Bob – Berks Sports Report

Bob Wolfrum-Wyomissing

Paul Roberts — Sun, 27 Oct 2024 16:34:46 +0000

Wyomissing had scored at least 31 points in seven consecutive games entering Saturday’s highly anticipated matchup with Lampeter-Strasburg. The Spartans’ Wing-T offense was completely derailed by the unbeaten Pioneers. Lampeter-Strasburg allowed just 146 total yards in a 20-7 victory. “We had nothing we could call our own,” said Wyomissing coach Bob Wolfrum. The Pioneers are (10-0) for the first time in school history. They claimed the Section 4 championship in the Lancaster-Lebanon League. Senior linebackers Emory Fluhr and Dominic Brown led a relentless defensive effort. Collin Shelley (6’4, 290) and sophomore Thad Wolf (6’4, 315) controlled the trenches. “We gotta be more physical. They were just more physical than us…They say it’s not really the X’s and O’s, it’s the Jimmys and Joes,” stated Wolfrum. He’s in his 38th season at the helm in Wyomissing. Wolfrum has 370 career victories, the most in District 3 history. The Spartans’ 36-game home winning streak came to an end. They were forced to punt seven times. Lampeter-Strasburg marched 59 yards to the 1-yard line on its second possession. After getting stopped on third down, the Pioneers opted to kick a field goal. Wyomissing was called for roughing the kicker which gave Lampeter-Strasburg a first down. Brown cashed in with a 1-yard touchdown. The 5’11, 176-pound running back finished with 116 yards on 28 carries. The (8-2, 6-1) Spartans tied it up late in the opening quarter. A Pioneers’ punt got caught up in the strong wind and Wyomissing took over at the 15-yard line. Derek Macrina’s 2-yard touchdown run made it 7-7 with 54 seconds remaining in the first period. Peter Fiorello kicked a 21-yard field goal to give Lampeter-Strasburg a 10-7 advantage with 17 seconds left in the first half. He boomed a 41-yard field goal with three minutes to go in the third quarter. Caileb Howse put the Pioneers in front 20-7 with 7:21 to play. The 200-pound senior quarterback scored on a 15-yard run down the left sideline. That followed a 20-yard run by Brown. Howse racked up 129 rushing yards on 15 carries. He was 8-of-15 through the air for another 67 yards. Fluhr sealed the deal with an interception with 3:45 remaining on the clock. Sophomore quarterback Teddy White was 2-of-8 for (-2) yards on the afternoon. “We could do nothing through the air. It’s the catching, the throwing, and the blocking. We haven’t done any of those things well consistently all year long,” noted Wolfrum. Lampeter-Strasburg limited talented sophomore Justice Hardy to 49 yards on a dozen carries. Hardy left the game twice in the second half after getting banged up. He will have extra time to recover before Wyomissing’s next game. The Spartans earned a bye in the District 3-4A playoffs as the #2 seed. They will return to action on Saturday, November 9th at 1pm. Wyomissing will host either #7 East Pennsboro or #10 Susquehannock.

Bob Birmingham-Berks Catholic

Paul Roberts — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 13:22:00 +0000

