High – Berks Sports Report

BCIAA Baseball Quarterfinals

Paul Roberts — Fri, 09 May 2025 04:47:04 +0000

The Berks County baseball playoffs got underway on Thursday. Sixth-seeded Wyomissing beat third-seeded Twin Valley 8-7 in a wild quarterfinal at Muhlenberg. The Raiders had runners on the corners with one out in the bottom of the 7th. Grant Moser hit a fly ball to shallow right field. Teddy White made the catch in foul territory and fired the ball home. He overthrew the catcher, but Ryan Graham was backing up the plate. Graham caught the ball and made a diving tag to get Nate Sedgwick and end the game. Graham picked up the win in relief. The southpaw allowed one run on three hits in 1.1 innings. The junior, who entered the day with a lofty .523 batting average, also provided two hits. Twin Valley opted to start junior Nate Lord instead of Kutztown University commit Kooper Zdimal. The senior righty had a 0.62 ERA in the regular season. Zdimal allowed just 24 hits over 45 innings. The (14-6) Spartans came out swinging. They put up five runs in the 1st. The (13-6) Raiders scored three times in the 3rd to pull within 6-4. They added a run in the 4th and another in the 6th to tie it up. Zdimal was taken out after tossing four scoreless innings of relief and 49 pitches. He limited Wyomissing to one hit. Ben Vaughan surrendered a pair of unearned runs on two hits in the top of the 7th. Twin Valley made it interesting in the bottom half of the frame, but the Spartans held on thanks to Graham’s heads-up play. After finishing (8-12) a season ago, Wyomissing is going to the BCIAA semifinals under first-year head coach Nick Wojciechowski. He got two hits apiece from Birkley Ziegler, Dan Noey, Zander Westwood, White, and Graham. Noey and Westwood each knocked in two runs. Noah Rauenzahn was charged with six runs, five earned, in 5.2 innings. The junior gave up six hits and five walks. Lord took the loss after allowing six runs on nine hits. He only lasted two innings. Lord was 2-for-3 at the plate with 2 RBI. Sophomore Brody Majeski went 3-for-3. The Raiders ended up with nine hits. They left eight men on base and committed three errors.

The first quarterfinal at Owls Field in West Lawn wasn’t nearly as dramatic. Top-seeded Gov. Mifflin defeated Division 4 champion Kutztown 10-2. The Mustangs went with #3 starter Evan Glucksnis and it paid off. The junior right-hander held the Cougars to two runs, one earned, on seven hits over six innings. Glucksnis piled up seven strikeouts. Matt Koehler, a Juniata commit, made it 4-0 with a 3-run double in the bottom of the 3rd. Kutztown strung together four consecutive singles with one out in the 4th. Glucksnis got a strikeout and a groundout to end the threat. A two-run single by Canisius commit Travis Jenkins put Gov. Mifflin on top 9-2 in the 6th. He had two hits and 3 RBI. Koehler was responsible for three of his team’s nine hits. He drove in four runs. The Mustangs improved to (20-1) while saving Ethan Grim or Bryce Detwiler for the semifinals. Colin Diehl suffered the loss for the (12-8) Cougars. He gave up five runs on four hits and three walks in 2.1 innings. Colten Mathias and Elliot Knutsen had two hits apiece. Kutztown finished with eight hits.

The nightcap at Owls Field between Fleetwood and Exeter was suspended due to rain. The (13-5) Tigers and (14-6) Eagles were scoreless in the 2nd inning.

The quarterfinal featuring Wilson and Berks Catholic didn’t even make it to the 2nd. The (13-6) Bulldogs and (13-6) Saints are scoreless in the top of the 1st. Wilson is the defending county champion.

Fleetwood and Exeter will resume their game at 5:30pm on Friday at Owls Field. The Wilson versus Berks Catholic matchup will follow in West Lawn. The Bulldogs are the #2 seed. The semifinals are scheduled for Saturday at FirstEnergy Stadium.

