Bulldogs – Berks Sports Report

Wilson and Mifflin shut down in PIAA Playoffs

Paul Roberts — Fri, 14 Mar 2025 14:58:10 +0000

The second round of the PIAA-6A boys basketball tournament was the end of the road for Wilson and Gov. Mifflin. The Bulldogs fell to District 10 champion McDowell 50-46 on Wednesday night at Pitt-Johnstown University. Wilson managed just four points in the first quarter and eleven in the first half. The Bulldogs trailed 23-11 at the break. Stephon Porter drilled a 3-pointer at the buzzer to put the Trojans on top 33-21 after the third quarter. Porter, a running back during the fall, scored eight points. Wilson came alive in the fourth quarter with 25 points. Correll Akings and Cam Zullinger each connected twice from beyond the arc. Tommy McFadden, who’s committed to Albany for soccer, went 9-for-9 from the foul line in the final period. McDowell’s cushion was cut to 35-29 with 3:54 remaining. The (24-7) Bulldogs were down 43-38 with 36 seconds to go when Kam Kramer made a pair of free throws. The senior guard finished with a team-high eleven points. Blayze Myers, the Trojans’ star quarterback, chipped in with eight points. The 6’3 senior set school records with 5,091 career passing yards, 413 completions, and 55 touchdown passes. McDowell was 17-of-22 from the foul line including 9-of-11 in the fourth quarter. The (23-4) Trojans hit three triples. McFadden set a career-high with 15 points. The 6’1 senior was a perfect 11-for-11 from the stripe. Akings and Zullinger provided ten and nine points respectively. Madyx Gruber, who was in foul trouble, was limited to six points. The two-time All-County guard averaged 17 ppg. this season. McDowell will take on WPIAL champ Upper St. Clair on Saturday in the state quarterfinals. Wilson says goodbye to eight seniors who won back-to-back Berks County titles. The Bulldogs have claimed four BCIAA championships in the past six years.

Gov. Mifflin also saw an outstanding campaign come to a halt on Wednesday night. The Mustangs lost to Upper St. Clair 50-38 at Altoona. The (25-2) Panthers reached the PIAA-6A quarterfinals for the third time in five seasons. The (20-10) Mustangs made their first appearance in the state playoffs this year. They fell behind 18-11 after the opening quarter. Each team only scored six points in the second period. Gov. Mifflin pulled within 29-26 with four and a-half minutes left in the third quarter, but Upper St. Clair closed out the period with a 8-to-2 run. It was 37-31 with five and a-half minutes to play when the Panthers sealed the deal with a decisive 12-to-3 run. Although 6’10 senior Tyler Robbins gets a lot of attention, it was Jake Foster who stole the show on Wednesday. The junior guard poured in a career-high 22 points. Foster was averaging 8 ppg. He splashed three of his four 3-pointers in the first quarter. Upper St. Clair was 16-of-20 from the foul line with six treys. Robbins stuffed the stat sheet with twelve points, nine rebounds, and four blocks. His younger brother, Ryan, added eight points. He’s a 6’7 sophomore. The Mustangs struggled from long range, going 2-for-12 from beyond the arc. They were 6-of-10 from the free throw line. Jahmair Johnson ended up with a team-high eight points. Matt Koehler and Stephen Mayo had seven points apiece. There were ten seniors on the roster for first-year head coach Garrett Etzel. The 2003 Gov. Mifflin grad and former All-County guard turned things around quickly in Shillington. The Mustangs finished (8-14, 3-8) a season ago. They advanced to the District 3 semifinals for the first time this year.

