girls – Berks Sports Report

Stewart picks Albany

Paul Roberts — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 21:30:20 +0000

It’s become trendy to refer to hard-nosed athletes as “dogs.” Wyomissing basketball standout Amaya Stewart is going to be a great dane. The 6’1 rising senior announced on Wednesday that she’s committed to Albany. The Great Danes were (25-7) overall this past season. They finished (13-3) in the America East Conference.

Stewart has been a first team All-State selection in each of the past two years. She’s a two-time Berks County Player of the Year. Stewart will enter her senior season with 1,339 points. She reached 1,000 points against Middletown on January 13. That also happened to be her birthday. Stewart averaged 19.5 points per game last year. She showed her versatility by stepping outside and hitting 21 three-pointers. Stewart has been a dominant low post player for the Spartans.

Wyomissing has won back-to-back Berks League and District 3-4A championships. Stewart led the Spartans to a (31-1) record a season ago. They fell to Blackhawk 47-31 in the PIAA-4A semifinals. Stewart erupted for a career-high 33 points in a 62-52 victory over Neumann-Goretti in the second round of the state playoffs.

Albany reached the semifinals of the America East Tournament this year. The Great Danes came up short versus Vermont 50-46. They were knocked out in the opening round of the WNIT. Colgate defeated Albany 64-50.

Wilson hires Matt Raquet

Paul Roberts — Mon, 05 Aug 2024 23:55:43 +0000

Wilson has found its new girls basketball head coach. Matt Raquet was approved at tonight’s school board meeting. Raquet graduated from Holy Name in 2005. He was on the Blue Jays’ basketball, football, and track and field teams. Berks Catholic inducted Raquet into its Hall of Fame in 2016.

Raquet spent three years (2010-13) as a graduate assistant/video coordinator with the Temple women’s basketball team. His next stop at the Division I college level was Holy Cross. He was an assistant women’s basketball coach for the Crusaders from 2013-18. Raquet stepped down for family reasons, but later coached one of the top AAU programs in Philadelphia for four years. He moved back to Berks County a few years ago.

Chris Gallo resigned as Wilson’s head coach in early May. He had a record of (65-30) over four seasons. The Bulldogs went (24-5) this year and reached the state playoffs. They lost to Wyomissing 45-36 in the BCIAA championship and finished fourth in the District 3-6A tournament.

Wilson’s starting lineup this past season included four sophomores. Unfortunately, point guard Laila Jones suffered a torn ACL last month during an AAU tournament. The two-time All-County selection has 788 career points. Jones averaged a team-high 16 points as a sophomore.

Chris Gallo Resigns at Wilson

Paul Roberts — Wed, 08 May 2024 21:45:00 +0000

I’ve confirmed that Wilson girls basketball coach Chris Gallo submitted his letter of resignation today. Gallo spent four years as the Bulldogs’ head coach and finished with a record of (65-30). Wilson went (24-5) this season while starting four sophomores.

The Bulldogs won the Division 1 title and reached the BCIAA championship game. They lost to Wyomissing 45-36 at Santander Arena. The Spartans were unbeaten at the time. Second-seeded Wilson advanced to the District 3-6A semifinals. Central Dauphin, the eventual District 3 champion, escaped West Lawn with a 42-41 victory. The Bulldogs fell to Conestoga 45-29 in the first round of the PIAA tournament.

Before taking over at Wilson, Gallo served as the head coach of the Schuylkill Valley boys basketball team for 15 years. He guided the Panthers to 203 wins and seven division titles. Gallo was named the Berks County Coach of the Year three times. Wilson will begin its search for a new coach immediately. Gallo didn’t want to comment at this time.

Amaya Stewart-Wyomissing

Paul Roberts — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 02:15:53 +0000