BCIAA Baseball Playoffs

Paul Roberts — Tue, 06 May 2025 19:25:03 +0000

The bracket has been released for the 2025 BCIAA baseball playoffs. There were no challenges today by any of the coaches so the seeds didn’t change. Wyomissing ended up as the Division 3 champion by virtue of its higher power ranking (.633) than Berks Catholic (.615). The Division 4 title was also decided by power ranking. Kutztown (.592) had a slight edge over Oley Valley (.586). The Lynx lost to Division 3 runner-up Berks Catholic during the regular season which prevented Oley Valley from getting an automatic berth into the tournament. Wilson is the defending Berks League champion. The Bulldogs defeated Gov. Mifflin 10-3 in the BCIAA Final last year.

The Berks County quarterfinals will be held on Thursday, May 8th at Muhlenberg and Owls Field in West Lawn. The semifinals are set for Saturday, May 10th at FirstEnergy Stadium. The first game of Saturday’s doubleheader will start at 1pm. The championship game begins at 6:05pm on Monday, May 12th at FirstEnergy Stadium. Here are the seeds and quarterfinal matchups for Thursday.

#1 Gov. Mifflin vs. #8 Kutztown at 4pm at Owls Field.

#4 Fleetwood vs. #5 Exeter in the nightcap at Owls Field.

#3 Twin Valley vs. #6 Wyomissing at 4pm at Muhlenberg.

#2 Wilson vs. #7 Berks Catholic in the second game at Muhlenberg.

All-State Boys Basketball Team

Paul Roberts — Sun, 04 May 2025 18:19:24 +0000

The Pennsylvania Sports Writers announced the All-State boys basketball team on Sunday. Congratulations to Kingston McKoy of Berks Catholic for making the first team in Class 4A. The 6’2 junior was the only player selected from Berks County. He was a third team pick last year. McKoy averaged 21.5 points and knocked down a team-high 63 three-pointers this season. He led the Saints to their sixth District 3 Championship. McKoy poured in a game-high 29 points and hit three triples as Berks Catholic blew out second-seeded Eastern York 67-44 at the Giant Center. The versatile guard, who is also elite on the defensive end of the floor, surpassed 1,000 career points in the state quarterfinals against Sharon. Berks Catholic reached the PIAA-4A Final for the first time. McKoy finished with a team-high 16 points in a 55-39 loss to Devon Prep. The Saints ended the year with a record of (25-6).

Here are the first team All-State selections, as well as Coach of the Year picks, in all six classifications.

Class 6A:

Chris Roantree-Father Judge-Coach of the Year

Kevair Kennedy-Father Judge-Player of the Year

Shareef Jackson-Roman Catholic

Jordan Ellerbee-St. Joseph’s Prep

Derrick Morton-Rivera-Father Judge

R.J. Smith-Imhotep Charter

Jaron McKie-St. Joseph’s Prep

Class 5A:

Paul Blackburn-Hershey-Coach of the Year

Stephon Ashley-Wright-Neumann-Goretti-Player of the Year

Cameron Sweeney-Hershey

Jayden Davis-Chartiers Valley

Ama Sow-Montour

Donte Tisinger-Greater Johnstown

Matt Gardler-Marple Newtown

Class 4A:

Jason Fisher-Devon Prep-Coach of the Year

Zane Conlon-Devon Prep-Player of the Year

Rowan Carmichael-Avonworth

Luca Foster-Archbishop Carroll

Kingston McKoy-Berks Catholic

Zion Moore-Belle Vernon

Reese Craft-Devon Prep

Class 3A:

Miguel Bocachica-West Catholic and Tony DiCenzo-South Allegheny-Coaches of the Year

Josh Pratt-Aliquippa-Player of the Year

Owen Schlager-Trinity

Drew Cook-South Allegheny

Jayvon Byrd-West Catholic

Nico Antoniacci-Riverside

Michael Hughes-Holy Cross

Class 2A:

