The (20-4) Fords were making their first appearance in the PIAA playoffs after finishing sixth in the District 1 tournament. They’ve been without standout first baseman Cam McCormack for most of the season due to a torn meniscus. The 6’2, 205-pound junior is already committed to Pittsburgh. Haverford got on the board in the top of the first against Muhlenberg ace Cole Moody. The 6’3, 215-pound senior entered Monday with a (10-0) record and a sparkling 0.90 ERA. After Jimmy Boyle led off with a single, Durkan ripped a RBI triple to right-center. Moody then picked Durkan off third base which cost the Fords a run because Sam Sturman singled two batters later. Moody, who tossed a three-hitter in the District 3-6A Championship against Chambersburg, allowed three hits in the first frame. “To be honest with you, I don’t think he had a good slider tonight. He was struggling to throw that pitch in situations where he likes to throw it, but he’s a gamer. He reads the opponents’ hitters really well,” explained Kopetsky.

The Muhls responded with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the first. Boyle, a Thomas Jefferson University commit, hit leadoff batter Cooper Burr and walked Gavin Moody. Muhlenberg had runners on the corners with one out for Cole Moody. His squeeze bunt went right back to Boyle who flipped the ball to Durkan and Burr was called out at the plate on a close play. After Liam Vargas walked, sophomore Mike Canfield hit a hard ground ball past second baseman Andrew Brown which resulted in two runs. The Muhls’ scorekeeper ruled it a hit for Canfield. Neither team scored after that adventurous first inning.

Moody and Boyle both settled in nicely after their struggles in the first frame. Moody, who’s headed to Northampton Community College, had seven strikeouts and one walk over 6.1 innings. He had to come out after reaching the limit of 105 pitches. “Cole is phenomenal. We have full faith in him,” replied Carter Burr. Moody allowed seven hits. He struck out the final three batters he faced. Moody has 95 strikeouts in 76.1 innings this year. Boyle went the distance for the Fords. He finished with seven strikeouts and two walks. “He’s a very good pitcher. He has good velocity and he has a good slider that he starts at your front hip. He threw a heck of a ball game,” acknowledged Carter Burr. Boyle limited Muhlenberg to three hits.

Haverford loaded the bases with one out in the fourth, but failed to score. Moody struck out Bobby Menear and got Boyle to ground out to second. The Fords threatened again in the fifth when Sturman hit a two-out double to left. He was stranded, however, as Owen Klick flew out to deep left field. Rosenberry walked the first batter he faced in the top of the seventh. A wild pitch advanced the potential tying run to second base with one out. Carter Burr then provided the defensive play of the night. “I took a deep breath before that play. I knew I had to keep the throw low and give my catcher a chance,” he said. Haverford left eight men on base.

After splitting their first fourteen games of the season, the Muhls have won eleven of their past twelve contests. They will face District 1 runner-up Owen J. Roberts on Thursday in the PIAA-6A quarterfinals. “All along we’ve been the underdogs. The team that can’t, the team that won’t, the team that shouldn’t, and the team that keeps doing it. I’m gonna tell you right now everybody is picking Owen J. Roberts. There’s no doubt about it,” stated Kopetsky.

The (17-8) Muhls won the District 3-6A championship on Monday. They rolled over Chambersburg 10-0 in six innings. It’s the first District 3 title for Muhlenberg since 2008 and the fourth overall. The Muhls have been led by senior righty Cole Moody. The All-County selection and Northampton Community College commit is (10-0) this year with nine complete games.

Muhlenberg will host Haverford at 7pm on Monday in the first round of the state playoffs. The Fords won the Central League and finished in sixth place in the District 1 tournament. Cam McCormack, a Pittsburgh commit, has missed most of the season after suffering a torn meniscus in his left knee. The 6’2, 205-pound junior is ranked #14 in the country among first basemen in the Class of 2027 by Perfect Game. Senior southpaw Lucas Rothstein will continue his career at West Chester, while righty Jimmy Boyle is headed to Thomas Jefferson University. The winner of the game in Laureldale will play either Owen J. Roberts or Stroudsburg in the quarterfinals.

