District – Berks Sports Report

Doug Dahms-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 01:29:31 +0000

Football coaches often say that speed kills. Harrisburg’s speed was on full display on Saturday afternoon at Don Thomas Stadium. The fourth-seeded Cougars beat second-seeded Wilson 42-14 in the District 3-6A Championship. “Their skill kids are off the charts and they’ve got speed everywhere. Their linebackers are fast, their linemen are fast. They’re an athletic group,” said Bulldogs’ head coach Doug Dahms. Harrisburg claimed its fourth straight District 3 title and seventh overall. The (11-2) Cougars outgained Wilson 306-to-155, including 150-to-26 on the ground. Penn State commit Messiah Mickens had two short touchdown runs to put Harrisburg in front 14-0 early in the second quarter. The 6’, 200-pound junior sacked Madyx Gruber three times from his defensive end position. Nehemiah Ewell broke off a 52-yard TD run down the left sideline with 4:22 left before halftime. The (11-2) Bulldogs responded with a 58-yard drive. Gruber’s 1-yard sneak made it 21-6 with 15 seconds remaining in the first half. The extra point was no good. Jayion Lewis hit Elias Coke over the middle for a 37-yard score on the Cougars’ opening possession of the third quarter. Coke had three catches for 110 yards before leaving with an injury. The 6’3, 200-pound junior was on crutches after the game. Coke has more than twenty Division I offers, including Penn State and Michigan. Lewis was 6-of-8 for 156 yards. D’Antae Sheffey, a Syracuse commit, increased the margin to 35-6 with a 10-yard TD run midway through the third period. Quincy Brannon then took a pop pass from Lewis and raced 30 yards down the right sideline with four minutes left in the third quarter. Brannon, a senior defensive back, added a team-high six tackles. Wilson got within 42-14 on Gruber’s 22-yard touchdown pass to sophomore tight end Mike Glover. That score came one minute into the final quarter. Gruber ended up 12-of-20 for 133 yards and two interceptions. He was under pressure most of the afternoon. Gruber threw for 2,018 yards and 25 TD this year after making the switch from wide receiver. “He’s the reason we were what we were. He was our offense, no doubt about it. Who knew he was gonna be that good,” said Dahms with a smile. Despite returning just two starters on defense and four on offense, the Bulldogs won their 29th Section 1 championship in the Lancaster-Lebanon League. They also completed their 49th consecutive winning season, a state record. “I think we grew a lot from the beginning of the year. Our underclassmen grew a lot and the senior leadership was there,” noted Dahms. He’s (196-44) over 19 seasons in West Lawn. Dahms, who started as an assistant at Wilson in 1976, owns the highest winning percentage in Berks County history.

Wilson vs. Harrisburg Preview

Paul Roberts — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 16:04:20 +0000

Wilson’s football team will make the short drive to Exeter on Saturday to face Harrisburg. The District 3-6A championship will be decided at 1pm at Don Thomas Stadium. The Cougars have been a thorn in the side of the Bulldogs in recent years. Harrisburg has defeated Wilson four times in the past six seasons in the District 3 playoffs. The fourth-seeded Cougars are (10-2). They knocked out top-seeded Manheim Township 35-14 in the semifinals last week. The (11-1) Bulldogs are riding a 9-game winning streak. Wilson held off Central York 28-20 a week ago.

Harrisburg is going for its fourth straight District 3 title. The Cougars have captured six championships overall. They’re (30-16) all-time in the District 3 tournament. Harrisburg dropped its season opener 45-7 to La Salle College High School from Philadelphia. The Cougars got tripped up by Cumberland Valley 24-21 in Week 8.

Penn State commit Kevin Brown returned from a right foot injury last Friday. Brown (6’5, 270) is ranked #14 overall and #3 at offensive tackle in the Class of 2026 by Rivals. Trinity transfer Messiah Mickens has also committed to the Nittany Lions. He leads Harrisburg with 1,091 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns. The 200-pound junior is a force at defensive end as well with 27 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks. Mickens was named the Mid-Penn Commonwealth Division Defensive Player of the Year. Jayion Lewis has thrown for 1,646 yards and 16 TD in his first year as the starting quarterback. The 5’11, 165-pound junior is completing 62% of his passes. His top target is one of the elite wide receivers in the state. Elias Coke has more than twenty Division I offers including Penn State, Pittsburgh, Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, Kentucky, and Iowa State. The 6’3, 200-pound junior has 42 receptions for 723 yards and 8 TD. Coke also has a team-high five interceptions. State College transfer D’Antae Sheffey, a Syracuse commit, has chipped in with 28 carries for 231 yards, 12 catches, and one INT.