Mike Schatzmann-Linville Hill Christian-Coach of the Year

Stephen Smucker-Linville Hill Christian-Player of the Year

Lucas Stanley-Union

Khamal Orange-Delaware County Christian

Josh Miner-Northwest

Owen Koleno-West Branch

Giovanni Sejuste-Linville Hill Christian

Class A:

Jordan Marks-Neighborhood Academy-Coach of the Year

Courtney Wallace-Neighborhood Academy-Player of the Year

Trey Keating-Nativity

Avery Collins-Erie First Christian

Jeremy Dietz-Conemaugh Valley

Nafis Dubose-Sankofa Freedom Academy

Landon Francis-Otto-Eldred

Chris Hole-Gov. Mifflin

Paul Roberts — Sat, 26 Apr 2025 15:05:12 +0000

Gov. Mifflin and Hempfield squared off in a battle of defending state champions on Friday night. If that wasn’t enough, both teams were undefeated and it was Hall of Fame night in Shillington. “I don’t think we’ve ever been part of a bigger regular season game, definitely an intriguing matchup,” said Mustangs’ head coach Chris Hole. Camden Hulock drilled a 3-run homer to left in the 9th and the Black Knights held on for a thrilling 3-2 victory. Gov. Mifflin left 13 runners on base. “We just didn’t capitalize and that’s baseball,” noted Hole. Ethan Grim put on a show for the MLB scouts in attendance. The hard-throwing Virginia Tech commit struck out the first five batters he faced. Grim finished with 14 strikeouts and one walk over seven innings. The 6’1, 195-pound righty only allowed one hit. “He’s incredible, just incredible. He threw every pitch that Travis [Jenkins] called beautifully. He had his slider working, his change, his curve. He kept a fantastic hitting team off-balance,” emphasized Hole. Hempfield entered the contest with a .344 team batting average. Grim has piled up a staggering 56 strikeouts in 28 innings this season. Brody Gebhard (2-0, 0.61) was also outstanding on the mound. The senior limited the (16-1) Mustangs to three hits over six frames. He struck out five, walked two, and hit two batters. Gebhard is no stranger to big games. He went the distance in the PIAA-6A Championship last year. The Black Knights defeated La Salle College High School 3-2 for their first state title. Gov. Mifflin also earned its first state championship a season ago. The Mustangs beat Hollidaysburg 2-1 in the PIAA-5A Final. Gov. Mifflin had men on second and third with one out in the 3rd when Grim hit a grounder to third base. Dylan Jackson knocked the ball down and threw out Bryce Detwiler at the plate. Hempfield catcher Josh Toole, a Coastal Carolina commit, was shaken up, but stayed in the game. Matt Koehler grounded out to first base to end the threat. Southpaw Jonathan O’Maille (4-0, 0.88) took over for Gebhard after the 6th. Billy Angstadt and Dylan Barrett provided back-to-back singles with one out in the 7th. O’Maille got two pop outs to keep it scoreless. The Mustangs loaded the bases with two outs in the 8th. O’Maille struck out Angstadt to keep the (14-0) Black Knights in it. In the top of the 9th, Brayden Hostetter and Toole drew walks from Jenkins with two outs. Hulock then ripped a 3-run shot to left field. It was only the second hit all night for Hempfield. Jenkins had four strikeouts and two walks over the final two innings. Gov. Mifflin added to the drama in the bottom of the 9th. The Mustangs loaded the bases with one out. Jenkins hit a RBI groundout to second for their first run. After Grim was intentionally walked to load the bases, Koehler drew a walk to make it 3-2. Designated hitter Cam Zurawski struck out to end the marathon. “So proud of our boys, the way that they battled to the very end. Credit to Hempfield as well…two great teams going at it and couldn’t ask for more,” stated Hole. O’Maille gave up two runs on four hits and five walks in three innings. He struck out four and picked up the win in relief. Detwiler, a UConn commit, delivered three of Gov. Mifflin’s seven hits. “He stays very balanced up there. He doesn’t try to do too much. He’s a lot like Tyler Minick. He recognizes what pitchers are going to do to him,” explained Hole. Minick is having a big season at UConn. He leads the team with 14 HR, 47 RBI, and a .364 batting average. Koehler went 1-for-3 with a pair of walks. Barrett was 1-for-3 and reached base twice. The Mustangs travel to rival Wilson on Monday afternoon. “It’s Wilson, they’ll be focused,” replied Hole. Ed Williamson, Dan Batz, Steve Murray, and current assistant coach Kurt Henry were recognized on the field before Friday’s game. They make up the inaugural class of the Gov. Mifflin Baseball Hall of Fame.

