cam – Berks Sports Report

Cam Burr-Muhlenberg

Paul Roberts — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 13:23:00 +0000

It doesn’t matter how many games you’ve seen, you never know exactly what will happen when you head to the ballpark. Wilson and Muhlenberg squared off in a key Division 1 battle on Monday night in Laureldale. The outcome wasn’t determined until Tuesday morning after the PIAA made an interpretation. Cam Burr was sent to the mound with a man on first base and nobody out in the top of the 7th inning. The Muhls were up 3-2. However, the All-County selection had thrown 90 pitches on Friday which requires three days of rest. Longtime Muhlenberg coach Brian Kopetsky said he simply got caught up in the emotion of the game. He had Burr intentionally walk Nick Fiorini and then brought in sophomore righty Cole Moody. Muhlenberg contacted the BCIAA after the game to explain what happened. The BCIAA notified the PIAA and a rules interpreter deemed that since Burr didn’t actually throw a pitch, there was no violation. An intentional walk doesn’t require a pitch to be thrown. Moody made a terrific sliding catch of Cooper Kennedy’s bunt. The 6’2, 200-pound sophomore then fired to second base for a pivotal double play. “Oh my God, talk about being an athlete there. I don’t know how much better you could draw that one up,” emphasized Burr. Moody ended the tense affair by striking out designated hitter Ben Kulp who had homered in the 2nd inning. The (11-5, 7-3) Muhls and the (11-6, 7-3) Bulldogs are tied for second place in the division. They’re one game behind Gov. Mifflin. Burr scored on a safety squeeze bunt by Gavin Moody in the bottom of the 1st inning. Matt VanOstenbridge put Wilson in front 2-1 in the 5th with a RBI single to right field. VanOstenbridge, who was coming off a no-hitter against Exeter, didn’t allow a hit through five frames on Monday. Sophomore Cooper Burr, Cam’s younger brother, got Muhlenberg’s first hit in the 6th inning. No. 9 hitter Anthony Cipolla followed with another single. Cam Burr, a Kutztown University commit, singled to right to even the score at 2-2. “He was throwing me a lot of off-speed, a lot of junk. It was definitely an approach to sit back and drive it the other way,” explained Burr. Gavin Moody knocked in Cipolla with a sacrifice fly to center to give Muhlenberg a 3-2 edge. The inning came to a close with Kaleb Mendoza getting thrown out at the plate on an attempted double steal. Christo Hunsicker started the 7th with a bloop single to center field. That’s when Burr replaced Ethan Weiler on the hill. Weiler (3-1) allowed ten hits, but just a pair of runs. The 6’2 junior struck out three and walked one. VanOstenbridge gave up three runs, two earned, on three hits and a walk. The Penn State commit had seven strikeouts. The southpaw entered the night with a (3-0) record and a 0.52 ERA. Fiorini and C.J. Fernandez had two hits apiece for Wilson. The Muhls rallied late after dropping three of their previous four contests. “It just shows our character and that we can get through anything as a team. We’re the comeback kids,” stated Burr.

Cam Zullinger-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Sat, 30 Sep 2023 01:22:00 +0000

