Fleetwood – Berks Sports Report

Jason Bieber-Fleetwood

Paul Roberts — Fri, 12 Jul 2024 20:33:55 +0000

Fleetwood’s boys basketball team is getting a makeover. The Tigers will look much different this winter. They’ll have five new starters and a new head coach. Jason Bieber takes over for Terry Sitler who retired after twelve years. Bieber is no stranger to Fleetwood. He graduated from the high school in 1994 and lives in the district. In fact, his first coaching position was as an assistant for the Tigers’ boys basketball team. Bieber spent the past two seasons as the girls basketball head coach at Brandywine Heights. Prior to that, he was the head coach of the Tulpehocken and Boyertown girls basketball teams. Bieber was with the Trojans for four years. He led the Bears for thirteen seasons. In 2017, Boyertown won the PIAA-6A championship. “It was a magical year…we had five girls that all played college basketball. It was just putting them on the court and guiding them in the right direction,” said Bieber. There will be a bunch of fresh faces in Fleetwood’s lineup this winter. Aiden Soumas, Nate Herb, Hunter Svoboda, Liam Hilburt, and Mason Musitano all graduated after a (20-6) campaign. A lot of playing time will be available in 2024-25. “You all have your opportunity now. It’s brand new, everybody gets a fresh slate,” Bieber told the returning players. He has an overall record of (264-216). Bieber prefers a structured offense. “I do like a lot of sets. We usually have about 6-7 set pieces,” he noted. Bieber is still learning the landscape in the Berks Boys Basketball Conference, but he’s optimistic. “I think we’ll fit in just fine in Berks III and IV. I think a lot of the teams are very similar there,” he replied.

PIAA Tournament-Baseball

Paul Roberts — Fri, 31 May 2024 13:38:00 +0000

The sites and times for first round games in the PIAA baseball tournament were released on Friday. Here are Monday’s matchups involving teams from Berks County.

Wilson travels to District 7 champion North Allegheny at 4pm.

Gov. Mifflin hosts District 12 runner-up Frankford at 4pm.

Fleetwood takes on District 7 champion North Catholic at Seneca Valley High School at 4:30pm.

Fleetwood hires Bieber

Paul Roberts — Tue, 14 May 2024 22:15:00 +0000

Jason Bieber is very familiar with Fleetwood. He graduated from the high school there in 1994. Bieber’s first coaching job was with the Tigers’ boys basketball team. He was an assistant under Joey Palacz thirty years ago. On Tuesday night, Bieber was officially approved as Fleetwood’s varsity boys basketball coach.

Bieber spent the past two years as the head coach of the Brandywine Heights’ girls basketball team. The Bullets went (14-8) last season, but missed the Berks County and District 3 playoffs. He has an overall record of (264-216). Bieber spent four years coaching the girls team at Tulpehocken. He was the Boyertown girls basketball coach for 13 seasons. Bieber guided the Bears to the Class 6A state championship in 2017. Boyertown defeated North Allegheny 46-35 at the Giant Center in Hershey.

There was an opening at Fleetwood after Terry Sitler retired. He led the Tigers for a dozen years with a mark of (138-126). Fleetwood finished (22-5) two seasons ago and was the District 3-4A runner-up. That squad included Jake Karnish who ended his career as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,420 points. The Tigers were (20-6) this year. Their starting lineup featured five seniors and included 1,000-point scorer Aiden Soumas. Fleetwood wound up fourth in the District 3-4A tournament. The Tigers lost 79-52 to Scranton Prep in the first round of the state playoffs. Sitler was (264-294) overall including his twelve seasons at Brandywine Heights. Bieber said he’s excited for this new opportunity.

