Jayden Zandier-Exeter

Paul Roberts — Sat, 14 Sep 2024 12:46:41 +0000

When Exeter and Gov. Mifflin square off on the gridiron, it’s going to be a hard-hitting affair. Friday night in Shillington was no exception. Jayden Zandier took a shot that sent his helmet flying. Even that couldn’t stop the All-State running back. The 6’2, 180-pound speedster finished with 214 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries. The (4-0) Eagles knocked off the (2-2) Mustangs 34-13. Exeter has won four straight in the series. After Gov. Mifflin fumbled on its opening possession, Zandier lined up at quarterback and took a direct snap 81 yards to the house. “It’s definitely fun. I used to play [quarterback] back in the day. It was a new addition and they weren’t expecting it. I’m just glad it worked,” he replied. Senior linebacker Casey Gerhart forced a fumble on the Mustangs’ second series. Riley Martinez found Carter Redding down the right sideline for a 43-yard gain. That set up Redding’s 4-yard touchdown run on a toss to the left. Redding, a 170-pound senior, starts at wide receiver and safety. “He’s a big part, biggest leader on the team I feel like. He’s gonna keep guiding us to wins,” said Zandier. Gov. Mifflin responded with an 80-yard drive that took seven minutes and twenty seconds off the clock. On fourth-and-8 from the 19-yard line, Javien Pletz connected with 6’2 junior Joe Murray for a first down. Grady Garner scored from two yards out to make it 14-7 with 8:47 left in the second quarter. Zandier went back to work on the first possession of the second half. He busted a run down the right sideline for a 54-yard score. After the Eagles stuffed the Mustangs on fourth-and-1, they marched 74 yards for another touchdown and a 28-7 advantage. Redding went around the left edge again for a 9-yard score. Gov. Mifflin answered with a 73-yard drive that lasted four and a-half minutes. Garner reached pay dirt on a 9-yard run with 35 seconds remaining in the third quarter. The 200-pound senior fullback already has twelve touchdowns this season. The Mustangs weren’t able to recover an onside kick and Exeter quickly went 47 yards for a score. A 1-yard plunge by 220-pound senior Genuine Stutzman put the Eagles on top 34-13 with 11:16 to go. Zandier, who has an offer from Division I Stony Brook, gave credit to the defense. “We specialize on defense at practice. It’s always defense, defense, defense and defense wins games,” he stated. Tyler Flanders and Navy commit Logan Wegman (6’5, 275) came up with fumble recoveries. The offense wasn’t too shabby either. Martinez was very sharp in the Section 2 opener. The 6’3, 195-pound junior went 9-of-11 for 196 yards. Jayden Ware had four receptions for 78 yards. Zandier mentioned that the Eagles haven’t forgot last year’s 28-27 loss at Hershey in the first round of the District 3-5A playoffs. “It definitely motivates us a lot, but we’re a more talented team than last year,” he said.

Evan Johnson-Twin Valley

Paul Roberts — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 19:43:02 +0000

Evan Johnson doesn’t just perform under the bright lights on Friday night. He also performs on stage. The Twin Valley RB/FS enjoys participating in high school musicals. As a sophomore, Johnson had a lead role in “Grease.” He’ll be a key figure once again this fall on the gridiron. The 5’11, 160-pound rising senior averaged 9.6 yards per carry a season ago. Johnson ran for 936 yards and a dozen touchdowns. The Raiders went (10-2, 5-1) and earned a share of the Section 3 championship with Ephrata and Garden Spot. Their season ended with a 65-28 loss at home to Manheim Central in the District 3-4A semifinals. “Ever since that Manheim [Central] game, we’ve been working very hard and we’re not looking back,” said Johnson. Twin Valley returns eight starters on offense and five on defense. Evan Myers, son of head coach Brett Myers, is back for his fourth year as the starting quarterback. He completed 59 percent of his passes and threw for 1,472 yards in 2023. Myers’ top target, junior Ben Grundy, had 27 receptions for 505 yards last year. Myers is the Raiders’ all-time passing leader. They can run the ball too. Johnson will be joined in the backfield by junior Drew Engle. As a sophomore, Engle piled up 1,411 yards on the ground with 13 scores. He averaged a remarkable 10.5 yards per carry. Navy commit Aris Drake (6’5, 295) will help pave the way for the two speedsters. Delaware Valley transfer Carter Faubel (6’1, 280) will step in at guard. Greyson Miller and Noah DiGiacomo both started on the offensive line as sophomores last fall. Lucas Myers, Evan’s younger brother, is a rising sophomore with a bright future at linebacker. Johnson stays busy after football season. He’s a sprinter on the track and field team, as well as a basketball player. “They help me a lot…hand-eye coordination, speed, being a leader,” said Johnson. He ran 11.51 seconds in the 100 meters. Twin Valley is moving down to Section 4 this year. The Raiders open the season at Berks Catholic on August 23. “I’m looking forward to it a lot, never played them. It will be a fight,” replied Johnson.

running – Berks Sports Report

Jayden Zandier-Exeter

Evan Johnson-Twin Valley