Harrisburg – Berks Sports Report

Football Scoreboard-Week 14

Paul Roberts — Sat, 22 Nov 2025 04:18:07 +0000

#3 seed Twin Valley ran over top-seeded Susquehanna Township 41-21 in the District 3-4A Championship at ELCO. It’s the first District 3 title for the (13-0) Raiders. Twin Valley outscored the (12-1) Indians 21-0 in the second half. The Raiders will face Aliquippa in the state semifinals next week. The Quips defeated Oil City 28-6 tonight.

#3 seed Bishop McDevitt knocked off fourth-seeded Solanco 38-20 in the District 3-5A Championship at Warwick. Head coach Jeff Weachter earned his 300th victory. The (11-2) Crusaders won their record 19th District 3 title and fifth in a row. They’re (72-9) all-time in the District 3 playoffs. Solanco ends its season at (11-2).

#2 seed Harrisburg cruised past top-seeded Central York 38-10 in the District 3-6A Championship at Cedar Cliff. The (13-0) Cougars have captured five consecutive District 3 titles and eight overall. The Panthers finished (11-2).

District 3 Boys Basketball Rankings

Paul Roberts — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 01:32:17 +0000

Congratulations to Central York, Hershey, Berks Catholic, Trinity, York Catholic and High Point Baptist for winning District 3 boys basketball championships in their respective classifications. It was the first District 3 title for Central York, and the first in 51 years for Hershey. Trinity claimed its 20th District 3 crown, only Reading has more with 24. York Catholic earned District 3 gold for the 13th time. Good luck to all of the District 3 teams that qualified for the state tournament which begins on Friday.

It’s time for another edition of my District 3 rankings. I give you the top five squads in all six classes. Remember that no matter where your favorite school is ranked , the sun will come out tomorrow!

Class 6A

1.Central York

2.Central Dauphin

3.Gov. Mifflin

4.Chambersburg

5.Wilson

Class 5A

1.Hershey

2.West York

3.Exeter

4.York Suburban

5.Lampeter-Strasburg

Class 4A

1.Berks Catholic

2.Eastern York

3.Big Spring

4.Susquehanna Township

5.Bishop McDevitt

Class 3A

1.Trinity

2.Lancaster Mennonite

3.Antietam

4.Halifax

5.Brandywine Heights

Class 2A

1.York Catholic

2.Linville Hill Christian

3.Delone Catholic

4.Greenwood

5.Steel-High

Class A

1.High Point Baptist

2.Shalom Christian

3.York Country Day

4.Lancaster Country Day

5.Ephrata Mennonite

Carmelo Harper-Berks Catholic

Paul Roberts — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:18:43 +0000

Berks Catholic was the top seed entering the BCIAA playoffs last week. The Saints fell to Reading 48-41 in the semifinals at Santander Arena. That loss didn’t sit well with Carmelo Harper. “It really had me broken because we lost and my teammates weren’t happy. I feel like I let them down,” he said. The 5’10 freshman guard used that game as motivation. Harper scored a career-high 15 points in a 51-32 victory over eighth-seeded Bishop McDevitt in the District 3-4A quarterfinals. He knocked down three of of Berks Catholic’s eight 3-pointers at Lloyd Wolf Gymnasium. Harper doesn’t mind coming off the bench. “I get to see how the game is paced. Once I get in the game and I score, it slows down for me,” he explained. Brady Altimar also established a new career-high with a dozen points. The (19-5) Saints went scoreless for nearly five and a-half minutes before Altimar hit a triple from the left wing. The 5’9 junior followed with another trey. Berks Catholic led 8-7 after eight minutes. Altimar was 6-for-6 from the foul line in the fourth quarter. “He always finds his open teammates,” added Harper. Zach Suski drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key to give the Saints a 15-12 edge midway through the second quarter. The 6’ senior chipped in with eleven points. He was 4-of-5 from the charity stripe in the final period. Johnny Giesa splashed a triple to open the second half and put Berks Catholic in front 24-16. The 6’1 sophomore started in place of Gavin Welker. Welker, who averaged 8 ppg., isn’t eligible after transferring from Daniel Boone before the season. Bryce Gumby connected from long range with one minute remaining in the third quarter. The football standout gave the top-seeded Saints a 33-24 cushion entering the last period. A three-point play by Suski made it 40-26 with 4:15 to go. The (10-11) Crusaders have lost six of their last eight games. They were without leading scorer Damir Arp. The 6’3 freshman guard was academically ineligible. He averages 17 ppg. Berks Catholic participated in Bishop McDevitt’s Catholic Christmas Showcase where Arp poured in 26 points against Pittsburgh Central Catholic on December 27. Pat Denisco, a 5’10 junior, finished with a team-high twelve points. Max Henderson, a 6’6 senior, had six points. The Crusaders only hit two 3-pointers. They were 6-of-9 from the free throw line, while the Saints ended up 15-of-17. The top five teams in Class 4A qualify for the state tournament. Bishop McDevitt will have to win a pair of consolation games to advance. The Crusaders visit fourth-seeded Wyomissing on Monday. Kingston McKoy had a quiet night on Thursday. The All-State guard was limited to three points and didn’t make a field goal. McKoy leads Berks County in scoring at 21 ppg. The 6’2 junior was part of a terrific defensive effort. Bishop McDevitt didn’t reach ten points in any quarter. Head coach Snip Esterly earned his 834th career win over 36 seasons. He has always stressed hard-nosed, man-to-man defense. “Big time, we get screamed at a lot but it’s worth it,” replied Harper. The Saints host fifth-seeded Susquehanna Township in the semifinals on Monday at 7pm. Berks Catholic has already secured a berth in the PIAA-4A playoffs.

