champions – 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.

Aden Reiter-Gov. Mifflin

Paul Roberts — Thu, 15 May 2025 14:01:07 +0000

If you follow the Gov. Mifflin baseball team, you know all about Bryce Detwiler, Ethan Grim, Travis Jenkins, and Matt Koehler. You may not be familiar with Aden Reiter. The 5’5 junior plays shortstop and hits in the No. 9 hole when Detwiler is on the mound. He can be overlooked in a star-studded lineup that includes three Division I players. Reiter’s two-out, RBI single to right field helped the Mustangs break the BCIAA Championship Game open in the 4th inning. “I was looking for a fastball my first at-bat. I missed the fastball and I really wanted to hunt the fastball my second at-bat,” explained Reiter. Berks Catholic ace Trey Stricker was trying to get out of a jam and keep the score 2-1. After a walk and a single, Stricker struck out the next two batters. Reiter, however, didn’t let him off the hook. His single brought home Koehler for a 3-1 advantage. Gov. Mifflin ended up with four runs in the 4th and cruised to a 11-1 victory in six innings. The (22-1) Mustangs claimed their 16th Berks League title. Last year, they lost to Wilson 10-3 in the BCIAA Final. “It really motivated us. It lit a fire,” emphasized Reiter. After his single, Detwiler was walked intentionally which loaded the bases. Branson Adams was hit by a pitch to make it 4-1. Jenkins and Grim drew consecutive walks and the lead quickly became 6-1. Stricker, who held Wilson to one run over 6.2 innings in Saturday’s quarterfinal, gave up six runs in 3.2 innings on Wednesday night at Owls Field. The West Chester commit allowed four hits, four walks, and hit two batters. He entered the game with a (5-0) record and an eye-popping 0.44 ERA over 48 innings this season. Sophomore lefty Cole Harter tossed 1.1 innings of scoreless relief, but Gov. Mifflin erupted for five runs off Brock Shrawder in the 6th. Jenkins delivered a sacrifice fly to left for a 7-1 edge. The senior catcher, who’s headed to Canisius, was 1-for-1 with 2 RBI. Billy Angstadt then walked with the bases juiced. Sean Kelly was brought in from the bullpen and walked pinch-hitter Jaden Smith. Joe Murray, another pinch-hitter, followed with a two-run double to right field to end it. Detwiler went the distance for the Mustangs. The UConn commit limited the (15-7) Saints to three hits. Detwiler struck out seven and walked none. “He always goes out there and does great. He’s a dog,” said Reiter. Grim put top-seeded Gov. Mifflin in front 2-0 with a single to center in the bottom of the 1st. “It felt great because we could go out on defense and relax and make plays,” noted Reiter. Grim, a Virginia Tech commit, went 2-for-3 with a run and 3 RBI. Adams and Angstadt each added a hit and scored two runs apiece. The Mustangs finished with eight hits. Berks Catholic handed out ten walks. The seventh-seeded Saints were searching for their first Berks County championship. Junior outfielder Owen Schalk was 2-for-2. He scored their lone run on Victor Mejia’s sacrifice fly to center in the 2nd inning. Both teams are headed to the District 3 playoffs. Gov. Mifflin has moved up to Class 6A this year. After winning their third BCIAA crown in five seasons, the Mustangs will get a bye in the opening round of the District 3-6A tournament. They will host either #8 Northeastern or #9 Mechanicsburg in the quarterfinals on Monday at 4:30pm. Berks Catholic is home against Littlestown in the District 3-3A quarterfinals on Monday. First pitch is at 4:30pm.

