York – Berks Sports Report

Mike Glover-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Sat, 16 Nov 2024 06:30:25 +0000

Central York entered Friday’s District 3-6A semifinal averaging 38 points. Junior quarterback Brooklyn Nace had thrown for 2,147 yards and 27 TD in eleven games. However, the third-seeded Panthers managed just 3 points and 71 yards in the second half of a 28-20 loss at Wilson. “I’m so proud of our defense. They did great. They gave our offense chances…our coaches made up a great game plan,” said Mike Glover. The 6’3, 220-pound sophomore TE/DE finished with five receptions for a game-high 117 yards and two touchdowns. Glover made a pivotal 61-yard catch with four minutes left. “It was just a go [route] and they didn’t stick with me so I was open. Madyx threw a great ball and I did what I could to get the yards,” explained Glover. He’s a nightmare for defenders to bring down. On fourth-and-13 with two and a-half minutes remaining, Madyx Gruber found Cam Zullinger for a 16-yard gain. On the next play, Correll Akings ran six yards off the left side for a score. Akings capped a quick 80-yard drive that put the second-seeded Bulldogs up 28-20 with 2:24 to go. Brendyn Smith returned the ensuing kickoff to Central York’s 46-yard line. On fourth-and-10 from Wilson’s 42-yard line, Nace overthrew UConn commit Saxton Suchanic down the right sideline with 35 seconds to play. Wilson fans could finally breathe a sigh of relief. The (11-1) Bulldogs extended their winning streak to nine. The Panthers end up (9-3). They outgained Wilson 292-to-283, but committed three turnovers and nine penalties. Sophomore running back Legend Johnson fumbled on Central York’s first two possessions, but the Bulldogs couldn’t take advantage of either red zone opportunity. On the Panthers’ third series, punter Matthew Parker fielded a low snap which caused his knee to touch the turf at the 13-yard line. This time Wilson cashed in with an 8-yard TD toss from Gruber to Zullinger. The senior tight end had five receptions for 49 yards. Central York responded immediately with a 66-yard bomb from Nace to Smith down the left sideline. It was 7-7 with 2:51 left in the first quarter at John Gurski Stadium. Smith, a 150-pound speedster, hauled in six catches for 107 yards. Johnson ripped off a 52-yard TD run up the middle to put the Panthers in front 14-7 with 8:16 remaining in the first half. The Bulldogs replied with an 80-yard drive. Gruber hit Glover for a 12-yard touchdown pass to even the score at 14-14. Nace then attempted a deep ball down the left sideline, but Jaiden Carpenter tipped the pass into Gruber’s hands for an interception. Three plays later, Glover boxed out his defender for an 18-yard touchdown grab. Wilson went just 34 yards for the 21-14 lead. In the final minute of the half, Gruber got hit and his fluttering pass was picked off by Dwayne Morgan at the 42-yard line. That set up a 56-yard field goal by Parker as time expired. The Penn State commit with a strong leg pulled Central York within 21-17 at the break. Parker added a 43-yard field goal with 4:40 to play. The Panthers were suddenly within 21-20. Gruber engineered an 80-yard drive when it mattered most. “We’ve got a great connection. He’s a dog back there…he takes hits all day and he just gets back up. He’s tough,” said Glover. Gruber went 13-of-24 for 172 yards and 3 TD. The first-year starter at quarterback was sacked five times. Akings was limited to 45 yards on 14 carries. Johnson ran for 123 yards on 17 carries for Central York. Nace was 18-of-32 for 171 yards. He was sacked four times. Mel Gaston, a 215-pound junior, had three tackles for loss. Junior outside linebacker Ethan Harding made a team-high eight tackles for the Bulldogs. Senior linebacker Christo Hunsicker added six tackles and a 71-yard punt on a very windy night. Wilson advanced to the District 3-6A championship game against Harrisburg. “A lot of critics were saying that we weren’t gonna go far because we didn’t have a lot of starters back. I always believed in my guys and I knew we could do this,” stated Glover.

Wilson-Central York Preview

Paul Roberts — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 22:01:16 +0000

Central York was one of several top-notch football programs that made the trip to West Lawn in June for Wilson’s 7-on-7 camp. Five months later, the Panthers are coming back to John Gurski Stadium. This time, however, there’s a lot more at stake and the linemen get to join the party. The Bulldogs host Central York in the District 3-6A semifinals at 7pm.

Wilson is ranked #7 in the state in Class 6A by PennLive. The (10-1) Bulldogs are riding an 8-game winning streak. During that stretch, Wilson has allowed just nine points per contest. The second-seeded Bulldogs are only giving up 81 rushing yards and 197 total yards per game this season. Their defense is led by linebackers E.J. Brownback (70 tackles) and Christo Hunsicker (62 tackles). Brownback, a 215-pound sophomore, has racked up 15.5 tackles for loss. Junior safety Chase Herb has provided 42 tackles. He was all over the field in Wilson’s 34-16 victory at Manheim Township for the Section 1 championship.

