Pflomm beat the (10-8, 8-4) Spartans for the second time this spring. The sidearm righty allowed just one earned run on four hits over 6.2 innings in their first meeting. The Saints prevailed 10-2 on April 8th. Pflomm wasn’t as sharp this time around. He gave up six runs, four earned, on eight hits in a complete game effort. The senior hit four batters, but didn’t issue any walks. Pflomm has a 2.46 ERA this year. He’s also batting .419 and is tied for the team lead with 17 RBI.

Noah Rauenzahn was charged with six runs on five hits and four walks. The Alvernia commit hit a pair of batters over three innings. Ryan Graham took over on the mound and allowed five runs, two earned, in 1.2 innings. The senior southpaw gave up three hits and four walks. He’s headed to Alvernia as well. Curran Cirulli was the third pitcher used by Wyomissing. The sophomore permitted five runs, three earned, on four hits over 1.1 innings. Cirulli handed out three walks. Berks Catholic first baseman Cole Harter reached base five times without a hit. He drew four walks and was hit by a pitch.

The Spartans got on the board first with two runs on three hits and an error in the first frame. Rauenzahn helped himself with a line drive single to center for a 1-0 lead. Cirulli then hit a high chopper over third base to bring in another run. The Saints responded with three runs in the second, including a two-run double down the left field line by sophomore Henry Lago. A sacrifice fly by Teddy White in the bottom half of the inning tied it at 3-3. Mejia put Berks Catholic back on top with a RBI single to left in the third. Mace followed with a two-run single down the third base line for a 6-3 advantage. Zander Westwood hammered a two-run triple to right in the bottom of the third. He scored on a groundout by Caleb Goodhead. It was knotted at 6-6 going to the fourth.

A two-run single to center by Mace quickly put the Saints in front 8-6. They tacked on three runs in the fifth, including a two-run double to left-center by Owen Schalk. He walked three times and scored three runs. Berks Catholic added five more runs in the top of the sixth. Pflomm delivered a three-run double to right-center. Mace made it 16-6 with a RBI single.

The Saints reached the BCIAA Championship Game a season ago before falling to Gov. Mifflin 11-1. The Berks County playoffs begin next Thursday. “It’s a very wide open county. I think we’re gonna have a good shot. I think we can make a really good run,” remarked Mace.

The two-time Berks County Player of the Year led the Saints to their first BCIAA Championship since 2018 this season. They outlasted Reading 62-57 in overtime at Santander Arena. McKoy poured in 29 points in the county final.

He came up big once again in the District 3-4A Championship. McKoy erupted for 35 points in a 58-52 overtime victory against Bishop McDevitt. Berks Catholic claimed its second straight District 3 title.

McKoy finished his career with 1,679 points. He was also an elite defender. The Saints went (50-9) in his last two seasons.

The (4-3) Saints put up two runs on three hits and a pair of walks in the bottom of the first inning. Dom Valent got things started with a single up the middle off senior Chase Bailey. Valent scored on a groundout to second by first team All-State pick Owen Schalk. Victor Mejia made it 2-0 with a RBI double down the left field line. Wyomissing got one run back in the top of the second thanks to two errors. Berks Catholic didn’t commit another error the rest of the game. The Saints tacked on two runs in the fourth for a 4-1 cushion. Gio DiSabatino and Valent provided RBI singles.

Senior southpaw Ryan Graham took over for Bailey in the fifth. Bailey allowed four runs on five hits with four strikeouts and four walks. Aidan Curley walked with one out in the fifth. After stealing second, he came home on a two-out single up the middle by Pflomm. Berks Catholic ended up with eight hits from six different players. Curley and Valent each had two hits and a walk.

The Saints blew it open with five runs in the sixth inning. After an error, freshman Austin Acevedo was hit by a pitch and Valent walked to load the bases with no outs. A bloop single to center by Jack Wentzel made it 6-1. Schalk walked to force in another run and a wild pitch gave Berks Catholic a 8-1 advantage. Curley then ripped a two-run single to left field. Graham was charged with six runs, five earned, on three hits in two innings. He walked three batters and struck out two. The Alvernia commit had two of the Spartans’ four hits. Graham was a second team All-State selection in Class 3A a season ago. He’s 13-for-23 with a team-high 11 RBI this year.

