Ben – Berks Sports Report

Ben Kulp-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 16:29:56 +0000

Wilson squared off with Exeter in a Division 1 matchup at Reiffton on Wednesday afternoon. The Bulldogs hadn’t played since last Thursday when they were blanked 1-0 in twelve innings at Muhlenberg. Wilson’s bats came alive early against Kamren Martin. The 6’3 junior entered the day with a (3-0) record and a 0.98 ERA. After Ryan Marmolejos was hit by a pitch, Christo Hunsicker launched a triple to center field in the top of the 1st. Ben Kulp followed with a RBI groundout and the Bulldogs were quickly on top 2-0. The (10-3) Eagles got one run back in the bottom half of the frame. Sophomore catcher Brandon Weller ripped a 2-out RBI triple to center. That would end up being one of only two hits allowed by Kulp in a 6-1 victory. The 6’2, 215-pound junior threw 97 pitches over 5.2 innings with eight strikeouts and three walks. Kulp turned to his curveball after struggling with the slider. “It was an all right day out on the mound, not everything was working,” he said. Kulp (3-1, 0.81) has been much better than just all right this spring. He’s only given up 13 hits while piling up 34 strikeouts in 26 innings. The right-hander, who also plays water polo, got himself in better shape during the offseason. “I did a lot of explosive work and a lot of sprinting to train your body to move faster,” he explained. “I try to stay away from carbs, definitely high protein intake,” added Kulp. He helped himself by going 2-for-4 with a RBI. “I love swinging the bat,” he replied. Wilson went in front 3-1 in the 3rd when courtesy runner Colby Kostelac scored following two wild pitches by Martin. Kulp, who bats from the left side, led off that inning with a double down the right field line. Exeter stranded runners on third base in the first, fourth, and fifth innings. Kulp stopped each of those threats with a strikeout. The (7-3) Bulldogs broke it open with three runs in the 6th. Marmolejos provided a 2-run triple to left-center. The talented sophomore second baseman was 1-for-2 with two runs scored. He’s hitting .333 this year. Hunsicker knocked in Marmolejos with another triple to center field. “Breathing room is nice because then you’re not stressing every pitch,” said Kulp. Hunsicker leads the team with six extra-base hits. The Millersville commit has three doubles and three triples through ten games. He had two of Wilson’s nine hits off of Martin. The tall righty allowed six runs over 5.1 innings. He struck out four, walked two, and hit three batters. Senior Kaden Ballas got the final four outs for the Bulldogs without giving up a hit. Wilson ended its scoring drought and snapped the Eagles’ six-game winning streak. The Bulldogs claimed their 13th Berks League championship in 2024. On Wednesday, they showed that they’re a contender again this spring.

Ben Grundy-Twin Valley

Paul Roberts — Fri, 04 Oct 2024 04:02:09 +0000

Twin Valley has rolled over all of its opponents. The Raiders have climbed the statewide polls in Class 4A with one blowout victory after another. That streak of dominance continued on Thursday night with a 49-0 rout of Donegal. The (1-6) Indians opted not to play the second half due to concerns about player safety. They were short-handed coming into Elverson and saw a few more players go down with injuries in the first half. Twin Valley head coach Brett Myers didn’t want to comment on how the game ended. His son, Evan Myers, threw a pair of touchdown passes and ran for two more scores. The 5’10, 185-pound senior was 7-of-12 for 91 yards with an interception. The Raiders’ all-time passing leader used his legs for 112 yards on eight carries. Myers’ scramble down the right sideline set up Evan Johnson’s 1-yard touchdown run midway through the opening quarter. Johnson finished with 73 yards on nine carries. The 165-pound speedster surpassed 3,000 career rushing yards and was named Homecoming King. “It’s a really big moment for him because it’s his senior year. I’m really happy for him,” said Ben Grundy. The 6’1, 180-pound junior also had a big night. Grundy had six catches for 86 yards and 2 TD. “We’re having a lot of fun out here. We’re all enjoying this right now,” replied Grundy. He went in motion and took a quick shovel pass from Myers around the right end for a 7-yard touchdown early in the second quarter. That came after Donegal’s punter fumbled under heavy pressure deep in his own territory. A 1-yard score by sophomore Chase Reilly made it 35-0 with 7:24 remaining in the second quarter. That score followed a nifty 39-yard run by Myers. His 10-yard run up the middle put Twin Valley on top 42-0 with 6:30 to go in the half. Myers, a four-year starter, then hit Grundy down the right seam for a 21-yard touchdown with four minutes to play before the break. Grundy is on the Raiders’ track and field team. “It helps me tremendously, more than you think. It helps a lot,” he emphasized. The 400 meters is his best event. Twin Valley forced four turnovers including three fumbles. Titus Akinrefon came up with an interception when Leelan Baughman attempted a halfback pass. The Indians were held to one first down. Joey Buckley, a 230-pound sophomore defensive end, and junior linebacker Ryan Rementer sacked Brady Reck late in the first quarter. Greyson Miller scooped up the football and rumbled five yards for a touchdown. The 255-pound junior defensive end gave the Raiders a 14-0 advantage. Donegal fumbled on an option play on the ensuing drive which set up Twin Valley at the 12-yard line. Myers cashed in with a 6-yard TD run. The (7-0) Raiders have outscored their opponents 342-40. “My expectations are always high for this team. We have a lot of great guys here, a lot of good guys coming up. I knew this year was gonna be a special one,” stated Grundy. Twin Valley will host 12-time District 3 champion Wyomissing next Friday. The Spartans are (5-1) this season.

