The high school basketball season, which started on December 5th, has come to a close for teams in the BCIAA. A lot of memories were made during the 2025-26 campaign. There were thrilling overtime classics, game-winning shots at the buzzer, and plenty of standout performances. Colgate commit Kingston McKoy of Berks Catholic was voted the Berks County Player of the Year for the second straight season. I’ve been fortunate to cover 52 games so far, and I’m looking forward to attending the PIAA Championships again next week at the Giant Center in Hershey. Hopefully, I will see some of you there.
Berks Catholic won its first county title since 2018. The Saints went on to capture their seventh District 3 crown and second in a row at Class 4A. Snip Esterly will enter next season with 865 career victories.
Reading was the runner-up in the BCIAA tournament after falling to Berks Catholic 62-57 in overtime at Santander Arena. Jostin DeCastro, Cameron “Bron Bron” Jones, Javon Merriweather, Jamier Jacob, and Raybin Rubio will all be back for Rick Perez.
Exeter knocked off Wilson 43-41 in the Berks County quarterfinals thanks to Aidan Dauble’s bucket with one second left. The Eagles qualified for the PIAA field for the fifth consecutive year.
The Bulldogs advanced to the state playoffs for the fifth time in the past eight seasons. Wilson has a talented group of sophomores to keep an eye on. Matt Coldren holds the school record with 449 wins.
A promising season in Laureldale ended in a flash. The Muhls dropped a nailbiter to rival Reading 60-57 in the BCIAA semifinals. Muhlenberg was eliminated in the first round of the District 3-6A bracket by #13 seed Cedar Crest. The Falcons stunned the Muhls 66-60 in overtime. The good news is that Eli Hemmings, LJ Armstrong, and Nelson “Coco” Malave will return.
Schuylkill Valley defeated Wyomissing 63-52 to reach the District 3 semifinals for just the second time. The Panthers made their third appearance in the PIAA tournament.
Antietam finished on top of the Division 4 standings. The Mounts blew out Wyomissing 61-40 in a key crossover matchup on January 8th. Antietam’s season ended with a 87-71 loss to Lancaster Catholic in the District 3-3A third place game.
The Spartans overcame some midseason turmoil to qualify for the state playoffs for the first time since 2011. Second-year head coach Konlan Krick deserves credit for keeping his troops together after two starters quit. Wyomissing took fifth place in the District 3-4A field.
Gov. Mifflin receives an honorable mention. The (10-12) Mustangs didn’t have a single bad loss on their resume. Life in Division 1 of the BCIAA is no picnic.
Without further ado, here is the final edition of the “Roberts Rankings” for the Berks Conference. Remember that no matter where your favorite team is ranked, the sun will come out tomorrow!
“The Great 8”
1.Berks Catholic (25-3)
2.Reading (18-8)
3.Exeter (18-11)
4.Wilson (17-11)
5.Muhlenberg (16-8)
6. Schuylkill Valley (16-11)
7.Antietam (16-9)
8.Wyomissing (16-11)
Berks Sports Report Paul Roberts