Catholic – Berks Sports Report

Mikey Fidler-Berks Catholic

Paul Roberts — Tue, 27 May 2025 13:00:10 +0000

Bermudian Springs entered the District 3-3A Championship with a lofty .352 team batting average. Six players were hitting over .350 and three had averages of .400 or better. Berks Catholic senior Mikey Fidler shut down the top-seeded Eagles in a 8-0 victory on Monday morning at Penn Medicine Park in Lancaster. “It feels amazing…We wanted this one really bad. We exceeded our goals from the beginning of the season,” said Fidler with a gold medal around his neck. The righty tossed a one-hitter with four strikeouts and only one walk. He mentioned that his fastball, curveball, and changeup all felt really good when he was warming up. The curveball was the key. “I had all three [pitches] working. If I know I have that curveball working, I can get ahead with it,” explained Fidler. He needed just 82 pitches to get through seven frames. Fidler also knocked in the first run of the game with a bases loaded walk in the top of the 3rd. He was 1-for-3 with two runs. Owen Schalk added a two-out, two-run single to center in the 3rd. Dennys Rodriguez made it 4-0 by hammering a RBI double to left-center with two outs in the 5th. That ended the outing for senior Skyler Gentzler. He was charged with four runs on five hits in 4.2 innings. Gentzler (3-1) struck out five and walked a pair. The (19-3) Eagles were searching for their second District 3 title and first since 2010. Their first and only hit was a single by Ayden Knight in the 6th. The (18-7) Saints tacked on four runs, two earned, off Brayden Heller in the 7th. The big blow was a two-run single to center by Rodriguez. The Shepherd commit went 2-for-4 with 3 RBI. “When we have runners on for Dennys and Owen Schalk, big chance they’re gonna have an extra-base hit,” emphasized Fidler. A wild pitch by Heller gave Berks Catholic a 8-0 cushion. Trey Stricker had two hits and scored two runs. Sophomore Cole Harter and Brock Shrawder each went 1-for-3 at the bottom of the order. Berks Catholic finished with eight hits and no errors. Stricker, who’s headed to West Chester, tossed a four-hitter in the semifinals against Trinity. He struck out eight and the third-seeded Saints prevailed 2-1. “We’ve been battling in a ton of close games to get here,” replied Fidler. Berks Catholic claimed its third District 3 championship and first since 2018.

