Berks – Berks Sports Report

BCIAA Wrestling Championships-Girls

Paul Roberts — Sun, 12 Jan 2025 04:22:54 +0000

85 girls competed in the BCIAA Individual Wrestling Tournament this year. The event was held at Reading’s Geigle Complex and came to a close on Saturday evening. The Red Knights finished atop the team standings. Here are the results of the finals. Congratulations to all of the winners!

100 pounds:

Shadel (Exeter) pinned Spencer (Wilson)

106 pounds:

Dodson (Exeter) pinned Spilker (Muhlenberg)

112 pounds:

Yerger (Gov. Mifflin) pinned Jones (Schuylkill Valley)

118 pounds:

Foscone (Schuylkill Valley) pinned Boyer (Kutztown)

124 pounds:

Becht (Schuylkill Valley) pinned Frederick (Kutztown)

130 pounds:

Lubenow (Exeter) pinned Foreman (Hamburg)

136 pounds:

Gonzalez (Reading) pinned Petrie (Hamburg)

142 pounds:

Nguyen (Wilson) pinned Rosario (Reading)

148 pounds:

Borreli (Tulpehocken) pinned Tillman (Wilson). Borreli was voted the Most Outstanding Wrestler.

155 pounds:

Nemes (Hamburg) pinned Schaeffer (Hamburg)

170 pounds:

Rivera (Reading) pinned Crespo (Schuylkill Valley)

190 pounds:

Tellez (Reading) pinned Reyes (Reading)

235 pounds:

Strunk (Hamburg) pinned Morales (Berks Catholic)

BCIAA Wrestling Championships-Boys

Paul Roberts — Sun, 12 Jan 2025 02:39:50 +0000

The BCIAA Individual Wrestling Championships wrapped up Saturday evening at the Geigle Complex in Reading. About 250 boys participated in the event. Here are the results from the finals. Congratulations to all of the winners! Berks Catholic finished first in the team standings.

107 pounds:

Cruz (Muhlenberg) beat McHugh (Twin Valley) 12-6.

114 pounds:

Shuman (Berks Catholic) pinned Schaffer (Wilson) in the first period.

121 pounds:

Bitting (Berks Catholic) beat Eidle (Wilson) 6-0.

127 pounds:

Steuer (Gov. Mifflin) beat Eidle (Wilson) 7-1.

133 pounds:

Hartranft (Berks Catholic) pinned Bollinger (Brandywine Heights) in the first period.

139 pounds:

Maciejewski (Berks Catholic) beat Montegari (Gov. Mifflin) 8-7.

145 pounds:

Speece (Wilson) beat Brady (Hamburg) 19-4. Speece was voted the Most Outstanding Wrestler.

152 pounds:

Vitalo (Schuylkill Valley) won by forfeit over Karpulk (Tulpehocken) who was ill.

160 pounds:

Acevedo (Berks Catholic) pinned Hohl (Gov. Mifflin) in the second period.

172 pounds:

Eidle (Wilson) beat Keppley (Conrad Weiser) 19-3.

189 pounds:

Lenzi (Berks Catholic) beat Niedrowski (Wyomissing) 16-2.

215 pounds:

Oswalt (Exeter) beat Brownback (Wilson) 1-0.

285 pounds:

Heckman (Tulpehocken) beat Britting (Conrad Weiser) 5-0.

Jeff VanGorder-Exeter

Paul Roberts — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 21:07:18 +0000

