McCaskey captains Steven Lavender-Gray and Luis Santiago
McCaskey and Reading will square off for the 97th time this Friday night in Lancaster. The rivalry dates back to 1892. Red Tornado linebacker Luis Santiago certainly hasn't forgotten what happened last year against the Red Knights. Amier Burdine threw for 245 yards and four touchdowns as Reading shutout McCaskey 38-0. "I can't wait for this game. I've been waiting for this game for a long time," Santiago told SV Sports' Paul Roberts. The 5'8, 185-pound senior is a captain along with Steven Lavender-Gray. "I'm very excited for this homecoming game. I can't remember the last time we won one. It's our senior year so we want to go out with a win for homecoming," said Lavender-Gray. The 5'11, 190-pound RB/LB has rushed for a team-high 400 yards while averaging 5.5 per carry. Lavender-Gray ran for 176 yards and a touchdown in a 40-13 win at Elizabethtown one month ago. He finished with 108 yards on 13 carries in a 41-20 loss to Hempfield in Week 4. Junior quarterback Jalen Cintron has spread the ball around to DeAndre Jones, Quimeak Talton, and Josh Morales-Monzon. Jones and Talton are both averaging over 17 yards per catch. They each had more than 100 receiving yards and 2 TD against Hempfield. Talton, a 5'9 senior, leads the Red Tornado with 6 TD receptions. Santiago mentioned two keys to Friday's "Battle of Route 222" with the Red Knights. "Stopping the run and keeping the quarterback contained," he replied. Reading and McCaskey are looking to turn things around after (1-5) starts. The Red Knights hold the advantage in the all-time series (48-43-5).