Wolfrum – Berks Sports Report

Bob Wolfrum-Wyomissing

Paul Roberts — Sun, 27 Oct 2024 16:34:46 +0000

Wyomissing had scored at least 31 points in seven consecutive games entering Saturday’s highly anticipated matchup with Lampeter-Strasburg. The Spartans’ Wing-T offense was completely derailed by the unbeaten Pioneers. Lampeter-Strasburg allowed just 146 total yards in a 20-7 victory. “We had nothing we could call our own,” said Wyomissing coach Bob Wolfrum. The Pioneers are (10-0) for the first time in school history. They claimed the Section 4 championship in the Lancaster-Lebanon League. Senior linebackers Emory Fluhr and Dominic Brown led a relentless defensive effort. Collin Shelley (6’4, 290) and sophomore Thad Wolf (6’4, 315) controlled the trenches. “We gotta be more physical. They were just more physical than us…They say it’s not really the X’s and O’s, it’s the Jimmys and Joes,” stated Wolfrum. He’s in his 38th season at the helm in Wyomissing. Wolfrum has 370 career victories, the most in District 3 history. The Spartans’ 36-game home winning streak came to an end. They were forced to punt seven times. Lampeter-Strasburg marched 59 yards to the 1-yard line on its second possession. After getting stopped on third down, the Pioneers opted to kick a field goal. Wyomissing was called for roughing the kicker which gave Lampeter-Strasburg a first down. Brown cashed in with a 1-yard touchdown. The 5’11, 176-pound running back finished with 116 yards on 28 carries. The (8-2, 6-1) Spartans tied it up late in the opening quarter. A Pioneers’ punt got caught up in the strong wind and Wyomissing took over at the 15-yard line. Derek Macrina’s 2-yard touchdown run made it 7-7 with 54 seconds remaining in the first period. Peter Fiorello kicked a 21-yard field goal to give Lampeter-Strasburg a 10-7 advantage with 17 seconds left in the first half. He boomed a 41-yard field goal with three minutes to go in the third quarter. Caileb Howse put the Pioneers in front 20-7 with 7:21 to play. The 200-pound senior quarterback scored on a 15-yard run down the left sideline. That followed a 20-yard run by Brown. Howse racked up 129 rushing yards on 15 carries. He was 8-of-15 through the air for another 67 yards. Fluhr sealed the deal with an interception with 3:45 remaining on the clock. Sophomore quarterback Teddy White was 2-of-8 for (-2) yards on the afternoon. “We could do nothing through the air. It’s the catching, the throwing, and the blocking. We haven’t done any of those things well consistently all year long,” noted Wolfrum. Lampeter-Strasburg limited talented sophomore Justice Hardy to 49 yards on a dozen carries. Hardy left the game twice in the second half after getting banged up. He will have extra time to recover before Wyomissing’s next game. The Spartans earned a bye in the District 3-4A playoffs as the #2 seed. They will return to action on Saturday, November 9th at 1pm. Wyomissing will host either #7 East Pennsboro or #10 Susquehannock.

