The two-time Berks County Player of the Year led the Saints to their first BCIAA Championship since 2018 this season. They outlasted Reading 62-57 in overtime at Santander Arena. McKoy poured in 29 points in the county final.

He came up big once again in the District 3-4A Championship. McKoy erupted for 35 points in a 58-52 overtime victory against Bishop McDevitt. Berks Catholic claimed its second straight District 3 title.

McKoy finished his career with 1,679 points. He was also an elite defender. The Saints went (50-9) in his last two seasons.

The girls senior All-Star Game wasn’t as close. The Red team prevailed 69-54. They were in front 39-28 at halftime. Wilson teammates Laila Jones and Laura Crocona combined for 27 points. Jones provided 15 points and connected three times from beyond the arc. Crocona, a Kutztown University commit, chipped in with a dozen points. They helped the Bulldogs claim BCIAA and District 3 championships this season. Elyssa Sellers from Schuylkill Valley had 14 points. Mekhira Gaskins of Reading ended up with a team-high 13 points for the Blue squad.

Best of luck to all of the seniors in their future endeavors. Today’s games put a wrap on the 2025-26 high school basketball season. I was fortunate to cover 60 games this year. Thanks to all of the coaches, players, and athletic directors for their assistance with my coverage.

Berks Catholic won its first county title since 2018. The Saints went on to capture their seventh District 3 crown and second in a row at Class 4A. Snip Esterly will enter next season with 865 career victories.

Reading was the runner-up in the BCIAA tournament after falling to Berks Catholic 62-57 in overtime at Santander Arena. Jostin DeCastro, Cameron “Bron Bron” Jones, Javon Merriweather, Jamier Jacob, and Raybin Rubio will all be back for Rick Perez.

Exeter knocked off Wilson 43-41 in the Berks County quarterfinals thanks to Aidan Dauble’s bucket with one second left. The Eagles qualified for the PIAA field for the fifth consecutive year.

The Bulldogs advanced to the state playoffs for the fifth time in the past eight seasons. Wilson has a talented group of sophomores to keep an eye on. Matt Coldren holds the school record with 449 wins.

A promising season in Laureldale ended in a flash. The Muhls dropped a nailbiter to rival Reading 60-57 in the BCIAA semifinals. Muhlenberg was eliminated in the first round of the District 3-6A bracket by #13 seed Cedar Crest. The Falcons stunned the Muhls 66-60 in overtime. The good news is that Eli Hemmings, LJ Armstrong, and Nelson “Coco” Malave will return.

Schuylkill Valley defeated Wyomissing 63-52 to reach the District 3 semifinals for just the second time. The Panthers made their third appearance in the PIAA tournament.

Antietam finished on top of the Division 4 standings. The Mounts blew out Wyomissing 61-40 in a key crossover matchup on January 8th. Antietam’s season ended with a 87-71 loss to Lancaster Catholic in the District 3-3A third place game.

The Spartans overcame some midseason turmoil to qualify for the state playoffs for the first time since 2011. Second-year head coach Konlan Krick deserves credit for keeping his troops together after two starters quit. Wyomissing took fifth place in the District 3-4A field.

Gov. Mifflin receives an honorable mention. The (10-12) Mustangs didn’t have a single bad loss on their resume. Life in Division 1 of the BCIAA is no picnic.

Without further ado, here is the final edition of the “Roberts Rankings” 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 (25-3)

2.Reading (18-8)

3.Exeter (18-11)

4.Wilson (17-11)

5.Muhlenberg (16-8)

6. Schuylkill Valley (16-11)

7.Antietam (16-9)

8.Wyomissing (16-11)

Berks Catholic came out hot on Friday with four 3-pointers in the opening quarter. Kingston McKoy and Carmelo Harper hit back-to-back triples to put the Saints in front 16-10. Fareed Brown, a first team selection in the Public League, picked up two fouls in the first quarter and didn’t play the rest of the half. The 5’9 senior guard averages a team-high 13 points and four assists. Matt McField, another first team pick in the Public League, stepped up with Brown on the bench. The 6’ senior guard scored eight points in the first eight minutes and drilled two treys. However, the Engineers trailed 16-12 entering the second period.

