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Saturday, December 1, 2007
ON THE ROAD TO RESPECT
Greater Reading, PA
By: Tim McMaster
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Photo(s) By: Kyle Danztler/MyActionPortraits.com
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The large schools in the Berks Inter-County League have long been the Rodney Dangerfield of Pennsylvania High School football. The teams haven’t gotten any respect. Last season Section One put itself on the District 3 and Pennsylvania High School football map. Four of the section’s seven teams reached the district playoffs and Blue Mountain made the Eastern Conference Field. Three of the four district qualifiers advanced out of the first round with Pottsville reaching the AAA State Championship and Governor Mifflin making it to the AAAA Quarterfinals. So far this fall, the league is showing that 2006 was no fluke.
A quick look at Mifflin’s season sums up the league’s rise to relevance. In 2004 the Mustangs left the Lancaster-Lebanon League because they could no longer compete in one of District Three’s tougher leagues. In 2006, Mifflin went 5 and 0 against the L-L, beating league champion Wilson twice along with wins over district qualifiers Manheim Township and Penn Manor. One reason for Mifflin’s resurgence was confidence. When the Mustangs moved into the I-C they believed they could compete again. They got some momentum going and over the last two seasons they’ve been able to compete with some of the best teams in the state. Some people didn’t want the school to leave the L-L, but it ended up making Mifflin better.
Obviously Mifflin, Pottsville and Blue Mountain moving into the I-C helped. But there are other factors that have helped Section One’s rebirth. Muhlenberg head coach John Yocum has been coaching in the I-C for 19 seasons. He says, “A lot of the teams lost some good players from last year’s teams but they’re all right back and I think that’s a tribute to the coaching in this league and the fact that you have to prepare and do a great job or you’ll be left in the dust.” Yocum should know. He was elected to the Pennsylvania High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame last summer.
Coaching has made the difference at Daniel Boone. When I first started covering Berks County football, I thought the Blazers were a Class-A team because the team’s roster was so small. Dave Bodolus has energized the program since his arrival in 2003. Now the players are committed to the program spending the necessary time in the weight room in the offseason. Yes, Boone has had talented players like Nate Romig, Chris Bokosky and Mark Justice. But how good would those players have been if it wasn’t for the atmosphere Bodolus installed in the program.
So what can we expect this November and December when the District III and PIAA playoffs get going? If you take away a second half meltdown against Manheim Township, Governor Mifflin looks every bit as good as a year ago. Muhlenberg should also be a factor in AAAA. Daniel Boone should again contend in AAA. Blue Mountain and Conrad Weiser are also knocking on the door to get into the AAA District Field. In the words of Al Czervik, Dangerfield’s character in “Caddyshack,” “So let’s dance!”
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