Brandon Shurr-Berks Catholic

Paul Roberts — Tue, 13 May 2025 16:19:02 +0000

It all started with a one-out single by No. 6 hitter Victor Mejia. When the 7th inning rally was over, Berks Catholic had put six runs on the board and taken a 11-6 lead over rival Wyomissing at FirstEnergy Stadium. That would be the final score as the seventh-seeded Saints advanced to the BCIAA Championship for the first time since 2014. “This team has been getting better throughout the year…We kind of figured some things out as a team to put us in a good spot. They’re really executing right now at the right time,” said head coach Brandon Shurr. After Heriel Ramirez reached on an error, sophomore Cole Harter delivered a RBI single to right field to tie it up in the 7th. “Cole had a great hit. Sometimes the bottom of our lineup struggles a little bit, but today they came through,” noted Shurr. No. 9 hitter Brock Shrawder got down a safety squeeze bunt which scored Henry Pflomm for a 7-6 advantage. “We saw that Wyo. wasn’t really up. They weren’t really attacking the baseball. Lefty on the mound, we’re thinking Brock puts a good bunt down. If we execute our part, really hard play to defend,” explained Shurr. Spartans’ relief pitcher Ryan Graham opted to come home with the throw which was late. Trey Stricker, who’s committed to West Chester, followed with a RBI single to make it 8-6. After Mikey Fidler was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Dennys Rodriguez knocked in a run with an infield single. The Shepherd commit went 3-for-4 with 4 RBI. A sacrifice fly to left field by Owen Schalk put Berks Catholic on top 10-6. Aidan Curley drew his third walk of the afternoon which loaded the bases again. Mejia was then hit by a pitch to force in the final run. Wyomissing was attempting to reach the Berks League Final for the first time since 1994. The sixth-seeded Spartans were in front 6-4 after Birkley Ziegler’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 5th. Wyomissing finished with nine hits and left nine men on base. The Saints had seven hits and stranded ten runners. Each team committed three errors. Rodriguez launched a two-run homer to right in the 1st. In the bottom of the inning, Zander Westwood lofted a fly ball down the right field line. Mejia lost it in the sun which allowed three runs to score for the Spartans. Parker LaFerriere made it 4-2 with a sacrifice fly in the 2nd. A single through the left side by Rodriguez allowed Fidler to score all the way from first base in the 3rd. Wyomissing answered with a run in the bottom half. Westwood’s single drove in Teddy White who had tripled. Berks Catholic trailed 5-3 after three innings. A two-out error by the Spartans in the top of the 4th got the Saints within 5-4. Fidler’s RBI groundout to second base in the 6th made it 6-5. Four of Berks Catholic’s seven hits came in the 7th. Wyomissing committed a pair of errors in that inning. Graham allowed six runs, three earned, on four hits over 1.2 innings. The junior walked three and hit two batters. Chase Bailey, another junior, gave up five runs, four earned, on three hits in five innings. He walked seven and also hit two batters. Fidler got the start for the (15-6) Saints, but only lasted two innings. He was charged with five runs, one earned, on six hits and two walks. Shrawder limited the (14-7) Spartans to one run on three hits in three innings of relief. The senior righty struck out three and walked two. Pflomm came through in the clutch for Berks Catholic. The junior tossed two hitless innings to pick up the win. “Those were our two quickest innings. Henry threw a ton of strikes…Henry was great, much needed at the end of that game,” said Shurr. The Saints will battle top-seeded Gov. Mifflin in the BCIAA Championship. Weather permitting, that game is scheduled for 7pm on Tuesday at Owls Field in West Lawn. Berks Catholic is searching for its first county title in baseball.

Dennys Rodriguez-Berks Catholic

Paul Roberts — Sun, 11 May 2025 16:33:29 +0000

Dennys Rodriguez was facing one of the top pitchers in Berks County with the score tied 1-1 in the top of the 7th. The Berks Catholic catcher was sitting on a split-finger fastball from Wilson ace Ben Kulp, and that’s what he got. Rodriguez drilled a sinking line drive to left field for a go-ahead RBI double. The seventh-seeded Saints upset the defending champion Bulldogs 3-1 in the BCIAA quarterfinals at FirstEnergy Stadium. “Ben is a good pitcher. I’ve known Ben, I know what he’s capable of. I knew that I have to shorten up my swing, stay on my back hip, and fire through,” explained Rodriguez. The Shepherd University commit is batting .357 this season with a team-high ten extra-base hits. This was Rodriguez’s seventh double of the year. Wilson sophomore Ryan Marmolejos tried to make a diving catch, but the ball got past him and rolled all the way to the wall. Mikey Fidler scored easily from first base after drawing a one-out walk. Owen Schalk followed Rodriguez with a RBI double down the first base line. The junior outfielder had three hits to bump his average up to .397. Aidan Curley went 1-for-2 with a pair of walks. The junior third baseman put Berks Catholic in front 1-0 with a RBI double to right-center in the 3rd. Trey Stricker (5-0, 0.44) continued his dominant season on the mound. The West Chester commit gave up just one run on four hits over 6.2 innings. Stricker had five strikeouts and one walk while throwing 103 pitches. “Trey was lights out. It’s huge, it’s exciting. Me and Trey have been playing since we were 11-12. We work well together,” said Rodriguez. Stricker has only allowed 48 hits in 67 innings. Fidler got the final out to send the (14-6) Saints to the Berks League semifinals on Monday afternoon. Kulp, who has a 0.80 ERA, surrendered two runs on two hits and a walk in his only inning of work. The 6’2, 215-pound junior has racked up 50 strikeouts in 35 frames this spring. He took over for Jack Gabel. The junior limited Berks Catholic to one run on five hits in 5.1 innings. Gabel, who’s already committed to West Chester, struck out six and walked three. Christo Hunsicker got the first two outs when the game started on Thursday night at Muhlenberg. It was suspended due to rain in the first inning. The (13-7) Bulldogs opted to go with Gabel on Saturday evening and he pitched well despite not getting a decision. Hunsicker hammered a triple that took one bounce and hit the wall in left-center in the 4th. The Millersville commit scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Alex Ernesto. The Saints had runners thrown out at home plate and third base. Another runner was picked off second in the 6th following a leadoff double by sophomore Heriel Ramirez. They were able to overcome the adversity and get revenge for a 7-2 loss to Wilson in the BCIAA quarterfinals last year. Next up for Berks Catholic is a date with rival Wyomissing. They square off at 3:30pm on Monday at FirstEnergy Stadium. The sixth-seeded Spartans are (14-6). “We’re looking forward to that one…We lost to them last time we played them and now we’re ready to go. We’re excited,” remarked Rodriguez.

