MORGANTOWN – Evan Myers believes.
Twin Valley’s freshman quarterback lead the Raiders (2-0, 4-1) to a thrilling 37-34 Berks II victory over the visiting Conrad Weiser Scouts (1-1, 3-2) on Friday night.
As a freshman tasked with leading an offense featuring well-established senior stars in Trey Freeman and Dominic Caruso, Myers could be excused for playing, well, like a freshman.
However, Myers displayed composure under some intense pressure Friday night. He also showed that he’s more than up to the challenge of guiding the Raiders offense, even though he’s the new kid on the block.
“It’s an honor, to be honest,” beamed Myers after the game. “They’ve (Caruso and Freeman) helped me step into a role that many older players wouldn’t like, but they’ve lead the way for me.”
A quarterback since the first grade, Myers showed the steady hand needed to distribute the ball to the bevy of dangerous weapons at his disposal. He passed for 171 yards on 11 completions and a touchdown while leading Twin Valley to six scoring drives.
He also possesses the youthful assurance that anything is possible.
“Our word this week was believe. Every single one of us believed from Monday’s practice to now that we could win this game. Our coaches did a perfect job getting us ready,” added Myers.
His head coach, Kris Olsen, believes.
“We were 1-16 against Weiser all-time and we had to believe that we can do it, and this group did. For our seniors, this changes our program. We were never able to get them over the hump. This is the win that does that.”
Friday night’s contest was a back and forth affair, with nine ties and three lead changes, culminating in senior placekicker Matt Puccino’s game-winning 28 yard field goal in the second overtime period.
The seesaw nature of the game was also evident in each team’s nearly identical offensive production, but in the end a lost fumble on third and goal during the second overtime was too much for the Scouts to overcome.
Freeman contributed for 112 receiving yards and Caruso added 77 yards on the ground for the Raiders in the wining effort. Conrad Weiser’s Logan Klitsch passed for 165 yards, two scores and two interceptions in the loss.
But the night belonged to Myers and that one word: believe.
“This is just the start,” added Myers when asked about his team’s future goals. “Everything will lay out just as it’s supposed to. I’m excited to be on this journey.”
For Myers, Olsen, and the Raiders, that belief may go a long way.