Oye “Junior” Guilavogui splashed a 3-pointer from the right corner to make it 20-14. That was the only shot Berks Catholic made in the entire quarter. Carver E&S struggled on the offensive end as well. The Engineers outscored the Saints 6-4 in the period to pull within 20-18 at halftime. Brown connected on a jumper to begin the third quarter. A spin move by McKoy gave the Saints a 30-24 cushion with 2:20 left in the quarter. Berks Catholic was limited to five points over the final ten minutes. Samir Roberts-Mouzon came off the bench and nailed a triple from the right wing at the buzzer. His only field goal of the contest evened things up at 30-30.

A layup by Brown started the fourth quarter. His three-point play with 6:42 to go put Carver E&S on top 35-31. McKoy, a Colgate commit, threw down a breakaway dunk with just under four minutes left. That was the only shot the Saints made in the last quarter. Sahin Rodriguez, a 6’3 senior forward, went to work in the low post with 2:45 on the clock. His bucket provided the Engineers with a 37-33 edge. McKoy connected twice from the free throw line to make it 38-35 with 2:03 remaining. Roberts-Mouzon missed a pair of foul shots with 48 seconds to play. Carver E&S committed a turnover with 29 seconds left, but Berks Catholic didn’t take advantage. McKoy got trapped in the left corner which led to a steal by the Engineers. McField finished off a 2-on-1 fast break to ice it with four seconds on the clock.

The Saints were held 24 points below their season average of 59 ppg. “They really doubled Kingston. When we had some guys that were open, we just didn’t hit the shot,” explained Esterly. Berks Catholic connected seven times from long range, but just twice after halftime. Carver E&S made three 3-pointers and went 11-for-15 from the foul line. The Saints were 4-for-6 from the stripe. McKoy poured in a game-high 19 points. The two-time All-State guard wrapped up an outstanding career with 1,679 points. McKoy averaged 22 ppg. this year. Harper, a 6’1 sophomore, chipped in with nine points and Johnny Giesa had four. McField led the (21-6) Engineers with 14 points. Rodriguez added nine points and Brown had seven in limited minutes due to early foul trouble.

Berks Catholic ends its campaign with a mark of (25-3). The Saints, who reached the state final a season ago, saw their 19-game winning streak come to a halt. They did bring home BCIAA and District 3-4A championships this winter. “I’m so proud of them, the way they developed over the last two years. We just came up short tonight,” replied Esterly.

McKoy, a two-time All-State selection, drilled a pair of 3-pointers and made a layup to put Bishop McDevitt in an early 18-8 hole. The two-time BCIAA Player of the Year squeezed nine points into the opening quarter. Berks Catholic led 18-10 after eight minutes. The Crusaders went on a 9-0 run to pull within 22-21 with 1:21 left in the first half. The action heated up before the break with Kenyon Portee throwing down a breakaway dunk. The 6’2 junior guard entered the night averaging 16 ppg. Portee, a transfer from Trinity, had 20 points in Bishop McDevitt’s 64-46 rout of Big Spring in the semifinals. Brady Altimar answered with a trey from the right wing in the final seconds to even the score at 25-25.

Portee began the third quarter by hitting a triple, the first of the game for the Crusaders. He then found Ethan Hammer for a layup and a 30-25 edge. Hammer, a 6’ senior, finished with a team-high 16 points. Portee and Pat Denisco added ten points apiece. McKoy splashed another 3-pointer with 3:35 remaining in the period to put the Saints on top 34-32. Berks Catholic connected eight times from beyond the arc, while Bishop McDevitt was limited to three shots from long range. The Saints had a slim 37-33 cushion after the third quarter.

Portee started the final period with a three-point play. Denisco, a 5’10 senior, came alive in the fourth quarter. He hit a triple from the right wing and then dished the ball to Hammer for a layup on a 2-on-1 break. Denisco then drained a pull-up jumper to give the Crusaders a 45-44 lead with 2:42 to go. After McKoy dropped off a pass to Johnny Giesa for a bucket, Denisco delivered another 3-pointer from the right wing. Bishop McDevitt was up 48-46 with 1:36 to play, but a layup by McKoy knotted things up. Dom Baker grabbed an offensive rebound and put it home with 46 seconds on the clock. The 6’3 freshman chipped in with nine points off the bench. McKoy drove to the basket and was fouled with 25 seconds left. He went 2-for-2 to tie it at 50-50. Portee’s off-balance scoop shot rimmed out with one second remaining. This instant classic would be decided in overtime.