Exeter’s boys basketball team hasn’t enjoyed smooth sailing during the 2024-25 campaign. The Eagles’ game at Berks Catholic was a microcosm of the season. Exeter overcame adversity and shooting woes to beat the Saints 48-40. The (6-6, 3-1) Eagles outscored Berks Catholic 35-to-19 in the second half. “I told our guys stick with it, we’re gonna be fine. Guys are learning on the fly. This was a big growing up moment. I’m excited moving forward,” said head coach Jeff VanGorder. He had to replace three starters who each averaged double digits, including All-County selection Kevin Saenz. Exeter was scoreless for four and a-half minutes on Thursday evening at Lloyd Wolf Gymnasium. The (8-3, 3-2) Saints jumped out to a 9-0 advantage. The Eagles didn’t score for the first three minutes of the second quarter and found themselves in a 18-6 hole. Aidan Dauble provided a much-needed offensive spark when he banked in a half-court shot at the buzzer. Berks Catholic was on top 21-13 at the break. Kingston McKoy’s three-point play made it 30-25 with 1:09 remaining in the third quarter. McKoy, a 6’2 junior, had 16 points after 24 minutes. The All-State guard was limited to one point in the final period. Exeter used a 3-2 zone defense with Jayden Ware in the middle. “Our goal was to make him see black jerseys everywhere. We were gonna have to live with some other guys on their team making some shots…Jayden just blanketed him,” explained VanGorder. Brady Murray drilled a 3-pointer from the right wing to give the Eagles their first lead at 35-32 with 5:10 left. VanGorder mentioned that Murray had been fading away on his jumper because McKoy was guarding him. “He stepped into that one. Right when he stepped into it, I go ‘bang.’ It was a Jay Wright moment. I’m really proud of him for sticking with it,” added VanGorder. Carter Redding followed Murray with another triple to increase the margin to 38-32. Meanwhile, the Saints went scoreless for five minutes in the fourth quarter. A layup by Ware made it 40-37 with 1:31 to go. Gavin Welker’s trey from the right corner popped out on the ensuing possession. Dauble and Dylan Donate then went 4-for-4 from the free throw line. Exeter had seized control at 44-37 with 44 seconds to play. Welker connected from beyond the arc with 14 seconds remaining, but Berks Catholic was still down 46-40. That was the Saints’ first field goal of the quarter. Welker, a 6’2 junior, provided eight points while Zach Suski was held to six. Suski had been averaging 14 ppg. Redding led a balanced Eagles’ attack with ten points. Murray contributed nine points and 6’4 sophomore Braylon Reinert chipped in with seven. Reinert provided a presence inside and helped on the glass. He’s one of a handful of football players in VanGorder’s rotation. Dauble and Ware had eight points apiece. They helped Exeter reach the District 3-5A football championship game during the fall. The Eagles sealed the victory by going 15-of-18 from the foul line. The Saints were 7-of-11 from the charity stripe. Each team made three 3-pointers. Exeter got key contributions from everyone who stepped on the floor. “I told them at the start of the fourth quarter, no matter what happened, I was the most proud of a group that I’ve ever been based on circumstances,” said VanGorder.

Lauren Williams-Twin Valley

Paul Roberts — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 17:36:57 +0000

Twin Valley sophomore Lauren Williams was missing most of her shots while warming up for a key Division 2 matchup at Conrad Weiser. When the game started, however, the 5’7 guard was on fire. Williams scored nine of her career-high 16 points in the opening quarter of a 55-50 victory at Robesonia. “It was exciting, our team brought energy. It was a really good game,” she said. Hailey Kilgore, who leads the Raiders at 14 ppg., picked up two fouls in the first five minutes. Williams stepped up and helped Twin Valley build a 17-12 advantage after eight minutes. The Raiders were on top 32-28 at halftime and 46-39 entering the fourth quarter. Williams banked in a jumper to make it 49-43 with four and a-half minutes remaining. Alex Trevena responded with the last of her four 3-pointers for the Scouts. Trevena, a 5’7 senior guard, ended up with 14 points. She’s committed to Kent State for softball. Lauren Grabosky finished off a fast break to get Conrad Weiser within 49-48. The 6’ senior center went 1-of-2 from the free throw line with two and a-half minutes left. It stayed 51-49 until Gisselle Feliciano was fouled with 47 seconds to go. The senior guard split a pair of free throws. Twin Valley junior guard Ellie Kaplan sank two clutch foul shots with 19 seconds to play. She then partially blocked Trevena’s tying 3-point attempt from the left wing. Kaplan, a Syracuse lacrosse commit, provided five points off the bench. Hailey Kilgore sealed the deal with two free throws with five seconds remaining. The 5’7 junior chipped in with eight points. The Raiders went 15-of-18 from the foul line, while the Scouts were 15-of-24. Conrad Weiser missed five free throws in the final quarter. Geniva Paul had a game-high 17 points. The talented 5’10 sophomore scored 13 points in the first half. Grabosky contributed eight points and sophomore guard Dylan Bossler had six off the bench. Twin Valley snapped Conrad Weiser’s five-game winning streak. The (11-3, 4-0) Raiders moved two games ahead of the (9-3, 2-2) Scouts in the division standings. “It was really important. We still have to stay focused. We have a tough schedule ahead, but it was a really good win,” noted Williams. She and junior Olivia Schmittinger entered the night averaging 6.5 points apiece. They combined for 28 points on Tuesday. Five of Schmittinger’s twelve points came in the third quarter. Freshman Olivia Kilgore, Hailey’s sister, had seven points. Twin Valley has turned things around after going (7-15, 4-7) a season ago. The Raiders are currently fourth in the District 3-5A power rankings in Matt Hahn’s first year as head coach. “I think we have more chemistry than we had last year,” explained Williams.