At 6’ and 185 pounds, Cam Zullinger certainly isn’t the biggest defensive end. The junior knows how to overcome his lack of size. “Stay low and be quick,” he replied. Zullinger was in on ten tackles, including two tackles for loss, as Wilson knocked off Gov. Mifflin 21-14 for the Gurski-Linn trophy. The (4-2) Bulldogs held the Mustangs to 3.8 yards per carry. Gov. Mifflin had just 80 yards in the second half and didn’t score. Zullinger, who also plays basketball, has successfully made the transition from linebacker. Wilson now has a (39-27) advantage in the rivalry with the (3-3) Mustangs. “It’s the biggest game of the year. Everybody looks forward to that game,” said Zullinger. The Bulldogs have won ten of the last thirteen meetings. Gov. Mifflin opened the contest with a 12-play, 68-yard touchdown drive that lasted nearly six and a-half minutes. The Mustangs converted a fake punt when Travis Jenkins completed a 33-yard pass to Lebron Leaf. Brandon Jones finished it off with a 2-yard run. Wilson answered on its second play. Tommy Hunsicker found a wide open Jackson Wagner over the middle for a 46-yard score. Gov. Mifflin put together a 15-play drive that covered 79 yards and took nine minutes and 44 seconds off the clock. Javien Pletz connected with Reese Hohl for 29 yards down the left sideline on fourth-and-13. Hohl, who had two interceptions on the night, stepped out of bounds at the 3-yard line. Pletz hit sophomore tight end Derek Dinatale for a 4-yard touchdown and a 14-7 edge with three minutes remaining in the second quarter. Hunsicker tied it up 90 seconds later with a 35-yard scramble down the left sideline. The Mustangs held the ball for nearly twenty minutes in the first half and 30:37 overall. Gov. Mifflin forced three turnovers, but was outgained 295-246. On fourth-and-14, Hunsicker tossed a 35-yard touchdown pass to Madyx Gruber on the opening possession of the third period. Once again, the middle of the field was wide open and Gruber ran untouched into the end zone. The Bulldogs’ defense took it from there. The Mustangs turned it over on downs three times and punted once in the second half. On fourth-and-4 with 1:44 to play, Pletz was pressured by Derek Reiniger and threw the ball out of bounds. Wilson took over at its 49-yard line and ran out the clock. Ryan McMillan had twelve total tackles. Hunsicker finished 6-of-11 for 133 yards and two interceptions. The 185-pound senior ran for a team-high 90 yards on 13 carries. “He’s a really tough kid. He bounced back. He did what he needed to do to help us get that win,” stated Zullinger. Pletz, a 165-pound junior, led Gov. Mifflin’s option attack with 54 yards on eight carries. He was 4-of-9 passing for 48 yards. Hohl and Jones combined for 60 rushing yards on 21 touches. Junior fullback Grady Garner was limited to 32 yards on six carries. After an (0-2) start, the Bulldogs have won four in a row. Zullinger asked, “Why doubt us, why?”

Cam Jones-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Sun, 25 Sep 2022 12:33:00 +0000

Cam Jones has 14 touchdowns and it’s still September. The Holy Cross commit is certainly enjoying his senior season at Wilson. He replied, “I’m having a lot of fun. That’s kind of what this year is about. You gotta get as much fun out of it as you can.” The Bulldogs’ last four opponents didn’t have any fun. Wilson has won its first two league matchups by a combined score of 84-19. Jones reached the end zone four times at Reading. He got back there three times in a 36-13 victory against Cedar Crest on Friday. The Class 6A all-state selection put the (4-1) Bulldogs on top 15-0 in the opening 13 and a-half minutes with a pair of touchdown runs and a 2-point conversion. Jones went untouched off right tackle on his second score from 27 yards away. He gave credit to the offensive line. “It was amazing. [Coach] Dahms got them a little fired up. [He] told them to come out and pound them so we did. They came out to play. I can’t thank them any more for that,” said Jones. Wilson outgained the Falcons 395-to-177. Cedar Crest has lost 19 straight in the series. The Bulldogs ran for 267 yards with Jones averaging 14 yards a pop. He electrified the crowd at John Gurski Stadium with a 48-yard touchdown grab midway through the third quarter. Jones spun out of a tackle over the middle while palming the football and raced down the left sideline to give Wilson a 29-7 edge. He finished with eight carries for 113 yards. Jones added three receptions for 54 yards. Tommy Hunsicker also had a big night. The junior quarterback was 8-of-12 for 127 yards and 3TD. Eddie Case, a 6’3, junior, made a terrific diving catch for a 35-yard score on the Bulldogs’ first drive of the second half. Hunsicker found Brady Kline on a shovel pass for a 5-yard touchdown midway through the fourth period. Jones thinks the 210-pound sophomore tight end has a bright future. “He has a lot of potential. His hands are getting a lot better and his blocking is getting better,” stated Jones. The 5’11, 185-pound WR/CB/KR also likes what he’s seeing from Hunsicker. “He’s progressed a lot. Now he’s settled in. He has a couple of starts under his belt. What makes him even better is the fact that Adam Woods is coming to practice every day, and they’re still competing for the spot,” said Jones. Hunsicker ran ten times for 81 yards versus the (2-3) Falcons. Nick Fiorini chipped in with 44 yards on eight touches. Jones didn’t have any punt returns on Friday, but he did go 43 yards on a kickoff return. Jones has only returned four punts this season. He took three of them to the house! Ten of his touchdowns have come on the ground this year. Starting running back Cleveland Harding has missed three games with injuries. Jones and Harding will be in the backcourt together when basketball season arrives. For now, they’re focused on Saturday’s rivalry game at Gov. Mifflin. The Mustangs beat the Bulldogs 42-14 a season ago.