Berks County High School Baseball Showcase

Paul Roberts — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 19:23:39 +0000

The Berks County High School Baseball Showcase begins later this month. The event includes 14 teams from the Berks League. The showcase runs from Wednesday, April 30th to Saturday, May 3rd at Owls Field in West Lawn. Thursday, May 1st is a scheduled rain date. Admission each day is $5 for adults and $3 for students. Wilson will hold its Senior Night ceremony on May 2nd. Here’s the slate of seven games.

April 30:

Berks Catholic vs. Wyomissing at 4:15pm

Gov. Mifflin vs. Daniel Boone at 7pm

May 2:

Kutztown vs. Antietam at 4:15pm

Wilson vs. Muhlenberg at 7pm

May 3:

Hamburg vs. Tulpehocken at noon

Twin Valley vs. Conrad Weiser at 3pm

Oley Valley vs. Brandywine Heights at 6:30pm

“Roberts Rankings”-Baseball

Paul Roberts — Sun, 06 Apr 2025 19:46:23 +0000

Gov. Mifflin and Wilson have squared off in the past two Berks League championship games. The Bulldogs captured their 13th county title last year by beating the Mustangs 10-3. Will it be Wilson vs. Gov. Mifflin in the county final for a third consecutive season? The consensus around the league is that those two teams are a notch above the competition, but there’s a logjam of contenders waiting in the wings. Berks County has several quality baseball programs which should make for an exciting 2025 campaign.

The Mustangs have picked up right where they left off. After winning the PIAA-5A championship for the first time last spring, Gov. Mifflin is off to a perfect (10-0) start. The Mustangs returned three first team All-State selections. Bryce Detwiler (UConn), Ethan Grim (Virginia Tech), and Travis Jenkins (Canisius) are all committed to Division I colleges. Gov. Mifflin already has quality wins over Wilson, Exeter, Muhlenberg, Fleetwood, Ephrata, and Elizabethtown. Detwiler tossed a complete game shutout against the Bulldogs. Evan Glucksnis, a junior, threw 6.1 scoreless frames at Fleetwood on Friday.

Wilson has a very challenging non-league schedule. The Bulldogs fell to North Penn 8-1 and still have upcoming matchups with Parkland and Liberty. They will battle the Hurricanes on April 26th at FirstEnergy Stadium. Christo Hunsicker (2-1, 2.05) and Ben Kulp (1-1, 0.98) give Wilson two experienced starting pitchers. Kulp is a 6’2, 215-pound junior with a fastball in the low-90s. Hunsicker is a great all-around athlete who will continue his baseball career at Millersville.

Twin Valley has shown that it can compete with some of the top ball clubs in District 3. The Raiders came up short at Ephrata 5-4 and lost to Mechanicsburg 7-5. The Mounts were the District 3-6A runner-up in 2024, and the Wildcats won the District 3-5A crown for the second straight year. Kooper Zdimal (3-0, 0.81) is staying in Berks County to play college baseball. The Kutztown University commit has allowed ten hits over 17.1 innings.

Exeter’s only losses this season have come against Gov. Mifflin and Wilson. Jake Hafer (2-0, 0.88) is red hot on the mound and at the plate. The junior is batting .440 with two doubles and a pair of triples. Kamren Martin, another junior, has won both of his decisions with a 0.93 ERA. Martin has given up just six hits over 15 innings with 15 strikeouts. Carter Redding, who also plays football and basketball, is 10-for-17 so far. Keep in mind, the Eagles only had two seniors in the starting lineup last year.