Sophomore Bennett Ernst came off the bench and knocked in a run with a groundout to third in the seventh. Pflomm reached the limit on pitches so Schalk got the final out. Pflomm has an interesting perspective on the rivalry with Wyomissing. “It’s probably one of the biggest in the county. I went to Wyomissing as a child so it’s different being on the other side, but I love it over here. I wouldn’t want it any other way,” he remarked. The Saints and Spartans tied for first place in Division 3 last spring with (9-3) league records.

Berks Catholic won 20 games in 2025 under Brandon Shurr. The Saints beat top-seeded Bermudian Springs 8-0 in the District 3-3A Championship. They advanced to the state semifinals for the first time in program history. Berks Catholic is searching for consistency this season. “I think this has to be the turning point. We were talking before the game how something has to change here. We haven’t played our best baseball. I’m pretty confident we can turn it around,” replied Pflomm. He added, “I know that we can make a deep run. I know what we have. They’re a great bunch of guys. We have a lot of talent.”

Exeter beat Reading 10-3. Mason Goodhart threw a complete game four-hitter with nine strikeouts. Brenton Feathers had two hits and drove in three runs.

Fleetwood scored seven runs in the top of the seventh to top Conrad Weiser 10-3. Ty Kleppinger finished with four hits. Wylie Loy struck out a dozen over 6.2 innings.

Hamburg lost to Wyomissing 7-3. Designated hitter Noah Rauenzahn knocked in four runs.

Oley Valley got past Kutztown 4-1. Tim Fries went the distance with 13 strikeouts and no walks. He allowed three hits and one unearned run.

Berks Catholic blew out Antietam 13-3 in six innings. The Saints piled up 13 hits. Aidan Curley had a triple and 3 RBI.

Schuylkill Valley outlasted Tulpehocken 10-7. The Panthers scored six times in the bottom of the sixth. Bryce Bailey provided a pair of hits and 2 RBI.

Berks Catholic won its first county title since 2018. The Saints went on to capture their seventh District 3 crown and second in a row at Class 4A. Snip Esterly will enter next season with 865 career victories.

Reading was the runner-up in the BCIAA tournament after falling to Berks Catholic 62-57 in overtime at Santander Arena. Jostin DeCastro, Cameron “Bron Bron” Jones, Javon Merriweather, Jamier Jacob, and Raybin Rubio will all be back for Rick Perez.

Exeter knocked off Wilson 43-41 in the Berks County quarterfinals thanks to Aidan Dauble’s bucket with one second left. The Eagles qualified for the PIAA field for the fifth consecutive year.

The Bulldogs advanced to the state playoffs for the fifth time in the past eight seasons. Wilson has a talented group of sophomores to keep an eye on. Matt Coldren holds the school record with 449 wins.

A promising season in Laureldale ended in a flash. The Muhls dropped a nailbiter to rival Reading 60-57 in the BCIAA semifinals. Muhlenberg was eliminated in the first round of the District 3-6A bracket by #13 seed Cedar Crest. The Falcons stunned the Muhls 66-60 in overtime. The good news is that Eli Hemmings, LJ Armstrong, and Nelson “Coco” Malave will return.

Schuylkill Valley defeated Wyomissing 63-52 to reach the District 3 semifinals for just the second time. The Panthers made their third appearance in the PIAA tournament.

Antietam finished on top of the Division 4 standings. The Mounts blew out Wyomissing 61-40 in a key crossover matchup on January 8th. Antietam’s season ended with a 87-71 loss to Lancaster Catholic in the District 3-3A third place game.

The Spartans overcame some midseason turmoil to qualify for the state playoffs for the first time since 2011. Second-year head coach Konlan Krick deserves credit for keeping his troops together after two starters quit. Wyomissing took fifth place in the District 3-4A field.

Gov. Mifflin receives an honorable mention. The (10-12) Mustangs didn’t have a single bad loss on their resume. Life in Division 1 of the BCIAA is no picnic.

