Kyle – Berks Sports Report

Dave Argentati-Gov. Mifflin

Paul Roberts — Tue, 06 Dec 2022 00:18:00 +0000

The Gov. Mifflin boys basketball team opened its season on Monday night in Shillington. Before the Mustangs took on Cedar Crest, Dave Argentati addressed those in attendance. Argentati is the Director of Pupil Services and former head basketball coach at Gov. Mifflin. He spoke about one of his players who will be remembered for many years to come. Kyle Conrad passed away in September from cancer. He was 39. Conrad was a multi-sport athlete in high school. He went on to score 1,157 points at Elizabethtown College. Conrad returned to his alma mater as an assistant under Dan Haughney before becoming the Mustangs’ head coach. He served in that role for the past four seasons. Conrad led the Mustangs to the Berks County championship game in 2020. He was beloved in the Gov. Mifflin community. “He respected and honored the name on the front of the jersey. He was the epitome of Mustang nation. Kyle loved his family. Kyle adored his boys, and he loved the game of basketball,” said Argentati. Conrad is survived by his wife Lauren and their two sons, Logan and Carson. This year’s team will be wearing #24 warmup shirts throughout the season, as well as “KC” stickers on their sneakers.

As for the game, Cedar Crest jumped out to a 9-0 lead in the first two minutes. J’Veon Reyes-Vega knocked down a pair of 3-pointers. The 5’11 guard is the only senior in the Falcons’ starting lineup. He finished with 13 points in the 71-51 victory over the Mustangs. Gov. Mifflin trailed 16-8 after committing seven turnovers in the first quarter. Leo Tirado hit a triple before the buzzer to give Cedar Crest a 32-19 advantage at halftime. The Falcons used an 8-0 run at the start of the third quarter to blow the game open. The Mustangs were outscored 24-21 in that period. They were down 56-40 entering the fourth quarter. Cedar Crest had five players in double digits. Fernando Marquez provided 13 points including eight in the final period. Tirado and Chernich added 11 points apiece. Aiden Schomp, a 6’6 junior, contributed 10 points. Gov. Mifflin ended up with 22 turnovers. The Mustangs connected on ten shots from beyond the arc, but only made eight shots from inside of it. Twin brothers Gerrell (14) and Delsin McNeil (11) combined for 25 points. Delsin splashed three treys. Tyler Minick had a dozen points. The senior forward is committed to UConn for baseball. The Falcons went 11-of-18 from the free throw line while the Mustangs were 5-of-6. Gov. Mifflin was (11-11, 5-7) a season ago.

Pat Tulley-Honoring Kyle Conrad

Paul Roberts — Mon, 17 Oct 2022 19:02:00 +0000

As intense as Kyle Conrad was on the court is as nice as he was off of it. “He was always very kind-hearted. You could just tell he was a genuine person…quality guy through and through,” recalled Gov. Mifflin Athletic Director Pat Tulley. Conrad passed away on September 12th after a courageous battle with cancer. He was 39. A celebration of life was held this weekend at Gov. Mifflin Intermediate School. The gym was filled with coaches and players from across Berks County. “I think that just speaks to Kyle. That’s who he was. He accepted everybody. He appreciated everybody,” said Tulley. To that point, Wilson head basketball coach Matt Coldren was one of the guest speakers. They became friends despite the heated rivalry between the Bulldogs and Mustangs. Conrad was a standout athlete in high school. He participated in basketball, baseball, and soccer. Conrad also loved to sing and was a member of the concert choir at Gov. Mifflin. Colin Waszkiewicz, one of Conrad’s longtime friends, noted that Kyle made it cool to be in the choir. Conrad went on to a stellar basketball career at Elizabethtown College. He scored 1,157 career points and was a first team all-conference selection. Several of Conrad’s former teammates were in attendance. Bob Schlosser was the head coach of the Blue Jays during Conrad’s time at Elizabethtown. Schlosser talked about Kyle’s quiet confidence and his ability to carry the team when necessary. Conrad returned to his alma mater and served as an assistant varsity basketball coach under Dan Haughney for four years. He became the head coach and guided the Mustangs to the Berks County championship game in 2020. Conrad spent four seasons as the head coach in Shillington. Tulley knows that he will be missed tremendously. “The players really took to him. He’s touched so many people in the community. It’s difficult,” stated Tulley. Numerous former Gov. Mifflin players recorded video messages that were shown on Saturday afternoon. Kyle’s wife, Lauren, spoke very eloquently at the conclusion of the program. She emphasized what a caring father he was to their two sons, Logan and Carson. The couple met while attending Immanuel United Church of Christ. Tulley joked about playing a couple of pickup basketball games with Conrad a number of years ago. “He got into it. He was not nice on the court. He was so competitive. He wanted to win even if it was a 2-on-2 game, but off the court [he was] totally different,” said Tulley with a smile. Conrad was a great player and, more importantly, an even better person.

