girls – Berks Sports Report

All-State Girls Basketball Players

Paul Roberts — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 02:10:00 +0000

The Pennsylvania Sports Writers released their All-State girls basketball teams on Thursday. Two standout players from Berks County were selected. Congratulations to Wyomissing’s Amaya Stewart and Bella Super from Gov. Mifflin.

Stewart was voted to the first team in Class 4A for the third consecutive season. The 6’1 forward averaged 19.5 points as a senior and led the Spartans to 24 victories. Stewart poured in a school-record 37 points against Twin Valley on January 2nd. The Albany commit finished her remarkable career with 1,904 points, the most in program history. She also pulled down more than 1,000 rebounds. Stewart was named Berks County Player of the Year three times. In late February, Wyomissing defeated Lancaster Catholic 26-24 for its third straight District 3-4A championship.

Super is a third team All-State pick in Class 6A. The 5’7 sophomore increased her scoring output from 12 points per game as a freshman to 19 ppg. this year. She knocked down 49 triples during the 2024-25 campaign. Super exploded for 30 points at Conrad Weiser in mid-January. She helped a young Mustangs’ squad win 16 games. Gov. Mifflin reached the BCIAA Championship at Santander Arena. In the Berks League semifinals, Super had 25 points in a 60-56 victory over rival Wilson. The Mustangs fell to Reading 63-57 in the BCIAA Final, but Super kept them in the game. The All-County guard ended up with 28 points and four 3-pointers.

The All-State boys basketball teams will be announced in early May.

Aaron Anders-Wyomissing

Paul Roberts — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 14:47:59 +0000

The seniors on Wyomissing’s girls basketball team have left a mark that will stand the test of time. Over the past three years, the Spartans compiled a staggering (83-9) record. They won three District 3-4A championships and a pair of Berks County titles. “It was a lot of fun. It was really neat to watch those kids grow,” said head coach Aaron Anders. Amaya Stewart, Alexis Hardy, and Audrey Hurleman were household names along Evans Avenue. They started for four seasons. After missing last year due to a knee injury, Lili Marshall returned to the court this season and was part of a four-guard lineup. Wyomissing didn’t lose a single home game over the past two years. The Spartans reached the state semifinals for just the third time a season ago when they went (31-1). They fell to Philadelphia Catholic League powerhouse Neumann-Goretti 58-45 in the second round of the PIAA-4A playoffs last week. That loss ended a (24-5) campaign, but not before Stewart became the school’s all-time leading scorer. The 6’1 Albany commit finished with 1,904 points. “She’s the best girls basketball player that’s ever come out of here,” stated Anders. Stewart averaged 19.5 ppg. in each of the past two seasons. She broke Rachel Hoffman’s record of 1,886 points. Hoffman is Wyomissing’s girls soccer coach. Stewart, a three-time Berks County Player of the Year, pulled down more than 1,000 rebounds in her remarkable career. “When she first came in as a freshman, you could see the love for the game…Her smile is infectious. Her personality is infectious,” emphasized Anders. Stewart was surrounded by outstanding all-around athletes including Annie McCaffrey, Audrey Hurleman, and Alexis Hardy. McCaffrey graduated in 2024 and is playing soccer at UMass. Hurleman is committed to North Carolina for lacrosse, and Hardy is headed to Delaware for track. She’s won multiple BCIAA and District 3 gold medals in the 100 and 200 meters. Hardy provided 8 points per game this season. Hurleman returned to the basketball team on “Senior Night” in late January after suffering a torn ACL on April 9th. Anders, a former basketball standout at Antietam and Alvernia, is (108-26) over five years. He will never forget his four seniors. “They put on one heck of a show the past three years,” replied Anders with a smile.