Derek Macrina-Wyomissing

Paul Roberts — Sun, 15 Sep 2024 15:28:36 +0000

Derek Macrina still remembers being a ball boy for Wyomissing’s football team. The 5’11, 165-pound senior is now starting at halfback and safety for the Spartans. Wyomissing has claimed twelve District 3 championships including five in a row. Bob Wolfrum picked up win #365 on Saturday afternoon. The field is named after the head coach who’s in his 38th season at the helm. He guided the Spartans to a state title in 2012. There’s plenty of tradition in the small borough, and Macrina is thrilled to be part of one of the top programs in Pennsylvania. He got his first two touchdowns of the year in a 42-0 rout of Northern Lebanon. “It felt great. I have to give credit to my linemen and my backs because I was untouched both times. They did a great job,” emphasized Macrina. He finished with 53 yards on five carries. Macrina scored from 15 yards out on a sweep to the left to put Wyomissing on top 21-0 with 9:25 left in the second quarter. That 34-yard drive was set up by an interception from sophomore Justice Hardy. The (3-1, 1-0) Spartans found the end zone on their first four possessions. Chase Eisenhower rumbled for 91 yards and 2 TD on nine carries. The 215-pound junior fullback broke four tackles on a 39-yard score with five minutes remaining in the first half. “I probably should’ve kept blocking. I kind of stood and watched in awe. I’m like ‘Holy Cow’ this kid just doesn’t go down,” said Macrina. The third quarter began with junior linebacker Tyler Niedrowski forcing a fumble that was recovered by 255-pound defensive end Keaton Piacine. Danny Fleischood, a 190-pound junior, capped a quick 24-yard drive with a 6-yard touchdown run up the middle. That score started the running clock with 9:07 to go in the third period. Hardy chipped in with 56 yards on five carries. Macrina likes the balance that Wyomissing has in the backfield. “It’s kind of pick your poison. Move your guys in the middle, we’re gonna go outside. You put them on the outside, we’re gonna go inside. It’s a one-two punch,” he replied. Sophomore Brady Ryan returned an interception to the Spartans’ 20-yard line late in the third quarter, but Wyomissing held. An interception by Wayne Reason in the end zone kept the (1-3, 0-1) Vikings off the board. Tymere Brooks-Gray provided the finishing touch with a 10-yard TD run. The Spartans are ranked #5 in the state in Class 4A by PennLive. They visit ELCO on Friday night.

Bob Wolfrum-Wyomissing

Paul Roberts — Sun, 15 Oct 2023 12:09:00 +0000

Bob Wolfrum is an institution in Wyomissing. He spent 33 years as a teacher and Dean of Students. Wolfrum has been an integral part of the football program for more than 50 years. This is his 37th season as the Spartans’ head coach. Wolfrum’s record improved to (357-88-1) after a 35-14 victory over Conrad Weiser on Saturday afternoon. Following the game, the football field was officially named after the longtime coach. Wolfrum led Wyomissing to the Class 2A state championship in 2012 when the Spartans defeated perennial powerhouse Aliquippa. Wyomissing earned PIAA-3A silver medals in 2020 and 2021. Wolfrum has won eleven District 3 titles including four in a row. He’s an eye-popping (18-0) in home playoff games. Only Southern Columbia’s Jim Roth has more all-time wins among active high school coaches in Pennsylvania. Wolfrum has only had one losing season in nearly four decades as head coach. His teams have been a model of consistency. The Spartans went (49-4) over the previous four years.

Despite all of his accomplishments, Wolfrum is a man of few words. During Saturday’s dedication ceremony, he spoke for nearly 14 minutes. Wolfrum talked about the support he has received from his wife, family, assistant coaches, administrators, and players. As usual, he focused on the Wyomissing community as a whole and not himself. Here is his speech in its entirety.

