Knights – Berks Sports Report

Francis Camara-Reading

Paul Roberts — Fri, 06 Dec 2024 14:11:35 +0000

Two high school basketball heavyweights squared off in the Ches-Mont Challenge at West Chester University. The short-handed Red Knights had two lengthy scoring droughts in a 55-35 loss to Coatesville. “Our boys fought. We fought hard. That’s a very good Coatesville team. They’ve got some really good size. They killed us on the glass,” said second-year head coach Francis Camara. The Red Raiders fell to Reading 62-44 in the state quarterfinals a season ago. They trailed 16-13 after the opening quarter on Thursday night. Coatesville outscored the Red Knights 8-0 over the first two minutes of the second quarter. Reading went scoreless for five minutes and fifteen seconds as the (2-0) Red Raiders went in front 25-16. They were on top 29-21 at halftime. The Red Knights pulled within 36-32 entering the final period, but they were outscored 19-3 in the fourth quarter. Reading committed ten of its 22 turnovers over the last eight minutes. “Most important, we gotta take care of the ball. We had some good looks. It felt like there was a lid on the rim. Things weren’t going in for us,” noted Camara. The Red Knights were 3-of-12 from beyond the arc in their opener. Kahlil Samuel, a 6’1 senior who returned to Reading from New York, had a team-high ten points and six rebounds. “Kahlil is gonna be a very good contributor for us. He’s very versatile,” replied Camara. Senior guard Amon Fowlkes led Coatesville with 16 points including eight in the fourth quarter. Senior point guard Nasir Williams, a transfer from Sankofa Freedom Academy, added 15 points. Larry Brown, a 6’7 junior, and reserve guard Chris Allegra chipped in with seven points apiece. The Red Raiders were just 11-of-22 from the free throw line, while the Red Knights finished 8-for-11. Jeremiah Camara was the only returning starter on the court for Reading. The sophomore guard had nine points with seven coming in the first half. Juniors Weshly Rosario and Blake Adams aren’t currently eligible. Adams is a 6’9 transfer from Nativity who averaged 8.6 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks last season. “Obviously, adding those two back with us is gonna be a great addition, but we’ll roll with what we have right now. We’re gonna continue to fight,” stated Camara. The Red Knights hope to have Rosario and Adams in the lineup soon. Reading’s 2,268 victories are the most in Pennsylvania history. Coatesville is up to 1,850 wins after knocking off Lower Merion and Reading to begin the 2024-25 campaign. Head coach John Allen led the Red Raiders to a state championship in 2001. He racked up 2,372 points during his high school career before going to Seton Hall. Camara believes playing a difficult schedule will benefit the Red Knights down the road. They started three sophomores on Thursday. “You continue to challenge your team. You want them to get better and better every day…We’re gonna be tougher in the long run for it,” he emphasized.

