Berks Sports Report

Eli Keller-Muhlenberg

Paul Roberts — Fri, 11 Apr 2025 14:42:52 +0000

Due to the weather forecast, Thursday’s baseball game between Wilson and Muhlenberg was changed from 7pm to 4:15pm. That turned out to be a great decision. The Bulldogs and Muhls kept going and going and going. “I don’t know if this thing is gonna end. We might be going to 10 o’clock…I think this is the longest game I ever played in. It was something else,” said Muhlenberg senior shortstop Eli Keller. The marathon Division 1 battle lasted 12 innings and just over four hours. Keller’s sacrifice fly to left field scored Gavin Moody in a 1-0 win at Laureldale. “Before I went up, Coach K looked at me and he said, ‘You’re built for this moment.’ I was looking for a fastball and he gave me a high inside fastball,” explained Keller. Brian Kopetsky picked up his 359th career victory over 26 seasons as the Muhls’ head coach. Moody, a junior center fielder, led off the bottom of the 12th by ripping a double to left-center. No. 9 hitter Kaleb Mendoza followed with a bunt that first baseman Ben Kulp opted to throw to third base. Moody retreated to second base which put two men on with nobody out. After the runners advanced on a wild pitch by Austin Snyder, Marvin Frias was intentionally walked to load the bases for Keller. “Stepping up in these big moments means everything to me,” he remarked. The throw from left field was high as Moody slid head-first into home plate with the lone run. The (5-4) Muhls snapped a three-game slide and ended Wilson’s three-game winning streak. Ryan Kemp, who had only pitched one-third of an inning all season, earned the win. The senior righty allowed four hits and a walk over three frames. “In such a big game and such a big moment, he definitely stepped up to the plate,” emphasized Keller. Kemp struck out three. He replaced Ethan Weiler, an All-Division selection last year. Weiler gave up six hits and a walk in six innings. Ryan Rosenberry got the start for Muhlenberg. The sophomore worked around two hits, three walks, and two hit batters. He had a pair of strikeouts over three frames. Jack Gabel tossed six shutout innings for the (6-3) Bulldogs. The junior used a sharp curveball and 83-85 mph fastball to strike out eight. He limited the Muhls to four hits with three walks. Snyder took the loss, but was terrific in relief on a cold and windy night. The senior allowed just two hits over 5.1 innings. He finished with five strikeouts. Both teams have struggled at times offensively. Muhlenberg entered the contest with a .229 team batting average, while Wilson was hitting .269. The Bulldogs had twice as many hits as the Muhls, twelve to six, but Wilson left a staggering twenty men on base. In the 4th, the Bulldogs had a man on third with one out and didn’t score. Muhlenberg left the bases juiced in the bottom half of that frame. In the top of the 9th, Tim Lengle lined out sharply to right field with two runners on to end the threat. Wilson had a golden opportunity in the top of the 11th with men on second and third and no outs. Once again, however, they couldn’t cash in. In the 12th, the Bulldogs put runners on second and third with one out. Kemp wiggled out of that jam too with a strikeout and a pop-up to third base. Junior catcher Gabe Spohn had three hits. Ryan Marmolejos, Alex Ernesto, Stanley Maoury, and Gabel added two hits apiece. Junior catcher Cooper Burr and Moody each had a pair of hits for the Muhls. “This was definitely a big stepping stone for us…This win will give us a lot of momentum and a lot of energy,” said Keller.

Kamren Martin-Exeter

Paul Roberts — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 13:51:24 +0000

