I’ll be at Don Thomas Stadium this Friday as Exeter battles Gov. Mifflin. The Eagles have won four straight in this series including a 34-13 victory last year. Exeter has outscored its three opponents 134-17 this season. The Mustangs are riding high after a thrilling 20-19 win over Hempfield. Joe Murray caught a go-ahead 13-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. The 6’3 senior then blocked a 27-yard field goal with 26 seconds left.

Wyomissing travels to Northern Lebanon on Friday. The (1-2) Vikings fell to Delone Catholic 21-13 last week. Wilson meets Reading at John Gurski Stadium. The (0-3) Red Knights have scored just 20 points so far. They switched to a Wing-T offense this year and have a very young team.

Twin Valley is averaging 58.3 points per game. The Raiders visit ELCO in Week 4. The (1-2) Raiders took down Lancaster Catholic 28-14 last week. Conrad Weiser squares off with Fleetwood in Robesonia. The (2-1) Tigers are coming off a 31-24 win at Schuylkill Valley.

Muhlenberg faces Lebanon in Laureldale. The Muhls are putting up 48 points per game. Meanwhile, the Cedars’ losing streak stands at 45 games. They came up short at Conrad Weiser last Friday 28-6.

Berks Catholic’s two losses have come against Twin Valley and Bethlehem Catholic. Those squads are (6-0) combined. The Saints visit Pequea Valley this week. The (2-1) Braves have defeated Delaware County Christian and Morrisville. This is an opportunity for Berks Catholic to get back on track.

Without further ado, here is my new Berks County high school football poll. Remember that no matter where your favorite team is ranked, the sun will come out tomorrow!

“The Great 8”

1.Exeter (3-0)

2.Wyomissing (3-0)

3.Wilson (2-1)

4.Twin Valley (3-0)

5.Conrad Weiser (3-0)

6.Muhlenberg (3-0)

7.Gov. Mifflin (2-1)

8.Berks Catholic (1-2)

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)

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

Class 6A (16 teams qualify)

7.Wilson

8.Reading

12.Gov. Mifflin

Class 5A (14 teams qualify)

6.Twin Valley

9.Conrad Weiser

14.Exeter

Class 4A (10 teams qualify)

3.Wyomissing

8.Berks Catholic

9.Schuylkill Valley

Class 3A (6 teams qualify)

3.Oley Valley

8.Brandywine Heights

9.Kutztown

Class 2A (4 teams qualify)

No Berks County teams are in this classification.

Class A (10 teams qualify)

11.High Point Baptist Academy

The Spartans sit atop my poll which shouldn’t come as a surprise. They’re coming off a (31-1) campaign and have claimed back-to-back Berks County and District 3 crowns. Yes, their loss at Hazleton over the weekend was ugly. Keep in mind, however, that seniors Alexis Hardy and Audrey Hurleman didn’t play against the defending District 2-6A champs. Hurleman, a North Carolina lacrosse commit, is expected back in January after recovering from a knee injury. Wyomissing still has the top player in the county in Amaya Stewart. The 6’1 Albany commit is a two-time All-State selection who averaged 19.5 points per game as a junior.

Laila Jones will be sorely missed in West Lawn. The two-time All-County pick is out with a torn ACL. The flashy point guard led the Bulldogs to a (24-5) mark last season. New head coach Matt Raquet still has some tremendous all-around athletes to work with in juniors Laura Crocona and 5’11 Violet Houck. You will be hearing a lot about 5’9 sophomore Kailani Hardy. She dropped 25 points in Wilson’s season opening loss to Emmaus. Hardy can score at all three levels.

Berks Catholic returns four starters who should be motivated after finishing with a (12-13) record. Congratulations to Bob Birmingham who picked up career victory #650 on Saturday. This is his 36th year as a head coach. Madison Langdon, Sydney Corado, and Molly McFadden have been household names at Lloyd Wolf Gymnasium for the past three seasons. Langdon earned All-County status as a junior when she averaged 16.5 ppg. The 5’4 point guard knocked down 49 treys and is closing in on 1,000 points. Daniel Boone transfer Liv Welker will provide a boost for the Saints. The 5’10 junior scored 10 ppg. for the Blazers.