“Roberts Rankings”-Girls Basketball

Paul Roberts — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 16:21:03 +0000

As we get ready to turn the page to 2025, it’s a good time to look at where things stand in the Berks League. Twin Valley and Conrad Weiser enter my new rankings. The Raiders and Scouts have a combined record of (17-4). They took the place of Schuylkill Valley and Brandywine Heights. Oley Valley is a team to watch in Division 4. The Lynx are off to an (8-3) start.

Wyomissing remains on top of my poll. The Spartans are riding a six-game winning streak and are expected to get Audrey Hurleman back soon. The North Carolina lacrosse commit has been out with a knee injury. Amaya Stewart, the two-time Berks County Player of the Year, is averaging 18 points. Wyomissing hosts Twin Valley on Thursday.

Gov. Mifflin has moved up three spots in my rankings. The Mustangs are unbeaten in league play at (4-0). They cruised past Berks Catholic by 20 points and escaped Wilson with a 47-45 victory. Gov. Mifflin suffered setbacks to Central York and York Catholic over the weekend. Sophomore guard Bella Super is providing 18 ppg.

Wilson has played a brutal schedule that included Cardinal O’Hara, Emmaus, Parkland, Dallastown, and Cedar Crest. Things are looking up, however, as the Bulldogs have won four of their last five contests. Kailani Hardy has been as advertised. The sophomore is putting up 16 points a night.

Reading knocked off Berks Catholic 56-42 in mid-December, but then fell at home to Wilson by 18 points. The Red Knights have a big test coming up at Gov. Mifflin on January 7th. Senior guard Yamilex Rodriguez is averaging 14 points per game.

Berks Catholic dropped a couple of spots in my poll. It’s important to note that the Saints have had an extremely challenging schedule. They lost a hard-fought battle at rival Wyomissing 37-34 before Christmas. Berks Catholic took down Wilson by ten points three weeks ago. Those two contests showed that the Saints can play with anyone in the county. On Friday, senior point guard Madison Langdon reached 1,000 career points in a 40-32 win over Mount St. Joseph Academy at Wildwood.

Twin Valley is getting nearly 15 ppg. from junior Hailey Kilgore. The Raiders opened some eyes by defeating Exeter 52-37. Twin Valley’s only losses came against Cedar Crest and Trinity by a total of eleven points. The Raiders travel to Robesonia on January 7th for a key Division 2 matchup with Conrad Weiser.

Speaking of the Scouts, they’ve won eight out of ten under new head coach Chris Kline. Conrad Weiser beat Oley Valley, Exeter, and Schuylkill Valley during its current four-game winning streak. The victory over the Panthers was by 19 points. The Scouts did get tripped up by Wilson on December 13th by 20 points.

Exeter fell two spots in my rankings. The Eagles’ record won’t impress you, but they’ve won four of their last six games. Keep in mind that four of Exeter’s losses were by five points or less. The Eagles could easily be above the .500 mark with a few breaks.

Without further ado, here is my new poll for the Berks Girls Basketball League. Remember that no matter where your favorite team is ranked, the sun will come out tomorrow!

