Coldren – Berks Sports Report

Matt Coldren-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 17:26:50 +0000

The extreme temperatures haven’t slowed down Wilson’s boys basketball team this summer. After beating Exeter 54-37 last week, the Bulldogs improved to (7-0) in the West Reading League. They’re also unbeaten in the Cedar Beach League with a mark of (12-0) in Allentown. “It’s been a good summer. The kids have been very committed. I’m really pleased with where we’re at,” said head coach Matt Coldren. He likes what he has seen on the offensive end of the court. “I think what I’ve been most pleased about is they are sharing the ball which is really huge for us,” noted Coldren. He has an experienced squad with four starters and some key reserves returning from a county championship team. Wilson defeated Reading 54-53 in the Berks Conference Final at Santander Arena. The Bulldogs claimed their third county title in five years. “I think what’s the greatest thing about winning championships…it’s the joy on the kids’ faces and the glow they had,” emphasized Coldren. Wilson finished (17-9) a season ago. Madyx Gruber, Correll Akings, Luke Levan, and Tommy McFadden are all back. Gruber was an All-County selection who averaged nearly twelve points per game. Levan, a 6’5 rising senior, gives the Bulldogs some size. Akings provided a team-high 12.1 ppg. as a sophomore. Coldren has won a school record 408 games over 23 years. He understands that expectations will be high this winter. “I’ve been at Wilson long enough to realize that we’re not really liked so it doesn’t matter whether we’re the favorite or we’re the underdog,” he stated.

Matt Coldren-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Sat, 17 Feb 2024 09:03:00 +0000

Wilson head coach Matt Coldren and his team will remember the past five days for a long time. The Bulldogs beat fifth-seeded Exeter, top-seeded Berks Catholic, and second-seeded Reading to win the Berks Conference championship. They held off the Red Knights 54-53 on Friday night in front of 3,443 fans at Santander Arena. “I haven’t coached a team that’s won a championship that had to beat three great teams like we had to this week,” said Coldren. It’s the third county title in the last five years for Wilson and its 12th overall. This one was tight the whole way. Reading, which was attempting a three-peat, led 16-15 after eight minutes. The (17-8) Red Knights were up 32-31 at halftime. They won both regular season contests with the Bulldogs by six points apiece. Wilson gained momentum in the third quarter and built a 41-35 advantage. It was 44-41 entering the final period. A layup by junior guard Madyx Gruber put the (17-8) Bulldogs on top 52-51 with 2:25 remaining. Luke Levan sank a pair of free throws with 38 seconds left. The 6’5 junior made it 54-51. “I’m so proud of him. As far as he has come in a year is amazing. I can’t wait to see what he does in the offseason,” emphasized Coldren. Levan racked up 12 points and 10 rebounds. A layup by freshman guard Jeremiah Camara pulled Reading within 54-53 with 19 seconds to go. After Correll Akings missed two foul shots, the Red Knights had one final possession with two seconds on the clock. Nick Chapman inbounded the ball on the right sideline to Weshly Rosario. Chapman immediately cut to the basket, but Rosario’s return pass was deflected by a diving Gruber to end the thriller. Wilson forced 18 turnovers. Gruber and Tommy McFadden each provided twelve points. That’s a career-high for McFadden who missed the first five games of the season with an injury. “He’s a tough kid. He’s a great kid. He needs to believe in himself a little bit more. I gotta keep building him up,” replied Coldren. Yadiel Cruz poured in a game-high 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field. Chapman added eleven points. Rosario had seven points and six assists. Reading went 7-for-12 from the free throw line, while the Bulldogs were 12-for-20. The Red Knights came in averaging 67 points. They were 2-of-7 from beyond the arc. Wilson snapped a 9-game losing streak to Reading. “I wish it could be Reading-Wilson every year [in the final]. There’s something special about that rivalry. It brings out the best in both teams,” stated Coldren.

