Clarke is very familiar with the Berks County hoops scene. He was the men’s basketball head coach at Reading Area Community College from 2004-11. Clarke guided RACC to the Pennsylvania Collegiate Athletic Association championship during the 2005-06 season. He was an assistant on the Alvernia men’s basketball coaching staff in 2014-15.

Clarke played college basketball at Marist in New York and then the University of New Haven in Connecticut. During the mid-‘90s, he was an assistant boys basketball coach at three high schools in Maryland and Washington, D.C. Clarke served as the Director of Berks Red Storm, a youth basketball organization for girls, from 2016-20.

Muhlenberg’s girls basketball program has struggled in recent years. The Muhls finished (0-21) this past season. Only three of those games were decided by single digits. Kenleigh Brill was a bright spot this winter. The sophomore averaged a team-high 12.6 points and was an All-Division selection.

The three-year starter reached 1,000 career points on January 6th at Reading. Super erupted for 31 points as the Mustangs defeated the Red Knights 59-55 at the Geigle Complex. She will enter her senior season with 1,329 points. Ashley Espinosa, a 2012 graduate, is Gov. Mifflin’s all-time leading scorer with 1,803 points.

The Mustangs finished (18-10) this year. They reached the BCIAA semifinals before falling to Exeter 46-40 at Santander Arena. Gov. Mifflin ended up in eighth place in the District 3-6A tournament and qualified for the state playoffs. The Mustangs lost a nailbiter at Canon-McMillan 48-46 in the first round of the PIAA-6A bracket.

Wilson trailed 8-1 early after Catie Doogan drained a 3-pointer from the right wing. The 6’ sophomore is the daughter of head coach Chrissie Doogan, a 1993 graduate of Cardinal O’Hara. Chrissie was a two-time MVP in the Philadelphia Catholic League who led the Lions to three PCL titles. She went on to rack up 1,818 points and 914 rebounds at La Salle. Doogan is a member of the Hall of Fame at both schools, as well as the Big 5. This is her eighth season at the helm of Cardinal O’Hara.

Leah Hudak hit a triple from the left corner to put the Lions on top 11-5 after eight minutes. Kailani Hardy, the BCIAA Player of the Year, picked up her second foul one minute into the second quarter. The 5’10 junior guard returned to the game a minute later. Hardy got her third foul with 5:13 left before halftime. Laila Jones, a 1,000-point scorer, splashed a trey from the top of the key to even things at 11-11. That was the lone field goal of the night for the Penn State Harrisburg commit. Jade Lee provided a spark off the Bulldogs’ bench. The 5’9 sophomore had all seven of her points in the first half. Despite its offensive woes, Wilson was within 16-15 at the break.

A layup by North Carolina lacrosse commit Ryan Leaman gave the Bulldogs their first lead at 17-16 with 4:27 remaining in the third quarter. They only scored one point the rest of the period as the Lions built a 24-18 cushion. Megan Rullo, a 5’8 Drexel commit, made a pair of layups in the third quarter. Rullo missed last season due to a knee injury. The 5’8 senior is averaging a team-high 14 ppg. this year.

Hardy came up with a steal and a transition basket to cut Wilson’s deficit to 24-20 with 6:15 to go. Olivia Craft, a 6’3 freshman, answered with a layup on the other end. Hardy finished a drive down the right side of the lane to make it 26-22 with 5:06 to play. She split a pair of free throws to get the Bulldogs within 26-23 with 3:37 left. They didn’t score again until Hardy sank a 3-pointer from the top of the key with nine seconds on the clock. During their final drought, Hardy missed a scoop shot and had a drive down the middle of the lane rattle out. Rullo converted six of her eight foul shots in the fourth quarter. She ended up with a team-high twelve points. Brigidanne Donohue added ten points and went 2-for-2 from the stripe with 1:52 remaining. The 5’10 junior gave Cardinal O’Hara a 28-23 advantage. Doogan and Hudak chipped in with five points apiece.