Archbishop Carroll ends Wilson’s season

Paul Roberts — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 04:07:44 +0000

Going into Tuesday night, Wilson head coach Matt Raquet thought Archbishop Carroll would be the best team that the Bulldogs had faced all season. That’s saying a lot considering Wilson’s grueling non-league schedule. The Bulldogs battled the Patriots before falling 60-41 in the second round of the PIAA-6A tournament at Spring-Ford. The final score doesn’t tell the whole story. Wilson put forth a gutsy effort and led the top seed from District 12 early in the third quarter. Kailani Hardy jammed eight of her team-high 20 points into the third period. “It starts on the defensive end of the floor and I thought she played great on the defensive end. The better the competition, she steps up to that plate every single time,” noted Raquet. Hardy got off to a quick start. The 5’9 sophomore knocked down a pair of 3-pointers and had eight points in the opening quarter. Archbishop Carroll, the runner-up in the mighty Philadelphia Catholic League, trailed 13-10 after eight minutes. The Bulldogs grabbed a 15-11 advantage before the Eberz sisters began to heat up. Alexis Eberz, a 5’8 junior, averages 18 points per game. She reached 1,000 career points late last month. Kayla Eberz, a versatile 5’10 freshman, provides 13 ppg. Her twin sister, Kelsey, has been out since December with a knee injury. The (19-9) Patriots were in front 27-26 at halftime. Senior guard Olivia Nardi hit a triple from the left corner early in the third quarter. It was her only field goal of the night, and it gave Archbishop Carroll a 32-30 edge. Nardi’s shot from beyond the arc ignited a 17-to-7 run by the Patriots. Hardy drilled a jumper from the right wing at the buzzer to pull Wilson within 46-39 entering the final period. The (20-10) Bulldogs were outscored 14-to-2 over the next eight minutes. They were scoreless until Hardy made two free throws with 4:21 remaining. The Patriots were in control 52-41 at that point. Archbishop Carroll sealed the deal at the foul line. The Patriots finished 14-for-17, including 8-for-10 in the fourth quarter. Wilson ended up 4-of-5 from the stripe. Laura Crocona chipped in with eight points. The 5’8 junior sank two of the Bulldogs’ five treys. Alexis Eberz, who poured in 23 points, gave credit to the Bulldogs. “They’re a great team. We knew that coming into this game. They play really great defense,” she said. Kayla Eberz contributed 18 points, including 13 in the second half. Sophomore Abbie McFillin added nine points. Archbishop Carroll was able to create turnovers which led to easy transition opportunities after halftime. The Patriots won the PIAA-6A championship two years ago. They’re moving on to the quarterfinals on Friday against Central Dauphin. Wilson saw its season come to an end. The Bulldogs, who finished fifth in the District 3 tournament, didn’t have any seniors in the starting lineup. They also played this entire season without two-time All-County point guard Laila Jones. The 5’8 junior was out with a torn ACL. Jones averaged 16 ppg. last year. “I thought it was a great season overall, really proud of this group. They’ve dealt with adversity all year. They kept trusting each other. They kept putting winning first,” remarked Raquet. He said he’s excited for his second season in West Lawn.

Bulldogs and Mustangs Advance in State’s

Paul Roberts — Sun, 09 Mar 2025 18:20:45 +0000

Wilson and Gov. Mifflin are moving on in the PIAA-6A boys basketball playoffs. The (24-6) Bulldogs outlasted Plymouth Whitemarsh 56-51 in overtime on Saturday. The (20-9) Colonials were the District 1 runner-up. Wilson finished fifth in the District 3 tournament. The Bulldogs led 31-27 at halftime, but were outscored 12-to-5 in the third quarter. Luke Levan tied it at 49-49 with two seconds left in regulation. Plymouth Whitemarsh anticipated a skip pass to All-County guard Madyx Gruber. Two defenders went to Gruber on the wing, while Levan slipped the screen and got a layup. The 6’6 senior provided a dozen points and eight rebounds. Levan scored four points in overtime. Wilson allowed just two points in the extra session. Gruber had a team-high 16 points and seven boards. The 5’11 senior made all four of his 3-pointers in the first half. Correll Akings added 13 points including seven in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs connected eight times from beyond the arc. The Colonials only hit three triples. Mani Sajid jammed ten of his 19 points into the fourth period. The highly-touted 6’5 junior guard averaged nearly 23 points this season. Michael Pereira, a 6’9 junior, chipped in with twelve points. Both teams were 8-for-12 from the free throw line. Wilson will face District 10 champion McDowell in the second round on Wednesday. That’s a 5:30pm tip at Pitt-Johnstown University. McDowell blew out Pittsburgh Central Catholic 72-40 on Saturday.