Archbishop Carroll ends Wilson’s season

Paul Roberts — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 04:07:44 +0000

Going into Tuesday night, Wilson head coach Matt Raquet thought Archbishop Carroll would be the best team that the Bulldogs had faced all season. That’s saying a lot considering Wilson’s grueling non-league schedule. The Bulldogs battled the Patriots before falling 60-41 in the second round of the PIAA-6A tournament at Spring-Ford. The final score doesn’t tell the whole story. Wilson put forth a gutsy effort and led the top seed from District 12 early in the third quarter. Kailani Hardy jammed eight of her team-high 20 points into the third period. “It starts on the defensive end of the floor and I thought she played great on the defensive end. The better the competition, she steps up to that plate every single time,” noted Raquet. Hardy got off to a quick start. The 5’9 sophomore knocked down a pair of 3-pointers and had eight points in the opening quarter. Archbishop Carroll, the runner-up in the mighty Philadelphia Catholic League, trailed 13-10 after eight minutes. The Bulldogs grabbed a 15-11 advantage before the Eberz sisters began to heat up. Alexis Eberz, a 5’8 junior, averages 18 points per game. She reached 1,000 career points late last month. Kayla Eberz, a versatile 5’10 freshman, provides 13 ppg. Her twin sister, Kelsey, has been out since December with a knee injury. The (19-9) Patriots were in front 27-26 at halftime. Senior guard Olivia Nardi hit a triple from the left corner early in the third quarter. It was her only field goal of the night, and it gave Archbishop Carroll a 32-30 edge. Nardi’s shot from beyond the arc ignited a 17-to-7 run by the Patriots. Hardy drilled a jumper from the right wing at the buzzer to pull Wilson within 46-39 entering the final period. The (20-10) Bulldogs were outscored 14-to-2 over the next eight minutes. They were scoreless until Hardy made two free throws with 4:21 remaining. The Patriots were in control 52-41 at that point. Archbishop Carroll sealed the deal at the foul line. The Patriots finished 14-for-17, including 8-for-10 in the fourth quarter. Wilson ended up 4-of-5 from the stripe. Laura Crocona chipped in with eight points. The 5’8 junior sank two of the Bulldogs’ five treys. Alexis Eberz, who poured in 23 points, gave credit to the Bulldogs. “They’re a great team. We knew that coming into this game. They play really great defense,” she said. Kayla Eberz contributed 18 points, including 13 in the second half. Sophomore Abbie McFillin added nine points. Archbishop Carroll was able to create turnovers which led to easy transition opportunities after halftime. The Patriots won the PIAA-6A championship two years ago. They’re moving on to the quarterfinals on Friday against Central Dauphin. Wilson saw its season come to an end. The Bulldogs, who finished fifth in the District 3 tournament, didn’t have any seniors in the starting lineup. They also played this entire season without two-time All-County point guard Laila Jones. The 5’8 junior was out with a torn ACL. Jones averaged 16 ppg. last year. “I thought it was a great season overall, really proud of this group. They’ve dealt with adversity all year. They kept trusting each other. They kept putting winning first,” remarked Raquet. He said he’s excited for his second season in West Lawn.

PIAA Girls Basketball First Round Games

Paul Roberts — Sun, 02 Mar 2025 19:36:58 +0000

And then there were three. Only a trio of girls basketball teams from Berks County have advanced to the state playoffs. Congratulations to Wyomissing on winning its third consecutive District 3-4A championship on Friday at the Giant Center in Hershey. The (23-4) Spartans held off Lancaster Catholic 26-24. Wilson and Conrad Weiser also qualified for the PIAA tournament. Here are their first round matchups.