Wilson has brought District 3 gold back to West Lawn on seven occasions. The Bulldogs’ most recent title was in 2016. They’re (44-24) overall in the District 3 playoffs. Wilson holds the state record with 49 consecutive winning seasons. The Bulldogs haven’t had a losing campaign since 1963. They earned their 29th Section 1 championship in the Lancaster-Lebanon League this fall.

Madyx Gruber, an All-County basketball player, has made a remarkable transition from wide receiver to quarterback. The 5’11, 160-pound senior is completing 65% of his passes for 1,885 yards and 24 TD. Gruber is second on the squad with 715 rushing yards and eight scores. His teammate on the court, Correll Akings, is averaging 6.1 yards per carry. Akings has 1,060 yards and 13 touchdowns. The 5’10, 170-pound junior can catch the ball out of the backfield as well. He has 24 receptions, third-most for Wilson this year. The second-seeded Bulldogs feature a pair of standout sophomores. Mike Glover (6’3, 220) has a team-high 39 catches for 648 yards and 6 scores. The physical tight end reeled in five passes for 117 yards and 2 TD in the semifinals against Central York. Meanwhile, E.J. Brownback leads Wilson with 77 combined tackles. The 215-pound sophomore linebacker has racked up 16.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. Gruber also contributes on defense with five of the Bulldogs’ 14 interceptions.

I’ll be in Reiffton with live updates and postgame reaction on Saturday afternoon.

Week 13 Scoreboard-Football

Paul Roberts — Sun, 17 Nov 2024 20:39:40 +0000

Wilson held off Central York 28-20 in the District 3-6A semifinals at John Gurski Stadium. You can read the full game story on the homepage. The (11-1) Bulldogs face fourth-seeded Harrisburg on Saturday at Exeter for the championship. Kickoff is at 1pm.

Exeter rolled over Conestoga Valley 48-14 in the District 3-5A semifinals. The (12-1) Eagles avenged a 28-27 loss to the Buckskins in Week 9. Jayden Zandier ran for 270 yards and four touchdowns on 27 carries in the rematch. Conestoga Valley suffered its first loss of the year. The Buckskins were ranked #9 in the state in Class 5A by PennLive. Zandier has a school record 2,082 rushing yards this season! Exeter meets sixth-seeded Bishop McDevitt in Friday’s championship game at ELCO.

Twin Valley lost at Lampeter-Strasburg 31-13 in the District 3-4A semifinals. Dominic Brown rumbled for 183 yards and a score on 29 carries. The top-seeded Pioneers improved to (12-0). They’re ranked #3 in the state in Class 4A by PennLive. The Raiders finished (9-3). They reached the District 3 semifinals for the third year in a row.

Wyomissing cruised past West York 35-7 on Saturday afternoon at Bob Wolfrum Field. The second-seeded Spartans are (22-0) all-time in home playoff games! Danny Fleischood ran for 132 yards and 2 TD on just seven carries. He also had a 36-yard touchdown catch. Derek Macrina added 80 rushing yards and a score. Wyomissing played without standout sophomore Justice Hardy for the second straight game. The (10-2) Spartans battle Lampeter-Strasburg in the District 3-4A championship. They will square off at Warwick on Friday at 7pm.

Week 12 Scoreboard-Football

Paul Roberts — Sat, 09 Nov 2024 04:30:47 +0000

Wilson defeated Cedar Crest 28-3 in the District 3-6A quarterfinals at John Gurski Stadium. The (10-1) Bulldogs have won eight games in a row. They haven’t lost to the Falcons since 2001. Wilson will host Central York next Friday.

Exeter handed top-seeded New Oxford its first loss in the District 3-5A quarterfinals. Jake Franek’s 32-yard field goal gave the (11-1) Eagles a thrilling 24-21 victory. Exeter travels to unbeaten Conestoga Valley next week.

Conrad Weiser lost to Bishop McDevitt 42-7 in the District 3-5A quarterfinals at Robesonia. The Scouts finish (10-1).

