Ruben Rodriguez-Reading

It started with a three-point play from an unlikely source. After an Exeter turnover underneath the basket, Nick Chapman scooped up the loose ball and flipped it high off the glass while being fouled. “Nick got a crazy steal and 1. I feel like that changed the whole game,” said Ruben Rodriguez. Chapman had scored 34 points all season going into Friday’s Berks Conference Championship. The 5’10 junior kick-started an 18-0 run that Reading fans will never forget. The Eagles were in front 57-47 with four and a-half minutes remaining. They didn’t score again until Alex Kelsey hit a triple with 40 seconds left. Second-seeded Exeter was seeking its first county title since 1974. The Eagles were also trying to snap a 28-game losing streak to the Red Knights. Aris Rodriguez splashed a 3-ball from the left corner to give top-seeded Reading a 59-57 edge with two minutes to go. The 6’5 senior guard was 1-7 from beyond the arc, but he knocked it down when it mattered most. Ruben Rodriguez followed with a layup off an inbounds play. A fast break basket by Yadiel Cruz and two free throws from Myles Grey put the (24-1) Red Knights on top 65-57 with one minute on the clock. Reading earned its 25th Berks County championship with a hard-fought 70-63 victory in front of 4,200 fans at Santander Arena. “We just kept fighting. We couldn’t just give up. We had to keep going,” emphasized Ruben Rodriguez. The (19-6) Eagles committed nine turnovers in the final quarter. “We did a great job defensively, kept making everything hard for them. The last couple minutes they started breaking,” remarked Rodriguez. The Rider commit piled up 23 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 steals. Rodriguez went just 6-of-17 from the foul line. Reading converted 28 of its 46 free throw attempts. Exeter was 5-10 from the charity stripe. The Eagles raced out to a 17-6 lead. Anthony Caccese provided eight points in the first quarter. The 6’7, 280-pound center ended up with 17. Zyion Paschall poured in a career-high 20 points. He nailed a pair of 3-pointers in the second quarter. Exeter was up 33-30 at halftime. Reece Garvin didn’t play in the second half due to an injury. The 6’3 junior was averaging nearly 12 ppg. with a team-high 39 treys. The Eagles shot 8-23 from long range, while the Red Knights were just 2-15. Kelsey, Kevin Saenz, and Teddy Snyder scored eight points apiece. Exeter missed the front end of three one-and-one opportunities down the stretch. Aris Rodriguez erupted for 13 of his 17 points in the final period. Yadiel Cruz chipped in with eleven points and six rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench. Reading extended its winning streak to 15 games as head coach Rick Perez claimed his sixth Berks Conference title. Ruben Rodriguez surpassed Lonnie Walker and moved into tenth place on the Berks County all-time scoring list with 1,838 points. Walker, who guided the Red Knights to their first state championship in 2017, is currently playing for the Lakers. “He was legendary. His name will never be forgotten. He set the path and we’re just here to follow it. I’m just happy and blessed,” said Rodriguez. Reading is off until next Friday when they host either Chambersburg or Carlisle in the quarterfinals of the District 3-6A playoffs.