District – Berks Sports Report

District 3 Boys Basketball Rankings

Paul Roberts — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 01:32:17 +0000

Congratulations to Central York, Hershey, Berks Catholic, Trinity, York Catholic and High Point Baptist for winning District 3 boys basketball championships in their respective classifications. It was the first District 3 title for Central York, and the first in 51 years for Hershey. Trinity claimed its 20th District 3 crown, only Reading has more with 24. York Catholic earned District 3 gold for the 13th time. Good luck to all of the District 3 teams that qualified for the state tournament which begins on Friday.

It’s time for another edition of my District 3 rankings. I give you the top five squads in all six classes. Remember that no matter where your favorite school is ranked , the sun will come out tomorrow!

Class 6A

1.Central York

2.Central Dauphin

3.Gov. Mifflin

4.Chambersburg

5.Wilson

Class 5A

1.Hershey

2.West York

3.Exeter

4.York Suburban

5.Lampeter-Strasburg

Class 4A

1.Berks Catholic

2.Eastern York

3.Big Spring

4.Susquehanna Township

5.Bishop McDevitt

Class 3A

1.Trinity

2.Lancaster Mennonite

3.Antietam

4.Halifax

5.Brandywine Heights

Class 2A

1.York Catholic

2.Linville Hill Christian

3.Delone Catholic

4.Greenwood

5.Steel-High

Class A

1.High Point Baptist

2.Shalom Christian

3.York Country Day

4.Lancaster Country Day

5.Ephrata Mennonite

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.

Carmelo Harper-Berks Catholic

Paul Roberts — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:18:43 +0000

Berks Catholic was the top seed entering the BCIAA playoffs last week. The Saints fell to Reading 48-41 in the semifinals at Santander Arena. That loss didn’t sit well with Carmelo Harper. “It really had me broken because we lost and my teammates weren’t happy. I feel like I let them down,” he said. The 5’10 freshman guard used that game as motivation. Harper scored a career-high 15 points in a 51-32 victory over eighth-seeded Bishop McDevitt in the District 3-4A quarterfinals. He knocked down three of of Berks Catholic’s eight 3-pointers at Lloyd Wolf Gymnasium. Harper doesn’t mind coming off the bench. “I get to see how the game is paced. Once I get in the game and I score, it slows down for me,” he explained. Brady Altimar also established a new career-high with a dozen points. The (19-5) Saints went scoreless for nearly five and a-half minutes before Altimar hit a triple from the left wing. The 5’9 junior followed with another trey. Berks Catholic led 8-7 after eight minutes. Altimar was 6-for-6 from the foul line in the fourth quarter. “He always finds his open teammates,” added Harper. Zach Suski drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key to give the Saints a 15-12 edge midway through the second quarter. The 6’ senior chipped in with eleven points. He was 4-of-5 from the charity stripe in the final period. Johnny Giesa splashed a triple to open the second half and put Berks Catholic in front 24-16. The 6’1 sophomore started in place of Gavin Welker. Welker, who averaged 8 ppg., isn’t eligible after transferring from Daniel Boone before the season. Bryce Gumby connected from long range with one minute remaining in the third quarter. The football standout gave the top-seeded Saints a 33-24 cushion entering the last period. A three-point play by Suski made it 40-26 with 4:15 to go. The (10-11) Crusaders have lost six of their last eight games. They were without leading scorer Damir Arp. The 6’3 freshman guard was academically ineligible. He averages 17 ppg. Berks Catholic participated in Bishop McDevitt’s Catholic Christmas Showcase where Arp poured in 26 points against Pittsburgh Central Catholic on December 27. Pat Denisco, a 5’10 junior, finished with a team-high twelve points. Max Henderson, a 6’6 senior, had six points. The Crusaders only hit two 3-pointers. They were 6-of-9 from the free throw line, while the Saints ended up 15-of-17. The top five teams in Class 4A qualify for the state tournament. Bishop McDevitt will have to win a pair of consolation games to advance. The Crusaders visit fourth-seeded Wyomissing on Monday. Kingston McKoy had a quiet night on Thursday. The All-State guard was limited to three points and didn’t make a field goal. McKoy leads Berks County in scoring at 21 ppg. The 6’2 junior was part of a terrific defensive effort. Bishop McDevitt didn’t reach ten points in any quarter. Head coach Snip Esterly earned his 834th career win over 36 seasons. He has always stressed hard-nosed, man-to-man defense. “Big time, we get screamed at a lot but it’s worth it,” replied Harper. The Saints host fifth-seeded Susquehanna Township in the semifinals on Monday at 7pm. Berks Catholic has already secured a berth in the PIAA-4A playoffs.

