Jack Miller-Berks Catholic

Berks Catholic was originally scheduled to play in a showcase event at Santander Arena on Friday. The Saints were replaced in the first game of that doubleheader by Muhlenberg. That decision didn’t sit well with the Berks Catholic players and it was a talking point in the locker room before Thursday’s crossover matchup with the Muhls. The highly motivated Saints cruised past Muhlenberg 80-64 at Lloyd Wolf Gymnasium. Junior guard Jack Miller told me that his teammates were really looking forward to this game. Miller hit three 3-pointers on his way to 14 points, one shy of his career-best. Berks Catholic connected on nine shots from beyond the arc and put up 45 points in the second half. The (13-2, 6-2) Saints seized control with a 12-0 run to start the second quarter. They held the (11-4, 5-2) Muhls scoreless for four and a-half minutes. Muhlenberg entered the night as the second-highest scoring team in Berks County at 68 points per game. The Muhls couldn’t keep JayJay Jordan out of the lane or stop him in transition. The 5’10 junior erupted for a career-high 25 points including 17 in the second half. Miller explained why Jordan is a special point guard. I asked Miller what would happen if he had to guard Jordan. He got a kick out of that question. 6’3 senior Aidan Sands added 18 points with seven coming in the fourth quarter. Ryan Koch, a 6’3 junior, chipped in with 11 points. Miller said Sands and Koch are versatile players. Miller knows that his role is to knock down shots from deep. He worked on his 3-point shooting every day in the summer. Miller is averaging 7.5 points. He likes how the Saints are moving the ball which is something longtime head coach Snip Esterly stresses at practice. Esterly is (759-209) over 33 seasons. He’s (217-76) in eleven years at Berks Catholic. Esterly’s teams have been well known for their defensive prowess, but the Saints put up 80 points for the second game in a row. They also had 80 on Monday at Daniel Boone. Berks Catholic was 15-23 from the free throw line, while Muhlenberg went 7-8. Edwin Suarez sat out for six and a-half minutes after picking up his fourth foul early in the third period. The 6’6 senior still piled up 27 points. Suarez jammed 11 points into the first quarter when the Muhls led 18-17. He’s averaging 19 points. Eric Branch contributed 11 points off the bench. The lefty made three of Muhlenberg’s seven 3-pointers. The Saints have won five in a row. Miller believes that chemistry and confidence have helped to turn things around following a (6-11) campaign last season.