Matt Flowers-Muhlenberg

As I spoke with Matt Flowers in the hallway outside of the gymnasium, the Muhls’ first-year head coach became very emotional. While trying to hold back tears, Flowers said, “I just wish my father could be here to see it.” His dad, who passed away in October of 2020, would have been extremely proud of his son and his team on Senior Night in Laureldale. The Muhls rallied from a ten point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat Reading 63-61 in front of a packed house. Tickets for this highly anticipated crossover matchup sold out Monday morning. After spending twelve years as an assistant for the Red Knights, Flowers was on the opposite sideline of his good friend Rick Perez. Ruben Rodriguez drilled a 3-pointer from NBA range at the end of the third quarter to put Reading in front 45-38. The all-state guard connected from beyond the arc again one minute into the final period, and the defending Class 6A state champs were on top 50-40. That’s when seniors Edwin Suarez, Alex Tomlinson, and Jarrett Jackson came alive, especially on the offensive glass. Suarez had back-to-back putbacks to give Muhlenberg a 58-56 edge with a minute and a-half remaining. It was the Muhls’ first lead since it was 2-0. Tomlinson sank two free throws and had a putback of his own to make it 62-60 with thirty seconds to go. Rodriguez missed a pair of foul shots and Joey Chapman went 1-2 from the charity stripe to get the Red Knights within 62-61. Tashiro Alexis, another Muhlenberg senior, converted one of his two free throws with six seconds left. It was his only point of the night. Rodriguez was unable to get off a clean shot in the closing seconds, and the Muhls held on for a dramatic 63-61 victory. Fans stormed the court as Muhlenberg extended its winning streak to six. The (18-3, 10-1) Red Knights had won seven in a row. It was a classic battle of division champions. Suarez finished with 21 points and 16 rebounds. The 6’6 forward is averaging 19 points per game. Tomlinson scored all eight of his points in the final period when the Muhls outscored Reading 25-16. Junior point guard “Dan Dan” Mosquera provided a dozen points including ten in the first half. Muhlenberg trailed 30-27 at the break. The Red Knights struggled at the FT line all night. They ended up 10-23. The (17-5, 9-2) Muhls were 6-13. Both teams made just three 3-pointers. Rodriguez had a team-high 17 points, but was 3-10 from the foul line. Xavier Davis chipped in with eleven points for Reading. Daniel Alcantara got into early foul trouble and was limited to seven points. The 6’5 senior entered the game averaging 16. Flowers praised his players for staying positive and sticking together. We discussed his relationship with Suarez. Flowers replied, “That’s my big son.” He called Mosquera the engine of the team. Flowers also gave credit to the standing room only crowd for motivating his squad. It was a night he’ll never forget.