Cam Jones-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 20:15:00 +0000

With Cleveland Harding out due to an ankle injury, Cam Jones got the chance to play running back at Central Dauphin. The all-state selection made the most of the opportunity. The 5’11, 185-pound senior ran for 122 yards on 13 carries in Wilson’s 17-10 win last Friday. Jones provided a spark in the third quarter with a 53-yard touchdown run. The play was designed to go up the middle, but the Rams got penetration and Jones bounced it outside. “Brady Kline ran like 30-35 yards to block the safety which is unheard of from a tight end, and that helped me get to the end zone,” he said. Kline is a promising 210-pound sophomore who started a season ago. Jones prefers playing wide receiver, but he had fun at running back. The Holy Cross commit replied, “I enjoyed it a lot. It was just a role change that I had to play. I’m open to play any position. I feel like I can play them all.” Jones finished the 2021 campaign with 29 combined carries and receptions. He had 16 against Central Dauphin including three catches. Tommy Hunsicker went 9-of-15 for 127 yards and a 26-yard TD strike to Eddie Case. Jones believes the size of Case and 6’2 junior Austin Valukevich gives the (1-1) Bulldogs an advantage in the passing game. Wilson hosts Martin Luther King from Philadelphia this week before traveling to Reading. The Red Knights are back in Section 1 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League after the merger with the Berks Football League. Jones knows a lot of Reading’s players. He has battled Ruben Rodriguez and Amier Burdine on the basketball court several times. “It’ll be good to kind of show them what Wilson football is all about. It’ll be fun,” Jones said. The Bulldogs are riding a 14-game league winning streak. They own a record 28 Section 1 championships in the L-L League. It’s early in the season so Jones hasn’t thought about playing his final games at John Gurski Stadium. He remarked, “If I started to think about it, it could get a little overwhelming and emotional. Playing at Gurski is like no other; walking out in front of all the fans is like no other.” Wilson hasn’t had a losing season since 1963, the year before John Gurski took over as head coach in West Lawn. Jones is an electrifying kick returner and elite cornerback. He took a punt back 77 yards for a score in the opener versus Roman Catholic. Last year, he had a whopping seven kick return touchdowns! Jones told me why he thought Holy Cross was the best fit for him. “When I took my visit, it was just a loving environment from the head coach all the way down to the last man on the roster. It reminded me just like here at Wilson. The energy in the weight room was amazing,” he noted. Before heading off to college, Jones and the Bulldogs are hoping to reach the District 3 playoffs for the 30th time in school history. Wilson has captured seven District 3 titles.