“The Great 8”

1.Wyomissing (7-1)

2.Gov. Mifflin (6-3)

3.Wilson (6-5)

4.Reading (8-4)

5.Berks Catholic (5-5)

6.Twin Valley (9-2)

7.Conrad Weiser (8-2)

8.Exeter (4-7)

All-State Football Team

Paul Roberts — Sat, 28 Dec 2024 19:46:45 +0000

We’re past Christmas Day, but the high school football awards season is still going strong. The Pennsylvania Football Writers’ All-State teams were announced on Friday and Saturday. Eleven players from Berks County were chosen, including three from Schuylkill Valley. Congratulations to all of these selections.

Class 6A

Michael Glover-TE-Wilson

Madyx Gruber-Athlete-Wilson

Class 5A

Jayden Zandier-RB-Exeter

Logan Wegman-OL-Exeter

Cam Small-RB-Muhlenberg

Class 4A

Evan Myers-QB-Twin Valley

Carter Faubel-DL-Twin Valley

Justice Hardy-Athlete-Wyomissing

Class 3A

Logan Nawrocki-QB-Schuylkill Valley

Luke Spotts-TE-Schuylkill Valley

Logan Cammauf-LB-Schuylkill Valley

“Roberts Rankings”-Boys Basketball

Paul Roberts — Fri, 27 Dec 2024 19:39:51 +0000

The high school basketball season is off to a fantastic start. There have already been numerous games that came down to the wire! The competition is fierce in Division 1 as expected. The action on the hardwood should only get more exciting in 2025.

Berks Catholic won six of its first seven contests. The only blemish on the Saints’ resume is a 54-49 setback to Gov. Mifflin. Kingston McKoy has lived up to the hype. The 6’2 junior guard is averaging 22 points per game. Wilson’s only losses have been against Berks Catholic and Chambersburg. JJ Kelly and the Trojans are one of the top squads in the Mid-Penn Conference, along with Central Dauphin and Cumberland Valley. The Bulldogs have an experienced lineup, quality guards, and a veteran head coach. That combination will make them tough to beat when the BCIAA playoffs arrive.

Coaches across Berks County told me to look out for Gov. Mifflin this winter and they were spot on. The Mustangs are only two wins shy of their total from a season ago. They have already knocked off Berks Catholic and Muhlenberg. Gov. Mifflin took Cumberland Valley to overtime and only fell to Wilson by three points. Muhlenberg has three quality losses to Central Dauphin, Berks Catholic, and Gov. Mifflin. The Muhls showed how dangerous they can be versus Reading. After trailing by 15 points, Muhlenberg rallied to defeat the Red Knights 70-58.

Speaking of Reading, we have never seen this kind of start at the “Castle on the Hill.” The Red Knights have dropped six of their first seven games. Keep in mind, however, that Reading has played a brutal schedule. The Red Knights have battled Father Judge, Coatesville, Wilson, and Berks Catholic. Father Judge is one of the elite teams in the entire state this year. Exeter has reeled off three consecutive victories. The Eagles snuck past Conrad Weiser 55-53 on Monday. Carter Redding provided the game-winning shot. Aidan Dauble is putting up 18 points a night for Exeter.

Conrad Weiser had an opportunity to beat the Eagles earlier this week. The Scouts can’t be overlooked in Division 2. They started (3-0) before getting blown out by Antietam. The Mounts suffered a recent 63-54 loss to Brandywine Heights. The Division 4 standings are jam-packed right now. Wyomissing and Schuylkill Valley are two teams to watch in Division 3. The Spartans and Panthers have balanced scoring.

As you can see, a lot is still up in the air when it comes to the Berks Conference. The top programs are evenly matched which makes ranking them very difficult. Without further ado, here is my new poll for Berks County boys basketball.

