“Roberts Rankings”-Boys Basketball

Basketball is back! I was fortunate enough to cover 66 high school games last season. I’m looking forward to another fun year of hoops. Ten boys teams from the BCIAA qualified for the District 3 playoffs last winter and five of them advanced to the PIAA tournament. Berks Catholic made it all the way to the Class 4A state championship before falling to Devon Prep 55-39 at the Giant Center. The Saints were an easy choice for the #1 spot in my preseason poll. After Berks Catholic, there are a handful of squads in the county who I think are very evenly matched. Keep in mind that my rankings focus much more on returning players than what a team accomplished last year.

Colgate commit Kingston McKoy is a two-time All-State selection and the reigning Berks County Player of the Year. He averaged 21.5 points per game and surpassed 1,000 career points in the state quarterfinals last season. Gavin Welker, Carmelo Harper, Johnny Giesa, and Brady Altimar are all back for the Saints. They’re joined by Reading transfer Jeremiah Camara who averaged a team-high 14.3 ppg. for the Red Knights during the 2024-25 campaign. Snip Esterly enters his 37th year as a head coach with a mark of (840-228). Berks Catholic is looking for its first BCIAA title since 2018.

Muhlenberg lost its top two scorers in Shermar Killen (18.6 ppg.) and Jayden Kantner (12.3 ppg.), but the Muhls still have plenty of experience. They should also have a chip on their shoulder after missing out on the Berks County playoffs and losing in the first round of the District 3 tournament. If Eli Hemmings can take the next step, they will have a dangerous team in Laureldale. The junior guard provided 9.4 ppg. last year. Mike Miller, LJ Armstrong, and Jadin Perez are united with Reading transfer Nelson “Coco” Malave.

Speaking of the Red Knights, Rick Perez has returned to the “Castle on the Hill.” After spending two seasons as an assistant under Matt Flowers at Muhlenberg, Perez is taking over for Francis Camara at Reading. Over a dozen years, Perez guided the Red Knights to three state titles. His 281 victories are a school record. Perez has a nice backcourt to work with in senior point guard Weshly Rosario and Jostin DeCastro. Rosario was an All-County pick last winter and DeCastro poured in 13 ppg. as a sophomore. Cameron “Bron Bron” Jones and Javon Merriweather are a pair of sophomore guards to keep an eye on. Jeremiah Camara, “Coco” Malave, and 6’9 senior Blake Adams are no longer with the program, but it’s never wise to count out Reading. In addition to their three state crowns, the Red Knights have claimed 24 District 3 championships, 25 BCIAA titles, and 20 Central Penn League trophies.

Wilson has cut down the nets at Santander Arena in four of the previous six seasons including two in a row. The Bulldogs, however, lost eight players and four starters to graduation. Madyx Gruber finished an outstanding career as a two-time All-County selection. He’s one of just seven players in Wilson history to hit the 1,000 point milestone. Matt Coldren begins his 25th season with an inexperienced group. Coldren is the program’s winningest coach with 432 victories. The Bulldogs aren’t wasting any time. They have a difficult opener at Central Dauphin tomorrow. The Rams were the District 3-6A runner-up last year. Correll Akings, an All-County guard, is just shy of 700 career points. His football teammate, Mike Glover, will provide the muscle in the paint at 225 pounds.

Exeter was the District 3-5A runner-up a season ago. The Eagles have made four straight trips to the state playoffs. Once again, the basketball team will have a strong football vibe to it. Aidan Dauble, Jayden Ware, and Braylon Reinert are returning starters for third-year head coach Jeff VanGorder. Dauble averaged 16 points last winter and knocked down 42 triples. Sharpshooter Brady Murray graduated after connecting 73 times from beyond the arc. Dylan Donate and Michael Fisher will have an increased role for the up-tempo Eagles this season.

In his first year at the helm, Garrett Etzel led Gov. Mifflin to 20 wins and its first appearance in the PIAA tournament. That was a senior-heavy club. Matt Koehler (14 ppg.), Andrew Galantuomo (11.5 ppg.), and Jahmair Johnson (11 ppg.) have moved on. Ian Fleming, a defensive specialist, is the lone returning starter. There is good news in Shillington with the return of Lebron Leaf. The talented quarterback missed the entire 2024-25 basketball season due to an injury that was suffered on the gridiron. Leaf is definitely a player to watch who also provides tremendous leadership skills off the court.

Konlan Krick steered Wyomissing to 15 wins and the BCIAA and District 3 playoffs in his first year as head coach. The Spartans’ top two scorers are back in Danny Fleischood (13.7 ppg.) and Dom Arguelles (12.4 ppg.). They’ll be battling again with Schuylkill Valley in Division 3. The Panthers have to replace their top three scorers in Cooper Hohenadel (14.6 ppg.), Luke Spotts (11 ppg.), and Kowen Gerner (11 ppg.). Head coach Taylor Grim will be counting on Logan Cammauf and Derek Grim, who both started last season, along with Ervin Ortiz.

Antietam captured the Division 4 title last year and brings back AJ Scheifley. The senior is just short of 900 career points. He averaged 16.2 ppg. a season ago with 40 three-pointers. Conrad Weiser went (12-12) in Joey Negron’s first year as head coach. The Scouts qualified for the District 3-5A tournament. There will be a lot of new faces on the floor in Robesonia this winter. Conrad Weiser lost its top six scorers to graduation including Donovan Gingrich, Brady McKee, and Gavin Rapp. They all averaged double figures last season. Gingrich (15.7 ppg.) and McKee drilled 103 combined triples.

Without further ado, here is my preseason poll for the Berks Basketball Conference. The records listed 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.Berks Catholic (25-6)

2.Muhlenberg (15-8)

3.Reading (13-12)

4.Wilson (24-7)

5.Exeter (15-13)

6.Gov. Mifflin (20-10)

7.Wyomissing (15-10)

8.Schuylkill Valley (15-10)