O’Connell guided Cairn to 149 NCAA wins, including a record of (80-53) since 2021. He took over a program that won just two games in the 2013-14 campaign. The Highlanders went (21-7) this past season. They finished third in the nation in 3-pointers per game. Cairn ranked 23rd in the country in scoring at 86 ppg. The Highlanders reached the postseason every year since the COVID-shortened season of 2020-21. O’Connell coached eleven first team All-Conference players and ten 1,000-point scorers.

O’Connell graduated from Lancaster Bible College in 2012 with a degree in Sports Management. He holds master’s degrees from California University of Pennsylvania and Eastern Kentucky University. “I am incredibly grateful and excited for the opportunity to be the head men’s basketball coach at Alvernia University. I am eager to lead this program and establish a culture that represents the university with pride, both on the court and in the campus community, all while striving to compete at a high level,” said O’Connell.

Fleetwood went (13-28) over the past four seasons with Pangburn at the helm. The Tigers beat Shamokin 42-41 in overtime for the Eastern Conference Class 4A Championship in 2023. They finished (3-7) the following year. In 2025, Fleetwood won just two games. The Tigers have gone (0-12) in Section 3 of the L-L League in the last two seasons.

J.D. Okuniewski stepped down at Daniel Boone in November. He was the head coach in Birdsboro for three years. The Blazers finished (1-9, 1-6) this past fall. They were outscored 463-to-110. Pangburn is shifting from Section 3 to Section 4 of the L-L League.

LJ Armstrong tied his career-high with 19 points. The junior guard made two free throws with 33 seconds to go in overtime to extend the Muhls’ cushion to 61-56. Eight of Armstrong’s points came in the third quarter when Muhlenberg took a brief 34-33 advantage. “I said you are the igniter to this car. When you’re moving, everyone is moving with you. He took the key, he drove the car, and he got everyone involved,” noted Flowers. Nelson “Coco” Malave added nine points and Mike Miller Jr. chipped in with six. The Muhls improved to (10-3, 4-1), but struggled mightily at the foul line. They missed ten free throws in the fourth quarter and ended up 15-of-33. “We practice for 90 minutes [Tuesday], probably gonna be 60 minutes of free throws,” said Flowers with a smile.

Wilson was in front 11-9 after the opening quarter and 29-24 at halftime. Mike Glover came alive in the second period with ten points. Muhlenberg had no answer for the 6’3, 223-pound junior. Glover, a two-time All-State tight end, contributed nine points in the third quarter. The (9-4, 3-2) Bulldogs held a 42-38 edge entering the final eight minutes. Glover piled up a career-high 24 points and 14 rebounds. He was 8-for-10 from the stripe. “I told him when the game was over, ‘You’re a nightmare.’ He played a hell of a game. That kid works out all the time. Kudos to him and his family,” emphasized Flowers. Glover was averaging 8.3 ppg. coming into the week. Correll Akings had 16 points, including three of Wilson’s five 3-pointers. The Bulldogs went 12-of-17 from the foul line. They lost four starters and eight seniors from last year’s (24-7) team which captured its second straight BCIAA championship. The inexperience showed in the second half when Wilson committed 12 of its 18 turnovers.

Malave split two free throws with 5:47 to play to even the score at 44-44. Sophomore point guard Nechar Mercado and Akings responded with 3-pointers and the Bulldogs went on top 50-46 with three minutes left in regulation. Two buckets by sophomore guard Conner Moreland off the bench made it 54-48. Armstrong hit a key triple from the left corner to pull the Muhls within 54-52 with 54 seconds on the clock. After Glover connected on two foul shots, Hemmings had an opportunity for a three-point play with 39 seconds remaining. He missed the free throw, however, Muhlenberg tracked down the offensive rebound. Hemmings was fouled again and missed both foul shots with 33 seconds to go. Following a Wilson turnover, Hemmings was fouled yet again. This time he went 2-for-2 to even things up at 56-56 with 26 seconds to play. Akings got a clean look at a 3-pointer in the left corner before the buzzer, but he was off the mark.