The third-seeded Panthers have won eight of their last nine games. They have a dangerous passing attack with Brooklyn Nace in control. The 6’2 junior has thrown for 2,147 yards and 27 touchdowns while completing 67% of his passes. Brendyn Smith, a 150-pound junior speedster, has 64 receptions for 942 yards and 11 TD. Nace has some tall targets as well in 6’3 senior Saxton Suchanic, 6’4 senior Nasir Ruppert, and 6’2 junior tight end Colin Gurley. Suchanic is an athletic defensive back who’s committed to UConn. Legend Johnson has a team-high 560 rushing yards. The 6’2, 185-pound sophomore is averaging 5.3 yards per carry with nine scores.

Tyler Frey is one of York County’s best all-around players. The 190-pound senior recently picked up an offer from Mercyhurst. Frey has piled up 83 tackles, six sacks, and a pair of interceptions from his safety position. You will also see Frey on the offensive side of the ball. Jeremiha Hunter, a 195-pound junior linebacker, is second on the team with 76 tackles. He has 9 TFL and 7 sacks. Defensive end Malachi Ramnath (6’3, 235) is committed to Monmouth. The (9-2) Panthers feature an outstanding kicker in Matthew Parker. The senior with a very strong leg is headed to Penn State.

Madyx Gruber and Correll Akings are hoping to put off basketball season a little while longer. Gruber has 1,713 yards through the air and 691 yards on the ground. The first-year starter at quarterback has 29 combined touchdowns. He’s completing 66% of his attempts. Akings surpassed 1,000 rushing yards last week in a 28-3 win versus Cedar Crest. He’s averaging 6.3 yards per carry with a dozen trips to the end zone. Akings is also a weapon out of the backfield. Four of his 22 catches have gone to the house. Wilson utilizes four tight ends including 6’3 sophomore Michael Glover and 6’ senior Cam Zullinger. Glover has a team-high 34 catches for 531 yards and 4 TD. Zullinger is a key figure on defense as well with 13 TFL.

Wilson and Central York are no strangers to the District 3 playoffs. This is the 32nd appearance for the Bulldogs. The Panthers are in the tournament for the 18th time. Their lone title came in 2020. Wilson has claimed seven District 3 championships with the most recent coming in 2016.

Reading’s Season Ends in Final 4

Paul Roberts — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 04:14:08 +0000

Most high school teams are fortunate to have one 1,000-point scorer in their lineup. Central York has three of them. The Panthers showed off their offensive firepower in a 79-65 win over Reading in the PIAA-6A semifinals. The Red Knights held McDowell to 47 points in the second round and Coatesville to 44 in the quarterfinals. Central York demonstrated why its averaging 72 points per game. The (28-3) Panthers can beat you inside or outside. They splashed six 3-pointers in the first half. Greg Guidinger, the school’s all-time leading scorer, sank three treys in the first quarter. The 6’6 senior jammed eleven points into the first eight minutes. He finished with 22. Ben Rill, a 6’8 junior, had a game-high 26 points. He was 10-for-15 from the free throw line. Ben Natal, who’s also in the 1,000-point club, exploded for ten points in the second period. The 6’2 junior guard drained a triple from the right corner to end the third quarter. Natal provided 13 points. Reading led 11-to-6 early. Central York was in front 20-19 after a quarter and 37-31 at the break. There was confusion at the scorer’s table in the third quarter. Central York was mistakenly awarded two extra points. The Red Knights trailed 57-43 entering the final period. They never threatened the Panthers in the fourth quarter. Yadiel Cruz contributed a team-high 21 points. The 6’2 senior racked up 1,010 points in just two seasons at Reading. Cruz was 9-of-9 from the foul line. He averaged 22 ppg. and was named the Berks County Player of the Year. Nick Chapman, a scrappy 5’10 senior, scored 14 of his 16 points in the first half. Sophomore Weshly Rosario added 13 points. The game included 56 free throw attempts in front of a packed house at Warwick. Central York was 20-of-30 from the stripe, while the Red Knights were 22-of-26. Reading began its quest for back-to-back state titles with a 90-73 loss at Central York on December 5th. The Panthers ended the Red Knights’ season three and a-half months later. Central York will make its first appearance in the PIAA Finals on Saturday night. The Panthers face Parkland at 8pm at the Giant Center. After a (7-6) start, Reading finished with a mark of (22-11). First-year head coach Francis Camara was extremely grateful for the six seniors on the team. “They trusted me, believed in me, and stood by my side through all the adversity. They helped me grow as a coach through my mistakes and held me accountable. They are the definition of what it means to be a Red Knight,” he remarked.