WYOMISSING – ‘Survive and advance’ was the order of the day for the Wyomissing Area Spartans (12-0) in their 14-0 victory over visiting Middletown (6-5) in Saturday afternoon’s District III 3A semifinal, avoiding the rash of unexpected outcomes that seemed to be the story of playoff week two.
Through the season’s first eleven weeks, the Spartans had set a blistering offensive pace, averaging 47.7 points per game and a gaudy 39.3 point margin of victory. Saturday, however, would belong to the defense.
Facing pouring rains, 40 mph wind gusts, and a well-prepared and very familiar opponent, Wyomissing’s defense showed why the Spartans are 21-1 over the past two seasons.
After exchanging punts with Middletown through the first quarter, Wyomissing’s defense came up big late in the second. Senior linebacker Jack Miller forced a Middletown fumble deep in Blue Raider territory, setting up a Tommy Grabowski 17 yard touchdown run with 4:16 left in the half to give the Spartans a 7-0 lead at the half.
The Spartan special teams seemed to heat up just as the sun poked through the clouds, but an Amory Thompson touchdown on the opening kickoff of the second half was nullified by a holding penalty, meaning Wyomissing would have to score the old fashioned way.
79 yards, 17 plays, 3 fourth-down conversions, and eight minutes later, Wyomissing had a 14-0 lead and all the cushion they would need.
“Our line did a fantastic job,” Grabowski said about the defining drive following the game. “We knew we wanted to run the ball as much as possible. There was a lot of blast, power, and inside running, trying to get up the field as quickly as possible.”
Middletown showed a level of defensive discipline that the Spartans had not seen this season. The Blue Raiders did not allow any big plays and made Wyomissing earn every single offensive yard.
As good as the Middletown defense played, it was the speed and tenacity of Wyomissing’s defense that won the day. The Spartans held Middletown to 49 total yards on the day, just nine after intermission, and only four first downs. They also swarmed Blue Raider quarterback Tate Leach into an 0-8 performance.
When asked about the challenges they overcame Saturday, Grabowski, who finished with 152 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries, welcomed the struggle.
“It was good that we had to have everybody play the whole game. I think it will help us in the long run, obviously. It was a good experience for all of us.”
The Spartans will hope that experience will prepare them for next Saturday’s District III 3A final against Boiling Springs, a 35-7 winner over Hamburg.
Scoring Summary
2 Wyomissing Grabowski, 17-yard run (Levering kick) 4:16
3 Wyomissing Grabowski, 2-yard run (Levering kick) 3:52
Scoring by Quarters
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Middletown | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wyomissing | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