Kyle Conrad-Gov. Mifflin

Paul Roberts — Fri, 17 Dec 2021 23:48:00 +0000

Where were you on February 13, 2017? If you’re a Gov. Mifflin basketball fan, you were probably watching the Mustangs beat rival Wilson 43-40 in the Berks County quarterfinals. That’s the last time Gov. Mifflin defeated the Bulldogs…until Friday night. Matt Harley’s driving shot with seven seconds left gave the Mustangs a 54-52 victory in Shillington. The students, including Gatorade Football Player of the Year Nick Singleton, stormed the court after ending a 9-game losing streak to Wilson. Gov. Mifflin head coach Kyle Conrad described the atmosphere and the energy that the fans provided. We also discussed the Mustangs’ final possession. Conrad knows that Harley is no longer simply a long distance shooter. Harley finished with 22 points. The 6’5 senior jammed 14 points into the fourth quarter. Gov. Mifflin rallied after falling behind 46-38 with five minutes left. Tyler Minick drilled a clutch three-pointer from the right corner with 40 seconds remaining. It was the first three this season for the UConn baseball commit and it evened the score at 52. The (2-1) Mustangs sank ten three-pointers. They only made six shots all night from inside the arc. Gerrell McNeil came out on fire. The 6’2 junior splashed three triples in the first quarter. He ended up with 15 points. His brother, Delsin, added seven points. Conrad told me that this is the best shooting team that Gov. Mifflin has had in recent years. He’s also thrilled with the contribution from multi-sport athletes. Conrad played for the Mustangs and went on to score 1,157 points at Elizabethtown College. He stressed how much respect he has for the Wilson program and head coach Matt Coldren who has won 360 games. The (3-1) Bulldogs trailed 13-12 after the first period and 22-20 at halftime. They stormed out of the locker room with a 7-0 run and led 39-36 after the third quarter. Cleveland Harding carried Wilson with a career-high 19 points. The 5’9 junior missed a jumper from the right wing at the buzzer. 6’4 senior Foday Sillah chipped in with 14 points, eight coming in the final quarter. Cam Jones had nine. The Bulldogs were 6-10 from the free throw line, while Gov. Mifflin shot 12-20. Wilson entered the league opener having won 45 of its last 47 games! They host defending state champion Reading on Tuesday. The Mustangs have a quick turnaround. They travel to Hempfield on Saturday.

Kyle Lash-Exeter

Paul Roberts — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 21:10:00 +0000

A cooperative agreement allows Antietam students to play football at Exeter. Kyle Lash has been welcomed with open arms in Reiffton. Lash is one of four Exeter players who attend Antietam. The 6’3, 210-pound junior starts at guard and defensive tackle. Lash told me that he prefers defense because “hitting people just makes me so happy.” He described a big sack that he had in the District 3-5A championship at Gov. Mifflin. Lash is third on the team in sacks (3.5) and TFL (10). He has made 44 tackles for the (10-3) Eagles. They beat the Mustangs 31-28 for their first District 3 title. Lash talked about what it has been like in school this week after that historic victory. He gave a lot of credit to seniors Colin Payne and Eric Nangle. Payne now owns the single-season school record for passing yards with 2,184. He ranks second in Berks County this year with 22TD passes. Nangle ran 40 times for 225 yards and a touchdown against Gov. Mifflin. He’s up to 1,769 rushing yards and 21TD this season. Lash and the offensive line have helped Exeter average 227 rushing yards per game and nearly seven yards per carry. The Eagles take on (11-2) Penn-Trafford in the Class 5A state semifinals on Friday night at Bald Eagle High School. The Warriors have won nine in a row including their first WPIAL championship. Finally, Lash and I discussed his favorite sports movies and rappers.

Kyle Helm-Exeter

Paul Roberts — Wed, 24 Nov 2021 17:51:00 +0000

Kyle Helm is 6’2, 335 pounds and has the nickname “Big Sexy.” He bakes and takes honors calculus. As you can see, the Eagles’ center is a very interesting person. He’s also really good at football. Helm was a first-team All-Berks County selection at center this year. He helped Exeter run for 2,716 yards. The (9-3) Eagles average 7.1 yards per carry and 226 yards per game on the ground. Helm is one of fifteen seniors on the roster. He said their class has been extremely dedicated and hardworking. Exeter has reached the District 3-5A championship game for the first time. On Friday, the Eagles will face a Gov. Mifflin team that beat them 54-21 on October 8th. Helm knows that they must get out to a faster start and be sharp on special teams. The Mustangs were up 30-0 in the regular season meeting at Don Thomas Stadium. Exeter is riding a five-game winning streak. Eric Nangle ran for 332 yards and 5TD in a 42-35 victory at Cedar Cliff in the semifinals. He added an 83-yard TD catch. Helm appreciates that Nangle always gives credit to the offensive line. We discussed Helm’s relationship with senior quarterback Colin Payne who has thrown for 2,005 yards, second-most in the county. Plus, find out what Helm is baking for Thanksgiving, and if his cooking class is more difficult than calculus!

Kyle Hassler-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 22:09:00 +0000

The Wilson offensive line has four new starters this season. Kyle Hassler returns up front for the Bulldogs. They went 6-1 last year and won their record 27th Section 1 championship in the L-L League. Hassler told me about some OL and DL that the Bulldogs will be counting on this season. He talked about Wilson’s new quarterback and a dynamic pair of running backs. Hassler also weighed in on who’s the strongest player on the roster, and who can eat the most!