Aidan Dauble-Exeter

Paul Roberts — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 16:16:36 +0000

Exeter coach Jeff VanGorder was extremely disappointed that Aidan Dauble wasn’t named to the All-County team on Sunday. The 6’2 junior guard used that snub to fuel him on Tuesday night against Middletown. “It motivated me a lot because that was one of my goals this season. To not get it really made me strive to do good tonight and push through it,” remarked Dauble. He scored a game-high 22 points as the eighth-seeded Eagles outlasted the ninth-seeded Blue Raiders 60-53 in overtime in the first round of the District 3-5A playoffs. Dauble nailed a 3-pointer with two minutes left in the extra period to put Exeter on top 54-51. “Carter [Redding] came off a screen and I’m trailing him. I had a little bit of space and I was feeling good all game so I just let it fly,” explained Dauble. After Aleel Batts missed a tough scoop shot in the lane, Braylon Reinert sank a pair of free throws with 1:10 remaining. Avery Askins misfired on a triple from the right corner on the next possession. Redding then converted four consecutive foul shots to extend the Eagles’ margin to 60-51 with 24 seconds to go. Exeter outscored Middletown 11-to-4 in overtime. Reinert finished with 17 points including nine after the third quarter. The 6’4 sophomore tied it at 49-49 in the final seconds of regulation. VanGorder used a baseline out of bounds play called “4 down” for the first time this season, and it worked to perfection. The Eagles had four players along the baseline, while the Blue Raiders were in a zone defense. One defender ran to the right corner to cover sharpshooter Brady Murray, but they left Reinert wide open underneath the basket for an easy layup. Landon Keyser went 1-for-2 from the free throw line with 14 seconds to play which made it 49-47. The 5’11 senior, who averages 8 ppg., had 17 points. Batts led Middletown with 19 points. The crafty 6’ senior went 3-for-6 from the stripe. “He got to the free throw line a lot. He was able to get downhill and use a slow step to get to the basket. He’s a good player,” said Dauble. Batts is providing nearly 22 points a night this year. Kylin Noon, a 6’2 freshman forward, chipped in with seven points off the bench. The (13-10) Blue Raiders won the Colonial Division of the Mid-Penn Conference. They trailed 17-6 late in the opening quarter at Reiffton. Middletown went on a 14-to-3 run to even things up at 20-20 with 3:15 left in the first half. Exeter was down 25-24 at the break after getting outscored 15-to-7 in the second period. Murray splashed a 3-pointer from the right wing with two minutes remaining in the third quarter. His 68th trey of the season put the (13-11) Eagles in front 37-30. Batts scored five points to cut the deficit to 39-38 with 5:18 to go. A layup by Askins gave the Blue Raiders a 41-39 lead with 3:45 to play. That was his first bucket of the contest. He made another layup one minute later for a 43-41 edge. Jayden Ware answered on the other end with a drive for Exeter. The 6’1 junior had eight points, as well as the difficult task of guarding Batts. Keyser scored along the baseline with 1:40 left and Middletown regained the lead at 45-44. Dauble was then whistled for an offensive foul which wiped his bucket off the board. Keyser connected twice from the foul line with 39 seconds remaining to give the Blue Raiders a 48-45 advantage. A layup by Murray cut the deficit to one point with 21 seconds to go. The 6’2 senior guard ended up with seven points. The Eagles were 13-of-20 from the charity stripe, while Middletown went 10-of-19. The Blue Raiders made just one 3-pointer. They fell into the consolation bracket after dropping their fifth straight game. The Eagles advanced to the District 3-5A quarterfinals and clinched a berth in the state tournament. Exeter hosts #16 seed Spring Grove on Friday at 7pm. The Rockets upset top-seeded Manheim Central 45-38. “It’s crazy. It’s gonna feel amazing with the home crowd for a second round game in District’s. We’re ready to win,” stated Dauble. He’s averaging 16.6 points and nine rebounds while shooting 51% from the field. Dauble is one of four football players that start on the basketball team. The Eagles reached the District 3-5A championship game this fall. They’re motivated to make another run on the court.