Gov. Mifflin qualified for the PIAA playoffs for the first time in program history. The Mustangs made the most of the opportunity on Saturday. They knocked off Mt. Lebanon 66-54 in Shillington. The Blue Devils were the #4 seed from District 7. Gov. Mifflin finished third in the District 3 tournament. The (20-9) Mustangs, who were (8-14) last season, held a 31-27 advantage at halftime. They outscored Mt. Lebanon 21-to-11 in a decisive third quarter. Gov. Mifflin spent a lot of time at the foul line. The Mustangs ended up 28-for-35 from the stripe, while the Blue Devils were 6-of-11. Andrew Galantuomo poured in a game-high 22 points. The 5’7 senior point guard made nine of his ten free throws. Jahmair Johnson, a 6’3 senior forward, scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half. Matt Koehler added 15 points. He was a perfect 6-for-6 from the foul line. Mt. Lebanon did most of its work from long range. The (17-10) Blue Devils splashed a dozen 3-pointers. Liam Sheely hit four treys and provided 17 points. Carter Gould (14) and Jacob Zuber (13) combined for 27 points. Gov. Mifflin will meet District 7 champ Upper St. Clair in the second round on Wednesday. They’ll get underway at 6:30pm at Altoona. Upper St. Clair hammered York High 67-30 in the opening round.

Antietam’s season came to a close on Saturday evening in Philadelphia. The Mounts fell at West Catholic 79-35 in the first round of the PIAA-3A playoffs. Antietam finished with a record of (15-11). The Mounts took third place in the District 3 tournament.

Ryan Leaman-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 04:30:22 +0000

Lacrosse is Ryan Leaman’s favorite sport, but she’s not too shabby at basketball. The 5’9 sophomore is Wilson’s starting point guard. She’s also the top 3-point shooter for the Bulldogs. Leaman hit a key triple in front of her bench as the third quarter came to a close. “I saw her hand down a little so I just shot it and it went in…We were all excited,” said Leaman. Wilson defeated tenth-seeded Cedar Crest 48-39 in the first round of the District 3-6A playoffs. The (17-8) Bulldogs advanced to the quarterfinals on Thursday night at second-seeded Dallastown. They also qualified for the state tournament. Leaman got off to a great start. She scored half of her 14 points in the opening quarter. “I know that if I’m open I should shoot. Sometimes I hold back a little. It was fun,” replied Leaman. Kailani Hardy finished with a game-high 18 points. The 5’9 sophomore was 8-for-8 from the free throw line. “We’ve been playing together as long as I can remember,” noted Leaman. Hardy was voted to the All-County team on Sunday. Juniors Violet Houck and Laura Crocona were both All-Division selections. They had important defensive assignments on Monday in West Lawn. Houck, who was injured when Wilson beat Cedar Crest 48-43 on December 21st, guarded Colgate commit Kaila Francis. Crocona covered promising freshman Elli Malinoski. Francis, a 6’2 junior center, and Malinoski were scoreless in the first half. “Once we shut them down, it opened up shots for us on the other end,” explained Leaman. First-year head coach Matt Raquet also utilized a 1-2-1-1 full court press that created turnovers and sped up the tempo. The Falcons turned the ball over ten times in the first 16 minutes. The seventh-seeded Bulldogs were in front 13-9 after a quarter and 23-13 at halftime. Cedar Crest didn’t score in the first three minutes of the game. The Falcons were blanked for nearly three minutes in the second quarter and fell behind 19-9. Lilyanna Thomas sank a 3-pointer from the left wing with 40 seconds remaining in the third period. The 5’11 senior pulled Cedar Crest within 35-29, however, Leaman answered with a trey of her own before the buzzer. Wilson increased its margin to 13 points before Thomas splashed a triple from the top of the key with 4:15 to go to make it 44-34. The Falcons never threatened the Bulldogs though as Hardy made all six of her foul shots in the final quarter. Crocona chipped in with eight points and Janai Tisdale added five off the bench. The Bulldogs bounced back from a tough 60-56 loss to rival Gov. Mifflin in the BCIAA semifinals. Cedar Crest hadn’t played since February 5th when the Falcons outlasted Gov. Mifflin 51-47 in overtime. Malinoski poured in 21 points against the Mustangs. The 6’ guard was limited to eight points by Crocona and company. Thomas led Cedar Crest with 13 points. She entered the night averaging 4.6 ppg. Francis ended up with ten points. The Falcons finish (13-10) in Ashli Shay’s second year at the helm. She scored 2,169 career points while at ELCO and went on to play for Penn State. Shay served as the Raiders’ head coach for twelve seasons before stepping down in 2022. Cedar Crest outscored Wilson 26-25 in the second half. The Falcons were 8-of-10 from the stripe and made three 3-pointers. The Bulldogs went 13-of-18 from the foul line and only connected once from beyond the arc. Wilson forced 18 turnovers including seven in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs and Falcons have combined for ten District 3 championships with Wilson winning six titles. Both of these programs have bright futures. Of the ten starters on the court, only two were seniors. The Bulldogs reached the District 3 semifinals a season ago. They’ll have to upset Dallastown on Thursday at 7pm to return to the Final Four.

