Reading High came into Friday night’s game with Gov. Mifflin brimming with confidence. Two solid wins and only a last second loss to Harrisburg had the Red Knights and their fans feeling they would be a contender in the Berks Football League this season. The Gov Mifflin Mustangs and Quarterback Jan Johnson’s performance gave Reading a very harsh dose of reality. Mifflin extended its conference winning streak to 26 games by slamming the door on the Reading Red Knights Friday night 48-14.
This game was never in doubt. Wilson Fontanez’s dive capped Mifflin’s opening 62 yard five play TD drive. The Mustangs followed that up with a 24 yard Jan Johnson TD run and with 7:55 left in Qtr 1 Mifflin had ground out a 14-0 lead. Reading did show some offensive life. Reading had a quick strike drive culminating in a QB Elisiah Payne 15 Yd run to draw to 14-6. That was as close as Mifflin would allow this game to get. Mifflin got the ball back and quickly drove 58 yards culminating with a Jan Johnson TD run to make the score 21-6 at the end of a very entertaining first quarter.
The Mustangs proved to be their own worst enemy in a dominating second quarter. The Mustangs lost two fumbles and had a number of key penalties to keep the game reasonably close. With 4:13 in the half, Wilson Fontanez’s second TD for Mifflin stretched the lead to 28-6. A few defensive stands and Reading got the ball with :50 left in the half on their own 42. This proved to be 50 seconds of the wildest football I have ever seen. A trading of interseptions, two major penalties, a botched punt, and Mifflin’s Jan Johnson hit Eliseo Ortiz with a 41 Yd TD with :02 left in the half and voila Mifflin goes into halftime leading 35-6.
Gov. Mifflin QB Jan Johnson, who this week broke the news he has verbally committed to Akron, hit Hunter Bortz on a 26 yd TD pass for a 41-6 Mifflin lead to start quarter three. Quarter four’s first play was also a Jan Johnson TD pass. This time a 16 yarder to Ried Hoff made it 48-6 Mifflin. A late Reading TD made it a 48-14 final.
There were numerous highlights for Gov. Mifflin. The Mustang “D” kept the potent Red Knight offense in check all night. Senior Wilson Fontanez 214 yards led an unstoppable Mifflin ground attack. QB Jan Johnson had four completions, three were for TD’s. Jan also ran for a pair of scores. Gov. Mifflin standout Jan Johnson disclosed this week that has verbally committed to play football next year at the University of Akron. “It’s the right move for me right now,” said Johnson. “They (Akron) are going to use me as a linebacker.” Other D1 schools were interested in Johnson but the main reason for Jan choosing Akron was head coach Terry Bowden and his coaching staff.
Gov. Mifflin moves on next week for a first time inter-sectional clash at (3-1) Lehighton. Reading High’s schedule gets no easier as they travel to undefeated Conrad Weiser.