Ben Kulp-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Sun, 12 May 2024 11:53:00 +0000

With a trip to the BCIAA Championship on the line, Wilson turned to sophomore Ben Kulp and he delivered. The 6’1, 215-pound righty allowed just three hits over 5.1 innings in a 6-3 victory over Twin Valley at Owls Field. “The curveball was working early in counts. The splitter and slider were working later in counts,” explained Kulp. He gave up three runs, two earned, with five strikeouts and only one walk. “My goal was to get ahead of batters early and then keep them off balance,” said Kulp. He’s (5-1) with 41K in 35.2IP. The third-seeded Bulldogs gave him some early support with three runs on one hit in the second inning. After two errors and a walk, freshman Ryan Marmolejos ripped a single to left field. C.J. Fernandez’s grounder to second produced another run. A sacrifice fly to right by sophomore Jack Gabel made it 3-0. The second-seeded Raiders got on the board in the 2nd thanks to Jon Oxendine‘s groundout with the bases loaded. Kulp struck out Kooper Zdimal with men on second and third to limit the damage. A two-out RBI double to right field by Paul Colombo got Twin Valley within 3-2 in the third inning. Colombo had three of the Raiders’ four hits. He’s headed to Division II Anderson University in South Carolina. Owen Rhoads, an Elizabethtown commit, left after five frames and 98 pitches. He was charged with three unearned runs on five hits and two walks. Rhoads finished with a handful of strikeouts. Zdimal took over and allowed a two-out, two-run double to left-center by Christo Hunsicker. Penn State commit Matt VanOstenbridge replaced Kulp in the bottom of 6th with one out and a runner on second base. Kevin Eden greeted the southpaw with a RBI double to right. Fernandez added a bloop RBI single in the 7th for the final margin. Marmolejos and Fernandez each went 2-for-3. They hit eighth and ninth respectively for Wilson. The (15-6) Bulldogs had eight hits on Saturday. VanOstenbridge had a pair of strikeouts to surpass 200 for his career. He permitted just one hit while throwing 25 pitches. “He’s a great guy on the bench, great teammate. He’ll take you under his wing and show you his stuff,” noted Kulp. VanOstenbridge is expected to be on the hill Monday evening at FirstEnergy Stadium. Wilson meets rival Gov. Mifflin for the Berks County title at 6:05pm. The Mustangs defeated the Bulldogs 6-3 in last year’s championship game. “We want redemption,” stated Kulp.

Ben Troyer-Hempfield

Paul Roberts — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 11:13:00 +0000

Ben Troyer enjoys putting LEGO sets together. He can also drop 30 points in a basketball game. The 6’4 senior has emerged as one of the top scoring threats in the Lancaster-Lebanon League. Troyer and the Hempfield Black Knights left Laureldale with a 55-48 victory on Tuesday. The York College commit poured in 25 points and went 12-of-14 from the free throw line. Muhlenberg raced out to a 7-2 advantage. “You could tell they weren’t giving us any respect to start so we had to fight the entire game,” said Troyer. The (3-2) Muhls were up 17-14 after one quarter, but trailed 26-25 at halftime. They averaged 67 points in their first four contests. The (2-2) Black Knights allowed just 14 combined points over the middle quarters. Hempfield led 43-35 with four and a-half minutes remaining. A three-point play by Shermar Killens energized Muhlenberg. The 6’2 junior had a career-high 16 points. Back-to-back turnovers by the Black Knights resulted in layups for Alex Collado (12 points) and Mike Miller (10 points). The Muhls’ full court pressure got them within 49-48 with 51 seconds left. Caden Axe got an easy basket off an inbounds play with 35 seconds to go. Troyer and Thomas Gable sealed the deal by going 4-for-4 from the foul line over the final 14 seconds. Troyer’s younger brother, Spencer, added a dozen points. The 6’2 sophomore forward provided six points in the fourth quarter. Their cousin, Nick Deeg, is a senior point guard for Hempfield. “I was yelling at them a little bit more than the others. That’s just because I love them and I know they can do better,” explained Ben Troyer. He’s averaging 28 points which the Black Knights have needed after losing five of their top six players from a season ago. That team went (25-4) and finished third in the District 3-6A tournament. “We’re expecting to be the underdog throughout the entire season,” remarked Troyer. Muhlenberg is in a similar position. The Muhls had to replace all five starters from an (18-11) squad that reached the second round of the state playoffs. Both teams had key players in foul trouble on Tuesday night. Hempfield finished 15-of-20 from the free throw line, while Muhlenberg was 13-for-18. Black Knights’ head coach Danny Walck picked up his 396th career win over 29 years. The former Reading coach is in his 14th season at Hempfield. “It’s great. He’s been around the game so long. You always learn something from him,” said Troyer.