Bob Wolfrum-Wyomissing

Paul Roberts — Sun, 24 Sep 2023 12:16:00 +0000

It was late in the third quarter on a rainy Saturday afternoon and an ELCO punt had pushed Wyomissing back to its 2-yard line. The Spartans were up 21-14 in a matchup of undefeated teams. Wyomissing took 14 plays to march 98 yards in a vintage Wing-T drive. “When the chips are down and you’re on your own 2, you have to reach back and our kids did…You could see they [the Raiders] were running out of gas,” said longtime Spartans’ coach Bob Wolfrum. Chase Eisenhower’s 3-yard touchdown run gave Wyomissing a 28-14 advantage with 7:42 left. That would be the final margin as the (5-0) Spartans won their 40th consecutive regular season contest. They’re ranked #2 in the state in Class 3A by PennLive. Eisenhower, a 215-pound sophomore fullback, rumbled for 116 yards on 18 carries. Senior HB/LB Drew Forrey stole the show with 163 yards and 3 TD on ten carries. Forrey is up to 6’4 and 210 pounds this year. He put on twenty pounds in the offseason. “He’s a big guy now. He can play at the next level. He’s got good speed. He’s a really good blocker. He had a day,” stated Wolfrum. Forrey added five tackles. He stopped Mitchell Frederick on a shovel pass on fourth down with 3:42 remaining to seal the victory. Forrey raced 54 yards up the middle for a score on Wyomissing’s opening possession. His 24-yard touchdown run on a sweep to the right made it 14-7 with 7:18 to go in the second quarter. The Spartans then stuffed the (4-1) Raiders on fourth-and-six at Wyomissing’s 21-yard line. The second half started with a bang. Forrey took another sweep off the right side 50 yards to the house. ELCO responded immediately to pull within 21-14 midway through the third quarter. Jake Williams capped that drive with a 25-yard touchdown run up the gut. Williams finished with 133 yards and 2 TD on 23 carries. The 5’10, 185-pound senior entered the day with 1,141 yards and 16 TD in just four games. Williams ran for 1,792 yards and 18 TD a season ago. 220-pound senior linebacker Elliott Kreider intercepted Logan Hyde’s pass and returned it to Wyomissing’s 25-yard line with three minutes left in the third quarter. The Raiders weren’t able to capitalize, however, and were forced to punt. That led to the pivotal drive of the game. The Spartans have five new starters on the offensive line. “They play very well at times. We haven’t been consistent. We’re getting better,” replied Wolfrum. Caleb Brewer has shifted from tight end to offensive tackle. The 6’5, 290-pound senior is committed to Penn State. “He’s not taking it easy because he’s going to Penn State. He works and he’s playing both ways, at his size that’s tough,” noted Wolfrum. Max Tipton, a 285-pound OT/DT, is also playing well as a junior. The Spartans ran the ball 52 times for 351 yards. They outgained ELCO 360-201. Wyomissing hosts Donegal next Saturday.