Matt Coldren and Madyx Gruber-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Thu, 15 Feb 2024 13:04:00 +0000

Wilson lost three of its last four regular season games. The Bulldogs have flipped the switch in the Berks County playoffs. They dismantled fifth-seeded Exeter 74-51 in the quarterfinals and then knocked off top-seeded Berks Catholic 59-46 in the semifinals. “We knew we had to pick it up,” said Madyx Gruber. The 5’11 junior erupted for a career-high 31 points on Wednesday at Santander Arena. “When he believes in himself, he is one of the best players in this league. Tonight he played with a lot of confidence and energy,” stated head coach Matt Coldren. Gruber connected twice from long range in the first quarter. “As soon as I hit the first one, I knew it was over,” he replied. The fourth-seeded Bulldogs were up 15-10 after eight minutes. Gruber hit two more triples in the second period. Wilson had a 28-19 advantage at halftime. The (20-3) Saints came out of the locker room on fire. They used a 13-to-2 run to go in front 32-30 on Parker Nein’s 3-pointer. The (16-8) Bulldogs responded and took a 42-36 lead into the fourth quarter. Gruber crammed 13 points into the final period. “I’m so proud of him because he works really hard,” said Coldren. Sophomore guard Correll Akings contributed 14 points and Wilson committed just four turnovers. Gruber sank five of their nine shots from beyond the arc. The Bulldogs were 10-of-14 from the foul line, while Berks Catholic went 7-for-9. Nein and Josh McKoy scored 13 points apiece. Cam Zullinger’s steal created a fast break and three-point play for Gruber with 1:40 remaining. Wilson’s cushion increased to 55-45. The Saints are without promising sophomore guard Kingston McKoy who broke his tibia on January 23rd against Reading. Berks Catholic is the No. 1 seed in the District 3-4A tournament. The Bulldogs advanced to face second-seeded Reading in Friday’s BCIAA championship at 8pm.

Matt Coldren-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 23:52:00 +0000

Wilson hosted Warwick on Thursday in a matchup of two teams that qualified for the state playoffs a season ago. The Bulldogs had a slim 27-25 advantage heading into the fourth quarter. Their defense was the key in a 43-32 victory. “We were really good tonight. I thought we did a great job on their shooters…I thought as a team we did a great job limiting open looks,” said head coach Matt Coldren. The 1990 Wilson graduate has always preached about the importance of defense during his 23 years at the helm in West Lawn. The Warriors came in averaging 64 points. They were held to half of that, including just seven points over the final eight minutes. Tommy Hunsicker hit a three-pointer and then assisted on Luke Levan’s basket early in the fourth period. This was the first close game of the season for the (4-1) Bulldogs. “I was most pleased with, when we had the lead, taking care of the ball and making some good decisions,” replied Coldren. Madyx Gruber poured in 19 points. The 5’11 junior guard connected on three of Wilson’s five three-pointers. Gruber is the lone returning starter for the Bulldogs. He provided nearly nine points per game as a sophomore on a (19-10) squad. Coldren, who picked up his 395th win, noted that Gruber has improved tremendously. “It’s like night and day. First of all, he’s more physically mature. He’s much stronger this year. He was the best player on the floor,” stated Coldren. Gruber also had the assignment of guarding Carter Horst. The 6’1 senior is committed to York College. Horst entered the night averaging 16 points, but he was limited to eight and only two in the second half. 6’3 junior Caleb Johnsen had a team-high 12 points for the (2-3) Warriors. Warwick only knocked down three treys. The Bulldogs were on top 11-7 after a quarter and 22-15 at the break. Luke Levan, a 6’4 junior, chipped in with eight points and six rebounds. “He’s really improved. I wish people could see how far he’s come since the beginning of last year…He put the time in and has worked super hard,” said Coldren. Correll Akings added seven points. Hunsicker, the BCIAA Football Player of the Year, had six points and four assists. Wilson’s roster is loaded with football players. Coldren mentioned that it typically takes until early January for them to get into basketball shape. The Bulldogs got good news on Thursday. Junior guard Tommy McFadden was cleared to practice after suffering a preseason ankle injury. “He is by far our most athletic kid. He’s tough, probably our best defender…We’re super excited to get him back into our rotation,” emphasized Coldren.