Twin Valley won at Susquehanna Township 47-19 in the District 3-4A quarterfinals. The (9-2) Raiders visit (11-0) Lampeter-Strasburg next Friday. Twin Valley has advanced to the District 3 semifinals for the third consecutive season.

Schuylkill Valley fell at Trinity 20-17 in overtime in the District 3-3A semifinals. The Panthers’ 8-game winning streak comes to a halt. Schuylkill Valley ends the year at (9-3).

Berks Catholic lost at top-seeded Bermudian Springs 42-25 in the District 3-3A semifinals. The Saints went (7-5) in Dave Stahler’s first season as head coach.

District 3 Playoff Preview

Paul Roberts — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 12:32:20 +0000

The District 3 playoffs are here! Four Berks County teams are in action tonight and four more have byes. There are no Berks County squads in the Class A and 2A fields.

Class 6A:

Gov. Mifflin returns to the tournament after a two-year absence. The (5-5) Mustangs got bumped up from Class 5A this season. As the #9 seed, they will travel to #8 Cumberland Valley. The Eagles are making their 32nd appearance, only Manheim Central has qualified more times (35). Cumberland Valley is (51-18) all-time in the District 3 playoffs with 13 championships. Their last title came in 2015. This is the 18th appearance for Gov. Mifflin. The Mustangs have a (24-16) overall record. They won it all for the first time in 2020.

Wilson received the #2 seed and a bye. Like Cumberland Valley, the Bulldogs are making their 32nd appearance in District’s. They have a (42-24) mark with seven championships. Wilson will meet either #7 Cedar Crest or #10 Hempfield in the quarterfinals.

Class 5A:

#8 seed Exeter takes on #9 South Western tonight at Don Thomas Stadium. This is the 15th trip to the tournament for the (9-1) Eagles. Their lone title came in 2021 when they stunned Gov. Mifflin as the seventh seed. Exeter has a (10-13) all-time record. South Western is making its 16th appearance. The Mustangs are (7-3) this year.

As the #3 seed, undefeated Conrad Weiser earned a bye. The Scouts were the District 3-2A runner-up in 1996. They also started (10-0) that season. This is the 18th time that Conrad Weiser advanced to the District 3 field. The Scouts are (13-17). They will meet #6 Bishop McDevitt or #11 Lower Dauphin in the quarterfinals. The Crusaders have won a record 65 games in the District 3 playoffs (65-9) with 17 championships, including three in a row. They were in Class 4A in 2023.

It’s odd not seeing Manheim Central in the bracket. The Barons own the District 3 records for titles (18) and appearances (35). They’re (63-17) overall. Manheim Central finished (3-7) this year.

Class 4A:

Second-seeded Wyomissing and fifth-seeded Twin Valley have byes this week. The (8-2) Spartans are going to District’s for the 31st time. They were in Class 3A a season ago. Wyomissing has claimed a dozen championships, including five straight. The Spartans have a (42-18) all-time mark. Here’s an interesting tidbit to keep in mind; they’re (20-0) at home in the postseason!

Twin Valley is headed to the District 3 tournament for the fourth consecutive year. The (8-2) Raiders reached the semifinals in each of the previous two seasons. They visit (8-2) Susquehanna Township next Friday in the quarterfinals.

Class 3A:

Third-seeded Schuylkill Valley entertains sixth-seeded Littlestown tonight at Leesport. This is the ninth appearance in District’s for the (8-2) Panthers. They beat the (6-4) Thunderbolts 45-21 last year. It was just the second victory for Schuylkill Valley in the District 3 tournament. Littlestown has won it all on three occasions. This is the 27th appearance for the Thunderbolts. They have a (12-23) overall record.

Berks Catholic is making its tenth trip to the District 3 playoffs. The school has been in existence for 14 years. The Saints have an outstanding (19-5) mark in the tournament with four championships. They’re (6-4) this season and the #5 seed. Berks Catholic goes to fourth-seeded Biglerville tonight for a quarterfinal matchup. The (7-3) Canners advanced to District’s for the fifth time.

