The Muhls have some new faces who could make an impact this winter. Randy Pichardo-Garcia is a 6’7 rising senior. He averaged 4 points per game at Susquehanna Township last season. Jamaree “Duke” Snuffer was playing for Wyomissing earlier this week in the West Reading Basketball League. The lanky guard is a rising sophomore with a lot of potential. Snuffer and Pichardo-Garcia have been coming off the bench for Muhlenberg at the A’Town Throwdown. The Muhls beat Nazareth 38-31 on Thursday. They took down Lower Merion with an impressive 50-35 victory on Friday night.

Muhlenberg went (16-8) during the 2025-26 campaign. A trio of talented guards will be returning in Laureldale. Eli Hemmings (16 ppg.) LJ Armstrong (13), and Nelson “Coco” Malave (12) each averaged in double figures last season. Josh Miller, an athletic rising junior, is also back in the backcourt. The Muhls reached the BCIAA semifinals before falling to Reading 60-57 at Santander Arena. They were upset in the first round of the District 3-6A playoffs by #13 seed Cedar Crest 66-60 in overtime.

As expected, the West Reading League final was tight from the opening tip until the last minute. Wilson and Cedar Crest were knotted at 10-10 after the first quarter. Colin Legath hit a 3-pointer from the left wing before the buzzer to put Wilson in front 20-18 at halftime. The rising sophomore hit three triples and finished with a team-high eleven points.

Cedar Crest was within 31-30 after the third quarter. Point guard Nechar Mercado had a nifty pass to Gabe Nyembo for a layup with 4:35 left. The 6’5 Nyembo gave Wilson a 36-32 edge. He ended up with eight points and Mercado chipped in with seven. Jaiden Whitehurst, a physical rising sophomore, added nine points.

Jaden Truss, a 6’3 rising sophomore, responded with a key 3-pointer from the left wing. That sparked a 11-0 run for Cedar Crest. A transition bucket by Antonio Tirado made it 39-36 with 3:02 remaining. Tirado and Truss contributed ten points apiece. The score remained 39-36 for the next two and a-half minutes. Truss went 0-for-2 at the free throw line with 33 seconds to go which kept it a one possession game. Whitehurst attempted a 3-pointer, but Jemar Pauleus blocked the shot and scored on a fast break for a 41-36 advantage. Steven Reyes tacked on a layup at the buzzer for a 43-36 victory. The rising junior guard had seven points in a balanced attack for Cedar Crest. “We were able to get defensive stops and get out and play in transition. That’s our best style of play. Slow us up and we struggle,” explained Smith. Wilson was outscored 13-to-5 in the fourth quarter.

Pauleus, a 6’2 guard, provided a game-high 13 points. The rising junior averaged 16.8 points during the 2025-26 season. “He’s a special, special kid. I think when he graduates from Cedar Crest, he’ll be our all-time leading scorer. He does so much else than just score the ball. His vision is great. The sky is the limit, he’s got a great work ethic,” said Smith. Pauleus took home the Terry Brennan Memorial Most Outstanding Player Award.

It was a fun night for Cedar Crest as Reyes was named the MVP of the Kyle Conrad Memorial All-Star Game. The West Reading League recognized its standout players at halftime of the all-star game on Thursday. Nyembo earned the Woozy Smith Memorial Most Improved Player Award. Brady Eisenhower of Wyomissing was selected for the Bill Snider Best Defensive Player Award.

Smith was glad that he brought his team back to the West Reading League. “I love this league. We got away from it, not too sure why. I felt like we really had a good team to compete this year,” replied Smith. He added, “Playing against all these Berks County teams really sets the tone for the season, and lets you see where the heck are you at. I think it was great for us.”

Wilson, sponsored by Apella Wealth, and Berks Catholic, sponsored by Berks Packing, squared off in the second semifinal. Carmelo Harper, Berks Catholic’s top player, arrived late and Snip Esterly’s team struggled in the first half. They were limited to five points in the opening quarter. Wilson built a 20-7 cushion in the second period and led 25-13 at halftime. Jaiden Whitehurst, a rising sophomore who also plays football, set the tone with his physicality. He scored seven of his game-high 13 points in the first quarter. Wilson was in front 31-25 after the third period. Berks Catholic continued to battle and got within 31-29 early in the fourth quarter. They trailed 33-31 with two and a-half minutes on the clock. Wilson sealed the win with a 8-to-2 run. Gabe Nyembo grabbed an offensive rebound and converted a three-point play with 51 seconds left. The 6’4 rising junior gave Wilson a 40-31 edge. He ended up with eight points in Wilson’s 41-33 victory. Kaler Cornish provided six points. Luke Linderman had a team-high twelve points for Berks Catholic. It was a quiet night for Harper who scored seven points. Johnny Giesa added six points.

Wilson will face Cedar Crest at 5:25pm on Thursday for the West Reading League title. The All-Star Game will follow the championship game.

Morrow guided the Raiders to the District 3 semifinals for the first time in 2017. They returned to the Class 5A semifinals in 2018 and 2019. Peyton McDaniel led them to the District 3 championship game for the first time in 2020. Twin Valley came up short against Gettysburg 46-40 in the final. The Raiders went (121-45) in six seasons with Morrow at the helm.

