On the GEFA Trail: Berks County Raptors

Tagged under: Gameday Hub, GEFA, News

Guy Smith | April 21, 2024

Five straight Saturdays of spring football. Life is good. After a week break for Harrisburg Stampede AIF indoor football at the Farm Show, we were back on the GEFA trail.

So far this season we had seen GEFA games at Central Columbia High School in Bloomsburg (Kickoff Classic), Claysburg-Kimmel High School in Claysburg (Bedford County Buffaloes), and Koons Park in Linglestown (Dauphin County Comanche).

This week’s home teams were the Moshannon Valley Vikings, Monroeville Titans, Coal County Nightmare, and Berks County Raptors. We had not been to see any of those home teams yet, so all were in play. The original hope was to double up with football in the afternoon and auto racing in the evening. But that won’t work every week, as some GEFA games are late afternoon or evening. We nixed Monroeville because that one is far from us and playing undefeated Bedford County it didn’t shape up as much of a game. It wasn’t, as the Buffs won 62-0. The other three were all considered. If the Vikings at 3:00 and Port Royal Speedway at 6:00 would have had one more hour between starts, that would have been perfect. We considered the Coal County Nightmare to Greenwood Valley Action Track double. Early in the week we lamented the fact that one more hour between start times and we could have done a GEFA double between the Nightmare (1:00) and the Raptors (4:00).

We eventually settled on the Berks County Raptors. When we found their FB page on Friday to verify information, we learned that kickoff was at 5:00, not at 4:00 as per the GEFA website. We could have done the football double after all, but by then we already had made other morning and early afternoon plans. As GEFA strives for a higher degree of professionalism, keeping the info accurate and up to date on their website is something they might focus on.

This was our eighth day of GEFA football, four days last season and four this season. There was only one repeat, as we went to see the Dauphin County Comanche in Koons Park both years. For the other six sites, the improvement from last year to this year is quite obvious. Last season, the other three games we went to were at parks. This year, the other three games so far were all at high school stadiums. The advantages are many. The games last year had no seating or only tiny bleachers. This year there is large stadium style seating. Last year there were either no permanent rest rooms or they were located far away in another area of the park. This year there are clean facilities nearby. Last year manual flip-chart scoreboards; this year electronic scoreboards. Last year no announcer; this year public address systems with announcers. Last year no game clock available for spectators; this year, the clock on the scoreboard was used. Even the Koons Park repeat had an upgrade as this year they used the electronic scoreboard over the flip chart, although only for the score and not the clock. The increase in spectator amenities has been very much noted and appreciated!

And none of the facilities have been better than the new home of the former Reading, now Berks County, Raptors. Last year they played at Dives Field, part of E. J. Dives Playground. This year they have rocketed to the top of the facility list that we have experienced so far, moving to the Exeter Township High School stadium. At this location, we found paved parking, clean restrooms, comfortable seating, a working scoreboard, and a knowledgeable announcer. This was not the first GEFA game we attended where food was available, but it was the first with the permanent stadium refreshment stand open. For hot food, they had hot dogs and sloppy joes (they called them Raptor Burgers). And the prices were great. The dogs were just $2 or two for $3, and in the fourth quarter they were reduced to $1. The joes were $3, and by halftime that also included a bag of chips. They were also reduced to a buck by the end. This was the first GEFA game we have attended with freshly popped popcorn. They also had fresh-made cotton candy for the kids. Sure, there were a couple snafus, but this was their first game at this stadium and we are convinced they are on the right track in upping the GEFA experience for fans.

This was also the first GEFA regular season game we have attended that charged admission ($5). We think it’s well worth that or even a little more for all the amenity upgrades available for games at this location. They had a decent turnout, perhaps a couple hundred in the stands, which is not bad for a regular season game in this league.

The Berks County Raptors entered the game with a record of 0-3. They were Mercy Ruled by the Bedford County Buffaloes in the Kickoff Classic, then lost to the Hazleton Mustangs and the Dauphin County Comanche. The Wilkes-Barre Warriors were 1-2, not the same fearless Warriors that ripped through the first half of the season unbeaten last year. They lost in the Kickoff Classic nightcap to the Williamsport Wildcats, lost to the Moshannon Valley Vikings, then defeated the Coal County Nightmare.

This was a fun game to watch, at least for the first three and into the fourth quarter. The lead went back and forth a number of times, each team leading on four separate occasions. The Raptors were up by one at halftime, 22-21, despite the fact that the Raptors threw three picks in the first quarter alone and had a fourth called back. The game remained a barnburner after halftime, and at the end of three the Raptors were again up by a single point.

Leading into the final twelve minutes, the Raptors appeared to get rattled or lose concentration, fumbling away one possession and throwing another pick. They also were hampered by penalties, at one time getting flagged for offside/encroachment on consecutive plays.

The Warriors opened up a two-score lead and it looked to be safe, but the Raptors hit for a TD on a long pass. As the game wound down, and down by six, the Raptors had the Warriors at a fourth and 23. Lining up to punt and with a high snap, the Warriors punter ran down the sideline and was hit out of bounds, still approximately ten yards short of the first down. But a controversial personal flag for a late hit out of bounds turned that fourth and 23 into a first down, and they scored three plays later on a blown coverage that left a receiver downfield with no one anywhere close.

The final score was Wilkes-Barre 46, Berks County 34. It was three quarters of excellent football, with the final quarter having too many penalties. It was another long game, closing in on three-hours for 12-minute quarters. It was also starting to get dark, so perhaps they should have stuck with the 4:00 kickoff as per the league website.

There are five games on the GEFA schedule next Saturday, April 27, and all have 1:00 p.m. kickoffs. Home teams are the Moshannon Valley Vikings, Somerset County Miners, Indiana County Crusaders, Williamsport Wildcats, and Hazleton Mustangs. We have not been to see any of those teams at home yet, so where we might end up is wide open. It will probably be whatever makes for the best football-racing double.

GUY & PAM 2024 GEFA SCORECARD

Week 0—Kickoff Classic (Central Columbia High School, Bloomsburg)
Week 1—Bedford County Buffaloes (Claysburg-Kimmel High School, Claysburg)
Week 2—Dauphin County Comanche (Koons Park, Linglestown)
Week 3—AIF Arena Football: Harrisburg Stampede (PA Farm Show Complex)
Week 4—Berks County Raptors (Exeter Township High School)

On the GEFA Radar: Coal County Nightmare, Indiana County Crusaders, Williamsport Wildcats, Wilkes Barre Warriors, Somerset County Miners, Moshannon Valley Vikings, Hazleton Mustangs, Monroeville Titans, Keystone Bowl, All-Star Game.

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