McKoy started the extra session with a floater in the middle of the lane. He powered his way to the basket and scored again with 1:32 to go. After Portee was called for traveling, Gavin Welker made a pair of free throws for a 56-50 advantage with 56 seconds to play. Baker knocked down two foul shots to get the Crusaders within 56-52. Those would be their only points in overtime. Following two missed free throws by Giesa, Baker was unable to finish a drive down the right side of the lane. McKoy sealed the deal with two more foul shots with 14 seconds left. He ended up 15-of-18 from the stripe. “He should’ve got there 30 times,” stated Esterly. Berks Catholic was 18-of-25 from the foul line, while Bishop McDevitt went 9-of-11.

Altimar had eight points, including a couple of 3-pointers. Carmelo Harper helped the cause with seven points and Welker provided five. The Saints are (37-9) all-time in the District 3 playoffs. Esterly picked up his 16th District 3 championship over 37 years. Berks Catholic will head to the state tournament riding a 19-game winning streak. “I think it builds so much confidence in these guys. We never think we’re out of it. There was a time it looked dim when they took a lead, but we came storming back,” said Esterly.

Harper, Kingston McKoy, Brady Altimar, and Gavin Welker each knocked down a 3-pointer to put Berks Catholic on top 16-0 after six minutes. Schuylkill Valley was scoreless until Zach Reeser hit a triple with a minute left in the opening quarter. Alex Aletras came off the Panthers’ bench and sank a trey from the left wing at the buzzer to make it 18-6. That shot ignited a 19-to-7 run for Schuylkill Valley. The (15-10) Panthers were making their second appearance in the District 3 semifinals and their first since 2004. They got hot from long range in the second quarter, drilling four 3-pointers. Aletras buried two more triples in that period. Reeser and Derek Grim also connected from downtown. The (24-2) Saints managed to stop the bleeding with the final five points of the half. McKoy found Johnny Giesa underneath the basket for a layup before the buzzer and a 30-22 advantage.

Welker made a trey from the left corner and then a layup to put Berks Catholic in front 39-25 with 4:40 remaining in the third quarter. The 6’3 senior forward finished with eight points. “He’s very important. He can shoot it,” noted Harper. Altimar drained another 3-pointer midway through the third period. After a turnover by Schuylkill Valley, Altimar fed McKoy for a layup and a 44-25 cushion. The Saints increased the margin to 50-26 entering the fourth quarter. Eight of McKoy’s 18 points came in the third period. The 6’4 senior guard is up to 1,625 career points. The Colgate commit was recently voted the BCIAA Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. “He’s a very poised player, he’s humble. Every practice, he’s pushing all of us. He just wants to win most importantly. He makes sure nobody is slacking,” explained Harper.

The Panthers were held to 13 points in the second half. All six of their 3-pointers came before halftime. “We were communicating more on defense. In the first half, we weren’t communicating so they were getting open 3s,” replied Harper. Aletras had a team-high eleven points and Reeser added ten. The junior guards combined for five triples. Berks Catholic made eight shots from beyond the arc. The Saints were 6-for-6 from the foul line, while Schuylkill Valley went 3-for-5. Harper provided 16 points. The 6’1 sophomore guard got off to a quick start with seven points in the first eight minutes. Giesa chipped in with eight points and Altimar had six.

These teams also met in the BCIAA quarterfinals with Berks Catholic prevailing 58-42. The Panthers will host Big Spring in the District 3-4A third place game on Thursday night. Meanwhile, the Saints square off with #2 seed Bishop McDevitt in the championship on Friday at 7pm at Garden Spot. Berks Catholic is the defending champion. The Saints are searching for their seventh District 3 title. The Crusaders are looking for their fifth crown and first since 2019.

McKoy is a repeat choice as the Berks Conference Player of the Year. The Colgate commit is averaging 22.1 points this season with a team-high 46 triples. The 6’4 senior guard is also a standout defensive player. McKoy finished with 29 points in the BCIAA Championship. He has 1,607 career points.

Here’s the 2025-26 All-County team:

Kingston McKoy-Berks Catholic-Sr. (POY)

Jostin DeCastro-Reading-Jr.

Aidan Dauble-Exeter-Sr.

Eli Hemmings-Muhlenberg-Jr.

Mason Senna-Fleetwood-Sr.

Dom Arguelles-Wyomissing-Sr.

