Luke – Berks Sports Report

Luke Spotts-Schuylkill Valley

Paul Roberts — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 13:08:35 +0000

Three years ago, Schuylkill Valley was (2-9). Times have changed quickly in Leesport. The Panthers won nine games a season ago to set a school record. They’re currently riding a seven-game winning streak and making their third straight appearance in the District 3 playoffs. “It’s great changing the culture here at SV to a winning culture and a winning program. I’m blessed that I get to be a part of it,” said Luke Spotts. The 6’2, 215-pound senior leads the team with 50 catches for 849 yards and 8 TD. Spotts had eight receptions for 143 yards and a score in a 40-29 victory over Lancaster Catholic last week. He added ten tackles and a sack from his linebacker position. That win put the (8-2, 7-0) Panthers alone atop the Section 5 standings in the Lancaster-Lebanon League. “It’s everything to me and my teammates. It’s our first outright championship in Schuylkill Valley history so it feels great,” noted Spotts. The Panthers shared the Section 5 title with Lancaster Catholic and Annville-Cleona last fall. Spotts, who averaged nine points for the basketball team as a junior, finished with nine catches for 131 yards and 2 TD against Hamburg three weeks ago. Schuylkill Valley prevailed 30-21 in the 50th edition of the Frost Bowl. The Panthers have a lot of weapons at the skill positions including Kowen Gerner, Dillon Lackner, Cooper Hohenadel, and Logan Cammauf. Quarterback Logan Nawrocki runs the show. The 6’1, 170-pound senior is the school’s all-time passing leader with 4,705 yards. Nawrocki was 21-of-36 for 265 yards and 3 TD last Friday. He has 2,154 yards and 32 TD this season. “I can’t say enough good things about him. Having him throw me the ball, it’s really like a dream come true,” stated Spotts. Schuylkill Valley hosts sixth-seeded Littlestown in the District 3-3A quarterfinals on Friday. The third-seeded Panthers beat the Thunderbolts 45-21 in the 2023 playoffs. Schuylkill Valley head coach Bruce Harbach knows a lot about winning in the postseason. He guided Lancaster Catholic to state championships in 2009 and 2011. The Crusaders claimed four District titles and eight Section crowns over Harbach’s 16 years at the helm. This is his fourth season with the Panthers. They’ve come a long way and Spotts is a big reason why. “He’s a great athlete. We can put him outside. We can put him at tight end. He’s a hard worker, hard-nosed kid. He’s meant so much to this program,” said Harbach.

Luke Wagner-Twin Valley

Paul Roberts — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 12:46:00 +0000

