Gov. Mifflin – Berks Sports Report

Reese Hohl-Gov. Mifflin

Paul Roberts — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 16:46:15 +0000

Gov. Mifflin won its first District 3 football championship in 2020. The Mustangs followed up that accomplishment with a (10-1) campaign in 2021. They extended their winning streak to 18 consecutive years. The past two seasons have been a different story. Gov. finished (3-7) in 2022 and went (5-6) last fall. The Mustangs will begin this year with some adversity. New head coach Nick Morrissey will miss the first two games. According to multiple sources, the suspension is related to an issue that happened during the school day late last year. Athletic director John Guiseppe said he had no information to pass along at this time. Morrissey has been on the Gov. Mifflin coaching staff since 2015. The Muhlenberg and Albright graduate served as defensive coordinator from 2021-23. Senior RB/DB Reese Hohl has enjoyed working with Morrissey. “It’s a blast. The energy is there, the atmosphere is always good. We’re just having fun and working hard,” replied Hohl at Lancaster-Lebanon League media day earlier this month. The Mustangs will be in good hands during Morrissey’s absence. Mick Vecchio will serve as head coach for the first two games. Vecchio was inducted into the Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2022. He accumulated 181 victories over 26 years during his tenure in Shillington.

Gov. Mifflin returns seven starters on offense and six on defense. Hohl can be utilized all over the field. He was a first team pick on offense and defense in Section 2 of the L-L League last fall. The 6’, 160-pound senior came up with six interceptions. He was also a second team selection as a kick returner. Being a member of the wrestling team has benefited him on the gridiron. “It helps mentally and physically with the conditioning…The one-on-one combat factor kind of transfers right over to me being a corner lined up right next to someone,” explained Hohl. He was also part of the Mustangs’ state championship baseball team this spring. Quarterback Javien Pletz and fullback Grady Garner (5’10, 200) are back in Gov. Mifflin’s option attack. Hohl likes what he has seen from the offensive line which includes Presley Rinker (6’1, 305) and Gavin Kelly (6’, 250). “We’re pretty good in size. We just need the aggression to come through. If that does, we’ll be moving people off the ball for sure,” stated Hohl. Derek Dinatale, Lebron Leaf, Stephen Mayo, Jahmair Johnson, and Travis Jenkins are some other players to keep an eye on in Shillington. The Mustangs got bumped up to Class 6A this year. In an interesting twist, they start the season at home against Pleasant Valley on Friday. Gov. Mifflin fell to Pleasant Valley 28-19 in the Eastern Conference championship last year.

Chris Hole-Gov. Mifflin

Paul Roberts — Thu, 24 Mar 2022 19:48:00 +0000

The Gov. Mifflin baseball team certainly wasn’t hurting in the experience department last year. The Mustangs had 13 seniors on the roster. That number is down to three in 2022. Head coach Chris Hole is very pleased with how junior SS/P Tyler Minick has stepped up as a leader. The all-county selection and UConn commit hit .376 as a sophomore with 21 RBI and 12 extra base hits. Minick had a team-high 28 runs, 4 triples, and 20 stolen bases. He’s one reason why expectations are still high in Shillington. Connor Maryniak (Misericordia) and Matt Gehris (DeSales) combined for 134 innings a season ago. Maryniak (13-0, 1.13) set the school record with 147 strikeouts over 93 innings. The Berks Player of the Year won all three county playoff games. Hole told me what he expects his starting rotation will look like this year. Minick is healthy after being limited to 21.1 innings last season, and Xander Velez features a fastball near 90mph. Darien Troche will be the full-time catcher. He appeared in 17 games as a sophomore. Troche and Velez were honorable mention all-division picks. Speedy centerfielder Mason Woolwine is back for his senior campaign. Hole loves his competitive spirit. Woolwine hit .253 with 12 runs, 10 RBI, and 10 steals. Gov. Mifflin also has a promising freshman class. The Mustangs scrimmaged Warwick and Manheim Central; two very good ball clubs from the Lancaster-Lebanon League. Hole mentioned how valuable those opportunities were in preparation for Friday’s season opener against McCaskey. Gov. Mifflin earned its 14th Berks County championship last year. The (21-7, 10-2) Mustangs beat rival Wilson 5-4 in the county final before losing to the Bulldogs 11-0 in the District 3-6A championship. Gov. Mifflin lost a nailbiter in the first round of the state tournament. Emmaus snuck past the Mustangs 2-1 in 11 innings. Hole is (135-87) over nine seasons with the Mustangs. The 1995 Wilson graduate was named Berks County Coach of the Year in 2021. Hole is hoping that this year’s lineup will be more productive. We talked about the stiff competition in Division 1. Gov. Mifflin should be in a battle with Wilson and Exeter all season long.

