Jordan – Berks Sports Report

JayJay Jordan-Berks Catholic

Paul Roberts — Fri, 23 Dec 2022 10:38:00 +0000

The Berks Catholic Saints weren’t happy with their performance on Tuesday at Conrad Weiser. Berks Catholic trailed entering the fourth quarter before pulling out a 63-57 win. The Saints brought a different level of intensity into Thursday’s Division 2 matchup in Reiffton. They raced out to a 14-6 lead and handed Exeter its first loss 73-63. “The Conrad Weiser game was a slip up. We’re back. We’re just trying to find that groove that we fit in. We’re gonna ride the wave,” said JayJay Jordan. The Berks Catholic point guard got some extra motivation from Ruben Rodriguez. The reigning Berks County Player of the Year and all-state guard was in attendance with some of his Reading teammates. Rodriguez told Jordan that he wanted to see something special. Jordan obliged. The 5’11 senior finished with a career-high 32 points including ten in the opening quarter. Jordan attacked the basket over and over again. When he didn’t score, he got fouled. The all-county pick was 9-of-14 from the free throw line. Berks Catholic went 17-28 overall from the stripe. The Saints were on top 18-13 after eight minutes. Kevin Saenz drilled a 3-pointer at the first quarter buzzer. The 6’3 junior had a team-high 21 points for the (3-1, 1-1) Eagles. He connected four times from long distance. Alex Kelsey made a pair of free throws to tie it up at 24 midway through the second period. Kevin Lawlor responded with two treys for the (6-0, 3-0) Saints. Freshman Kingston McKoy hit a baseline jumper to give Berks Catholic a 36-25 edge at halftime. He chipped in with eight points and Lawlor added six. The Saints’ bench outscored Exeter’s reserves 17-to-8. “Everyone knows Coach Snip is not going 9-10 deep, but this year we have it. We have a bunch of shot creators and a bunch of playmakers that are on the bench that can help us,” noted Jordan. The Eagles went inside to 6’7, 280-pound senior Anthony Caccese in the third quarter. The Delaware football commit provided seven points in the period and a dozen on the night. Senior point guard Zyion Paschall contributed eleven points, one shy of his career-high. Jordan gave Berks Catholic a spark with a 3-pointer from the left wing as time expired in the third quarter. His first triple of the season gave the Saints a 54-40 lead. Jordan jammed eight points into the final period, and went 4-4 from the foul line down the stretch. His previous career-high of 30 points came on January 26th against York Catholic. Josh McKoy (12) and Ryan Koch (10) combined for 22 points. I asked Jordan where Berks Catholic should be ranked within the county. He replied, “I feel like it’s a tie up there at No. 1. I’m ready for the game. We all know what I’m talking about.” The Saints will battle Reading on January 24th at the Geigle Complex. That’s a date to circle on your calendar.

