The first meeting between Berks Catholic and Bishop McDevitt was a big one. They faced off at the Mecca of Pennsylvania football Hershey park Friday afternoon for a District Championship. The Saints jumped out early and pulled away late. Berks Catholic claimed the 4A District Three crown 45-24 over Bishop McDevitt.
Cooper Lutz’s three rushing TD and the Saints running game dominated. Cooper also excelled on D with Tre Dabney to shut down the Crusaders passing game. Despite allowing points for the first time this season, The Berks Catholic D was in control all day.
Head Coach Rick Keely and Berks Catholic fulfilled a lot of goals on Saturday. “We wanted to play for a District championship. We wanted to play in this stadium and we wanted to play Bishop McDevitt. That is a great program. For us to be able to compete with that program and come out with a victory speaks volumes of our program,” said Keely. Speaking about the next game, Cooper Lutz had these thoughts, ” It is going to take a perfect effort. We are going into week 14 pretty healthy. We are just going to have to keep working.”
Berks Catholic took the opening kick and moved quickly down the field. A Cooper Lutz, 22-yard TD made it 7-0 barely two minutes in. McDevitt came right back and scored the first points against the BC defense this year. A 30-yard FG made it 7-3 at the 6:13 mark. The BC ground game pounded right back. Cooper Lutz’s second TD was from 30. A minute left in Quarter one and BC led 14-3. Cooper Lutz and the ground game kept coming. Cooper’s third TD from 41 yards made it 21-3 BC with 9:28 till half. McDevitt kept the pressure on. Their only meaningful first half drive was culminated by a Qualik Davis short TD. The extra point was no good 21-9 Saints. Berks Catholic answered right back as Terry Derr hit Louis Garcia with a TD pass and we went to half Saints 28 Bishop McDevitt 9.
McDevitt put the pressure on early in the second half. The Crusaders drew close at 28-17 after recovering a BC fumble and pounding it in. Berks Catholic would have none of that. The Saints drove down the field but settled for a 27 yard FG 31-17 Saints. That was all the third quarter scoring. Consecutive TDs by Anthony Myers and QB Terry Derr had BC up 45-17. A late McDevitt score by Davis made the final 44-24.
Berks Catholic moves on to the PIAA tourney to face the winner of Cathedral Prep and Thomas Jefferson next week.