Bob Birmingham is a fixture in the Berks County high school basketball community. Birmingham is preparing for his 35th season as a girls basketball head coach. This will be his 13th season at Berks Catholic. He spent 22 years on the sideline with Holy Name. “I don’t get as nervous as I used to. It’s still as much fun as it was 35 years ago,” he said with a smile. Birmingham enters this season with a record of (637-306). He’s (238-98) with the Saints. Birmingham has won five Berks County championships and three District 3 titles in his career. Berks Catholic is expected to be a contender again this winter, despite losing Caraline Herb to graduation. The all-county guard finished with 1,140 points and 219 three-pointers. “She was not only our best shooter, but our best all around player and our best defender. You don’t replace a kid like that,” emphasized Birmingham. The Saints ran the table in Division 1 a season ago. They won 20 games, but had some heartbreaking losses in the postseason. Reading defeated Berks Catholic 39-33 in the BCIAA semifinals at Santander Arena. The Red Knights outscored the Saints 17-5 in the fourth quarter. Amaya Stewart sank a trey with six seconds left in the District 3-4A semifinals to give Wyomissing a 24-23 victory at Lloyd Wolf Gymnasium. Berks Catholic then fell to Audenried 59-54 in the opening round of the state playoffs. The Saints had a ten point advantage in the final quarter. “I think it’s in the back of their heads. We don’t talk about last year. We talk about next game,” replied Birmingham. He has three starters returning that are part of a talented junior class. Point guard Madison Langdon averaged 11 points as a sophomore and was voted to the all-division team. Molly McFadden and Sydney Corado have the ability to shoot from the perimeter at 5’10 and 6’ respectively. They each provided 8 ppg. last season when Berks Catholic allowed just 38.5 points a night. “That’s what we really hang our hat on, our defensive ability,” said Birmingham. The Saints host Delone Catholic in an intriguing opener on Friday night. Birmingham will square off against his good friend, Gerry Eckenrode. The Squirettes have won seven District 3 championships and three state crowns. Eckenrode is (643-214) overall and (565-148) at Delone Catholic. Berks Catholic will be battling Wilson, Reading, Gov. Mifflin, and Muhlenberg in Division 1. Birmingham knows that the road ahead could be bumpy. “The county’s gonna be real strong because there were a lot of young players last year…It’s real tough. You’re playing solid teams day in and day out,” he said.

Bob Wolfrum-Wyomissing

Paul Roberts — Sun, 15 Oct 2023 12:09:00 +0000

Bob Wolfrum is an institution in Wyomissing. He spent 33 years as a teacher and Dean of Students. Wolfrum has been an integral part of the football program for more than 50 years. This is his 37th season as the Spartans’ head coach. Wolfrum’s record improved to (357-88-1) after a 35-14 victory over Conrad Weiser on Saturday afternoon. Following the game, the football field was officially named after the longtime coach. Wolfrum led Wyomissing to the Class 2A state championship in 2012 when the Spartans defeated perennial powerhouse Aliquippa. Wyomissing earned PIAA-3A silver medals in 2020 and 2021. Wolfrum has won eleven District 3 titles including four in a row. He’s an eye-popping (18-0) in home playoff games. Only Southern Columbia’s Jim Roth has more all-time wins among active high school coaches in Pennsylvania. Wolfrum has only had one losing season in nearly four decades as head coach. His teams have been a model of consistency. The Spartans went (49-4) over the previous four years.

Despite all of his accomplishments, Wolfrum is a man of few words. During Saturday’s dedication ceremony, he spoke for nearly 14 minutes. Wolfrum talked about the support he has received from his wife, family, assistant coaches, administrators, and players. As usual, he focused on the Wyomissing community as a whole and not himself. Here is his speech in its entirety.