Hemmings started overtime by driving down the lane and finishing with a layup. Malave made one free throw with 56 seconds remaining before the Bulldogs turned the ball over. Two foul shots by Armstrong put the Muhls in control at 61-56 with 33 seconds to go. Wilson was shut out in overtime until Akings sank a trey from the top of the key in the final seconds. Peter Kelfala and Moreland had five points apiece for the Bulldogs. Muhlenberg, which went (6-6) in league play last year, has road wins over Reading and Wilson on its resume. “Those two wins are huge, but it’s not the end of the season,” remarked Flowers.

The (10-3) Shamrocks went up 3-0 on Logan Amatucci’s 30-yard field goal with 8:30 left in the second quarter. After struggling early, senior quarterback Mason Boyer came alive late in the first half. He engineered a 90-yard drive in just two minutes. Boyer connected with Jarzynski for 18 and 23 yard gains. They hooked up again for a 15-yard touchdown pass down the right sideline with 24 seconds on the clock. Boyer was 6-for-7 on that series. He finished 17-of-30 for 177 yards and 2 TD. Boyer has thrown for just over 1,900 yards with 23 touchdowns this season.

The Saints trailed 10-0 at halftime. Berks Catholic had some momentum in the third quarter after a 16-yard run by Jeremiah Camara. On third-and-21, Johnny Sauppee scrambled and took a late hit. That personal foul set up a fourth-and-2 at Trinity’s 26-yard line. Sophomore Coy Koller went up the middle for four yards to move the chains. However, the drive stalled from there and ended with no points when Alex Reali barely missed a 40-yard field goal with 1:09 remaining in the quarter. The Shamrocks responded by marching 80 yards over seven minutes and twenty seconds. Harris ripped off a 24-yard run and Boyer found Yeager for 24 more yards. Jarzynski sealed it with a 8-yard touchdown grab in the left corner of the end zone. He and Yeager entered the night with 101 combined receptions for 1,361 yards. “They’re big, strong kids. I thought we had people on them all night. I don’t think it was a scheme flaw. I thought our kids did everything they could and there were just physical mismatches we couldn’t quite overcome…Even when they were covered, they could make the play,” replied Stahler. Gavin Mann intercepted Sauppee with 2:27 to go at Trinity’s 45-yard line. It was the Saints’ second turnover of the game. They fumbled on their opening possession which was recovered by Caleb Klepeiss. Berks Catholic ended up with just 65 rushing yards. Camara had a dozen carries for 40 yards. Sauppee was 3-of-5 for (-3) yards.

The (9-3) Saints saw their eight-game winning streak come to a close, but Stahler remained positive. “I’m so proud of this group of kids. They heard from everybody how bad they were gonna be and they worked their tails off all year. I love those kids. I wish we had more time together; that’s my only disappointment tonight,” he said. Berks Catholic was denied its fifth District 3 championship, but the Saints did capture the Section 5 title in the Lancaster-Lebanon League. Faith Zudie and Eric Bennethum played very well at defensive end against the Shamrocks, and Josiah Turman came up with an interception. They will all be returning along with Camara, Koller, Damoni Daglis, Ryan Spatz, Mason Mace, Wyatt Burkman, and others. “I think this is a motivated group. I think these kids really care about each other. I think they like being at Berks Catholic. We have a good thing going for next year,” emphasized Stahler.

Holy Name graduate Eric Hancock joined Stahler’s coaching staff this season as the defensive coordinator. The former Twin Valley head coach was an assistant at Schuylkill Valley last fall. “Eric is very knowledgeable. He coaches with passion. He’s great at breaking down opponents,” noted Stahler. Berks Catholic only allowed 6.6 points per game in league play. Faith Zudie leads the Saints with 78 tackles including 18 tackles for loss. Annville-Cleona had no answer for the 6’, 180-pound junior defensive end. Zudie racked up 14 tackles and 5 TFL. If that wasn’t enough, he also blocked a field goal. “The best thing about Faith is that he has a positive attitude about everything he attacks. In class, in the weight room, on the football field, he’s an awesome kid. He plays with great effort all the time. He practices hard all the time. That’s what makes him a great football player,” emphasized Stahler. Eric Bennethum and Damoni Daglis, both juniors, have also played well on the defensive line. Sophomore safety Mason Mace is second on the team in tackles with 63. Junior linebacker Ryan Spatz isn’t far behind with 59 stops.