Chris Hole-Gov. Mifflin

Paul Roberts — Wed, 29 May 2024 10:47:00 +0000

Gov. Mifflin was searching for its first District 3 baseball championship, but Reese Young stood in the way. “He was as advertised,” said Mustangs’ head coach Chris Hole. Young fired a two-hitter in Mechanicsburg’s 6-1 victory in the District 3-5A final at FirstEnergy Stadium. “We knew his fastball-slider combo was gonna be really, really tough. It seemed like he got stronger as the game went on,” noted Hole. Young entered Tuesday’s game with a (10-0) record and a sparkling 0.67 ERA. The senior lefty is committed to North Alabama. He struck out ten and walked three. The second-seeded Wildcats got on the board in the second frame. After an error and two walks, leadoff hitter Grady Weaver ripped a two-run single to right field with two outs. Duke commit Jeff Lougee launched a curveball to right-center for a solo homer in the fifth inning. Ethan Grim allowed three runs, one earned, on three hits and three walks. The junior piled up ten strikeouts over five innings. “He definitely had a good fastball early. Overall, Ethan did a pretty good job. He kept us in the game,” stated Hole. Mechanicsburg added three runs on four hits off of Bryce Detwiler in the 6th. Designated hitter Jayden Matarrese, a freshman, hit a RBI single through the middle for a 4-1 edge. Dane Mark, the No. 9 batter, followed with a two-run double to left-center. Junior first baseman Nick Patrick provided two of the eight hits for the (19-3-1) Wildcats. They captured their second straight District 3 title and third in program history. Gov. Mifflin’s lone run came in the 3rd on a line drive RBI single to center by Detwiler. Sophomore Aden Reiter, who had walked, came around to score. The (20-5) Mustangs will begin the PIAA tournament on Monday. “There’s something else to play for…we’ll get the boys refocused,” said Hole.

Tim Mertz-Kutztown

Paul Roberts — Fri, 24 May 2024 12:35:00 +0000

Denver Ostrum’s pitching statistics didn’t jump off the page this season. The Delone Catholic senior had a 4.28 ERA entering the District 3-2A championship at Wenger Field in Fredericksburg. Kutztown wasn’t able to figure out the right-hander on Thursday night. Ostrum hurled a complete game four-hitter in a 7-1 victory over the fourth-seeded Cougars. “We were hitting a lot of fly balls. We didn’t hit line drives. We didn’t hit hard ground balls,” said longtime coach Tim Mertz. Ostrum struck out five and only walked one. The second-seeded Squires got a pair of runs in the 2nd on consecutive RBI doubles by Ethan Little and J.D. Sieg. Delone Catholic tacked on three more runs in the third frame. Chris Cole hit a bloop single to center to make it 3-1. Kole Schuler replaced Colten Mathias with bases loaded and two outs. Schuler walked Little and then threw a wild pitch to give the Squires a 5-1 edge. Nicolas Pierce provided a two-run single down the right field line for a 7-1 advantage in the 5th. Mathias suffered a lower back injury in early April. “He wasn’t as dominant as he had been prior to that,” noted Mertz. The junior righty was charged with five runs on five hits and two walks in 2.2 innings. Schuler allowed two runs on four hits over two frames. Ashton Dunn, a junior southpaw, tossed 1.1 hitless innings for Kutztown. The bottom of the order did a lot of damage for Delone Catholic. Little, Sieg, and Pierce combined for five hits and 5 RBI. “We did not expect that and my scouting report did not show that at all,” said Mertz. Little and Sieg each went 2-for-2. Aidan Wittmer contributed two hits and a walk. The senior shortstop began the day with a team-high .383 batting average. The (14-7) Squires claimed their third District 3 title and second in the past three years. The Cougars finished (12-11). Their only run came in the 3rd on an infield single by Chase Sleboda. Chase Schuler came around to score on the play due to a throwing error by Wittmer. Mertz, who wrapped up his 24th season as head coach with 362 career wins, is optimistic about the future. He only had two seniors in the starting lineup. Mathias, Dunn, and Chris Bergstrom will all return on the mound next year. Kutztown will compete in Class 3A in 2025. “We should be a really solid pitching staff and team next year,” stated Mertz. The Cougars will be hunting their seventh District 3 championship next spring.

District 3 Playoffs-Baseball

Paul Roberts — Wed, 15 May 2024 17:24:00 +0000

The District 3 baseball playoffs get underway on Friday. Nine teams from Berks County qualified for the tournament based on their power rankings. Here are their opening matchups:

Class 6A-Quarterfinals

#4 Wilson hosts the Manheim Township/Cedar Crest winner at 4:30pm on Monday.