Derek Macrina-Wyomissing

Paul Roberts — Thu, 01 May 2025 15:26:10 +0000

Derek Macrina knows all about Wyomissing’s rivalry with Berks Catholic from his football playing days. “It’s that game you circle on your calendar. You gotta beat them,” said Macrina. The Spartans’ senior center fielder will continue his football career at Dickinson. He was in the middle of a thrilling 5-2 victory over the Saints in eight innings. It was the first game of the Berks County High School Baseball Showcase at Owls Field in West Lawn. The event continues with two games on Friday and three more on Saturday. Wyomissing prevented Berks Catholic from clinching the Division 3 championship on Wednesday. The (13-5, 9-3) Spartans hold a-half game lead over the (12-6, 8-3) Saints. Berks Catholic plays its final league game on Friday against Schuylkill Valley. If the Saints win, the division title will be decided by their District 3 power rankings. As of Thursday morning, Wyomissing (.631) had a slight edge over Berks Catholic (.610). The division champion automatically earns a spot in the BCIAA playoffs.

The Spartans got an unearned run in the top of the 1st after the Saints started the game with consecutive errors on ground balls. Noah Rauenzahn provided a RBI groundout to third base to help himself. The junior allowed two runs on four hits over six innings. Mikey Fidler also did a terrific job on the mound. The senior limited Wyomissing to one unearned run on three hits in six innings. Fidler (2-0, 1.88) struck out five, walked three, and hit a batter. The Spartans entered the day with a lofty .364 team batting average. Trey Stricker led off the bottom of the 1st with a triple to right-center. The West Chester commit and standout pitcher is hitting a team-high .468 this season. A sacrifice fly to center by Fidler made it 1-1. Victor Mejia put Berks Catholic in front 2-1 with a sacrifice fly to right field in the bottom of the 2nd. Aidan Curley, who had doubled to left, came in to score. The Saints, however, were shutout for the last six innings. Wyomissing had a chance to tie the game in the top of the 6th. Cole Sensenig, who’s committed to Eastern University, hit a two-out single through the middle. Berks Catholic junior center fielder Dom Valent threw out a runner at the plate to keep the Saints on top. Henry Pflomm took over on the mound for Berks Catholic in the 7th. Fidler, who threw 87 pitches, gave up two hits and a walk in the 6th. After a single by Macrina, sophomore Parker LaFerriere ripped a RBI double to deep left field to even things up at 2-2. “He has a really good swing and he’s really dedicated to the game of baseball. He’s got a lot of guts and he’s not afraid,” noted Macrina who scored the tying run. LaFerriere has a .455 batting average this year with seven doubles. Sophomores Teddy White and Zander Westwood opened the top of the 8th with singles. Brock Shrawder replaced Pflomm on the hill for the Saints. He walked Sensenig to load the bases with nobody out. Dan Noey, the No. 8 hitter, was then hit in the face by a pitch which brought in the go-ahead run. Macrina followed with a two-run bloop single down the right field line. “He jammed me a little bit. I got a little bit lucky. The game gives and takes and I got lucky,” he replied. Shrawder struck out three of the next four batters as the Spartans left the bases loaded. Ryan Graham got the win in relief. The junior southpaw tossed two hitless innings with two strikeouts and no walks. Graham lowered his ERA to 3.36 over 16.2 innings with 17 strikeouts. He went 1-for-3 at the plate and was intentionally walked twice. Graham leads the club with a .524 batting average. Macrina and White had two hits apiece. Wyomissing finished with eight hits and one error. The Saints managed just four hits and committed four errors. Pflomm was charged with three runs on four hits and a walk in 1+ innings. Meanwhile, the Spartans extended their winning streak to four under first-year head coach Nick Wojciechowski. “All season we’ve had that drive to never quit…Sometimes it’s not great to start slow, but as long as you finish and get the job done, that’s all that matters,” said Macrina.