Muhlenberg and Exeter were scheduled to meet on Friday, but the weather didn’t cooperate. They will try again on Tuesday in Reiffton. The Muhls have a date with Wilson tomorrow, if the rain holds off. After getting thumped by Gov. Mifflin 11-1, Muhlenberg bounced back with a 4-3 victory over Ephrata. Junior Cole Moody has limited opponents to one run in nine frames with 15 strikeouts. Aaden Lopez (1-0, 1.62) is a big key to the Muhls’ rotation. The hard-throwing senior has 15 strikeouts and 13 walks over 8.2 innings. Head coach Brian Kopetsky has 358 career wins. This is his 26th season as the skipper in Laureldale.

Fleetwood lost a very talented group to graduation, but don’t sleep on the Tigers this spring. Wylie Loy opened eyes as a sophomore last year. Nick Noll fired six shutout innings against Gov. Mifflin on Friday. The senior will change speeds and his delivery which makes things tricky for hitters. Fleetwood knocked off Berks Catholic 4-3 in eight innings late last month.

The Saints earned the Division 3 championship and qualified for the BCIAA playoffs in 2024. It was their first appearance in the Berks County tournament since 2018. Trey Stricker is the ace of Berks Catholic’s rotation. The West Chester commit hasn’t allowed an earned run in a dozen innings. Stricker is (1-0) with 18 strikeouts. He’s also doing damage at the dish with a .542 batting average. The Saints are hitting .385 as a team. Since dropping their opener to Twin Valley 3-1 in Myrtle Beach, Berks Catholic has won six of its past seven contests. They defeated rival Wyomissing 7-1 on Friday with Stricker on the hill.

Seth Brizek is back at Oley Valley. The 1992 graduate took over as head coach after Jeff Pinder stepped down following three seasons. Brizek is the school’s all-time leader in hits, home runs, RBI, wins, and ERA. He went on to become an All-American at Clemson. Brizek was inducted into the Berks County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame two years ago. The Lynx already have wins over Fleetwood and Kutztown on their resume. They outlasted the Tigers 4-3 in eight innings, and got by the Cougars 3-1. Gryffin Cappellano, Chase Kegerise, Tim Fries, and Wyatt McCluskey all started as sophomores a season ago. Fries (3-0, 0.88) has 29 strikeouts and five walks in 24 innings. Cappellano has a lofty .481 batting average.

Kutztown is once again a team to keep an eye on. The Cougars reached the District 3-2A championship game last spring with only two seniors in the lineup. Tim Mertz’s squad is always fundamentally sound and willing to play small ball. Mertz, a Kutztown graduate, is in his 25th year as the Cougars’ head coach. He has the most victories in school history, including four District 3 titles.

Without further ado, here are my high school baseball rankings for the Berks League. The records that you see below are from last year. Remember that no matter where your favorite team is ranked, the sun will come out tomorrow!

“The Great 8”

1.Gov. Mifflin (24-5)

2.Wilson (19-8)

3.Twin Valley (15-7)

4.Exeter (11-9)

5.Muhlenberg (14-9)

6.Fleetwood (17-10)

7.Berks Catholic (16-5)

8.Oley Valley (11-10)

“Roberts Rankings”-Boys Basketball

Paul Roberts — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 01:19:05 +0000

The 2024-25 high school basketball season has come to a close. I was fortunate enough to cover 66 games this year. Thanks to all of the coaches and athletic directors for their assistance. They provided valuable information and insight which I greatly appreciated. It was an extremely exciting season. Many of the games that I attended came down to the final seconds.

Berks Catholic was the last team from Berks County left standing. The Saints won the District 3-4A Championship and reached the PIAA-4A Final at the Giant Center last Thursday. The Saints won both matchups with Wilson during the regular season which is why they earned the top spot in my rankings.

