 6’1, 180-pound senior is expected to be the Saints’ top running back.

Schuylkill Valley and Daniel Boone are looking to turn things around. They meet in another Thursday contest at Birdsboro. I’ll be covering games at Conrad Weiser, Muhlenberg, and Wyomissing this week. Without further ado, here are the “Roberts Rankings” for Berks County high school football.

“The Great 8”

1.Wilson (1-0)

2.Exeter (1-0)

3.Wyomissing (1-0)

4.Twin Valley (1-0)

5.Gov. Mifflin (1-0)

6.Conrad Weiser (1-0)

7.Muhlenberg (1-0)

8.Berks Catholic (0-1)

Twin Valley rolled over Berks Catholic 45-19. The Raiders led 39-3 at halftime.

Exeter hammered Daniel Boone 64-7 at Don Thomas Stadium. The Eagles have won 13 straight in the battle for the Pig Iron Trophy.

Muhlenberg took down Schuylkill Valley for the second year in a row. The Muhls cruised past the Panthers 45-14.

Wilson held off Cheltenham 35-24 at John Gurski Stadium. Mason Young was 17-of-22 for 190 yards and three touchdowns.

Gov. Mifflin traveled to Pleasant Valley and came home with a 35-20 victory.

Reading fell at Phoenixville 28-6.

Conrad Weiser got past Abington 29-22.

Fleetwood outscored Kutztown 54-34.

Hamburg lost at Octorara 34-6.

Boyertown beat Upper Perkiomen 20-17.

Many media outlets focus too much on last year’s results when making predictions for the upcoming season. That’s not how I roll. I prioritize how many key players have returned and the experience factor. What you did on the field last year doesn’t really matter when the clock strikes 7pm on Friday. It’s also extremely important to remember that no matter where your favorite team is ranked, the sun will come out tomorrow!

Wilson has a new quarterback in Mason Young, however the Bulldogs have plenty of experience surrounding him. They looked very sharp in their scrimmage with Coatesville. Wilson faces Cheltenham in Week 1 at John Gurski Stadium.

Exeter takes on rival Daniel Boone for the Pig Iron Trophy this Friday in Reiffton. The Eagles have won twelve straight in this series. It’s the 67th meeting between the two schools.

Wyomissing travels to Southern Columbia which is a big matchup on paper. The Tigers were (7-5) a season ago and fell 35-21 at Bob Wolfrum Field. Southern Columbia has claimed a staggering 14 state championships. The Spartans’ backfield could be one for the ages.

I’ll be in Elverson on Friday to see Twin Valley battle Berks Catholic. Both teams reached the District 3 semifinals in their respective classifications last year. Evan Myers, Evan Johnson, Aris Drake, and Carter Faubel graduated, but it would be foolish to overlook the Raiders. Drew Engle, Ben Grundy, Lucas Myers, Greyson Miller, Noah DiGiacomo, Joey Buckley, and Ryan Rementer all return. The Saints will be missing some key pieces in Week 1. They should be in better shape after the first few games.

Gov. Mifflin visits Pleasant Valley in its opener. The Bears were winless a season ago. Lebron Leaf takes over under center for the Mustangs. He’s a gifted athlete who can break a long run at any time. Patrick Steuer and Cam Overley will handle the slot back duties in Gov. Mifflin’s option attack. Nick Kalis and Tom Millisock are the fullbacks for Nick Morrissey’s second year at the helm. Pat Sisk will be his new defensive coordinator this fall.

Schuylkill Valley takes on Muhlenberg this Friday in Leesport. The Muhls received serious consideration to crack my preseason rankings. They have eight starters back on offense and seven on defense. In addition, this is Rob Flowers’ second season as head coach at his alma mater, and they’ll have eight home games. The Panthers lost All-State picks Logan Nawrocki and Luke Spotts, but head coach Bruce Harbach remains very confident.