Reading and Gov. Mifflin are two dangerous teams that shouldn’t be overlooked. The Red Knights return a pair of double digit scorers in seniors Tamyia Collier and Yamilex Rodriguez. Freshman guard Xiani Beatty will be an impact player at the Geigle Complex. The Mustangs have plenty of young talent as well. Bella Super, Brooklyn George, and Bridget Martin return for their sophomore seasons. Super provided a dozen points a night last year and connected 34 times from beyond the arc. Freshman forward Saray Renninger has a bright future in Shillington. Mike Clark is one win shy of 300. He’s entering his 17th season overall and 13th at Gov. Mifflin. If the 3-pointers are falling, you can never count out the Mustangs. They’ve piled up 14 Berks League titles.

Exeter begins a new chapter with the graduation of Grace Reedy, the school’s all-time leading scorer at 1,403 points. Reedy poured in 21 ppg. last winter and was named to the Class 5A All-State team. The Eagles have an athletic group that includes Meredith Fylypowycz, Maggie Kopanski, Chayse Flood, and Lillie Keperling. Coaches around the league don’t expect Exeter to fall off the map because Reedy is gone.

Brandywine Heights and Schuylkill Valley round out my initial rankings. Rob Benner takes over for Jason Bieber as the Bullets’ head coach. Bieber is the new skipper of the Fleetwood boys basketball program. Meanwhile, Benner will be relying on some familiar faces. His daughters, Addison and Sophia, hope to get Brandywine Heights back to the postseason. Addison Benner, a skilled 5’11 senior, needs just twenty points to join the 1,000 club. Her sister Sophia, a talented freshman guard, will be part of an uptempo offense. Junior guard Elyssa Sellers could have a big season in Leesport. The southpaw averaged nearly eight points last year for the Panthers. Sellers and senior guard CC Reali are joined by Gov. Mifflin transfer Hannah West.

Twin Valley and Conrad Weiser are a couple of other teams to watch. They easily could have slid into my rankings. Hailey Kilgore should be the focal point of the Raiders’ offense after averaging 14 ppg. as a sophomore. She drilled 47 three-pointers. Syracuse lacrosse commit Ellie Kaplan is part of a solid junior class that includes Olivia Schmittinger. Matt Hahn begins his first full season as head coach in Elverson. The Scouts also have a new man in charge. Athletic director Chris Kline has an experienced group of players in Robesonia. Five of them were part of the starting lineup at different times last winter. Seniors Alex Trevena, Gisselle Feliciano, and Lauren Grabosky look to improve on a (6-16) campaign. Trevena averaged a team-high 7 ppg. with 28 triples. Speaking of triples, she’s headed to Kent State for softball. Grabosky, a 6’ center, will help in the rebounding department. She had 16 boards in their season opener. Sophomore Geniva Paul is another underclassmen to keep an eye on. It will be difficult for Oley Valley to reach 17 victories again this year. Morgan Snyder ended her career with more than 1,000 points. The All-County selection is now playing field hockey at Penn State.

Without further ado, here is my poll for the Berks Girls Basketball League. Ranking the top eight teams wasn’t easy. I consider many of the spots to be interchangeable this year. The records that you see below are from last season. Remember that no matter where your favorite school is ranked, the sun will come out tomorrow!

“The Great 8”

1.Wyomissing (31-1)

2.Wilson (24-5)

3.Berks Catholic (12-13)

4.Reading (10-13)

5.Gov. Mifflin (15-10)

6.Exeter (14-10)

7.Brandywine Heights (14-8)

8.Schuylkill Valley (15-9)

Wilson earned its 29th Section 1 championship in the Lancaster-Lebanon League. The Bulldogs completed their 49th consecutive winning season, a state record. Exeter made its third appearance in the District 3 Final in the past four years. The Eagles’ twelve wins were the most in Berks County this fall.