Class 6A-Friday, March 7

Wilson at Upper Dublin at 6pm

Class 5A-Saturday, March 8

Conrad Weiser at Peters Township at 1pm

Class 4A-Saturday, March 8

Nazareth Academy at Wyomissing at 1pm

Amaya Stewart-Wyomissing

Paul Roberts — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 14:46:45 +0000

The best player on the floor made the biggest play of the game. Wyomissing senior Amaya Stewart blocked Nevaeh Kennedy with two seconds left to preserve a 26-24 victory over Lancaster Catholic at the Giant Center. “It was something so inspirational, something that moved me a lot. I got emotional. It meant a lot to me. I knew I had to be there for my teammates,” said Stewart with tears in her eyes. The third-seeded Spartans claimed their third straight District 3-4A championship on Friday. Points were at a premium in this defensive battle. In fact, it was the lowest scoring District 3 girls basketball final in history. Wyomissing and the top-seeded Crusaders were 6-for-37 combined from the field in the first half. The (23-4) Spartans led 6-3 after the opening quarter. They blanked Lancaster Catholic in the second quarter and took a 10-3 edge into halftime. Audrey Hurleman scored the only four points in the second period. The North Carolina lacrosse commit played in her eleventh game since returning from a torn ACL. Meanwhile, the (22-5) Crusaders were missing Emma Stefanow, Sophie Hall, and Stella Higgins due to serious knee injuries. Alexis Hardy, a Delaware track and field commit, started the third quarter with a 3-pointer from the right wing. That was the only shot that connected from beyond the arc for both teams. Wyomissing built a 17-5 cushion, but Lancaster Catholic fought back. The Crusaders have won a record 21 District 3 titles, including the past two at the Class 3A level. They ended the third period on a 13-to-0 run. A three-point play by Kennedy gave Lancaster Catholic a 18-17 advantage with three seconds left. The 5’7 sophomore had a game-high 14 points after dropping 27 in a semifinal rout of Delone Catholic. The Spartans trailed 20-17 before Stewart hit a baseline jumper and a pair of free throws. The three-time Berks County Player of the Year put Wyomissing in front 21-20 with five minutes remaining. A layup by Hardy made it 23-20 with 4:34 to go. One minute later, they were tied 24-24 after a baseline jumper by sophomore Natalie Cellucci. The Crusaders got the ball back, however, they turned it over with one minute to play. It was the most significant of their 18 turnovers. Hurleman then drove to the left and threw a pass to Stewart on the right block. The ball was nearly deflected by the outstretched hands of sophomore Charlotte Albertini. Stewart corralled the pass and finished the go-ahead layup with 48 seconds on the clock. Kennedy missed a 3-pointer from the top of the key, but the Spartans turned it over. Lancaster Catholic had one final opportunity. Kennedy drove from the Giant Center logo all the way down the center of the lane with two seconds left. Stewart was the last line of defense. The 6’1 Albany commit blocked Kennedy’s layup to clinch the three-peat for Wyomissing. “It means so much not only for us girls, but to the school. To leave my mark somewhere is so impactful. I’m so proud not only of myself, but every single person on this team,” said Stewart. She ended up with a team-high eight points. Hardy and Hurleman chipped in with six points apiece. Lili Marshall, one of four seniors on the roster, provided four points. The Spartans were 3-of-5 from the foul line, while the Crusaders went 8-of-11. “They really did an amazing job, but it’s all about how we rise to adversity and how much we stick together,” replied Stewart. Wyomissing reached the state semifinals a season ago. The PIAA-4A tournament begins on Saturday, March 8th. “We’re not done yet. We gotta get right back to this spot,” emphasized Stewart.