JayJay Jordan-Berks Catholic

Paul Roberts — Sat, 01 Oct 2022 00:44:00 +0000

JayJay Jordan didn’t waste any time making his presence felt against Conrad Weiser. The 6’, 170-pound senior spun out of a tackle and raced 55 yards on Berks Catholic’s opening possession. On the next play, he reached the end zone from three yards out for his eleventh touchdown of the season. Jordan came up with an interception along the sideline one minute later. He did an outstanding job of staying inbounds for his team-high third pick of the year. “It looked like he threw it away. I made something out of nothing,” he said. The high-energy RB/CB finished with a career-high 176 yards and two touchdowns on thirteen carries. The (2-4) Saints rolled over the (3-3) Scouts 45-0. Nafis Blythe, a newcomer to Berks Catholic this year, made it 14-0 on a 3-yard touchdown run with 2:24 remaining in the first quarter. The 6’2, 205-pound junior contributed 79 yards on nine carries. Blythe leads the team in tackles and sacks (4). “He is a gift for us. It took him a little while to get out of the shell, but he’s here now. He’s totally bonded with us. He’s a brother,” replied Jordan. Blythe was moved to defensive end. He’s also splitting reps at fullback with Devin Garcia who chipped in with 47 yards on six touches. Garcia’s 1-yard score with 26 seconds left in the first half put the Saints on top 24-0. Three of their four scoring drives in the opening half began in Conrad Weiser territory. Berks Catholic marched 70 yards to kick off the third quarter. The speedy Marvin Armistead took a counter 29 yards up the middle for a touchdown and a 31-0 advantage. Jordan tacked on a 7-yard score with about three minutes to go in the third period. I asked if he prefers being on offense or defense. He answered, “That’s a tough question. I love touchdowns, but I love being aggressive. That’s a jump ball.” Jordan thinks he could play defensive back or slot receiver in college. The all-county basketball player would love to compete in hoops and football at the next level. Freshman Nate Rose put a cap on the scoring with a 1-yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter. The Saints rushed for 414 yards, while holding the Scouts to 43 yards on the ground. Promising sophomore quarterback Donovan Gingrich ended up 3-of-15 for 40 yards. Conrad Weiser had won three of its previous four contests. They were outgained 487-to-83 on Friday. William Hess, a 5’6 junior, went 4-of-7 for 73 yards for Berks Catholic. Andrew Kurtas drilled a 35-yard field goal in the second quarter. Jordan believes that the Saints made a statement. “Oh yeah, Berks Catholic is back. A lot of people were banging on us, but we’re coming for it,” he emphasized. Jordan is hoping to play golf this weekend. His favorite golfer is Rory McIlroy. Jordan is averaging 6.8 yards per carry. He played the equivalent of a bogey-free round on Friday.

JayJay Jordan-Berks Catholic

Paul Roberts — Fri, 29 Jul 2022 10:18:00 +0000

This wasn’t your typical summer league basketball game. Wilson (Marrella Financial) and Berks Catholic (Berks Packing) needed overtime to decide the West Reading League championship on Thursday. Nothing came easy in this matchup of two of the top high school programs in District 3. Berks Catholic emerged with a hard-fought 46-45 victory for its second straight West Reading League title. JayJay Jordan poured in 23 points including the go-ahead layup with 14 seconds remaining. He said, “It’s always intense against Wilson. We’ve been playing each other for a long time. But when it’s go time it’s go time, especially in a championship scenario.” Jordan attacked the rim over and over again. Wilson guards Cam Jones and Cleveland Harding fouled out. “I always love playing against the best players in the county, and just testing my levels and how I’m growing. It was definitely a fight for every single point I had. Kudos to Cam,” Jordan said. Wilson raced out to a 7-0 advantage before Berks Catholic scored 12 of the next 14 points. Berks Catholic was in front 14-10 after the first quarter. It was knotted at 24 at halftime. Wilson took a 32-29 lead into the final period. Ofure Odiale put back a missed free throw and completed a three-point play with a minute and a-half to play. He put Wilson on top 39-35. Jordan responded with two free throws and a transition layup after a Wilson turnover with thirty seconds left. Seamus Breslin went 1-for-2 at the foul line with eight seconds remaining to tie the game at 40. Parker Nein opened overtime with a trey from the right corner for Berks Catholic. Madyx Gruber, a rising sophomore guard, converted a three-point play to give Wilson a 45-44 edge with 34 seconds on the clock. After a layup by Jordan, Wes Peña missed a pull-up jumper at the buzzer to end a thriller at West Reading Elementary School. Ryan Koch added 11 points for Berks Catholic. Jordan talked about playing alongside Koch and Jaxon Geddio who had a game-high 18 points in the All-Star Game on Thursday night. Jordan also discussed his 6am workouts at Reading City Park as a kid. He believes his hard work is paying off. Jordan was named MVP of the West Reading Summer League. He had 19 points in the semifinals versus Cedar Crest and 24 in the quarterfinals against Wyomissing. Gruber finished with a team-high nine points in the championship. Odiale chipped in with eight. Wilson’s Aidan Melograna received the league’s Most Improved Player award. Jovan Hollis from Antietam and Eli Houser of Schuylkill Valley were also honored on Thursday. Hollis was recognized as the league’s top defensive player and Houser took home the sportsmanship award. As for Jordan, it’s time to get ready for football season. The all-county defensive back and running back told me that the Saints will be better than people think this year.