In six career starts, Kamren Martin has thrown two no-hitters. The Exeter junior continued to impress with another quality outing against Twin Valley on Wednesday in Reiffton. The 6’3 righty allowed one earned run on six hits over 6.1 innings as the Eagles held off the Raiders 3-2. “I definitely could’ve located my off-speed [pitches] a little better. They couldn’t hit the fastball and that’s what took me all the way,” explained Martin. He struck out seven and walked four to improve to (3-0) with a 0.98 ERA. Martin has 22 strikeouts over 21.1 innings, while giving up just a dozen hits. Twin Valley put together three singles in the first inning, but only managed one run. Luke Wagner, a senior catcher who’s committed to Alvernia, delivered a RBI single through the left side with two outs. Brandon Weller helped Martin by throwing out two runners attempting to steal second base in the first two innings. The promising sophomore catcher is hitting .321 with a team-high five doubles and ten RBI. Exeter put two runs on the board in the 3rd. Aiden Rhoades, the No. 9 hitter, led off with a double to center. Jake Hafer followed with a triple to deep right field. He scored on a sacrifice fly by Chase Youse to make it 2-1. Hafer is off to a red hot start to the year. He has a .469 batting average with three doubles and three triples. Hafer went 2-for-3 on Wednesday. The 6’2 southpaw is (2-0, 0.88) on the mound. “He’s definitely a dog on this team,” said Martin. The (8-2) Eagles added an important run in the 5th. Rhoades scored on a double steal to give them a 3-1 advantage. The (4-3) Raiders made things interesting late. Logan Crunkleton ripped a RBI double to left-center with nobody out in the top of the 6th. Wagner then hit a ball down the third base line that could’ve been trouble for Exeter. However, Brenton Feathers dove to his right, knocked down the ball, and then threw out Crunkleton who was trying to get back to second base. “That’s definitely a game changer. If he doesn’t get that, they could score a lot more runs,” emphasized Martin. Luke Raines grounded into a double play to end the inning. Martin walked two in the top of the 7th and was taken out after throwing 97 pitches, 61 for strikes. Junior Liam Porter earned the save with back-to-back strikeouts of Brody Majeski and Stevenson commit Ben Vaughan. “It’s huge to have a closer that can come in and finish your work for you,” replied Martin. Kooper Zdimal went the distance for Twin Valley. He limited the Eagles to two earned runs on five hits with seven strikeouts. Zdimal (3-1, 1.17) is headed to Kutztown University where his brother Kannon is a sophomore pitcher. The Eagles’ extended their winning streak to four. Gavin Miller hurled a gem in a 10-2 victory over Muhlenberg on Tuesday. “We definitely have a really solid rotation this year,” stated Martin. Miller (3-0, 1.58) is committed to Division II Shepherd. The senior has piled up 27 strikeouts with only two walks in 17.2 innings. Exeter only had two seniors in its starting lineup last year when the Eagles finished (11-9, 4-8). They’re now second in the District 3-5A power rankings behind Palmyra. “I hope to go all the way. We definitely have the talent,” said Martin.

Berks County High School Baseball Showcase

Paul Roberts — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 19:23:39 +0000

The Berks County High School Baseball Showcase begins later this month. The event includes 14 teams from the Berks League. The showcase runs from Wednesday, April 30th to Saturday, May 3rd at Owls Field in West Lawn. Thursday, May 1st is a scheduled rain date. Admission each day is $5 for adults and $3 for students. Wilson will hold its Senior Night ceremony on May 2nd. Here’s the slate of seven games.

April 30:

Berks Catholic vs. Wyomissing at 4:15pm

Gov. Mifflin vs. Daniel Boone at 7pm

May 2:

Kutztown vs. Antietam at 4:15pm

Wilson vs. Muhlenberg at 7pm

May 3:

Hamburg vs. Tulpehocken at noon

Twin Valley vs. Conrad Weiser at 3pm

Oley Valley vs. Brandywine Heights at 6:30pm

“Roberts Rankings”-Baseball

Paul Roberts — Sun, 06 Apr 2025 19:46:23 +0000

Gov. Mifflin and Wilson have squared off in the past two Berks League championship games. The Bulldogs captured their 13th county title last year by beating the Mustangs 10-3. Will it be Wilson vs. Gov. Mifflin in the county final for a third consecutive season? The consensus around the league is that those two teams are a notch above the competition, but there’s a logjam of contenders waiting in the wings. Berks County has several quality baseball programs which should make for an exciting 2025 campaign.

The Mustangs have picked up right where they left off. After winning the PIAA-5A championship for the first time last spring, Gov. Mifflin is off to a perfect (10-0) start. The Mustangs returned three first team All-State selections. Bryce Detwiler (UConn), Ethan Grim (Virginia Tech), and Travis Jenkins (Canisius) are all committed to Division I colleges. Gov. Mifflin already has quality wins over Wilson, Exeter, Muhlenberg, Fleetwood, Ephrata, and Elizabethtown. Detwiler tossed a complete game shutout against the Bulldogs. Evan Glucksnis, a junior, threw 6.1 scoreless frames at Fleetwood on Friday.