Exeter-Gov. Mifflin Preview

Paul Roberts — Fri, 26 Nov 2021 11:01:00 +0000

#7 Exeter at #1 Gov. Mifflin in the District 3-5A championship at 7pm on Friday.

If you’re wondering if a #7 seed has ever won a District 3 title in football, the answer is yes. It has actually happened twice; once in Class 3A and once in 4A. The (9-3) Eagles have reached uncharted territory. This is their first appearance in the District 3 Final. Exeter is (7-11) all-time in the District 3 playoffs and three of those wins have come this month. The Eagles have been road warriors. They crushed #2 Manheim Central 43-26 in the quarterfinals, and then left Cedar Cliff with a 42-35 victory in the semifinals. Eric Nangle was the star of that show with 332 rushing yards and 5TD! The 175-pound senior added an 83-yard TD catch. Nangle is the second-leading rusher in Berks County with 1,544 yards and 20TD this year. The forecast is calling for strong winds which would impact Exeter more than Gov. Mifflin. Senior Colin Payne has thrown for just over 2,000 yards this season with 19TD. 6’6 junior Joey Schlaffer is committed to Penn State. 6’3, 210-pound TE/LB J.R. Strauss is headed to Villanova. They’ve combined for 59 receptions and 13TD. Exeter is #8 in PennLive’s state rankings for 5A. Gov. Mifflin is #1. The (10-0) Mustangs have won 15 of the last 16 meetings with the Eagles, including a 54-21 rout on October 8th. Gov. Mifflin raced out to a 30-0 advantage, and outgained Exeter 383-146 on the ground. Nick Singleton ran for 248 yards and 4TD on 18 carries. The 218-pound PSU commit holds Berks County records for career rushing yards (6,286) and touchdowns (114). The Mustangs are averaging 49.7 points per game. They put up 63 on Warwick in the quarterfinals before taking care of Spring Grove 38-13 last week in Shillington. Berks Catholic transfer Aiden Gallen has been a force down the stretch of the season at fullback. He’s getting more touches while 215-pound senior Trey Rock continues to play through an ankle injury. Gov. Mifflin is looking for back-to-back championships. The Mustangs won the District 3-5A title last year when Warwick forfeited due to Covid-19 issues. Gov. Mifflin is (24-15) all-time in the District tournament.

