Dom – Berks Sports Report

Dom Giuffre-Schuylkill Valley

Paul Roberts — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 16:05:00 +0000

Dom Giuffre thinks about his performance in the Frost Bowl every day. He finished with a school-record 302 rushing yards and four touchdowns against rival Hamburg. The Panthers left “Hawk Hill” with a thrilling 41-34 victory. Schuylkill Valley’s offense should provide a lot more thrills this fall. All of the Panthers’ top skill position players return including Giuffre. The 6’1, 175-pound senior piled up 1,512 yards while averaging eight yards a carry. He reached the end zone 29 times. Giuffre was named to the Pennsylvania Football Writers’ All-State team in Class 3A. “I was blessed. When I saw it, I was in shock. I didn’t believe it,” he emphasized. Giuffre understands how important the offensive line is to his success. “We’re looking pretty good. We’re a little smaller than last year, but we’re still strong. We’re still gonna get the job done,” he replied. That line will feature 6’7, 295-pound senior Theo Wysocki. All-league selection Luke Spotts is back for his junior campaign. The TE/LB made 86 tackles (10 TFL), while leading the squad with 27 receptions. Colby Crills and Dillon Lackner give junior quarterback Logan Nawrocki some experienced targets on the outside. Michael Goad graduated, but Nawrocki got plenty of snaps in big games a season ago. Giuffre added that versatile junior Cooper Hohenadel and sophomore Logan Cammauf are players to keep an eye on in Leesport. Schuylkill Valley went (6-5, 5-2) in Bruce Harbach’s second year as head coach. The Panthers ended up tied for second place behind Lancaster Catholic in Section 5 of the new Lancaster-Lebanon League. The Crusaders edged Schuylkill Valley 44-41 in Week 10. Giuffre ran for 121 yards and four scores in that shootout. The Panthers then fell at third-seeded West Perry 45-21 in the District 3-3A quarterfinals. Schuylkill Valley allowed 131 points over its final three contests. Giuffre also plays hoops for the Panthers. “It builds character. It helps me with my speed,” he noted. Giuffre worked with a trainer all spring to strengthen his legs. Schuylkill Valley averaged 30 points in 2022. Don’t be surprised if that number is on the rise this fall.

Dom Giuffre-Schuylkill Valley

Paul Roberts — Sat, 15 Oct 2022 01:42:00 +0000

Coming into Friday’s matchup on Hawk Hill, Hamburg had won the previous three Frost Bowls. Dom Giuffre wasn’t about to let the Hawks make it four in a row. The 6’1, 165-pound junior ran for a career-high 304 yards and four touchdowns on 26 carries. Schuylkill Valley held off Hamburg 41-34. I asked Giuffre about surpassing the 300-yard mark. He replied, “I was so surprised. My eyes got big and my jaw just dropped.” Giuffre had touchdown runs of 9, 63, and 96 yards in the first half. He racked up 212 yards by halftime. His 63-yard burst up the middle gave the (6-2, 5-0) Panthers a 17-3 advantage with 8:34 remaining in the second period. Giuffre, who’s also a member of the track and field team, showed off his speed with two minutes left in the first half. He sprinted down the left sideline before cutting all the way across the field for an electrifying 96-yard trip to the end zone. Noah Wamsher booted a 43-yard field goal as time expired to put Schuylkill Valley up 27-6 at the break. Wamsher made a 35-yarder on the opening possession of the game. The Panthers outgained the Hawks 276-to-43 in the first half. Hamburg averaged nearly 46 points through its first seven contests. The (6-2, 3-2) Hawks punted four times in the first half. They were limited to two field goals by sophomore Eli Blatt. Hamburg marched 77 yards on the opening series of the third quarter. Xander Menapace, a 6’4 senior quarterback, ended the drive with a 1-yard run. Schuylkill Valley responded immediately with a 24-yard touchdown pass from Logan Nawrocki to Dillon Lackner. They’re both sophomores. Mason Semmel scooped up a fumble by Giuffre at the Hawks’ 32-yard line and returned it to the 3-yard line midway through the third period. Menapace rolled right and found Cohen Correll for a score to get Hamburg within 34-20. Giuffre once again had an answer. He broke free up the middle for a 33-yard touchdown. The speedster gave credit to the offensive line. “They did an amazing job. Nothing can be done without them. Everything comes by the teamwork,” he stated. The Panthers finished with 371 yards on the ground. The Hawks kept battling. Menapace connected with Semmel for a 12-yard score on the first play of the fourth quarter. Menapace rolled right and threw back to his left where his tight end was wide open. Pierce Mason ripped off a 36-yard touchdown run with 45 seconds to go. All of a sudden, Hamburg was within 41-34. Mason has been dealing with an ankle injury. He had 78 yards on a dozen carries. Sophomore Luke Spotts recovered the onside kick to end the late drama. Spotts also broke up a pass on fourth-and-14 with four and a-half minutes to play. The Hawks lead the all-time series with the Panthers (24-23-1). The rivalry dates back to 1970. Giuffre explained the significance of the Frost Bowl. “It’s very big for us because we’ve worked very hard for this and we definitely deserve this,” he emphasized. Giuffre is having a breakout season with 1,258 yards and 19TD. He has hopes of playing college football. “I’ve thought about it a lot. Honestly, I’d like to play at least DII,” he said. Giuffre knows that it will take a lot of hard work to reach the DI level. After a (2-9) campaign a season ago, Schuylkill Valley is making big strides. The Panthers are riding a 6-game winning streak. Schuylkill Valley and Lancaster Catholic remain undefeated in league play in Section 5. Panthers’ head coach Bruce Harbach will get a shot at his former team in Week 10. Harbach guided Lancaster Catholic to a pair of state championships. He’s using two quarterbacks this year. Michael Goad, a 190-pound senior, started and went 5-of-9 for 18 yards. Nawrocki was running the show in the second half. He finished 4-of-7 for 49 yards and a score. Spotts and Cooper Hohenadel had three receptions apiece. Meanwhile, the Hawks were plagued by several drops. Menapace completed 18 of his 31 attempts for 180 yards and 2TD. Correll reeled in four passes for 29 yards. Seven different Hawks had a catch. However, Hamburg struggled defensively. Schuylkill Valley scored on seven of its first ten drives. A great crowd was on hand. They got to see Giuffre put on a show.