Mustangs tame the Tigers

Paul Roberts — Sun, 12 May 2024 19:09:00 +0000

Fleetwood erupted for ten runs against Gov. Mifflin one month ago. Bryce Detwiler made sure that didn’t happen again. The UConn commit limited the fifth-seeded Tigers to two runs over six innings in the BCIAA semifinals. The top-seeded Mustangs won 5-3 on a rainy Saturday night at Owls Field in West Lawn. “Despite the weather conditions, he was able to command his slider, curve, and changeup for most of the game. Overall, just a great performance under pressure from one of our captains,” said head coach Chris Hole. Detwiler allowed three hits and struck out five to go along with a pair of walks. “Bryce did a great job navigating a talented Fleetwood lineup. In past games, they were very aggressive fastball hitters so our approach was to implement more off-speed pitches,” explained Hole. Gov. Mifflin rallied to beat Fleetwood 11-10 on April 10th. The (13-8) Tigers got on the board in the opening frame against Detwiler. Kutztown commit Aiden Soumas knocked in a run with a single to right field. Fleetwood had two hits in the 1st, but only two more the rest of the night. Ethan Grim tied it up in the bottom half of the inning with a sacrifice fly to right. Grim made it 4-1 in the 2nd with a two-out, two-run single up the middle. That came after sophomore Wylie Loy hit Travis Jenkins with the bases loaded. Loy settled down nicely and lasted into the 6th before reaching 100 pitches. Sam Reimert replaced Loy with two outs and two men on base. Dante Casantini crossed the plate on a wild pitch to give the (17-3) Mustangs a 5-1 advantage. Detwiler opened the top of the 7th by hitting Reimert. Hole turned to sophomore R.J. Weaver after Detwiler had fired 100 pitches. Carson Brey doubled to left to put runners on second and third. Cane Cromer’s grounder to second got the Tigers within 5-2. An error at first base by Casantini made it 5-3. Hole brought in hard-throwing junior Ethan Grim for the save. Grim promptly struck out leadoff hitter Liam Hilburt and Nick Noll to end it. Loy took the loss, but only one of the five runs that he gave up was earned. He finished with six strikeouts and five walks over 5.2 innings. Gov. Mifflin managed just four hits. Detwiler was walked three times. Nate Seidel had two singles for Fleetwood. The Mustangs advanced to the Berks County championship on Monday at 6:05pm. They’ll take on third-seeded Wilson at FirstEnergy Stadium. Gov. Mifflin has won two of the last three county titles and fifteen overall.

Liam Hilburt-Fleetwood

Paul Roberts — Wed, 20 Dec 2023 09:22:00 +0000

Every time it looked like Fleetwood was pulling away, Schuylkill Valley responded. Liam Hilburt finally delivered the knockout punch with 3:43 remaining as the Tigers beat the Panthers 51-38 in Fleetwood. Hilburt drilled a three-pointer in front of the student section in the right corner. “It felt amazing. The crowd went wild,” he said. That triple put the Tigers in front 41-32. “Once I hit that, they went crazy and I knew we were gonna win,” replied Hilburt. The 6’ senior guard finished with a dozen points. He connected three times from beyond the arc. Hilburt, an all-division baseball player, has a team-high eight treys this season. Nate Herb, an all-county soccer player, led the (6-0) Tigers with 15 points. Aiden Soumas, a Kutztown University baseball commit, added 13 points. Fleetwood was up 10-4 after the first quarter. Dom Giuffre splashed a three-pointer and then converted a breakaway layup before the buzzer to get Schuylkill Valley within 23-17 at halftime. The Panthers’ star running back had a team-high ten points. The Tigers built a 30-19 advantage in the third quarter. However, Schuylkill Valley opened the final period with a 5-0 run to make it 34-32. Cooper Hohenadel’s three-point play was followed by a technical foul on Fleetwood. Hohenadel hit both free throws. All eight of his points came in the last eight minutes. The 5’11 junior guard missed the first four games with an injury. Hohenadel averaged 12 points per game a season ago and provided a team-high 48 treys. After that rare five-point possession, the (5-2) Panthers went cold. Jake Zimmerman was limited to two points by the Tigers’ 2-3 zone. The 6’1 senior forward entered the night averaging 14. “Once he drove, we all collapsed on him. I think that shut him down,” explained Hilburt. Terry Sitler picked up his 250th career victory. This is his 12th season with the Tigers after spending twelve years at Brandywine Heights. It could have come with less stress, if Fleetwood was better from the charity stripe. The Tigers went 10-for-23 from the foul line. They’re shooting just 46% as a team. “We work on it a lot at practice. We’ll get there,” remarked Hilburt. He’s providing 7 ppg., up from 3 ppg. last season when Fleetwood was (22-5) and reached the District 3-4A championship game. Jake Karnish was in attendance on Tuesday night. The program’s all-time leading scorer with 1,420 points is playing at King’s College. He averaged 22 points last year for the Tigers. Although Karnish has moved on, expectations remain high in Fleetwood. “We’re hoping for the same thing, just win that District title this time,” said Hilburt.