Jay Jay Jordan-Berks Catholic

Paul Roberts — Thu, 03 Mar 2022 22:15:00 +0000

“An exemplary display or performance.” That’s one definition for the word clinic. That’s precisely what the District 3-4A championship game turned into on Thursday afternoon in Hershey. Top-seeded Berks Catholic dominated #3 seed Middletown from the opening tip. The (23-4) Saints were on top 19-4 after eight minutes. They led 32-12 at halftime and 47-21 after the third quarter. It was a clinic indeed. Jay Jay Jordan attacked the rim early and often. The all-county point guard finished with a game-high 17 points including eight in the opening period. The 5’10 junior told me that his teammates were very confident about shooting from long range in the spacious Giant Center. They weren’t kidding. Berks Catholic went 8-17 from beyond the arc. Jack Miller connected three times for all nine of his points. Aidan Sands hit two triples and ended up with eight points. Ryan Koch poured in 16 points. His trey in the first quarter increased his season total to 59, the most in the Berks Conference. Jordan mentioned that having great shooters takes pressure off of him. Aron Reinhart contributed seven points off the bench. He and Sands splashed consecutive 3-pointers in the second quarter to put the Saints in front 25-6. Tajae Broadie fouled Koch from behind the line just before the halftime buzzer. The 6’3 junior made all three foul shots for a 20-point cushion at the break. The (20-4) Blue Raiders never threatened Berks Catholic. Middletown got 15 points from Broadie. The 6’4, 240-pound senior is headed to Old Dominion where he’s projected to play tight end. Broadie was an all-state selection at defensive end this past season. Saints’ coach Snip Esterly said Sands did a terrific job guarding Broadie who needs two points to reach 1,000. Senior point guard Tate Leach, a three-year starter, had seven points. He was held to one field goal. Leach is committed to Bridgewater in Virginia for football. The Blue Raiders were 13-15 from the free throw line, but struggled mightily from distance. They were 2-12 from deep and shot just 27% from the field. Berks Catholic was 8-10 from the charity stripe. The Saints captured their fourth District 3 championship and first since 2018. Jordan talked about the vast improvement from a (6-11) campaign a season ago. It’s the 13th District 3 title for Esterly. He’s (769-211) over 33 seasons. Esterly spent his first 22 years as the head coach at Reading Central Catholic. Middletown was trying to repeat as District 3 champions. The Blue Raiders fell to (5-12) all-time in District Finals. The Saints are a sparkling (26-8) in the District 3 playoffs. They left no doubt as to who was bringing home gold medals this year.

Jay Jay Jordan-Berks Catholic

Paul Roberts — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 22:40:00 +0000