Matt Coldren-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Tue, 03 Jan 2023 23:57:00 +0000

You could understand why people were surprised to see Ofure Odiale open the game by drilling a shot from beyond the arc. Entering Tuesday’s Division 1 matchup at Muhlenberg, Wilson’s 6’5 senior had made one 3-pointer in his career. “He actually is not a bad shooter. He’s kind of a very bashful guy. We’ve been trying to build him up to take shots,” noted head coach Matt Coldren. It turned out to be a good omen as the Bulldogs knocked down five treys in the opening quarter. They raced out to a 23-11 advantage after eight minutes and rolled to a 62-41 victory. Odiale finished with a dozen points. He was one of four Bulldogs in double figures. That put a big smile on Coldren’s face. He replied, “When teams share the ball, it’s so difficult to defend. It’s frustrating for the other team when you’re finding the open guy.” Aidan Melograna connected twice from long distance to give Wilson an early 9-0 edge. Cleveland Harding capped the quarter with a transition layup at the buzzer. Melograna and Harding had 14 points apiece. Sophomore guard Madyx Gruber chipped in with ten. The (8-1, 2-0) Bulldogs were up 14 points in the second quarter, but the Muhls ended the half on a 12-4 run. They trailed 33-27 at the break thanks to a top of the key 3-pointer by “Dan Dan” Mosquera. However, Muhlenberg went scoreless for the first five minutes of the third period. Wilson only allowed five points in that quarter. The Bulldogs have been giving up just 44 a night which is third-best in the Berks Conference. “I’ve known all year that we could guard…It’s a team thing. We have a lot of guys that are working together and talking to each other,” emphasized Coldren. Harding’s three-point play put Wilson in front 45-30 with 1:42 remaining in the third period. Melograna splashed his fourth triple of the game with five minutes left to make it 49-34. The Bulldogs made seven 3-pointers and went 11-of-14 from the free throw line. The (6-4, 1-1) Muhls were 3-10 from the stripe. They were averaging 67 points, but managed just 14 in the second half. Senior guard Luis Valentin had a team-high 13 points off the bench. Mosquera and Xzavion Robertson each provided ten. Robertson, who averages 16 points, didn’t score over the last two quarters. Wilson was riding the momentum of defeating Central York and Hempfield at the Black Knights’ holiday tournament. “Tonight was another playoff game. We’ve had three games in a row with playoff caliber teams,” stated Coldren. The 1990 Wilson graduate and former all-county guard has been a teacher in the Muhlenberg School District for 25 years. “I love the kids here at Muhlenberg. It’s always neat when we come here and all the kids come up to me. It does mean something special,” said Coldren. He’s (380-179) over 22 seasons with the Bulldogs. They’re off to a hot start while all-division guard Cam Jones remains sidelined with an injury from football season. Jones is a two-time, all-state selection on the gridiron. Coldren mentioned that Jones has looked very good at practice over the last few days and probably could’ve played at Muhlenberg. Jones is expected to return next week. Wilson renews its rivalry with Reading on Thursday in West Lawn.

Matt Coldren-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Sun, 06 Feb 2022 16:51:00 +0000