Bob Wolfrum-Wyomissing

Paul Roberts — Sat, 03 Dec 2022 22:28:00 +0000

Eight seconds. That’s what stood between Wyomissing and a third straight trip to the Class 3A state championship game. It looked like the (13-1) Spartans were on their way when Ben Zechman found Charlie McIntyre open in the left flat for a 10-yard touchdown pass that put Wyomissing on top of Neumann-Goretti 17-14. However, the District 12 champions still had 34 seconds to pull off a miracle comeback. Mehki Wharton lofted a deep pass to Qaasim Major who was all alone behind the defense for a 44-yard score down the left sideline with eight seconds left. The (11-3) Saints stunned the Spartans 20-17 at the Germantown Super Site. “We just blew a coverage. That happens. It’s a shame. Quite frankly, I don’t know that we deserved to win. They had much the better of the play most of the game,” said longtime Wyomissing coach Bob Wolfrum. Neumann-Goretti outgained the Spartans 386-257. Wyomissing was limited to 142 rushing yards and just 3.1 per carry. The Spartans’ Wing-T offense gashed the Saints a season ago in a 42-6 semifinal rout. This was a much different story. “You could tell that they studied it a little bit. They made it so we couldn’t run between our tackles. They were really physical. We couldn’t hold our blocks,” explained Wolfrum. Wyomissing was grinding out 326 yards per game on the ground entering Saturday. They were held 26 points below their season average. The Spartans dominated the field position battle in the first half. Drew Eisenhower capped a 46-yard drive with a 6-yard run late in the opening quarter. On their next possession, the Spartans reached the 2-yard line with five minutes to go in the second period. They opted to kick an 18-yard field goal on fourth down and Ian Levering made it 10-0. Boston College commit Shawn Battle gave Neumann-Goretti a spark with a 51-yard touchdown run just 30 seconds later. Battle ran for 124 yards and scored four times last week in the quarterfinals versus Northwestern Lehigh. The Saints handed off to Sam Hobbs for the 2-point conversion and he got them within 10-8 of Wyomissing. Hobbs is a 6’1, 192-pound senior linebacker with an offer from Syracuse. He had a team-high 62 tackles, 10 TFL, and four sacks going into Saturday. Neumann-Goretti hurt itself in the third quarter. With Battle on the sideline getting a rest, freshman running back Terrance Page fumbled and Collin Niedrowski recovered at the Spartans’ 28-yard line. On the Saints’ next series, Battle was ejected for throwing a punch after he was tackled with 20 seconds left in the period. The 5’11, 187-pound senior finished with 187 yards on 19 carries. That drive stalled at Wyomissing’s 21-yard line. The Saints forced a three-and-out and took over at the Spartans’ 48-yard line with 4:12 to play. Freshman Amahj Gowens broke off runs of 16 and 12 yards before 200-pound sophomore fullback Kyreese Bradley powered into the end zone from two yards away. The 2-point conversion pass was incomplete, but Neumann-Goretti had a 14-10 advantage with 2:01 on the clock. That’s when Ben Zechman went to work. The 6’2, 185-pound senior got things going with a short pass to Eisenhower that went for 22 yards. He connected with Eisenhower again on a 29-yard strike into tight coverage down the right seam. That set up Wyomissing at the 22-yard line with 59 seconds left. After a pass interference penalty, one of 14 flags against the Saints, Zechman flipped a pass to McIntyre for the go-ahead score. The Spartans were only averaging 64 passing yards per contest. On that possession, Zechman had four completions for 74 yards. “We can always count on him. He does a great job of calling the plays at the line when he has to, and running everything fast. He knows what every position does and he’s pretty sharp,” mentioned Wolfrum. Zechman ended up 8-of-17 for 115 yards. Wharton and Qaasim hooked up just 26 seconds later to end Wyomissing’s perfect season. Wharton, a 6’7, 227-pound junior, gave credit to head coach Albie Crosby. “The coach just drew it up during the timeout. It was just a thought in his head. It was wide open,” revealed Wharton. He was 13-of-20 for 110 yards. Neumann-Goretti piled up 276 rushing yards. The Saints will meet District 7 champ Belle Vernon next Saturday at 1pm in the PIAA-3A championship at Cumberland Valley. Matthew Kramer ran for a team-high 78 yards on 20 carries. Eisenhower chipped in with 37 yards on eleven touches. He added 65 yards on four receptions. McIntyre managed 20 yards on eleven carries. They’re three of the 17 seniors on the roster. The Spartans went (49-4) over the past four years with four District 3 titles. “That’s a pretty good resume for a kid. They had great careers, all of them,” noted Wolfrum.

Frank Ferrandino-Wyomissing

Paul Roberts — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 09:57:00 +0000

Bob Wolfrum has been the mainstay in Wyomissing. “He’s such a good role model to so many people and I’m not talking just football players. He was an outstanding baseball coach, many people forget that. He was a Dean, he was a teacher, just a good person and a good family,” said athletic director Frank Ferrandino. Wolfrum earned his 11th District 3 championship on Saturday in impressive fashion. The (12-0) Spartans defeated West Perry 63-7. It was Wolfrum’s 349th career victory, the most in District 3 football history. He surpassed former Manheim Central skipper Mike Williams. Wolfrum has been part of the Wyomissing program for more than a half-century. His all-time record is a sparkling (349-86-1) over 36 seasons. He also spent fifteen years as an assistant with the Spartans. Ferrandino has been close to Wolfrum for a long time. The 1986 Wyomissing graduate became an assistant coach with the Spartans’ football team in 1989. Ferrandino has been the wrestling head coach since 1991 and the athletic director since 2012. He emphasized that discipline has been a key to Wolfrum’s success. “He demands that they perform as perfectly as possible and that’s not just on Saturdays and Fridays. That’s every day of the week,” stated Ferrandino. Wolfrum guided Wyomissing to a Class 2A state championship in 2012. He’s only had one losing season. “The mind is where his game is played. He really enjoys the X’s and O’s. He loves going against better athletes and tries to outscheme them. When he watches a team play [live], the things he sees are phenomenal,” noted Ferrandino. The Spartans are ranked #1 in the state in Class 3A by PennLive. They travel to unbeaten Danville on Friday for a state quarterfinal. Wyomissing’s Wing-T offense is averaging 44 points and 326 rushing yards per game. “It looks like we run the same play all the time, but there’s been so many tweaks to our offense and defense. He’s continued staying relevant with what’s new and out there. He’s willing to change,” said Ferrandino. One thing that hasn’t changed is Wolfrum’s love of music. “He has tremendous knowledge in music. He loves music, and all kinds from marching band music to rock and roll to oldies. He can name a tune like nobody else,” mentioned Ferrandino. Wolfrum trails only Jim Roth of Southern Columbia in wins among active coaches in Pennsylvania. The Spartans have won 35 consecutive regular season games. Ferrandino told me that Wolfrum has a great sense of humor. He revealed a funny story from his days as a second grade student in Wolfrum’s gym class. I asked Ferrandino if Wyomissing will ever have a turf football field with lights. He replied with a smile, “Not while I’m here.” Ferrandino stressed that the players and the community love Saturday afternoon games. They also love their head coach.