The Saints entered the District 3-4A semifinals against Littlestown with 172 3-pointers. No Berks Conference team has made more. Even great teams have off nights from beyond the arc, and that was the case on Monday at Lloyd Wolf Gymnasium. #1 seed Berks Catholic connected just twice from long range. The (22-4) Saints didn’t hit any triples after the first quarter. They had to find another way to win. The answer was Jay Jay Jordan attacking the Thunderbolts’ 1-3-1 half court defense. #4 seed Littlestown cut a 15-point third quarter deficit down to four on a nice low post move by Jake Bosley with just over six minutes remaining. Bosley, a 6’2 junior forward, is the only returning starter from a team that was the District 3-4A runner-up a season ago. After his basket made it 40-36, Jordan took over. The all-county guard came up with a steal and cruised in for a layup. The 5’10 junior point guard then found Aidan Sands for an easy bucket. Jordan followed that sweet dish with a layup and another pretty pass to Sands with a little over three and a-half minutes to go. That two minute burst by Jordan put Berks Catholic on top 50-41. Jordan told me that he likes to get his teammates involved. It’s something that longtime head coach Snip Esterly has been stressing. Jordan described their relationship as “tough love.” Esterly, who has 768 career wins over 33 years, gave Jordan a hug after the three-year starter exited the game. Ryan Koch’s layup with 1:45 to play gave the Saints a 52-43 edge. They advanced to Thursday’s District 3 championship with a 58-46 victory. Eight of Jordan’s game-high 21 points came in the final period. He said that playing at home takes his game to another level. Jordan mentioned that the Saints were focused on getting the top seed throughout the regular season. He bounced back after making just one shot and scoring six points in the quarterfinals versus ELCO. Jordan was in attack mode early against the (19-6) Thunderbolts. He had seven points in the first quarter and thirteen by halftime. Berks Catholic was in front 17-12 after the opening period and 31-21 at the break. The lead expanded to 38-23 midway through the third quarter after a three-point play by Koch. The 6’3 junior finished with fifteen points and Sands added ten before fouling out. Littlestown trailed 40-32 entering the fourth quarter. The Thunderbolts start three sophomores including 6’7 forward Christopher Meakin and 6’ point guard Zyan Herr. Meakin (14) and Herr (17) combined for 31 points. Herr erupted for eight points in the first quarter when he drilled two treys. Bosley chipped in with thirteen points. The young Thunderbolts went 17-25 from the free throw line, while the Saints were 8-10. Littlestown committed fifteen turnovers compared to eight for Berks Catholic. Jordan knows that they have to play better on Thursday when they battle third-seeded Middletown at the Giant Center in Hershey. That will be a 4:15pm tip. Middletown defeated #2 seed Trinity 63-49 in the semifinals. Finally, I asked Jordan about the 76ers acquiring James Harden. He’s a fan of the Knicks, but admitted that Harden is a great addition for Philadelphia. Jordan prefers watching college basketball over the NBA. I’m sure he also prefers gold medals to silver. Jordan and the Saints don’t have to wait long for their shot at a District championship.

Jay Jay Jordan-Berks Catholic

Paul Roberts — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 00:27:00 +0000

It certainly wasn’t pretty, but when you’re in the playoffs the only thing that matters is moving on. That’s what the Saints did Wednesday night at Santander Arena. Jay Jay Jordan muscled his way to the basket with eight seconds left. His layup gave second-seeded Berks Catholic a 41-40 victory over #6 seed Exeter in the BCIAA semifinals. The (20-3) Saints were on top 30-29 after the third quarter. Longtime head coach Snip Esterly kept Jordan on the bench to begin the final period. The three-year starter at point guard didn’t go back into the game until the 2:15 mark. Jordan told me that it was tough being on the sideline for that long, but he never lost faith in his teammates. The 5’10 junior averages a team-high 16 points per game. He was limited to seven points by the (11-12) Eagles. Jack Miller nailed a trey from the left corner to put Berks Catholic up 39-36 with 1:35 remaining. Colin Payne responded with back-to-back mid-range jump shots. The Eagles had a one point edge with 45 seconds to go. Junior point guard Zyion Paschall missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 24 seconds to play. That kept the Saints within a point, and set the stage for Jordan’s heroics. Alex Kelsey drove down the left side of the lane, however the sophomore guard couldn’t convert in the final seconds for Exeter. Reece Garvin came up with the loose ball. His quick shot fell short at the buzzer. I asked Jordan about his clutch basket. He replied, “I’m not the biggest guy, but I’ve got grit and I have a lot of heart.” We discussed the contributions of seniors Aidan Sands and Christian Cacchione. Sands finished with 12 points and 15 rebounds. Ten of his points came in the second quarter including a 3-pointer that gave Berks Catholic its first lead at 21-20. Cacchione chipped in with six points off the bench. The all-county football player didn’t join the basketball team until mid-January. Speaking of the gridiron, Payne and Anthony Caccese combined for 24 points. Caccese, a 6’6, 265-pound offensive tackle, pulled down 15 boards. He had a career-high 19 points and 12 rebounds in the quarterfinals at Wilson. Payne is one of the top three scorers in the county along with Ruben Rodriguez of Reading and Muhlenberg’s Edwin Suarez. Payne poured in a team-high 14 points against the Saints. The 6’3 senior is coming off a record-setting season at quarterback. Both squads struggled mightily at the free throw line. The Eagles were 3-10, while Berks Catholic went 6-16. Jordan said he’s going to go back into the lab to work on his foul shots after a 1-6 evening. While shooting in a large arena can be difficult, Jordan didn’t want to make excuses. Neither team scored for the first three and a-half minutes of the third quarter. Each team committed eight turnovers. The slow tempo was to the liking of Exeter head coach Matt Ashcroft who played for Esterly at Central Catholic. They won a state title together in 2007. Esterly is (766–210) over 33 years as a head coach. His all-time postseason record is an astonishing (190-69). Jordan explained why the Saints have improved so much this season. They missed the playoffs last year with a record of (6-11). They’ll battle Reading for the county title on Friday at Santander Arena. Berks Catholic is looking for its fourth BCIAA championship. Meanwhile, Exeter is the #10 seed in the District 3-5A tournament. The Eagles visit Milton Hershey next week. Three of Exeter’s twelve losses have come against Berks Catholic.