Without further ado, here is the final edition of the “Roberts Rankings” for the Berks Conference. Remember that no matter where your favorite team is ranked, the sun will come out tomorrow!

“The Great 8”

1.Berks Catholic (25-3)

2.Reading (18-8)

3.Exeter (18-11)

4.Wilson (17-11)

5.Muhlenberg (16-8)

6. Schuylkill Valley (16-11)

7.Antietam (16-9)

8.Wyomissing (16-11)

Class 6A:

The Wilson boys fell at New Castle 68-38. The Bulldogs finished (17-11).

The Wilson girls defeated Conestoga 59-46 in West Lawn.

The Gov. Mifflin girls battled District 7 champion Canon-McMillan down to the wire, but the (18-9) Mustangs came up short 48-46.

Class 5A:

Exeter ran into a buzz saw at Chartiers Valley. The Colts went 15-of-28 from 3-point range. The (18-11) Eagles lost 66-42.

Class 4A:

Berks Catholic was upset by Carver High School of Engineering & Science 40-35 at Lloyd Wolf Gymnasium. The Saints end their season at (25-3).

Schuylkill Valley got tripped up by District 2 champion Scranton Prep 65-48. The (16-11) Panthers made their third appearance in the PIAA playoffs.

Wyomissing fell to Archbishop Carroll from the Philadelphia Catholic League 77-52. The Spartans finished (16-11).

Berks Catholic came out hot on Friday with four 3-pointers in the opening quarter. Kingston McKoy and Carmelo Harper hit back-to-back triples to put the Saints in front 16-10. Fareed Brown, a first team selection in the Public League, picked up two fouls in the first quarter and didn’t play the rest of the half. The 5’9 senior guard averages a team-high 13 points and four assists. Matt McField, another first team pick in the Public League, stepped up with Brown on the bench. The 6’ senior guard scored eight points in the first eight minutes and drilled two treys. However, the Engineers trailed 16-12 entering the second period.

Oye “Junior” Guilavogui splashed a 3-pointer from the right corner to make it 20-14. That was the only shot Berks Catholic made in the entire quarter. Carver E&S struggled on the offensive end as well. The Engineers outscored the Saints 6-4 in the period to pull within 20-18 at halftime. Brown connected on a jumper to begin the third quarter. A spin move by McKoy gave the Saints a 30-24 cushion with 2:20 left in the quarter. Berks Catholic was limited to five points over the final ten minutes. Samir Roberts-Mouzon came off the bench and nailed a triple from the right wing at the buzzer. His only field goal of the contest evened things up at 30-30.

A layup by Brown started the fourth quarter. His three-point play with 6:42 to go put Carver E&S on top 35-31. McKoy, a Colgate commit, threw down a breakaway dunk with just under four minutes left. That was the only shot the Saints made in the last quarter. Sahin Rodriguez, a 6’3 senior forward, went to work in the low post with 2:45 on the clock. His bucket provided the Engineers with a 37-33 edge. McKoy connected twice from the free throw line to make it 38-35 with 2:03 remaining. Roberts-Mouzon missed a pair of foul shots with 48 seconds to play. Carver E&S committed a turnover with 29 seconds left, but Berks Catholic didn’t take advantage. McKoy got trapped in the left corner which led to a steal by the Engineers. McField finished off a 2-on-1 fast break to ice it with four seconds on the clock.

The Saints were held 24 points below their season average of 59 ppg. “They really doubled Kingston. When we had some guys that were open, we just didn’t hit the shot,” explained Esterly. Berks Catholic connected seven times from long range, but just twice after halftime. Carver E&S made three 3-pointers and went 11-for-15 from the foul line. The Saints were 4-for-6 from the stripe. McKoy poured in a game-high 19 points. The two-time All-State guard wrapped up an outstanding career with 1,679 points. McKoy averaged 22 ppg. this year. Harper, a 6’1 sophomore, chipped in with nine points and Johnny Giesa had four. McField led the (21-6) Engineers with 14 points. Rodriguez added nine points and Brown had seven in limited minutes due to early foul trouble.