The Lions were 14-of-19 from the free throw line. They went 22-for-23 during a 61-49 victory over Wilson back on December 11th. Cardinal O’Hara connected four times from beyond the arc on Tuesday. The Lions only hit one triple after the opening quarter. The Bulldogs struggled at the foul line, going 6-of-12. Hardy was 3-for-8, but still managed a team-high twelve points. Wilson only made two shots from long range as their 20-game winning streak came to a halt.

The Bulldogs did bring two trophies back to West Lawn this year. They defeated Exeter 54-44 at Santander Arena for their first Berks County title since 2014. Wilson then outlasted Dallastown 42-37 in overtime to earn its seventh District 3 crown. Jones, Violet Houck, and Laura Crocona have all been starters since they were freshman. Crocona will continue her career at Kutztown. Houck is headed to Jacksonville University for track and field. They helped the Bulldogs pile up 72 wins over the past three seasons. “I can’t begin to express how proud I am of this team. They’ve accomplished so much this season, and were so fun to watch and coach. They’ve made an impact that will last for years to come,” said Raquet.

Leaman was thrilled for the seniors on the team including Jones, Laura Crocona, and Violet Houck. That trio has been starting since they were freshman. Jones, the point guard and a 1,000-point scorer, missed all of last season with a torn ACL. “They’re my best friends. Just being with them every day is amazing. I couldn’t be happier for them,” emphasized Leaman. Wilson also captured the BCIAA Championship this year for the first time since 2014. They defeated Exeter 54-44 at Santander Arena.

The Bulldogs got off to a slow start against the (24-4) Wildcats. Wilson committed five turnovers in the first four minutes and a dozen in the first half. Denyla Handy drilled a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Dallastown a 11-6 edge after eight minutes. The talented 5’6 freshman poured in a game-high 16 points. The Wildcats were on top 14-8 in the second quarter when the Bulldogs responded with a 8-0 run. In the closing seconds of the opening half, Leaman raced up the court and threw a diagonal pass to Crocona who splashed a jumper from the right wing. Wilson had a slim 18-17 advantage at the break. Crocona, who’s committed to Kutztown University, scored seven of her ten points in the first half. The 5’8 guard sank a trey from the right corner to make it 28-24 with three minutes left in the third quarter. Kailani Hardy’s putback gave the Bulldogs a six point cushion. The 5’10 junior guard ended up with a team-high twelve points. Hardy was recently voted the BCIAA Player of the Year. Jones was called for a personal foul and a technical foul with 52 seconds to go in the period. She managed not to pick up her fifth foul over the rest of the contest. Dallastown trailed 30-26 entering the fourth quarter.

Leaman got an easy fast break bucket and then connected from long range to give Wilson a 37-29 cushion with 4:50 to play. The Wildcats answered with five points in the next minute. Ava Jamison, a 5’11 senior, nailed a 3-pointer and Handy followed with a jumper. Jamison reached 1,000 career points in a 42-38 semifinal win over Central Dauphin on Monday. She had nine points against the Bulldogs. Dallastown and Wilson went scoreless for two and a-half minutes until Natalie McLane hit a triple from the right wing with 1:05 left. The freshman tied it at 37-37. After a timeout, McLane came up with a steal. The Wildcats held the ball for the last 50 seconds of regulation, but didn’t get off a shot. Hardy poked the ball away from Handy just before time expired in regulation.

Following Leaman’s trey in the extra session, Hardy got a layup to make it 42-37 with 55 seconds remaining. The Bulldogs didn’t allow a point in overtime. Even with the extra time, Dallastown was held 14 points under its season average. “We work on [defense] the whole season at practice. That’s part of playing to our standard,” said Leaman. Wilson prevailed despite going 1-for-6 from the foul line. The Wildcats were 8-of-11. Each squad sank five 3-pointers.

In recent years, the Bulldogs have suffered some heartbreaking postseason losses. The 2025-26 campaign has been a redemption tour for Wilson. “This team just doesn’t back down, nothing seems to faze them. They’re a really experienced group and that showed late in the game. I’m so happy for this team. They deserve it,” remarked Raquet.

Hardy is a two-time All-County pick. The 5’10 junior guard is averaging 11.7 points per game as part of a balanced attack. Hardy has connected 27 times from beyond the arc and can score at all three levels. She’s also an elite defensive player. Hardy picked up an offer from La Salle this year. She poured in 20 points in a big non-league win over C.B. East late last month.

