Brandon Strausser could not forget Gov. Mifflin's 61-14 thrashing at the hands of Wilson a year ago.
He would not allow himself to forget.
He downloaded a photo of the scoreboard after that game onto the lock screen of his phone as a constant reminder. Memories of that dark night pushed Strausser and his teammates throughout the offseason; the results of their work were displayed on another scoreboard Friday night.
The motivated Mustangs scored a one-sided victory of their own, their 48-7 win at Gurski Stadium serving as an announcement that they are indeed for real.
“(When people see this score) they'll be impressed,” said Strausser, who scored an early touchdown and helped spearhead a strong defensive unit that limited Wilson to 59 first-half yards. “It just proves our senior group is really good. We've been together since Day 1.”
The Mustangs handed the Bulldogs one of the most stinging and lopsided regular season defeats in their storied history.
It was Wilson's worst regular season defeat since a 44-2 body slam by Reading High in 2003 and the most points it has allowed in a regular season game since a 56-28 loss to Hempfield in 2005.
The 41-point win was the biggest ever for the Mustangs in the series, which dates to 1954.
“We came to get our respect back,” Strausser said. “We knew what was coming at us. ... We took it to 'em.”
The game was tight in the early going, the Bulldogs tying it 7-7 in the first quarter when quarterback Kaleb Brown threw a strike on a slant to Troy Corson that went for a 39-yard TD.
The Bulldogs had a chance to go into the half down just a score after Mason Lenart's 73-yard kickoff return to the 17 in the final minute. They had a first down at the 3 with 13 seconds left but the Mustangs stuffed them on two runs, and Brown's hurried pass into the end zone as time expired fell to turf untouched.
That turned out to be the Bulldogs' last gasp.
“We knew we had to step up, and we did,” Strausser said of the goal-line stand. “That was key for us; it gave us motivation going into half.”
Mifflin linebacker Trey Rock led the defense with seven tackles, including 3 ½ for loss. Sophomore defensive back Ayden Martin picked off a pair of passes in the second half to help put the mercy rule into play. Eden Johnson, who recently joined the team from Philadelphia West Catholic, picked off a late pass and took it back 69 yards.
The loss could prove a costly one for the Bulldogs. Brown, a key piece on both sides of the ball, was knocked out of the game in the third quarter with a knee injury. Wilson coach Doug Dahms called it a bone bruise.
Brown finished the game on crutches, as did offensive lineman Ethan Ashcroft.
Birdsboro Special
Doug Pederson and the Philadelphia Eagles affected a lot of high school playbooks with their “Philly Special,” a gadget play that resulted in a key touchdown in their Super Bowl LII victory over the New England Patriots.
Daniel Boone took a page from Pederson's playbook in its 43-42 season-opening win over Twin Valley Friday, using a similar play for the go-ahead two-point conversion with five seconds left.
Blazers coach Rob Flowers put the play in just a few weeks ago. It always worked well in practice and it did again when Krystian Hornberger tossed the game-winner to quarterback Carter Speyerer.
“I told the guys we'd use it at a good time,” Flowers said. “It worked out well when it really counted.”
The Blazers call their play QB1 and run it differently than the Eagles. Speyerer lined up at quarterback and handed off to slot Cam Hirshman, who handed it to Hornberger.
When the Eagles ran it quarterback Nick Foles lined up in the slot, running back Corey Clement took a direct snap and flipped the ball to tight end Trey Burton, who threw the pass.
Also, the Blazers ran the play going left, because Hornberger, a baseball pitcher, is a lefty.
“It's a great play,” Speyerer said. “We practiced it in my backyard.”
Flowers said there was no thought of kicking for the tie and going to overtime.
“We weren't stopping them, and we weren't moving the ball well (at the time),” he said. “It was, 'Win it now, and go home.' ”
Show of support
Head coach Doug Dahms and his Wilson players took a knee before Friday's game against Gov. Mifflin to show their “commitment to battle racism and inequity in all forms,” according to a message read by the public address announcer.
Remaining 17 Strong
Berks Catholic players ran onto the field at New Tripoli Friday carrying Anthony Myers' No. 17 jersey.
Myers lost his battle with cancer last December at age 17.
Senior classmate Colby Newton, a close friend, scored the first touchdown of the night in the 56-35 win over Northwestern Lehigh and made two more trips to the end zone.