Jeff Lang-Gov. Mifflin

Paul Roberts — Sat, 20 Nov 2021 00:11:00 +0000

Spring Grove was trailing 24-13 in the third quarter and forced the Mustangs into a 4th & 10 at the Rockets’ 37-yard line. Head coach Jeff Lang never even considered punting. Eden Johnson and Braylon Stewart made their coach look like a genius. They hooked up on a TD pass over the middle to give top-seeded Gov. Mifflin a 31-13 advantage with three minutes left in the third quarter. The (10-2) Rockets never threatened again in a 38-13 loss at Shillington. Lang explained to me why he decided to go for it on that critical 4th down. He has confidence that both Johnson and Delsin McNeil can be effective when the Mustangs opt to go to the air. Johnson was 4-for-7 for 101 yards including that 37-yard strike to Stewart. Lang talked about the job Nick Singleton and Aiden Gallen did running the football. Singleton had 190 yards and 3TD on 20 carries. Gallen got more touches than the PSU commit. The 185-pound fullback ran for 164 yards and a score on 25 carries. Lang was proud of his offensive line, but he knows that they need to cut down on penalties. The fifth-year head coach said Jackson Schools has been a reliable kicker all season. Schools made a 28-yard field goal with nine seconds left in the first half to send the Mustangs to the locker room with a 17-7 lead. Lang loves playing at home in front of the Gov. Mifflin student section. The (10-0) Mustangs will square off with (9-3) Exeter in the District 3-5A championship next Friday. Lang thinks that matchup is great for Berks County football fans. Gov. Mifflin is the defending champion. The Eagles have reached the District 3 final for the first time.

Aiden Gallen-Gov. Mifflin

Paul Roberts — Fri, 19 Nov 2021 23:26:00 +0000

Aiden Gallen is making a name for himself late in the season. The 185-pound fullback ran for 213 yards against Berks Catholic at the end of the regular season. Gallen got 25 carries in the District 3-5A semifinals vs. #4 seed Spring Grove. He piled up 164 yards and a touchdown in the 38-13 victory. The Berks Catholic transfer told me that the transition to Gov. Mifflin has been an easy one. Gallen got the (10-0) Mustangs on the board early in the second quarter on a 9-yard run. The (10-2) Rockets got within 17-13 in the third quarter, but Gallen and Nick Singleton were too much to handle. The PSU commit had 190 yards and 3TD on 20 carries. Gallen has known Singleton for a long time so he’s used to seeing him make amazing plays. Gallen said offensive line coach Nick Morrissey does an outstanding job and gets everyone fired up. Gov. Mifflin finished with 537 total yards including 436 on the ground. Starting FB Trey Rock is playing through an injury. While Rock is focusing on his linebacker position, Gallen is getting more touches. Gallen mentioned that he has a better understanding of the offense now and he’s fresh. I asked Gallen what would happen if he had to tackle Singleton. His answer was priceless! Gallen loves playing on the turf in Shillington. The top-seeded Mustangs will be back there next Friday when they meet (9-3) Exeter for the District 3-5A championship.

Nick Singleton-Gov. Mifflin

Paul Roberts — Fri, 19 Nov 2021 22:42:00 +0000

The Mustangs remain undefeated with a 38-13 win over #4 seed Spring Grove in the District 3-5A semifinals. PSU commit Nick Singleton ran for 190 yards and 3TD on 20 carries. We talked about his jaw-dropping 32-yard score in the second quarter which put Gov. Mifflin up 14-7. The 218-pound senior crushed a defender at the 15-yard line! Singleton can bench press over 400 pounds and it showed on that play. The Rockets were within four points early in the third quarter after a 43-yard TD run by speedy 5’7 senior Zyree Brooks. Singleton would add TD runs of 37 and 17 yards to ice it. He gave credit to the offensive line, and said Spring Grove put up a good fight. The Rockets end up (10-2). Singleton likes what he’s seeing from Berks Catholic transfer Aiden Gallen at fullback. Gallen finished with 164 yards and a touchdown. I asked Singleton about playing linebacker which is something he enjoys. We also discussed Eden Johnson’s 37-yard TD pass to Braylon Stewart on 4th & 10 in the third quarter. Singleton is up to 6,289 career rushing yards and 114 touchdowns. Those are both Berks County records. The (10-0) Mustangs will host Exeter next Friday for the District 3-5A championship.

