Berks Sports Report Paul Roberts
The (14-0) Spartans battle the (12-1) Saints in the Class 3A state semifinals on Friday at Pennridge High School. Wyomissing has outscored its opponents 169-31 in the postseason. The Spartans dominated previously unbeaten Scranton Prep 35-14 in the quarterfinals. Junior Drew Eisenhower exploded for 134 yards and 2TD on 14 carries. Fullback Tommy Grabowski reached the end zone two more times. The 200-pound senior has nine touchdowns in the last four games. Grabowski is second in Berks County with 25TD this year, only Nick Singleton of Gov. Mifflin has more. Grabowski has a team-high 1,250 rushing yards. The Spartans average 45 points and 308 yards per game on the ground out of their Wing-T offense. Jven Williams continues to add to his impressive total of pancake blocks. The 6’4, 310-pound junior has several Division I offers. Wyomissing’s defense is outstanding as well. Linebackers Jack Miller, Rory Filoon, Matt Kramer, and Grabowski have been tackling machines. 240-pound defensive tackle J.J. Jackson has been a big addition. Cornerbacks Amory Thompson and Nevin Carter are 3-year starters. 220-pound senior Aiden Mack had two sacks last week vs. Scranton Prep. He’s committed to Richmond to play tight end.
Neumann-Goretti certainly isn’t lacking in talent or speed. The Saints have five potential Division I players. 6’3, 205-pound safety Raleigh Collins is headed to West Virginia. 230-pound linebacker Anthony Johnson is going to Rutgers. Wide receiver Yazeed Haynes recently received an offer from Ole Miss. Fellow WR Kevin Thomas decommitted from WVU last month. Junior cornerback Shawn Battle might be the best of the bunch. His offers include PSU, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Arizona State, and Oregon. Battle had 2TD on just two carries against Danville in the state quarterfinals. First-team All-Catholic League running back Jayden Sumpter finished with 151 yards and a score. Marqui Adams, another first-team All-Catholic League selection, was 8-17 for 115 yards. Neumann-Goretti had 380 total yards in the 28-0 shutout of Danville. The Ironmen were held to 111 yards and only 12 rushing. The Saints overcame 14 penalties and extended their winning streak to eleven. Their only loss was a 28-6 setback to Archbishop Wood in early September. Neumann-Goretti has been in some tight games. Four of their wins are by seven points or less. The Saints knocked out North Schuylkill 26-21 in the opening round.
This matchup features two coaches who can put state champion on their resume. Bob Wolfrum has 336 wins over 35 years at Wyomissing. He guided the Spartans to state gold in 2012. Meanwhile, Albie Crosby engineered an undefeated season at Imhotep in 2015. Crosby stepped down after capturing the Class 3A state title. He went (53-6) over four seasons at Imhotep with three District 12 championships. Crosby was hired by Neumann-Goretti in 2017. The West Catholic grad has quickly turned a struggling program into a District 12 power. Neumann-Goretti is #4 in the latest PennLive Class 3A state rankings. Wyomissing is #2. I’ll have updates from Pennridge High School!