Cam Jones-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Wed, 27 Jul 2022 08:33:00 +0000

Cam Jones still doesn’t know why teams kick the football to him. “That’s a good question,” he said with a big smile. The rising senior at Wilson made opponents pay a hefty toll for kicking to him last season. Jones averaged a whopping 47.1 yards on kickoff returns with a long of 91 and three touchdowns. The Class 6A all-state selection piled up 486 yards on 17 punt returns (28.6) with a long of 74 yards and four scores. The 5’11, 185-pound DB/WR gave a lot of credit to his blockers and the schemes devised by head coach Doug Dahms. Jones has narrowed his college options down to four schools. We discussed what stands out to him about Army, Navy, Holy Cross, and Richmond. Jones told me that he will make a decision before the high school season starts on August 26th. Academics was definitely a factor when announcing his final four choices. He said, “What my mom has been telling me is one day you have to hang the cleats up so you got to have the education to have your back.” Jones is a highlight waiting to happen on both sides of the ball. He finished with twelve combined touchdowns for the (9-4, 5-0) Bulldogs in 2021. Jones is quick and shifty with a rare ability to make people miss. He averaged 8 yards per carry on 21 touches with three touchdowns. Jones reached the end zone twice on his eight catches (16.9 yards/reception). He’ll be working with a new quarterback this year. Brad Hoffman graduated after running for 1,080 yards and twelve scores. He threw for 846 yards with eleven touchdowns and nine picks. Jones talked about who’s in the mix to take over for Hoffman. College coaches are recruiting Jones as a cornerback. He made 37 tackles (5.5 TFL) and one interception as a junior. Wilson captured its 28th Section 1 championship in the Lancaster-Lebanon League. The Bulldogs have put together 46 consecutive winning seasons. They reached the District 3-6A final last year before falling to Harrisburg 14-10. The Section 1 Defensive Back of the Year understands that expectations are always high in West Lawn. He said, “Just know that you’re going to get a team that’s working hard now and will hopefully compete for some championships.” Jones still loves playing hoops as well. The all-division guard had nine points in a 38-26 victory over Gov. Mifflin in the West Reading League quarterfinals on Tuesday. He averaged a team-high twelve points last season. Jones emphasized that basketball helps him to stay in shape for football season. He takes pride in being a multi-sport athlete. Expect to hear a lot about Jones once again this fall. Good luck to the opponents that opt to kick him the ball.

Cam Burr-Muhlenberg

Paul Roberts — Wed, 18 May 2022 22:15:00 +0000

Cam Burr won’t forget the past 48 hours for a long time. The sophomore third baseman was the winning pitcher and drove in three runs in the Berks County semifinals against Exeter. Burr came up big again in the BCIAA championship versus Oley Valley on Wednesday night. He went 2-for-3 with a walk. The speedy leadoff hitter scored three runs and knocked in another as the second-seeded Muhls defeated the eighth-seeded Lynx 11-3. It’s Muhlenberg’s second county title since 2018 and 13th overall. Seven different players in the Muhls’ lineup had at least one RBI for the second straight day. They put up 30 runs in three playoff games. Burr explained why they’re such a dangerous offensive ball club. He loves setting the tone at the top of the order. Oley Valley had a chance to strike first, but Brad Coley struck out Ty Yerger with the bases loaded to end the top of the first. Burr scored on a sacrifice fly by Luis Beato and Jacob Rodriguez provided a 2-out, RBI single to left in the bottom of the first. The (19-2) Muhls erupted for five more runs in the second frame off of Yerger. He replaced Luke Macdonald who was taken out after one inning. Macdonald had allowed just two earned runs and 18 hits over 38 innings entering Wednesday. Yerger was charged with seven runs on six hits and three walks in two innings. Burr added an RBI single in the third to give Muhlenberg an 8-2 advantage. The Muhls scored in each of the first four innings. They’re averaging 7.6 runs. Beato had 3RBI including a 2-run single in the second that made it 5-0. Sean Levan was on base all three times with a single, walk, and hit by pitch. He drove in a pair of runs. Sophomore catcher Shane Rosenberry finished 2-for-2 with a walk. Coley limited the (13-8) Lynx to two runs on three hits in five innings. The Alvernia commit struck out six and walked three. The senior southpaw is (4-0) with 70K over 39 innings. Coley has only given up 12 hits all season. Levan tossed the final two innings. Oley Valley picked up an unearned run in the seventh when Muhlenberg made three errors. The Lynx, who had won nine of their last eleven contests, managed only four hits. The Muhls had six seniors in their starting lineup. Burr said, “I love those guys. They’re my brothers for life. I don’t know what we would do without them.” Burr told me that he really enjoys playing at FirstEnergy Stadium. He thanked head coach Brian Kopetsky for having faith in him on Tuesday when Muhlenberg faced #3 seed Exeter. Burr kept the Eagles to three runs in 5.1 innings, and the Muhls prevailed 10-7. Burr talked about what he likes to do in his free time, and who the best video game players are on the team. Muhlenberg will be the top seed in the District 3-5A tournament. Burr noted that they’re a very confident group.