Troy Godinet-Reading

Paul Roberts — Sat, 31 Aug 2024 06:17:16 +0000

It may not have been pretty, but the “Battle of the Border” trophy is staying at Reading High. The (1-1) Red Knights defeated rival Muhlenberg 34-20 at Shirk Stadium. “We’re still working on building the culture here, but these kids have worked extremely hard. I’m proud of them. I love them,” said head coach Troy Godinet. The former All-County linebacker at Reading saw his defense allow just six points in the second half. The (1-1) Muhls failed to score on their final four possessions. Each team committed three turnovers and more than ten penalties. Gabriel Laws provided the first and last touchdowns of the night. His 12-yard run off the left side capped a 55-yard drive and put the Red Knights on top 7-0 just three minutes into the contest. Laws, a 210-pound senior linebacker, powered his way into the end zone from two yards out with 11:22 remaining. That touchdown gave Reading a 14-point cushion. “He is the emotional leader of this team. That kid has worked his tail off…He’s one of the reasons I applied for this job,” stated Godinet. Laws finished with 69 yards on ten carries. Kayson Fritz was nearly perfect through the air. The 6’1, 200-pound senior went 11-of-12 for 126 yards. Fritz also ran for 111 yards on 16 carries. After a 31-yard completion down the left sideline to 6’2 senior Xavier Beatty, Fritz ran seven yards for a score and a 14-6 edge in the second quarter. An interception by senior cornerback Alexis Alvarado set up the Red Knights at Muhlenberg’s 25-yard line. Fritz found Jared Santos over the middle for a 24-yard touchdown with 23 seconds to go before halftime. Santos, a 5’10 senior, made a terrific leaping grab for a 21-14 lead. Reading opened the second half by marching 66 yards in just five plays. A 1-yard score by Alvarado made it 27-14. He had 68 yards on 13 carries. “He’s just a competitive kid. He’s gonna bounce back. He’s battled a tremendous amount of adversity over this past year. He’s a great kid,” replied Godinet. The Red Knights outgained the Muhls 392-to-306. Reading transfer Cameron Small grinded out 170 yards and 3TD on 29 carries. Small, a 182-pound junior, sprinted 16 yards up the middle for a touchdown with 7:38 left in the third quarter. That pulled the Muhls within 27-20. Head coach Rob Flowers turned to freshman quarterback Adriel Baez in the fourth period. Starting QB Christian Coley ended up 8-of-18 for 63 yards and a pick. Baez was intercepted by Jeremiah Camara midway through the final quarter. The Red Knights have won three straight in the series with Muhlenberg. “It’s a great rivalry. The kids know each other. The communities come out,” said Godinet.

Keyshawn Efese-Reading

Paul Roberts — Fri, 16 Aug 2024 20:34:31 +0000

In 2002, seven sophomores started on Reading’s football team. Those young men, including Keyshawn Efese, are now seniors. Efese stands out at 6’5 and 290 pounds with a 7-foot-1 wingspan. “I don’t think I’m different than everybody. I just think I was blessed,” he said. Efese was 365 pounds in tenth grade. He credits head coach Troy Godinet and the Red Knights’ staff for helping him physically and mentally. Efese has eight Division I offers. “It feels good. I stay humble every day, just continue to work,” he replied. The soft-spoken offensive and defensive tackle mentioned that location will be a factor when he makes his college decision. “I don’t want to stay close. I want to get out of Pennsylvania,” stated Efese. Reading returns nine starters on offense and seven on defense. Efese will once again be joined up front by Romello Fuentes (240 pounds), Bryant Del Carmen (320 pounds), and Efrain Bonilla (360 pounds). They’ll be opening holes for rising senior Alexis Alvarado. Cameron Small, a rising junior running back, transferred to Muhlenberg. However, Kahlil Samuel is back with the Red Knights after spending last year in New York. Gabriel Laws and Xavier Beatty are experienced players who will be counted on heavily. Beatty was named a first team defensive back in Section 1 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League last fall. The 6’2 rising senior is a very tough matchup at wide receiver. Beatty earned a silver medal in the long jump at the PIAA-3A championships. Laws is a 210-pound linebacker with a nose for the football. The Red Knights are trying to turn things around after a (1-9,0-6) campaign. This will be Godinet’s third year at the helm. He was an All-County linebacker at Reading who played in the 2003 District 3-4A championship game. The Red Knights will host Phoenixville next Friday in their opener. The Phantoms finished (8-4) a season ago. Meanwhile, Efese will continue to quietly work on his craft. “I’m trying to improve on my first step and my drive blocking,” he said.

