Berks Sports Report Paul Roberts
When the Red Knights march into Shirk Stadium this fall, there will be a lot of new faces on the field. Reading lost 24 seniors from last year’s team. “We had a lot of kids go play college football, scholarship guys. Those players put us in a position where we were gonna be competitive no matter who we played. They set the standard in the locker room,” said head coach Troy Godinet. Keyshawn Efese is an offensive lineman at Division I Monmouth. Gabriel Laws (LB) and Lenard Brown (DE) are both at Clarion. Meanwhile, Xavier Beatty will compete on the track & field team at Chicago State.
The Red Knights return just three starters on each side of the football. Godinet, who’s entering his fourth season at the helm, is proud of the rising seniors. “I think our older guys are doing a great job of holding that standard and holding everybody accountable,” he remarked. Godinet believes his defensive line will be a strength. Jamier Jacob, Isiah Ruiz, and Emere Woods are back. They will be joined by promising freshmen Ja’Sian Welmaker and Brandon Jones. Jeremiah Camara, Idris Weaver, and Daron Wilkins are expected to get the bulk of the carries with senior Jason Plylaharn at quarterback.
Reading ended up (2-8) overall and (1-5) in league play in 2024. Wilson, Manheim Township, Cedar Crest, and Hempfield all qualified for the District 3-6A playoffs out of Section 1. “Section 1 in the Lancaster-Lebanon League is one of the tougher sections in Pennsylvania. It’s not just from an athletic standpoint; there are really good head coaches that develop really good programs,” emphasized Godinet. The former All-County linebacker for the Red Knights isn’t backing down from the challenge. “Iron sharpens iron so we’re looking forward to competing against those guys,” replied Godinet.
Reading, which started its football program in 1892, begins a new season next Friday at Phoenixville. That opener will get underway at 6:30pm. The Red Knights make the short trip to Muhlenberg in Week 2 for the “Battle of the Border.” The Muhls have lost three in a row in that series. Reading and McCaskey will square off for the 99th time on Saturday, August 4th. It’s a 4pm kickoff at Lancaster Catholic because of a construction project at McCaskey’s stadium. The Red Knights have a (49-44-5) edge over the Red Tornado. Godinet has a (6-24) record, but he knows that there’s more to a program than wins and losses. “We’re getting kids into college. We’re trying to do things the right way. At the end of the day, no matter where you’re at, the relationships matter,” he said.