Ryan Leaman-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 04:30:22 +0000

Lacrosse is Ryan Leaman’s favorite sport, but she’s not too shabby at basketball. The 5’9 sophomore is Wilson’s starting point guard. She’s also the top 3-point shooter for the Bulldogs. Leaman hit a key triple in front of her bench as the third quarter came to a close. “I saw her hand down a little so I just shot it and it went in…We were all excited,” said Leaman. Wilson defeated tenth-seeded Cedar Crest 48-39 in the first round of the District 3-6A playoffs. The (17-8) Bulldogs advanced to the quarterfinals on Thursday night at second-seeded Dallastown. They also qualified for the state tournament. Leaman got off to a great start. She scored half of her 14 points in the opening quarter. “I know that if I’m open I should shoot. Sometimes I hold back a little. It was fun,” replied Leaman. Kailani Hardy finished with a game-high 18 points. The 5’9 sophomore was 8-for-8 from the free throw line. “We’ve been playing together as long as I can remember,” noted Leaman. Hardy was voted to the All-County team on Sunday. Juniors Violet Houck and Laura Crocona were both All-Division selections. They had important defensive assignments on Monday in West Lawn. Houck, who was injured when Wilson beat Cedar Crest 48-43 on December 21st, guarded Colgate commit Kaila Francis. Crocona covered promising freshman Elli Malinoski. Francis, a 6’2 junior center, and Malinoski were scoreless in the first half. “Once we shut them down, it opened up shots for us on the other end,” explained Leaman. First-year head coach Matt Raquet also utilized a 1-2-1-1 full court press that created turnovers and sped up the tempo. The Falcons turned the ball over ten times in the first 16 minutes. The seventh-seeded Bulldogs were in front 13-9 after a quarter and 23-13 at halftime. Cedar Crest didn’t score in the first three minutes of the game. The Falcons were blanked for nearly three minutes in the second quarter and fell behind 19-9. Lilyanna Thomas sank a 3-pointer from the left wing with 40 seconds remaining in the third period. The 5’11 senior pulled Cedar Crest within 35-29, however, Leaman answered with a trey of her own before the buzzer. Wilson increased its margin to 13 points before Thomas splashed a triple from the top of the key with 4:15 to go to make it 44-34. The Falcons never threatened the Bulldogs though as Hardy made all six of her foul shots in the final quarter. Crocona chipped in with eight points and Janai Tisdale added five off the bench. The Bulldogs bounced back from a tough 60-56 loss to rival Gov. Mifflin in the BCIAA semifinals. Cedar Crest hadn’t played since February 5th when the Falcons outlasted Gov. Mifflin 51-47 in overtime. Malinoski poured in 21 points against the Mustangs. The 6’ guard was limited to eight points by Crocona and company. Thomas led Cedar Crest with 13 points. She entered the night averaging 4.6 ppg. Francis ended up with ten points. The Falcons finish (13-10) in Ashli Shay’s second year at the helm. She scored 2,169 career points while at ELCO and went on to play for Penn State. Shay served as the Raiders’ head coach for twelve seasons before stepping down in 2022. Cedar Crest outscored Wilson 26-25 in the second half. The Falcons were 8-of-10 from the stripe and made three 3-pointers. The Bulldogs went 13-of-18 from the foul line and only connected once from beyond the arc. Wilson forced 18 turnovers including seven in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs and Falcons have combined for ten District 3 championships with Wilson winning six titles. Both of these programs have bright futures. Of the ten starters on the court, only two were seniors. The Bulldogs reached the District 3 semifinals a season ago. They’ll have to upset Dallastown on Thursday at 7pm to return to the Final Four.

All-Berks Girls Basketball Team

Paul Roberts — Mon, 17 Feb 2025 01:03:09 +0000

Congratulations to Reading’s Rashida Suber for being voted the Berks League Coach of the Year. Suber, who scored 2,111 points in her career for the Red Knights, led them to their first BCIAA championship since 2010. Reading defeated Gov. Mifflin 63-57 on Friday night at Santander Arena.

Amaya Stewart of Wyomissing was named the Berks County Player of the Year for the third consecutive season. The 6’1 Albany commit is averaging nearly 20 points per game this year. Here is the 2024-25 All-County team. Voting was conducted by the head coaches in the league.

Amaya Stewart-Wyomissing-Sr.

Madison Langdon-Berks Catholic-Sr.

Yamilex Rodriguez-Reading-Sr.

Addison Benner-Brandywine Heights-Sr.

Hailey Kilgore-Twin Valley-Jr.

Bella Super-Gov. Mifflin-Soph.

Kailani Hardy-Wilson-Soph.

