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

Madison Langdon-Berks Catholic

The 5’4 point guard averaged a team-high 15 points per game and knocked down 46 shots from beyond the arc. She became the fifth girls basketball player at Berks Catholic to reach 1,000 points. Langdon finished her career with 1,247 points. The two-time All-County selection will be playing at Randolph-Macon College.

Lauren Grabosky-Conrad Weiser

The 6’ center led the Scouts at 10 ppg. and was a force on the glass. The All-Division pick helped Conrad Weiser win 17 games and qualify for the state playoffs for just the second time in school history. Grabosky will continue her career at Lebanon Valley College.

Izzy Buehler-Oley Valley

She was the leading scorer for the Lynx this winter at 10 points a night. Buehler was voted to the All-Division team as Oley Valley reached the District 3-3A semifinals. She is headed to East Stroudsburg for field hockey.

CC Reali-Schuylkill Valley

The All-Division choice was a key contributor for the Panthers. They were the Division 3 runner-up and qualified for the BCIAA tournament. Reali will be attending the University of Tampa.

Donovan Gingrich-Conrad Weiser

The multi-sport standout ended his career with nearly 1,200 points and 215 three-pointers. He was named to the All-Division team after averaging 15.7 ppg. and sinking 55 treys this past season. Gingrich is committed to Bloomsburg for football.

Matt Koehler-Gov. Mifflin

The All-County selection led the Mustangs at 14 points per game. They advanced to the District 3 semifinals and the PIAA playoffs for the first time. Koehler made 42 three-pointers and shot 82% from the free throw line. The All-State baseball player will continue that sport at Juniata.

Ben DeBalko-Oley Valley

The 6’ sharpshooter was a consistent long range threat for the last three years. He connected nearly 200 times from behind the arc in his career. The All-Division pick averaged a team-high 14.6 ppg. with 61 triples during the 2024-25 campaign. DeBalko will be playing at King’s College.

Luke Levan-Wilson

The 6’6 forward was the man in the middle for a Bulldogs squad that won 24 games and the BCIAA Championship. He supplied 9 points per game as Wilson reached the second round of the state tournament. Levan was voted to the All-Division team. His basketball career will continue at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.

Gov. Mifflin finished atop the Division 1 standings in the Berks League as many expected. The Mustangs rumbled over Berks Catholic 11-1 in six innings to claim their 16th BCIAA crown. They made history by winning the first District 3 title in program history. Gov. Mifflin took down Cedar Cliff 6-1 in the Class 6A Championship. Ethan Grim struck out 13 that night and reached 300 career strikeouts. The (26-2) Mustangs fell short of their ultimate goal, a second straight state title. They lost 1-0 to Liberty in a gut-wrenching PIAA-6A quarterfinal. A senior class that included Grim, Bryce Detwiler, Travis Jenkins, Matt Koehler, Branson Adams, Billy Angstadt, Dylan Barrett, and Reese Hohl will be very difficult to replace.

Berks Catholic was the last team standing from Berks County. The Saints reached the BCIAA Championship as a #7 seed. They earned their third District 3 championship by blanking top-seeded Bermudian Springs 8-0 in the Class 3A Final. Berks Catholic then advanced to the state semifinals for the first time. The (20-8) Saints were up 3-1 on Mount Carmel in the 6th inning before falling 4-3 at Wenger Field. Berks Catholic lost its top two pitchers to graduation in Trey Stricker and Mikey Fidler.

Fleetwood came up short against Exeter 4-1 in the BCIAA quarterfinals, but the Tigers bounced back. They outlasted West Perry 8-7 in 13 innings to finish third in the District 3-4A playoffs. That marathon victory put Fleetwood in the state tournament for the third time in four seasons. The (16-8) Tigers knocked off District 12 champ Archbishop Ryan 3-1 in the opening round. Fleetwood lost to Montoursville 6-4 in the quarterfinals. Wylie Loy and Gabe Seidel are two players to keep an eye on in 2026.

Wilson featured some of the top hurlers in the county this year, but the Bulldogs had a disappointing postseason. They entered the Berks League playoffs as the #2 seed, however, Berks Catholic upset Wilson 3-1 in the quarterfinals. The (14-8) Bulldogs then saw their season end with an agonizing 6-4 loss at home to Ephrata in the District 3-6A quarterfinals. The Mounts, who were down to their final out, scored three runs in the 7th. The good news in West Lawn is that Ben Kulp, Jack Gabel, and Ryan Marmolejos all return.

Exeter went (16-8) in Justin Freese’s 30th year at the helm in Reiffton. The Eagles dropped a nailbiter to Gov. Mifflin 2-1 in the BCIAA semifinals at FirstEnergy Stadium. Exeter was the #4 seed in the District 3-5A bracket. The Eagles lost to #12 seed Conestoga Valley 7-6 in eight innings in an excruciating quarterfinal. Exeter was in front 5-0 after the 6th. Jake Hafer, Brandon Weller, Kamren Martin, Jake Franek, and Brenton Feathers should form a solid corps next spring.

Twin Valley won the Division 2 title in the Berks League, but the season ended abruptly for the Raiders. They lost 8-7 to sixth-seeded Wyomissing in the BCIAA quarterfinals. Conestoga Valley went to Elverson and left with a 9-5 win in the first round of the District 3-5A playoffs. Twin Valley settled for a (13-8) record. The Raiders had a very promising sophomore group that included Grant Moser, Brody Majeski, Nate DiRocco, Jayce Oliver, and Luke Raines. They will be joined by All-County selection Nate Lord next year.

Former Oley Valley standout Seth Brizek took over as head coach of the Lynx in 2025. He guided Oley to a (13-8) mark. The Lynx tied Kutztown for first place in Division 4 at (7-4). Oley Valley didn’t, however, qualify for the Berks County playoffs. They got tripped up by unbeaten East Pennsboro 3-1 in the District 3-4A quarterfinals.

Tim Mertz wrapped up his 25th season as the skipper in Kutztown. The Cougars wound up (13-9) giving Mertz 375 career wins, a school record. They fell to Gov. Mifflin 10-2 in the Berks League quarterfinals. Kutztown traveled to Wyomissing for a wild District 3-3A quarterfinal. The Cougars trailed 11-0 before forcing extra innings. The Spartans eventually pulled out a 13-12 victory in eight frames.

Wyomissing and Berks Catholic tied atop Division 3 at (9-3). Nick Wojciechowski led the Spartans to the BCIAA and District 3-3A semifinals in his first year as head coach. They lost to rival Berks Catholic 11-6 in the county playoffs. Bermudian Springs eliminated Wyomissing 12-2 in the District 3 tournament. The Spartans improved dramatically from (8-12) in 2024 to (15-8). Ryan Graham, Noah Rauenzahn, Parker LaFerriere, Zander Westwood, Teddy White, and Chase Bailey will all be back next spring.

Muhlenberg didn’t make the Berks League playoffs, but the (11-9) Muhls gave fifth-seeded Ephrata a battle in the District 3-6A bracket. The Mounts came out on top 2-0 in that first round affair. Brian Kopetsky will be entering his 27th season as head coach in 2025.

Gavin Miller-Exeter

Trey Stricker-Berks Catholic

Travis Jenkins-Gov. Mifflin