Doug Dahms-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 01:29:31 +0000

Football coaches often say that speed kills. Harrisburg’s speed was on full display on Saturday afternoon at Don Thomas Stadium. The fourth-seeded Cougars beat second-seeded Wilson 42-14 in the District 3-6A Championship. “Their skill kids are off the charts and they’ve got speed everywhere. Their linebackers are fast, their linemen are fast. They’re an athletic group,” said Bulldogs’ head coach Doug Dahms. Harrisburg claimed its fourth straight District 3 title and seventh overall. The (11-2) Cougars outgained Wilson 306-to-155, including 150-to-26 on the ground. Penn State commit Messiah Mickens had two short touchdown runs to put Harrisburg in front 14-0 early in the second quarter. The 6’, 200-pound junior sacked Madyx Gruber three times from his defensive end position. Nehemiah Ewell broke off a 52-yard TD run down the left sideline with 4:22 left before halftime. The (11-2) Bulldogs responded with a 58-yard drive. Gruber’s 1-yard sneak made it 21-6 with 15 seconds remaining in the first half. The extra point was no good. Jayion Lewis hit Elias Coke over the middle for a 37-yard score on the Cougars’ opening possession of the third quarter. Coke had three catches for 110 yards before leaving with an injury. The 6’3, 200-pound junior was on crutches after the game. Coke has more than twenty Division I offers, including Penn State and Michigan. Lewis was 6-of-8 for 156 yards. D’Antae Sheffey, a Syracuse commit, increased the margin to 35-6 with a 10-yard TD run midway through the third period. Quincy Brannon then took a pop pass from Lewis and raced 30 yards down the right sideline with four minutes left in the third quarter. Brannon, a senior defensive back, added a team-high six tackles. Wilson got within 42-14 on Gruber’s 22-yard touchdown pass to sophomore tight end Mike Glover. That score came one minute into the final quarter. Gruber ended up 12-of-20 for 133 yards and two interceptions. He was under pressure most of the afternoon. Gruber threw for 2,018 yards and 25 TD this year after making the switch from wide receiver. “He’s the reason we were what we were. He was our offense, no doubt about it. Who knew he was gonna be that good,” said Dahms with a smile. Despite returning just two starters on defense and four on offense, the Bulldogs won their 29th Section 1 championship in the Lancaster-Lebanon League. They also completed their 49th consecutive winning season, a state record. “I think we grew a lot from the beginning of the year. Our underclassmen grew a lot and the senior leadership was there,” noted Dahms. He’s (196-44) over 19 seasons in West Lawn. Dahms, who started as an assistant at Wilson in 1976, owns the highest winning percentage in Berks County history.

Wilson vs. Harrisburg Preview

Paul Roberts — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 16:04:20 +0000

Wilson’s football team will make the short drive to Exeter on Saturday to face Harrisburg. The District 3-6A championship will be decided at 1pm at Don Thomas Stadium. The Cougars have been a thorn in the side of the Bulldogs in recent years. Harrisburg has defeated Wilson four times in the past six seasons in the District 3 playoffs. The fourth-seeded Cougars are (10-2). They knocked out top-seeded Manheim Township 35-14 in the semifinals last week. The (11-1) Bulldogs are riding a 9-game winning streak. Wilson held off Central York 28-20 a week ago.

