Aris Rodriguez-Reading

Reading is the highest scoring team in the Berks Conference at 70 points per game. The Red Knights can also play some defense. The District 3 champs rolled over Spring-Ford 55-32 in the PIAA-6A semifinals at Coatesville. The (28-4) Rams were held to 17 points in the first 24 minutes. Reading jumped out to a 13-0 advantage thanks to a pair of 3-pointers from Aris Rodriguez. “It was beautiful. We played our hardest defense and they were folding. That’s what we wanted them to do,” said Rodriguez. The (31-1) Red Knights were on top 13-3 after the opening quarter. Spring-Ford was scoreless for six and a-half minutes. The Rams first field goal came 90 seconds into the second period. They trailed 22-13 at the break. Nick Chapman came off the bench and hit a triple to put Reading in front 27-15. That was part of a 12-2 run to kick off the third quarter. Spring-Ford, the District 1 runner-up, was down 36-17 entering the final period. The Rams went on a 10-3 run to climb within 39-27 before Myles Grey sank a pair of free throws. The Red Knights finished 19-28, while Spring-Ford was 13-20 from the charity stripe. Ruben Rodriguez managed two points in the first half. He needed twenty to reach 2,000 for his career. The Rider commit crammed eleven points into the fourth quarter to hit the milestone. The 6’2 guard got to 2,000 points on a floater just inside the foul line with 1:53 remaining. His teammates piled on top of him at midcourt. Rodriguez had 20 points on 5-of-11 shooting from the field. He converted nine of his ten free throw attempts. The senior added eight rebounds and five steals. “That’s my brother. I love that man to death. There’s more to come. He has a bright future ahead of him,” emphasized Aris Rodriguez. The two guards aren’t related. Aris chipped in with a dozen points and Grey had seven. The Rams struggled mightily from long range. They shot 1-17 from beyond the arc. E.J. Campbell scored a team-high 17 points. The 6’1 junior provided eight over the last eight minutes. Leading scorer Jacob Nguyen, a 6’4 sophomore guard, was limited to six points. He averaged 16 ppg. this season with 76 triples. Nguyen poured in 25 points against Upper Merion to give Spring-Ford its first PAC title since 2016. He went for 22 in the state quarterfinals versus State College. The Rams advanced to the semifinals for the first time under second-year head coach Joe Dempsey. He had a very successful tenure at La Salle College High School. This was Spring-Ford’s fourth appearance in the PIAA tournament. Reading is no stranger to the postseason. The Red Knights improved to (59-43) all-time in the state playoffs. They’re searching for their third championship. Reading will meet Roman Catholic on Saturday at 8pm at the Giant Center. The Red Knights are riding a 22-game winning streak. “We’ve just been locked in. Nobody is gonna take it from us. We’re not gonna let nobody take it from us,” stated Aris Rodriguez.