The Saints’ offense has done most of its work on the ground. They’re averaging 35.6 points and 338 rushing yards per contest. Four players have between 60-80 carries in the Wing-T attack. Xavier Gerald has a team-high 738 yards and seven touchdowns. Reading transfer Jeremiah Camara has provided 701 yards and 7 TD in seven games. “It’s been a great addition. It’s been nice to have Jeremiah and what he brings to the table,” replied Stahler. Aidan Curley and sophomore Coy Koller have combined for 1,021 yards and a dozen touchdowns. Owen Schalk put Berks Catholic on top in overtime last Friday with a 10-yard touchdown run. He missed the season opener after having his wisdom teeth removed and then was out three more games due to a shoulder injury. “Owen is a dynamic athlete. He’s physical, he’s fast, and he runs through tackles. He’s awesome as a ball carrier so it’s nice to have him back,” said Stahler. Schalk is averaging a staggering 13.2 yards per carry on 38 touches.

The Saints have a bye this week which will allow Stahler to spend Halloween with his three young children. Bermudian Springs hosts Big Spring on Friday. Berks Catholic will meet the winner of that District 3-3A quarterfinal. Bermudian Springs knocked out the Saints 42-25 in the semifinals a season ago. “We’d like to play them again. I don’t think we played our best game that night, but both programs are good. They’re both physical teams,” stated Stahler.

The offenses took center stage in the first quarter. Brandon Pyle’s 14-yard touchdown run capped the Panthers’ opening 50-yard possession. The Hawks responded by going 59 yards for a score. On fourth-and-6, freshman quarterback Isaac McFadden hit Owen Bentz for a first down to the 42-yard line. A defensive holding penalty on fourth-and-7 kept the drive alive. McFadden finished it off with a 1-yard touchdown run, but the extra point was no good. Pyle, a sprinter on the track & field team, ripped off a 60-yard run down the left sideline on the ensuing series. That set up a 3-yard TD pass from Alex Aletras to sophomore Anthony Batista along the right sideline. Hamburg answered almost immediately. McFadden raced 65 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown with ten seconds left in the first quarter. The Hawks trailed 14-13 after twelve minutes.

Harbach, who was inducted into the PSFCA Hall of Fame this year, had a very clear message to his players at the break. “Let’s play physical football, come out and control the line of scrimmage. Our kids listened at halftime and that’s what we did,” he said. Hamburg recovered an onside kick to begin the third quarter. However, Ervin Ortiz came up with an interception on fourth down at his 16-yard line. Pyle then took a shovel pass from Aletras and sprinted 84 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown. “That play really wasn’t run for about 3-4 weeks,” noted Harbach. The quick strike made it 21-13 with 8:55 remaining in the third quarter.

McFadden was sacked and fumbled at his 14-yard line a few minutes into the fourth quarter. The Panthers turned that takeaway into a 28-yard field goal by Reese Wamsher with 5:13 to go. An interception by Alex Gehret gave Schuylkill Valley the ball back at the Hawks’ 44-yard line. Ortiz went 25 yards up the middle for a 31-13 advantage with 2:15 left. Vogel picked off backup quarterback Isaak Stewart on the final play. The (5-3, 4-1) Panthers were +4 in turnover differential.

Schuylkill Valley outgained Hamburg 404-to-295. Aletras was 13-of-19 for 249 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The 6’, 175-pound junior added 59 yards on 13 carries. “In the past two weeks, we instituted the quarterback run game. He’s done real well with it,” explained Harbach. Pyle ran 13 times for 67 yards. The 5’10, 170-pound senior racked up 145 yards on three catches. Gehret chipped in with six receptions for 86 yards. The Hawks dropped to (2-6, 1-4). McFadden ended up 13-of-21 for 122 yards and 2 INT. The talented freshman ran for 66 yards and 2 TD on ten carries. Bryce Schmeck, a 205-pound sophomore, grinded out 73 yards on 20 touches.

The Panthers have won four of their last five games. They travel to Annville-Cleona next Friday. The Dutchmen and Berks Catholic are tied atop Section 5 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League with (5-0) league records. “It’s been more parity than most years. I call it the fun section. I guess it comes down to how healthy are you at the end of the year,” said Harbach.