Luke Wagner’s first extra-base hit of the season came at the right moment. Twin Valley’s junior catcher crushed a three-run double off the wall in left-center to put the Raiders up 12-7 in the 8th at Exeter. That was the final margin as Twin Valley extended its winning streak to six. “I was looking to do something big. We needed more runs. He gave me a pitch I could hit and I took advantage of it,” said Wagner. The (8-3, 5-0) Raiders rallied from a 6-2 deficit after five innings. “We never give up. We always have something to say, something to answer,” replied Wagner. Twin Valley got a pair of runs in the 1st off sophomore Kamren Martin. The righty was just called up to the varsity team on Thursday. Martin settled down and allowed two runs on four hits over four innings. He struck out four and walked two. The (6-5, 2-4) Eagles responded immediately with four runs in the first frame. Brandon Weller singled to center field to score Alex Kelsey. Weller, a freshman catcher, had four of Exeter’s twelve hits on Friday afternoon. He knocked in three runs. Jake Franek’s RBI double to right-center tied it up. The Eagles took the lead on a wild pitch and a ground out. They added two more runs in the 2nd inning thanks to four consecutive hits with two outs. Jake Hafer and Weller provided RBI singles. Hafer, Kelsey, and Carter Redding each went 2-for-4. Kelsey, an All-County center fielder who’s committed to St. Joseph’s, scored three runs. The southpaw took over on the mound for sophomore Liam Porter in the 6th with two men on and nobody out. Wagner drew a bases loaded walk to get the Raiders within 6-3. Wagner, who’s batting .323, was walked three times. Logan Crunkleton grounded out to shortstop, but the throw to first base got away. Twin Valley scored two runs on the play. After a single by leadoff hitter Roman Cieless, Ben Vaughan hammered a two-run double to left-center to give the Raiders a 7-6 advantage. They managed five runs on only two hits in the 6th inning. A two-out line drive single to left field by Weller tied the game in the bottom half of the frame. Exeter put runners on first and second in the 7th, but Owen Rhoads got Kelsey to fly out to center to force extra innings in Reiffton. Rhoads earned the win in relief. He limited the Eagles to one run on two hits and three walks over 3.1 innings. “That was big. He’s one of our best pitchers. I was really comfortable with him coming in,” noted Wagner. Jon Oxendine gave up six runs, four earned, on ten hits in 4.2 innings. He struck out eleven and walked one. Oxendine and Rhoads are both committed to Elizabethtown College. Kelsey walked Nate Lord with the bases loaded to force in the go-ahead run in the 8th. Kevin Eden’s infield single with two outs made it 9-7. Wagner cleared the bases with a double. Wagner, Eden, Cieless, and Vaughan finished with two hits apiece. Designated hitter Paul Colombo was 1-for-3 with a couple of walks. He’s headed to Division II Anderson University in South Carolina. Colombo is batting .483 and Cieless is up to .486 this year. The young Eagles have dropped four of their last five games. They only had two seniors in the starting lineup. Kelsey was charged with eight runs on six hits over 2.2 innings. Exeter committed four errors. Meanwhile, Twin Valley is trying to bounce back from a (10-10) campaign a season ago. The Raiders didn’t qualify for the BCIAA or District 3 playoffs. “We know we’re more than mediocre. We’re pushing ourselves. We’re striving for those playoffs,” stated Wagner.

Luke Giering-Exeter

Paul Roberts — Sat, 30 Mar 2024 16:42:00 +0000

Baseball is a funny game. One minute you’re in complete control and the next you’re fighting to stay on top. Exeter held off Boyertown 10-8 on a sunny Saturday in Reiffton. The Eagles led 7-0 in the 4th inning, but needed St. Joseph’s commit Alex Kelsey to get them out of a 7th inning jam. Kelsey took over for sophomore Mason Goodhart with two men on and nobody out. The hard-throwing southpaw struck out two and didn’t allow a run to earn the save. Exeter jumped on senior Devin Hoelzle for four runs in the first frame. Joel Ummarino ripped a three-run homer down the right field line. “That was awesome…he’s huge for a sophomore,” said Luke Giering. Ummarino (6’2, 230) plays linebacker and defensive end for the Eagles’ football team. Brenton Feathers, one of four sophomores in the lineup, added a RBI single to left in the 1st inning. Junior Jonah Mayer took over for Hoelzle in the second. Mayer gave up one unearned run on a pair of hits in two innings. Todd Moyer, who’s in his 41st season as the Bears’ coach, then turned to sophomore lefty Luke Hagan. Giering’s two-run line drive double to left off of Hagan put Exeter in front 7-0 in the fourth. Giering went 3-for-3 with two doubles. The Eagles piled up eleven hits. “We’re explosive. We’re definitely dangerous. We’re gonna hopefully show some teams that we’re better than they think,” stated Giering. Exeter has scored 26 runs in three games. Giering and Kelsey are the only senior starters for head coach Justin Freese. This is his 29th year as the Eagles’ skipper. Boyertown got on the board in the 5th inning thanks to a wild pitch and a RBI groundout by Logan Barndt. Exeter tacked on three runs in the bottom half of the inning. Freshman catcher Brandon Weller and sophomore shortstop Jake Franek provided RBI doubles. Chase Youse knocked in their final run with a single down the third base line. Hagan was charged with five runs, four earned, on six hits in 2.2 innings. The (0-3) Bears had managed just two runs in their first two contests. They erupted for six runs in the 6th inning. Randy Wynings launched a RBI double to center before Beck Babb hammered a two-run double to left field. Gavin Miller’s outing ended after he walked Easton Albert with the bases loaded. Goodhart walked cleanup hitter Gavin Slaughter to force in another run. Designated hitter Connor Moyer struck out to end the threat. However, Boyertown was now within two runs at 10-8. The top of the 7th began with an error and a walk. That’s when Freese called upon Kelsey to seal the deal. Miller picked up the win despite not getting a lot of help from his defense. The junior allowed eight runs, seven earned, on seven hits and five walks. He struck out four and hit two batters over 5.2 innings. “He’s a great pitcher. He comes in and throws strikes. We gotta be a little better behind him. Whenever we have Gavin on the mound, we can beat anybody,” remarked Giering. Hafer was 2-for-3 with two runs. Six different players drove in runs for the Eagles. Moyer and Ryan Soffa each had a pair of hits for the Bears. Exeter’s young squad improved to (2-1). “I think it’s a good learning moment,” said Giering.