Trey Stricker-Berks Catholic

Paul Roberts — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 13:05:18 +0000

Last spring, Berks Catholic qualified for the BCIAA baseball playoffs for the first time since 2018. The Saints lost 7-2 to Wilson in the first round. They then came up short at James Buchanan 10-8 in the District 3 quarterfinals. Despite a (16-5, 11-1) record, the season ended abruptly. Berks Catholic is looking to go a lot further this year. “I think the squad we have this year can make a really deep run. I believe in every single one of them that’s out there,” said Trey Stricker. The senior pitcher and second baseman is doing his part on the mound and at the plate. Stricker (1-0, 0.27) has 43 strikeouts in 26.1 innings. He’s allowed just 14 hits. The West Chester commit is throwing in the high-80s. The cutter is his favorite pitch. Stricker is working on a changeup to go along with his slider and curveball. He’s also carrying a .432 batting average through eleven games. The (8-3) Saints are hitting .340 as a team. The reigning Division 3 champs have won six of their last seven contests. They got past Oley Valley 3-2 on Monday. Mikey Fidler scored the go-ahead run from second base when the catcher’s pickoff throw went into center field in the 7th. Fidler had two hits and tossed 2.1 innings of scoreless relief. “He has been a huge player for us. He’s a phenomenal kid, a great teammate, always there for everyone. He came up huge,” replied Stricker. Fidler leads Berks Catholic with 21 runs and seven stolen bases. The senior is hitting .424 with a .525 on-base percentage. Owen Schalk provided a pair of hits and two RBI against the Lynx. The junior outfielder has a lofty .459 batting average with a team-high 25 RBI and six extra-base hits. “Good bat to ball skills, he’s hard to get out,” noted Stricker. Shepherd commit Dennys Rodriguez is hitting .407 with four doubles and a 1.106 OPS. Rodriguez and Stricker were All-Division picks a season ago. Aidan Curley has done a nice job on the mound. The junior is (2-1) with a 0.64 ERA. Curley has struck out thirteen over eleven frames. The Saints dropped down from Class 4A to 3A this year. They’re currently third in the District 3 power rankings, just ahead of Kutztown and Wyomissing. Stricker is looking forward to competing in the PSAC. West Chester won Division II national titles in 2012 and 2017. The Rams have made twenty appearances in the NCAA Tournament. “Winning culture, they want to win. They want to do the best that they can and I think that means a lot to a player like me,” said Stricker.