Reading’s Season Ends in Final 4

Paul Roberts — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 04:14:08 +0000

Most high school teams are fortunate to have one 1,000-point scorer in their lineup. Central York has three of them. The Panthers showed off their offensive firepower in a 79-65 win over Reading in the PIAA-6A semifinals. The Red Knights held McDowell to 47 points in the second round and Coatesville to 44 in the quarterfinals. Central York demonstrated why its averaging 72 points per game. The (28-3) Panthers can beat you inside or outside. They splashed six 3-pointers in the first half. Greg Guidinger, the school’s all-time leading scorer, sank three treys in the first quarter. The 6’6 senior jammed eleven points into the first eight minutes. He finished with 22. Ben Rill, a 6’8 junior, had a game-high 26 points. He was 10-for-15 from the free throw line. Ben Natal, who’s also in the 1,000-point club, exploded for ten points in the second period. The 6’2 junior guard drained a triple from the right corner to end the third quarter. Natal provided 13 points. Reading led 11-to-6 early. Central York was in front 20-19 after a quarter and 37-31 at the break. There was confusion at the scorer’s table in the third quarter. Central York was mistakenly awarded two extra points. The Red Knights trailed 57-43 entering the final period. They never threatened the Panthers in the fourth quarter. Yadiel Cruz contributed a team-high 21 points. The 6’2 senior racked up 1,010 points in just two seasons at Reading. Cruz was 9-of-9 from the foul line. He averaged 22 ppg. and was named the Berks County Player of the Year. Nick Chapman, a scrappy 5’10 senior, scored 14 of his 16 points in the first half. Sophomore Weshly Rosario added 13 points. The game included 56 free throw attempts in front of a packed house at Warwick. Central York was 20-of-30 from the stripe, while the Red Knights were 22-of-26. Reading began its quest for back-to-back state titles with a 90-73 loss at Central York on December 5th. The Panthers ended the Red Knights’ season three and a-half months later. Central York will make its first appearance in the PIAA Finals on Saturday night. The Panthers face Parkland at 8pm at the Giant Center. After a (7-6) start, Reading finished with a mark of (22-11). First-year head coach Francis Camara was extremely grateful for the six seniors on the team. “They trusted me, believed in me, and stood by my side through all the adversity. They helped me grow as a coach through my mistakes and held me accountable. They are the definition of what it means to be a Red Knight,” he remarked.

Francis Camara-Reading

Paul Roberts — Sun, 17 Mar 2024 13:46:13 +0000

Reading and Coatesville squared off for the 56th time at Martz Hall in Pottsville. This time a trip to the Final Four was on the line in the PIAA-6A tournament. The Red Knights overcame a slow start and rolled to a 62-44 victory. Reading lost to the Red Raiders 69-51 two months ago, and trailed 18-5 in the second quarter on Saturday afternoon. Francis Camara said everything changed during a timeout midway through the second period. “Our boys started to lock in together. I tell them all the time, with us being together we can move mountains,” stated the first-year head coach. The (22-10) Red Knights also switched to a 2-3 zone defense. “We tried to limit their downhill drives and I think our zone did that. We tried to give them different looks and tried to make them uncomfortable. We were very active in the zone,” remarked Camara. Yadiel Cruz was fouled with 2:40 remaining in the first half. Lawrence Brown, a 6’7 sophomore, was also called for a technical foul. Cruz, the BCIAA Player of the Year, made four consecutive free throws to pull Reading within 18-13. That was part of a critical 12-0 run to end the second quarter. Coatesville led 18-17 at the break, but had lost momentum. Reading came out of the locker room on fire. The Red Knights outscored the Red Raiders 18-4 to open the third period. That 30-4 run over the middle quarters put the defending state champions in firm control. They were in front 39-26 entering the final period. Cruz erupted for 17 points in the second half as Reading’s transition game took over. The 6’2 senior finished with 25 points. “Every game he knows he’s gonna get double-teamed. Every game he knows that he’s the focal point of the other team’s scouting report, and every game he comes out and produces. He does it [while] loving his teammates. He’s the most humble kid,” emphasized Camara. Cruz is just eleven points shy of 1,000 in two seasons with the Red Knights. He went 11-for-15 from the foul line. Reading was 19-of-28 from the charity stripe, while Coatesville went 3-of-12. Nick Chapman provided nine points and some clever steals that led to easy layups. The 5’10 senior didn’t play in the first meeting with the Red Raiders due to an eye injury. Malik Osumanu, a 6’5 senior, blocked four shots and Weshly Rosario dished out five assists. Senior guards Nico Sosa and Daquan Burgess combined for eleven points off the bench. Zuri Harris had a team-high 13 points for Coatesville, the #6 seed from District 1. Amon Fowlkes chipped in with eleven points. Dior Kennedy, a 6’3 senior guard, was limited to four. The Red Raiders end up (22-9) in John Allen’s second year as head coach. Allen scored 2,372 points at Coatesville and guided the Red Raiders to their only state title in 2001. The Red Knights evened the all-time series with Coatesville at (28-28). These programs have piled up a total of more than 4,000 wins! Reading will meet Central York in the semifinals on Tuesday. Camara is enjoying the ride. “It’s been fun. If you see me on the sidelines, there’s a lot of sweat going on. I’m working my butt off. I love the journey with these boys. I’m blessed to be in the position that I’m in,” he said.