Bob Wolfrum-Wyomissing

Paul Roberts — Sun, 24 Sep 2023 12:16:00 +0000

It was late in the third quarter on a rainy Saturday afternoon and an ELCO punt had pushed Wyomissing back to its 2-yard line. The Spartans were up 21-14 in a matchup of undefeated teams. Wyomissing took 14 plays to march 98 yards in a vintage Wing-T drive. “When the chips are down and you’re on your own 2, you have to reach back and our kids did…You could see they [the Raiders] were running out of gas,” said longtime Spartans’ coach Bob Wolfrum. Chase Eisenhower’s 3-yard touchdown run gave Wyomissing a 28-14 advantage with 7:42 left. That would be the final margin as the (5-0) Spartans won their 40th consecutive regular season contest. They’re ranked #2 in the state in Class 3A by PennLive. Eisenhower, a 215-pound sophomore fullback, rumbled for 116 yards on 18 carries. Senior HB/LB Drew Forrey stole the show with 163 yards and 3 TD on ten carries. Forrey is up to 6’4 and 210 pounds this year. He put on twenty pounds in the offseason. “He’s a big guy now. He can play at the next level. He’s got good speed. He’s a really good blocker. He had a day,” stated Wolfrum. Forrey added five tackles. He stopped Mitchell Frederick on a shovel pass on fourth down with 3:42 remaining to seal the victory. Forrey raced 54 yards up the middle for a score on Wyomissing’s opening possession. His 24-yard touchdown run on a sweep to the right made it 14-7 with 7:18 to go in the second quarter. The Spartans then stuffed the (4-1) Raiders on fourth-and-six at Wyomissing’s 21-yard line. The second half started with a bang. Forrey took another sweep off the right side 50 yards to the house. ELCO responded immediately to pull within 21-14 midway through the third quarter. Jake Williams capped that drive with a 25-yard touchdown run up the gut. Williams finished with 133 yards and 2 TD on 23 carries. The 5’10, 185-pound senior entered the day with 1,141 yards and 16 TD in just four games. Williams ran for 1,792 yards and 18 TD a season ago. 220-pound senior linebacker Elliott Kreider intercepted Logan Hyde’s pass and returned it to Wyomissing’s 25-yard line with three minutes left in the third quarter. The Raiders weren’t able to capitalize, however, and were forced to punt. That led to the pivotal drive of the game. The Spartans have five new starters on the offensive line. “They play very well at times. We haven’t been consistent. We’re getting better,” replied Wolfrum. Caleb Brewer has shifted from tight end to offensive tackle. The 6’5, 290-pound senior is committed to Penn State. “He’s not taking it easy because he’s going to Penn State. He works and he’s playing both ways, at his size that’s tough,” noted Wolfrum. Max Tipton, a 285-pound OT/DT, is also playing well as a junior. The Spartans ran the ball 52 times for 351 yards. They outgained ELCO 360-201. Wyomissing hosts Donegal next Saturday.

Bob Birmingham-Berks Catholic

Paul Roberts — Sun, 08 Jan 2023 11:25:00 +0000

It’s early January, but the Berks Catholic girls basketball team is already battle-tested. You won’t find any cupcakes on the Saints’ non-league schedule. They’ve faced Plymouth-Whitemarsh, Methacton, Delone Catholic, and Eastern York. Plus, Berks Catholic met St. Joseph by-the-Sea at a showcase in Wildwood, New Jersey. Saints’ coach Bob Birmingham called that squad from Staten Island one of the best teams he’s seen in years. Berks Catholic lost 69-25. “It really tells you where you’re at. We wanted to put a tough schedule together so that we are ready by the end of the year. Losses early are good, it makes you work hard and it makes you be hungry,” said Birmingham. This is his 34th season as a head coach. He guided Holy Name to three District 3 titles over 22 years. The Blue Jays reached the Class 2A state championship game in 1993. Birmingham is (624-302) overall with five Berks County titles. He’s gone (225-94) with the Saints. We talked about what he enjoys most about coaching. Birmingham replied, “Just being in the gym with the kids, it keeps you young. It’s nice to be around kids who are enthusiastic, who want to learn…and I’ve been blessed with a lot of players who are like that.” The (7-4, 4-0) Saints won at Gov. Mifflin 48-38 on Thursday. Sophomores Madison Langdon and Molly McFadden scored 17 points apiece. Berks Catholic hit the road on Saturday and blew out Eastern York 54-26. Senior Caraline Herb poured in 21 points. The 5’7 guard is averaging a team-high 13 points with 26 treys. Eastern York had been #1 in the District 3-4A power rankings. The Saints still have upcoming non-league matchups with Lancaster Catholic and York Catholic. Birmingham also knows that Division 1 of the Berks League is always tough with competition from Reading, Wilson, and Gov. Mifflin. The Mustangs are the defending county champions. They stunned Berks Catholic 41-40 in the county semifinals at Santander Arena a season ago. The Saints advanced to the District 3-4A Final where they fell to Delone Catholic 33-27 at the Giant Center. Berks Catholic will be a factor this postseason as well. Finally, I asked the longtime coach what he thinks about introducing a shot clock into Pennsylvania high school basketball. “I think it’s okay how it is. I don’t think there is a need for it. Most teams are shooting the ball before 35 seconds anyway. It is also an added cost to all schools,” noted Birmingham.

