Wyomissing rolled last night and will play in Hersheypark Stadium next weekend for the district title. Don't know anything about their opponent.
Unbeaten Spartans rip Panthers
Switch to old defense helps Wyomissing slow high-powered Schuylkill Valley
Mike Drago
Reading Eagle
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Wyomissing Alex Anzalone takes a pass away from Garrett Strobel to prevent a TD in the final seconds of the first half Friday.
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There's no friend like an old friend.
Wyomssing football coach Bob Wolfrum proved that Friday night.
After watching Schuylkill Valley run up and down the field against his top-ranked defense three weeks ago ,Wolfrum ditched his defensive alignment and came up with something new for the rematch.
Actually, with something old.
Wolfrum dusted off the 52-Angle his team hadn't played in years, gave his team three days to learn it, then watched them play it to near perfection in a 42-14 rout of the Panthers in a District 3-AA semifinal at Shirk Stadium.
"I don't really like doing stuff like that, changing things, " Wolfrum said, "but I thought we really needed to."
Kyle Beissel passed for a school-record 317 yards and the Panthers (8-4) piled up 480 yards in Wyomissing's pulsating 37-33 victory three weeks ago.
Wolfrum and his defensive staff realized their aggressive Double-Eagle Flex alignment wasn't well-suited for a passer as smart as Beissel, and against the multiple weapons the Panthers offer.
Schuylkill Valley went right down the field and scored on its first possession Friday but the unbeaten Spartans, stocked with smart, veteran players, made some quick adjustments and shut down the Panthers the rest of the way.
"It was a new defense," said defensive lineman Jeriko Reyes, "so we just got all the bugs out and then we played how the defense was supposed to look the rest of the game."
Reyes and Josh Naylor dominated at the line of scrimmage and linebacker Alex Anzalone was simply a beast, tossing Schuylkill Valley players around and laying out some big hits.
"We just played tough football," Anzalone said, "and that's what we have to do to get some (more) victories."
The Notre Dame recruit also had a key interception at the goal line just before the half and prevented another touchdown early in the fourth quarter when he laid out Beissel with a big hit at the 1 that forced a fumble.
Beissel, who had thrown for more than 2,200 yards, was limited to 146 and the Panthers got just 105 more on the ground.
Their point total was their lowest of the season.
"They beat us a little bit up front, and they just came out and played better," said Schuylkill Valley coach Jeff Chillot.
"They played a different defense," he said. "I guess I should take that as a compliment."
The Spartans (12-0) were just as efficient on offense.
They scored on each of their first six possessions, led 28-7 at half and 42-7 midway through the third quarter.
"I thought we played tonight like we did early in the year against (Conrad) Weiser and Pleasant Valley," Wolfrum said. "I thought we really came to play tonight."
Wyomissing used an unbalanced line to take advantage of its size advantage up front and let the 235-pound Anzalone pound away.
He ran for 132 yards on a season-high 20 carries and scored three TDs, including a 33-yard run as time expired in the first quarter to put Wyomissing up 14-7.
One ball-hogging drive after another followed.
"We didn't have an answer," Chillot said of Wyomissing's flawlessly executed attack.
The Panthers tried to sneak back in it late in the first half, driving to the Wyomissing 14 with eight seconds left.
Beissel fired toward Garrett Strobel, Berks top receiver, but Anzalone snatched the ball out of his hands at the goal line to save six points.
Now the Spartans head to Hersheypark Stadium and the district title game for the third straight year .
They'll meet unbeaten No. 2 seed Bermudian Springs, a 34-14 winner over Biglerville.
"Hopefully the third time's the charm," said Anzalone, who's been on the losing end the past two seasons. "I know we'll step our game up.
"This senior class is pretty special. We have a group of guys that can turn our game up. It's a championship game and we have to do it"