Luke Levan-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 08:40:00 +0000

Wilson showed that size does matter in its BCIAA quarterfinal against fifth-seeded Exeter. Luke Levan, a 6’5 junior, scored a career-high 22 points in a 74-51 rout at West Lawn. “They don’t really have a dominant big guy and I like to think of myself as a dominant big guy…getting it inside was definitely a strategy for us,” said Levan. The Bulldogs beat the Eagles 64-63 on January 26th in Reiffton. Exeter used its press to outscore Wilson 34-to-16 in the fourth quarter of that wild affair. This time around the (15-8) Bulldogs took care of the ball. They committed just one turnover in the first half and four through three quarters. Levan set the tone with nine points in the first eight minutes. He had 15 by halftime. Wilson went on a 15-to-4 run to begin the second period. The fourth-seeded Bulldogs were on top 39-27 at the break and 58-39 entering the final quarter. Sophomore guard Correll Akings finished with 19 points. Madyx Gruber added 17. “We have a lot of trust in Madyx. He’s the only returning starter and he’s the best player on the court at all times,” stated Levan. The (15-8) Eagles knocked down 208 shots from beyond the arc during the regular season. They went just 5-for-27 on Monday night. “Home court advantage is definitely a big factor. It’s easier to shoot on the rims that you practice on and they struggled shooting,” noted Levan. Alex Kelsey had a team-high twelve points. Kevin Saenz, who was averaging 17 ppg., was limited to nine points. Exeter went nearly four minutes without scoring in the third period. A three-point play by Levan put Wilson in front 51-32. He led the squad with seven rebounds. The Eagles are the highest-scoring team in the Berks Conference. They were held twenty points below their season average. Wilson was 14-of-17 from the free throw line. Exeter went 14-of-16 from the stripe. The Eagles’ five-game winning streak came to an end. The Bulldogs advance to the semifinals on Wednesday at 7pm. They’ll face top-seeded Berks Catholic at Santander Arena in Reading. The (20-2) Saints defeated Antietam 61-38 on Monday. Levan is looking forward to playing on a big stage. “It’s awesome. We’re all super excited and we’re ready to go get B.C. now,” he said.

