Muhlenberg football embracing challenge of playing in tough league
Aug. 19—Tucker Bellanca has had success in athletics during his first two years at Muhlenberg.
As a sophomore last season in wrestling, he went 25-10 at 189 pounds. In addition to obvious talent, Bellanca also has taken a mindset of not shying away from top competition.
"That's always what my philosophy has been," he said, "that if I'm literally gonna wrestle kids that I know I'm gonna beat, then I'm never gonna get better. So it's the same thing for football."
Bellanca is just one of many Muhls, starting with head coach John Lorchak, who are embracing the challenge that Muhlenberg faces in its upcoming football season.
The Muhls are coming off a 1-9 season, their only win — 38-6 over Reading High in the season finale — snapping a 26-game losing streak.
It's a young team, too, as only four starters return on each side of the ball. Lorchak has admitted there are going to be growing pains.
And, perhaps most significantly, Muhlenberg finds itself in Section 2 of the expanded Lancaster-Lebanon League. It's a section that includes former Berks Football League contenders Exeter and Gov. Mifflin, perennial power Manheim Central and Distinct 3 playoff qualifier Warwick, as well as Lebanon and Conestoga Valley.
"When you look and you compare other sections of leagues, I would say that you'd be pretty hard-pressed to find a section that has that many teams that either won district championships, chased district championships or have chased state titles deep into the playoffs," Lorchak said.
To wit, Exeter beat Mifflin to win last year's District 3 Class 5A championship. The Mustangs won it the year before. Manheim Central has won a record 18 district titles, the most recent in 2018; the Barons have qualified for districts in 32 of the last 34 seasons. And Warwick has made districts in five of the last six seasons.
"It's just always good to play against higher competition," said Drew Fidler, a senior who will be in his first season as the Muhls' starter at quarterback. "It makes us better because we have to work harder for it. And regardless of the results, as long as we're getting better, that's all that matters."
"We're gonna face better competition and it's going to make our program better step by step," said senior Gio Cavanna, a wide receiver and safety. "It's a big challenge. It's a big step up."
Big step or not, the Muhls are focusing on what they need to do to improve, which starts with the leadership of their returnees
Returning starters on offense are Bellanca, the all-league second-team center last season; Cavanna, the team's leading returning receiver (21 catches, 199 yards) and top returning rusher (24 carries, 120 yards); lineman Damien McMullen; and skill player Jermickey Gumby Jr.
Back on defense are Cavanna, Bellanca at defensive end, McMullen at defensive tackle and Wes Clemison at linebacker.
"Obviously the challenge is going to be that these individuals are going to have to do a lot of coaching on the field, bringing up the rest of the guys," Lorchak said. "The exciting thing about the situation is we feel that the individuals that are coming in as new starters are individuals that have some good athletic ability that with experience on Friday nights they're gonna get better and better."
Among players to watch out for, according to Lorchak, are running back/linebacker Tito Cruz, running back/linebacker Ulices Ramirez and two-way lineman R.J. Mogel. Lorchak said all three have had good offseasons and preseason camps.
"I think that a lot of those younger kids look up to a lot of us and will really follow what we say," Bellanca said. "And I think that's it's very important for us to try to lead by example, and to show them that hard work will pay off in the end.
"A lot of them are very good football players. They just need to be shown the right way to play high school football because it's very different than middle school football."
With such a young team, having early success could be vital. After opening at Octorara, the Muhls host Reading High.
"I think starting strong is really going to set the tone Week 1," said Fidler, who was 0-for-2 passing last year. "I think if we can get that win, our confidence will be back and we're just going to keep working hard."
Lorchak has tried to stress the program's past success, something he knows first-hand as a teacher in the district for 29 years and as the Muhls' offensive line coach under John Yocum in the 1990s and early 2000s. Muhlenberg has been a powerhouse before. That's where embracing the challenge of the new league comes into play. These are teams the Muhls have faced — and beaten — in the past.
"The fact that the section is so competitive you're just hoping that as you go from year to year that you're gonna have a level of play rise up," Lorchak said. "The rising tide lifts all ships. Every ship, every team in that section, you know, that tide is going to lift it. How much it lifts it? Obviously that's going to be over time, but there's definitely going to be movement. The competitiveness of that league is going to have teams get better because you're gonna face that week in and week out."
The expectations for this season are seemingly modest: be competitive and continue to improve. Lorchak, who is heading into his third season, is still building a program.
"I just want to see it grow," Fidler said. "I just want to keep taking steps, even if they're little steps, just getting better every day."
Cavanna said he's often thought of helping get the program on the road to matching its past glory. Again, it's a welcome challenge.
"If it was easy it wouldn't.be as much fun," he said.
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A look at the Muhls
Coach: John Lorchak, third season, 1-16.
Last year: 1-4 Berks Football League Section 1, 1-9.
PIAA classification: 5A.
Schedule: Aug. 26, at Octorara; Sept. 2, Reading High; Sept. 9, Daniel Boone; Sept. 16, Lebanon; Sept. 23, Gov. Mifflin; Sept. 30, at Manheim Central; Oct. 7, at Exeter; Oct. 14, Warwick; Oct. 21, at Ephrata; Oct. 28, at Conestoga Valley.