The Bulldogs put together another impressive run during the BCIAA playoffs. They claimed their fourth Berks County title in the past six years. Wilson’s senior class will be difficult to replace.

Gov. Mifflin had a dramatic turnaround, winning twelve more games than a season ago. The Mustangs advanced to the District 3-6A semifinals and qualified for the PIAA tournament for the first time in program history.

After a rough start, Reading hit its stride in the second half of the season. The Red Knights were the BCIAA runner-up. They won nine of their last eleven contests. However, Reading missed the District 3 playoffs for the first time since 2001.

Exeter finished second in the District 3-5A tournament as a #8 seed. The Eagles reached the state playoffs for the fourth consecutive year.

Muhlenberg barely missed out on the Berks County playoffs. The Muhls then got a tough draw in their District 3 opener against Central Dauphin. The Rams ended up as the District 3 runner-up in Class 6A.

Wyomissing and Schuylkill Valley had similar seasons. They both finished with 15 wins. In addition, they both lost in the BCIAA quarterfinals and the District 3-4A quarterfinals.

Without further ado, here is my final poll for the Berks Conference. Remember that no matter where your favorite team is ranked, the sun will come out tomorrow!

“The Great 8”

1.Berks Catholic (25-6)

2.Wilson (24-7)

3.Gov. Mifflin (20-10)

4.Reading (13-12)

5.Exeter (15-13)

6.Muhlenberg (15-8)

7.Wyomissing (15-10)

8.Schuylkill Valley (15-10)

BCFCA Hall of Fame Class

Paul Roberts — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 13:32:35 +0000

The Berks County Football Coaches Association will induct seven new members into its Hall of Fame on Saturday, June 7th. The Class of 2025 includes Kevin Dice (Wyomissing), Marques Glaze (Conrad Weiser), Doug Werner (Conrad Weiser), Gary Williams (Gov. Mifflin), Barry Rapp (Muhlenberg), Dr. Thomas Kohl, and the late Bert Moore. Kohl is part of the special contributor category and Moore is being inducted for his service as an official. He passed away in 2016.

This is the 22nd Class of the BCFCA Hall of Fame. They will bring the total number of members up to 146. Reading has the most members with 31, followed by Wilson (25), and Muhlenberg (16). Former players must be at least 35 years old to be considered. Former coaches must be at least 50 with 15 years or more of coaching experience.

The annual BCFCA Hall of Fame banquet will be held at the Green Valley Chateau. Thanks to Conrad Weiser football coach Alan Moyer for organizing the event. I’m honored to once again serve as the emcee.

