flowers – Berks Sports Report

Flowers Returns to Muhlenberg

Paul Roberts — Thu, 07 Dec 2023 23:14:00 +0000

Rob Flowers was once a star high school quarterback at Muhlenberg. The 41-year-old is returning to Laureldale, but this time as the Muhls’ new head football coach. He takes over for John Lorchak who was at the helm for four seasons. Muhlenberg finished (1-9) this year.

Flowers was the wide receivers coach at Albright this past season. Prior to joining the Lions’ staff, he served as Daniel Boone’s head coach for five years. Flowers guided the Blazers to the District 3 playoffs in 2021. They won an Eastern Conference championship in 2018. He had a record of (17-31) while in Birdsboro.

Flowers was (26-47) over seven seasons as Reading’s head coach. He took over the Red Knights in 2011, and by 2014 he had them in the District 3 tournament. Flowers was named the Section 1 Coach of the Year that season. Reading took part in the Eastern Conference playoffs in 2015.

Flowers was the quarterback of Muhlenberg’s high-scoring squad in 1998. The Muhls won eleven games and the I-C League title. After attending Kutztown University, Flowers worked as an assistant coach for four years under John Yocum at Muhlenberg.

Flowers played professionally for the Reading Express indoor football team. They captured the AIFA championship in 2009. Flowers was named the Offensive Player of the Year that season. Now he’ll try to get the Muhls’ offense kicking again. Muhlenberg scored just 55 total points in 2023.

Matt Flowers/Dan Dan Mosquera-Muhlenberg

Paul Roberts — Sat, 14 Jan 2023 09:30:00 +0000

Muhlenberg head coach Matt Flowers calls “Dan Dan” Mosquera the closer. “When it’s under two minutes, I tell him to go get the ball. I tell him to win the game for us,” said Flowers. That’s exactly what Mosquera did on Friday night in a 48-46 victory over Berks Catholic. After JayJay Jordan tied it at 46 with a tip-in, the Muhls held the ball for the final shot. Mosquera came off a high screen and got tripped as he was driving down the left side of the lane. The 5’9 senior guard sank both free throws with 1.6 seconds remaining. “I’m going in there with straight confidence. I want the ball in my hands all the time when it’s under 2-3 minutes. I’m not gonna lie, I was a little nervous but I know my team had faith in me,” replied Mosquera. The Saints had one last chance to keep their perfect season intact. Josh McKoy tipped a long inbounds pass perfectly to Jack Miller for a 3-pointer from the left wing. Miller’s attempt was on line, but a little long as the buzzer sounded in Laureldale. “It’s not even about their first loss. It’s about us. Our kids have been through a very emotional week. I’m very proud of these guys,” emphasized Flowers. Muhlenberg lost at Reading 77-60 on Tuesday. The (8-5, 3-2) Muhls jumped out to an 8-4 advantage over Berks Catholic. Xzavion Robertson scored the first ten points for Muhlenberg including two treys. The Saints led 14-13 after eight minutes, but they went scoreless for three minutes and 21 seconds to begin the second quarter. The Muhls went on top 27-19 when Robertson hit another triple from the left wing. The 5’11 senior poured in 17 points in the first half. The lefty guard is averaging 16.5 points this season, up from 8.6 ppg. last year. The (12-1, 5-1) Saints trailed 27-22 at the break. They went on an 8-0 run to open the third period thanks to a pair of 3-pointers from Ryan Koch. Muhlenberg got two buckets from Josh Alcantara and had a 36-35 edge entering the fourth quarter. Miller connected from beyond the arc and freshman Kingston McKoy made a layup to pull Berks Catholic within 43-42 after the Muhls had built a six point lead. Luis Valentin came up with a pivotal steal and layup with 49 seconds to play. The 6’1 senior was recently inserted into the Muhls’ starting lineup. He gave Muhlenberg a 46-42 advantage. Mosquera then put the game on ice from the foul line. He’s an 86 percent free throw shooter. Robertson finished with 24 points. Jordan had a team-high 20 for the Saints. The all-county guard surpassed 1,000 points on Monday against Conrad Weiser. Koch, a 6’3 senior, added eleven points. The Pitt-Johnstown commit is up to 800 for his career. All ten of Josh McKoy’s points came in the first half. Berks Catholic went 10-of-14 from the stripe, while the Muhls were 7-10. Muhlenberg committed just seven turnovers. Flowers noted that the level of play is high in the Berks Conference. “Berks County’s hot right now. I think all of Berks County is playing really good basketball from Division 1 to Division 4,” he said.