Bob Wolfrum-Wyomissing

Paul Roberts — Sat, 03 Dec 2022 22:28:00 +0000

Eight seconds. That’s what stood between Wyomissing and a third straight trip to the Class 3A state championship game. It looked like the (13-1) Spartans were on their way when Ben Zechman found Charlie McIntyre open in the left flat for a 10-yard touchdown pass that put Wyomissing on top of Neumann-Goretti 17-14. However, the District 12 champions still had 34 seconds to pull off a miracle comeback. Mehki Wharton lofted a deep pass to Qaasim Major who was all alone behind the defense for a 44-yard score down the left sideline with eight seconds left. The (11-3) Saints stunned the Spartans 20-17 at the Germantown Super Site. “We just blew a coverage. That happens. It’s a shame. Quite frankly, I don’t know that we deserved to win. They had much the better of the play most of the game,” said longtime Wyomissing coach Bob Wolfrum. Neumann-Goretti outgained the Spartans 386-257. Wyomissing was limited to 142 rushing yards and just 3.1 per carry. The Spartans’ Wing-T offense gashed the Saints a season ago in a 42-6 semifinal rout. This was a much different story. “You could tell that they studied it a little bit. They made it so we couldn’t run between our tackles. They were really physical. We couldn’t hold our blocks,” explained Wolfrum. Wyomissing was grinding out 326 yards per game on the ground entering Saturday. They were held 26 points below their season average. The Spartans dominated the field position battle in the first half. Drew Eisenhower capped a 46-yard drive with a 6-yard run late in the opening quarter. On their next possession, the Spartans reached the 2-yard line with five minutes to go in the second period. They opted to kick an 18-yard field goal on fourth down and Ian Levering made it 10-0. Boston College commit Shawn Battle gave Neumann-Goretti a spark with a 51-yard touchdown run just 30 seconds later. Battle ran for 124 yards and scored four times last week in the quarterfinals versus Northwestern Lehigh. The Saints handed off to Sam Hobbs for the 2-point conversion and he got them within 10-8 of Wyomissing. Hobbs is a 6’1, 192-pound senior linebacker with an offer from Syracuse. He had a team-high 62 tackles, 10 TFL, and four sacks going into Saturday. Neumann-Goretti hurt itself in the third quarter. With Battle on the sideline getting a rest, freshman running back Terrance Page fumbled and Collin Niedrowski recovered at the Spartans’ 28-yard line. On the Saints’ next series, Battle was ejected for throwing a punch after he was tackled with 20 seconds left in the period. The 5’11, 187-pound senior finished with 187 yards on 19 carries. That drive stalled at Wyomissing’s 21-yard line. The Saints forced a three-and-out and took over at the Spartans’ 48-yard line with 4:12 to play. Freshman Amahj Gowens broke off runs of 16 and 12 yards before 200-pound sophomore fullback Kyreese Bradley powered into the end zone from two yards away. The 2-point conversion pass was incomplete, but Neumann-Goretti had a 14-10 advantage with 2:01 on the clock. That’s when Ben Zechman went to work. The 6’2, 185-pound senior got things going with a short pass to Eisenhower that went for 22 yards. He connected with Eisenhower again on a 29-yard strike into tight coverage down the right seam. That set up Wyomissing at the 22-yard line with 59 seconds left. After a pass interference penalty, one of 14 flags against the Saints, Zechman flipped a pass to McIntyre for the go-ahead score. The Spartans were only averaging 64 passing yards per contest. On that possession, Zechman had four completions for 74 yards. “We can always count on him. He does a great job of calling the plays at the line when he has to, and running everything fast. He knows what every position does and he’s pretty sharp,” mentioned Wolfrum. Zechman ended up 8-of-17 for 115 yards. Wharton and Qaasim hooked up just 26 seconds later to end Wyomissing’s perfect season. Wharton, a 6’7, 227-pound junior, gave credit to head coach Albie Crosby. “The coach just drew it up during the timeout. It was just a thought in his head. It was wide open,” revealed Wharton. He was 13-of-20 for 110 yards. Neumann-Goretti piled up 276 rushing yards. The Saints will meet District 7 champ Belle Vernon next Saturday at 1pm in the PIAA-3A championship at Cumberland Valley. Matthew Kramer ran for a team-high 78 yards on 20 carries. Eisenhower chipped in with 37 yards on eleven touches. He added 65 yards on four receptions. McIntyre managed 20 yards on eleven carries. They’re three of the 17 seniors on the roster. The Spartans went (49-4) over the past four years with four District 3 titles. “That’s a pretty good resume for a kid. They had great careers, all of them,” noted Wolfrum.