Reading-Chester Rivalry

Paul Roberts — Sun, 03 Mar 2024 13:54:00 +0000

4,290 is a big number. That’s the amount of victories that the Reading and Chester boys basketball programs have accumulated. The Red Knights and Clippers rank first and second in wins in Pennsylvania history. They will square off on Saturday in the first round of the PIAA-6A playoffs. It’s a 1pm tip in Chester.

Reading holds the state record with 2,265 all-time wins. The Red Knights have captured three state championships in the past seven years. They knocked off Roman Catholic 63-56 in overtime for the Class 6A crown a season ago. Reading owns a record 24 District 3 titles.

Chester has racked up 2,025 victories in its illustrious history. The Clippers have won eight state championships. They’ve been the PIAA runner-up ten times. Chester has brought home gold from 25 District 1 tournaments.

Reading is (19-10) this season. The Red Knights finished fourth in the District 3-6A bracket. Chester also ended up fourth in its district playoffs. The Clippers slipped to (20-4) after falling to West Chester Henderson 65-61 in the third place contest. Dominic Toy led Chester with 19 points. The 6’5, 220-pound senior is a tight end during football season. He’s committed to UConn.

This will be the 43rd meeting between Reading and Chester. The heated rivalry is even at (21-21). The Red Knights have won three straight in the series including a 71-57 victory last season at the Geigle Complex. Ruben Rodriguez dropped 26 points in that matchup and Yadiel Cruz added 14 points. Rodriguez is now playing at Rider. Cruz has become the BCIAA Player of the Year. The 6’2 senior leads Berks County at 22 points per game.

Reading falls at C.V.

Paul Roberts — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 01:02:00 +0000

Reading entered Tuesday’s District 3-6A semifinal averaging 67 points. Cumberland Valley was allowing just 47 points a night. Something had to give at the Dome. The sixth-seeded Red Knights went nearly seven minutes in the fourth quarter with only one field goal. The three-time defending District 3 champs fell to the Eagles 66-47. Cumberland Valley outscored Reading 16-to-3 over the final four minutes. Daquan Burgess hit a triple to pull the Red Knights within 45-42 with seven minutes remaining. They wouldn’t make another shot until Yadiel Cruz’s layup with one minute to go. Cruz, a 6’2 senior, poured in 28 points. The BCIAA Player of the Year exploded for nine points in the opening quarter. Reading led 13-7 in that period. Nick Chapman added eight points. No one else had more than four points for the (19-9) Red Knights. They trailed the second-seeded Eagles 31-25 at halftime. The Mid-Penn Conference champions were on top 44-37 after the third quarter. JJ Lebo finished with a team-high 18 points, ten above his season average. The 6’2 junior guard made a pair of 3-pointers and went 6-for-7 from the free throw line. Nolan Buzalka proved to be a handful at 6’3, 220 pounds. The TE/DE on the Cumberland Valley football team had 17 points. Creston Austin, a 6’4 junior forward, provided 11 points including nine in the second half. The (23-3) Eagles extended their winning streak to eight. They ended up 18-of-28 from the foul line. Twenty of those attempts came in the fourth quarter when Reading was fouling to stop the clock. The Red Knights were 5-of-7 from the charity stripe. Each team connected four times from beyond the arc. The Red Knights struggled from long range against Cumberland Valley’s matchup zone. They attempted 19 treys. Jake Snyder, the lone senior in the Eagles’ starting lineup, chipped in with nine points. Cumberland Valley lost to Reading 55-54 in overtime in last year’s District 3-6A final. The Eagles will get another shot at their first District 3 title on Friday night. They face fourth-seeded Chambersburg at 8pm at the Giant Center. Meanwhile, the Red Knights will host Red Lion in the third place game on Thursday at 7pm.