Wilson has a very challenging non-league schedule. The Bulldogs fell to North Penn 8-1 and still have upcoming matchups with Parkland and Liberty. They will battle the Hurricanes on April 26th at FirstEnergy Stadium. Christo Hunsicker (2-1, 2.05) and Ben Kulp (1-1, 0.98) give Wilson two experienced starting pitchers. Kulp is a 6’2, 215-pound junior with a fastball in the low-90s. Hunsicker is a great all-around athlete who will continue his baseball career at Millersville.

Twin Valley has shown that it can compete with some of the top ball clubs in District 3. The Raiders came up short at Ephrata 5-4 and lost to Mechanicsburg 7-5. The Mounts were the District 3-6A runner-up in 2024, and the Wildcats won the District 3-5A crown for the second straight year. Kooper Zdimal (3-0, 0.81) is staying in Berks County to play college baseball. The Kutztown University commit has allowed ten hits over 17.1 innings.

Exeter’s only losses this season have come against Gov. Mifflin and Wilson. Jake Hafer (2-0, 0.88) is red hot on the mound and at the plate. The junior is batting .440 with two doubles and a pair of triples. Kamren Martin, another junior, has won both of his decisions with a 0.93 ERA. Martin has given up just six hits over 15 innings with 15 strikeouts. Carter Redding, who also plays football and basketball, is 10-for-17 so far. Keep in mind, the Eagles only had two seniors in the starting lineup last year.

Muhlenberg and Exeter were scheduled to meet on Friday, but the weather didn’t cooperate. They will try again on Tuesday in Reiffton. The Muhls have a date with Wilson tomorrow, if the rain holds off. After getting thumped by Gov. Mifflin 11-1, Muhlenberg bounced back with a 4-3 victory over Ephrata. Junior Cole Moody has limited opponents to one run in nine frames with 15 strikeouts. Aaden Lopez (1-0, 1.62) is a big key to the Muhls’ rotation. The hard-throwing senior has 15 strikeouts and 13 walks over 8.2 innings. Head coach Brian Kopetsky has 358 career wins. This is his 26th season as the skipper in Laureldale.

Fleetwood lost a very talented group to graduation, but don’t sleep on the Tigers this spring. Wylie Loy opened eyes as a sophomore last year. Nick Noll fired six shutout innings against Gov. Mifflin on Friday. The senior will change speeds and his delivery which makes things tricky for hitters. Fleetwood knocked off Berks Catholic 4-3 in eight innings late last month.

The Saints earned the Division 3 championship and qualified for the BCIAA playoffs in 2024. It was their first appearance in the Berks County tournament since 2018. Trey Stricker is the ace of Berks Catholic’s rotation. The West Chester commit hasn’t allowed an earned run in a dozen innings. Stricker is (1-0) with 18 strikeouts. He’s also doing damage at the dish with a .542 batting average. The Saints are hitting .385 as a team. Since dropping their opener to Twin Valley 3-1 in Myrtle Beach, Berks Catholic has won six of its past seven contests. They defeated rival Wyomissing 7-1 on Friday with Stricker on the hill.

Seth Brizek is back at Oley Valley. The 1992 graduate took over as head coach after Jeff Pinder stepped down following three seasons. Brizek is the school’s all-time leader in hits, home runs, RBI, wins, and ERA. He went on to become an All-American at Clemson. Brizek was inducted into the Berks County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame two years ago. The Lynx already have wins over Fleetwood and Kutztown on their resume. They outlasted the Tigers 4-3 in eight innings, and got by the Cougars 3-1. Gryffin Cappellano, Chase Kegerise, Tim Fries, and Wyatt McCluskey all started as sophomores a season ago. Fries (3-0, 0.88) has 29 strikeouts and five walks in 24 innings. Cappellano has a lofty .481 batting average.

Kutztown is once again a team to keep an eye on. The Cougars reached the District 3-2A championship game last spring with only two seniors in the lineup. Tim Mertz’s squad is always fundamentally sound and willing to play small ball. Mertz, a Kutztown graduate, is in his 25th year as the Cougars’ head coach. He has the most victories in school history, including four District 3 titles.

Without further ado, here are my high school baseball rankings for the Berks League. The records that you see below are from last year. Remember that no matter where your favorite team is ranked, the sun will come out tomorrow!