Luke Levan-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Sat, 15 Feb 2025 16:48:09 +0000

We’ve often heard that defense wins championships. Matt Coldren has preached about the importance of defense over his 24 years as Wilson’s head coach. He learned that approach from the legendary Reggie Weiss who won 362 games with the Bulldogs. Wilson allowed ten points or less in three quarters of a 55-39 victory over Reading in the BCIAA Championship on Friday night. Luke Levan stuffed the stat sheet with 15 points, 14 rebounds and six blocks in front of 1,800 fans at Santander Arena. “When we have good defense, it sets up our offense. We gotta keep that going in District’s,” said Levan. The 6’6 senior provided nine points in the fourth quarter, and made it difficult for the fourth-seeded Red Knights to finish in the lane. Reading had won nine of its previous ten contests. All-County guard Madyx Gruber poured in a game-high 23 points. “He’s incredible, he’s a really good player. I’m excited to see where he goes after this,” remarked Levan. Gruber made two of his team’s four 3-pointers. The 5’11 senior was 9-of-12 from the foul line with five rebounds and four steals. The second-seeded Bulldogs attempted just two free throws before the fourth quarter. They ended up 17-of-24 from the stripe. Wilson only committed ten turnovers. “In a game like this, the refs aren’t gonna call as many fouls which makes it even harder. They’re a really good pressuring team. I thought we did a really good job beating the pressure and playing strong,” noted Levan. The (20-5) Bulldogs earned their second straight Berks County title and fourth in six years. Levan was asked where this one ranks among the best performances of his career. “I think it’s gotta be up there. I gotta say thanks to all my teammates for getting me the ball and trusting me,” he replied. The (13-12) Red Knights saw their season come to an end. They trailed 9-8 after the opening quarter and 20-15 at halftime. Wilson began the second half with a 10-to-2 run. Tommy McFadden hit a triple from the left corner and scored on a fast break. Six of his eight points came in that period. Much like the second half of the season, Reading wouldn’t go away. The Red Knights battled back with nine consecutive points. Weshly Rosario fired a sweet pass to Xavier Beatty for a layup with 1:24 left in the third quarter. After a timeout, Gruber answered with a deep trey from the left wing for a 33-26 lead. Jeremiah Camara banked in a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 35 seconds to go. Reading was within 33-29 entering the final period. Camara and Jostin DeCastro, both sophomore guards, had ten points apiece. The Bulldogs were in front 41-35 with just over three minutes to play. They went on a pivotal 9-to-2 run to put the game on ice. Levan had a pair of layups during that stretch. Camara was called for a personal foul and then a technical foul after pushing a Wilson player with 56 seconds left. Gruber made three of his four free throw attempts for a 50-37 cushion. Rosario, who averaged nearly 13 ppg., was limited to five points. The Red Knights were 5-of-13 from the foul line and connected just twice from beyond the arc. They were searching for their 26th BCIAA championship. Meanwhile, Coldren improved his overall record to (428-202). The former All-County guard for the Bulldogs has guided them to six Berks County titles. Wilson has eight seniors on its roster including four in the starting lineup. The Bulldogs will host #12 seed Cedar Crest in the first round of the District 3-6A playoffs on Tuesday. “I’m excited for Cedar Crest because they kicked us out last year,” stated Levan.

