Snip Esterly-Berks Catholic

Over Snip Esterly’s 35 years as a head coach, defense has always been the driving force. Berks Catholic allowed just 47 points per game a season ago when the Saints won 23 games and their second straight District 3 championship. Entering Friday’s contest with ninth-seeded Middletown, Berks Catholic was giving up 48 points a night. The top-seeded Saints put the clamps on the Blue Raiders in a 44-37 victory at Lloyd Wolf Gymnasium. Berks Catholic advanced to the District 3-4A semifinals and clinched a berth in the state tournament. Mason Blazer is a tough matchup at 6’5. The senior guard has scored more than 1,000 points at Middletown. Berks Catholic 6’3 senior Josh McKoy got the assignment of covering Blazer. When he picked up his third foul, senior forward Elijah Komoro took over the difficult task. Blazer managed only five points in the first half as the Saints built a 23-16 advantage. “I was really happy with both Josh and Elijah. They played him great,” stated Esterly. Blazer, who’s headed to St. Petersburg College in Florida, worked hard for his 17 points. Komoro is a defensive specialist. He’s one of several Berks Catholic players who understands his role. “We stress it every day and they do buy into it…Everybody has a role on this team and a role player is not a bad thing to say,” emphasized Esterly. The (21-3) Saints hadn’t played since last Wednesday’s loss to Wilson in the BCIAA semifinals. They struggled early offensively and went 14-of-26 from the free throw line. Berks Catholic trailed 7-3 after eight minutes. The Saints outscored the (16-8) Blue Raiders 20-to-9 in the second quarter. Seven of Parker Nein’s 12 points came in that period. McKoy finished with a team-high 16 points. Berks Catholic committed just eight turnovers. Blazer was called for his fourth foul with 5:17 remaining and Middletown down 30-25. He returned to the court a short time later and had five points in the fourth quarter. A reverse layup by McKoy gave the Saints a 35-27 edge with two minutes left. Timmy Moore’s 3-pointer from the left wing got the Blue Raiders within 36-30 with 1:15 to go. McKoy then went 2-for-2 from the stripe. Berks Catholic made enough free throws to keep Middletown at bay. The Saints were 11-of-20 in the final period. Aleel Batts, a 5’10 junior, provided a dozen points off the Blue Raiders’ bench. He made two of their four treys. Middletown ended up 9-for-11 from the foul line. Esterly stressed that playing at home was very significant. “These kids worked hard all season to get that No. 1 [seed] and they deserved it. It is a huge advantage,” he replied. Esterly improved his all-time record to (813-220). He has won 14 District 3 titles including five with the Saints. They host fifth-seeded Eastern York on Tuesday at 7pm in the semifinals. Middletown travels to Octorara on Tuesday for an elimination game.