Cam Jones-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Sun, 06 Feb 2022 12:26:00 +0000

Down 50-46 with 1.6 seconds left. Game over, right? Wrong. The Bulldogs pulled off an unbelievable comeback against Methacton on Saturday in West Lawn. Wilson trailed by 14 in the third quarter and by 12 with just over two minutes left. The (14-5) Bulldogs rallied for a 60-56 victory in overtime. Aidan Melograna was fouled with 1.6 seconds to go. The 6’2 junior sank the first free throw and then missed the second on purpose. 6’4 senior Foday Sillah got inside position for the offensive rebound and kicked it out to the left wing where Cam Jones was ready to launch. The junior point guard and all-state football player drilled the game-tying 3-pointer to force overtime. Video footage showed that the ball was out of Jones’ hand with 0.1 seconds on the clock. Cleveland Harding scored seven of Wilson’s ten points in OT. His two free throws with 13 seconds remaining put the Bulldogs up 59-53. After Matt Christian connected on his fifth trey of the afternoon, Ofure Odiale converted 1-2 from the foul line to seal the deal. Odiale, a 6’3 junior, played terrific defense on 6’8 senior Cole Hargrove who’s getting lower-level Division I interest. Hargrove finished with eight points. The (19-2) Warriors went 2-10 from the charity stripe. They were 0-7 in the fourth quarter and overtime. Cam Chilson missed the front end of a pair of 1-and-1 opportunities in the closing seconds of regulation. Harding buried a triple with twenty seconds to go that got the Bulldogs within 50-46. The 5’9 junior poured in 13 of his 15 points after the third period. Jones told me that Harding takes a lot of pressure off of him in the backcourt. Jones gave Sillah credit for being aggressive offensively even with Hargrove patrolling the lane. Sillah ended up with a team-high 17 points including 13 in the second half. Jones picked up his second foul with 2:27 left in the first quarter and sat the rest of the first half. Methacton held Wilson to five points in the second quarter. The Warriors were in front 24-16 at halftime and 37-29 after the third period. Christian came out of the locker room on fire after a scoreless first half. He nailed three triples in the first two and a-half minutes of the third quarter to give Methacton a 33-19 edge. Christian had a game-high 19 points. Senior guard Brett Byrne, a three-year starter, chipped in with 14. He made two of the Warriors’ eight 3-pointers. The Bulldogs hit five shots from beyond the arc and went 15-22 from the free throw line. Freshman guard Madyx Gruber scored all seven of his points in the first half. Jones said he knew his game-tying trey was going in as soon as he released it. After his teammates erupted off the bench, Jones reminded them that game wasn’t over. All 14 of his points came in the second half. He stressed that defense was the key to the comeback. Wilson is allowing just 48 points per game. Jones knows that his team will keep fighting until the end. They overcame a 17-point deficit to beat Muhlenberg one month ago. The Bulldogs have won ten of their last eleven games. Jones added that they have a lot of confidence going into Tuesday’s game at Berks Catholic. Saints’ coach Snip Esterly was in attendance for this thriller. Wilson wraps up its regular season schedule on Wednesday at Reading.

