Jack Miller-Berks Catholic

Parker Nein and Kevin Lawlor probably aren’t the first two names that come to mind when discussing the Berks Catholic basketball team, but they came to the rescue in the Saints’ season opener. Nein and Lawlor combined for 19 points off the bench in a 47-40 victory over Allentown Central Catholic at Exeter’s tip-off tournament on Friday. “We have a great bench this year. We can go 8-to-10 deep. I think our bench won the game for us,” said Jack Miller. The Vikings led 18-6 early in the second quarter. Berks Catholic went scoreless for the first three minutes and twenty seconds of that period. The Saints trailed 24-15 at halftime. With JayJay Jordan in foul trouble and Ryan Koch having an off night, longtime head coach Snip Esterly turned to Nein and Lawlor. Miller and Nein drained 3-pointers to get Berks Catholic within 31-26 with three minutes remaining in the third quarter. Lawlor followed with a layup one minute later to make it a one possession game. Nein’s free throws gave the Saints their first lead at 32-31 with 43 seconds left in the third period. The 6’2 junior hit a tiebreaking triple early in the fourth quarter. Allentown Central responded with four straight points including a dunk by Jahrel Vigo that gave the (0-3) Vikings a 38-37 edge. Jordan’s layup with 3:45 to play put Berks Catholic on top for good. The all-county point guard then found Miller for a clutch 3-pointer with 1:15 on the clock. Lawlor added a layup for a 44-38 lead. That basket capped a 7-0 run for the Saints. Miller had a team-high 14 points. The 5’10 senior sank four shots from beyond the arc. He made 44 triples a season ago when Berks Catholic won 23 games and a District 3-4A championship. Nein provided a huge lift with a dozen points. “That’s my guy. He can shoot, he can do everything. He played really good defense,” emphasized Miller. Jordan contributed ten points and Lawlor chipped in with seven. Koch, a 6’3 senior who’s committed to Pitt-Johnstown, was limited to four points on free throws. “Ryan and JayJay, I know they’ll do their thing. They’ll step it up next game. I’m not worried about them at all,” replied Miller. Lucas Mushrush took control early with eight points in the first quarter. He ended up with twenty for Allentown Central Catholic. Mushrush was responsible for all four of the Vikings’ 3-pointers. The Saints connected seven times from long distance. They were 8-of-14 from the free throw line while Allentown Central Catholic went 4-6. The Vikings committed 21 turnovers including seven in the final period. They won the 2021 Class 4A state title and reached the PIAA playoffs last season as well. Berks Catholic certainly had its hands full in its opener. Miller has high hopes for the Saints. “I think we can go far. I think we can run it back in District’s and hopefully give Reading a shot in County’s,” he said. We also discussed his favorite NBA players and rappers. As a Steelers’ fan, Miller joked that he’s hearing a lot right now from his classmates who cheer for the Eagles. Miller told me that he worked hard this offseason on shooting off the dribble. His long range shooting and the bench production got Berks Catholic off to a (1-0) start.