Ben DeBalko-Oley Valley

Paul Roberts — Mon, 20 Feb 2023 23:06:00 +0000

Ben DeBalko worked on his jumper all summer with assistant coach Dan Korejwo. DeBalko tried to take 1,000 shots three or four days a week. His hard work has paid off during his sophomore campaign. The 6’ guard splashed back-to-back 3-pointers from the left corner to give Oley Valley a 50-44 advantage over Brandywine Heights with five minutes remaining. “It’s a great feeling just to hear the crowd erupt after hitting those [shots]. That’s my spot in the corner. Once I released it, I knew they were going in,” said DeBalko. The third-seeded Lynx pulled away late for a 67-53 victory in the District 3-3A quarterfinals. Oley beat the (11-12) Bullets twice in the regular season, but their most recent meeting went to overtime. “They’re a great team. They’re scrappy, they’re tough. I was a little nervous coming out of halftime,” admitted DeBalko. The (19-5) Lynx raced out to a 9-1 lead. They were in front 14-5 after eight minutes. Brandywine Heights responded with a 13-2 run to start the second quarter. Scotty Ray came off the bench and connected twice from long distance. He’s one of four freshmen that got playing time for the sixth-seeded Bullets. They lost eight of their top nine players from a season ago to graduation. Head coach Dave Moseley started two freshmen and two sophomores on Monday night. They were even at 25 at halftime. Oley rattled off nine of the first eleven points in the third period. However, Brandywine Heights responded again and tied it up at 44 early in the fourth quarter. DeBalko scored eight of his 14 points in the final period. The Lynx went 9-of-11 from the free throw line down the stretch. They ended the game with a 23-9 run. Oley outscored Brandywine Heights 29-18 over the last eight minutes. David Turchi, a 6’4 junior, provided 14 points in a balanced attack. Senior guards Chase Rubendall (12) and Jaden Kelly (11) combined for 23 points. DeBalko gave credit to Rubendall, Kelly, and Keith Neal. “They’re great at giving advice. I know we can go to them down the stretch. It’s great to have those senior leaders,” he replied. Johnny Turchi, David’s twin brother, chipped in with nine points off the bench. The Bullets were led by sophomore Jayden Kantner. The all-division guard finished with 14 points. Freshman Nate Winkler added nine. Each team hit six triples. Brandywine Heights was 7-13 from the charity stripe. Their season ends, while the Lynx advance to the semifinals. They’ll travel to #2 seed Trinity on Thursday at 7pm. Oley moved down from Class 4A to 3A this year. The Lynx have won 12 of their last 13 contests. DeBalko leads the Berks Conference with 61 treys. When he’s not working on his shot, he enjoys reading books. We also discussed his favorite food, movie, and teachers.