Cam Jones-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Wed, 12 Jan 2022 00:17:00 +0000

Cam Jones likes to get his teammates involved early in games. The 5’10 junior point guard knows when to be assertive and look for his own shot. Jones did just that in Wilson’s 51-48 victory over Berks Catholic. The all-state football player scored 17 points in the second half and 21 overall. Jones knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to start the fourth quarter and give the Bulldogs a 41-35 advantage. Jones had ten points in the final period and a team-high eight rebounds. He told me that Wilson’s defense was the difference. The Saints jumped out to a 9-4 lead before the Bulldogs went on an 11-0 run that stretched into the second quarter. Berks Catholic was held nine points below its season average of 57. The Saints trailed 23-19 at halftime and went scoreless for six and a-half minutes of the fourth quarter. Ryan Koch made it interesting by connecting on six 3-pointers including three over the last 1:22 of the game. Jones was very impressed by Koch’s 27-point performance. Berks Catholic got within one point twice in the final 37 seconds thanks to the free throw shooting of junior guard Jack Miller. Aidan Melograna’s breakaway layup in the closing seconds finally sealed it for the (6-4, 2-3) Bulldogs. They struggled at the foul line down the stretch. Wilson was just 6-14 in the fourth quarter and 10-19 overall. The (8-2, 3-2) Saints were 13-16 from the stripe. Junior point guard JayJay Jordan chipped in with twelve points before fouling out with 58 seconds to go. Jones said that the Bulldogs’ bench came up big with 13 points. Melograna, a 6’2 junior, had six. It was a special night in West Lawn. Wilson head coach Matt Coldren set the school record for wins with 363. Reggie Weiss was in attendance to see Coldren break his record. Jones called Coldren one of the best coaches in the state. He’s (363-171) over 21 seasons with four Berks County championships. Coldren guided the Bulldogs to their first District 3 title in 2020. Jones also thanked the Wilson fans for supporting the team after some early struggles. The Bulldogs have rebounded with tough wins over Muhlenberg and Berks Catholic. Wilson hosts Fleetwood on Thursday.

Cam Jones-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Fri, 31 Dec 2021 12:25:00 +0000

Cam Jones was selected to the Class 6A all-state football team. He was named the Defensive Back of the Year in Section 1 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League and had a phenomenal season as a kick returner. The 5’10 junior already has an offer from Army. Jones is also an exciting player on the basketball court. We talked about making the transition from the gridiron to hoops. Jones has more than doubled his scoring output from last season when he helped Wilson win the county championship and reach the District 3 Final. The point guard is averaging a team-high 13 points for the (4-3, 0-2) Bulldogs. Jones knows that Division 1 of the Berks Conference is extremely competitive this year and that’s just how he likes it. Wilson faces Exeter on Monday and Muhlenberg on Thursday. We discussed the matchup with the Eagles. Jones said the Bulldogs need to improve their chemistry and communication skills. He likes what he’s seeing from Foday Sillah. The 6’4 senior forward didn’t play last season. Sillah is second on the team in scoring at ten points per game. Jones gave me his predictions for the college football playoffs. Plus, he mentioned his favorite Christmas gift this year.

Cam Jones-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 19:01:00 +0000

Electric. One word sums up Wilson’s Cam Jones. The 5’11, 165-pound junior is averaging an incredible 36.6 yards on punt returns and 42.3 yards on kickoff returns! Jones has four combined kick return touchdowns. He told me, “I feel like all of them are going to the house.” The Bulldogs’ success on special teams isn’t an accident. Pay attention to what Jones says about how much time they spend on special teams at practice. Jones got an invitation to the Virginia Tech game this weekend. I asked him what it feels like to get attention from a Division I college, and what he needs to improve on to compete at that level. Jones is averaging 7.5 yards on his 13 carries this season. He’s glad to have older brother Jadyn back in the lineup at running back and linebacker. Cam knows that the Bulldogs need to be ready for Cedar Crest MLB/RB Aadyn Richards on Friday. Richards had a “Pick 6” in their 20-13 win over Hempfield last week.