Chris Hole-Gov. Mifflin

Paul Roberts — Sat, 26 Apr 2025 15:05:12 +0000

Gov. Mifflin and Hempfield squared off in a battle of defending state champions on Friday night. If that wasn’t enough, both teams were undefeated and it was Hall of Fame night in Shillington. “I don’t think we’ve ever been part of a bigger regular season game, definitely an intriguing matchup,” said Mustangs’ head coach Chris Hole. Camden Hulock drilled a 3-run homer to left in the 9th and the Black Knights held on for a thrilling 3-2 victory. Gov. Mifflin left 13 runners on base. “We just didn’t capitalize and that’s baseball,” noted Hole. Ethan Grim put on a show for the MLB scouts in attendance. The hard-throwing Virginia Tech commit struck out the first five batters he faced. Grim finished with 14 strikeouts and one walk over seven innings. The 6’1, 195-pound righty only allowed one hit. “He’s incredible, just incredible. He threw every pitch that Travis [Jenkins] called beautifully. He had his slider working, his change, his curve. He kept a fantastic hitting team off-balance,” emphasized Hole. Hempfield entered the contest with a .344 team batting average. Grim has piled up a staggering 56 strikeouts in 28 innings this season. Brody Gebhard (2-0, 0.61) was also outstanding on the mound. The senior limited the (16-1) Mustangs to three hits over six frames. He struck out five, walked two, and hit two batters. Gebhard is no stranger to big games. He went the distance in the PIAA-6A Championship last year. The Black Knights defeated La Salle College High School 3-2 for their first state title. Gov. Mifflin also earned its first state championship a season ago. The Mustangs beat Hollidaysburg 2-1 in the PIAA-5A Final. Gov. Mifflin had men on second and third with one out in the 3rd when Grim hit a grounder to third base. Dylan Jackson knocked the ball down and threw out Bryce Detwiler at the plate. Hempfield catcher Josh Toole, a Coastal Carolina commit, was shaken up, but stayed in the game. Matt Koehler grounded out to first base to end the threat. Southpaw Jonathan O’Maille (4-0, 0.88) took over for Gebhard after the 6th. Billy Angstadt and Dylan Barrett provided back-to-back singles with one out in the 7th. O’Maille got two pop outs to keep it scoreless. The Mustangs loaded the bases with two outs in the 8th. O’Maille struck out Angstadt to keep the (14-0) Black Knights in it. In the top of the 9th, Brayden Hostetter and Toole drew walks from Jenkins with two outs. Hulock then ripped a 3-run shot to left field. It was only the second hit all night for Hempfield. Jenkins had four strikeouts and two walks over the final two innings. Gov. Mifflin added to the drama in the bottom of the 9th. The Mustangs loaded the bases with one out. Jenkins hit a RBI groundout to second for their first run. After Grim was intentionally walked to load the bases, Koehler drew a walk to make it 3-2. Designated hitter Cam Zurawski struck out to end the marathon. “So proud of our boys, the way that they battled to the very end. Credit to Hempfield as well…two great teams going at it and couldn’t ask for more,” stated Hole. O’Maille gave up two runs on four hits and five walks in three innings. He struck out four and picked up the win in relief. Detwiler, a UConn commit, delivered three of Gov. Mifflin’s seven hits. “He stays very balanced up there. He doesn’t try to do too much. He’s a lot like Tyler Minick. He recognizes what pitchers are going to do to him,” explained Hole. Minick is having a big season at UConn. He leads the team with 14 HR, 47 RBI, and a .364 batting average. Koehler went 1-for-3 with a pair of walks. Barrett was 1-for-3 and reached base twice. The Mustangs travel to rival Wilson on Monday afternoon. “It’s Wilson, they’ll be focused,” replied Hole. Ed Williamson, Dan Batz, Steve Murray, and current assistant coach Kurt Henry were recognized on the field before Friday’s game. They make up the inaugural class of the Gov. Mifflin Baseball Hall of Fame.