Matt Raquet-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 05:58:25 +0000

A matchup for first place between two very good teams was tarnished by a fight that resulted in six players being ejected. “It was really unfortunate and kind of ruined a really good league game. Just an unfortunate situation, it should never happen,” said Wilson first-year coach Matt Raquet. The Bulldogs beat Reading 46-45 to claim sole possession of the top spot in Division 1 of the Berks League. Raquet wasn’t sure what led up to the fight with 1:22 left in the third quarter. “I don’t know anything about social media, if anything happened there. I don’t think so. It was just heat of the moment, competitive type stuff that shouldn’t happen,” replied Raquet. As the ball was heading upcourt, Reading senior Elyssa Spring and Wilson junior Janai Tisdale squared off at the foul line. They exchanged punches before wrestling each other to the floor. Spring, Tamyia Collier, Kailani Ocasio, and Nalani Sosa were ejected for the Red Knights. Tisdale and Kailani Hardy were thrown out for the Bulldogs. “They’re kids at the end of the day. They made mistakes and they’re gonna learn from it. That’s the important thing now, the response and making sure it doesn’t happen again,” stated Raquet. Hardy had 18 points and Wilson was up 36-33 at the time of the melee. “She’s just scratching the surface of her potential…The great thing about her is she puts winning first,” said Raquet about Hardy. The 5’9 sophomore is averaging 15 ppg. this season. The Bulldogs trailed 9-8 after the opening quarter and 27-26 at halftime. Reading built a 33-28 cushion midway through the third period. Wilson ended the quarter on a 10-0 run. Laura Crocona, a 5’7 junior, scored eight of her ten points in that period. “She was awesome. She’s great at running the floor, gets a lot of good transition looks…She does it on both ends and a lot of that doesn’t get seen in the stat sheet,” explained Raquet. Sophomore Nyla Nunez, who appeared in just her eighth varsity contest, gave the Red Knights a 41-40 edge on a layup with 3:43 remaining. Jade Lee quickly responded with a bucket to put the (14-6, 9-2) Bulldogs back on top. Ryan Leaman, a 5’7 sophomore point guard, made a tough floater on the left baseline for a 44-41 lead with 2:12 to go. After a Reading turnover, Lee drove down the center of the lane and banked in a shot with 1:34 on the clock. The 5’9 freshman provided six of her eight points in the fourth quarter. “She did a great job in a really crazy environment at keeping her cool, and continuing to rebound and be active,” mentioned Raquet. Yamilex Rodriguez sank a pull-up jumper to get the (14-7, 8-3) Red Knights within 46-43 with 35 seconds to play. Crocona missed a pair of free throws with eleven seconds left. Instead of attempting a tying 3-pointer, Rodriguez drove to the basket and found JilliAnn Laws for a layup. That cut Reading’s deficit to 46-45, but only one second remained. Raquet said he doesn’t believe in fouling with a three point lead late in the game. “My philosophy is guard the 3-point line, contest and don’t foul. Luckily, they drove and took a 2 there,” he replied. Violet Houck then threw a long pass just past midcourt that was deflected as time expired. Houck only had four points, but the 5’11 junior was a shot-blocking machine. Wilson went 5-for-10 from the foul line, while the Red Knights were 6-for-10. Each team only connected once from beyond the arc. Rodriguez and freshman Xiani Beatty finished with ten points apiece for Reading. Spring and Laws each contributed six points. The Bulldogs defeated the Red Knights 65-47 at the Geigle Complex on December 19th. Wilson has won nine of its last ten games. Their spurt at the end of the third quarter was crucial on a wild night in West Lawn. “I don’t think we had any panic at that time and just stayed together as a group,” said Raquet.