Perez guided the Red Knights for twelve years. They captured PIAA titles in 2017, 2021, and 2023. Reading also claimed five District 3 championships and six BCIAA crowns during Perez’s tenure. Perez had a record of (281-74) with the Red Knights. He has the most victories in program history, surpassing Jim Gano’s mark of 251 wins. Lonnie Walker helped Reading earn its first state championship in 2017. The Red Knights defeated Pine-Richland 64-60 in front of 9,531 fans at the Giant Center in Hershey.

Francis Camara served as Reading’s head coach the last two years. The Red Knights finished (13-12) this past season after a (1-6) start. They won seven of their last eight regular season games to qualify for the Berks County playoffs. However, Reading didn’t make it into the District 3-6A tournament for the first time since 2001. Camara, a 2008 Reading graduate, had previously been an assistant coach under Perez. The school district opted to open the position of head coach last month. Camara’s son, Jeremiah, is now attending Berks Catholic. He was the Red Knights’ leading scorer last season at 14 points per game. Perez’s sons, Jadin and Kalib, are on Muhlenberg’s basketball team.

Reading has won more games than any other high school in Pennsylvania history. The Red Knights have piled up 25 Berks County championships and 24 District 3 titles.

Frees spent a decade as the head coach at Holy Name prior to taking over at Berks Catholic. He won one District 3 title with the Blue Jays. After stepping down as the Saints’ head coach, Frees was hired for the same position at Reading High School. He spent four seasons at his alma mater.

Frees will have an experienced coaching staff with him at Berks Catholic. His assistants include three former head coaches in Scott Hassler (Central Catholic), Greg Hogan (Holy Name), and Dan Skalski (Prep Charter). David Jones will serve as the junior varsity head coach. German Vasquez, who played for Frees at Berks Catholic, is the new hitting coach.

The Saints finished (20-8) this past spring. Brandon Shurr decided to resign as head coach due to family and work commitments. He was (76-53) over six years at Berks Catholic. Shurr led the Saints to their first District 3 championship since 2018. They beat Bermudian Springs 8-0 in the District 3-3A Final. Berks Catholic advanced to the state semifinals before falling to Mount Carmel 4-3.

The Spartans trailed 26-22 in the fourth quarter when Justice Hardy took a sweep to the right. The All-State pick made a man miss at the 18-yard line and raced to the end zone with 6:49 to go. “Sometimes he just sees that he can beat people around the edge. I’m not gonna question him because he made some plays today doing just that,” explained Wolfrum. Hardy had 93 yards on 14 carries. The 5’9, 190-pound junior also completed a 41-yard halfback pass to Brady Focht in the first half. Marcus Armistead sealed the deal for Wyomissing with 2:08 remaining. The senior defensive back recovered a muffed punt by talented junior Marcus Jones at Haverford’s 27-yard line. That allowed the Spartans to run out the clock.

Wyomissing struck first on a 4-yard touchdown pass from sophomore Brady Eisenhower to senior halfback Danny Fleischood. That capped a 16-play, 80-yard drive that lasted seven and a-half minutes. Momentum shifted on the first play of the second quarter. The Spartans tried to run an inside reverse from Fleischood to Hardy, but the Fords got great penetration and forced a fumble. Matthew Jones, Marcus’ older brother, scooped up the loose ball and took it 82 yards for a touchdown. Matthew Jones is committed to James Madison and Marcus (6’3, 190) recently received an offer from Syracuse. The Haverford School has plenty of size to go along with their skill. The offensive line averages 276 pounds. Tight end Quinn Gallagher is headed to Columbia, and 285-pound defensive tackle Walt Frazier is going to Syracuse.

Wyomissing went in front 14-7 with 2:24 left in the second quarter. Eisenhower completed an 8-yard touchdown pass to senior fullback Tyler Niedrowski in the right corner of the end zone. That possession covered 90 yards and took nine minutes and fourteen seconds. The Fords answered 42 seconds later with a 31-yard touchdown run by Stephen Cobb. The extra point was blocked which kept the Spartans on top 14-13. After Wyomissing went three-and-out, Matthew Jones broke several tackles on an 85-yard touchdown catch from Zach Faragalli. The extra point was no good, but the Haverford School had claimed a 19-14 edge one minute before halftime.