JayJay Jordan-Berks Catholic

Paul Roberts — Thu, 20 Jan 2022 22:25:00 +0000

The end of the first half and the beginning of the third quarter are two critical points in a game. JayJay Jordan came through for the Saints in both sequences. His layup in the final seconds of the second period gave Berks Catholic a 35-24 lead over Muhlenberg. The 5’10 junior opened the second half with a 3-pointer from the left corner. The Saints rolled from there and beat the Muhls 80-64 at Lloyd Wolf Gymnasium. Jordan, who’s a three-year starter, exploded for a career-high 25 points. He poured in 17 in the second half. The football standout is averaging a team-high 16 points. Jordan told me that he has confidence in all of his teammates. He added that they worked very hard this summer. Berks Catholic defeated Wilson for the West Reading Summer League championship. The Saints put four players in double digits against Muhlenberg. Aidan Sands finished with 18 points. Jack Miller chipped in with 14 and Ryan Koch had 11. Miller made three of Berks Catholic’s nine 3-pointers. The (13-2, 6-2) Saints held the Muhls scoreless for four minutes and 35 seconds in the second quarter. A 12-0 run put Berks Catholic in front 29-18. Edwin Suarez picked up a technical foul early in the third quarter. Moments later, Muhlenberg’s leading scorer got his fourth foul. Suarez sat for six and a-half minutes. The 6’6 senior still dropped 27 points on the Saints. Eric Branch provided 11 points off the bench including eight in the fourth quarter. The 6’ junior hit three of the Muhls’ seven triples. Muhlenberg allowed 45 points in the second half to a BC squad that was averaging 59 points a night. The (11-4, 5-2) Muhls were 7-8 from the free throw line, while the Saints went 15-23. Muhlenberg is still in firm control of Division 2. They’re playing three games in three days. The Saints’ winning streak is up to five. They were (6-11) last year and failed to qualify for the Berks County and District 3 playoffs. Jordan believes this season is going to be much different. He said, “We’re going to shock the world.”