Luke Macdonald-Oley Valley

Paul Roberts — Wed, 18 May 2022 00:14:00 +0000

After Garet Blankenbiller graduated and moved on to play at Millersville University, many were wondering who would become the ace of Oley Valley’s pitching staff. The 6’5 right-hander threw a 2-hitter in the District 3-3A championship game against Trinity. Blankenbiller led the Lynx to 21 wins and an appearance in the Class 3A state final last year. Oley Valley found a new pitcher to lead the rotation in senior Luke Macdonald. He stepped up again in the Berks County semifinals on Tuesday at FirstEnergy Stadium. The eighth-seeded Lynx held off fifth-seeded Wilson 8-6. They’re going to the BCIAA final for the first time since 2013. Macdonald escaped two difficult situations. He took over for sophomore Paul Petersen with two runners on and one out in the bottom of the sixth inning. Macdonald got pinch-hitter Christo Hunsicker to ground out to third with men on second and third to end the inning. Macdonald then induced a grounder to second by Nick Ruiz with the bases loaded to end Wilson’s comeback attempt in the seventh. In 38 innings, Macdonald has allowed just two earned runs and 18 hits. He fired a complete game 6-hitter in the quarterfinals versus top-seeded Gov. Mifflin. Macdonald told me that his mental approach to pitching is his biggest attribute. He said, “I don’t overpower people. I don’t throw hard. I don’t really do anything super special.” Macdonald has confused opponents all season by utilizing his curveball in fastball counts. He gave Peterson a lot of credit for the semifinal victory. The sophomore gave up six runs, three earned, on four hits over 5.1 innings. He struck out five and walked two. The (9-10) Bulldogs were limited to five hits. All of their runs came in the second inning when the Lynx committed two of their three errors. Nick Crocona provided an RBI single to left. Wilson got a pair of sacrifice flies from Trevor Bilodeau and Evan Gabaldon. The next two runs came via wild pitches by Petersen. Oley Valley went back on top with four runs on four hits off of Owen Geng in the sixth frame. Joey Vaccaro stroked an RBI single to right field. Chase Reifsnyder tied it with a sacrifice fly to right. A wild pitch gave the Lynx a 7-6 advantage. Macdonald’s fielder’s choice to second made it 8-6 when the throw home was late. The senior hurler got out of jams in the last two innings to seal it. The (13-7) Lynx have won nine of their last eleven contests. Macdonald stressed that they’re no longer playing selfish baseball and that has made a huge difference. I asked him about being a #8 seed and facing much larger schools in the county playoffs. He responded, “We fight. These guys are my brothers and I love them.” Andrew McMullen, Tyler Drobek, and Vaccaro each had two hits. Sophomore Bradley Auge hit a 2-run single to put Oley Valley up 3-0 in the second. Matt VanOstenbridge allowed four runs on five hits in four innings. The sophomore lefty had seven strikeouts and six walks. He entered Tuesday with 42K and only 4ER over 27.1 innings. The Bulldogs have dropped seven games by two runs or less this year. They made three errors against the Lynx. Wilson battles Boyertown on Wednesday in a non-league matchup. The Bulldogs are trying to qualify for the District 3-6A tournament. The top twelve teams get in and Wilson is currently #13 in the power ratings. Macdonald, who has a 4.2 GPA, talked about his favorite teacher and class at Oley Valley. The Lynx advanced to Wednesday’s county final at FirstEnergy Stadium. They’ll take on second-seeded Muhlenberg at 6pm.

Luke Weller-Exeter

Paul Roberts — Fri, 08 Apr 2022 21:24:00 +0000

Luke Weller and his teammates didn’t think there was a chance that they would be playing on Friday. However, the staff at Exeter did a great job preparing the field after heavy rains came through Berks County on Thursday. The Eagles faced Twin Valley in their league opener. Both teams had been putting up a lot of crooked numbers on the scoreboard. The Raiders were averaging 9.8 runs through their first five contests. Exeter wasn’t far behind at 8.8 runs per game. Right-handed pitchers Deven Sheerin and Kannon Zdimal made sure that wasn’t going to happen on this sunny afternoon in Reiffton. Sheerin held Twin Valley to one run on five hits over six frames. The 6’5, 230-pound junior struck out nine while walking just one. The 2021 all-division selection features a fastball near 90 mph. Zdimal matched Sheerin for five innings. The junior limited the (4-1) Eagles to two hits and one run. Zdimal finished with seven strikeouts and two walks. His outstanding effort wasn’t enough as Exeter pulled out a 3-1 victory. The Raiders scored first thanks to a 2-out, RBI single by sophomore Roman Cieless in the second inning. The Eagles threatened in the third when they loaded the bases with one out. Zdimal got out of the jam by striking out Sheerin and Weller, two of Exeter’s top hitters. Speedy sophomore Alex Kelsey went all the way around to third base on an infield single and throwing error by freshman shortstop Kooper Zdimal in the fifth inning. Brady Hannahoe’s RBI groundout tied it at 1-1. Kelsey made a nice running catch in center field on a line drive by Paul Colombo with the go-ahead run on second base in the top of the sixth inning. Sophomore Owen Rhoads replaced Zdimal on the mound for the bottom of the sixth. Weller led off with a triple to right field. The go-ahead run scored on a wild pitch by Rhoads. The ball got stuck in the padding of the backstop which prompted an argument from Twin Valley’s first-year head coach Corey Schnoke. He claimed that since it was a dead ball in the field of play, the runner should return to third base. After a meeting of the umpires, the run was counted and the Eagles had a 2-1 advantage. Colin Payne followed with a pinch-hit RBI single to make it 3-1. Three of Exeter’s five hits came in the sixth. Weller told me that extra insurance run gave him even more confidence as he went out to pitch the seventh inning. The senior righty retired the Raiders in order for the save. Weller talked about his approach to closing, as well as his key triple late in the game. The shortstop is one of eleven seniors on the Eagles’ roster. He said they have a close connection because they’ve been playing together since they were kids. Meanwhile, the (5-1) Raiders only had one senior in their starting lineup. Weller was an honorable mention all-division pick a season ago when he went (5-1) with a 3.08 ERA. He knows that the competition in Division 1 is always tough. Weller takes pride in his work ethic. He mentioned that former Phillies second baseman Chase Utley inspired him. We also discussed his favorite teachers, including head coach Justin Freese who earned career win #274.