Daquan Burgess-Reading

Paul Roberts — Wed, 21 Feb 2024 10:09:00 +0000

Stephen Curry is one of Daquan Burgess’ favorite players. Reading’s 5’10 senior guard has some serious range as well. Burgess knocked down a pair of deep 3-pointers in the third quarter as the Red Knights beat Penn Manor 70-55 at the Geigle Complex. Sixth-seeded Reading will travel to third-seeded Carlisle on Friday for a District 3-6A quarterfinal. The (18-8) Red Knights led the (17-8) Comets 35-26 at halftime on Tuesday night. Reading opened the third quarter with a 13-to-2 run. “I feel like they were getting a little winded,” noted Burgess. Penn Manor was outscored 24-to-11 in that period. A three-point play by Yadiel Cruz put the Red Knights in front 53-30 with 3:12 remaining in the quarter. Cruz finished with 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting. “He’s doing an amazing job…We love embracing each other’s success. We’re all happy when he’s doing good,” said Burgess. Cruz was named the BCIAA Player of the Year. The 6’2 senior is averaging 22 points per game. Nico Sosa (11) and Weshly Rosario (10) combined for 21 points off the bench. Burgess started in place of Rosario. Nick Chapman added ten points and Burgess provided eight. Reading got its transition game going in the middle quarters and shared the ball. “Just seeing each other smile is a big thing for us,” remarked Burgess. The Comets came in allowing just 49 ppg. Millersville commit Ethan Benne poured in a game-high 20 points including 16 in the first half. The 6’6 forward is one of six 1,000-point scorers in Penn Manor history. Dhamir Wesley picked up two quick fouls and ended with 13 points. The 6’5, 280-pound senior is headed to Villanova for football. The Comets were without junior guard Andrew Gallion due to an injury. They went 12-for-17 from the free throw line. Two technical fouls were called on the Red Knights in the first half. Reading was 9-of-14 from the stripe and 7-of-18 from beyond the arc. The Red Knights bounced back from Friday’s loss to Wilson in the Berks Conference championship by shooting 56% from the field. The three-time defending District 3 champs demonstrated a balanced attack in a must-win game. “Every 32 minutes I can play, I’m happy. It doesn’t matter if I start or come off the bench,” stated Burgess.

Nick Chapman-Reading

Paul Roberts — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 01:24:00 +0000