Here’s the 2025-26 All-County team:

Kailani Hardy-Wilson-Jr. (POY)

Laila Jones-Wilson-Sr.

Bella Super-Gov. Mifflin-Jr.

Xiani Beatty-Reading-So.

Addison Harper-Exeter-So.

Hailey Kilgore-Twin Valley-Sr.

Elyssa Sellers-Schuylkill Valley-Sr.

As expected, the (21-5) Wildcats were patient on offense in the opening quarter. Wilson had a 7-6 edge after eight minutes. Hardy found sophomore forward Jade Lee who finished a fast break with 5:48 left in the second quarter. Laila Jones followed with a 3-pointer from the left wing to put the Bulldogs in front 18-9 midway through the second period. Mechanicsburg responded with eight of the next ten points. Asha Pratt, a 5’10 junior, hit a triple from the top of the key with two and a-half minutes to go before halftime. The score remained 20-17 at the break.

Senior guard Alaina Sweet started the third quarter with a bucket, but Wilson answered with twelve consecutive points. Hardy converted back-to-back drives down the right side of the lane. Junior guard Ryan Leaman, a North Carolina lacrosse commit, drilled a trey from the right corner to end the pivotal run. Laura Crocona, who’s headed to Kutztown University for hoops, splashed a 3-pointer from the top of the arc to give the Bulldogs a 35-22 cushion with 57 seconds to play in the quarter. The Wildcats quickly found themselves in a 35-24 hole entertaining the final period.

Mia Masser buried a trey from the left corner with four and a-half minutes remaining to pull Mechanicsburg within 39-31. Crocona nailed a jumper from the right elbow on the ensuing possession to push the margin back to double digits. The 5’8 senior sank four straight free throws down the stretch. Eight of Crocona’s thirteen points came in the fourth quarter. Jones ended up with a game-high 14 points. The two-time All-County pick was responsible for two of Wilson’s four 3-pointers. Jones missed her entire junior season due to a torn ACL. “It’s like my partner in crime. I get to have her back again,” replied Hardy with a smile. Jones reached 1,000 career points one month ago. She will continue her basketball career at Penn State Harrisburg.

The (25-2) Bulldogs allowed just 16 points in the second half. Raquet discussed the keys on the defensive end. “Talk and give effort the whole possession. We knew we were gonna be in really long ones so you have to continue to communicate on all their screening action and the dribble drive stuff,” he said. Sweet led the Wildcats with nine points. Pratt and Maycee Yanoski chipped in with seven points apiece. Pratt made two of their six shots from long range. Mechanicsburg went 3-for-4 from the foul line, while Wilson was 12-for-13.

Hardy provided nine points. She has been a standout on the defensive end of the floor all year. In late January, Hardy got her first Division I offer from La Salle. “This is like a dream that I had. Being able to accomplish that feels amazing,” she remarked. Hardy is expecting more offers to come in the future. The Bulldogs are currently focused on a trip to York County on Monday. They will face top-seeded Red Lion at 7pm in the District 3-6A semifinals. Wilson is searching for its first District 3 title since 2014. Meanwhile, the Lions snuck past #8 seed Cedar Cliff 32-30 on Thursday night. Red Lion was the District 3-6A runner-up a season ago.

Jones returned this season and wasn’t going to let another chance at a goal medal slip away at Santander Arena. After trailing by 16 points at halftime, third-seeded Exeter had pulled within 46-42 of the top-seeded Bulldogs with 2:22 left. Jones knocked down two key foul shots with 1:36 remaining and then came up with a pivotal steal. The Eagles fouled Laura Crocona who split a pair of free throws. She missed her second attempt, but 6’ senior forward Violet Houck grabbed the rebound. Exeter was forced to foul again with just 53 seconds to go. Houck went 2-for-2 from the stripe to give Wilson a 51-42 cushion. The (23-2) Bulldogs survived a scare and defeated the Eagles 54-44 on Friday night. “It feels like a very special moment. We waited four years to do this,” said Jones. The two-time All-County selection finished with a team-high 14 points as Wilson earned its first league title since 2014. Jones provided six points in the fourth quarter and was 4-for-4 from the foul line down the stretch. “It feels great that I was able to play and be able to even step my two feet on this floor. You can’t take anything for granted,” she emphasized.