The 3-pointer has completely changed the game of basketball at the college and professional levels. Many teams are launching more shots from beyond the arc than ever before. Wyomissing, however, is more than happy to pound the ball inside. When you have a talent like Amaya Stewart, give her the ball and let her “go to work” as head coach Aaron Anders often says from the sideline. Stewart erupted for a career-high 33 points and 11 rebounds in a thrilling 62-52 win over Neumann-Goretti on Wednesday at Pottstown. “It’s a blessing. We worked so hard to get here and it’s paying off,” remarked Stewart. The Spartans improved to (30-0) and advanced to the PIAA-4A quarterfinals. They led the (19-7) Saints 9-0 and 18-5 after the first quarter. Their advantage expanded to 24-8 in the second quarter. Neumann-Goretti, a five-time state champion, didn’t go away easily. The Saints ended the first half on a 17-to-4 run to pull within 28-25 at the break. They have five guards in their starting lineup including 5’4 junior Carryn Easley and highly touted 5’8 freshman Regina Baker. “They are really tough. They’re probably the best [guards] in the state,” stated Stewart. Easley finished with 22 points and Baker added 11. They were both first team selections in the Philadelphia Catholic League. Stewart fed Audrey Hurleman for two layups to open the third quarter. Neumann Goretti, the #3 seed from District 12, went on another run. Easley jammed nine points into that period and Wyomissing trailed 41-39 entering the final quarter. Annie McCaffrey hit a triple from the left corner with five minutes remaining. Her ninth trey of the season put the Spartans in front 46-44. The lone senior in their starting lineup provided 13 points. McCaffrey is committed to UMass for soccer. Stewart followed with a three-point play for a 51-47 cushion midway through the fourth quarter. The 6’1 junior grabbed a missed free throw and turned it into another three-point play with three minutes left. The first team All-State pick had a dozen points in the last eight minutes. “Take over, take over. I’m gonna step up. I’m built for that,” replied Stewart when asked about her mentality. Hurleman, a 5’8 junior, made a pair of foul shots with 1:15 to go for a 58-52 edge. The North Carolina lacrosse commit contributed 12 points. McCaffrey went 2-for-2 from the charity stripe with 47 seconds remaining. She gave Wyomissing a 60-52 lead. The Spartans ended up 11-of-19 from the free throw line, while the Saints were 8-of-14. Sophomore Kamora Berry made half of Neumann-Goretti’s six 3-pointers. The Saints fell to the Spartans in the second round for the second straight year. Wyomissing will meet District 7 champ North Catholic at 2pm on Saturday at Bald Eagle High School. Stewart is grateful for the fan support during this undefeated streak. “It’s beautiful. We love our community. We know we have a huge community behind our back,” she said.

PIAA Girls Basketball Playoffs

Paul Roberts — Sun, 03 Mar 2024 20:27:00 +0000

Congratulations to the Wyomissing girls basketball team on winning its second straight District 3 championship. The Spartans defeated Delone Catholic 45-32 at the Giant Center in Hershey. Wyomissing is one of just three girls teams from Berks County, including High Point Baptist Academy, to qualify for the state playoffs. The PIAA brackets were finalized on Sunday. Here are the first round matchups.

Class 6A:

Wilson at Conestoga at 7pm on Friday, March 8th

Class 4A:

Carver High School of Engineering and Science at Wyomissing at 1pm on Saturday, March 9th

Class A:

High Point Baptist Academy at St. John Neumann at 7:30pm on Saturday, March 9th

Aaron Anders-Wyomissing

Paul Roberts — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 14:34:00 +0000

Delone Catholic has won seven District 3 championships and four state titles. Head coach Gerry Eckenrode has racked up 665 career victories including 587 over the past 25 years with the Squirettes. Over the past two seasons, however, Wyomissing’s defense has shut down mighty Delone Catholic. The Spartans allowed just 30 points last year when they claimed their first District 3 championship. On Thursday afternoon, it was deja vu all over again. Wyomissing defeated the top-seeded Squirettes 45-32 in the District 3-4A Final at the Giant Center. Head coach Aaron Anders was thrilled with how his team controlled the boards. “They did an unbelievable job of one shot and done. There’s not too many times where they got second shots,” he said. Anders stressed that being unselfish was another key factor. “These girls find each other. Whoever is open, they get it. They don’t care who’s scoring. It’s just a matter of the W,” he stressed. Amaya Stewart piled up 14 points and 18 rebounds. Audrey Hurleman provided ten points including eight in the second half. Annie McCaffrey, the lone senior in the starting lineup, added eight points. Sophomore guard Kacey Maggs gave the (28-0) Spartans an early boost with five points in the opening quarter. Wyomissing had a 13-8 cushion after eight minutes. Delone Catholic scored the first five points of the second quarter, but the Spartans ended the first half with a 9-0 run. They limited the (22-3) Squirettes to six points in the third quarter. Wyomissing was in front 33-19 entering the final period. Delone Catholic came into the game averaging 51 points. The Spartans’ defense has been suffocating all season. They held third-seeded Northern Lebanon to 15 points in the semifinals on Monday. The Squirettes were content to launch from the perimeter, while Wyomissing attacked the basket. Delone Catholic made six 3-pointers and six shots inside the arc. The Spartans hit just two triples. They were 6-of-6 from the free throw line. The Squirettes went 2-for-2 from the stripe. Wyomissing has won two straight BCIAA championships and back-to-back District 3 titles. This is uncharted territory for the program. The players and coaches are enjoying the ride. “It’s special. These kids believe in one another, play for one another and sell out every day,” said Anders.