Kingston McKoy-Berks Catholic

Paul Roberts — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 04:10:19 +0000

Eastern York had to feel like it was getting hit by a tidal wave. One 3-pointer after another after another rained down on the Golden Knights in the first quarter of the District 3-4A Championship. Berks Catholic splashed its first six shots from beyond the arc. The top-seeded Saints raced out to a 22-6 advantage and cruised to a 67-44 victory. “We came out hungry. We wanted to play this game really bad,” emphasized Kingston McKoy. The 6’2 junior broke his tibia last January and missed the postseason. He had to watch as Eastern York defeated Berks Catholic 51-44 in the District 3 semifinals at Lloyd Wolf Gymnasium. McKoy exploded for 29 points against the second-seeded Golden Knights on Thursday. “I think it shows what would’ve happened last year,” replied the All-State guard. McKoy jammed 14 points into the opening quarter. The (21-5) Saints were up 28-10 after eight minutes. Zach Suski came out on fire as well. He hit three triples in the first quarter. “He knows his role. He knows we need him on the offensive side. He shoots it with confidence. I love him,” said McKoy. Eleven of Suski’s 19 points came in the first period. Berks Catholic made its first nine shots from the field and didn’t commit a turnover until the 6:31 mark of the second quarter. The Saints put on a clinic in Hershey. Eastern York trailed 41-26 at halftime. The (21-5) Golden Knights, who claimed their fourth District 3 crown a season ago, pulled within eleven points in the third quarter. McKoy scored eleven consecutive points for Berks Catholic as the Saints built their cushion back to 52-35. Eastern York, which was averaging 58 points per game, was down 56-37 after the third period. Carter Wamsley, a 6’7 Gannon commit, finished with 21 points. “He’s a great player. He’s a smart player. He’s a big body. He gets to the foul line a lot,” noted McKoy. Wamsley was 9-for-11 from the stripe. Noah Cunningham, one of ten seniors on the roster, chipped in with a dozen points. He sank four of the Golden Knights’ five treys. Berks Catholic connected nine times from long range and went 4-for-4 at the foul line. McKoy and Suski each nailed three 3-pointers. The Saints only turned the ball over three times. Bryce Gumby provided ten points off the bench. Berks Catholic earned its sixth District 3 championship in 14 years. The Saints are a remarkable (34-9) all-time in the District 3 tournament. McKoy won a District 3 title as a freshman when Berks Catholic blew out Fleetwood 73-44 at the Giant Center. “It’s amazing, I love playing here. I’ve been dreaming about it ever since,” he said.

Reading falls to Central York

Paul Roberts — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 14:37:53 +0000

The defending state champions in Class 6A paid a visit to the Geigle Complex on Wednesday night. Central York returned four starters from a (29-3) squad that captured the school’s first PIAA title in boys basketball. Reading had three sophomores in its starting lineup and just one senior. The Panthers jumped out to a 7-0 lead. They were on top 25-12 after the opening quarter. “Reading’s always a scrappy team. We know that we can’t play lackadaisical at all, especially with this environment,” said Ben Natal. The 6’3 senior guard scored ten of his twenty points in the first eight minutes. Natal has more than 1,400 points in his career. The Red Knights had to go to their bench early after Jostin DeCastro and Kahlil Samuel each picked up two fouls in the first period. DeCastro, who was averaging 12 ppg., finished with just six points. Reading outscored Central York 17-to-13 in the second quarter and trailed by nine points at halftime. The Red Knights were mistakenly awarded two extra points in the third quarter. They were within 50-42 entering the final period. Reading got the first bucket of the fourth quarter. However, the (8-1) Panthers erupted for 23 points and pulled away from the (3-9) Red Knights. Ben Rill, a 6’8 senior, provided 20 points. Albright commit Byron Pinkney added 19 points. The 6’4 senior hit two of Central York’s four 3-pointers. There were 48 combined turnovers including 25 by the Panthers. Both teams did a better job of taking care of the ball in the second half. Jeremiah Camara had a team-high 15 points. The 5’9 sophomore scored nine points in the fourth quarter. Samuel chipped in with nine points. Weshly Rosario, “Coco” Malave, and Xavier Beatty provided eight points apiece. Malave, a 5’10 sophomore, got the start as Beatty came off the bench. Reading went 7-of-10 from the free throw line, while the Panthers were 9-of-14. These schools squared off in the state semifinals a season ago. Central York took that matchup 79-65. The Red Knights are back in action tonight at Twin Valley.

