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Gov. Mifflin players celebrate their win over Daniel Boone earlier this season.
Around District 3 football circles, Gov. Mifflin is considered a latecomer to the postseason table.

The Mustangs don't have the storied history or stocked trophy cases of programs such as Cumberland Valley, Bishop McDevitt, Manheim Central, Steel-High or Wilson. In fact, they have yet to win a championship.

Still, they are no longer flying under the radar. They enter the District 3-AAAA Tournament tonight as the No. 2 seed and have firmly established themselves as a known entity among coaches at the top level.

That reality hit home for head coach Mick Vecchio last season as he watched players from Central Dauphin celebrate upon defeating his team.

"Their kids were so excited, as if they had really beaten somebody," the Mifflin coach said. "Their coach (Glen McNamee) talked to me like we were the Green Bay Packers."

This lofty status isn't anything new for the Mustangs - at least not brand new. They have made the district playoffs six straight seasons; this is the fourth time they've been seeded No. 3 or higher.

And they've made the most of their position, earning three straight trips to the semis from 2006-08, twice reaching the title game.

Others are used to seeing the Mustangs play deep into November, though it still feels like new territory to Vecchio, in his 21st season as head coach.

"Hey, we're talking Gov. Mifflin," he said of the high seed. "That's unheard of. Most people don't get it; they only remember the recent history. (It's more remarkable) if you know the whole history. Fifteen years ago if we would've said we're going to be No. 2 in the district you would've laughed at us."

Vecchio has experienced the ups and downs during his three-plus decades with the program. It wasn't until his sixth season as head coach, in 1996, that the Mustangs even qualified for the playoffs (in a more challenging four-team field in those days).

A solid run through the late 1990s was followed by more hard times, including a 1-9 finish in 2003. The Mustangs weren't even on the District 3 radar at that point.

Since then the program has taken a major step up. The Mustangs have recorded eight straight winning seasons for the first time since Ray Linn's teams were dominating the Tri-County League in the 1960s.

Vecchio contends the program has been elevated because of continuity on his coaching staff and a strong run of athletes. He says there have been no major recent changes within the program in terms of offseason training methods or additional facilities.

"It's not like we're working that much harder (than when we were losing)," he said. "That's not true. We're doing the same things, working the same amount of hours.

"We have a better quality of kids (coming through the program) and we've been doing the same things (within the program) now for a long time, just like Wilson has. All the teams that are good have that (continuity)."

The most recognizable change came in 2005, when Vecchio went to the Mid-Line Option running attack. It's a popular offense at the national service academies, though it's not commonly seen at this level.

When executed properly it can be a bear to defend. When executed properly with top-shelf athletes - guys such as Sam Eagleson, George Schmidt, Pat Haggerty, Dustin Manz, Vinnie Garipoli or Zach Schmidt running the ball - it can be devastating.

"That Mid-Line sure seemed to make a big difference for them," said Hempfield coach Ron Zeiber, whose team attempts to tackle the Mustangs tonight. "They got better and better and better at it.

"So many times people make the mistake of trying to do 50 different things (on offense). Mick knows what they're about, and they're gonna stick with it and get very good at running it. That's the biggest plus for them."

The Mustangs have gotten better and more diverse at running the Mid-Line over the years, and they've been able to expand the offense, adding sweeps and more play-action pass elements, making it all the more effective.

One year after losing the program's all-time rushing leader, Zach Schmidt, and its all-time touchdowns leader, Garipoli, the Mustangs are even more diversified and have more all-around speed on offense.

Fullback Jake Snyder hits those inside traps as well as anyone Vecchio's had; he scored four TDs last week and averages 100 yards per game.

Slotback Derek Nye is an all-around star with speed and dangerous pass-catching ability; he also averages more than 100 yards per game from scrimmage.

Wingback Christian Jeznach has speed to burn, as he showed on an early 59-yard TD run last week when Conrad Weiser was concentrating on bottling up the middle of the line.

Quarterback David Clemens is an adept runner and more-than-capable passer, giving the Mustangs better balance than they've had in years.

"They have the kids in the right places to run that offense," Zeiber said.

Vecchio thinks he has the parts in place - a strong system and lots of good athletes on both sides of the ball - for another extended playoff run.

"They've developed something pretty darned special," he said of his team, "and we don't want to let it slip by."

Contact Mike Drago: 610-371-6064 or

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