Audrey Hurleman-Wyomissing

Paul Roberts — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 00:26:00 +0000

You won’t find many athletes as gifted as Audrey Hurleman. The Wyomissing junior is committed to North Carolina for lacrosse. In the fall, she’s an All-County soccer player. In the winter, Hurleman is a standout defender on the Spartans’ basketball team. On Monday, the 5’8 forward provided some offense as well in a 45-15 rout of third-seeded Northern Lebanon. The second-seeded Spartans remained undefeated and advanced to Thursday’s District 3-4A championship against Delone Catholic. Hurleman had six points in the first quarter including a baseline jumper. She finished with ten points, two shy of her career high. Amaya Stewart racked up 23 points and eleven rebounds. “She’s an amazing player all around, inside the paint and outside on the 3-point line…It’s truly inspiring,” said Hurleman. She admitted that occasionally she’s in awe of Stewart’s ability. “Sometimes I just give it to her and I watch. It’s amazing watching her move around those girls,” remarked Hurleman. Stewart took over in the third quarter. The 6’1 junior jammed twelve points into those eight minutes. Her three-point play put Wyomissing on top 29-12. Freshman Karly Hyde added a three-point play of her own with six seconds remaining in the period. Sophomore Kacey Maggs opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer from the right wing for a 41-15 advantage. Maggs chipped in with seven points. The Spartans entered the night allowing the fewest points among Berks County teams at 27 ppg. Their defense was the story again versus the (19-6) Vikings. Northern Lebanon was limited to seven points after the first quarter. A 3-pointer by Hayley Sheroky accounted for the Vikings’ only points in the second period. Wyomissing led 21-11 at the break. Northern Lebanon was shutout in the final quarter. The (27-0) Spartans forced 17 turnovers. The Vikings have four sophomores in the starting lineup and no one taller than 5’8. They had no answer for Stewart in the low post. The two-time BCIAA Player of the Year had 21 points before the fourth quarter began. Wyomissing went 4-of-8 from the free throw line, while Northern Lebanon was 2-for-6. The Spartans beat Delone Catholic 35-30 in the District 3-4A final last year. The schools will square off again at 4:30pm on Thursday at the Giant Center. Wyomissing is hoping to go back-to-back. Delone Catholic is searching for its eighth District 3 title. No matter the season, you’ll find Hurleman in the middle of the Spartans’ success. “Being able to play a lot of sports and do it with all your best friends is so much fun,” she said.