Class 5A-First Round

#1 Gov. Mifflin hosts #16 Garden Spot at 4:30pm on Friday.

#3 Twin Valley hosts #14 Lower Dauphin at 7pm on Friday.

#7 Muhlenberg hosts #10 Manheim Central at 2pm on Friday.

Class 4A-Quarterfinals

#5 Berks Catholic visits #4 James Buchanan at 5pm on Monday.

#6 Fleetwood visits #3 Northern Lebanon at 4:30pm on Monday.

Class 3A-Quarterfinals

#7 Oley Valley visits #2 Trinity at 4:30pm on Monday.

Class 2A-Semifinals

#4 Kutztown visits #1 Halifax at 4:30pm on Monday.

Class A-Semifinals

#1 High Point Baptist hosts the Lancaster Christian/West Shore Christian winner at 4:30pm on Monday.

Kevin Saenz-Exeter

Paul Roberts — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 00:18:00 +0000

Exeter’s 74-51 loss at Wilson in the BCIAA quarterfinals was a great source of motivation. “It lights a fire under everybody to play better, said Kevin Saenz. The Eagles were back in action for the first time in a week, but they certainly didn’t look rusty. They blew out seventh-seeded Lampeter-Strasburg 73-49 in the first round of the District 3-5A playoffs. This tournament provides an opportunity for Exeter to show its true colors. “Everybody is (0-0) now. It’s a brand new slate for everyone,” emphasized Saenz. The 6’4 senior guard racked up 26 points and knocked down three of the Eagles’ nine 3-pointers. They led 17-10 after the opening quarter and 35-26 at halftime. Reece Garvin got Exeter off to a fast start with eight points in the first eight minutes. Garvin and Saenz were starters a season ago when the Eagles won their first District 3 championship. Lampeter-Strasburg brought home District 3 gold in 2022. The Pioneers were outscored 38-to-23 in the second half on Monday. Exeter entered the night allowing 60 points per game. This was one of their best defensive efforts of the year. “Our offense comes from our defense…Every practice we try to get better at that,” noted Saenz. The tenth-seeded Eagles scored the first nine points of the fourth quarter to go up 63-37. Sophomore Aidan Dauble had 14 points and seven rebounds. “He’s been tremendous lately…I’m super proud of him for stepping up. He’s so advanced for his age,” said Saenz. Brady Murray hit two triples and added ten points. Garvin, a 6’4 senior, chipped in with eight points and nine rebounds. Exeter went 10-of-14 from the free throw line and committed just nine turnovers. The (16-8) Pioneers were 9-for-11 from the stripe. Senior guard Yasin Abdi poured in 21 points including 16 in the second half. Chase Smucker ended his junior campaign with 17 points and three treys. The 5’11 guard connected 57 times from beyond the arc this season. Justin Glick, a 6’3 senior, was limited to seven points. The (16-8) Eagles clinched a spot in the state playoffs. They’ll visit #2 seed Mechanicsburg in the District 3 quarterfinals on Thursday at 7pm.

Girls Basketball-District 3 Rankings

Paul Roberts — Mon, 01 Jan 2024 11:03:00 +0000

2024 is here! The high school basketball season is moving full steam ahead. Wilson has a big non-league test at Parkland on Wednesday. The Bulldogs face Reading in West Lawn on Friday. Berks Catholic is back home after its trip to Florida. The Saints host Gov. Mifflin this Friday. Oley Valley and Schuylkill Valley square off in Leesport on Tuesday. Here’s a glimpse at where Berks County teams sit in the District 3 power rankings.

Class 6A (12 teams qualify)

3. Wilson

13. Gov. Mifflin

16. Reading

Class 5A (14 teams qualify)

7. Exeter

12. Daniel Boone

14. Twin Valley

15. Conrad Weiser

21. Muhlenberg

Class 4A (10 teams qualify)

2. Wyomissing

10. Berks Catholic

13. Schuylkill Valley

16. Hamburg

22. Fleetwood

Class 3A (6 teams qualify)

4. Oley Valley

6. Brandywine Heights

12. Tulpehocken

13. Kutztown

Class 2A (4 teams qualify)

7. Antietam