Berks Catholic ends its campaign with a mark of (25-3). The Saints, who reached the state final a season ago, saw their 19-game winning streak come to a halt. They did bring home BCIAA and District 3-4A championships this winter. “I’m so proud of them, the way they developed over the last two years. We just came up short tonight,” replied Esterly.

Wilson visits District 7 runner-up New Castle on Saturday at 1pm. The (17-10) Bulldogs are in the state bracket for the fifth time in the past eight years. They defeated Cedar Crest 48-36 to finish seventh in the District 3-6A field. Shippensburg football commit Correll Akings is averaging a team-high 11.5 points per game. The 5’9 guard is the only returning starter for Wilson. He reached 1,000 career points in a 50-45 loss at Red Lion in the District 3 quarterfinals. The (23-2) Hurricanes fell 52-51 to Upper St. Clair in the WPIAL Championship. Their only other loss was by two points against Pine-Richland on January 30th. “They’re probably the most well-rounded team that we have faced this season. They can play fast and be effective. They can also be effective in the half-court. When you have three guys that can score from all three levels, it makes them extremely hard to defend. We’re looking forward to the challenge,” replied Bulldogs’ coach Matt Coldren. He added that freshman Marino Graham is the best point guard that he’s seen this year. Graham is also the starting quarterback at New Castle. He threw for 1,425 yards and 18 touchdowns during the fall. Graham ran for another 856 yards and 11 TD.

Exeter is making its fifth consecutive trip to the PIAA tournament. The (18-10) Eagles earned the ninth and final berth from District 3. They won elimination games versus ELCO, Greencastle-Antrim, and Red Land. Aidan Dauble, a 1,000-point scorer and Shippensburg football commit, leads Exeter at 14.6 ppg. The 6’3, 215-pound senior is also an excellent rebounder. The Eagles have a balanced attack with Dylan Donate, Jayden Ware, and Braylon Reinert each providing 10-to-12 points a night. They head west to battle District 7-5A champion Chartiers Valley on Friday at 6pm. The (23-2) Colts ran over Thomas Jefferson 63-37 in the WPIAL Final. Luca Federico, a lean 6’5 sophomore, exploded for 31 points and eight boards. Moon and Fox Chapel are the only teams to beat Chartiers Valley this season. “Chartiers Valley is a very good, well-coached team. They have five guys in the lineup who can all shoot it and play hard defensively. We also have veteran players who have not only played in, but won games in the state tournament. I know they’re excited about the opportunity to compete against another good program on the western side of Pennsylvania,” noted Exeter coach Jeff VanGorder.

Wyomissing has advanced to the state playoffs for the first time since 2011. The (16-10) Spartans cruised by Oley Valley 67-44 in an elimination contest last week. Wyomissing ended up in fifth place in the District 3-4A tournament. Point guard Dom Arguelles is putting up 17.8 ppg. this year. The All-County selection loves to attack the basket. Sophomore Brady Eisenhower gives the Spartans a threat from beyond the arc. He’s connected 36 times from long range. Daniel Moyer, a 6’ senior forward, is averaging 13.3 points. Wyomissing travels to Radnor on Friday to take on Archbishop Carroll from the mighty Philadelphia Catholic League. They will get underway at 7pm. Don’t be fooled by the Patriots’ record of (14-10). They’ve faced an extremely challenging schedule. “They’re a very good team from one of the top leagues in the state. We look forward to playing them,” stated Spartans’ second-year coach Konlan Krick. Archbishop Carroll knocked off PCL champion Father Judge, Neumann-Goretti, and Bonner-Prendergast in January. Father Judge won the PIAA-6A title a season ago. Neumann-Goretti has claimed ten state crowns in its history. The Patriots had three players named to the second team in the PCL this year in Nasir Ralls, Ian Williams, and sophomore Yasir Turner.