Ben Zechman-Wyomissing

Paul Roberts — Sat, 03 Sep 2022 17:00:00 +0000

When you’re the quarterback in a Wing-T offense, you know your passing attempts will be limited. Ben Zechman made the most of his opportunities at Pottsville on Friday night. The 6’2, 185-pound senior averaged 26 yards per attempt in a 49-0 rout. Zechman was 4-of-5 for 132 yards and two touchdowns. He hit Drew Eisenhower over the middle for a 47-yard score with 18 seconds remaining in the first half. The (2-0) Spartans went 74 yards in just four plays after an interception by sophomore Derek Macrina. The Crimson Tide trailed 35-0 at the break in their 130th home opener. Wyomissing started the third quarter with a screen pass that worked to perfection. Zechman dumped it off to Ryker Jones who raced 47 yards for a touchdown. Zechman has high hopes for Jones. “Oh my gosh, the sky is the limit for him. He is one of thee most athletic players on our team by far. He’s so fast. He’s powerful. He’s strong. He’s a really special kid,” said Zechman. The Spartans piled up 422 yards including 290 on the ground. Matthew Kramer, a 215-pound senior fullback, ran for a team-high 89 yards and a pair of touchdowns on nine carries. Charlie McIntyre chipped in with 72 yards on eight touches. Eisenhower provided 53 rushing yards and 70 receiving yards. Zechman praised the offensive line. He stated, “We’re kind of spoiled. They do such a great job of protecting on both passes and then getting down the field on runs. It’s really special to have them move guys so easily up front.” Jven Williams (6’5, 295), Pacen Ziegler (6’4, 275), and Caleb Brewer (6’5, 275) lead the way in the trenches. Williams is committed to Penn State. Brewer moved to tight end this season. Collin Niedrowski, Drew Forrey, and Jeremiah Diaz added touchdown runs. Pottsville was without standout DE/TE Joey Palko. The 6’4, 230-pound Bucknell commit is injured. Zechman enjoys making the trip up Route 61 to Schuylkill County. “This is honestly one of our favorite places to play. It’s like a college level stadium. They have a really nice band which is cool. They have a great student section. It’s a great environment for Friday night lights.” The (0-2) Crimson Tide was held to 132 yards. Parrish McFarland was limited to 44 yards on twelve carries. Tejay Allen went 10-of-15 for 76 yards with an interception. Pottsville hurt its cause with three turnovers in the first half. Wyomissing won at Veterans Memorial Stadium 42-14 a season ago. I asked Zechman about joining the Lancaster-Lebanon League this year. He replied, “It’s really gonna be fun. We always like playing harder teams because it makes us rise to a better level.” We also discussed his favorite teacher, sports movie, and food. The Spartans have been devouring the competition. They haven’t lost a regular season contest since 2018.

Ben Zechman-Wyomissing

Paul Roberts — Sat, 04 Dec 2021 01:20:00 +0000

Wyomissing led Neumann-Goretti 7-6 in the second quarter with the Spartans facing a 4th & 4 at the Saints’ 25-yard line. The District 3 champs, well known for their Wing-T ground attack, decided to go to the air. Ben Zechman found a wide open Tommy Grabowski for 11 yards and a first down. That drive ended with a 5-yard TD run by Grabowski. Wyomissing would never look back. The (15-0) Spartans scored four touchdowns in the third quarter to put the mercy rule into effect. They went on to win 42-6 in the Class 3A state semifinals at Pennridge High School. Zechman finished 5-7 for 58 yards and two touchdowns. One TD pass went to Drew Eisenhower and the other to Charlie McIntyre. All three of them are juniors just in case you’re looking ahead to next season. Zechman loved how the Spartans bounced back after getting pushed around on the Saints’ 78-yard, 12-play opening TD drive. The 6’3, 180-pound QB definitely wasn’t expecting a rout against a team with the speed and Division I talent of Neumann-Goretti. The (12-2) Saints entered the game averaging 33 points and allowing only nine. Zechman and I discussed how the running game sets up the pass, and the depth that Wyomissing has at RB. Amory Thompson ran for 114 yards and a score. Grabowski added 108 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. Backup fullback J.J. Jackson reached the end zone as well. The Spartans outgained the Saints 409-to-169. Neumann-Goretti senior quarterback Marqui Adams didn’t play in the first half due to an injury. Adams struggled in the second half going 1-11 for 17 yards and an INT. Wyomissing piled up 351 yards on the ground. The Spartans lost 25 seniors to graduation, but they’re headed back to Hersheypark Stadium next Saturday at noon for the Class 3A state championship! Zechman thinks they surprised a lot of people this year. The 3A Final is a rematch from last season when Central Valley beat Wyomissing 35-21.

Ben Zechman-Wyomissing

Paul Roberts — Sat, 18 Sep 2021 17:47:00 +0000

Zach Zechman was the starting QB and an all-state DB for the Spartans last year. Now his brother, Ben, is running the Wing-T offense for Wyomissing. The 6’3 junior was an efficient 5-7 for 82 yards and a TD in a 47-7 victory over previously unbeaten Hamburg. Zechman told me about one of the Spartans’ favorite pass plays which paid off in a big way against the Hawks. He described his relationship with emerging 6’5 WR Nevin Carter. Zechman explained how he keeps 310-pound lineman Jven Williams happy. Yes, it involves food. We also talked about James Franklin’s visit to Shillington and how Nick Singleton would look in a Wyomissing uniform.