Matt Flowers-Muhlenberg

Paul Roberts — Fri, 16 Dec 2022 23:57:00 +0000

Xzavion Robertson has become one of the top scorers in the Berks Basketball Conference, but Muhlenberg showed on Friday that its bench is pretty good too. Eric Branch, Alex Collado, and Luis Valentin combined for 24 points in a 70-38 rout of Gov. Mifflin. “They brought the intensity. They brought the 3-pointers. They brought a whole lot of energy that we needed to spark our run,” said head coach Matt Flowers. The Muhls raced out to a 7-0 advantage in the league opener at Laureldale. The Mustangs answered with eight straight points. Muhlenberg countered with a 10-0 spurt to go up 17-8. “Dan Dan” Mosquera hit a triple from the right corner as time expired. Flowers told me that he thought the shot came after the buzzer, however the officials counted it. Gov. Mifflin trailed 21-13 after eight minutes. Robertson jammed ten points into the first quarter. The 5’11 senior guard finished with a game-high 19 points. The Mustangs went scoreless for three minutes and 14 seconds to begin the second period. Collado connected from long distance to give the Muhls a 31-16 edge with three minutes remaining before halftime. Muhlenberg led 33-21 at the break. The Muhls’ bench outscored Gov. Mifflin’s reserves 12-2 in the first half. Branch drilled two treys in the third quarter to make it 48-24. The 5’11 senior is averaging ten points this season. Collado and Valentin are providing six points apiece on a nightly basis. Muhlenberg made eleven shots from beyond the arc. “If we’re in rhythm and the ball is moving, it’s going down. We don’t emphasize just shoot 3’s. Let’s get to the rim but if the shot is there, take it. I’ll live and die by that 3-pointer,” stated Flowers with a grin. The (5-2) Muhls held the (2-3) Mustangs to 15 points over the middle quarters. Tyler Minick had a team-high 11 points. The senior forward fouled out with 1:35 left in the third period. Gov. Mifflin was down 52-28 entering the final quarter. Minick sank two of their three triples. Gerrell McNeil, who came in averaging 13 points, was limited to seven. The Mustangs committed 24 turnovers in the first three periods. I asked Coach Flowers how they’re overcoming their lack of size now that Edwin Suarez has graduated. He replied, “We stress five guys go for a defensive rebound, five guys go for the glass. We’re team rebounding right now.” Suarez gave Muhlenberg nearly 19 points and 15 rebounds per contest a season ago. The Muhls went (18-7, 9-2) and won the Division 2 championship. They’ve moved up to Division 1 this year. “I’m okay with it. We want to be the best so we have to play against the best,” emphasized Flowers. He was named Berks County Coach of the Year after his first season at the helm in Muhlenberg. Flowers mentioned that his team will be shooting plenty of free throws Saturday morning. They were 15-of-28 versus Gov. Mifflin. The Muhls travel to Easton on Saturday. Flowers also revealed what he hopes to get for Christmas. It’s certainly not a small gift. His substitutes gave him a nice present on Friday.

Rob Flowers Resigns

Paul Roberts — Wed, 14 Dec 2022 22:31:00 +0000

Rob Flowers is stepping down as the head coach of the Daniel Boone football team. Flowers is proud of what he was able to accomplish in Birdsboro. “I love what we were able to do for our five years here at Daniel Boone. We opened up minds and hearts through love,” said Flowers. He guided the Blazers to a (5-4) record in 2021. They made their first appearance in the District 3 playoffs since 2014. Daniel Boone struggled in Section 3 of the expanded Lancaster-Lebanon League this year. The Blazers finished (2-8, 1-5). They ended a 6-game losing streak by beating Fleetwood 35-8 in their season finale. There were 18 seniors on Daniel Boone’s roster. Flowers went (17-31) over his five years in Birdsboro.