District 3 Girls Basketball Playoffs

Paul Roberts — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 18:37:05 +0000

The BCIAA basketball playoffs are heating up and the District 3 tournament is on deck! Eight girls teams from Berks County are in the District 3 field. The action kicks off on Monday, February 17. There are no local teams in the Class 2A and Class A brackets. All of the following games will start at 7pm.

Class 6A-Monday, Feb. 17

#10 Cedar Crest at #7 Wilson

#12 Gov. Mifflin at #5 Central Dauphin

#13 Reading at #4 Mechanicsburg

Class 5A-Monday, Feb. 17

#10 ELCO at #7 Conrad Weiser

#9 Twin Valley at #8 Lower Dauphin

Class 4A

#10 Bishop McDevitt at #7 Berks Catholic on Tuesday, Feb. 18

#6 Susquehanna Twp. at #3 Wyomissing on Friday, Feb. 21

Class 3A-Tuesday, Feb. 18

#6 Columbia at #3 Oley Valley

District 3 Boys Basketball Playoffs

Paul Roberts — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 18:11:58 +0000

The brackets are out! The District 3 basketball playoffs begin on Monday, February 17. Ten boys teams from the BCIAA qualified for the tournament. High Point Baptist is also in the field. However, Reading missed the District 3 playoffs for the first time since 2001. The Red Knights went (13-13, 9-4) that season under Danny Walck. Reading bounced back in 2002 and won 24 games.

Here are the matchups involving Berks County teams by classification. All of these games tip at 7pm.

Class 6A-Tuesday, Feb. 18

#12 Cedar Crest at #5 Wilson

#10 Gov. Mifflin at #7 Warwick

#11 Muhlenberg at #6 Central Dauphin

Class 5A-Tuesday, Feb. 18

#9 Middletown at #8 Exeter

#13 Conrad Weiser at #4 York Suburban

Class 4A-Thursday, Feb. 20

#8 Bishop McDevitt at #1 Berks Catholic

#5 Susquehanna Twp. at #4 Wyomissing

#6 Schuylkill Valley at #3 Big Spring

Class 3A-Monday, Feb. 17

#5 Brandywine Heights vs. #4 Antietam at Exeter High School

Class A-Friday, Feb. 21

#6 LaAcademia Partnership Charter at #3 High Point Baptist

District 3 Boys Basketball Rankings

Paul Roberts — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 19:29:33 +0000

It’s time for another edition of my District 3 boys basketball rankings! I give you the top 5 teams in all six classifications. You will see new #1 squads in both Class 5A and Class 3A this week. Lampeter-Strasburg also made a big jump into my poll in 5A. The District 3 tournament is right around the corner. The deadline for games to count is February 12. Once again, these are not the official District 3 power rankings. This is my poll as of February 10. Remember that no matter where your favorite school is ranked, the sun will come out tomorrow!