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

Bulldogs and Red Knights Advance-BCIAA Boys Semifinals

Paul Roberts — Fri, 14 Feb 2025 14:28:19 +0000

It’s fair to say that Wilson and Gov. Mifflin are pretty evenly matched. The Bulldogs won in Shillington by three points in their first meeting. The Mustangs prevailed 65-59 in overtime at West Lawn. The rubber match went down Thursday night at Santander Arena in the BCIAA semifinals. Wilson, the defending champion, led 8-6 after the first quarter and 15-12 at halftime. Gov. Mifflin trailed 30-27 entering the final period. It was a defensive battle from the opening tip. Ian Fleming scored in transition to put the third-seeded Mustangs on top 35-34 midway through the fourth quarter. The junior guard finished with eleven points. A nifty move in the lane by Jahmair Johnson made it 37-36 with 2:45 left. The 6’3 senior had six of his team-high twelve points in the last quarter. Madyx Gruber’s layup gave the second-seeded Bulldogs a 38-37 edge with 2:10 remaining. The All-County guard scored again for a 40-37 advantage. Gruber ended up with 18 points. Matt Koehler tied it with a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 1:22 to go. That was just the second triple of the night for Gov. Mifflin. Wilson attempted to hold for the last shot, but Fleming came up with a steal. With four seconds on the clock, the Mustangs threw the ball away and Correll Akings got off a shot from beyond the NBA 3-point line at the buzzer. His attempt while on the move hit high off the backboard which meant overtime. Luke Levan’s three-point play put the (19-5) Bulldogs in front 43-40 and they never looked back. The 6’6 senior had a game-high 19 points including five in overtime. “I think he was effective because we gave him a lot of touches. I don’t think we gave him enough touches throughout the year, mostly because our guards had a lot of success on the outside. We needed him to step up and he did,” said head coach Matt Coldren. Cam Zullinger found Levan for an easy bucket with 1:20 left in overtime. The (16-8) Mustangs trailed 49-41 at that point. Gruber shut the door with four consecutive free throws in the last minute. Zullinger was 4-for-6 from the stripe in the extra session. The 6’ senior provided ten points off the bench. Wilson was 11-of-13 from the foul line with eleven of those attempts coming in overtime. Gov. Mifflin struggled with its free throws. The Mustangs were 9-of-17 overall and 3-of-8 in the extra period. Koehler, who averages nearly 15 ppg., was limited to six points. Senior point guard Andrew Galantuomo chipped in with ten. The Bulldogs survived and advanced. They’ve won three Berks County titles in the past five years. “I have the opportunity to coach some really great kids. This group has been really dedicated to my program. It’s just a great example of when you put time in, good things happen to you,” remarked Coldren.

Good things have been happening to Reading’s basketball team since mid-January. The fourth-seeded Red Knights knocked off top-seeded Berks Catholic 48-41 in the BCIAA semifinals at Santander Arena. Reading has won nine of its last ten games. “The boys started to trust each other more. Earlier in the year, we were turning the ball over at a ridiculous clip. We limited turnovers, our defense has been tremendous,” said head coach Francis Camara. He also stressed that maintaining their composure at the end of games has been crucial to the turnaround. Camara’s son, Jeremiah, led everyone with 19 points. “I’m super proud of him. He has the utmost confidence. The kid has so much confidence because he works so hard,” noted Camara. Jeremiah, a 5’9 sophomore, was relentless in attacking the basket. He had six of the Red Knights’ 13 points in the fourth quarter. “It’s a proud moment as a father. It’s beautiful to see. I got a front row seat to watch my son play high school basketball,” emphasized Camara. Reading went on a 9-0 run to start the second quarter and build a 23-11 advantage. The (13-11) Red Knights were up 27-18 at the break. They went scoreless for nearly five and a-half minutes in the third quarter as the Saints climbed within 27-23. A three-point play by Zach Suski made it 31-28 with 1:42 left in the period. Weshly Rosario fed Xavier Beatty for a layup at the buzzer and a 35-28 lead. A steal and layup by Camara extended Reading’s cushion to 41-30 with five and a-half minutes remaining. He scored again with 90 seconds to go after the Red Knights beat Berks Catholic’s pressure. That layup put the (18-5) Saints in a 45-37 hole. Brady Altimar scored and was fouled with 53 seconds to play. The 5’9 junior missed the free throw, but cut the deficit to 46-41. Reading beat the Saints’ trap again which resulted in a layup for Jostin DeCastro with 45 seconds left. The 6’2 sophomore contributed 14 points including six in the final eight minutes. The Red Knights were 6-for-11 from the foul line, while Berks Catholic went 5-for-9. Each team only made two 3-pointers. Kingston McKoy jammed 14 of his 16 points into the first half. The 6’2 junior guard leads Berks County in scoring at 22 ppg. Suski added seven points and freshman guard Carmelo Harper had six off the bench. The Saints had won ten of their previous eleven contests. They Division 1 champions swept Reading in the regular season. The Red Knights didn’t qualify for the District 3 playoffs for the first time since 2001 when they finished (13-13). Friday night’s BCIAA Championship will be their last time taking the court together this season. They square off with Wilson at 8pm. Reading is looking for its 26th Berks County title.