Conrad Weiser went undefeated during the regular season last fall and earned the Section 3 title in the Lancaster-Lebanon League. However, the Scouts return just two starters on offense and four on defense. They’re on the road against Abington on Friday. The Galloping Ghosts finished (1-9) in 2024.

Without further ado, here are my preseason Berks County high school football rankings. The records that you see below are from last year.

“The Great 8”

1.Wilson (11-2)

2.Exeter (12-2)

3.Wyomissing (10-3)

4.Twin Valley (9-3)

5.Gov. Mifflin (5-6)

6.Berks Catholic (7-5)

7.Schuylkill Valley (9-3)

8.Conrad Weiser (10-1)

In other news, Rick Perez has stepped down as an assistant boys basketball coach at Muhlenberg. Perez joined the Muhls after twelve years as Reading’s head coach. He won three state championships with the Red Knights while setting the school record for victories with 281. Perez also led Reading to five District 3 titles and six Berks County championships. The Red Knights hold the state record for all-time wins.

Here is a look at the number of returning starters for all of the high school football teams in Berks County. You will see how many players are back on each side of the ball. Experience could be the difference during the games in August and early September, before everyone settles into their role. I also included some of the top contenders in the Lancaster-Lebanon League from outside of Berks County.

Section 1:

Wilson-5 on offense, 6 on defense

Reading-3 on offense, 3 on defense

Manheim Township-6 on offense, 6 on defense

Section 2:

Exeter-7 on offense, 7 on defense

Gov. Mifflin-3 on offense, 5 on defense

Muhlenberg-8 on offense, 7 on defense

Conestoga Valley-7 on offense, 6 on defense

Section 3:

Conrad Weiser-2 on offense, 4 on defense

Fleetwood-6 on offense, 6 on defense

Cocalico-5 on offense, 5 on defense

Solanco-10 on offense, 9 on defense

Manheim Central-6 on offense, 5 on defense

Section 4:

Wyomissing-6 on offense, 7 on defense

Twin Valley-7 on offense, 7 on defense

Daniel Boone-7 on offense, 6 on defense

Lampeter-Strasburg-5 on offense, 3 on defense

ELCO-4 on offense, 3 on defense

Section 5:

Schuylkill Valley-6 on offense, 6 on defense

Berks Catholic-6 on offense, 8 on defense

Hamburg-6 on offense, 7 on defense

Kutztown-7 on offense, 7 on defense

Lancaster Catholic-5 on offense, 5 on defense

The (12-2, 5-1) Eagles reached the District 3 Championship for the third time in four years. After falling to Bishop McDevitt 48-14, Martinez said they took about two weeks off and then got right back to work. That meant hitting the weight room from 5:45-7:30am. “It’s been a grind, but we all lead our younger guys to want to be as great as we can on and off the field,” noted Martinez. Exeter returns seven starters on each side of the ball. The Eagles have great depth at tight end including Aidan Dauble, Braylon Reinert, and Berks Catholic transfer Jackson Kozik. Dauble (16 ppg.) and Reinert were starters on Exeter’s basketball team, along with WR/DB Jayden Ware. Dauble, a three-year starter, piled up 67 tackles in 2024. The 6’2, 215-pound senior was voted a first team linebacker in Section 2 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League. Ware (6’, 160) had seven touchdown receptions and a team-high three interceptions. Jake Hafer and Jake Franek, both baseball players, will join Ware in the receiving corps this fall. Hafer filled in admirably at quarterback when Martinez was hurt last season. The speedy Leo Brown has big shoes to fill at running back. All-State selection Jayden Zandier set single season and career rushing records last year. Zandier ran for 2,086 yards and 30 TD a season ago. Logan Wegman, another All-State pick, has moved on to the Naval Academy. However, the Eagles return three starters on the offensive line. Joel Ummarino, Kevin Oswalt, and Andre Osborne are back in the trenches. Ummarino (6’1, 270) was a first team DL and a second team OL in Section 2 last year. He racked up 12.5 tackles for loss. Oswalt won the BCIAA individual wrestling championship at 215 pounds as a sophomore. He was named a second team OL/DL in Section 2 in 2024. Exeter has put together 14 consecutive winning seasons, and Martinez likes how this group is getting along. “We’re gonna have the better chemistry so we can outperform them on the field, even if they’re better on paper,” he replied.