Bob Wolfrum-Wyomissing

Paul Roberts — Mon, 10 Oct 2022 20:25:00 +0000

It was a perfect fall Saturday afternoon in Wyomissing. Plenty of sunshine, a Hall of Fame ceremony, homecoming festivities, a visit from Penn State head coach James Franklin and freshman running back Nick Singleton, and another dominant victory for the Spartans. They put Cocalico away early. The Eagles fumbled on their first three possessions en route to a 38-7 loss. Matthew Kramer had a trio of touchdown runs in the opening nine minutes. The 6’1, 215-pound fullback finished with a team-high 76 yards on eleven carries. Bob Wolfrum gave credit to nose guard Caleb Brewer for beating Cocalico’s center and forcing the first two fumbles. Brewer is getting a lot of attention these days. The 6’5, 285-pound junior has recently received offers from Maryland, Pittsburgh, Boston College, Duke, Houston, Toledo and Western Michigan. “He likes the physical part of the game. He loves blocking and he loves tackling. Like Jven, he moves very well. That’s why he’s getting all those looks,” said Wolfrum. Jven Williams, the top rated player in Pennsylvania, is committed to Penn State. Pacen Ziegler, who starts at OT/DT for Wyomissing, has an offer from Davidson. Brewer, Williams, and Ziegler average 285 pounds. They’re part of a very talented collection of players in Berks County. Joey Schlaffer (PSU), Anthony Caccese (Delaware), Cam Jones (Holy Cross), and Ayden Martin (Monmouth) are all headed to Division I programs. “Usually if you have one DI kid in the county, it’s a lot. We just happen to have a bunch. We right now have three DI linemen. That never happens,” noted Wolfrum. Most opponents fear the precision of the Spartans’ Wing-T offense. On Saturday, they showed that they can hurt teams through the air as well. Ben Zechman was 8-of-10 for a career-high 137 yards and 2TD. “He throws the ball well. It’s not like we’re just throwing it up there for the heck of it. We could do it a lot more and we probably should, but I’m a stubborn old guy,” joked Wolfrum. Both touchdown passes came in the second quarter. Zechman hit Ethan Brower on a 29-yard post before connecting with William Delp on an 11-yard throwback screen. Wyomissing was up 35-0 at halftime. Ian Levering added a 19-yard field goal on the opening drive of the second half. The (7-0, 4-0) Spartans outgained the (3-4, 2-2) Eagles 291-to-124. Cocalico’s flexbone attack was limited to 121 rushing yards and 41 of those yards came on the final series. Wolfrum improved his record to (344-86-1) over 36 seasons at Wyomissing. He’s won ten District 3 championships and a state title. Wolfrum was thrilled that he got a chance to chat with Ray Linn who was inducted into the Wyomissing Football Association Hall of Fame this weekend. Linn coached at West Reading from 1951-54 before turning Gov. Mifflin into a powerhouse. “Ray, John Gurski, and Don Thomas were thee guys in the county when I first got here. It was really neat to see him,” emphasized Wolfrum. Watching what the Spartans have been doing this year has been pretty neat as well.