Snip Esterly-Berks Catholic

Paul Roberts — Fri, 28 Mar 2025 12:41:48 +0000

For 24 minutes, Berks Catholic stayed right with one of the top teams in the mighty Philadelphia Catholic League. The Saints trailed Devon Prep 38-36 entering the fourth quarter of the PIAA-4A championship on Thursday night at the Giant Center. Then Berks Catholic got cold, ice cold. The District 3 champions were 1-of-12 from the field and 0-for-6 from beyond the arc over the final eight minutes. The Tide outscored the Saints 17-3 in the fourth quarter for a 55-39 victory. “It wasn’t our night offensively. We had some good looks, but we turned the ball over way too many times. You can’t do that against a team like that,” said longtime head coach Snip Esterly. Berks Catholic shot 33% overall and finished 6-of-24 from long range. The (25-6) Saints committed 14 turnovers in their first appearance in the state finals. They went scoreless for nearly six minutes in the final period. While a lot of the pregame talk surrounded Devon Prep’s frontcourt of 6’7 Reece Craft and 6’5 Zane Conlon, the Tide’s backcourt was the difference. Mason Thear, a 6’ senior who averaged 11 ppg., scored a game-high 17 points. Thear sank three of his five 3-point attempts and added seven rebounds. Calvin Smith, a 6’3 sharpshooter, provided 13 points and hit three triples. Devon Prep shot 43% from the field and went 6-for-15 from downtown. The Tide rattled off the first twelve points of the fourth quarter. Thear drilled a trey from the top of the key and Smith followed with a 3-pointer from the left wing. They gave Devon Prep a 46-36 advantage with 4:49 remaining. Conlon, who’s older brother Joey played at Berks Catholic, provided nine points. Craft and Shane Doyle chipped in with eight points apiece. Doyle also contributed defensively with four steals. The 6’3 senior guard has strong ties to Berks County. His mother graduated from Central Catholic and his father attended Holy Name. Doyle’s grandparents also went to Central Catholic and his cousin, Matt Ashcroft, helped the Cardinals win a PIAA title in 2007. The (23-4) Tide earned their third state crown in four years. They claimed Class 3A championships in 2022 and 2024. Kingston McKoy led the Saints with 16 points and a dozen rebounds. The All-State guard buried a 3-pointer from the top of the key and scored in transition in the last 35 seconds of the second quarter. The 6’2 junior pulled Berks Catholic within 28-25 at halftime. “We just can’t rely on Kingston. We gotta make sure we get more scoring,” noted Esterly. He mentioned that Devon Prep’s balanced offensive attack was the difference. The Tide were in front 18-10 after the opening quarter. They ended up 9-of-11 from the free throw line, while the Saints went 1-for-2. Carmelo Harper, a promising freshman guard, had nine points off Berks Catholic’s bench. Zach Suski, the lone senior in their starting lineup, scored five points. “Zach made himself a nice little player. I can’t say enough about Zach. He played his heart out all year,” emphasized Esterly. After losing four starters from a season ago, the Saints won their sixth District 3 title and reached uncharted territory in the PIAA tournament. “They gave us a nice ride. It was a privilege to be able to coach these young guys. They’re pretty special,” remarked Esterly.

Saints are going against the Tide

Paul Roberts — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 14:25:57 +0000

The Berks Catholic boys basketball team will try to make history on Thursday night at the Giant Center in Hershey. In the 14th season since Holy Name and Central Catholic merged, the Saints have advanced to the state championship game for the first time. They will take on Devon Prep, the top seed from District 12, at 8pm in the PIAA-4A Final.