JayJay Jordan-Berks Catholic

Paul Roberts — Thu, 06 Jan 2022 22:28:00 +0000

Life in Division 1 of the Berks Conference isn’t easy. After a 16-point loss to Reading at the Geigle Complex on Monday, the Saints had to travel to Reiffton to face a vastly improved Exeter squad. The Eagles were (3-14) last year, but came into this matchup at (7-3, 2-1). Berks Catholic led 18-11 after the first quarter. The Saints opened the margin to 11 in the second quarter. Exeter, however, would not go away quietly. A 13-0 run over the second and third quarters gave the Eagles a 27-25 advantage. Teddy Snyder knocked down a triple to put Exeter on top early in the third period. Berks Catholic made a run of its own and the Saints were in front 42-35 entering the final quarter. Longtime coach Snip Esterly has always stressed defense. His team held the Eagles scoreless for nearly four minutes to open the fourth quarter. Colin Payne made things very interesting late. Exeter’s 6’3 senior guard scored 13 points in the final four minutes. A 3-point play by 6’6 junior Joey Schlaffer got the Eagles within 50-48 with two minutes remaining. Berks Catholic countered with the next six points before Payne banked in a 3-ball in the final seconds. The Saints held on for a 56-51 victory. They improved to (7-1, 3-1). It’s career win #753 for Esterly who’s in his 33rd season as a head coach. Jack Miller finished with a career-high 15 points, ten coming in the third quarter. JayJay Jordan had a team-high 20 points including ten in the first period. The 5’10 junior was very happy with his free throw shooting. He went 6-for-6 from the line and made four free throws in the fourth quarter. I asked Jordan if he was thinking about getting revenge for a 33-21 loss to Exeter during the football season. Jordan is an all-county RB and DB. Payne, Schlaffer, and 6’6 junior Anthony Caccese helped the Eagles reach the state semifinals on the gridiron. Jordan talked about trying to guard Payne who poured in 28 points tonight. Schlaffer, who’s committed to play TE at Penn State, added ten points. He’s averaging eight rebounds this season. Jordan loves the competition in Division 1. We discussed bouncing back from the loss to Reading and whether he prefers hoops or football. Berks Catholic ended up 14-19 from the FT line. Exeter was 10-16. The Saints prevailed despite making just two 3-pointers. Esterly believes those shots will start falling soon. Ryan Koch chipped in with nine points and Aidan Sands had seven.

JayJay Jordan-Berks Catholic

Paul Roberts — Fri, 12 Nov 2021 23:27:00 +0000

Berks Catholic and Cocalico were tied at 7 with four minutes left in the District 3-4A quarterfinals. That’s when JayJay Jordan took over. The 160-pound junior HB sprinted 53 yards to give the fourth-seeded Saints a 14-7 lead. After a fumble by Cocalico quarterback Blayke Taddei that was recovered by Jackson Huddleson, Jordan took off 32 yards for another touchdown with 1:10 remaining. Berks Catholic advanced to the semifinals with a hard-fought 21-7 victory over the fifth-seeded Eagles. Jordan talked about his two fourth quarter scores and how the (7-4) Saints came together in the second half. He finished with 86 yards on six carries. Five of his touches came after halftime. Berks Catholic piled up 223 rushing yards against Cocalico. Jordan said the Saints’ backfield trio is explosive. Christian Cacchione ran for 78 yards and a touchdown. 225-pound fullback Luke Hughes added 33 yards on eight carries. Jordan loved the energy from the Berks Catholic student section. We also discussed his upcoming visit to Ohio State and a semifinal date with top-seeded Bishop McDevitt. Jordan told me, “I’m always ready for some competition.”

Jay Jay Jordan-Berks Catholic

Paul Roberts — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 23:38:00 +0000

The Saints showed the fans at Daniel Boone that they can throw the football effectively in their Wing-T offense. Jay Jay Jordan caught 3TD passes from Mitchell Gatz in a 40-7 victory over the Blazers who had won three in a row. Jordan’s TD receptions were from 55, 31, and 13 yards. The junior HB/CB told me that the Saints are going to shock the world! Jordan believes that Berks Catholic’s difficult non-league schedule will benefit them in the long run. After a big win, Jordan plans on going fishing this weekend. Take notice of how he didn’t get distracted by his teammates during the interview, haha!