Class 6A

1.Central York

2.Cumberland Valley

3.Mechanicsburg

4.Central Dauphin

5.Chambersburg

Class 5A

1.Manheim Central

2.West York

3.Lampeter-Strasburg

4.Hershey

5.Octorara

Class 4A

1.Berks Catholic

2.Eastern York

3.Big Spring

4.Susquehanna Twp.

5.Schuylkill Valley

Class 3A

1.Lancaster Mennonite

2.Trinity

3.Halifax

4.Antietam

5.Pequea Valley

Class 2A

1.Delone Catholic

2.Linville Hill Christian

3.York Catholic

4.Greenwood

5.Steel-High

Class A

1.York Country Day

2.Lancaster Country Day

3.High Point Baptist

4.Ephrata Mennonite

5.LaAcademia Partnership Charter

District 3 Boys Basketball Rankings

Paul Roberts — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 20:00:10 +0000

The District 3 basketball tournament is quickly approaching. If there’s one thing I know, it’s that people love rankings. I think some fans pay more attention to rankings than their first-born child. Just kidding, or am I? Anyway, I looked at all six classifications and ranked the top 5 boys basketball teams. These are not the District 3 power ratings. These are my projections as of February 1st. You may agree or disagree. It’s all good. The champions will be decided on the court. Remember that no matter where your favorite team is ranked, the sun will come out tomorrow!

Class 6A

1.Central York

2.Cumberland Valley

3.Central Dauphin

4.Mechanicsburg

5.Chambersburg

Class 5A

1.Hershey

2.Manheim Central

3.Octorara

4.West York

5.York Suburban

Class 4A

1.Berks Catholic

2.Eastern York

3.Schuylkill Valley

4.Big Spring

5.Susquehanna Township

Class 3A

1.Trinity

2.Lancaster Mennonite

3.Halifax

4.Antietam

5.Pequea Valley

Class 2A

1.Delone Catholic

2.Linville Hill Christian

3.York Catholic

4.Greenwood

5.Steel-High

Class A

1.York Country Day

2.Lancaster Country Day

3.High Point Baptist

4.Coventry Christian

5.Ephrata Mennonite

District 3 Girls Basketball Rankings

Paul Roberts — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 19:28:27 +0000

Only a few league games remain in the Berks County high school basketball season. The postseason is right around the corner. Several local girls teams are on the bubble for the District 3 playoffs. Here are the current rankings.

Class 6A (16 teams qualify)

7.Wilson

8.Reading

12.Gov. Mifflin

Class 5A (14 teams qualify)

6.Twin Valley

9.Conrad Weiser

14.Exeter

Class 4A (10 teams qualify)

3.Wyomissing

8.Berks Catholic

9.Schuylkill Valley

Class 3A (6 teams qualify)

3.Oley Valley

8.Brandywine Heights

9.Kutztown

Class 2A (4 teams qualify)

No Berks County teams are in this classification.

Class A (10 teams qualify)

11.High Point Baptist Academy

District 3 Boys Basketball Rankings

Paul Roberts — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 18:06:51 +0000

The high school basketball regular season is winding down. The deadline for games to count toward a school’s District 3 power ranking is February 12th. Keep in mind that BCIAA playoff games aren’t factored into the equation. Let’s take a look at where the Berks County boys basketball teams currently stand. Reading, Hamburg, and Kutztown need to finish strong in order to make the District 3 tournament.

Class 6A (16 teams qualify)

2.Wilson

8.Muhlenberg

13.Gov. Mifflin

19.Reading

Class 5A (16 teams qualify)

11.Exeter

12.Conrad Weiser

Class 4A (8 teams qualify)

1.Berks Catholic

3.Wyomissing

5.Schuylkill Valley

10.Hamburg

Class 3A (6 teams qualify)

4.Antietam

5.Brandywine Heights

7.Kutztown

Class 2A (4 teams qualify)

No Berks County schools are in this classification.

Class A (10 teams qualify)

5.High Point Baptist Academy