“The Great 8”

1.Berks Catholic (6-1)

2.Wilson (6-2)

3.Gov. Mifflin (6-2)

4.Muhlenberg (6-3)

5.Exeter (4-3)

6.Reading (1-6)

7.Wyomissing (5-2)

8.Conrad Weiser (6-4)

Zach Suski-Berks Catholic

Paul Roberts — Sat, 21 Dec 2024 05:44:50 +0000

Zach Suski was disappointed with how he played last week. The 6’ senior at Berks Catholic has bounced back in a big way. Suski scored 20 points in a 73-52 win at Reading on Tuesday. He topped that performance by pouring in a career-high 34 points against Muhlenberg on Friday night. The Saints held off the Muhls 65-61 at Lloyd Wolf Gymnasium. “I don’t really know what to say. I’m just happy how I played,” replied Suski. He knocked down two of Berks Catholic’s six 3-pointers and went 6-for-6 from the free throw line. Suski, who’s the quarterback of the Saints’ football team, came into the night averaging 10 points per game. He had 18 in the first half versus Muhlenberg. Berks Catholic raced out to a 14-4 advantage. Brady Altimar drilled a 40-foot shot at the buzzer to make it 19-7 after the opening quarter. Suski provided seven points in the first eight minutes. The (6-1) Saints expanded their cushion to 28-11 in the second period. They didn’t commit a single turnover over the first ten minutes and were in front 32-22 at halftime. The Muhls didn’t go down quietly. Senior guards Jayden Kantner and Shermar Killen combined for 15 points in the third quarter. Killen picked up two fouls in the first six minutes and then got his third foul with 1:09 remaining in the second quarter. The All-County pick was limited to two points in the first half, but finished with 14. Kantner ended up with a team-high 26 points. He attacked the basket repeatedly and was 10-of-11 from the foul line. Muhlenberg, which has played just one home game this season, trailed 49-42 after the third quarter. Kingston McKoy started the final period with a trey. The highly-touted 6’2 junior guard provided Berks Catholic with 16 points. Altimar chipped in with eight points. A fast break layup by Killen pulled the (6-3) Muhls within 56-53 with 3:45 left. Suski responded with a three-point play after getting a pass from McKoy in transition. McKoy was a third team All-State selection in Class 4A a season ago. “Everyone focuses on him, sometimes double-team him. I’m just right there for the layup,” explained Suski. Kantner sank a pair of free throws with two minutes to play, but Suski converted another layup for a 61-57 edge. An inside basket by junior forward Michael Miller made it 63-61 in the final minute. On the ensuing possession, McKoy broke Muhlenberg’s press and fired a diagonal pass from half-court to Suski for a layup. That shot came with 30 seconds left and ended the scoring. The Saints were 10-of-12 from the charity stripe, while the Muhls went 12-of-14. “It’s tough. Every game is gonna be a good game. Every game you gotta play like a playoff game,” said Suski about moving up from Division 2 to Division 1 of the Berks Conference. He added, “The atmosphere is way better than last year. The season has been fun so far.” Scoring 54 total points in back-to-back games is also fun.

BCFCA All-Star Teams

Paul Roberts — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 15:34:57 +0000

The Berks County Football Coaches Association released its 2024 All-Star selections this week. For the first time, there is a Big School team and a Small School team. This change was made in order to recognize more outstanding players. The voting was done by coaches. Offensive tackle Logan Wegman (Exeter), outside linebacker Christo Hunsicker (Wilson), and kick returner Justice Hardy (Wyomissing) were the only unanimous picks. Congratulations to Alan Moyer (Conrad Weiser) and Bob Wolfrum (Wyomissing) who were named Coach of the Year. The following first team selections will receive plaques from the BCFCA.

Big School-Offense

QB-Donovan Gingrich (CW)

RB-Jayden Zandier (Ex), Cam Small (Muhl), Grady Garner (GM)

All-Purpose Back-Gabriel Laws (RHS)

WR-Carter Redding (Ex), Evan Rittle (CW)

TE-Michael Glover (Wil)

C-Gavin Kelly (GM)

G-Dylan Worley (GM), Zavier Otero (Muhl)

T-Logan Wegman (Ex), Keyshawn Efese (RHS)

K-Robbie Gaston (Ex)

KR-Jayden Zandier (Ex)

Big School-Defense

DE-Ashton Kiebach (CW), Dequan Small (Muhl)

DT-Logan Wegman (Ex), Eugene Booth (CW)

ILB-Casey Gerhart (Ex), Gabriel Laws (RHS)

OLB-Christo Hunsicker (Wil), Aidan Dauble (Ex)

DB-Reese Hohl (GM), Xavier Beatty (RHS), Madyx Gruber (Wil), Cam Small (Muhl)