Flowers told me that he’s not done coaching, but his next opportunity will have to be the right fit. Before taking over the Blazers’ football program, Flowers served as the head coach at Reading High for seven seasons. He added that he wants to focus on his role as Director of Community Relations and Equity Awareness in the Daniel Boone School District.

Flowers was a standout quarterback at Muhlenberg. He was part of the Muhls’ 1998 team that won eleven games and an I-C League championship. Flowers played professionally for the Reading Express and was named Offensive Player of the Year in 2009. He led the Express to the AIFA title that season. Flowers is currently an assistant basketball coach at Hamburg High School.

Rob Flowers-Daniel Boone

Paul Roberts — Wed, 02 Nov 2022 15:40:00 +0000

It wasn’t the season that they hoped for, but the Blazers went out on a high note. Daniel Boone blew out Fleetwood 35-8 in its season finale. The Blazers led 35-0 at halftime. They outgained the Tigers 409-245 in total yards and snapped a 6-game losing streak. “It was great to end with a big win for these guys. It was big for us just to send these seniors out the right way. It was so important,” said head coach Rob Flowers. Dean Rotter threw for 145 yards and 2TD. The 6’0, 180-pound junior did more damage with his legs. He ran for 181 yards on just six carries. “Dean has turned into a really good football player, especially when he started to play defense a little bit more. Dean understands what he can and can’t do,” noted Flowers. Rotter passed for 1,208 yards with ten touchdowns and eight interceptions. His top two wide receivers, Max Heffner and Anthony High, will also return next year. They’re both sophomores. Heffner reeled in a team-high 32 receptions for 495 yards and a score. High added 23 catches. The 6’0, 205-pounder made three trips to the end zone. Ethan Kryman is another skill position player who will be back in 2023. The 5’8, 175-pound junior ran for 529 yards and 4TD. Kryman had a 26-yard touchdown grab at Fleetwood. “He just works hard [on] both sides of the ball. He’s able to produce and perform at a high level,” stated Flowers. Kryman averaged 4.5 yards per carry. The (2-8, 1-5) Blazers averaged 18 points while allowing 30 per contest. Flowers wrapped up his fifth year in Birdsboro. He’s known as a high-energy coach. I asked him how he remained optimistic during a frustrating season. He replied, “One of the things that we have to make sure we’re always doing is taking care of our young men; taking care of their minds, taking care of their bodies [and] taking care of their hearts. When you’re losing, that becomes more and more difficult to do.” Daniel Boone won five games a season ago and reached the District 3 playoffs. This was their first season in the Lancaster-Lebanon League. Solanco went undefeated to capture the Section 3 championship. Elizabethtown and Garden Spot ended up tied for second place with (4-2) league records. The Blazers also competed with Ephrata, Twin Valley, and Fleetwood. Flowers thought Section 3 was balanced after Solanco. We talked about a potential Solanco-Exeter matchup in the District 3-5A playoffs. They’re the top two seeds in that classification. Flowers also revealed his favorite Halloween candy.