Over his 36 years as a head coach, Snip Esterly has always made defense a priority and this year’s squad is no different. Berks Catholic is allowing just 45.4 points per game during the District 3 and PIAA playoffs. The (25-5) Saints have won seven straight games since falling to Reading 48-41 in the BCIAA semifinals at Santander Arena. Berks Catholic rallied from a five point deficit in the fourth quarter to top North Catholic 67-59 last Friday in the semifinals. The Saints held the Trojans to eight points over the final six and a-half minutes. Berks Catholic got past Scranton Prep 51-47 in the second round before defeating Sharon 67-58 in the quarterfinals. This is the Saints’ 11th appearance in the PIAA tournament. They’re (9-10) overall in the state playoffs. Esterly guided Central Catholic to a state title in 2007. He has 840 career wins and 15 District 3 championships on his resume. The Saints hammered Eastern York 67-44 in the District 3-4A Final one month ago.

Berks Catholic is led by 6’2 junior guard Kingston McKoy. He was a third team All-State selection a season ago. McKoy is providing 21.6 ppg., along with a team-high 61 triples. After pouring in 24 points against North Catholic, McKoy is up to 1,039 for his career. He’s also an elite defender. Zach Suski, the Saints’ quarterback in the fall, is averaging 13 ppg. with 31 treys. Carmelo Harper and Bryce Gumby have come up big off the bench this postseason. Harper, a soft-spoken 5’10 freshman, scored 17 points in the state quarterfinals versus Sharon. He followed up that performance with 13 points in the semifinals. Gumby set a career-high with 19 points in the thrilling victory over North Catholic. Eleven of his points came in the fourth quarter. Berks Catholic remains without 6’2 junior forward Gavin Welker. He’s ineligible after transferring from Daniel Boone.

The Saints’ frontcourt will be tested by Devon Prep. Reece Craft is putting up 16 points and 7 rebounds a night. The 6’7 Swarthmore College commit was a third team All-State pick in Class 3A last year. Zane Conlon was chosen for the first team. The 6’5 senior is contributing 16 points and 9 rebounds per game this season. He’s headed to Southeastern University, a NAIA school in Florida. Conlon is very familiar with Berks Catholic’s program. His older brother, Joey, played for the Saints. Craft and Conlon combined for 51 points in their 64-44 semifinal win over Valley View. The Tide’s closest game in the state tournament came in the opening round when they eliminated Bishop McDevitt 77-63. They blew out District 1 champ Bishop Shanahan 64-40 in the quarterfinals. Mason Thear (11 ppg.) and Calvin Smith (10 ppg.) are part of an offensive attack that averages 65 points per contest. Smith is their top threat from beyond the arc.

Shane Doyle, a 6’3 senior, has a wealth of connections to the Reading area. His mom and grandparents attended Central Catholic. His father, Jim, is a Holy Name graduate. Doyle’s cousins, Matt and Justin Ashcroft, both played for Coach Esterly at Central Catholic. Matt was a key piece of the Cardinals’ 2007 state championship team. He later served as an assistant under Esterly before becoming the head coach at Exeter. Doyle dishes out six assists per game to go along with nine points.

The top five scorers for Devon Prep are all seniors. This is a very experienced group. The Tide claimed PIAA-3A crowns in 2022 and 2024. They knocked off Franklin Area 60-56 in last year’s state final. Jason Fisher was named the Coach of the Year in Class 3A a season ago. He was an outstanding player at the University of Scranton, scoring more than 1,500 career points. Devon Prep is (27-15) all-time in the PIAA playoffs. The Tide have a (22-4) mark this year. Two of those losses were at the hands of Roman Catholic, a state finalist in Class 6A.

