As we head toward August, there’s no better time than now to start thinking about football.
NFL camps are opening, colleges are on the verge of starting fall practice and Pennsylvania high schools are less than two weeks away from hitting the practice field.
The heat acclimation week starts Aug. 5 with full practices starting the following week.
Here’s five topics/questions about the upcoming season for Berks schools to get us warmed up and thinking about the fall season.
Big shoes to fill at Wilson
Wilson head coach Doug Dahms saw a lot of his offense move down the road this fall to Millersville University. Berks Player of the Year Tommy Hunsicker led the team in passing yards and rushing yards, completing 156-of-241 passes (64.7%) for 2,230 yards and 24 touchdowns with four interceptions. He ran for 509 yards and eight TDs on 130 carries.
But it’s not just Hunsicker who leaves a big hole in the Bulldogs’ offense. Berks Receiver of the Year Edison Case also graduated. He had 24 catches for 509 yards and seven touchdowns a year ago and is now at Gettysburg College.
Wilson, always a force in Lancaster-Lebanon Division I, went 6-1 in the conference last year, losing to division winner Manheim Township, 49-34, on the final weekend of the regular season.
Dahms has plenty of time to get his high-powered offense going before meeting Manheim Township in this season’s finale. Non-league games against Cheltenham, Plymouth-Whitemarsh and District 11 power Nazareth will toughen the Bulldogs for conference play.
Another big hole lost in a lineup
Wyomissing, another perennial Berks power, also has a big hole to fill in its lineup. And by big, we mean really big.
Gone is Berks Offensive and Defensive Lineman of the Year, Caleb Brewer, who is now putting on the blue and white pads of Penn State.
The standout two-way lineman was the main force in a line that cleared the way for an average of 305 yards rushing per game.
And like Wilson, the Spartans were one win away from a conference title, losing to Cocalico, 34-14, the eventual Lancaster-Lebanon Division 4 champion.
Wyomissing’s only other loss last season was to Northwestern Lehigh, 33-24, in the state Class 3A semifinals.
The Spartans do have two potent weapons returning — one that has been there for decades.
Coach Bob Wolfrum led the Spartans to their fifth straight District 3 Class 3A championship and has standout running back Chase Eisenhower, just a junior, returning.
If the Spartans can rebuild their line, they are bound to make another run at a conference title. And they will find out right away what they have by opening with perennial state power Southern Columbia.
Where’s my brother?
There will be one less Zandier in the offensive huddle this year for Exeter.
All-Berks tight end Zach Zandier (21 catches for 318 yards and three touchdowns last season) is now at Coastal Carolina.
He helped block for the Offensive Back of the Year who also happens to live in the same house, his brother Jayden, who rushed for 1,358 yards and 15 touchdowns on 127 carries and had seven catches for 163 yards and three touchdowns.
While Jayden will miss his brother’s blocking, he does have standout lineman Logan Wegman anchoring a line that could open big holes again.
Exeter started 8-0 last year before losing their last two regular season games, to finish 4-2 in Lancaster-Lebanon Division 2 and then losing to Hershey 28-27 in the opening round of district play.
Encore performance?
And speaking of dynamic running backs. Will Drew Engle amass the kind of stats he did a year ago for Twin Valley?
As a sophom*ore, Engle rushed for 1,528 yards on 145 carries, had six catches for 190 yards and scored 15 touchdowns.
And he won’t be the only weapon for the Raiders, 12-2 overall last year.
They return standout quarterback Evan Myers who completed 106-of-179 passes for 1,503 yards and nine touchdowns with six interceptions and also ran for 580 yards and 10 touchdowns on 88 carries.
He’ll have a speedy target in Ben Grundy, the Berks champ in the 400-meter dash this year. The rising junior was a second team All-Berks pick last year as a kick returner and also plays wide receiver and safety on defense.
Twin Valley finished second with a 5-1 record in Division 3 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League.
Three more to go?
There was only one freshman to make the All-Berks first team on either offense or defense last year and that was Twin Valley’s Lucas Myers who roamed the middle of the Raiders’ defense.
The rookie linebacker called the defensive signals and finished with 85 tackles, two sacks and three pass breakups in the regular season.
We’re now less than a month away from opening night, which is Friday, Aug. 23.
Originally Published:
