Basketball

A loss isn’t always a bad thing over the course of a long season. The Red Knights got tripped up at Muhlenberg 63-61 on February 8th. Ruben Rodriguez told me that they learned a valuable lesson that night. Reading has been laser-focused since coming up short in Laureldale. The (25-3) …

December 18, 2018 was the date of Joey Chapman’s first game for the Red Knights. He scored 12 points and had four assists. Those numbers become much more noteworthy when you consider the opponent and site of that contest. Chapman’s first varsity appearance came against perennial power Chester at the …

The Mounts were trying to make history at the Giant Center in Hershey. Mt. Penn won the school’s last District 3 title in 1972. Antietam had been close to claiming gold before. The Mounts were the District 3 runner-up in 1994, 2019, and last year when they fell to Lancaster …

“An exemplary display or performance.” That’s one definition for the word clinic. That’s precisely what the District 3-4A championship game turned into on Thursday afternoon in Hershey. Top-seeded Berks Catholic dominated #3 seed Middletown from the opening tip. The (23-4) Saints were on top 19-4 after eight minutes. They led …

How well did Berks Catholic play against Middletown in the District 3-4A championship? Well, head coach Snip Esterly was at a loss for words after the 60-37 rout. If you know Esterly, you understand that’s a very rare occurrence. The (23-4) Saints raced out to a 19-4 lead after the …

We’ve all heard the saying that defense wins championships. Well, it can also win semifinals. The Red Knights forced 18 turnovers in a 46-39 victory over fifth-seeded Cedar Cliff in the District 3-6A semifinals. With 6’5 senior Daniel Alcantara out due to a broken left hand, Reading had no one …

The Saints entered the District 3-4A semifinals against Littlestown with 172 3-pointers. No Berks Conference team has made more. Even great teams have off nights from beyond the arc, and that was the case on Monday at Lloyd Wolf Gymnasium. #1 seed Berks Catholic connected just twice from long range. …

A 23-point win over rival Wilson is normally cause for a big celebration at the Geigle Complex. Not tonight. Several Reading players were in tears after the 68-45 victory in the District 3-6A quarterfinals. The mood changed drastically when 6’5 senior Daniel Alcantara went crashing to the court after a …

Size vs. shooting. That was the matchup Thursday night at Lloyd Wolf Gymnasium in the District 3-4A quarterfinals. The shooters from Berks Catholic were too much for #8 seed ELCO. The (21-4) Saints won 55-40 and clinched a berth in the state playoffs. Ryan Koch knows that the 3-point shot …

“This shouldn’t be happening.” That’s exactly what David Bednarczyk was thinking as the Trojans’ 15-point advantage dwindled to one in the fourth quarter against Brandywine Heights. Senior forward Bryce Mellen came up big late with a driving basket and two clutch free throws as #3 seed Tulpehocken held off the …