A made free throw, a perfectly missed free throw, an offensive rebound, and a 3-pointer. All of that needed to happen for the Bulldogs in just 1.6 seconds…and it did. It played out exactly as longtime head coach Matt Coldren drew it up in the huddle during a timeout. Wilson trailed Methacton 50-46 with Aidan Melograna at the foul line. The junior forward calmly made the first free throw before missing the second on purpose. Foday Sillah snatched the offensive rebound and quickly found Cam Jones on the left wing for a game-tying trey at the buzzer! Cleveland Harding, who made a key triple from the left corner with twenty seconds left in regulation, took over in overtime with seven of his 15 points. Ofure Odiale went 1-2 from the FT line with five seconds remaining for a dramatic 60-56 victory at West Lawn on Saturday afternoon. The (14-5) Bulldogs handed the Warriors just their second loss of the season. Coldren said it felt like a state playoff game. Wilson trailed by 14 in the third quarter and by a dozen with just over two minutes to go. I asked Coldren what this comeback showed him. He replied, “We can play with anybody.” The former all-county player and assistant coach for the Bulldogs described the final play of regulation. Wilson outscored Methacton 21-13 in the fourth quarter. It wasn’t looking good early when Jones picked up his second foul with 2:27 left in the opening period. The junior point guard and all-state football player was on the bench for the rest of the first half. The (19-2) Warriors were in front 24-16 at the break and 37-29 after the third quarter. Matt Christian drilled three 3-pointers in the first two and a-half minutes of the third period to put Methacton on top 33-19. He splashed two more treys in OT to finish with a game-high 19 points. Brett Byrne, a three-year starter at guard, added 14 points. Coldren praised Odiale for his defense on 6’8 senior Cole Hargrove who had eight points. Hargrove has an offer from Drexel and interest from lower-level Division I programs, but hasn’t committed yet. Coldren was also very pleased with the performances of Sillah and Harding. Sillah, who didn’t play last year, provided a team-high 17 points. The athletic 6’4 senior jammed 13 points into the second half. Meanwhile, Harding poured in 13 points after the third quarter. Coldren emphasized that the 5’9 junior still doesn’t understand how good he can be. Jones contributed all 14 of his points after halftime. He told me that he knew his game-tying 3-pointer was going in as soon as he let it fly. Foul shooting became a big story late. The Warriors 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. Methacton was 2-10 overall from the charity stripe, while Wilson went 15-22. Harding made two foul shots with 13 seconds left to give the Bulldogs a 59-53 edge. Wilson did a much better job of valuing the basketball. The Bulldogs only committed five turnovers. Coldren noted how much his team has improved since December. They’ve won ten of their last eleven games. Wilson had to replace all five starters from a (20-2) squad that won its second straight Berks County championship. The Bulldogs have two more difficult tests coming up. They travel to Berks Catholic on Tuesday and visit Reading on Wednesday. Coldren is (371-172) over 21 years as head coach. He set the school record for victories earlier this season.

Matt Coldren-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Tue, 25 Jan 2022 23:14:00 +0000

How significant was Wilson’s 54-43 win over rival Gov. Mifflin? Head coach Matt Coldren said, “Playoffs started for us tonight.” Twelve teams qualify for the District 3-6A playoffs. Entering this matchup in West Lawn, the Bulldogs were #10 and the Mustangs were #13 in the power rankings. Wilson is trying to make up ground after tough early season losses at Gov. Mifflin, Exeter, and Hempfield by a combined four points. The Bulldogs raced out to an 8-2 advantage over the Mustangs. Wilson was in front 23-18 at halftime and 37-34 after the third quarter. 5’11 junior Delsin McNeil gave Gov. Mifflin a brief one point lead on a layup with 1:45 remaining in the third quarter. Aidan Melograna quickly responded with a 3-pointer for the (10-5, 5-3) Bulldogs. They were tied at 41 with 5:12 to play when Keegan Coldren hit a 3-pointer. His dad, who’s also the longtime head coach, talked about that big shot. Keegan added two free throws with 44 seconds left for a 50-43 edge. Wilson sealed the deal with a 13-2 run. Coldren is a perfectionist when it comes to defense. He was happy with how his players guarded the 3-point line tonight. The (7-9, 3-5) Mustangs connected on ten treys when they beat the Bulldogs 54-52 on December 17th. Gov. Mifflin only made two from beyond the arc in the rematch. The Mustangs came in averaging 57 points. They were held to six points in the first quarter and nine in the fourth period. Junior point guard and leading scorer Cam Jones was back in Wilson’s lineup after missing the previous four games. According to Coldren, Jones wasn’t feeling well so he went with Seamus Breslin and freshman Madyx Gruber down the stretch. Coldren believes that Gruber has a bright future. The 5’9 guard had seven points. His dad, Jarrad, scored 2,014 career points at Hamburg. The Bulldogs received 13 points from their bench, while the Mustangs got one point from their reserves. Cleveland Harding had a team-high 12 points to go along with six rebounds. 6’4 senior Foday Sillah finished with ten points and eight boards for Wilson. Delsin McNeil took game-high honors with 16 points for Gov. Mifflin. The 5’11 junior jammed ten points into the third quarter. His brother, Gerrell, chipped in with a dozen points. Matt Harley had ten. The Mustangs were 9-14 from the charity stripe. The Bulldogs went 9-16. Wilson has won ten of the last eleven contests in the rivalry. The Bulldogs visit the Geigle Complex on Friday. Coldren, who has won a school-record 367 games, always looks forward to facing the Red Knights.