Frank Ferrandino-Wyomissing

Paul Roberts — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 09:57:00 +0000

Bob Wolfrum has been the mainstay in Wyomissing. “He’s such a good role model to so many people and I’m not talking just football players. He was an outstanding baseball coach, many people forget that. He was a Dean, he was a teacher, just a good person and a good family,” said athletic director Frank Ferrandino. Wolfrum earned his 11th District 3 championship on Saturday in impressive fashion. The (12-0) Spartans defeated West Perry 63-7. It was Wolfrum’s 349th career victory, the most in District 3 football history. He surpassed former Manheim Central skipper Mike Williams. Wolfrum has been part of the Wyomissing program for more than a half-century. His all-time record is a sparkling (349-86-1) over 36 seasons. He also spent fifteen years as an assistant with the Spartans. Ferrandino has been close to Wolfrum for a long time. The 1986 Wyomissing graduate became an assistant coach with the Spartans’ football team in 1989. Ferrandino has been the wrestling head coach since 1991 and the athletic director since 2012. He emphasized that discipline has been a key to Wolfrum’s success. “He demands that they perform as perfectly as possible and that’s not just on Saturdays and Fridays. That’s every day of the week,” stated Ferrandino. Wolfrum guided Wyomissing to a Class 2A state championship in 2012. He’s only had one losing season. “The mind is where his game is played. He really enjoys the X’s and O’s. He loves going against better athletes and tries to outscheme them. When he watches a team play [live], the things he sees are phenomenal,” noted Ferrandino. The Spartans are ranked #1 in the state in Class 3A by PennLive. They travel to unbeaten Danville on Friday for a state quarterfinal. Wyomissing’s Wing-T offense is averaging 44 points and 326 rushing yards per game. “It looks like we run the same play all the time, but there’s been so many tweaks to our offense and defense. He’s continued staying relevant with what’s new and out there. He’s willing to change,” said Ferrandino. One thing that hasn’t changed is Wolfrum’s love of music. “He has tremendous knowledge in music. He loves music, and all kinds from marching band music to rock and roll to oldies. He can name a tune like nobody else,” mentioned Ferrandino. Wolfrum trails only Jim Roth of Southern Columbia in wins among active coaches in Pennsylvania. The Spartans have won 35 consecutive regular season games. Ferrandino told me that Wolfrum has a great sense of humor. He revealed a funny story from his days as a second grade student in Wolfrum’s gym class. I asked Ferrandino if Wyomissing will ever have a turf football field with lights. He replied with a smile, “Not while I’m here.” Ferrandino stressed that the players and the community love Saturday afternoon games. They also love their head coach.