“The Great 8”

1.Gov. Mifflin (24-5)

2.Wilson (19-8)

3.Twin Valley (15-7)

4.Exeter (11-9)

5.Muhlenberg (14-9)

6.Fleetwood (17-10)

7.Berks Catholic (16-5)

8.Oley Valley (11-10)

Bryce Detwiler-Gov. Mifflin

Paul Roberts — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 14:13:05 +0000

Bryce Detwiler and Ben Kulp squared off in a classic pitcher’s duel on Wednesday afternoon in Shillington. “We got to know each other a little bit in the offseason. Going out and pitching against your friend, it’s a good experience. He’s definitely got a lot better. I think he has like five pitches so it’s tough when you’re a hitter,” said Detwiler. Gov. Mifflin beat Wilson 1-0 in the first meeting this season between the rivals. The Bulldogs won all three matchups with the Mustangs last year. “It feels like a playoff game every single time that we play. Both teams bring their best,” emphasized Detwiler. The UConn commit fired a complete game shutout with seven strikeouts and one walk. He went the distance on 84 pitches. The 6’2, 215-pound senior was a first team All-State selection a season ago. Detwiler limited Wilson to four hits. The (3-2) Bulldogs left two runners on base in the first and second innings. Sophomore outfielder Tim Lengle and senior Nick Herron had back-to-back singles to open the second frame. However, Detwiler got a pop-up, a strikeout, and a groundout to end the threat. He allowed just one hit, a single to Kulp, the rest of the way. Detwiler’s fastball is in the high-80s. He’s working on a changeup to go along with his curveball and slider. Detwiler is more well known for the damage that he does at the plate. The 2024 Berks County Player of the Year hit a double to right field in the bottom of the first, but was stranded on third base. The (8-0) Mustangs managed just two more hits against Kulp. The 6’2, 215-pound junior is throwing in the low-90s. He was an All-Division pick as a sophomore when he struck out 50 over 44 innings with a 3.02 ERA. Branson Adams lofted a bloop single down the left field line in the bottom of the 6th. He advanced to second with one out on an errant pickoff throw. Kulp struck out Ethan Grim, Gov. Mifflin’s cleanup hitter, with Adams on third to end the inning. Grim, a Virginia Tech commit, is one of the top pitchers in the state. The rain picked up significantly in the 7th. Matt Koehler ripped a double to right-center to begin the bottom half of the frame. “He had an amazing at-bat. He was fouling off pitches. I knew Kulp was gonna keep coming with the fastball. Matt put a good swing on a fastball and that started everything,” explained Detwiler. Bill Underwood, the BCIAA Coach of the Year last spring, brought in senior righty Christo Hunsicker. Kulp finished with six strikeouts and two walks. He also hit one batter over 98 pitches. Despite tossing six scoreless innings, Kulp got a no decision. Dylan Barrett was intentionally walked to put runners on first and second with nobody out. Reese Hohl’s bunt was fielded by Hunsicker who got a force out at third base. Nate Radwanski then struck out. Aden Reiter, the No. 9 hitter, drew a walk which brought Detwiler to the plate. “With bases loaded and the winning run on third, I knew they had to come to me so I was sitting dead red,” noted Detwiler. He worked a full count before Hunsicker missed outside with a fastball. The walk brought in Barrett with the lone run of the game. There were only seven combined hits, four by the Bulldogs. They left six runners on base. The Mustangs are back in Class 6A this year after winning the PIAA-5A championship last season. They remain unbeaten through eight contests. “I’m definitely happy with how we’re playing. I’m just hoping that we can keep it going,” said Detwiler.

“Roberts Rankings”-Boys Basketball

Paul Roberts — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 01:19:05 +0000

The 2024-25 high school basketball season has come to a close. I was fortunate enough to cover 66 games this year. Thanks to all of the coaches and athletic directors for their assistance. They provided valuable information and insight which I greatly appreciated. It was an extremely exciting season. Many of the games that I attended came down to the final seconds.

Berks Catholic was the last team from Berks County left standing. The Saints won the District 3-4A Championship and reached the PIAA-4A Final at the Giant Center last Thursday. The Saints won both matchups with Wilson during the regular season which is why they earned the top spot in my rankings.

The Bulldogs put together another impressive run during the BCIAA playoffs. They claimed their fourth Berks County title in the past six years. Wilson’s senior class will be difficult to replace.

Gov. Mifflin had a dramatic turnaround, winning twelve more games than a season ago. The Mustangs advanced to the District 3-6A semifinals and qualified for the PIAA tournament for the first time in program history.