Schuylkill Valley is making its third appearance in the state bracket. Despite losing its top three scorers to graduation, the (16-10) Panthers reached the District 3-4A semifinals for the first time in 22 years. They took third place with a 60-52 victory over Big Spring. Schuylkill Valley has a balanced squad with no one averaging more than 11 points per game. Josiah Urbaez and Alex Aletras have been sparks off the bench. Logan Cammauf, an All-State linebacker, provides some muscle and 10 ppg. The Panthers hit the road on Friday to square off with Scranton Prep at 7pm. The (20-5) Cavaliers took down Dallas 68-52 in the District 2-4A Championship. Sophomore guard Chicky Skoff poured in 28 points and hit three triples. Scranton Prep brought home its eighth District title since 2017. The Cavaliers allowed just 14 points in the second half. “Prep has multiple guards who can shoot consistently from the perimeter and score putting the ball on the floor. Their defensive ball pressure causes turnovers and they’re really strong scoring in transition,” explained Schuylkill Valley coach Taylor Grim. The Cavaliers dropped a nailbiter to Berks Catholic 51-47 in the second round of last year’s PIAA-4A tournament.

Speaking of Berks Catholic, the Saints meet a familiar foe at Lloyd Wolf Gymnasium on Friday at 6pm. They battle Carver High School of Engineering & Science from Philadelphia. Berks Catholic beat the Engineers 53-49 in its season opener at the CoBL Winter Showcase at Exeter. The Saints trailed by five points at halftime. Kingston McKoy took over with 28 points and four 3-pointers. Fareed Brown had a team-high 17 points for Carver E&S. The 5’9 senior averages nearly 14 points and 4 assists. Matt McField (13 ppg.) and Billy Henighan (12 ppg.) are also capable scorers for the Engineers. Carver E&S forfeited its Public League quarterfinal against Constitution due to an altercation. The (20-6) Engineers were up twelve points with one minute remaining when one of their players was pushed. His teammates left the bench and fans came on the court. Carver E&S was ruled eligible for the PIAA tournament and was given the fifth and final seed in District 12-4A. Meanwhile, Berks Catholic outlasted Reading and then Bishop McDevitt in the BCIAA and District 3-4A Finals. Both of those instant classics went to overtime. “I think it builds so much confidence in these guys. We never think we’re out of it,” remarked longtime coach Snip Esterly. He’s (52-30) all-time in the PIAA playoffs. Esterly has 865 career victories over 37 years. The Saints lost to Devon Prep 55-39 in the state championship game a season ago. Berks Catholic is making its 12th appearance in the PIAA tournament.

McKoy, a two-time All-State selection, drilled a pair of 3-pointers and made a layup to put Bishop McDevitt in an early 18-8 hole. The two-time BCIAA Player of the Year squeezed nine points into the opening quarter. Berks Catholic led 18-10 after eight minutes. The Crusaders went on a 9-0 run to pull within 22-21 with 1:21 left in the first half. The action heated up before the break with Kenyon Portee throwing down a breakaway dunk. The 6’2 junior guard entered the night averaging 16 ppg. Portee, a transfer from Trinity, had 20 points in Bishop McDevitt’s 64-46 rout of Big Spring in the semifinals. Brady Altimar answered with a trey from the right wing in the final seconds to even the score at 25-25.

Portee began the third quarter by hitting a triple, the first of the game for the Crusaders. He then found Ethan Hammer for a layup and a 30-25 edge. Hammer, a 6’ senior, finished with a team-high 16 points. Portee and Pat Denisco added ten points apiece. McKoy splashed another 3-pointer with 3:35 remaining in the period to put the Saints on top 34-32. Berks Catholic connected eight times from beyond the arc, while Bishop McDevitt was limited to three shots from long range. The Saints had a slim 37-33 cushion after the third quarter.

Portee started the final period with a three-point play. Denisco, a 5’10 senior, came alive in the fourth quarter. He hit a triple from the right wing and then dished the ball to Hammer for a layup on a 2-on-1 break. Denisco then drained a pull-up jumper to give the Crusaders a 45-44 lead with 2:42 to go. After McKoy dropped off a pass to Johnny Giesa for a bucket, Denisco delivered another 3-pointer from the right wing. Bishop McDevitt was up 48-46 with 1:36 to play, but a layup by McKoy knotted things up. Dom Baker grabbed an offensive rebound and put it home with 46 seconds on the clock. The 6’3 freshman chipped in with nine points off the bench. McKoy drove to the basket and was fouled with 25 seconds left. He went 2-for-2 to tie it at 50-50. Portee’s off-balance scoop shot rimmed out with one second remaining. This instant classic would be decided in overtime.