Chris Gallo-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 12:20:00 +0000

Chris Gallo won 203 games and seven Division championships over 15 years with the Schuylkill Valley boys basketball team. That resume makes his statement about sophomore guard Laila Jones even more noteworthy. “She’s as good as any guy I’ve ever coached on my Schuylkill Valley teams; the way she sees the floor and the way she handles the ball,” said Gallo. Jones had 18 points in a 44-33 victory over tenth-seeded York High in the District 3-6A quarterfinals. The second-seeded Bulldogs led 9-3 after the first eight minutes. The (15-9) Bearcats opened the second quarter with a 7-to-1 run. Kailani Hardy provided a spark off Wilson’s bench. The promising 5’8 freshman had five points, including a 3-pointer, as the Bulldogs scored the last nine points of the first half. “She goes hard, she listens, and she’s a really nice young lady,” replied Gallo. Wilson was on top 19-10 at the break despite committing eleven turnovers. York came out of the locker room strong. The Bearcats scored ten straight points to take a 20-19 edge. A’Shyia Smith banked in a pair of treys. The 5’5 senior hit four triples to finish with twelve points. Smith entered the night with just seven 3-pointers all season. Jones responded in the third period with eight points, including two shots from beyond the arc. The (24-2) Bulldogs held a 32-25 cushion after three quarters. York pulled within 38-33 on Smith’s trey with two minutes remaining. Jones made two free throws and Hardy followed with a steal. She went 1-for-2 from the foul line with one minute left. Wilson got the offensive rebound and Hardy split two more free throw attempts. Once again, the Bulldogs grabbed the offensive board. Violet Houck sank two foul shots to seal the deal. The 5’11 sophomore provided eight points and seven rebounds. Hardy piled up 14 points and eight boards. She had a season-high 18 points against Muhlenberg in late January and 10 points in the BCIAA semifinals versus Berks Catholic last week. The Bearcats had a rough shooting night. They were 1-of-14 from the free throw line and 6-of-22 from long distance. Ciarra Gibbs, a 5’11 senior, was limited to six points. The Albright commit is a 1,000-point scorer. York travels to Manheim Township on Monday night for a consolation game. Meanwhile, Wilson hosts third-seeded Central Dauphin at 7pm on Monday. Top-seeded Lebanon entertains Dallastown in the other semifinal. Gallo knows that making it through the Class 6A bracket is extremely challenging. “It is really good. It’s always good. The top is excellent…It’s gonna be a tough task,” he said.

All-Berks Girls Basketball Team

Paul Roberts — Mon, 19 Feb 2024 13:29:00 +0000

The coaches in the BCIAA vote on the All-County team each year. Congratulations to all of the selections. Amaya Stewart and Aaron Anders from Wyomissing are repeat winners. Here is the 2023-24 All-Berks team.

Aaron Anders-Wyomissing-Coach of the Year

Amaya Stewart-Wyomissing-Jr.-Player of the Year

Madison Langdon-Berks Catholic-Jr.

Grace Reedy-Exeter-Sr.

Taylor Koenig-Gov. Mifflin-Sr.

Morgan Snyder-Oley Valley-Sr.

Laila Jones-Wilson-So.

Annie McCaffrey-Wyomissing-Sr.

Aaron Anders-Wyomissing

Paul Roberts — Sat, 17 Feb 2024 01:03:00 +0000

It was the matchup that many Berks County girls basketball fans had hoped to see and it came down to the wire. Top-seeded Wilson versus second-seeded Wyomissing for the Berks League crown. The Spartans used a big second half to capture their second straight county championship and remain undefeated. They knocked off the Bulldogs 45-36 at Santander Arena. Sophomore Laila Jones drilled a 3-pointer from the top of the key to give Wilson a 21-16 halftime edge. Annie McCaffrey scored eight consecutive points in the third quarter to tie it at 24. The 5’9 lefty finished with 16 points. “She rises to the occasion. It was just awesome. She played an amazing game and she did it when we needed it the most,” said head coach Aaron Anders. McCaffrey is an All-State soccer player who’s committed to UMass. Audrey Hurleman, another soccer standout, came up with a steal and layup in transition for a 31-27 advantage entering the fourth quarter. Wyomissing outscored the Bulldogs 15-to-6 in the third period. Wilson committed eight of its 18 turnovers in that quarter. Sophomore guard Kacey Maggs hit a triple to put the Spartans in front 34-29 with 4:15 remaining. Maggs converted a pair of free throws with 1:03 left for a 38-31 cushion. Amaya Stewart went 2-for-2 from the stripe with 56 seconds to go for a 40-34 lead. Stewart, an All-State selection last year, had a game-high 20 points. The 6’1 junior set the tone with seven points in the opening quarter. “They made her work for every basket. Coach Gallo had a great plan. She just works harder and wanted it more,” remarked Anders. The Spartans were 9-of-10 from the foul line in the fourth quarter and 13-of-16 overall. Jones led the (23-2) Bulldogs with eleven points. Freshman forward Kailani Hardy added eight points off the bench. Wilson’s 16-game winning streak came to an end. The Bulldogs were searching for their first BCIAA title since 2014. They were held 14 points below their season average. Wyomissing improved to (25-0). “I’m just so humbled to be their coach. It’s a reflection of what you want. It’s a reflection of our community, our school. I’m so proud of these kids,” emphasized Anders.