After a rough start, Reading hit its stride in the second half of the season. The Red Knights were the BCIAA runner-up. They won nine of their last eleven contests. However, Reading missed the District 3 playoffs for the first time since 2001.

Exeter finished second in the District 3-5A tournament as a #8 seed. The Eagles reached the state playoffs for the fourth consecutive year.

Muhlenberg barely missed out on the Berks County playoffs. The Muhls then got a tough draw in their District 3 opener against Central Dauphin. The Rams ended up as the District 3 runner-up in Class 6A.

Wyomissing and Schuylkill Valley had similar seasons. They both finished with 15 wins. In addition, they both lost in the BCIAA quarterfinals and the District 3-4A quarterfinals.

Without further ado, here is my final poll 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 (25-6)

2.Wilson (24-7)

3.Gov. Mifflin (20-10)

4.Reading (13-12)

5.Exeter (15-13)

6.Muhlenberg (15-8)

7.Wyomissing (15-10)

8.Schuylkill Valley (15-10)

Snip Esterly-Berks Catholic

Paul Roberts — Fri, 28 Mar 2025 12:41:48 +0000

For 24 minutes, Berks Catholic stayed right with one of the top teams in the mighty Philadelphia Catholic League. The Saints trailed Devon Prep 38-36 entering the fourth quarter of the PIAA-4A championship on Thursday night at the Giant Center. Then Berks Catholic got cold, ice cold. The District 3 champions were 1-of-12 from the field and 0-for-6 from beyond the arc over the final eight minutes. The Tide outscored the Saints 17-3 in the fourth quarter for a 55-39 victory. “It wasn’t our night offensively. We had some good looks, but we turned the ball over way too many times. You can’t do that against a team like that,” said longtime head coach Snip Esterly. Berks Catholic shot 33% overall and finished 6-of-24 from long range. The (25-6) Saints committed 14 turnovers in their first appearance in the state finals. They went scoreless for nearly six minutes in the final period. While a lot of the pregame talk surrounded Devon Prep’s frontcourt of 6’7 Reece Craft and 6’5 Zane Conlon, the Tide’s backcourt was the difference. Mason Thear, a 6’ senior who averaged 11 ppg., scored a game-high 17 points. Thear sank three of his five 3-point attempts and added seven rebounds. Calvin Smith, a 6’3 sharpshooter, provided 13 points and hit three triples. Devon Prep shot 43% from the field and went 6-for-15 from downtown. The Tide rattled off the first twelve points of the fourth quarter. Thear drilled a trey from the top of the key and Smith followed with a 3-pointer from the left wing. They gave Devon Prep a 46-36 advantage with 4:49 remaining. Conlon, who’s older brother Joey played at Berks Catholic, provided nine points. Craft and Shane Doyle chipped in with eight points apiece. Doyle also contributed defensively with four steals. The 6’3 senior guard has strong ties to Berks County. His mother graduated from Central Catholic and his father attended Holy Name. Doyle’s grandparents also went to Central Catholic and his cousin, Matt Ashcroft, helped the Cardinals win a PIAA title in 2007. The (23-4) Tide earned their third state crown in four years. They claimed Class 3A championships in 2022 and 2024. Kingston McKoy led the Saints with 16 points and a dozen rebounds. The All-State guard buried a 3-pointer from the top of the key and scored in transition in the last 35 seconds of the second quarter. The 6’2 junior pulled Berks Catholic within 28-25 at halftime. “We just can’t rely on Kingston. We gotta make sure we get more scoring,” noted Esterly. He mentioned that Devon Prep’s balanced offensive attack was the difference. The Tide were in front 18-10 after the opening quarter. They ended up 9-of-11 from the free throw line, while the Saints went 1-for-2. Carmelo Harper, a promising freshman guard, had nine points off Berks Catholic’s bench. Zach Suski, the lone senior in their starting lineup, scored five points. “Zach made himself a nice little player. I can’t say enough about Zach. He played his heart out all year,” emphasized Esterly. After losing four starters from a season ago, the Saints won their sixth District 3 title and reached uncharted territory in the PIAA tournament. “They gave us a nice ride. It was a privilege to be able to coach these young guys. They’re pretty special,” remarked Esterly.

Saints are going against the Tide

Paul Roberts — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 14:25:57 +0000

The Berks Catholic boys basketball team will try to make history on Thursday night at the Giant Center in Hershey. In the 14th season since Holy Name and Central Catholic merged, the Saints have advanced to the state championship game for the first time. They will take on Devon Prep, the top seed from District 12, at 8pm in the PIAA-4A Final.