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.

Matt Coldren-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Tue, 11 Jan 2022 22:30:00 +0000

How strongly does Matt Coldren feel about his former coach Reggie Weiss? Coldren said, “I’m coaching because of him. I worshipped him. I wanted to be him.” Coldren surpassed Weiss for the most wins in school history, but his team certainly didn’t make it easy. The Bulldogs went 6-14 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter. However, they managed to hold off Berks Catholic 51-48 in West Lawn. Coldren is (363-171) over 21 seasons as head coach. The 1990 Wilson graduate was an all-county selection as a senior. He served as an assistant at Wilson under Weiss for six years before taking over the program. Coldren was thrilled that Weiss was in attendance to see him break the record. We talked about their relationship. Coldren is also very good friends with Berks Catholic coach Snip Esterly who has 754 career victories. Coldren thought it was special to have both Weiss and Esterly at the game. Esterly is a 1976 Wilson grad who was an assistant coach under Weiss at Central Catholic. They won a state championship in 1985. Coldren is proud of how his team has bounced back from an (0-3) start in league play. The Bulldogs led the Saints 23-19 at halftime. It was tied at 35 after the third quarter. Cam Jones took over in the second half with 17 points. The all-state football player finished with 21 points including ten in the final period. Jones also pulled down eight rebounds. Berks Catholic was scoreless for the first six minutes and 38 seconds of the fourth quarter. Ryan Koch caught fire from beyond the arc late. The 6’3 junior hit three 3-pointers down the stretch and six overall. Koch poured in 27 points for the (8-2, 3-2) Saints. Jack Miller sank two free throws with 37 seconds remaining to get Berks Catholic within 47-46. Wilson was still up one with nine seconds to go when junior Aidan Melograna sealed it with a breakaway layup. Coldren described that inbounds play. He admitted that Jones was looking forward to facing JayJay Jordan. The Saints’ junior point guard had twelve points before fouling out with 58 seconds left. Coldren was pleased with the contributions that he got from his bench (13 points). The Bulldogs improved to (6-4, 2-3). Their coach knows that the Division 1 race is going to be very tight. Coldren gave credit to all of his assistants over the years. Finally, we joked about my twin brother who Coldren has mentioned on social media.

Matt Coldren-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Fri, 31 Dec 2021 13:56:00 +0000

Matt Coldren played for Reggie Weiss and was an assistant for six years with the legendary high school basketball coach. Weiss guided Central Catholic to a state championship in 1985 and then went on to win a school record 362 games at Wilson. Coldren is just two victories away from breaking that record. I asked Coldren what Weiss means to him on and off the court. He replied, “I can’t say enough great things about him. I owe everything to him.” Coldren is in his 21st season as the Bulldogs’ head coach with a record of (361-170). He led them to their first District 3 title in 2020, as well as four Berks County championships. Coldren told me that he’s most proud of the relationships he has with his players. The 1990 Wilson graduate was an all-county selection as a senior when he made 63 three-pointers. The Bulldogs are off to a (4-3, 0-2) start. Two of their losses were by a total of three points. They fell at Gov. Mifflin 54-52 and got tripped up at Hempfield 51-50 this week. Coldren understands that qualifying for the Berks County playoffs won’t be easy this year. Reading is the defending Class 6A state champion, and Berks Catholic, Exeter, and Gov. Mifflin are all solid teams. We discussed how he handles a game like Wilson’s 64-36 loss to the Red Knights last week. Coldren talked about life after Stevie Mitchell. The Bulldogs’ all-time leading scorer (2,060 points) is now at Marquette. Mitchell helped Wilson finish (20-2) last season with a second straight county title. The Bulldogs have a brand new starting lineup including senior guard Keegan Coldren. Matt spoke candidly about what it’s like to coach his son. The Bulldogs visit (6-3) Exeter on Monday and host (5-1) Muhlenberg on Thursday.