The Spartans got the ball to open the third quarter and they went to the air. On third-and-13, Fleischood made a key grab for 14 yards to the 45-yard line. Eisenhower then found junior split end Andrew DiFabrizio who was wide open for a 55-yard score down the right sideline. The 2-point conversion pass was completed to Hardy for a 22-19 lead with eight and a-half minutes to play in the third quarter. Once again, the Fords responded in a hurry. A 62-yard drive ended with a 19-yard touchdown catch by Marcus Jones inside the left pylon. Faragalli finished 9-of-19 for 168 yards and two scores.

Eisenhower made a rare mistake with 29 seconds left in the quarter. The 6’, 155-pound sophomore was intercepted by linebacker Topher Jodz along the sideline. The Haverford School took over at Wyomissing’s 31-yard line with a chance to expand its 26-22 advantage. The Spartans’ defense stood tall, however, and forced a pivotal turnover on downs. Wyomissing limited the Fords to seven points in the second half and nine first downs on the afternoon. Hardy’s 35-yard touchdown sprint completed a go-ahead 70-yard drive. The Haverford School went three-and-out on the ensuing drive. The muffed punt ended their hopes with two minutes to go.

Eisenhower was 9-of-13 for 126 yards with three touchdowns. The Spartans were able to get him out of the pocket for quick completions. “When they started really loading the box up, we hit a bunch of little quarterback rollout dinks into the flat. We did that very well,” said Wolfrum. Brady’s older brother, Chase, rumbled for 111 yards. The 220-pound fullback got 25 carries in a physical contest. Wolfrum picked up his 374th career win over 39 years. After knocking off Southern Columbia on the road in Week 1, Wyomissing came out on top against another quality opponent. “If you want to be a bull fighter, you gotta fight the bulls,” emphasized Wolfrum.

Adriel Baez hit Mike Miller down the right sideline for 33 yards on the first play from scrimmage. The 5’10, 170-pound sophomore quarterback ended up 4-of-10 for 167 yards. “He’s coming along. I gotta remind our staff this guy is a young kid. He’s gonna continue to get better,” noted Flowers. On Muhlenberg’s second play, Cam Small took an inside handoff and raced 38 yards for a touchdown. The Red Knights, who have changed to the Wing-T offense this season, fumbled on their second play. Small capped a 41-yard drive with a 2-yard run out of the Wildcat formation. The All-State running back added another 2-yard touchdown run on the following possession. It was 21-0 with 6:30 remaining in the first quarter. Small went 27 yards to make it 28-0 with nine minutes to go before halftime. The 5’11, 185-pound senior broke free down the right sideline for an 80-yard touchdown run less than three minutes later. Small scored five times in just 18 minutes of game action. “His physical presence is a lot and he goes hard. What’s special about Cam that nobody can see is he loves the guys that are around him,” emphasized Flowers. Small piled up 210 yards on a dozen carries. The Muhls rumbled for 270 rushing yards. The offensive line includes right tackle Tony Ferreira (6’8, 304) and left guard Zavier Otero (6’, 290).

Baez lofted a perfect 46-yard touchdown pass to Freddy Lacey down the right sideline to extend the lead to 41-0 with 3:24 remaining in the second quarter. Lacey provided three catches for 122 yards. “He’s so explosive and he’s playing better this year. He’s very valuable,” said Flowers. The 6’3, 184-pound senior also came up with an interception in the third quarter. Miller completed the first half onslaught with a 6-yard touchdown run 90 seconds before the break. He had 56 yards on three carries.

Reading committed a trio of turnovers. Senior quarterback Jason Plylaharn was 6-of-14 for 76 yards and an interception. The (0-2) Red Knights could never establish a running attack. They have a lot of first-year starters after losing 24 players to graduation.

Meanwhile, Muhlenberg returned eight starters on offense and seven on defense. Flowers, who spent seven years as the head coach at Reading, knows all about this rivalry. “It means a lot to our kids nowadays. The kids were super excited about the trophy. I think they’re more excited than being (2-0) right now,” he said with a smile.