Dave Stahler Gets First Victory in Berks Catholic Nail-biter over Executive

Tagged under: District 11, District 3, Gameday Hub, News

PFN Staff | August 31, 2024

Special Contributorlsvsports.com/

Saints head coach Dave Stahler picked up his first victory in nerve-racking fashion Friday night at Andre Reed Stadium on the campus of Kutztown University. A game that remained close throughout came right down to the wire and Berks Catholic clipped the Raptors for the second consecutive year.

Executive Education was, like last year, not at full strength. Playmaker Sylis Styles was ineligible due to picking up two personal foul penalties last week, leaving the void in the running game to be filled by Jaiden Perez and Yaseen Mirza.

The Raptors got the ball first and cruised down the field in seven plays. Perez picked up gains of 17 and 18 yards, setting up an 8-yard touchdown pass from Zion Brake to Tahir Edmondson. The extra point was no good, but Executive led 6-0 with 8:33 to play in the first quarter.

Berks Catholic also mashed through the defense on their opening drive. Running back Nate Rose gashed through the defensive line for gains of 9 and 15, moving his team across midfield. The Saints faced 4th & 5 on the Raptors’ 19. Quarterback Zach Suski made his first of many big passes, finding Jackson Kozik for 15 yards and the conversion. Rose went in from five yards out on 3rd & Goal and the extra point put Stahler’s team ahead 7-6 late in the quarter.

While it seemed the offenses would dominate, those would be the last points of the opening half. Two plays into Executive’s ensuing drive, Brake was picked on a deep ball by Devyn Sutton. The Saints took over on their own ten and were forced to punt a few plays later. Executive took over on the Saints’ 40 but lost seven yards on a bad handoff in the backfield. After a turnover on downs, Berks got the ball back on their own 35. Rose ran for ten and caught a ball for another ten, moving the Saints across midfield. Suski picked up 13 on a designed quarterback keep up the middle, but the offense found itself in a 4th & 15 spot on the Executive 33. An incompletion meant another turnover on downs and the Raptors took over. A critical penalty cost Executive a chance to score before halftime, as a 21-yard completion to Jeremiah Rodriguez was called back on a personal foul facemask. Yaseen Mirza had a 13 yard run, but a 4th & 4 pass from the Saints 37 went incomplete in the end zone.

The Saints got the ball first in the second half. Suski picked up 13 on a scramble, but was then sacked by Josiah Floyd, forcing the second punt of the game. The Raptors would respond on their ensuing drive.

A defensive pass interference call on a first down pass from Brake moved Executive to their own 38. Brake then hooked up with his favorite target of the night, Jeremiah Rodriguez for 14, carrying the Raptors into Saints territory. Brake completed a 3rd & 10 pass to Darius Kohler for a 15 yard gain. On another first down at the Berks Catholic 20, the Raptors nearly had their drive thwarted with a holding call, backing them up to the 30. On the next play, Brake found Christian Navarro on the left side of the end zone for a score. The two-point conversion pass was incomplete, but Executive Education was back on top 12-7 with just over four minutes to play in the third quarter.

Like the opening possessions of the game, the Saints responded in a grinding fashion. An 11 play, 58 yard drive culminated with Nate Rose’s second touchdown of the night from five yards out. The drive was kept alive with a 4th & 11 completion from Suski to Kozick for 17 plus another personal foul on the Raptors. Suski kept it for a two-point conversion, making it 18-15 Saints with 9:43 left in the game.

The Raptors were poised to strike right back on their next drive, but ultimately came up short. Dexter Conner pulled in a nine yard completion and Perez picked up 21 yards over two rushes, moving Executive to the Berks Catholic 41. However, a 4th & 6 completion over the middle to Rodriguez came up a yard short, giving the football back to the Saints.

If Berks could go on another long drive and pick up a few first downs, there was a chance they could have run the clock out. However, the EEACS defense did its job, forcing a three-and-out. Executive took over on its own 35 following a punt. From there, the Raptors flew down the field on the back of a 17 yard reception by Rodriguez and Mirza rumbling through the line for nine. Perez took one around the right side and gained 23, setting Executive up at the Berks Catholic 15. Two plays later, Perez was in the end zone from seven yards out, making it 18-15 for the boys from Allentown with just 1:21 remaining.

Berks Catholic needed some help; the Raptors provided. With another personal foul late hit after the kickoff return, the Saints started in Raptors territory at the 48. A big sack of Suski was nullified by another personal foul, this time a facemask call. The ground and pound had been working most of the night, but with time dwindling under a minute, Zach Suski fired deep to the far side of the field, finding Kozick for a pickup of 30. That set the Saints up on the EEACS 4. Two plays later, the Saints had less than a yard separating them from a victory. Suski kept the ball going up the middle and with just two seconds left in regulation, Berks Catholic went ahead for the final time, capping a 24-18 victory.

In the win, Suski was 12/13 for 115 yards and 4/4 in the second half. Kozik brought in six of those passes for 84 yards. Nate Rose ran 26 times for 113 yards and two scores. The Saints will look to continue their momentum next Thursday night when they travel to Bethlehem Catholic for a 7:00 kickoff at BASD Stadium.

In defeat, Jaiden Perez ran 11 times for 101 yards and a score. Zion Brake was 14/21 for 153 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Jeremiah Rodriguez hauled in six receptions for 50 yards. The Raptors were called for four personal fouls and six penalties overall. They will look to rebound next Friday night in Bloomsburg, where they will face Central Columbia.

Follow PA Football News on Twitter @PaFootballNews