The Bulldogs blew out the Eagles 67-36 on January 22nd. Jones poured in 21 points during that regular season rout. Wilson led 21-13 after the opening quarter and 32-16 at halftime on Friday. Exeter went scoreless for six minutes in the second quarter. It looked like the Bulldogs may cruise to the county championship, however, the (15-10) Eagles weren’t going down without a fight. They outscored the Bulldogs 17-10 in the third quarter. Addison Harper jammed seven points into those eight minutes. The 5’9 sophomore guard ended up with a game-high 17 points. In the final seconds of the third period, Harper was fouled while attempting a desperation shot just past half-court. She converted all three free throws to make it 42-33.

Harper hit a triple from the right wing with 5:33 on the clock to pull the girls from Reiffton within 42-36. After a layup by Lillie Keperling, Wilson committed a turnover in the backcourt. Harper nailed a jumper from the left wing and all of a sudden Exeter’s deficit was cut to 46-42 with two and a-half minutes left. That’s as close as the Eagles would get thanks to some clutch plays by Jones, Houck, and Crocona. All three seniors have been starting in West Lawn since they were freshman. Jones is committed to Penn State Harrisburg and Crocona is going to Kutztown. Houck will be headed south to Jacksonville University for track and field.

Exeter reached the BCIAA Final for the first time since 1977. The Eagles made tremendous strides following a (7-15) campaign in 2024-25. Chloe Dauble and Mairead Dolan chipped in with eight points apiece. Wilson utilized a 1-2-2 trap to force 22 turnovers. Exeter went 12-of-13 from the foul line, while the Bulldogs were 17-of-25. Kailani Hardy, a promising 5’10 junior guard, had eleven points. Crocona contributed nine points and Houck had eight. Matt Raquet improved his record to (43-12) in his second year as head coach. Wilson claimed its tenth Berks County crown.

Only five girls basketball teams from the county qualified for the District 3 playoffs. Exeter visits fifth-seeded Lampeter-Strasburg in the first round of the Class 5A tournament on Tuesday. The fourth-seeded Bulldogs host #13 Penn Manor in the Class 6A bracket on Monday. Both of those matchups begin at 7pm. “It feels great to win this game, but a lot of things to work on,” acknowledged Jones.

Crocona, who’s headed to Kutztown University, helped Wilson get off to a fast start. Two of her three 3-pointers came in the opening quarter. “I’ve obviously had some ups and downs with shooting this year, but tonight my shot felt really good. It felt good to see them go in,” said Crocona. The (13-11) Red Knights fell behind 19-10 after eight minutes. The Bulldogs began the second quarter with six straight points. The defending county champions were limited to five points in that period when they committed eight turnovers. Wilson was on top 29-15 at halftime and 42-25 entering the fourth quarter.

JilliAnn Laws, a 5’11 senior forward, made a layup with 2:23 left to pull Reading within 46-34. Following a bucket by Wilson’s Violet Houck, Xiani Beatty nailed a triple to make it 48-37 with 1:15 remaining. Junior guard Ryan Leaman converted three of four foul shots to seal it. The North Carolina lacrosse commit finished with a dozen points. Kailani Hardy added eleven points and Houck had six. Hardy, a 5’10 junior guard, picked up an offer from La Salle late last month. Houck is committed to Jacksonville University for track and field. “We’re a really close group. We hang out all the time. It’s so nice to know that if someone is not having their best day, other people have each other to pick each other up,” remarked Crocona.

The Bulldogs are back at full strength this season with the return of Laila Jones. The 5’8 point guard missed the 2024-25 campaign due to a torn ACL. Jones is a two-time All-County selection and a 1,000-point scorer. “She’s so talented, she’s a great teammate. Having her back has been so big this year. We really missed her last year,” said Crocona. Jones recently committed to Penn State Harrisburg. She’s averaging 12 ppg. this season as part of a balanced attack.