Harrisburg is going for its fourth straight District 3 title. The Cougars have captured six championships overall. They’re (30-16) all-time in the District 3 tournament. Harrisburg dropped its season opener 45-7 to La Salle College High School from Philadelphia. The Cougars got tripped up by Cumberland Valley 24-21 in Week 8.

Penn State commit Kevin Brown returned from a right foot injury last Friday. Brown (6’5, 270) is ranked #14 overall and #3 at offensive tackle in the Class of 2026 by Rivals. Trinity transfer Messiah Mickens has also committed to the Nittany Lions. He leads Harrisburg with 1,091 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns. The 200-pound junior is a force at defensive end as well with 27 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks. Mickens was named the Mid-Penn Commonwealth Division Defensive Player of the Year. Jayion Lewis has thrown for 1,646 yards and 16 TD in his first year as the starting quarterback. The 5’11, 165-pound junior is completing 62% of his passes. His top target is one of the elite wide receivers in the state. Elias Coke has more than twenty Division I offers including Penn State, Pittsburgh, Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, Kentucky, and Iowa State. The 6’3, 200-pound junior has 42 receptions for 723 yards and 8 TD. Coke also has a team-high five interceptions. State College transfer D’Antae Sheffey, a Syracuse commit, has chipped in with 28 carries for 231 yards, 12 catches, and one INT.

Wilson has brought District 3 gold back to West Lawn on seven occasions. The Bulldogs’ most recent title was in 2016. They’re (44-24) overall in the District 3 playoffs. Wilson holds the state record with 49 consecutive winning seasons. The Bulldogs haven’t had a losing campaign since 1963. They earned their 29th Section 1 championship in the Lancaster-Lebanon League this fall.

Madyx Gruber, an All-County basketball player, has made a remarkable transition from wide receiver to quarterback. The 5’11, 160-pound senior is completing 65% of his passes for 1,885 yards and 24 TD. Gruber is second on the squad with 715 rushing yards and eight scores. His teammate on the court, Correll Akings, is averaging 6.1 yards per carry. Akings has 1,060 yards and 13 touchdowns. The 5’10, 170-pound junior can catch the ball out of the backfield as well. He has 24 receptions, third-most for Wilson this year. The second-seeded Bulldogs feature a pair of standout sophomores. Mike Glover (6’3, 220) has a team-high 39 catches for 648 yards and 6 scores. The physical tight end reeled in five passes for 117 yards and 2 TD in the semifinals against Central York. Meanwhile, E.J. Brownback leads Wilson with 77 combined tackles. The 215-pound sophomore linebacker has racked up 16.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. Gruber also contributes on defense with five of the Bulldogs’ 14 interceptions.

I’ll be in Reiffton with live updates and postgame reaction on Saturday afternoon.

Jon Ramsey-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Wed, 17 Nov 2021 22:02:00 +0000

The Bulldogs have relied on a very simple formula over their last four games…pound the rock. Wilson is averaging 54 runs and just 6.5 pass attempts in its last four contests. That is what you call an offensive lineman’s dream! 6’2, 210-pound guard Jon Ramsey has helped the (9-3) Bulldogs average 253 rushing yards per game this year. Wilson ran the ball 62 times last week at Central York for 348 yards. The Bulldogs handed the top-seeded Panthers their first loss of the season in a 14-11 nailbiter. Ramsey told me about making the transition from tight end to guard. He talked about playing with a cast on his right arm due to a broken wrist. Ramsey mentioned his favorite formation which includes seven OL. The senior DE has 31 tackles and 2.5 sacks. He’s third on the team with 8.5 tackles for loss. I asked Ramsey if he prefers playing offense or defense. He knows that time of possession will be important against #2 seed Harrisburg on Saturday afternoon in the District 3-6A championship. Ramsey said, “I think they’re going to get worn down.” The (11-1) Cougars are riding an eight-game winning streak. The Bulldogs have won seven in a row. Ramsey also discussed his favorite class at Wilson, and what he likes to do for fun. Plus, you’ll hear his thoughts on Coach Dahms’ beard which is always a hot topic around West Lawn.