Dom Giuffre-Schuylkill Valley

Paul Roberts — Wed, 05 Oct 2022 21:03:00 +0000

He only weighs 165 pounds and he likes to bake cookies, yet Dom Giuffre has been called “beast mode” since his youth football days. Giuffre always enjoyed watching Marshawn Lynch and now he’s putting up big numbers of his own. The 6’1, 165-pound junior is sixth in the Lancaster-Lebanon League with 752 rushing yards. Giuffre is averaging eight yards per carry. He has eleven touchdown runs for the (4-2, 3-0) Panthers. “I didn’t really expect it, but I told my coach that this season I was gonna take it personal and I’m gonna give it my all,” said Giuffre. Schuylkill Valley is tied for first place in Section 5 of the L-L League with Lancaster Catholic. The Panthers are riding a 4-game winning streak after dropping their first two contests to Twin Valley and Upper Perkiomen. They allowed 70 points in those two losses. “I think the biggest difference has been that we’ve started coming together as a team. We’ve always talked about changing the culture so now we stepped up, and it’s time to change the culture,” stated Giuffre. Schuylkill Valley returned 17 starters from last year’s (2-9) club. Giuffre kicked off the 2022 campaign with 19 carries for 155 yards and 2TD versus Twin Valley. He finished with 136 yards and four scores at Pequea Valley two weeks ago. Last Friday, he racked up 154 yards and 2TD on 17 touches at Northern Lebanon. The Panthers are putting up 31 points a night. They scored 93 in their last two games. Schuylkill Valley meets (5-1) Hamburg in the Frost Bowl next week. However, Giuffre is focused solely on Columbia this Friday in Leesport. He replied, “They’re gonna come to play. They’re gonna give it their all. We’re just ready to give it to them.” Giuffre mentioned senior defensive end Ethan Swoyer and sophomore wide receiver Dillon Lackner as two of the unsung heroes for the Panthers. Lackner has eleven catches for 184 yards and two touchdowns. Giuffre is a sprinter and high jumper on the track and field team. “They help me with techniques with running. I did track so I can get better for football and get faster,” he said. Giuffre ran an 11.57 in the 100 meters last season. He also plays basketball. We joked about how often his last name is mispronounced. It’s (juh-Fray) for the record. We also discussed his favorite songs and teachers at Schuylkill Valley. If you’re curious, his favorite cookies are chocolate chip.

Dom Caruso-Twin Valley

Paul Roberts — Wed, 03 Nov 2021 18:57:00 +0000

The Raiders only have 48 players on their roster and 16 are freshmen. Twin Valley has overcome the odds to reach the District 3 playoffs for the first time! The Raiders are the #13 seed in Class 5A. They travel to #4 Spring Grove on Friday night. Dom Caruso is a four-year starter and Twin Valley’s all-time leading rusher with 3,592 yards. Caruso said their team has always played with a chip on its shoulder. He had 26 carries for 130 yards and 2TD in an early season victory over Daniel Boone. Caruso is seventh in the Berks Football League in rushing yards this season with 851 (5.1/carry). He’s also a reliable target out of the backfield for freshman quarterback Evan Myers. Caruso has 23 catches for the (6-4) Raiders. We talked about the team’s motto of “House Money.” Caruso also revealed how he’s going to show his appreciation for his offensive line. Plus, I asked Caruso if he’s taller than star wide receiver Trey Freeman. They’re both listed at 5’7. Caruso gave a great answer.

Dom Caruso-Twin Valley

Paul Roberts — Mon, 30 Aug 2021 20:33:00 +0000

The starting RB, top WR, and QB for the Raiders are 5’7, 5’7, and 5’9 respectively. Dom Caruso and his teammates have proven that size isn’t everything when it comes to football. Caruso has more than 2,800 career rushing yards at just 175 pounds. The 4-year starter was a second team All-County selection at both RB and DB last season. Caruso scored the game-winning TD in overtime of Twin Valley’s season opener against Garden Spot. He ended up with 72 yards on 13 carries. Caruso added 8 tackles on defense. He told me that his toughness comes from his mother who was a talented soccer player in Italy. We also discussed his favorite classes and teachers at Twin Valley.