Bob Wolfrum-Wyomissing

Paul Roberts — Mon, 15 Aug 2022 18:45:00 +0000

A gallon of gasoline cost 53 cents in 1974. Minimum wage was $2.00 per hour. Barbra Streisand had the #1 song with “The Way We Were” and the comedy ‘Blazing Saddles’ was released. That’s also the year that Bob Wolfrum became an assistant coach at Wyomissing. He’s still there. Wolfrum is preparing for his 36th season as the Spartans’ head coach. “It’s a pleasure to be here. I can’t imagine not doing it to tell you the truth,” he said. Wolfrum (337-86-1) is second among active football coaches in Pennsylvania in wins. Only Jim Roth of Southern Columbia has more victories. Wolfrum told me that having assistants that stay with you is probably the biggest key to long-term success. The Spartans have only had one losing season during his incredible tenure. Wolfrum emphasized, “You’ve got to do what you believe in. You can’t be jumping around and changing things all the time. We’re fortunate that a lot of our former players are now coaching in our little league program.” The Wing-T offense has been the scheme of choice at Wyomissing. With Wolfrum as the maestro, the Spartans have won ten District 3 titles and the 2012 state championship in Class 2A. They’ve made 16 consecutive appearances in the postseason with a (38-18) all-time record in the District 3 tournament. Wolfrum is thrilled with the move to the Lancaster-Lebanon League. “Love it. Love it. I was for that right from the get go. The division we’re in is really competitive, a lot of good teams. You’re going to have a game every week,” he said. Berks Catholic, Conrad Weiser, Cocalico, Lampeter-Strasburg, ELCO, Donegal, and Octorara are also part of Section 4. I asked Wolfrum about having the Saints back on the schedule. He replied, “I’m happy. I didn’t want to play them early in the year non-league. I’d still rather have it be the last game, but you play when the league tells you to.” The 2022 edition of the Spartans certainly isn’t lacking in size. The offensive line will average nearly 260 pounds. PSU commit Jven Williams leads the way at 6’4 and 305 pounds. What would happen if Williams went up against former Wyomissing standout and NFL lineman Ross Tucker? “I’m not going to call that one. Just let me tell you, I would never bet against Ross. One of the ways Ross made it in the NFL was he was willing to fight anybody. Jven is tough, but Ross is tough to beat,” Wolfrum said with a grin. The former Spartans’ baseball coach was wearing a Yankees shirt at Saturday’s practice. He’s frustrated with the Bronx Bombers right now. Wyomissing could be hitting a lot of home runs this fall with seniors Drew Eisenhower and Charlie McIntyre returning at halfback. Wolfrum’s troops are hoping to reach the state championship game for the third straight year.

Bob Wolfrum-Wyomissing

Paul Roberts — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 09:08:00 +0000