Singleton in a rush
Nick Singleton broke the Gov. Mifflin record for career rushing touchdowns and moved up to No. 9 all-time with 48 after scoring four times in a 48-7 win over Wilson Friday.
The junior rushed for 160 yards to push his career total to 3,124, just 5 shy of Zach Schmidt's program record set in 2010.
Singleton owns program records of 52 TDs and 218 points.
Mustangs add game
Gov. Mifflin has filled the last remaining hole in its schedule, adding Central Dauphin East for Friday at Mifflin Stadium.
This gives the Mustangs seven games before the start of the District 3 Class 5A playoffs, which they expect to make.
The Panthers' scheduled opponent, State College, has suspended contact sports until students return to the classroom; they're currently learning virtually.
Berks Catholic is the lone Berks team without a game next weekend, but these things are changing by the minute. The Saints picked up a pair of games last week within a 24-hour span.
That's a trend we're likely to see throughout the remainder of the season
FRIDAY NIGHT ROUNDUP
Berks Catholic 56, Northwestern Lehigh 35
At New Tripoli, Colby Newton scored three touchdowns and rushed for 147 yards and Justin Small scored a TD and rushed for 113 yards for the Saints in their season opener. The Tigers fell to 1-1.
The Saints led 42-20 in the third quarter after Josiah Jordan's 3-yard TD run.
They piled up 373 rushing yards and 507 total yards.
Christian Cacchione caught three passes for 113 yards, including a TD, and rushed for 2 yards for the Saints.
Notre Dame Green Pond 50, Muhlenberg 20
At Easton, Matt Frauen scored three touchdowns as the Crusaders (2-0) turned a pair of turnovers into scores in a win over the Muhls.
Aaron Shuker rushed for 202 yards and scored a pair of TDs for the Muhls in their opener.
Octorara 40, Schuylkill Valley 10
Chanz Stevens scored on a 1-yard run and Zach Heffner drilled a 38-yard field goal as the Panthers lost their season-opener to the Braves in Leesport.
Week 1 Top Performers
Rushing
Aaron Shuker, Muhlenberg, 13 carries, 202 yards, 2 TDs
Nick Singleton, Gov. Mifflin, 19 carries, 160 yards, 4 TDs
AJ Hofer, Daniel Boone, 23 carries, 156 yards, 1 TD
Colby Newton, Berks Catholic, 24 carries, 147 yards, 3 TDs
Ryan Scheivert, Twin Valley, 16 carries, 135 yards, 1 TD
Eric Nangle, Exeter, 15 carries, 119 yards, 1 TD
Passing
Logan Klitsch, Conrad Weiser, 13-of-19, 263 yards, 1 TD
Tanner Maddocks, Fleetwood, 10-of-25, 225 yards, 2 TDs
Gavin McCusker, Exeter, 15-of-26, 224 yards, 2 TDs
Carter Speyerer, Daniel Boone, 12-of-16, 191 yards, 3 TDs
Ryan Scheivert, Twin Valley, 9-of-20, 158 yards, 2 TDs
Receiving
Aanjay Feliciano, Conrad Weiser, 7 receptions, 162 yards, 1 TD
Alex Vassallo, Daniel Boone, 9 receptions, 132 yards, 2 TDs
Owen Maddocks, Fleetwood, 7 receptions, 122 yards
Christian Cacchione, Berks Catholic, 3 receptions, 113 yards, 1 TD
Joey Schlaffer, Exeter, 6 receptions, 101 yards, 2 TDs
Trey Freeman, Twin Valley, 4 receptions, 100 yards, 2 TDs
Week 2 schedule
Friday, Sept. 25
Wilson at Manheim Township, 7
C.D. East at Gov. Mifflin, 7
Twin Valley at Conrad Weiser, 7
Schuylkill Valley at Kutztown, 7
Muhlenberg at Daniel Boone, 7
Hamburg at Halifax, 7
Boyertown at Owen J. Roberts, 7
Exeter at Carlisle, 7
Saturday, Sept. 26
Fleetwood at Wyomissing, 1:30
The Link LonkSeptember 20, 2020 at 02:19AM
https://www.readingeagle.com/sports/high-school/weekend-wrap-gov-mifflin-will-not-forget-this-night-on-the-football-field-any-time/article_1fa113b0-faad-11ea-ac42-1336a64dbd84.html
Weekend Wrap: Gov. Mifflin will not forget this night on the football field any time soon - Reading Eagle
https://news.google.com/search?q=forget&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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