Matt Bauer is entering his 17th season at the helm. He owns the school record for victories with 125. The Eagles have won 106 games over the past twelve years. Exeter opens its season versus rival Daniel Boone on August 22nd at Don Thomas Stadium. This will be their 67th meeting. The Eagles haven’t lost to the Blazers since 2011. Exeter travels to Conestoga Valley in Week 9 for a key Section 2 battle. The Buckskins prevailed 28-27 in the regular season last year, but the Eagles got revenge with a 48-14 rout in the District 3-5A semifinals. Exeter has qualified for the District 3 tournament 13 times in the past 14 seasons. Martinez is healthy and looking to do big things this fall. “We’re gonna try and put on a show this year,” he stated.

Brock Shrawder got the ball for the nightcap for Exeter. However, he suffered an injury and left the game after getting just two outs. Jake Franek took over on the mound with the Blue Jays trailing 1-0 thanks to a sacrifice fly by Austin Snyder. Exeter loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the 1st, but failed to score. Mikey Fidler ripped a line drive to first base that Christo Hunsicker turned into an inning-ending double play. A two-out, RBI single to right field by Cole Lavin put West Lawn on top 2-0 in the second frame. The Blue Jays tied it with a pair of runs in the 2nd, but they left the bases loaded. Snyder gave up two runs on five hits over three innings. He struck out five and walked three. The Owls opened the 4th with a single by Michael Bradley and a double from Gabel. With one out and the bases full, Alex Ernesto hit a grounder to third base. Brenton Feathers came home with the throw, but it was dropped which allowed West Lawn to go in front 3-2. Eight errors were committed in the final game, including five by Exeter. A wild pitch by Franek made it 4-2. Hunsicker, who just returned from vacation, tossed three scoreless frames of relief. The Millersville commit held the Blue Jays to one hit. Tyler Herbein, the No. 8 hitter, gave the Owls a 5-2 advantage in the 5th. The catcher hit a leadoff double and then scored all the way from second on a wild pitch. Herbein had three of West Lawn’s twelve hits. “That production was great. We couldn’t have asked for anything more from him. He’s been playing great behind the plate,” noted Gabel. A passed ball in the 5th gave the Owls a 6-2 cushion. Gabel, a rising senior who’s committed to West Chester, broke it open with a 3-run double to left in the 6th. Franek was charged with nine runs on nine hits in five innings. He walked four to go along with three strikeouts. In the 7th, Feathers walked Jack Froelich and Alex Frantz with the bases juiced. West Lawn won 12-2 to earn its 11th league championship. “They never give up. We built a schedule that made them play some games in hot weather and I think it paid off for us,” added Spatz. Gabel, Lavin, and Ernesto provided two hits apiece. “Throughout the whole year, we haven’t been able to get hits. Tonight, we put it together and that’s who we are. When we’re doing that, we’re pretty dangerous,” explained Gabel. Franek had two of Exeter’s six hits on a pair of infield singles. The Blue Jays were missing Jake Hafer and Brandon Weller, two of their top players. They upset top-seeded Norchester in the first round of the tournament. The (23-4) Owls advanced to the Region 2 tournament at Boyertown. They will face South Parkland at 4:15pm on Friday.

Class 6A:

Tatum Werley-Wilson-SS (1st team)

Shannon Bratton-Wilson-P (2nd team)

Rielynn Carey-Boyertown-2B (2nd team)

Kyra Neiswender-Boyertown-Utility (2nd team)

Class 5A:

Alex Trevena-Conrad Weiser-SS (1st team)

Class 3A:

Felicia Oldt-Kutztown-C (1st team)

Sadie Berger-Kutztown-OF (1st team)

Kyla Lytle-Wyomissing-OF (2nd team)