McDaniel finished with a school-record 2,102 points. The 6’ guard went on to score 2,325 points at James Madison. She averaged 18.8 points and 7.5 rebounds this year.

Morrow graduated from Holy Family University in Philadelphia in 1990. He was a four-year starter and four-year captain on the basketball team. Morrow ended up with 1,325 career points.

He was an assistant coach for the Holy Family women’s basketball team from 1995-2005. The Tigers had an outstanding record of (349-54) during that decade. Morrow then made the transition to the high school level. He was the boys basketball head coach at Twin Valley from 2007-2011. The Raiders were (32-57) over those four seasons.

Matt Hahn served as Twin Valley’s girls basketball coach for the past two years. The Raiders went (10-13) during the 2025-26 campaign. They came in second place in Division 2 behind Exeter. The third-seeded Eagles beat the Raiders 47-36 in the BCIAA quarterfinals.

Hailey Kilgore, an All-County selection, will continue her career at Shippensburg. She surpassed 1,000 points at Twin Valley. Her younger sister, Olivia, will be back next season along with Lauren Williams. They were both voted to the all-division team this year.

Camara averaged a team-high 14 points per game as a sophomore at Reading. He was voted to the all-division team that season. Camara transferred to Berks Catholic and helped the Saints on the football field last fall. Despite missing the first three games, he finished second on the team in rushing yards with 758 and averaged 7.2 yards per carry. Camara scored seven touchdowns for the (9-3) Saints. Berks Catholic finished as the District 3-3A runner-up.

Camara’s basketball career at B.C. came to a halt just as it was getting started. A torn meniscus in the first game against Carver E&S ended his season. The Saints went on to win the Berks County and District 3-4A championships.

The two-time Berks County Player of the Year led the Saints to their first BCIAA Championship since 2018 this season. They outlasted Reading 62-57 in overtime at Santander Arena. McKoy poured in 29 points in the county final.

He came up big once again in the District 3-4A Championship. McKoy erupted for 35 points in a 58-52 overtime victory against Bishop McDevitt. Berks Catholic claimed its second straight District 3 title.

McKoy finished his career with 1,679 points. He was also an elite defender. The Saints went (50-9) in his last two seasons.

Clarke is very familiar with the Berks County hoops scene. He was the men’s basketball head coach at Reading Area Community College from 2004-11. Clarke guided RACC to the Pennsylvania Collegiate Athletic Association championship during the 2005-06 season. He was an assistant on the Alvernia men’s basketball coaching staff in 2014-15.

Clarke played college basketball at Marist in New York and then the University of New Haven in Connecticut. During the mid-‘90s, he was an assistant boys basketball coach at three high schools in Maryland and Washington, D.C. Clarke served as the Director of Berks Red Storm, a youth basketball organization for girls, from 2016-20.

Muhlenberg’s girls basketball program has struggled in recent years. The Muhls finished (0-21) this past season. Only three of those games were decided by single digits. Kenleigh Brill was a bright spot this winter. The sophomore averaged a team-high 12.6 points and was an All-Division selection.

O’Connell guided Cairn to 149 NCAA wins, including a record of (80-53) since 2021. He took over a program that won just two games in the 2013-14 campaign. The Highlanders went (21-7) this past season. They finished third in the nation in 3-pointers per game. Cairn ranked 23rd in the country in scoring at 86 ppg. The Highlanders reached the postseason every year since the COVID-shortened season of 2020-21. O’Connell coached eleven first team All-Conference players and ten 1,000-point scorers.

O’Connell graduated from Lancaster Bible College in 2012 with a degree in Sports Management. He holds master’s degrees from California University of Pennsylvania and Eastern Kentucky University. “I am incredibly grateful and excited for the opportunity to be the head men’s basketball coach at Alvernia University. I am eager to lead this program and establish a culture that represents the university with pride, both on the court and in the campus community, all while striving to compete at a high level,” said O’Connell.

The three-year starter reached 1,000 career points on January 6th at Reading. Super erupted for 31 points as the Mustangs defeated the Red Knights 59-55 at the Geigle Complex. She will enter her senior season with 1,329 points. Ashley Espinosa, a 2012 graduate, is Gov. Mifflin’s all-time leading scorer with 1,803 points.

The Mustangs finished (18-10) this year. They reached the BCIAA semifinals before falling to Exeter 46-40 at Santander Arena. Gov. Mifflin ended up in eighth place in the District 3-6A tournament and qualified for the state playoffs. The Mustangs lost a nailbiter at Canon-McMillan 48-46 in the first round of the PIAA-6A bracket.

The girls senior All-Star Game wasn’t as close. The Red team prevailed 69-54. They were in front 39-28 at halftime. Wilson teammates Laila Jones and Laura Crocona combined for 27 points. Jones provided 15 points and connected three times from beyond the arc. Crocona, a Kutztown University commit, chipped in with a dozen points. They helped the Bulldogs claim BCIAA and District 3 championships this season. Elyssa Sellers from Schuylkill Valley had 14 points. Mekhira Gaskins of Reading ended up with a team-high 13 points for the Blue squad.

Best of luck to all of the seniors in their future endeavors. Today’s games put a wrap on the 2025-26 high school basketball season. I was fortunate to cover 60 games this year. Thanks to all of the coaches, players, and athletic directors for their assistance with my coverage.