Over his 36 years as a head coach, Snip Esterly has always made defense a priority and this year’s squad is no different. Berks Catholic is allowing just 45.4 points per game during the District 3 and PIAA playoffs. The (25-5) Saints have won seven straight games since falling to Reading 48-41 in the BCIAA semifinals at Santander Arena. Berks Catholic rallied from a five point deficit in the fourth quarter to top North Catholic 67-59 last Friday in the semifinals. The Saints held the Trojans to eight points over the final six and a-half minutes. Berks Catholic got past Scranton Prep 51-47 in the second round before defeating Sharon 67-58 in the quarterfinals. This is the Saints’ 11th appearance in the PIAA tournament. They’re (9-10) overall in the state playoffs. Esterly guided Central Catholic to a state title in 2007. He has 840 career wins and 15 District 3 championships on his resume. The Saints hammered Eastern York 67-44 in the District 3-4A Final one month ago.

Berks Catholic is led by 6’2 junior guard Kingston McKoy. He was a third team All-State selection a season ago. McKoy is providing 21.6 ppg., along with a team-high 61 triples. After pouring in 24 points against North Catholic, McKoy is up to 1,039 for his career. He’s also an elite defender. Zach Suski, the Saints’ quarterback in the fall, is averaging 13 ppg. with 31 treys. Carmelo Harper and Bryce Gumby have come up big off the bench this postseason. Harper, a soft-spoken 5’10 freshman, scored 17 points in the state quarterfinals versus Sharon. He followed up that performance with 13 points in the semifinals. Gumby set a career-high with 19 points in the thrilling victory over North Catholic. Eleven of his points came in the fourth quarter. Berks Catholic remains without 6’2 junior forward Gavin Welker. He’s ineligible after transferring from Daniel Boone.

The Saints’ frontcourt will be tested by Devon Prep. Reece Craft is putting up 16 points and 7 rebounds a night. The 6’7 Swarthmore College commit was a third team All-State pick in Class 3A last year. Zane Conlon was chosen for the first team. The 6’5 senior is contributing 16 points and 9 rebounds per game this season. He’s headed to Southeastern University, a NAIA school in Florida. Conlon is very familiar with Berks Catholic’s program. His older brother, Joey, played for the Saints. Craft and Conlon combined for 51 points in their 64-44 semifinal win over Valley View. The Tide’s closest game in the state tournament came in the opening round when they eliminated Bishop McDevitt 77-63. They blew out District 1 champ Bishop Shanahan 64-40 in the quarterfinals. Mason Thear (11 ppg.) and Calvin Smith (10 ppg.) are part of an offensive attack that averages 65 points per contest. Smith is their top threat from beyond the arc.

Shane Doyle, a 6’3 senior, has a wealth of connections to the Reading area. His mom and grandparents attended Central Catholic. His father, Jim, is a Holy Name graduate. Doyle’s cousins, Matt and Justin Ashcroft, both played for Coach Esterly at Central Catholic. Matt was a key piece of the Cardinals’ 2007 state championship team. He later served as an assistant under Esterly before becoming the head coach at Exeter. Doyle dishes out six assists per game to go along with nine points.

The top five scorers for Devon Prep are all seniors. This is a very experienced group. The Tide claimed PIAA-3A crowns in 2022 and 2024. They knocked off Franklin Area 60-56 in last year’s state final. Jason Fisher was named the Coach of the Year in Class 3A a season ago. He was an outstanding player at the University of Scranton, scoring more than 1,500 career points. Devon Prep is (27-15) all-time in the PIAA playoffs. The Tide have a (22-4) mark this year. Two of those losses were at the hands of Roman Catholic, a state finalist in Class 6A.

BCFCA Hall of Fame Class

Paul Roberts — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 13:32:35 +0000

The Berks County Football Coaches Association will induct seven new members into its Hall of Fame on Saturday, June 7th. The Class of 2025 includes Kevin Dice (Wyomissing), Marques Glaze (Conrad Weiser), Doug Werner (Conrad Weiser), Gary Williams (Gov. Mifflin), Barry Rapp (Muhlenberg), Dr. Thomas Kohl, and the late Bert Moore. Kohl is part of the special contributor category and Moore is being inducted for his service as an official. He passed away in 2016.

