BERWICK – Entering the 2025 season, Berwick, one of the state’s most proud and historic programs, has had three straight losing seasons, which is the first time that has happened in over 100 years since the 1920-23 seasons.
The 2025 squad is determined to snap that streak and get the once mighty Bulldogs back to the program’s traditional winning ways.
And if they’re going to do so, it appears it’ll be on the back of senior tailback Ty’Meere Wilkerson and a stout defense. Behind a stingy defense, as well as 234 rushing yards and three touchdowns by Wilkerson, who added a game-changing defensive play as well, Berwick improved to 2-0 for the first time since 2019 with a 42-0 shutout of Mid Valley.
“Our guys have known since last offseason that this is the first time this program has been under .500 in three straight years in over a century, so they understand what’s at stake and used that as fuel for the offseason,” said Berwick coach C.J. Curry. “I’ve never seen a team work as hard as them and the fruits of their labor are starting to pay off, but they understand they can’t get complacent and we’ve got a tough schedule ahead.”
The Berwick defense was stifling all night, holding Mid Valley to 86 total yards with two sacks while forcing three first half turnovers.
Last year, in a 28-7 loss to Mid Valley in what marked the programs’ first ever meeting, Wilkerson managed just a single rushing yard on a single carry, as Berwick struggled to an 0-4 start on the season.
But after moving from receiver to the backfield later in the season, Wilkerson finished strong and has now continued that into his senior season. Behind his effort, Berwick gouged the Spartans’ defense for 383 yards on the ground on the evening, But as great of a night as Wilkerson had on offense out of the backfield, it was a play he made on defense that will not only be on highlight reels for the season, but also largely shut down any possible momentum Mid Valley may have had.
With the Bulldogs leading 21-0 and largely stifling the Spartans on defense midway through the second quarter, the Spartans’ Mason Vinansky took a handoff at his own 45 and got loose through some traffic on the line and appeared headed toward the end zone several yards ahead of the nearest Bulldog. But Wilkerson, the District 2 champion in the 100 meters, sprinted down the field and caught Vinansky from behind at around the 10-yard line and not only made the tackle to save the touchdown but also forced a fumble, which went through the end zone for a touchback. Berwick then ran out the clock on the half to take a three-score lead into the locker room.
“That was the play of the game, by far. They got the momentum, broke a big run there, and to see him and that effort and to go down and punch the ball out, completely flipping the momentum, that goes to show the effort and love,” said Curry. “A lot of guys would have just taken the play off and said forget it, we’ll get the ball back and try to score, but that’s care and chemistry with your teammate and the sacrifice and just wanting to win, the drive to win. I’m super proud of him and he can do it on both sides of the ball.”
Wilkerson notched his third touchdown of the night on Berwick’s first second half possession, capping a six-play, 69-yard drive with a three-yard touchdown run, putting the Bulldogs up 29-0 after a two-point conversion. The drive followed a stop on fourth-and-1 by the Berwick defense at its 31, stopping the Spartans on downs after Vinansky had taken the second half kickoff 51 yards to the Berwick 40.
The Bulldogs put the game into the mercy rule on their next possession. Wilkerson took his final carry of the night 54 yards to go over the 200-yard mark, setting up Berwick with a first-and-goal at the Mid Valley 8-yard line, with Gavin Galutia finishing the drive with an eight-yard touchdown.
“They figured out where they should have put him and that was a good decision,” said Mid Valley coach Stan Yanoski. “I thought we did a good job early on him, but sometimes you take a play off or aren’t in position and he busts it and forget it, he’s the district champion sprinter, so nobody’s going to catch him. We did bottle him up early, but you have to sustain that and be consistent but we got worn down and poor tackling and couldn’t block them – you name it.”
Earlier in the game, Berwick was able to build its three-score lead at the half largely by taking advantage of Mid Valley turnovers, while also not being hurt by its own giveaways. The Bulldogs lost a fumble and also muffed a punt in the first half, but both times, the defense answered, forcing a three-and-out after their first turnover and forcing a Spartan turnover on the first play after the muffed punt.
Mid Valley, on the other hand, was hurt by its turnovers, as two of its three lost fumbles in the first half led to a pair of Berwick touchdowns.
“We had three turnovers on fumbles and you can’t do that against a good team – it’s just fundamentals,” said Yanoski. “We didn’t turn the ball over last week, but we’re young at several positions, and we’re not doing a good job with the two lines we have faced so far.”
The Spartans coughed it up on their second play from scrimmage of the game after a 37-yard punt by Caleb Yost pinned Mid Valley back at its own 3. Two plays later, Vinansky fumbled, and it was returned by Brady Cleaver to the 1-yard line. Wilkerson then punched it in for his first score of the night.
Then, in the second quarter, the Bulldogs’ muffed punt gave Mid Valley the ball at the Berwick 43 at the 8:41 mark. But on the first play of that drive, Brett Yanoski fumbled while dropping back to pass, and it was recovered by Gabe Decker at the Mid Valley 45. Four plays later, Cleaver took a bootleg eight yards into the end zone to put the Bulldogs up 21-0.
Berwick 42, Mid Valley 0
Mid Valley (0-2) 0 0 0 0 – 0
Berwick (2-0) 7 14 15 6 – 42
First quarter
8:58 – (B) Ty’Meere Wilkerson 1-yard run (Yost kick), 1-1, :05
Second quarter
10:15 – (B) Ty’Meere Wilkerson 50-yard run (Yost kick), 5-73, 2:08
6:49 – (B) Brady Cleaver 8-yard run (Yost kick), 4-45, 1:48
Third quarter
7:22 – (B) Ty’Meere Wilkerson 3-yard run (Smith run), 6-69, 2:32
4:31 – (B) Gavin Galutia 8-yard run (Yost kick), 4-71, 1:09
Fourth quarter
2:25 – (B) Conner Roberts 10-yard run (pass failed), 10-69, 7:50
Statistics
MV B
First downs 5 20
Rushes-net yards 22-51 42-383
Passing yardage 35 3
Passing 8-20-0-0 1-5-0-0
Fumbles-lost 4-3 2-2
Penalties-yards 5-32 8-65
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: Mid Valley: Mason Vinansky (18-77), Brett Yanoski (2-(-15)), Team (1-(-10)), Kayden Barnauskas (1-(-1)); Berwick: Ty’ Meere Wilkerson (20-234-3), Brady Cleaver (7-66-1), Ashton Smith (6-55), Gavin Galutia (5-9-1), Conner Roberts (4-19-1)
PASSING: Mid Valley: Brett Yanoski (8-19-35-0-0), Cole Skotleski (0-1-0-0-0); Berwick: Brady Cleaver (1-5-3-0-0)
RECEIVING: Mid Valley: Nick Hricenak (2-7), Mason Vinansky (2-0), Nick Pinto (2-(-2)), Aiden Wilson (1-25), Rhys Williams (1-5); Berwick: Alex Estrella (1-3)