AJ Scheifley-Antietam-Sr.

Altimar, who finished with seven points, said it was one of the best games that he’s ever played in. “It’s definitely top 5. Reading is always a tough team. They play good defense, they hustle, and they play hard. It was a great game,” replied Altimar. Esterly, who earned career win #862 over 37 years, agreed that this was an instant classic. “I’m not gonna say it was the best [BCIAA] Final ever, but it was a great game,” he emphasized. Altimar mentioned that most people have the wrong impression of Esterly. “Everyone thinks he’s just mean and yells, but he’s one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met. He always asks how I’m doing. He’s probably the best coach I’ve ever had,” stated Altimar. Esterly has nine Berks Conference championships on his resume, including four with the Saints.

Both teams came out on fire. Kingston McKoy hit two triples in the opening quarter and Berks Catholic led 19-16 after eight action-packed minutes. Before the second quarter began, there was a delay to replace one of the nets. The scoring slowed down considerably in second period as the Red Knights built a 26-21 advantage. The Saints were held to two points until Oye “Junior” Guilavogui drained a trey from the left corner with six seconds to go. The senior guard had 16 points in the Saints’ 68-47 rout of Reading on January 31st at Lloyd Wolf Gymnasium. The Red Knights took their first meeting 48-40 at the Geigle Complex on December 29th.

McKoy started the second half with five quick points. His three-point play put Berks Catholic in front 29-26. The Colgate commit and two-time All-State pick poured in 29 points, including eleven in the third quarter. Carmelo Harper, a 6’1 sophomore guard, added 14 points. “He’s gonna be good. He’s frying everybody. It’s gonna be scary for the county next year,” remarked Altimar. Harper sank a 3-pointer from the right wing to make it 32-28 with 6:27 to play in the third period. Reading responded and took a 33-32 lead on Raybin Rubio’s three-point play. The 6’1 sophomore guard was recently inserted into the starting lineup. The Saints answered with a 8-0 run. Guilavogui, who chipped in with eight points, and McKoy drilled shots from beyond the arc to give Berks Catholic a 40-33 cushion with 4:36 left in the third quarter. Weshly Rosario, the lone senior starter for the Red Knights, made a short jumper at the buzzer to even things up at 45-45. Rosario and sophomore Cameron “Bron Bron” Jones contributed twelve points apiece. Jamier Jacob had nine points, while Jostin DeCastro was limited to eight. The 6’3 junior guard came into Friday averaging 20.8 ppg.

McKoy opened the fourth quarter with a triple from the top of the key. He found Johnny Giesa for a layup and a 50-47 edge with just over six minutes remaining. McKoy went 2-for-2 from the stripe with 3:24 to go. Reading trailed 54-48 before scoring the next six points. DeCastro split a pair of foul shots with 1:24 on the clock to tie it at 54-54. The Red Knights missed five free throws in the fourth quarter. They were 12-for-19 overall, while the Saints knocked down eight of their nine attempts.

Berks Catholic held the ball for one final shot. McKoy drove down the right side of the lane with five seconds to play. Rosario got a piece of the ball as McKoy was going up and his layup rolled off the rim. In overtime, Jones buried a trey from the right wing with 2:49 on the clock. That was Reading’s only 3-pointer all night. It would also be the last time they scored. Altimar responded thirty seconds later with a long range strike of his own. “Kingston and all my teammates were telling me to keep shooting it, shoot it with confidence. I got open in the corner and let it fly,” he said. It was the tenth 3-pointer for the Saints who played without 6’3 senior forward Gavin Welker for the second straight game due to a school-related issue. Altimar’s clutch free throws made it 59-57. After sophomore Javon Merriweather misfired on a triple from the top of the key, McKoy went 2-for-2 from the stripe with thirty seconds left. The Red Knights were down 61-57 when they committed a turnover with 16 seconds remaining. McKoy split a couple of foul shots for the final margin. The Colgate commit is up to 1,583 career points.

Berks Catholic outscored Reading 8-to-3 in overtime. Both teams did a terrific job of taking care of the basketball. There were only 15 combined turnovers and just seven by the Saints. This heavyweight battle lived up to the hype.