This is the 22nd Class of the BCFCA Hall of Fame. They will bring the total number of members up to 146. Reading has the most members with 31, followed by Wilson (25), and Muhlenberg (16). Former players must be at least 35 years old to be considered. Former coaches must be at least 50 with 15 years or more of coaching experience.

The annual BCFCA Hall of Fame banquet will be held at the Green Valley Chateau. Thanks to Conrad Weiser football coach Alan Moyer for organizing the event. I’m honored to once again serve as the emcee.

Bryce Gumby-Berks Catholic

Paul Roberts — Sat, 22 Mar 2025 12:09:08 +0000

Bryce Gumby didn’t play basketball for Berks Catholic a season ago. He wanted to focus on football. Gumby opted to return to the court this year and that decision helped the Saints reach the state championship game. “I’m ecstatic. I was second-guessing myself at the end of football season. I’m very happy I did,” said Gumby with a smile from ear to ear. The 5’11 senior erupted for a career-high 19 points off the bench on Friday night. Berks Catholic defeated North Catholic 67-59 in the PIAA-4A semifinals at James Buchanan High School. The (25-5) Saints will face Devon Prep on Thursday, March 27 at 8pm at the Giant Center. Berks Catholic reached the state finals for the first time, but it wasn’t easy. The (22-7) Trojans led 51-46 with six and a-half minutes left. Gumby, who’s averaging 3.7 points per game, drilled a 3-pointer from the corner to make it 51-50 with just over six minutes remaining. Carmelo Harper hit a triple from the left wing to put the Saints on top 55-53 with 4:40 to go. The 5’10 freshman provided 13 points after entering early in the first quarter. Berks Catholic coach Snip Esterly went with a smaller lineup to match North Catholic which starts five guards. Harper had six points in the fourth quarter when the Saints outscored the Trojans 23-to-12. “He has a very bright future. He’s gonna be great. He played a big role in this game,” noted Gumby. Harper also came up big in the state quarterfinals with 17 points against Sharon. Kingston McKoy sank a pair of free throws to give Berks Catholic a 59-57 edge with 1:47 to play. The 6’2 junior guard poured in a game-high 24 points. Zach Suski fed Gumby for a fast break layup to make it 61-57 with 40 seconds left. Jude Rottman, who scored 28 points in the quarterfinals, missed a 3-pointer from the left wing on the ensuing possession. Gumby then converted two foul shots for a 63-57 advantage with 28 seconds remaining. He jammed eleven points into the fourth quarter while going 6-for-8 from the stripe. “My mind just clears. I just focus and hit the shots,” replied Gumby about his free throw shooting. He also made half of the Saints’ six treys. Berks Catholic was 15-for-20 from the foul line. The District 3 champions were 11-of-14 over the last eight minutes. The Trojans went 10-for-13 from the stripe and connected five times from beyond the arc. Jason Fredericks finished with a team-high 20 points. The 6’ junior came out on fire with a dozen points in the opening quarter. Fredericks scored 49 combined points in the first two rounds of the PIAA playoffs. Owen Maddalon added 17 points. The 6’4 senior is committed to Allegheny College. All of Joe Waskiewicz’s twelve points came in the second half. His triple from the top of the key put North Catholic in front 40-38 with two and a-half minutes to go in the third quarter. A 3-pointer by Rottmann made it 44-39 one minute later. That capped a 19-to-6 run by the Trojans. They were down 33-25 early in the third period following a three-point play by Suski. The 6’ senior forward chipped in with nine points despite being in foul trouble. Suski got his third foul with nearly seven minutes left in the second quarter. The Saints were up 16-11 before North Catholic ended the first quarter with seven straight points. Berks Catholic outscored the Trojans 12-to-4 in the second period. The Saints went to halftime with a 28-22 lead. McKoy had seven points in the second quarter, but the All-State guard was called for an offensive foul with 32 seconds before the break. It was his third foul of the game. Brady Altimar concluded the third quarter with a layup at the buzzer. The 5’9 junior pulled Berks Catholic within 47-44. Gumby gave credit to North Catholic for battling for all 32 minutes. “They fought the entire game. I gotta tip my hat to them,” he said. The Trojans made their 27th appearance in the PIAA playoffs since 1975. The Saints, however, dominated in bench points. They outscored North Catholic 32-to-2 in that department, thanks largely to a football player who decided to give basketball another shot.