Aiden Soumas-Fleetwood

Paul Roberts — Tue, 05 Dec 2023 23:29:00 +0000

Fleetwood won 22 games last season and reached the state playoffs for the first time since 1990. Jake Karnish, the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,420 points, has moved on to King’s College. The Tigers showed on Tuesday night in Robesonia that the cupboard isn’t bare. They spoiled Conrad Weiser’s home opener with a 55-43 victory. The (1-1) Scouts pulled within 37-33 early in the fourth quarter after two layups by 6’4 junior Gavin Rapp. Following a timeout by Fleetwood coach Terry Sitler, the Tigers went on an 18-10 run to close it out. Fleetwood had five seniors in the starting lineup, while Conrad Weiser started five juniors. “This was nothing compared to what we saw in the Giant Center and in our state game. This was a crazy environment, but we definitely handled it well,” said Aiden Soumas. The 5’11 senior finished with 14 points including six in the opening period. He made three free throws with 2.7 seconds remaining to put the Tigers up 20-5 after eight minutes. The Scouts committed four turnovers in the first 90 seconds. They ended up with 16, twice as many as Fleetwood. Donovan Gingrich was limited to ten points. The 6’1 all-division guard erupted for a career-high 31 on Saturday at Antietam. The Tigers led 27-15 at halftime before Gingrich opened the third quarter on a personal 5-0 run. Conrad Weiser’s junior quarterback went 2-of-3 from the foul line with 0.1 seconds to go in the third period. Fleetwood was on top 37-29 entering the fourth quarter. Hunter Svoboda had a game-high 17 points. The 6’8, 270-pound senior is committed to William & Mary for football. “When he gets it in there, it’s going up and he’s gonna make it most of the time. He’s got such a big advantage on the other guys,” noted Soumas. Point guard Nate Herb chipped in with ten points. The All-County soccer player jammed seven points into the final period. Each team connected just three times from beyond the arc. Junior point guard Brady McKee provided 17 points for the Scouts. They were without 6’4 junior Josh Plummer due to an ankle injury. Conrad Weiser was 12-of-21 from the free throw line, while Fleetwood shot 10-of-16. The Tigers have a mix of multi-sport athletes. Wide receiver Mason Musitano, a 6’2 senior, is playing basketball for the first time since 9th grade. Soumas is headed to Kutztown University for baseball. “I really like the coaching staff out there, great group of guys. It’s just a great atmosphere. I couldn’t ask for a better place,” he replied. Soumas and company aren’t too shabby on the court either.

Dakota Thomas-Fleetwood

Paul Roberts — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 11:24:00 +0000