Snip Esterly-Berks Catholic

Paul Roberts — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 15:04:25 +0000

Everyone in Lloyd Wolf Gymnasium knew who was taking the last shot for Berks Catholic. “We just wanted to spread it and let Kingston go to work because he’s so hard to cover. He can go either left or right,” said Saints’ coach Snip Esterly. McKoy went behind his back, used a hesitation dribble, and then drilled a pull-up jumper from the left side of the lane with five seconds left. The 6’2 junior guard gave Berks Catholic a thrilling 51-49 win over Wilson. McKoy finished with a game-high 22 points including seven in the fourth quarter. “He’s so patient and under control. It’s a joy just to watch him play,” replied Esterly. The longtime coach improved his overall record to (826-225) in 36 seasons. The Saints led 17-10 after the opening quarter thanks to a 3-pointer at the buzzer by Gavin Welker. They scored the first four points of the second period to build a 21-10 cushion. The Bulldogs battled back and went on a 16-to-4 run. They were in front 26-25 at halftime. Wilson entered the evening as the #1 seed in the District 3-6A power rankings. Berks Catholic was on top of the District 3-4A rankings. This Division 1 battle lived up to expectations. The (15-3, 6-2) Bulldogs were up 36-34 after the third quarter. Bryce Gumby came off the bench and splashed a top of the key trey with six and a-half minutes left. The football standout gave the Saints a 39-38 advantage. Zach Suski, Berks Catholic’s quarterback in the fall, hit a triple from the right corner with 2:45 remaining. The Saints’ 46-43 lead didn’t last long, however, as Madyx Gruber made a pull-up jumper to even the score at 46-46 with 2:22 to go. McKoy connected from beyond the arc on the right wing with 1:50 to play. Correll Akings answered with a 3-pointer of his own from the top of the key with 55 seconds left. It was 49-49 until McKoy sank the go-ahead shot over the hand of Tommy McFadden in the final seconds. McFadden is Wilson’s best defender and an Albany soccer commit. The Bulldogs called a timeout down 51-49. Gruber raced up the right side of the court and took an off-balance 3-pointer. It hit the backboard and bounced off the rim as time expired. Gruber ended up with a team-high 16 points. The 5’11 senior reached 1,000 career points in a victory over Harrisburg on Saturday. Akings added 14 points. They each made three treys. Akings, a 5’10 junior, provided eight points in the first quarter. Wilson has had issues this season at the foul line. The Bulldogs were 6-of-12 on Tuesday, while Berks Catholic went 2-for-3. Each team connected seven times from long range. McKoy and Welker hit two triples apiece. Welker chipped in with ten points and freshman guard Carmelo Harper had eight off the bench. The (11-3, 6-2) Saints defeated Wilson for the second time this season. “It gives us confidence because we know Wilson is a darn good program. I think they’re one of the favorites to win District’s,” stated Esterly. Berks Catholic took the first meeting 54-49 in West Lawn on December 9th. Life in Division 1 of the Berks Conference isn’t easy. “I’m not liking it too much,” joked Esterly. The Saints committed just five turnovers and ended the Bulldogs’ nine-game winning streak. “It’s always a battle. Every night there’s a good game out there,” he said.