Bryce Wunderlich-Gov. Mifflin

Paul Roberts — Sat, 15 Jun 2024 05:57:34 +0000

After earning silver medals in the BCIAA and District 3 tournaments, the Mustangs are bringing gold back to Shillington. Gov. Mifflin used dominant pitching to top Hollidaysburg 2-1 in the PIAA-5A championship at Penn State’s Medlar Field. It’s the first state title for the (24-5) Mustangs. “It feels amazing…it means a lot,” said Bryce Wunderlich. The outfielder was one of just two seniors in the starting lineup. He drove in the go-ahead run with a two-out, RBI single through the middle in the 4th inning. “Just trying to roll the ball with two strikes, do my job. It worked out the way it did. I’m thankful for it,” explained Wunderlich. Dylan Barrett reached on a throwing error by Keagan Hockey at second base. A sacrifice bunt by Matt Koehler and an infield single from sophomore R.J. Weaver set the stage for Wunderlich. Weaver was thrown out at home on Wunderlich’s hit, but two runs is all Gov. Mifflin needed with Ethan Grim and Bryce Detwiler on the mound. “It’s almost a cheat code, honestly, having them on the team. It’s insane what they do,” emphasized Wunderlich. Grim limited the (17-7) Golden Tigers to a pair of hits and three walks over six frames. The hard-throwing righty piled up eleven strikeouts. Grim (8-3) punched out the side on 13 pitches in the top of the 1st inning. He finished the season with 113 strikeouts in 71 innings. “He’s a stud. He’s gonna go somewhere big. I can’t wait to see what he does in the future. He shoved today,” said Wunderlich. Hollidaysburg’s lone run came in the 3rd on a RBI single up the middle by leadoff hitter Jake Hileman. The senior outfielder came into Friday with a .469 batting average and a team-high 38 hits, including ten doubles. The Mustangs answered with a run in the bottom half of the 3rd. Detwiler ripped a ground-rule double to right-center. The UConn commit later scored on a groundout to first base by Travis Jenkins. Branson Adams collected two of the seven hits by Gov. Mifflin. Paul Wedel gave up two runs, one earned, in 5.1 innings. The junior struck out two and walked none. The Golden Tigers brought in their ace, Carson Kensinger, with one out in the bottom of the 6th. The lefty was dealing with a foot injury. Kensinger picked up his tenth win of the year in the semifinals against Monsignor Bonner. The Frostburg State commit went 6.2 innings in that 3-1 victory. Hollidaysburg was also making its first appearance in the state finals. Detwiler wrapped up the game in style by striking out the side in the 7th. The Mustangs are the first Berks County team to win a PIAA crown since Conrad Weiser did it in Class 3A in 2010.

Aaron Anders-Wyomissing

Paul Roberts — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 14:34:00 +0000

Delone Catholic has won seven District 3 championships and four state titles. Head coach Gerry Eckenrode has racked up 665 career victories including 587 over the past 25 years with the Squirettes. Over the past two seasons, however, Wyomissing’s defense has shut down mighty Delone Catholic. The Spartans allowed just 30 points last year when they claimed their first District 3 championship. On Thursday afternoon, it was deja vu all over again. Wyomissing defeated the top-seeded Squirettes 45-32 in the District 3-4A Final at the Giant Center. Head coach Aaron Anders was thrilled with how his team controlled the boards. “They did an unbelievable job of one shot and done. There’s not too many times where they got second shots,” he said. Anders stressed that being unselfish was another key factor. “These girls find each other. Whoever is open, they get it. They don’t care who’s scoring. It’s just a matter of the W,” he stressed. Amaya Stewart piled up 14 points and 18 rebounds. Audrey Hurleman provided ten points including eight in the second half. Annie McCaffrey, the lone senior in the starting lineup, added eight points. Sophomore guard Kacey Maggs gave the (28-0) Spartans an early boost with five points in the opening quarter. Wyomissing had a 13-8 cushion after eight minutes. Delone Catholic scored the first five points of the second quarter, but the Spartans ended the first half with a 9-0 run. They limited the (22-3) Squirettes to six points in the third quarter. Wyomissing was in front 33-19 entering the final period. Delone Catholic came into the game averaging 51 points. The Spartans’ defense has been suffocating all season. They held third-seeded Northern Lebanon to 15 points in the semifinals on Monday. The Squirettes were content to launch from the perimeter, while Wyomissing attacked the basket. Delone Catholic made six 3-pointers and six shots inside the arc. The Spartans hit just two triples. They were 6-of-6 from the free throw line. The Squirettes went 2-for-2 from the stripe. Wyomissing has won two straight BCIAA championships and back-to-back District 3 titles. This is uncharted territory for the program. The players and coaches are enjoying the ride. “It’s special. These kids believe in one another, play for one another and sell out every day,” said Anders.