There’s a great football tradition at Conrad Weiser. The Scouts have made 17 appearances in the District 3 playoffs. Fleetwood was able to defeat Conrad Weiser 30-21 last Friday. “It felt great. It was an unbelievable win. We’re glad we were able to pull it off. It was a good fight,” said Dakota Thomas. The 6’1, 195-pound junior rumbled for 132 yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries. Thomas broke off a 67-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. He’s averaging 9.4 yards per carry in the Tigers’ first two contests. Thomas is one of 24 Oley Valley students that plays for Fleetwood. He attended Kutztown last year and ran for 629 yards with 5 TD. The Tigers faced the Cougars in Week 1. “It was very interesting. It was different, but I was ready. We all were ready,” stated Thomas. Fleetwood rolled over Kutztown 48-6. Thomas and Czion Brickle are sharing carries. They both start on defense. “We get to stay refreshed for both sides of the ball. We share a unique bond,” replied Thomas. Brickle has a team-high 219 yards on 26 carries. The 5’9, 175-pound senior provides the lightning while Thomas adds the thunder. They’re working with an offensive line that averages 286 pounds and includes juniors Brandon Delgrosso (6’8, 340) and Harrison Fisher (5’10, 345). Senior Hunter Svoboda (6’7, 265) is committed to Division I William & Mary. His brother, Joey, is an offensive lineman there. Hunter Leister, a 265-pound senior, is another key figure in the trenches. The Tigers have an experienced quarterback in 6’2 senior Jack Riffle. Mason Musitano and Tristan McFarland give Fleetwood some nice size at wide receiver. Musitano, a 6’2 senior, leads the squad with eight catches for 129 yards. McFarland is a 6’3, 200-pound junior. Leister, Fisher, McFarland, and Brate Maddocks are part of the Oley Valley connection with Fleetwood. The Tigers can surpass their win total from 2022 with a victory this Friday at Upper Perkiomen. “We have the greatest chemistry. We get along off the field and on the field,” noted Thomas.

Hunter Svoboda-Fleetwood

Paul Roberts — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 19:07:00 +0000

It wasn’t difficult for Hunter Svoboda to get information about William & Mary before he decided to commit there. His brother, Joey, is an offensive lineman for the Tribe. He told Hunter that Division I football is a different ball game. “Everything is faster. He said that it’s not gonna be a cake walk like it is in high school. Practices are gonna be a lot harder. You have to be 100% committed,” said Hunter. The 6’7, 265-pound senior knows that William & Mary will challenge him in the classroom as well. “My parents preach academics first. I do take student-athlete seriously. I want to be able to come out of college with a really good degree,” emphasized Svoboda. He’s a 4.0 student at Fleetwood. The Tigers are hoping to turn things around after going (2-8, 0-6) in 2022. They dropped their last seven games in a row. Jack Riffle returns at quarterback and he has some tall targets at wide receiver. Riffle threw for 1,352 yards and a dozen touchdowns last year. 6’2 senior Mason Musitano had 27 catches and six scores despite missing a few games with an injury. 6’3 junior Tristin McFarland added 21 receptions. Svoboda likes what he has seen from fellow linemen Hunter Leister, Cody Harders, and Landon Hare. Svoboda started on Fleetwood’s basketball team which was the District 3-4A runner-up. The Tigers won 22 games and qualified for the state playoffs for the first time since 1990. Playing hoops has benefited Svoboda on the gridiron. “The footwork and all the post moves I do, it helps me a lot. My footwork has gotten a lot better since last year,” he stressed. Svoboda will line up at offensive tackle and defensive end. Fleetwood hosts Kutztown in its season opener on Friday. The Tigers beat the Cougars 58-12 last fall. Svoboda believes the race in Section 3 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League is wide open. Solanco, Elizabethtown, Garden Spot, Twin Valley and Ephrata all finished with winning records last year.

