Chester – Berks Sports Report

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.

Reading-Chester Rivalry

Paul Roberts — Sun, 03 Mar 2024 13:54:00 +0000

4,290 is a big number. That’s the amount of victories that the Reading and Chester boys basketball programs have accumulated. The Red Knights and Clippers rank first and second in wins in Pennsylvania history. They will square off on Saturday in the first round of the PIAA-6A playoffs. It’s a 1pm tip in Chester.

Reading holds the state record with 2,265 all-time wins. The Red Knights have captured three state championships in the past seven years. They knocked off Roman Catholic 63-56 in overtime for the Class 6A crown a season ago. Reading owns a record 24 District 3 titles.

Chester has racked up 2,025 victories in its illustrious history. The Clippers have won eight state championships. They’ve been the PIAA runner-up ten times. Chester has brought home gold from 25 District 1 tournaments.

Reading is (19-10) this season. The Red Knights finished fourth in the District 3-6A bracket. Chester also ended up fourth in its district playoffs. The Clippers slipped to (20-4) after falling to West Chester Henderson 65-61 in the third place contest. Dominic Toy led Chester with 19 points. The 6’5, 220-pound senior is a tight end during football season. He’s committed to UConn.

This will be the 43rd meeting between Reading and Chester. The heated rivalry is even at (21-21). The Red Knights have won three straight in the series including a 71-57 victory last season at the Geigle Complex. Ruben Rodriguez dropped 26 points in that matchup and Yadiel Cruz added 14 points. Rodriguez is now playing at Rider. Cruz has become the BCIAA Player of the Year. The 6’2 senior leads Berks County at 22 points per game.

Ruben Rodriguez-Reading

Paul Roberts — Thu, 22 Dec 2022 00:29:00 +0000

Yadiel Cruz probably isn’t the first name that comes to mind when you think about the Reading boys basketball team. Ruben Rodriguez has scored 1,475 points and is committed to Rider. 6’5 senior guard Aris Rodriguez has seen his stock rise tremendously this year. Myles Grey is one of the elite sharpshooters in Berks County. Amier Burdine is an experienced player who recently picked up Division I football offers from Saint Francis and Sacred Heart. Cruz rounds out the starting lineup, but flies under the radar. Well, at least until recently he did. Cruz helped the (7-0) Red Knights break open a close game versus Chester with 11 points in the final quarter. The 6’2 junior guard finished with a career-high 14 points in a 71-57 victory. “He’s a threat all around. [On] the defensive end, he does a great job rebounding and fighting down low with the bigs. Offensively, he can do whatever he wants,” said Ruben Rodriguez. Cruz has reached double figures in three straight games. Rodriguez is no stranger to putting up points. He dropped 26 on the (3-3) Clippers who saw their three-game winning streak come to a halt. “It’s always a fun game. That’s a great program. They’re always athletic and really strong. That’s always a good game for us to have, playing against that physicality,” noted Rodriguez. The 6’2 all-state guard knocked down a pair of 3-pointers in the opening period. Reading jumped on top of Chester 13-4 after just four and a-half minutes. Terrence Cobb hit a couple of triples to get the Clippers back in it. Cobb entered the night averaging a team-high 22 points. The 6’1 senior poured in 24 points at the Geigle Complex on Wednesday. Cobb and junior guard Kyree Womack combined for 11 of Chester’s 13 points in the second quarter. The Red Knights were in front 29-23 at the break. Cobb started the second half with a shot from beyond the arc. He splashed another with 55 seconds remaining in the third quarter. That 3-pointer pulled the Clippers within 42-38. Chester head coach Keith Taylor picked up a technical foul with five seconds left in the period. Taylor earned his 100th career win earlier this season. It’s his sixth year at the helm of the Clippers. He coached their JV squad for 13 seasons. Reading led 46-38 with eight minutes to go. The Red Knights exploded for 25 points in the fourth quarter. Rodriguez provided nine and converted a nifty behind the back pass from Grey. “We were just getting up smarter shots. The first half I fell like we were forcing a lot of 3’s up. The second half we did a good job of really pushing it and getting out on the fast break, and finding easy layups,” emphasized Rodriguez. Grey chipped in with ten points and Nico Sosa had nine off the bench. Reading went 18-of-27 from the free throw line, while Chester was 13-19. Womack scored 13 points before fouling out. Power forward Dominic Toy was limited to two points. The 6’5, 220-pound junior is a tight end on the Clippers’ football team. Toy has offers from Temple, Rutgers, and Boston College. Rodriguez praised Burdine for his hard work in the paint. “That’s my dog. I’m never surprised by the stuff he does. With him you get everything you need; athleticism, smarts, [and] a great personality,” replied Rodriguez. Reading and Chester are the winningest basketball programs in Pennsylvania. The Red Knights and Clippers have combined for 4,217 victories. Reading leads the way with 2,221. Chester has captured eight state championships. The Clippers have been the state runner-up ten times. The Red Knights own two state titles and a record 23 District III championships. Chester has claimed District I gold 25 times. This round between the perennial powers went to Reading.