Berks Sports Report Paul Roberts
Will Johns is back. “He works hard at practice. He has worked on his speed and strength in the offseason. He’s constantly the first one on [the practice field] and one of the last ones to leave,” said Schuylkill Valley head coach Bruce Harbach. Johns made some noise as a freshman last fall. In Week 2, he caught six passes for 126 yards and three touchdowns against Daniel Boone. The following week, however, he suffered a torn MCL. Johns wasn’t able to return to action until the regular season finale. The Panthers finished (5-6, 4-3) and fell to Trinity 35-7 in the District 3-3A quarterfinals.
Johns is healthy once again and Schuylkill Valley is riding a four-game winning streak. The (4-1, 2-0) Panthers knocked off defending Section 5 champion Berks Catholic 18-16 a week ago. “It meant a lot, it was a lot of fun. B.C. played amazing. It was an amazing game playing with the guys I love. It was a whole team effort,” emphasized Johns. The 5’11, 175-pound sophomore caught a pair of touchdown passes, including a 49-yard score that came on a flea-flicker. “I didn’t expect us to run it, especially with a close game. When I heard it, I was stoked. I knew I was getting the ball,” he explained. Johns had five receptions for 69 yards in the victory over the Saints.
Johns leads Schuylkill Valley with 29 catches for 401 yards and 7 TD. He was unstoppable against Columbia in Week 4 at Leesport. Johns racked up 161 yards and 2 TD on eight receptions. He also returned a kickoff 79 yards to the house in a wild 45-34 win. Johns is part of an experienced receiving corps that includes Anthony Batista, Alexander Gehret, and Seth Klinikowski. Gehret is the lone senior in that group. They’re working with one of the top quarterbacks in the Lancaster-Lebanon League. Alex Aletras, one of eight returning starters on offense, is completing 66% of his passes. The 6’2, 185-pound senior has thrown for 822 yards with 13 touchdowns and just one interception. “This is our first year really getting close and it’s amazing. I trust him. I know he’s gonna make a perfect throw and he trusts me. Our chemistry is perfect,” noted Johns.
The Panthers dropped their season opener at Conrad Weiser 27-13. The Scouts piled up 360 rushing yards. Meanwhile, Aletras was limited to 108 yards through the air. “I knew I needed to get better. I knew the way we played, and the way I played, wasn’t going to get us where we want. After that, we all locked in,” acknowledged Johns. Schuylkill Valley put up 121 points in its next three games.
The Panthers are tied for first place in Section 5 with Annville-Cleona. Schuylkill Valley visits Pequea Valley on Friday night. The (4-1, 1-1) Braves we’re blown out at Hamburg 36-7 last week. “We had a nice talk this week about staying focused, doing our job and don’t worry about anybody else,” replied Harbach.