Nick Chapman suffered a broken orbital bone a couple of days after Christmas which caused him to miss eight games including Reading’s first matchup with Muhlenberg. The Red Knights fell 87-74 in double overtime on January 9th in Laureldale. Chapman waited nearly a month to get a shot at the Muhls and this time the Division 1 championship was up for grabs. The 5’10 senior had 18 points in a resounding 83-46 victory at the Geigle Complex. The gym was rocking on senior night. “Their energy feeds into us. That’s what makes us stay together,” said Chapman. He was emotional before the game and admitted to coming close to shedding a few tears. Chapman knows that his remaining home games are numbered. The Red Knights put on a show on Tuesday night. Yadiel Cruz finished with 26 points and eight rebounds. The 6’2 senior jammed nine points into the first eight minutes. “He works every day on and off the court. He’s a great role model,” remarked Chapman. Nico Sosa, a senior guard, drilled a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Reading a 27-18 advantage after the opening quarter. The (15-7, 8-3) Red Knights hit four triples in the first period. They ended up 7-of-15 from beyond the arc and shot a blistering 65% from the field. Chapman only missed two of his eight field goal attempts. He was 6-for-9 from the free throw line. Reading’s defense was also superb. They held Muhlenberg 18 points below its season average. “Without defense there’s no offense,” stated Chapman. The (13-8, 7-4) Muhls were outscored 39-to-16 in the middle quarters. Kyle Archie had all eight of Muhlenberg’s points in the second period. They trailed 43-26 at the break. Weshly Rosario sank a trey from the top of the key with 1:10 remaining before halftime. The sophomore guard converted a putback before the horn. Rosario piled up ten points, seven rebounds, and seven assists. Sosa chipped in with nine points off the bench. The Red Knights are peaking at the right time. They’ve won eight of their last nine contests. Alex Collado led the Muhls with 15 points, but only six came after the first quarter. Archie and Jayden Kantner provided eleven points apiece. Muhlenberg went 12-of-17 from the foul line while Reading was 16-of-23. Ruben Rodriguez was back in the building to cheer on his former teammates. Rodriguez was named the Class 6A Player of the Year in Pennsylvania after helping the Red Knights capture their third state title a season ago. He’s now a freshman guard at Rider. Reading is searching for its 26th Berks County championship. The quarterfinals are set for next Monday. Chapman had a message for the rest of the teams in the BCIAA playoffs. “We’re coming for everybody,” he said.

Jeremiah Camara-Reading

Paul Roberts — Fri, 02 Feb 2024 12:16:00 +0000

The roster says freshman, but Jeremiah Camara didn’t play like one on Thursday night in West Lawn. In front of a big crowd with first place on the line in the division, Camara scored a career-high 16 points in Reading’s 50-44 victory at Wilson. “I feel like I made a good impact on the team. My energy contributed to others and then they came along with me,” said Camara. The son of first-year head coach Francis Camara was 6-of-11 from the field and 4-for-4 from the free throw stripe. He helped the Red Knights win their ninth straight matchup with the Bulldogs. This one was tight into the fourth quarter. Reading was in front 12-8 after eight minutes. Wilson opened the second quarter with an 8-to-2 run and held a 20-18 halftime advantage. Daquan Burgess, a 5’10 senior, came off the bench and drilled a pair of 3-pointers in the third period. The Red Knights finished 3-of-12 from beyond the arc, but they went 11-for-14 from the foul line. Nick Chapman provided nine points in the final quarter. The 5’10 senior missed eight games after suffering an eye injury on December 27th. “That’s my dog. It feels great to have him back…as soon as he came back, we all picked it up,” remarked Camara. Chapman ended up with eleven points. Malik Osumanu added seven points and 8 rebounds. The 6’5 senior also blocked three shots. The (13-7, 6-4) Bulldogs went nearly seven minutes with just one field goal in the fourth period. Reading built a 46-36 cushion with 90 seconds remaining. Madyx Gruber sank a deep trey from the top of the key with four seconds left, but Wilson trailed 49-44. Gruber had a team-high twelve points. Luke Levan chipped in with eleven points including seven in the third quarter. The Bulldogs didn’t make a 3-pointer until the final period. They were 8-of-13 from the free throw line. Wilson fell one game behind Reading and Muhlenberg in the Division 1 standings which have been congested all season. “The competition is pretty good. It’s helping all of us. It shows that we can’t take anything off,” noted Camara. The (13-7, 7-3) Red Knights have won six of their last seven contests. They host the Muhls on Tuesday in a battle for the division crown. Muhlenberg beat Reading 87-74 in double overtime on January 9th in Laureldale. Camara is looking forward to the rematch. “That’s gonna be a huge game. They beat us the first game, but that’s not gonna happen at our house,” he said.