Matt Flowers-Muhlenberg

Paul Roberts — Tue, 08 Feb 2022 23:34:00 +0000

As I spoke with Matt Flowers in the hallway outside of the gymnasium, the Muhls’ first-year head coach became very emotional. While trying to hold back tears, Flowers said, “I just wish my father could be here to see it.” His dad, who passed away in October of 2020, would have been extremely proud of his son and his team on Senior Night in Laureldale. The Muhls rallied from a ten point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat Reading 63-61 in front of a packed house. Tickets for this highly anticipated crossover matchup sold out Monday morning. After spending twelve years as an assistant for the Red Knights, Flowers was on the opposite sideline of his good friend Rick Perez. Ruben Rodriguez drilled a 3-pointer from NBA range at the end of the third quarter to put Reading in front 45-38. The all-state guard connected from beyond the arc again one minute into the final period, and the defending Class 6A state champs were on top 50-40. That’s when seniors Edwin Suarez, Alex Tomlinson, and Jarrett Jackson came alive, especially on the offensive glass. Suarez had back-to-back putbacks to give Muhlenberg a 58-56 edge with a minute and a-half remaining. It was the Muhls’ first lead since it was 2-0. Tomlinson sank two free throws and had a putback of his own to make it 62-60 with thirty seconds to go. Rodriguez missed a pair of foul shots and Joey Chapman went 1-2 from the charity stripe to get the Red Knights within 62-61. Tashiro Alexis, another Muhlenberg senior, converted one of his two free throws with six seconds left. It was his only point of the night. Rodriguez was unable to get off a clean shot in the closing seconds, and the Muhls held on for a dramatic 63-61 victory. Fans stormed the court as Muhlenberg extended its winning streak to six. The (18-3, 10-1) Red Knights had won seven in a row. It was a classic battle of division champions. Suarez finished with 21 points and 16 rebounds. The 6’6 forward is averaging 19 points per game. Tomlinson scored all eight of his points in the final period when the Muhls outscored Reading 25-16. Junior point guard “Dan Dan” Mosquera provided a dozen points including ten in the first half. Muhlenberg trailed 30-27 at the break. The Red Knights struggled at the FT line all night. They ended up 10-23. The (17-5, 9-2) Muhls were 6-13. Both teams made just three 3-pointers. Rodriguez had a team-high 17 points, but was 3-10 from the foul line. Xavier Davis chipped in with eleven points for Reading. Daniel Alcantara got into early foul trouble and was limited to seven points. The 6’5 senior entered the game averaging 16. Flowers praised his players for staying positive and sticking together. We discussed his relationship with Suarez. Flowers replied, “That’s my big son.” He called Mosquera the engine of the team. Flowers also gave credit to the standing room only crowd for motivating his squad. It was a night he’ll never forget.

Matt Flowers-Muhlenberg

Paul Roberts — Mon, 17 Jan 2022 22:24:00 +0000

Matt Flowers preaches defense, defense, and more defense. You can imagine that the Muhls’ first-year head coach wasn’t the least bit happy with his team’s performance on Saturday. Muhlenberg lost to Nativity 82-76. Flowers’ squad gave a much better defensive effort on Monday evening in Laureldale. The Muhls rolled over Exeter 76-53 in a crossover matchup. The Eagles were held to 24 points in the first half. They were outscored 21-10 in the second quarter. Flowers said Edwin Suarez controlled the game on both ends of the floor. The 6’6 senior poured in a career-high 32 points including 21 in the second half. He was 12-13 from the free throw line. Suarez showed off his ball-handling skills in the fourth quarter. He got the crowd on its feet with 4:30 left after a sweet crossover led to a dunk. He converted two three-point plays within fifty seconds of each other in the third quarter. Suarez is averaging 19 points. He was motivated after scoring a season-low 5 points and fouling out against Nativity. Flowers went with a new starting lineup on Monday. Xzavion Robertson and Alex Tomlinson got the nod, while juniors Mekhi Adonis and Eric Branch came off the bench. All eleven of Robertson’s points came in the first half. He drilled a 3-pointer with ten seconds remaining in the second quarter for a 37-24 advantage. The (11-3, 5-1) Muhls were in front 53-40 after the third period. Luis Valentin was a spark off the bench with 14 points. The 5’11 junior had seven points in the pivotal second quarter. Flowers talked about the lineup changes, as well as his strategy in the final quarter. He also mentioned the great support from the student section. Muhlenberg went 24-31 from the free throw line, while Exeter was 9-13. Colin Payne, the leading scorer in Berks County, got his third foul after just five and a-half minutes. The 6’3 senior guard committed his fourth foul with 2:35 left in the second quarter. Payne ended up with a team-high 15 points. 6’6 junior Anthony Caccese added 13 points and Teddy Snyder had twelve. He made four of the Eagles’ six 3-pointers. Exeter drops to (9-5, 4-3). Finally, I asked Flowers about the Cowboys-49ers playoff game. He’s a big Dallas fan. The Cowboys are eliminated, but the Muhls got back on track versus Exeter which put a smile on Flowers’ face.