Wilson went 9-of-16 from the stripe, while the Red Knights were just 1-for-6. Each team connected four times from beyond the arc. Crocona is second on her squad with 31 3-pointers. She was an all-division field hockey player in the fall. Crocona also excels in the classroom with a lofty 4.25 GPA. Her older brother, Nick, played football, baseball and basketball during his high school days in West Lawn.

The talented Bulldogs spent very little time celebrating after beating Reading. Their focus is on winning their first county title in twelve years. “We know that our job is not done…We know that Exeter is gonna come to play,” stated Crocona.

The BCIAA semifinals will take place on Wednesday, February 11th at Santander Arena in Reading. The championship games will be held there on Friday, February 13th. The girls final will begin at 6pm. Here are the quarterfinal matchups on Saturday.

#7 Oley Valley at #2 Gov. Mifflin-12pm

#5 Schuylkill Valley at #4 Reading-12:30pm

#6 Twin Valley at #3 Exeter-1pm

#8 Kutztown at #1 Wilson-7:30pm

Cedar Crest dropped its fourth consecutive game. The (12-10) Falcons were without their leading scorer and top perimeter threat. Elli Malinoski, a 5’10 sophomore, didn’t play due to a left leg injury. She’s averaging 13.6 points and has hit 37 triples this year. Head coach Ashli Shay is hopeful that Malinoski will return on Monday for the Lancaster-Lebanon League playoffs.

Cedar Crest got an unexpected boost off its bench. Paige Vandett made three 3-pointers in the second quarter as the Falcons built a 27-17 advantage. The 5’6 sophomore contributed a dozen points, all from beyond the arc. Vandett entered the game with seven points in the entire season. Cedar Crest drained nine treys against Gov. Mifflin’s zone defense. Ryan Stopper, a 5’7 sophomore, connected three times from beyond the arc. She chipped in with ten points. Colgate commit Kaila Francis had a team-high 17 points. The 6’1 senior center reached 1,000 career points by sinking a free throw with 2:25 left in the third quarter. It was even at 40-40 with eight minutes remaining.

The Mustangs went on a 6-0 run over the first two minutes of the fourth quarter. Case knocked down a long jumper in between layups by Brooklyn George and Martin. The Falcons were limited to two points for nearly seven minutes in the final period. “We knew we had to front the middle. We forced a lot of turnovers in the fourth quarter,” noted Super. Eight of Cedar Crest’s 21 turnovers came in the last quarter. A 3-pointer by sophomore Ali Groff made it 49-47 with 49 seconds to go. Martin then split a pair of free throws. She missed her second attempt, but Saray Renninger grabbed a critical offensive rebound. Super was fouled with 43 seconds on the clock and went 2-for-2 from the stripe. After a turnover by the Falcons, Super converted one of her two foul shots for a 53-47 cushion with 34 seconds left. George came up with a steal with 20 seconds to play.

Gov. Mifflin ended up 22-of-29 from the free throw line, while Cedar Crest was 4-for-8. Super made seven of her eight attempts and Martin was 9-for-15. Renninger, a 5’10 sophomore, was perfect on her six foul shots. Super was responsible for three of the Mustangs’ five 3-pointers. They outscored the Falcons 31-to-20 in the second half.

Gov. Mifflin is the #2 seed in the BCIAA playoffs. The Mustangs host seventh-seeded Oley Valley at noon on Saturday. The winner heads to Santander Arena in Reading for the Berks County semifinals on Wednesday. “Our goal is to get there every year. That’s what we look forward to. That’s really exciting,” emphasized Super. Gov. Mifflin has claimed a record 14 Berks League championships. Wilson is the #1 seed in this year’s tournament. The (20-2) Bulldogs went undefeated in league play. “Wilson is a talented team. We have to focus on crashing the boards. We don’t have a deep bench so we have to really work on our stamina and keeping up with their speed. They’re a really fast team,” acknowledged Super. The 5’7 junior is already up to 1,217 points. Super can score in a variety of ways, but the half-court shot on Wednesday was the first of her career.