Bryce Gumby-Berks Catholic

Paul Roberts — Sat, 22 Mar 2025 12:09:08 +0000

Bryce Gumby didn’t play basketball for Berks Catholic a season ago. He wanted to focus on football. Gumby opted to return to the court this year and that decision helped the Saints reach the state championship game. “I’m ecstatic. I was second-guessing myself at the end of football season. I’m very happy I did,” said Gumby with a smile from ear to ear. The 5’11 senior erupted for a career-high 19 points off the bench on Friday night. Berks Catholic defeated North Catholic 67-59 in the PIAA-4A semifinals at James Buchanan High School. The (25-5) Saints will face Devon Prep on Thursday, March 27 at 8pm at the Giant Center. Berks Catholic reached the state finals for the first time, but it wasn’t easy. The (22-7) Trojans led 51-46 with six and a-half minutes left. Gumby, who’s averaging 3.7 points per game, drilled a 3-pointer from the corner to make it 51-50 with just over six minutes remaining. Carmelo Harper hit a triple from the left wing to put the Saints on top 55-53 with 4:40 to go. The 5’10 freshman provided 13 points after entering early in the first quarter. Berks Catholic coach Snip Esterly went with a smaller lineup to match North Catholic which starts five guards. Harper had six points in the fourth quarter when the Saints outscored the Trojans 23-to-12. “He has a very bright future. He’s gonna be great. He played a big role in this game,” noted Gumby. Harper also came up big in the state quarterfinals with 17 points against Sharon. Kingston McKoy sank a pair of free throws to give Berks Catholic a 59-57 edge with 1:47 to play. The 6’2 junior guard poured in a game-high 24 points. Zach Suski fed Gumby for a fast break layup to make it 61-57 with 40 seconds left. Jude Rottman, who scored 28 points in the quarterfinals, missed a 3-pointer from the left wing on the ensuing possession. Gumby then converted two foul shots for a 63-57 advantage with 28 seconds remaining. He jammed eleven points into the fourth quarter while going 6-for-8 from the stripe. “My mind just clears. I just focus and hit the shots,” replied Gumby about his free throw shooting. He also made half of the Saints’ six treys. Berks Catholic was 15-for-20 from the foul line. The District 3 champions were 11-of-14 over the last eight minutes. The Trojans went 10-for-13 from the stripe and connected five times from beyond the arc. Jason Fredericks finished with a team-high 20 points. The 6’ junior came out on fire with a dozen points in the opening quarter. Fredericks scored 49 combined points in the first two rounds of the PIAA playoffs. Owen Maddalon added 17 points. The 6’4 senior is committed to Allegheny College. All of Joe Waskiewicz’s twelve points came in the second half. His triple from the top of the key put North Catholic in front 40-38 with two and a-half minutes to go in the third quarter. A 3-pointer by Rottmann made it 44-39 one minute later. That capped a 19-to-6 run by the Trojans. They were down 33-25 early in the third period following a three-point play by Suski. The 6’ senior forward chipped in with nine points despite being in foul trouble. Suski got his third foul with nearly seven minutes left in the second quarter. The Saints were up 16-11 before North Catholic ended the first quarter with seven straight points. Berks Catholic outscored the Trojans 12-to-4 in the second period. The Saints went to halftime with a 28-22 lead. McKoy had seven points in the second quarter, but the All-State guard was called for an offensive foul with 32 seconds before the break. It was his third foul of the game. Brady Altimar concluded the third quarter with a layup at the buzzer. The 5’9 junior pulled Berks Catholic within 47-44. Gumby gave credit to North Catholic for battling for all 32 minutes. “They fought the entire game. I gotta tip my hat to them,” he said. The Trojans made their 27th appearance in the PIAA playoffs since 1975. The Saints, however, dominated in bench points. They outscored North Catholic 32-to-2 in that department, thanks largely to a football player who decided to give basketball another shot.

McKoy and Stewart Approaching Milestones

Paul Roberts — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 13:59:28 +0000

A pair of Berks County basketball standouts are approaching milestones. Wyomissing senior Amaya Stewart enters tonight with 1,879 career points. The 6’1 Albany commit needs eight points to break Rachel Hoffman’s school record. Hoffman is the Spartans’ girls soccer head coach. She has guided them to four District 3 championships in the past five years. Stewart is averaging 19 points per game this season. She’s a three-time Berks County Player of the Year selection. Wyomissing takes on Neumann-Goretti in the second round of the PIAA-4A playoffs. They get underway at 7:30pm at Spring-Ford. These squads met in the same round last year with the Spartans prevailing 62-52. They raced out to a 24-8 advantage. However, Neumann-Goretti stormed back and took a 44-41 lead early in the fourth quarter. Stewart dominated in the paint with 33 points and 11 rebounds. Wyomissing is (24-4) after beating Nazareth Academy 59-43 in the opening round on Saturday. The Saints defeated Archbishop Carroll 50-43 for the Philadelphia Catholic League title.