Xiani Beatty-Reading

Paul Roberts — Sat, 15 Feb 2025 06:07:20 +0000

Reading surprised a lot of people by beating top-seeded Wyomissing 40-38 in the BCIAA semifinals. The Spartans had won the previous two Berks County titles. The Red Knights weren’t satisfied with just reaching the championship game at Santander Arena. “We didn’t fight all the way just to lose in the game that counted the most. We had to come back and we did,” said Xiani Beatty. The 5’6 freshman guard had a team-high 16 points in a thrilling 63-57 victory over Gov. Mifflin. Beatty scored eight points in the fourth quarter, including two free throws with 25 seconds left that gave Reading a 62-57 advantage. Tamyia Collier had only made seven 3-pointers all season entering Friday night. The 5’9 senior hit a triple from the right corner with one and a-half minutes remaining. Collier put the fourth-seeded Red Knights on top 60-57. “She was clutch,” replied Beatty. Brooklyn George and Bella Super misfired on 3-point attempts on the ensuing possession. Beatty’s foul shots then made it a two possession game. The third-seeded Mustangs led 16-12 after eight minutes and 21-16 in the second quarter. Reading responded with a 6-0 run, but Gov. Mifflin went into halftime with a 32-31 edge. The (17-8) Red Knights trailed 49-45 after the third quarter. Saray Renninger converted a three-point play early in the fourth period. The 5’11 freshman, who provided eight points, put the Mustangs in front 52-49. A floater by Yamilex Rodriguez capped a 6-0 run for the Red Knights. Super answered with a trey to even it at 55-55 with three and a-half minutes to go. The 5’7 sophomore erupted for 28 points. Super connected on four of her team’s six 3-pointers. She went 12-for-18 from the foul line. Collier broke the tie with three minutes to play, however, Bridget Martin’s layup knotted the contest at 57-57. That set the stage for Collier’s pivotal shot from beyond the arc. She’s one of five seniors on Reading’s roster and all five contribute. “It feels amazing, especially knowing that they’ve been wanting this moment for four years and they finally got this feeling,” said Beatty. The Red Knights claimed their tenth BCIAA championship and first since 2010. Collier (13) and fellow senior Zaniaya Bradley (10) combined for 23 points. Bradley was a force on the offensive glass as Gov. Mifflin struggled to rebound without Mia Vasquez. The 5’11 senior center also missed the semifinals due to a medical issue. The Mustangs’ starters played almost the entire game. Martin chipped in with nine points before fouling out late. Jayda Armstrong knocked down a couple of triples and finished with eight points. Gov. Mifflin was 21-of-29 from the charity stripe, while Reading went 6-of-12. Rodriguez had eight points and JilliAnn Laws added seven. Head coach Rashida Suber guided the Red Knights to a Berks County title in her fifth season at the helm. “She’s a great coach, great person. She inspires me in many ways,” stated Beatty. Reading and the (16-9) Mustangs are headed to the District 3-6A tournament which begins on Monday. Gov. Mifflin visits fifth-seeded Central Dauphin and Reading travels to fourth-seeded Mechanicsburg.