LS-Evan Rittle (CW)

P-Donovan Gingrich (CW)

Small School-Offense

QB-Evan Myers (TV)

RB-Chase Eisenhower (Wyo), Evan Johnson (TV), Bryce Gumby (BC)

All-Purpose Back-Justice Hardy (Wyo)

WR-Kowen Gerner (SV), Ben Grundy (TV)

TE-Luke Spotts (SV)

C-Noah DiGiacomo (TV), Francisco Fabian (Wyo)

G-Carter Faubel (TV), Max Tipton (Wyo)

T-Palmer Reber (BC), Aris Drake (TV), Keaton Piacine (Wyo)

K-Keegan Maher (Wyo)

KR-Justice Hardy (Wyo)

Small School-Defense

DE-Eric Bennethum (BC), Greyson Miller (TV)

DT-Max Tipton (Wyo), Carter Faubel (TV)

ILB-Lucas Myers (TV), Chase Eisenhower (Wyo)

OLB-Tyler Niedrowski (Wyo), Luke Spotts (SV)

DB-Justice Hardy (Wyo), Evan Johnson (TV), Daniel Brady (Hamb), Bryce Gumby (BC)

LS-Tyler Niedrowski (Wyo)

P-Keegan Maher (Wyo)

Kingston McKoy-Berks Catholic

Paul Roberts — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 05:51:30 +0000

Kingston McKoy has scored 62 points in the first three games of the season, but it was his assist that helped Berks Catholic hold off Wilson on Monday night. McKoy was trapped in the corner with 30 seconds left when he threw a pass over the top of the Bulldogs’ defense. Zach Suski grabbed the ball just past half-court and went in for a twisting layup. Suski made the shot and drew a foul. His three-point play gave the Saints a 53-49 edge. They went on to beat Wilson 54-49 in West Lawn. “That closed the game for us in my opinion. I got buried down too deep in the corner. That one was on me. I should’ve stayed up a little higher…Thankfully, he converted. That was a great layup on his part,” said McKoy. After Suski’s bucket, Jon Etim missed a 3-pointer. Freshman Carmelo Harper then sank 1-of-2 from the foul line with 21 seconds remaining. Harper provided eleven points off the bench. “He’s gonna be great. I love his game. He’s got the pullup, the 3 down, and he can finish. He’s crafty. He can get a bucket whenever he wants,” emphasized McKoy. Gavin Welker, a transfer from Daniel Boone, got Berks Catholic off to an incredible start. The 6’2 junior forward scored all eight of his points in the first five and a-half minutes. “Gavin is a great addition. He does everything on the court. His rebounding is great and he can shoot the ball,” noted McKoy. The (3-0) Saints raced out to a 14-0 advantage. Correll Akings’ putback before the buzzer accounted for the Bulldogs only points in the opening period. Harper started the second quarter with a trey and Berks Catholic went on to build a 19-2 cushion. The Bulldogs trailed 29-16 at halftime. Wilson looked like a different team in the third quarter. The Bulldogs went on a 22-to-6 run. Correll Akings hit three straight triples to put Wilson in front for the first time at 38-35 with two and a-half minutes to go in the third period. The Saints bounced back and led 42-40 entering the fourth quarter. A layup by Luke Levan pulled the Bulldogs within 50-49. The 6’5 senior ended up with eight points. Suski’s breakaway bucket made it a two possession game. He had eight points. McKoy and Akings finished with 18 points apiece. McKoy was responsible for four of Berks Catholic’s seven 3-pointers. All five of Wilson’s long range field goals came in the third quarter. Madyx Gruber, an All-County selection, had 14 points. Wilson went just 8-of-15 from the free throw line, while the Saints were 5-of-9. The (2-1) Bulldogs were limited to nine points over the last eight minutes. Wilson senior guard Tommy McFadden and Berks Catholic junior guard Brady Altimar were back in action. McFadden had been out with an illness and Altimar was dealing with an ankle injury. McKoy, a third team All-State pick last season, loves facing tough competition. “Playing those games is what I live for. Those games are really fun. Moving up to Division 1, we’re gonna have a lot of those games. That’s what really makes a good basketball team,” replied McKoy.