Luke Hughes-Berks Catholic

Paul Roberts — Wed, 27 Oct 2021 21:44:00 +0000

Luke Hughes has really enjoyed moving from the offensive line to fullback. The 6’3, 225-pound senior started at guard for three years at Berks Catholic. Hughes has rumbled for 428 yards in the Wing-T offense. He’s averaging 4.9 yards per carry with 6TD. Hughes is joined in the backfield by two very talented halfbacks in Christian Cacchione and JayJay Jordan. Hughes is also a key figure in the Saints’ defense at linebacker. He’s tied for first on the team in tackles for loss with four. Hughes told me that he’s looking forward to a hard-hitting game on Friday against Gov. Mifflin. Both teams are #1 in their respective classes in the District 3 power rankings. That’s something Hughes is paying close attention to because he would like to be at home for the playoffs. The Mustangs are (7-0) and the Saints are (6-3) overall. Gov. Mifflin has won 65 of its last 67 league games! Hughes said Berks Catholic’s offensive line continues to improve. The Saints only have one senior starter in that group. Plus, find out how many chicken wings Luke could eat at once, and his thoughts on pickleball.

Luke Hughes-Berks Catholic

Paul Roberts — Sun, 22 Aug 2021 20:10:00 +0000

How do you slow down a 230-pound fullback? That’s a question that Berks Catholic’s opponents are going to have to answer this year. The Saints are ranked #8 in Class 4A in the PennLive preseason poll. Luke Hughes has made the transition from a three-year starter at guard to fullback. Hughes was a second team All-County DL last season. He was a force in Saturday’s tri-scrimmage with Lancaster Catholic and Trinity. Hughes talked about playing for longtime head coach Rick Keeley, and how lacrosse has helped him on the gridiron. He also mentioned his favorite Netflix shows.

Luke Holman-Wilson

Admin — Thu, 27 May 2021 23:53:02 +0000

Wilson senior Luke Holman tossed 6 shutout innings in the Bulldogs’ 6-0 District 3 quarterfinal win over #10 seed Hempfield. Holman struck out 12 and allowed just 2 hits and 2 walks. The ⁦ @UA_Athletics ⁩ commit is 8-1 this year. ⁦ @Wilson_Bulldogs
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Luke Holman-Wilson

Admin — Fri, 23 Apr 2021 21:47:32 +0000

Wilson senior Luke Holman tossed 6 no-hit innings in an 11-0 win at Muhlenberg. The 6’4 righty struck out 13 and walked 3. Holman is 4-0 this season with a 0.00 ERA! I caught up with the Alabama commit after the game. ⁦ @Wilson_Bulldogs ⁩ ⁦ @WHSbsball ⁩
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