Mustangs and Red Knights Rally-BCIAA Girls Semifinals

Paul Roberts — Fri, 14 Feb 2025 07:50:52 +0000

Gov. Mifflin and Wilson kicked off an exciting evening of basketball at Santander Arena. The first of four BCIAA semifinals didn’t disappoint. The third-seeded Mustangs trailed 38-27 with 3:45 remaining in the third quarter. Gov. Mifflin rallied past the second-seeded Bulldogs 60-56. Bella Super, a 5’8 sophomore guard, poured in 25 points. “Hell of a job Bella Super, hell of a job. She’s got the skill set to do that game in and game out,” said head coach Mike Clark. The Mustangs went on a 14-to-4 run to pull within 42-41 late in the third quarter. Brooklyn George splashed a 3-pointer from the left wing with 6:15 remaining to even the score at 46-46. The 5’7 sophomore finished with a dozen points. Super’s steal and layup put Gov. Mifflin on top 51-48 midway through the final quarter. Saray Renninger, a promising 5’10 freshman, hit a triple from the right corner to give the Mustangs a 54-50 cushion. Renninger chipped in with twelve points. Violet Houck’s layup got Wilson within 56-54 with just over one minute remaining. However, Bridget Martin responded with a pair of free throws with 43 seconds to go. The 5’8 sophomore provided eleven points. Kailani Hardy, who scored a team-high 19 points, missed a short shot on the ensuing possession. Martin then found Renninger underneath the basket for an easy bucket to ice it with eight seconds left. Gov. Mifflin fell behind 13-4 early. The (16-8) Mustangs were down 18-13 after eight minutes and 30-23 at halftime. They went 11-for-19 from the foul line, while the Bulldogs were 0-for-1. Wilson connected six times from beyond the arc in the first half, but only twice after halftime. Hardy, a 5’9 sophomore, made three treys. Laura Crocona and sophomore Ryan Leaman each sank two 3-pointers. Crocona ended up with 18 points and Leaman had ten. The (16-8) Bulldogs split with the Mustangs during league play. Gov. Mifflin was without starting center Mia Vasquez due to a medical issue. She averages 10 ppg. Clark has guided the Mustangs to five Berks League championships. This is his 13th year in Shillington. Clark, who has 315 career victories, gives his team the same message before every season. “Just listen to me for 22 games. You get me to Santander [Arena] and I’ll figure something out to get you to the championship game,” he said.

Gov. Mifflin will face fourth-seeded Reading on Friday at 6pm at Santander Arena. The (16-8) Red Knights upset #1 seed and two-time defending champion Wyomissing 40-38. The (20-4) Spartans saw their eight-game winning streak come to a halt. Wyomissing raced out to a 17-8 advantage with three minutes remaining in the second quarter. Reading trimmed its deficit to 17-14 by halftime. The Spartans went in front 30-21 late in the third period. Yamilex Rodriguez hit a pull-up jumper before the buzzer to close the gap to 32-26. The Red Knights opened the fourth quarter with six straight points to tie it up. A runner down the lane by senior Tamyia Collier made it 32-32. “We stuck together and we knew basketball is a game of runs,” replied head coach Rashida Suber. It took Wyomissing three and a-half minutes to get on the board in the final period. A layup by Amaya Stewart was answered by one from freshman Xiani Beatty. Stewart scored again inside for a 36-34 edge with 2:36 to go. The 6’1 Albany commit led everyone with 20 points. Alexis Hardy went 2-for-4 from the foul line to give the Spartans a 38-34 cushion with 1:46 to play. Rodriguez then took charge with consecutive buckets to knot things at 38-38. Audrey Hurleman, who returned on January 28 from a torn ACL, missed a jumper from the right elbow. There was a mad scramble for the loose ball which was won by Beatty. She flipped the ball to Elyssa Spring who fired a long pass down the court that hit Stewart in the back. The ball deflected to Kailani Ocasio who fed Rodriguez for a reverse layup with 15 seconds remaining. “Somehow she got it and she was already determined to get to the basket,” said Suber of Rodriguez. Wyomissing was behind 40-38, but still had time to get a good look. Hurleman threw a pass from mid-court that hit Hardy in stride at the foul line. Hardy drove down the right side of the lane, but missed a layup with four seconds left. The Delaware track and field commit finished with eleven points. The Spartans committed 23 turnovers against Reading’s pressure. “We wanted to keep throwing different schemes at them. I knew if we could pressure their guards, we would be in a good position,” explained Suber. The 2003 graduate piled up 2,111 career points for the Red Knights. She’s in her fifth season as their head coach. Neither team made a shot from beyond the arc on Thursday. Wyomissing was 10-for-19 from the free throw line, while Reading went 4-for-8. Rodriguez, a 5’4 senior guard, had a team-high 16 points. Beatty added eleven points. “She’s a special kid. She’s been around basketball a lot. She has a unique talent,” stated Suber. The Red Knights are searching for their tenth BCIAA championship and first since 2010. They split their regular season matchups with Gov. Mifflin.

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