A 5-peat for Wyomissing

Paul Roberts — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 14:32:00 +0000

Wyomissing’s football team won its fifth straight District 3-3A championship on Saturday at Bob Wolfrum Field. The Spartans have claimed twelve District 3 titles overall! Their all-time record in the District 3 playoffs is (42-18). Here’s a look at the past five championship games. Only one of them was decided by less than 21 points.

2023: (42-14) vs. West Perry

2022: (63-7) vs. West Perry

2021: (55-13) vs. Boiling Springs

2020: (38-16) vs. Middletown

2019: (24-21) vs. Middletown

Ruben Rodriguez-Reading

Paul Roberts — Sun, 06 Mar 2022 12:40:00 +0000

A loss isn’t always a bad thing over the course of a long season. The Red Knights got tripped up at Muhlenberg 63-61 on February 8th. Ruben Rodriguez told me that they learned a valuable lesson that night. Reading has been laser-focused since coming up short in Laureldale. The (25-3) Red Knights have won seven straight games by an average of 23 points! Warwick was their latest victim in the District 3-6A championship at the Giant Center. Rodriguez poured in ten points in the first four minutes, including two 3-pointers. The all-state guard finished with a game-high 23 points in a 68-43 victory over the (20-6) Warriors. Rodriguez started the game with a dunk and ended a 16-2 run in the fourth quarter with another slam. The 6’1 junior described his emotions on those plays. Rodriguez provided another highlight in the final seconds of the third period. After stealing an inbounds pass, he banked in a 3-pointer from NBA range to put Reading in front 50-36. The Berks County Player of the Year is averaging nearly 20 points this season with 33 treys. Warwick was searching for its second District 3 title and first since 1984. The seventh-seeded Warriors got within five points at 41-36 in the third quarter. The top-seeded Red Knights exploded for 25 of the next 27 points. Joey Chapman opened the final period with three straight baskets. The 6’1 senior guard had a career-high 19 points. Rodriguez was very pleased with how Chapman passed out of the high post against Warwick’s 2-3 zone. Rodriguez also praised Amier Burdine for his defense on Tate Landis who’s committed to York College. Landis was limited to ten points and just three in the second half. The 5’11 sharpshooter averages 18 points. Rodriguez challenged Burdine to pick up his defensive intensity at halftime. Avery Sapp and 6’2 freshman Caleb Johnsen had ten points apiece. Reading led 17-15 after eight minutes and 35-23 at the break. Xavier Davis chipped in with nine points and Myles Grey added seven. The Red Knights were 9-11 from the free throw line, while the Warriors went 7-11. Reading connected five times from beyond the arc and forced 15 turnovers. The Warriors slip to (1-4) all-time in the District 3 Finals. The Red Knights earned their record 23rd District 3 championship and second in a row. I asked Rodriguez about playing for the winningest program in Pennsylvania. The Red Knights have piled up 2,213 victories. Reading is a remarkable (134-51) in the District 3 playoffs. The Red Knights will host Downingtown West on Wednesday at 7pm in the first round of the state tournament. Rodriguez said, “I think we can win it all.” Reading is the defending state champion in Class 6A.