Berks Catholic junior Kingston McKoy is closing in on 1,000 career points. The All-State guard stands at 992 points after scoring 16 last night in a tense 51-47 victory over Scranton Prep. The (23-5) Saints are marching on to the PIAA-4A quarterfinals. They will battle District 10 runner-up Sharon on Friday. McKoy is putting up 21.5 ppg. this season. He has knocked down 58 triples and is also an elite defender. McKoy was voted the Berks County Player of the Year. He erupted for 29 points in the District 3 Championship against Eastern York. Berks Catholic blew out the Golden Knights 67-44 at the Giant Center. McKoy was limited to 14 games a season ago after suffering a broken tibia on January 23.

Zach Suski-Berks Catholic

Paul Roberts — Sat, 08 Mar 2025 05:30:34 +0000

Zach Suski gets to see Kingston McKoy every day at practice. He knows how hard McKoy works on his craft. “When practice is over, he’s getting extra 3s up, extra foul shots. He’s a great leader, great motivator. I’m happy to play with him,” said Suski. McKoy nearly outscored Simon Gratz by himself in the first round of the PIAA-4A playoffs. The 6’2 junior guard poured in 30 points in a 61-36 rout of the Bulldogs at Lloyd Wolf Gymnasium. “We’re really confident. We’re hoping to make a great push in the state tournament,” stated Suski. The 6’ forward provided 14 points. He’s the only senior in Berks Catholic’s starting lineup. “A little sad it’s the last time I’ll be playing here, but I’m happy that we’re moving on,” he explained. The (22-5) Saints had a slow start against the 2-3 zone utilized by Simon Gratz. The #5 seed from District 12 led 9-4 before Berks Catholic scored the final eight points of the quarter. McKoy opened the second period with a 3-pointer from the top of the key. On the Saints’ next possession, he converted a three-point play for a 18-9 advantage. McKoy’s putback made it 22-9 with 6:11 left in the first half. The (20-7) Bulldogs were scoreless for the first four minutes of the second quarter. Berks Catholic went on a 20-to-0 run to seize control. “We’ve been playing great defensively all playoffs,” noted Suski. The Saints allowed just 39.3 points per game during the District 3-4A playoffs. They earned their sixth District 3 championship in fourteen years. On Friday night, Berks Catholic held Simon Gratz to 13 points in the middle quarters. The Saints were on top 33-16 at halftime after a layup by McKoy with two seconds remaining on the clock. He had 18 points at the break. Berks Catholic expanded its margin to 47-22 after the third period. McKoy hit two of his four triples in the fourth quarter. The Saints connected six times from beyond the arc, while the Bulldogs made four treys. Carmelo Harper (six points) and Bryce Gumby combined for eleven points off Berks Catholic’s bench. The Saints ended up 7-for-12 from the free throw line and committed just three turnovers. Simon Gratz finished 8-for-12 from the stripe. Senior Rashaan Murphy, a 6’3 lefty forward, had a team-high eleven points. Nasir Mackley, another 6’3 senior, chipped in with ten points. Sihaaj “Pop” Johnson was held to six points on a pair of 3-pointers in the first half. He was the Player of the Year in the Liberty Division of the Philadelphia Public League. Berks Catholic will meet District 2 runner-up Scranton Prep in the second round on Tuesday. The Cavaliers blew out Northwestern Lehigh 75-48 in the opening round. “Anybody that comes to play us, we’re ready to play them,” said Suski.