The Red Knights will face #12 seed York High on Tuesday at 7pm at the Geigle Complex in the first round of the District 3-6A playoffs. The Saints don’t play again until Friday, February 20th. They host #8 seed Eastern York at 6pm in the District 3-4A quarterfinals. Berks Catholic blew out Eastern York 67-44 in the District 3-4A Championship last year. It was the sixth District 3 crown for the Saints. Altimar is confident that they will have a long postseason run. “We’re gonna win District’s. We’re gonna go far in State’s too,” he stated.

Berks Catholic raced out to a 15-5 advantage over Exeter after the first quarter. The Saints led 8-0 before Dauble splashed a 3-pointer from the top of the key. The 6’3, 215-pound senior is committed to Shippensburg for football. He’s averaging 15 ppg. this season. Dauble reached 1,000 career points last month. The (15-9) Eagles trailed 29-15 at halftime.

Carmelo Harper and Altimar hit back-to-back triples in the third quarter. Berks Catholic’s cushion extended to 32-15 with 3:15 left in the period. The Saints were in control 43-27 entering the fourth quarter. McKoy drained a trey from the right wing with six minutes remaining to make it 48-29. The 6’4 Colgate commit finished with a game-high 24 points, including nine in the final period. Harper added 16 points. The 6’1 sophomore guard was responsible for two of Berks Catholic’s five 3-pointers. Johnny Giesa chipped in with seven points and Altimar had six on a pair of shots from beyond the arc. The Saints were without Gavin Welker due to a school-related issue. The 6’3 senior forward had 16 points in a 58-42 win over Schuylkill Valley in the quarterfinals on Monday.

Berks Catholic went 4-of-9 from the foul line, while the Eagles ended up 7-for-11. After Dauble’s early 3-pointer, they didn’t make another attempt from long range until the fourth quarter. Dauble, Jayden Ware, and Braylon Reinert had eight points apiece. “Overall defensively, I thought we did a great job,” said Esterly. The Saints are searching for their first BCIAA title since 2018. They split a pair of games with Reading during the regular season. Berks Catholic prevailed in the most recent matchup 68-47 on January 31st at Lloyd Wolf Gymnasium.

The Red Knights limited McKoy to five points in a 48-40 win at the Geigle Complex on December 29th. “We were really hurt from that game…We needed that lost,” emphasized Guilavogui. Berks Catholic is riding an 11-game winning streak after knocking off Muhlenberg, York Country Day, and Reading in consecutive days. Guilavogui set the tone in front of a packed house on Saturday. He squeezed eight points into the opening quarter, including a pair of treys. Guilavogui has hit 26 triples this year, second-most on the team. He’s averaging 5.3 points per game. Gavin Welker got a friendly bounce on his 3-pointer before the halftime buzzer. Welker’s shot from the right wing hit the rim and then the backboard before rattling home. The 6’3 senior forward gave the Saints a 32-18 advantage at the break.

Reading point guard Weshly Rosario had to go to the bench after picking up his fourth foul with 7:10 left in the third quarter. Guilavogui then sank two treys to make it 38-24. Johnny Giesa drilled a triple from the left corner to increase the margin to 43-28 with 2:27 remaining in the period. Welker connected from long range to begin the fourth quarter and extend Berks Catholic’s lead to 48-30. Eleven of Welker’s season-high fourteen points came in the final period. “He’s a great shooter. We tell him that at practice all the time. Our coaches always let him know that he has to shoot the ball,” noted Guilavogui. Giesa, a 6’5 junior, added 13 points in a balanced attack. “I think he’s always had it. Since I’ve been playing with him since eighth grade, I’ve seen how good he was. He just needed that confidence and that aggression,” replied Guilavogui.

The Saints made eleven 3-pointers and finished 11-of-12 from the foul line. The (15-6, 8-3) Red Knights converted just three attempts from beyond the arc, all in the fourth quarter. They ended up 4-of-8 from the stripe. Sophomore guard Javon Merriweather contributed a team-high eleven points off the bench. Sophomore Cameron “Bron Bron” Jones had nine points and Jostin DeCastro was held to eight. The 6’3 junior is putting up 21 points a night this season. Reading was coming off a 55-51 overtime victory at Wilson on Friday. The Red Knights had won twelve of their previous fourteen contests before getting blown out by Berks Catholic.

Both of these squads are headed to the BCIAA playoffs. The Saints haven’t claimed a Berks County title since 2018. They fell to Reading 48-41 in the semifinals last year at Santander Arena. “We just take it game by game. When we get there, we’ll get there,” said Guilavogui.