Berks Sports Report Paul Roberts
Wilson had won four of the past six BCIAA boys basketball championships, including two in a row. Fifth-seeded Exeter ended the Bulldogs’ bid for a three-peat with a dramatic 43-41 victory in West Lawn on Monday night. Aidan Dauble drove the length of the floor, got into the middle of the lane, and scored off the glass with one second left. “Aidan Dauble made an Aidan Dauble play. He’s just a great player, really smart. I’m really happy for him,” said head coach Jeff VanGorder. Dauble finished with a team-high 16 points as the (15-8) Eagles advanced to the Berks County semifinals. They will meet top-seeded Berks Catholic at 5:30pm on Wednesday at Santander Arena in Reading. The (15-8) Bulldogs were held to seven points in the fourth quarter. They will be back in action next Tuesday when the District 3-6A playoffs get underway.
Wilson was in front 11-5 early, but Exeter ended the opening quarter on a 7-0 run. Jackson Kozik, a transfer from Berks Catholic, came off the bench and drilled a 3-pointer from the right wing to give the Eagles a 12-11 edge after eight minutes. The quarterfinal matchup remained tight the rest of the way. It was even 21-21 at halftime.
Sophomore point guard Nechar Mercado made a short jumper and then found Mike Glover for a layup to give the fourth-seeded Bulldogs a 25-21 advantage early in the third period. Glover and Braylon Reinert, two standout football players, battled all night in the low post. They’re both 6’3, 225-pound juniors. Peter Kelfala hit a triple in front of Wilson’s bench to make it 34-34 after the third quarter. The 6’3 senior forward ended up with a team-high 16 points. Kelfala was responsible for two of the Bulldogs’ three treys.
Exeter was scoreless for the first two minutes and 41 seconds of the fourth quarter, but Wilson couldn’t get any separation. Jayden Ware converted a difficult spinning shot to tie it 37-37 with four minutes remaining. A layup by Dauble put the Eagles on top 39-37 with two minutes to go. After an illegal screen was called against the Bulldogs, Kozik grabbed an offensive rebound and put it home for a 41-37 lead. Mercado then split a pair of free throws. He missed his second attempt, however, Kelfala pulled down the rebound and was fouled with 1:01 on the clock. He also went 1-for-2 at the stripe. Exeter committed a turnover with a 41-39 lead and twenty seconds left. Kelfala drove from the top of the key to the basket and scored with nine seconds to play. That set the stage for Dauble’s heroics. The 6’3, 215-pound senior used a crossover to get into the lane and finished through some contact. Dauble reached 1,000 career points on January 20th against Daniel Boone. He’s committed to Shippensburg for football. The officials put one second back on the clock. Correll Akings missed a heave from half-court which led to a celebration by the Eagles. They were knocked out in the quarterfinals by Gov. Mifflin a season ago.
Reinert chipped in with eleven points, including eight in the first half. “He did a great job defensively. He protected the rim for us and then obviously he finished. I don’t even know if he missed a shot. He’s our X-factor. When he plays like that, we’re hard to beat,” remarked VanGorder. Wilson was limited to two field goals in the fourth quarter. Akings, an All-County selection last year, managed just four points. The 5’9 guard is the lone returning starter for the Bulldogs. Akings has 963 career points and recently committed to Shippensburg for football. He was guarded by Ware, a 6’1 senior and All-State defensive back. “Usually when playoff time comes around, Jayden Ware shows up. Jayden is such a competitor and he accepts the challenge of playing a great player like Correll,” said VanGorder.
Glover provided ten points and Mercado chipped in with eight. Wilson struggled at the foul line, going 4-of-9. Exeter was 5-for-8 at the stripe. Dylan Donate had six points and Kozik added five. They’re part of an Eagles’ roster that has nine seniors. “I’m so happy for them. I’m glad that they get to go play at the arena…Those guys are so close, really a huge part of the Exeter community,” emphasized VanGorder. They gained valuable experience last year by reaching the District 3-5A championship before falling to Hershey at the Giant Center.
Berks Catholic, Muhlenberg, and Reading are also moving on to Santander Arena on Wednesday. The top-seeded Saints got 29 points from Kingston McKoy in a 58-42 win over Schuylkill Valley in the quarterfinals. The (14-9) Panthers were within two points midway through the third quarter. The second-seeded Muhls needed a 3-pointer from Nelson “Coco” Malave at the buzzer to get past Wyomissing 60-57 in Laureldale. The third-seeded Red Knights blew out Antietam 69-43 at the Geigle Complex. Jostin DeCastro and Weshly Rosario finished with 14 points apiece.
A semifinal quadruple is set for Wednesday. The Gov. Mifflin girls face Exeter at 4pm. That will be followed by the Exeter boys versus Berks Catholic. The Wilson girls square off with Reading at 7pm. The nightcap is scheduled for 8:30pm and features rivals Reading and Muhlenberg. The (17-6) Red Knights and (16-6) Muhls split two games during the regular season.