Berks Catholic falls to Neumann-Goretti

A lot of the talk prior to Berks Catholic’s state playoff game against Neumann-Goretti was about who wasn’t on the court. Berks Catholic has been without talented guard Kingston McKoy since January 23rd. The 6’2 sophomore, who was averaging 15 points, suffered a fractured tibia during a win over Reading. Meanwhile, Neumann-Goretti was missing a pair of Division I commits. Khaafiq Myers (St. Joseph’s) and Amir Williams (Hofstra) are out with injuries. Myers was putting up 17 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds a night through eleven games. Williams, a 6’5 senior, aggravated his injury during the Philadelphia Catholic League playoffs. The good news for longtime head coach Carl Arrigale is that he has a trio of promising sophomore guards. Stephon Ashley-Wright, Torrey Brooks, and DeShawn Yates combined for 58 points in a 72-51 triumph over Berks Catholic at Coatesville. Ashley-Wright was on fire in the first half. He sank four 3-pointers and jammed 14 points into the opening quarter. Ashley-Wright hit a triple along the right sideline as time expired. Berks Catholic was down 16-7 after eight minutes. Ashley-Wright didn’t slow down in the second period. He scored eight more points to give him 22 at halftime. Brooks connected three times from beyond the arc in the second quarter to give Neumann-Goretti a 37-19 cushion. The perennial power from the Philadelphia Catholic League made seven of its eight treys in the first half. Berks Catholic still trailed by 18 points after three quarters. The District 3 representative got within 55-41 with 5:45 remaining. Josh McKoy, a 6’3 senior, provided a team-high 13 points. Parker Nein added eleven points, all in the second half. He was one of four seniors in the starting lineup for Snip Esterly. While this PIAA-4A second round contest ended up being lopsided, the coaching matchup was compelling. Esterly has won 815 games including 201 in the postseason. His teams at Berks Catholic and Reading Central Catholic have claimed eight BCIAA championships, 14 District III titles, and the Class A state crown in 2007. Arrigale has guided his Saints to 601 victories over 26 years. He’s won nine PIAA championships and a record 12 Catholic League titles. Ashley-Wright poured in 28 points on Tuesday night. Brooks dropped 17 points and Yates had 13. Larenzo Jerkins contributed eleven points including nine in the second half. The 6’5 senior is headed to West Chester University. Neumann-Goretti committed just four turnovers while improving to (24-3). The Saints will meet District 2 champ Scranton Prep in the quarterfinals on Friday. Berks Catholic’s season comes to a close at (23-5).