Bob Wolfrum-Wyomissing

Paul Roberts — Mon, 10 Oct 2022 20:25:00 +0000

It was a perfect fall Saturday afternoon in Wyomissing. Plenty of sunshine, a Hall of Fame ceremony, homecoming festivities, a visit from Penn State head coach James Franklin and freshman running back Nick Singleton, and another dominant victory for the Spartans. They put Cocalico away early. The Eagles fumbled on their first three possessions en route to a 38-7 loss. Matthew Kramer had a trio of touchdown runs in the opening nine minutes. The 6’1, 215-pound fullback finished with a team-high 76 yards on eleven carries. Bob Wolfrum gave credit to nose guard Caleb Brewer for beating Cocalico’s center and forcing the first two fumbles. Brewer is getting a lot of attention these days. The 6’5, 285-pound junior has recently received offers from Maryland, Pittsburgh, Boston College, Duke, Houston, Toledo and Western Michigan. “He likes the physical part of the game. He loves blocking and he loves tackling. Like Jven, he moves very well. That’s why he’s getting all those looks,” said Wolfrum. Jven Williams, the top rated player in Pennsylvania, is committed to Penn State. Pacen Ziegler, who starts at OT/DT for Wyomissing, has an offer from Davidson. Brewer, Williams, and Ziegler average 285 pounds. They’re part of a very talented collection of players in Berks County. Joey Schlaffer (PSU), Anthony Caccese (Delaware), Cam Jones (Holy Cross), and Ayden Martin (Monmouth) are all headed to Division I programs. “Usually if you have one DI kid in the county, it’s a lot. We just happen to have a bunch. We right now have three DI linemen. That never happens,” noted Wolfrum. Most opponents fear the precision of the Spartans’ Wing-T offense. On Saturday, they showed that they can hurt teams through the air as well. Ben Zechman was 8-of-10 for a career-high 137 yards and 2TD. “He throws the ball well. It’s not like we’re just throwing it up there for the heck of it. We could do it a lot more and we probably should, but I’m a stubborn old guy,” joked Wolfrum. Both touchdown passes came in the second quarter. Zechman hit Ethan Brower on a 29-yard post before connecting with William Delp on an 11-yard throwback screen. Wyomissing was up 35-0 at halftime. Ian Levering added a 19-yard field goal on the opening drive of the second half. The (7-0, 4-0) Spartans outgained the (3-4, 2-2) Eagles 291-to-124. Cocalico’s flexbone attack was limited to 121 rushing yards and 41 of those yards came on the final series. Wolfrum improved his record to (344-86-1) over 36 seasons at Wyomissing. He’s won ten District 3 championships and a state title. Wolfrum was thrilled that he got a chance to chat with Ray Linn who was inducted into the Wyomissing Football Association Hall of Fame this weekend. Linn coached at West Reading from 1951-54 before turning Gov. Mifflin into a powerhouse. “Ray, John Gurski, and Don Thomas were thee guys in the county when I first got here. It was really neat to see him,” emphasized Wolfrum. Watching what the Spartans have been doing this year has been pretty neat as well.

Bob Wolfrum-Wyomissing

Paul Roberts — Mon, 15 Aug 2022 18:45:00 +0000

A gallon of gasoline cost 53 cents in 1974. Minimum wage was $2.00 per hour. Barbra Streisand had the #1 song with “The Way We Were” and the comedy ‘Blazing Saddles’ was released. That’s also the year that Bob Wolfrum became an assistant coach at Wyomissing. He’s still there. Wolfrum is preparing for his 36th season as the Spartans’ head coach. “It’s a pleasure to be here. I can’t imagine not doing it to tell you the truth,” he said. Wolfrum (337-86-1) is second among active football coaches in Pennsylvania in wins. Only Jim Roth of Southern Columbia has more victories. Wolfrum told me that having assistants that stay with you is probably the biggest key to long-term success. The Spartans have only had one losing season during his incredible tenure. Wolfrum emphasized, “You’ve got to do what you believe in. You can’t be jumping around and changing things all the time. We’re fortunate that a lot of our former players are now coaching in our little league program.” The Wing-T offense has been the scheme of choice at Wyomissing. With Wolfrum as the maestro, the Spartans have won ten District 3 titles and the 2012 state championship in Class 2A. They’ve made 16 consecutive appearances in the postseason with a (38-18) all-time record in the District 3 tournament. Wolfrum is thrilled with the move to the Lancaster-Lebanon League. “Love it. Love it. I was for that right from the get go. The division we’re in is really competitive, a lot of good teams. You’re going to have a game every week,” he said. Berks Catholic, Conrad Weiser, Cocalico, Lampeter-Strasburg, ELCO, Donegal, and Octorara are also part of Section 4. I asked Wolfrum about having the Saints back on the schedule. He replied, “I’m happy. I didn’t want to play them early in the year non-league. I’d still rather have it be the last game, but you play when the league tells you to.” The 2022 edition of the Spartans certainly isn’t lacking in size. The offensive line will average nearly 260 pounds. PSU commit Jven Williams leads the way at 6’4 and 305 pounds. What would happen if Williams went up against former Wyomissing standout and NFL lineman Ross Tucker? “I’m not going to call that one. Just let me tell you, I would never bet against Ross. One of the ways Ross made it in the NFL was he was willing to fight anybody. Jven is tough, but Ross is tough to beat,” Wolfrum said with a grin. The former Spartans’ baseball coach was wearing a Yankees shirt at Saturday’s practice. He’s frustrated with the Bronx Bombers right now. Wyomissing could be hitting a lot of home runs this fall with seniors Drew Eisenhower and Charlie McIntyre returning at halfback. Wolfrum’s troops are hoping to reach the state championship game for the third straight year.