The Spartans trailed 26-22 in the fourth quarter when Justice Hardy took a sweep to the right. The All-State pick made a man miss at the 18-yard line and raced to the end zone with 6:49 to go. “Sometimes he just sees that he can beat people around the edge. I’m not gonna question him because he made some plays today doing just that,” explained Wolfrum. Hardy had 93 yards on 14 carries. The 5’9, 190-pound junior also completed a 41-yard halfback pass to Brady Focht in the first half. Marcus Armistead sealed the deal for Wyomissing with 2:08 remaining. The senior defensive back recovered a muffed punt by talented junior Marcus Jones at Haverford’s 27-yard line. That allowed the Spartans to run out the clock.

Wyomissing struck first on a 4-yard touchdown pass from sophomore Brady Eisenhower to senior halfback Danny Fleischood. That capped a 16-play, 80-yard drive that lasted seven and a-half minutes. Momentum shifted on the first play of the second quarter. The Spartans tried to run an inside reverse from Fleischood to Hardy, but the Fords got great penetration and forced a fumble. Matthew Jones, Marcus’ older brother, scooped up the loose ball and took it 82 yards for a touchdown. Matthew Jones is committed to James Madison and Marcus (6’3, 190) recently received an offer from Syracuse. The Haverford School has plenty of size to go along with their skill. The offensive line averages 276 pounds. Tight end Quinn Gallagher is headed to Columbia, and 285-pound defensive tackle Walt Frazier is going to Syracuse.

Wyomissing went in front 14-7 with 2:24 left in the second quarter. Eisenhower completed an 8-yard touchdown pass to senior fullback Tyler Niedrowski in the right corner of the end zone. That possession covered 90 yards and took nine minutes and fourteen seconds. The Fords answered 42 seconds later with a 31-yard touchdown run by Stephen Cobb. The extra point was blocked which kept the Spartans on top 14-13. After Wyomissing went three-and-out, Matthew Jones broke several tackles on an 85-yard touchdown catch from Zach Faragalli. The extra point was no good, but the Haverford School had claimed a 19-14 edge one minute before halftime.

The Spartans got the ball to open the third quarter and they went to the air. On third-and-13, Fleischood made a key grab for 14 yards to the 45-yard line. Eisenhower then found junior split end Andrew DiFabrizio who was wide open for a 55-yard score down the right sideline. The 2-point conversion pass was completed to Hardy for a 22-19 lead with eight and a-half minutes to play in the third quarter. Once again, the Fords responded in a hurry. A 62-yard drive ended with a 19-yard touchdown catch by Marcus Jones inside the left pylon. Faragalli finished 9-of-19 for 168 yards and two scores.

Eisenhower made a rare mistake with 29 seconds left in the quarter. The 6’, 155-pound sophomore was intercepted by linebacker Topher Jodz along the sideline. The Haverford School took over at Wyomissing’s 31-yard line with a chance to expand its 26-22 advantage. The Spartans’ defense stood tall, however, and forced a pivotal turnover on downs. Wyomissing limited the Fords to seven points in the second half and nine first downs on the afternoon. Hardy’s 35-yard touchdown sprint completed a go-ahead 70-yard drive. The Haverford School went three-and-out on the ensuing drive. The muffed punt ended their hopes with two minutes to go.

Eisenhower was 9-of-13 for 126 yards with three touchdowns. The Spartans were able to get him out of the pocket for quick completions. “When they started really loading the box up, we hit a bunch of little quarterback rollout dinks into the flat. We did that very well,” said Wolfrum. Brady’s older brother, Chase, rumbled for 111 yards. The 220-pound fullback got 25 carries in a physical contest. Wolfrum picked up his 374th career win over 39 years. After knocking off Southern Columbia on the road in Week 1, Wyomissing came out on top against another quality opponent. “If you want to be a bull fighter, you gotta fight the bulls,” emphasized Wolfrum.