Two of Wyomissing’s three losses came against Lampeter-Strasburg, including a 30-27 overtime defeat in the District 3-4A championship. The Spartans are a staggering (71-9) over the last six years. Conrad Weiser had its best campaign since 1996. The Scouts captured the Section 3 title after going (2-8) a season ago.

Twin Valley reached the District 3 semifinals for the third straight year. Schuylkill Valley brought the Section 5 championship to Leesport. Berks Catholic returned to the District 3 playoffs in Dave Stahler’s first season as head coach.

Without further ado, here is my final Berks County high school football poll for 2024. Thanks to all of the coaches and athletic directors who helped with my coverage this year. Remember that no matter where your favorite team is ranked, the sun will come out tomorrow!

“The Great 8”

1.Wilson (11-2)

2.Exeter (12-2)

3.Wyomissing (10-3)

4.Conrad Weiser (10-1)

5.Twin Valley (9-3)

6.Schuylkill Valley (9-3)

7.Berks Catholic (7-5)

8.Gov. Mifflin (5-6)

6A

Nick Fiorini-1st Team-Wilson-Sr.

Matt VanOstenbridge-2nd Team-Wilson-Sr.

5A

Bryce Detwiler-1st Team-Gov. Mifflin-Jr.

Ethan Grim-1st Team-Gov. Mifflin-Jr.

Travis Jenkins-1st Team-Gov. Mifflin-Jr.

Alex Kelsey-1st Team-Exeter-Sr.

4A

Liam Hilburt-1st Team-Fleetwood-Sr.

A

Bradon Howe-1st Team-High Point-So.

Landon Richard-1st Team-High Point-Jr.

Jacob Davenport-2nd Team-High Point-Jr.

Class 6A-Quarterfinals

#4 Wilson hosts the Manheim Township/Cedar Crest winner at 4:30pm on Monday.

Class 5A-First Round

#1 Gov. Mifflin hosts #16 Garden Spot at 4:30pm on Friday.

#3 Twin Valley hosts #14 Lower Dauphin at 7pm on Friday.

#7 Muhlenberg hosts #10 Manheim Central at 2pm on Friday.

Class 4A-Quarterfinals

#5 Berks Catholic visits #4 James Buchanan at 5pm on Monday.

#6 Fleetwood visits #3 Northern Lebanon at 4:30pm on Monday.

Class 3A-Quarterfinals

#7 Oley Valley visits #2 Trinity at 4:30pm on Monday.

Class 2A-Semifinals

#4 Kutztown visits #1 Halifax at 4:30pm on Monday.

Class A-Semifinals

#1 High Point Baptist hosts the Lancaster Christian/West Shore Christian winner at 4:30pm on Monday.

Class 6A

Cam Jones-Athlete-Wilson

Jon Ramsey-OL-Wilson

Class 5A

Nick Singleton-RB (POY)-Gov. Mifflin

Jonah Naugle-OL-Gov. Mifflin

Trey Rock-LB-Gov. Mifflin

Eden Johnson-DB-Gov. Mifflin

Eric Nangle-RB-Exeter

Joey Schlaffer-TE-Exeter

Kyle Helm-OL-Exeter

Ty Yocum-LB-Exeter

J.R. Strauss-LB-Exeter

Tanner Maddocks-DB-Fleetwood

Nate Millard-Specialist-Daniel Boone

Class 4A

Logan Klitsch-QB-Conrad Weiser

Aanjay Feliciano-WR-Conrad Weiser

Class 3A

Tommy Grabowski-RB-Wyomissing

Amory Thompson-Athlete-Wyomissing

Aiden Mack-TE-Wyomissing

Jven Williams-OL-Wyomissing

Jack Miller-LB-Wyomissing

Nevin Carter-DB-Wyomissing

Diohnny Ruiz-Athlete-Hamburg