Matt Flowers-Muhlenberg

Paul Roberts — Fri, 14 Jan 2022 23:19:00 +0000

Edwin Suarez is a big reason why the Muhls are off to a great start despite losing three of their top four scorers from last year’s team to graduation. Suarez is providing 19 points and ten rebounds a night for Muhlenberg. The 6’6 senior picked up two early fouls and found himself on the bench for six minutes in the first half. Gov. Mifflin went on a 10-0 run to grab a 12-8 lead with two minutes left in the first quarter. The Mustangs led 26-22 at halftime and 40-36 after three quarters. However, the fourth quarter in Shillington belonged to the Muhls. 5’10 junior Xzavion Robertson scored Muhlenberg’s first eight points of the final period. All ten of his points came in the fourth quarter. Head coach Matt Flowers stressed that Robertson has been a spark off the bench all season. Suarez came through in the clutch. His steal and 3-point play put the Muhls up 47-44 with three minutes to go. He made two free throws for a five point advantage with 2:42 left. Suarez’s breakaway dunk got the Muhlenberg fans on their feet with 45 seconds remaining. That slam made it 52-46, and the Muhls went on to win 55-47. Flowers said Suarez sealed the deal. He poured in 23 points including seven in the last quarter. Senior guard Tashiro Alexis added 13 points. According to Flowers, “Great seniors, great seasons.” He mentioned that Alexis has been a very good leader. Flowers was pleased with the defensive effort tonight. Muhlenberg held Gov. Mifflin ten points below its season average. The Mustangs were outscored 19-7 over the final eight minutes. Matt Harley finished with 16 points and Delsin McNeil had twelve for Gov. Mifflin. The (5-8, 2-4) Mustangs committed 23 turnovers. They’ve lost four in a row, while the Muhls have won four straight. Flowers is pleased, but not satisfied with the (10-2, 4-1) record. He told me that playing crossover games against Division 1 teams like Gov. Mifflin is really helping his team’s confidence. Plus, Flowers had a message for Reading head coach Rick Perez regarding the NFL playoffs!

Matt Flowers-Muhlenberg

Paul Roberts — Fri, 24 Dec 2021 11:35:00 +0000

Muhlenberg lost three of its top four scorers to graduation and head coach Tyrone Nesby stepped down after four years, but the Muhls aren’t slowing down. They’re off to a (4-0, 1-0) start and averaging 72 points per game. Muhlenberg is the highest-scoring team in Berks County. After spending twelve years as an assistant at Reading High, Matt Flowers has come home to Laureldale. I spoke with the 2001 Muhlenberg graduate about his first game as a head coach. The Muhls rolled over Ephrata 74-53 in what was a special moment for Flowers. We talked about his offensive philosophy and the improvement of 6’6 senior Edwin Suarez. The all-county selection is averaging nearly 16 points and ten rebounds. Suarez can handle the ball and has extended his range to beyond the arc. Senior guard Tashiro Alexis is chipping in with ten points a night; up from 4ppg. a season ago. Flowers said Alexis is playing with much more confidence. Junior guard Xzavion Robertson is providing 12.5 points per game off the bench. Muhlenberg has hit 34 3-pointers in four games. Despite the nice start, Flowers knows that his team must get better on the defensive end of the floor. He’s also well aware of how good the Red Knights are this year. He stopped by West Lawn this week to see Reading dominate Wilson. Flowers admitted that his Christmas shopping isn’t done, and he revealed his favorite Christmas song. Plus, Matt’s brother, Rob, participated in practice this morning. Matt had some fun evaluating his brother’s performance. Rob is the head football coach at Daniel Boone. The Muhls return to action on Tuesday. They’ll face Hazleton at the William Allen tournament.

Rob Flowers-Daniel Boone

Paul Roberts — Wed, 20 Oct 2021 18:58:00 +0000

Rob Flowers always seems to be in a great mood. His team has won five of its last six games so there’s definitely a lot of positive energy in Birdsboro these days. The (5-3) Blazers visit unbeaten Gov. Mifflin on Friday. As you probably guessed, Flowers is very excited about the challenge of facing the Mustangs. He told me what his defense has to do to try and slow down Nick Singleton. Flowers said the PSU commit is one of the top three running backs in Berks County history. He compared Singleton to Adrian Peterson. Just for fun, I decided to stir up a little family feud. I asked Flowers if he was a better high school player than his cousin and assistant coach Pete Gilmore. You don’t want to miss his answer! Flowers led Muhlenberg to an I-C League championship in 1998.