Matt Coldren-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 14:35:41 +0000

Central Dauphin and Wilson held the top two spots in the District 3-6A power rankings entering Monday. Their battle in West Lawn went down to the wire. The Bulldogs knocked off the Rams 59-53 in a potential playoff preview. “In my opinion, that’s the best starting five in our district…I think we proved ourselves a little bit tonight,” said Wilson coach Matt Coldren. All-County guard and All-State football player Madyx Gruber is comfortable playing in big games. The 5’11 senior poured in 27 points and knocked down six 3-pointers. “He was really fantastic. He was feeling it early. When he’s feeling it, we pretty much don’t run stuff. We let him do his thing,” noted Coldren. Gruber exploded for 19 points and hit five triples in the first half. He’s up to 958 career points. The (11-2) Rams trailed 25-15 in the second quarter. Standout sophomore Shakur Starling got his third foul midway through that period. The 6’2 guard finished with ten points and seven rebounds. A breakaway dunk by Wayne Fletcher II in the final seconds of the half tied it at 32-32. The 6’3 Navy commit ended up with a team-high 18 points and seven boards. “He’s a great player. He’s the best player that we have faced this year. He’s a tough matchup. He’s a 3-level scorer,” stated Coldren. Fletcher II has 1,046 career points. His father is in his seventh season as the head coach at Central Dauphin. Like Coldren, he also played basketball for Kutztown University. Gruber drilled a trey from the right wing to end the third quarter and expand the Bulldogs’ cushion to 50-42. That lead quickly evaporated as the Rams scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter. Gruber drove to the basket and found Luke Levan for a layup to make it 54-51. A putback by Jelani Easter got Central Dauphin within 55-53 with 52 seconds remaining. Easter, a 6’5 junior, provided 15 points, five rebounds and five assists. Tommy McFadden sank a pair of free throws with 47 seconds left. After Khalil Roberts missed a layup, McFadden went 2-for-2 again at the foul line with 12 seconds to go. The Albany soccer commit played great defense and converted at the charity stripe when the rest of the team was struggling. Wilson was 9-of-18 from the free throw line, while the Rams went 8-of-9. The (13-2) Bulldogs did an outstanding job of taking care of the ball. They only committed four turnovers and had none in the second half. “To have four turnovers is pretty amazing so kudos to our guys. They stepped up to the occasion. I’m super proud of them,” said Coldren. Correll Akings added a dozen points and made two of Wilson’s eight 3-pointers. Levan, a 6’6 senior, chipped in with ten points. “It was a great team effort. Every guy that played for us contributed in big ways. That’s what you need to do when you play good teams,” emphasized Coldren.

Madyx Gruber-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Sat, 04 Jan 2025 13:34:07 +0000

Wilson’s first game of 2025 didn’t get off to a great start. Manheim Township jumped out to an 8-0 lead which prompted longtime head coach Matt Coldren to call a timeout. “He was livid,” said Madyx Gruber. The Bulldogs got Coldren’s message loud and clear. They responded with a 14-to-1 run and went on to win 55-48 in West Lawn. Gruber knocked down three 3-pointers in the first quarter and finished with 19 points. The 5’11 senior guard also grabbed seven rebounds. Ty Gray led the (7-4) Blue Streaks with 22 points. The 6’ senior guard came into Friday averaging nearly 18 points per game. Manheim Township trailed 14-11 after eight minutes and 30-22 at halftime. Wilson expanded its cushion to double digits, but the Blue Streaks didn’t go down easily. They began the fourth quarter with a 7-to-2 run and pulled within 46-43. Gray provided all seven of those points. He ended up with nine in the quarter. Gruber answered with his fourth trey of the night from the top of the key. Manheim Township had a chance to get within one point late, but Ellis Vorhis Witmer missed a pair of free throws. Correll Akings sank a pair of foul shots to make it 53-48 with 1:10 remaining. The junior guard chipped in with a dozen points. Gruber split two free throws with 31 seconds left to give the Bulldogs a 54-48 edge. He was pleased with how they executed in a tight spot. “At practice, we prepare for those moments. We were prepared well,” noted Gruber. Wilson only committed nine turnovers. The (9-2) Bulldogs held the Blue Streaks well below their season average of 62 ppg. Senior guards Jordan Pettigrew (12) and Rocky Mack (8) combined for 20 points. Manheim Township went 7-of-12 from the foul line, while Wilson was just 9-for-18. Luke Levan, a 6’6 senior, had ten points. “We need to feed him the ball. He has a mismatch. We need to give him the ball and let him do his thing,” emphasized Gruber. Tommy McFadden added eight points and seven rebounds. The 6’1 senior committed to Albany for soccer this week. Gruber was recently named to the PA Football Writers’ All-State team. He guided Wilson past Manheim Township 34-16 for the Section 1 championship in the Lancaster-Lebanon League. Gruber threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score. He was looking forward to facing the Blue Streaks on the court. “I knew it was gonna be a good game just because it was Manheim. I was really excited. I know my teammates were excited. It was fun,” said Gruber.