The Spartans entered Hersheypark Stadium averaging 311 rushing yards per game and 7.7 per carry. Central Valley defensive tackles Sean FitzSimmons and Jackson Tonya were determined to shut down that potent running attack. They controlled the line of scrimmage and helped the Warriors capture their second straight Class 3A state championship. FitzSimmons and Tonya combined for 14 tackles and 3TFL in a 7-0 victory over Wyomissing. The (15-1) Spartans came in averaging 45 points. They hadn’t been shutout since the 2017 District 3 championship against Middletown. Wyomissing had an opportunity to get on the scoreboard with 6:30 left, but FitzSimmons burst into the backfield and knocked the ball away from Ben Zechman before the junior quarterback even had a chance to roll out. I spoke with Bob Wolfrum about that 4th down play from the 3-yard line. The Spartans’ longtime head coach explained why they didn’t attempt a field goal in that situation. The 6’3, 280-pound FitzSimmons is committed to Pittsburgh. Tonya is a 6’2, 225-pound junior. Both had over 110 tackles this season. They’re a big reason why Wyomissing averaged 2.9 yards per carry. The Spartans were limited to 115 total yards and just 34 in the second half. Zechman finished 3-11 for 13 yards, but Wolfrum emphasized that he was under pressure all afternoon. Wyomissing was 2-12 on third down. Tommy Grabowski had a team-high 55 yards. However, seven of his fifteen carries went for one yard or less. Wolfrum had high praise for his defense. The (15-0) Warriors were averaging 47.6 points before squaring off with the Spartans. They put up 35 points on Wyomissing in last year’s state final. Junior OLB Matthew Kramer was in on eleven stops for the Spartans. J.J. Jackson blocked a 19-yard FG attempt on the opening possession. The 6’3, 240-pound DT made 5.5 tackles. Wolfrum said Jackson gave the team a big boost after moving from New York before the season. The only score came on a 28-yard run off the left side by Landon Alexander with ten minutes to go. The all-state running back went over 200 yards for the fourth consecutive game! Alexander piled up 231 yards on 35 carries. Eight of his touches against Wyomissing went for ten yards or more. Alexander owns the school record with 4,161 career rushing yards. 296 of Central Valley’s 313 yards came on the ground. Quarterback Antwon Johnson picked up two critical yards on a 4th & 1 sneak with 4:30 remaining. Head coach Mark Lyons rolled the dice from his own 18-yard line and it paid off. This was the Warriors third straight appearance in the state final. They’ve won 27 games in a row. Wolfrum knows that he had a very special group of seniors. They earned the Spartans’ tenth District 3 title. Don’t be surprised to see Wyomissing back in Hershey next year.

Bob Wolfrum-Wyomissing

Paul Roberts — Sat, 04 Dec 2021 08:08:00 +0000

How would Bob Wolfrum have reacted if I told him during the week that his Spartans would beat Neumann-Goretti 42-6? “I would’ve laughed at you,” said the Wyomissing head coach. Nobody was expecting the mercy rule to come into play in the Class 3A state semifinal at Pennridge High School, but the (12-2) Saints had no answers for the Spartans. 6’4, 220-pound senior Aiden Mack (Richmond commit) blocked a Neumann-Goretti punt early in the third quarter. Wolfrum told me that play really put his squad in control. The District 3 champs took over at the 21-yard line and three plays later they were in the end zone. Charlie McIntyre caught a 10-yard pass from Ben Zechman to give Wyomissing a 28-6 lead. The (15-0) Spartans outscored the Saints 28-0 in the third quarter. Wolfrum was very happy with Zechman’s performance. The 6’3 junior was 5-7 for 58 yards and 2TD. Drew Eisenhower had a 15-yard TD run and an 8-yard TD grab. Fullback Tommy Grabowski finished with 108 yards and a score on 18 carries. Amory Thompson showed his speed on a 57-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter. The senior HB/CB ended up with a team-high 114 yards on just six carries. Wolfrum explained why teams have so much trouble stopping the Wing-T. 351 of Wyomissing’s 409 total yards came on the ground. Neumann-Goretti, which had averaged 33 points per game, was limited to 169 total yards. Senior quarterback Marqui Adams didn’t play in the first half due to an injury. Adams was one of seven first-team All-Catholic League selections for the Saints this year. They used Shawn Battle as a Wildcat QB and drove 78 yards on the opening series for a score. The Spartans countered by putting an extra defender in the box and that shut down Neumann-Goretti’s running game. Adams did play in the second half, but he went 1-11 for 17 yards. There are twelve seniors on the Wyomissing roster. Wolfrum noted that their leadership has been outstanding. He also pointed out that next year’s team is going to be pretty darn good too. On a lighter note, Wolfrum talked about using socks instead of gloves on cold nights. He absolutely refuses to use hand warmers, and brought longtime Minnesota Vikings’ head coach Bud Grant into our conversation. Wolfrum is (337-85-1) over 35 seasons with the Spartans. He has a shot at a second state title next Saturday at noon at Hersheypark Stadium. The Spartans will battle unbeaten Central Valley for the Class 3A championship. The Warriors defeated Wyomissing 35-21 in the state final last year.