Bob Birmingham-Berks Catholic

Paul Roberts — Thu, 10 Mar 2022 23:08:00 +0000

Caraline Herb made twelve 3-pointers last season against Reading. The 5’7 junior was an amazing 12-15 from beyond the arc in that game last February. You can understand why Berks Catholic head coach Bob Birmingham was glad to see the ball end up in Herb’s hands with five seconds left and the season on the line against Lake-Lehman. “I’ll take that shot any day of the week,” said Birmingham. Unfortunately for the Saints, Herb’s 3-pointer from the right wing was a little long and the Black Knights escaped Lloyd Wolf Gymnasium with a 39-37 victory in the opening round of the Class 4A state playoffs. 6’1 F/C Hailey Kline sank a pair of free throws to give Lake-Lehman a 37-36 advantage with 3:20 remaining. Moments later, Aaliyah Dabney went 1-2 from the stripe to even the score at 37. Berks Catholic was shutout for the last three minutes. Kline grabbed an offensive rebound and put it home with 1:40 to go. Those were the final points of the night. Birmingham emphasized that the (21-4) Black Knights were taller at every position. They outrebounded the Saints 44-19. The #3 seed from District 2 finished with 19 offensive rebounds. Kline (13) and 6’1 senior Claire Dougherty (12) combined for 25 points. They scored all eight of Lake-Lehman’s points in the fourth quarter. Dougherty is a four-year starter who reached 1,000 points last month. She’s committed to Division II Holy Family. The Black Knights did almost all of their damage in the lane, while Berks Catholic relied primarily on perimeter shooting. The Saints were 6-21 from deep. Dougherty hit Lake-Lehman’s only triple in the first quarter. The Black Knights went 8-10 from the foul line, while Berks Catholic was 3-5. Sophomore Brenna Hunt’s layup before the buzzer tied the game at eight after eight minutes. Lake-Lehman open the second quarter with an 8-0 run. Eight of Hunt’s ten points came in that period when the Saints were outscored 18-11. Berks Catholic started the third quarter with a 9-0 spurt which included a trey from Sydney Brown and a three-point play by Caroline Reedy. Freshman Madison Langdon splashed a 3-pointer from the left wing with 5:40 left, and the Saints went up 28-26. Reedy connected from downtown with twenty seconds to play in the quarter. The District 3 runner-up entered the final period with a 32-31 edge. The (21-7) Saints managed just five points over the last eight minutes. They only allowed 13 in the second half. Reedy had a team-high eleven points. The Berks County Player of the Year ends her career with 1,053 points. Birmingham praised Reedy’s consistency. Dabney, a 5’7 senior, added ten points with six coming in the first quarter. Birmingham gave credit to Dabney for her toughness, enthusiasm, and versatility on defense. Senior point guard Mackenzie Gordos will play at DeSales. Birmingham discussed how much she improved over the past four years. Freshmen Sydney Corado and Molly McFadden, along with Langdon, got major minutes this season. Birmingham said, “Our future is always bright.” Three of Berks Catholic’s seven losses came against District 3-4A champion Delone Catholic. Lake-Lehman, the Division 2 champ in the Wyoming Valley Conference, advances to face Jim Thorpe in the second round on Saturday. The Black Knights have been playing without leading scorer Chase Purdy. The 5’11 senior suffered a season-ending knee injury. Freshman Ella Wilson hurt her left ankle early in the third quarter at Berks Catholic. The 5’10 guard returned in the final period. Lake-Lehman never got out of its 2-3 zone. The Saints simply couldn’t get enough shots to drop. Birmingham wraps up his 33rd season with a career record of (617-298).