McKoy started the extra session with a floater in the middle of the lane. He powered his way to the basket and scored again with 1:32 to go. After Portee was called for traveling, Gavin Welker made a pair of free throws for a 56-50 advantage with 56 seconds to play. Baker knocked down two foul shots to get the Crusaders within 56-52. Those would be their only points in overtime. Following two missed free throws by Giesa, Baker was unable to finish a drive down the right side of the lane. McKoy sealed the deal with two more foul shots with 14 seconds left. He ended up 15-of-18 from the stripe. “He should’ve got there 30 times,” stated Esterly. Berks Catholic was 18-of-25 from the foul line, while Bishop McDevitt went 9-of-11.

Altimar had eight points, including a couple of 3-pointers. Carmelo Harper helped the cause with seven points and Welker provided five. The Saints are (37-9) all-time in the District 3 playoffs. Esterly picked up his 16th District 3 championship over 37 years. Berks Catholic will head to the state tournament riding a 19-game winning streak. “I think it builds so much confidence in these guys. We never think we’re out of it. There was a time it looked dim when they took a lead, but we came storming back,” said Esterly.

Harper, Kingston McKoy, Brady Altimar, and Gavin Welker each knocked down a 3-pointer to put Berks Catholic on top 16-0 after six minutes. Schuylkill Valley was scoreless until Zach Reeser hit a triple with a minute left in the opening quarter. Alex Aletras came off the Panthers’ bench and sank a trey from the left wing at the buzzer to make it 18-6. That shot ignited a 19-to-7 run for Schuylkill Valley. The (15-10) Panthers were making their second appearance in the District 3 semifinals and their first since 2004. They got hot from long range in the second quarter, drilling four 3-pointers. Aletras buried two more triples in that period. Reeser and Derek Grim also connected from downtown. The (24-2) Saints managed to stop the bleeding with the final five points of the half. McKoy found Johnny Giesa underneath the basket for a layup before the buzzer and a 30-22 advantage.

Welker made a trey from the left corner and then a layup to put Berks Catholic in front 39-25 with 4:40 remaining in the third quarter. The 6’3 senior forward finished with eight points. “He’s very important. He can shoot it,” noted Harper. Altimar drained another 3-pointer midway through the third period. After a turnover by Schuylkill Valley, Altimar fed McKoy for a layup and a 44-25 cushion. The Saints increased the margin to 50-26 entering the fourth quarter. Eight of McKoy’s 18 points came in the third period. The 6’4 senior guard is up to 1,625 career points. The Colgate commit was recently voted the BCIAA Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. “He’s a very poised player, he’s humble. Every practice, he’s pushing all of us. He just wants to win most importantly. He makes sure nobody is slacking,” explained Harper.

The Panthers were held to 13 points in the second half. All six of their 3-pointers came before halftime. “We were communicating more on defense. In the first half, we weren’t communicating so they were getting open 3s,” replied Harper. Aletras had a team-high eleven points and Reeser added ten. The junior guards combined for five triples. Berks Catholic made eight shots from beyond the arc. The Saints were 6-for-6 from the foul line, while Schuylkill Valley went 3-for-5. Harper provided 16 points. The 6’1 sophomore guard got off to a quick start with seven points in the first eight minutes. Giesa chipped in with eight points and Altimar had six.

These teams also met in the BCIAA quarterfinals with Berks Catholic prevailing 58-42. The Panthers will host Big Spring in the District 3-4A third place game on Thursday night. Meanwhile, the Saints square off with #2 seed Bishop McDevitt in the championship on Friday at 7pm at Garden Spot. Berks Catholic is the defending champion. The Saints are searching for their seventh District 3 title. The Crusaders are looking for their fifth crown and first since 2019.