Jeff Lang-Gov. Mifflin

Paul Roberts — Wed, 10 Nov 2021 21:56:00 +0000

The Mustangs are making their 16th straight appearance in the District 3 playoffs and 17th overall. Gov. Mifflin has gone from a struggling program to a perennial powerhouse. Head coach Jeff Lang has been on the Mustangs’ coaching staff for three decades. He talked about how they changed the football culture in Shillington. Gov. Mifflin is (8-0) and the top-ranked team in the state in Class 5A. The Mustangs have only played one game since mid-October. Lang is definitely concerned about being rusty on Friday in the District 3 quarterfinals. Although #8 seed Warwick lost some extremely talented players to graduation including Nolan Rucci, Caleb Schmitz, and Colton Miller, Lang knows that the Warriors still have some very good skill position players. They blew out #9 seed Gettysburg 44-14 in the first round. Warwick is (7-4) with a victory over Manheim Central on its resume. Lang was named the Section 1 Coach of the Year in the Berks Football League. He’s (41-12) over five seasons at Gov. Mifflin. Plus, we discussed a recent post on social media that pictured some Warwick players and mentioned shutting down PSU commit Nick Singleton. Lang replied, “You never poke a lion.” Singleton is the leading rusher in Berks County history with 5,769 yards. He’s averaging 12 yards per carry this year!

Jacob Lopez-Gov. Mifflin

Paul Roberts — Wed, 10 Nov 2021 20:28:00 +0000

The undefeated Mustangs are averaging 390 rushing yards and 49.5 points per game. The man in the middle of this high-powered offense is 5’9, 220-pound senior Jacob Lopez. The Gov. Mifflin center told me he’s comfortable working with both of the Mustangs’ quarterbacks, Eden Johnson and Delsin McNeil. I asked Lopez what would happen if he had to tackle star running back Nick Singleton. The PSU commit holds the Berks County record with 104 career touchdowns. Lopez revealed which teammate he dislikes going up against in practice. Lopez loves the coaching staff at Gov. Mifflin and the family environment that surrounds the football team. Head coach Jeff Lang said Lopez has worked very hard in the weight room. Would it be a disappointing season if the (8-0) Mustangs didn’t repeat as District 3-5A champions? Lopez had a very difficult time answering that question. The Mustangs are the #1 seed. They meet #8 Warwick on Friday night in Shillington. Plus, you will find out how many chicken wings Lopez can put away, and who is the biggest eater on the team!

Jonah Naugle-Gov. Mifflin

Paul Roberts — Wed, 10 Nov 2021 19:44:00 +0000

The Mustangs average 41 running plays and only two pass attempts per game. That’s just fine with right tackle Jonah Naugle. The 6’2, 297-pound senior is the Offensive Lineman of the Year in Section 1 of the Berks Football League. Gov. Mifflin is (8-0) and the top-ranked team in the state in Class 5A. Naugle is really looking forward to Friday’s District 3 quarterfinal against #8 seed Warwick. The Mustangs have only played one game since the middle of October. That was a 42-13 victory at Berks Catholic. If you were wondering, Gov. Mifflin didn’t attempt a single pass that night. I asked Naugle what it’s like blocking for PSU commit Nick Singleton who has rushed for 1,502 yards and scored 32TD this season. Singleton is the all-time leading rusher in Berks County with 5,769 yards. Naugle said his cousin Colin has really motivated him. Colin was a standout athlete at Reading Central Catholic. He went on to play football at Delaware. We also talked about Jonah’s favorite hobbies which include hunting and fishing. Plus, he mentioned his favorite teachers and classes at Gov. Mifflin.

Ayden Martin-Gov. Mifflin

Paul Roberts — Thu, 23 Sep 2021 19:06:00 +0000

Ayden Martin is a three-year starter for the Mustangs. The outstanding safety is playing a bigger role this season on offense. Martin had two catches for 69 yards in a (49-13) win over Harrisburg last week. He ended up in the end zone after both receptions. The 5’11, 180-pound junior is one of the strongest players on the team. Wait until you find out how much he can bench press! Martin has an offer from Temple and he’ll be visiting Penn State on Saturday. Martin told me that he was a fan of the Oregon Ducks when he was younger. We also talked about his favorite classes at Gov. Mifflin. The (4-0) Mustangs are ranked #1 in the state in Class 5A.