Hershey – Berks Sports Report

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

Exeter falls to Hershey in District 3 Final

Paul Roberts — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 22:42:49 +0000

Exeter limited Hershey to seven points in the first quarter of the District 3-5A championship on Friday night. However, the eighth-seeded Eagles couldn’t slow down the second-seeded Trojans over the final 24 minutes at the Giant Center. Hershey defeated Exeter 69-49 for its third District 3 title overall and first since 1974. The (15-12) Eagles were in front 11-7 after the opening quarter. They were outscored 20-to-4 in the second period. The (22-3) Trojans trailed 15-12 before rattling off 15 straight points. “We turned the ball over more in the second quarter and allowed them to get out in transition. They also did a good job on the offensive glass getting second chance opportunities,” explained Exeter coach Jeff VanGorder. The Eagles committed eight turnovers in the second period. Aidan Dauble and Brady Murray were scoreless in the first half. They average 16 and 13 points per game respectively. Cameron Sweeney, a 6’3 junior guard, jammed nine points into the second quarter. “He’s elite in transition and a very good offensive rebounder. He cuts so well off the ball even in transition. I thought in the half-court we did a very good job on him, but he got us in transition and on the offensive glass,” said VanGorder. Sweeney finished with 28 points including eleven in the fourth quarter. Jayden Ware hit a triple from the left corner to pull Exeter within 44-32 with ten seconds remaining in the third period. The 6’1 junior had a team-high 17 points. Grant Later came off the Trojans’ bench and drilled a 3-pointer from the left wing. On their next possession, Sweeney converted a three-point play to give Hershey a 55-37 cushion with 5:15 to play. James Campbell came alive in the third quarter and ended up with a dozen points. The 6’6 senior guard is committed to Case Western Reserve in Cleveland. Jack Zakovitch provided a spark off the pine with ten points. The Trojans went 6-of-10 from the foul line, while the Eagles were 12-of-23. Each team made three 3-pointers. Paul Blackburn earned his 434th career victory, perhaps none bigger than this one. Blackburn is in his 27th year as a head coach. He’s spent fifteen years at Hershey. Dauble chipped in with eight points for Exeter. Murray and Carter Redding, both seniors, had six points apiece. The Eagles beat Middletown and York Suburban in overtime to reach the District 3-5A Final. “Very proud of the guys for not only this playoff run, but the entire season so far. We played a tough schedule that was more of a 6A type schedule. I believed we were a top team in 5A all season long and they went out and proved it,” noted VanGorder. Exeter will now prepare for the state tournament which begins on Friday, March 7th. “They have represented the school and community in the very best ways possible. I’m excited for them to host a state playoff game,” replied VanGorder.

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.

Matt Bauer-Exeter

Paul Roberts — Sat, 04 Nov 2023 01:38:00 +0000

It wasn’t that long ago that Exeter was riding an eight-game winning streak and ranked in the top 5 in the state in Class 5A. How quickly things can change. #8 seed Hershey rallied from a 21-0 halftime deficit to stun the ninth-seeded Eagles 28-27 in the opening round of the District 3-5A playoffs at Hersheypark Stadium. “Nothing I can say right now is gonna make them feel any better,” said head coach Matt Bauer. Exeter committed four turnovers in the second half. “You can’t make those types of mistakes in November. Those types of mistakes end your season,” stated Bauer. The (8-3) Trojans had miscues of their own in the second quarter. On 4th & 4 from the 10-yard line, sophomore Cameron Sweeney was intercepted by sophomore linebacker Aiden Dauble. On Hershey’s next possession, running back Angel Cabrera fumbled at the Eagles’ 17-yard line. The 225-pound senior entered the night with 1,408 rushing yards and 20 TD. Exeter scored on three consecutive drives in the second period. Sophomore Zumar Boston capped a 71-yard march with a 2-yard run. Riley Martinez hit Carter Redding over the middle for a 22-yard touchdown. Redding avoided three defenders and managed to stay in bounds along the right sideline. Martinez, a 6’3 sophomore, found Redding deep over the middle for a 21-0 advantage with 1:14 remaining before halftime. The string of turnovers for the Eagles began on the opening possession of the third quarter when Martinez was picked off in the end zone by Derek Guzman. About four and a-half minutes later, Exeter fumbled a punt at midfield. Those takeaways resulted in 14 points for the Trojans in the form of short TD runs by Cabrera. The powerful running back finished with an eye-popping 37 carries for 174 yards and 4 TD. Jayden Zandier raced up the gut for a 69-yard score with 3:10 to go in the third period. The Eagles went on top 27-7. They couldn’t get off the extra point due to a high snap. Zandier piled up 222 yards on 25 carries. The speedy junior had a costly fumble that was recovered by Guzman with six minutes on the clock. A few plays later, Sweeney heaved the ball deep down field and Guzman somehow came down with it at the 38-yard line. Cabrera’s fourth touchdown, a 1-yard plunge, tied it up with 2:36 left. Cole Goodman made the PAT for a 28-27 edge. One minute later, safety Anthony Vasquezi intercepted Martinez’s pass and sprinted down the right sideline to Exeter’s 22-yard line. Hershey pulled off its first victory in the District 3 playoffs since 2010. The Trojans are appearing in the tournament for the first time since 2013. The Eagles were the Class 5A runner-up a season ago. Exeter outgained Hershey 426-to-391. The Trojans will travel to top-seeded New Oxford next Friday. The Eagles end up (8-3). “It’s a great bunch of kids. It’s a very unselfish bunch of kids…our kids battled. They gave everything they had,” said Bauer. He added, “Tough times don’t last. Tough people do.”