Ryan Moser-Fleetwood

Paul Roberts — Fri, 12 May 2023 13:42:00 +0000

The bases were loaded in the 5th inning and nobody was out, but Fleetwood senior Ryan Moser was unfazed. The southpaw sandwiched a pop out between two strikeouts to escape the jam unscathed. “I’ve been so good at handling pressure. That’s been my job to come in tight situations like that and get out of it. It’s nothing new,” said Moser. The fifth-seeded Tigers held off fourth-seeded Kutztown 5-2 in the BCIAA quarterfinals at Muhlenberg. Moser tossed three hitless frames with two punch outs. The Elizabethtown commit walked two and hit a batter. Moser took over after Jake Karnish walked the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the 5th. Karnish, who’s headed to King’s College for basketball, allowed a pair of runs on four hits and five walks in 4+ innings. Fleetwood scored all five of its runs in the 2nd inning. Junior outfielder Carson Brey crushed a 2-run triple to center field. “That was huge for us. That really got our momentum going. That got the bench going,” remarked Moser. A wild pitch by senior right-hander Bryce Schafer made it 3-0. Karnish and Zach Dilbeck then drew bases loaded walks. Schafer was charged with five runs on three hits and five walks over 1.2 innings. Sophomore Colten Mathias did an excellent job in relief for the (15-6) Cougars. The tall righty limited the (13-7) Tigers to three hits in 5.1 innings with four strikeouts. Kutztown got on the board in the 2nd thanks to a double steal, but they left the bases juiced. A RBI bunt single by sophomore Ashton Dunn got the Cougars within 5-2 in the 4th. Dunn also threw out a runner at home plate from center field earlier in that inning. Moser retired the Cougars in order in the 7th to snap their 6-game winning streak. Kutztown left nine men on base. Meanwhile, Fleetwood has won eight of its last ten contests. The Division 2 champions will meet #1 seed Gov. Mifflin in the Berks County semifinals on Saturday at FirstEnergy Stadium. “It’s such an honor. It feels great. We can compete with anybody,” stated Moser.

Nick Noll-Fleetwood

Paul Roberts — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 23:23:00 +0000

Nick Noll is the only sophomore in Fleetwood’s starting lineup. The underclassman came up big in a 7-5 win at Hamburg. Noll had two hits and knocked in three runs for the (2-2) Tigers. Travis Loy added a pair of infield hits. The senior second baseman scored one run and drove in another. Loy and Noll hit eighth and ninth respectively in Rolland Green’s lineup. Fleetwood finished with eleven hits. The Tigers put up three runs in the decisive 7th inning, all with two outs. Sophomore Tyler Shuey replaced Isaac Krick on the mound after a leadoff single by Jake Karnish. After Karnish was thrown out trying to steal second, Aiden Soumas reached on a throwing error. A single by Dalton Young and a walk to Liam Hilburt loaded the bases with two outs. Shuey nearly picked off Hilburt to end the threat without any damage. No. 7 hitter Tyler Szilli drew a bases loaded walk on a 3-2 pitch that just missed. The free pass put Fleetwood in front 5-4. Loy followed with what appeared to be a harmless grounder to third. However, the umpire ruled that Hilburt wasn’t tagged by Hamburg third baseman Ethan Horvath. The Hawks were now behind 6-4. Noll ripped a single to center for another insurance run. “It felt good getting a two-strike hit. That’s a key RBI to get, he said.” Ryan Moser recorded two outs in the bottom of the 7th before reaching his pitch limit. The senior lefty found his groove after allowing three runs in the first frame. “He did a great job settling in and not giving up many runs,” replied Noll. Moser gave up five runs, four earned, on eight hits. The Elizabethtown commit struck out five and walked three. Sophomore Tyler Dilbeck allowed a double to Luke Bensinger that got Hamburg within 7-5. Dilbeck struck out Nate Gilbert to end it. Conner Licklider went 4-for-4 with two runs and a RBI for the (1-4) Hawks. Scottie Dunleavy had a pair of doubles. The speedy sophomore CF scored one run and drove in another. Krick reached base in all three of his plate appearances including two walks. The junior gave up four runs on eight hits with six strikeouts. Krick walked one and hit two batters. All three of Shuey’s runs in the top of the 7th were unearned. The production from the bottom of Fleetwood’s lineup was a big key. Szilli, Loy, and Noll were 5-for-9 with 6 RBI. The Tigers reached the state playoffs a season ago. “I think we can definitely make it back there, but we still have to play hard every game,” stated Noll. We also discussed his favorite food, video games, musical artists, and teacher.