Matt Coldren-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 15:09:50 +0000

It’s not how you start, but how you finish that matters. Coaches in all sports have often used that old adage. Wilson head coach Matt Coldren had a different opinion after a tense 44-41 win at rival Gov. Mifflin. “I think getting off to the great start won us the game,” said Coldren. A 3-pointer by Madyx Gruber gave the Bulldogs a 9-0 advantage with 4:39 left in the opening quarter. The Mustangs went nearly four minutes without scoring. Gruber finished with a game-high 19 points and went 5-of-6 from the free throw line. “What stood out to me was he didn’t press. They were denying him a lot. He didn’t have as many touches as he normally does. He’s a gamer. He makes shots that most guys can’t make,” noted Coldren. Wilson was in front 17-6 after eight minutes and 24-13 at halftime. The Mustangs trailed 36-26 entering the fourth quarter which is when things heated up. Gov. Mifflin went on a 12-to-3 run and pulled within 39-38 on a triple by Matt Koehler with 1:50 left. Koehler had a team-high 17 points, including a dozen in the second half. “His game has really evolved. Last year I thought he was strictly a 3-point shooter, much easier to guard. He’s taking advantage of his size now. He’s kind of a tough matchup for us,” explained Coldren. Koehler, a 6’3 senior, missed a 3-pointer that would have given the Mustangs their first lead with 50 seconds remaining. Correll Akings sank two clutch foul shots with 31 seconds to play to extend the Bulldogs’ cushion to 41-38. After Stephen Mayo missed a layup, Gruber made two more free throws for the (5-1) Bulldogs. Gov. Mifflin senior point guard Andrew Galantuomo banked in a 40-foot shot to make it 43-41 with two seconds to go. Gruber then went 1-of-2 from the charity stripe. The Mustangs’ inbounds pass was deflected by Cam Zullinger at half-court and fittingly ended up in the arms of Gruber. Akings chipped in with nine points and Tommy McFadden added six. Wilson starts four seniors and brings three more off the bench. “We’ve been there. We’ve got a lot of guards who have been in this situation before,” emphasized Coldren. The Bulldogs are the defending BCIAA champions. After going (15-29) over the past two seasons, the Mustangs are back on track under first-year head coach Garrett Etzel. They beat Muhlenberg and Berks Catholic last week. “I’m a Garrett Etzel fan. I think he was a great player…and I have a lot of respect for him. I’m happy for him,” said Coldren. There are ten seniors on Gov. Mifflin’s roster. Ian Fleming, the lone junior in their starting lineup, contributed twelve points. The (4-2) Mustangs were 5-of-9 from the free throw line, while Wilson went 12-for-16. The Bulldogs connected four times from beyond the arc. Gov. Mifflin splashed just two 3-pointers and one was the long range bomb by Galantuomo before the buzzer. The attendance in Shillington was 1,150 for this Division 1 battle in the Berks Conference. “Our division is gonna be a dog fight every night,” stated Coldren.