Matt – Berks Sports Report

Matt Flowers-Muhlenberg

Paul Roberts — Fri, 17 Jan 2025 17:13:41 +0000

Exeter put up 69 points in a 17-point win over Gov. Mifflin on Tuesday. The Eagles upset Berks Catholic last week at Lloyd Wolf Gymnasium. Muhlenberg head coach Matt Flowers knew he was facing a hot team on Thursday night in Reiffton. The Muhls’ pressure defense forced 19 turnovers in a 59-50 victory. “Everything was triggered by our uptempo pace on the defensive end. We weren’t fouling. We were playing team defense which is what we preach,” explained Flowers. The Eagles committed 13 turnovers in the first half and trailed 27-17 at the break. Eli Hemmings provided a spark in the third quarter with nine points. The 6’3 sophomore finished with 13 points and was a key figure on defense. “He’s one of our go-to guys and he’s been trending in the right direction. His shot wasn’t going down in the beginning of the season, but he put in more work and more work and now it’s going down,” said Flowers. Exeter was within 37-32 in the third period, but Muhlenberg closed the quarter on a 9-to-2 run. A three-point play by Shermar Killen made it 51-38 with 4:07 left. The All-County guard scored a game-high 22 points including eight in the fourth quarter. “He utilizes his body very well. He’s a rebounding machine. He can get downhill. He can knock down the 3. He’s a really good all-around player…and he took pride in the weight room,” stated Flowers. A layup by 6’4 sophomore Braylon Reinert brought the Eagles within 53-48 with 1:45 remaining. That basket capped a 10-to-2 run by Exeter and got the crowd back into the game. Jayden Ware’s layup made it 55-50 with 53 seconds to go. After Jayden Kantner went 1-for-2 from the free throw line, Ware’s pull-up jumper rattled out. Killen sank a pair of foul shots with 27 seconds to play to increase the Muhls’ advantage to 58-50. The (7-8, 4-2) Eagles committed their final turnover on the ensuing possession. Aidan Dauble came alive in the second half. The 6’2 junior jammed eleven of his eighteen points into the third quarter. Dauble was 9-for-15 from the free throw stripe. He worked tirelessly on the glass to get second chance opportunities. Exeter ended up 16-of-25 from the line, while Muhlenberg was 10-of-13. Brady Murray, a 6’2 senior guard, added 14 points and Reinert provided eight for the Eagles. Michael Miller contributed ten points to the (11-4, 4-3) Muhls. “He’s been Mr. Consistent all season. He does things that need to get done,” noted Flowers. Muhlenberg committed 13 of its 18 turnovers in the second half, but went 7-of-9 from the foul line in the fourth quarter to hold on. Jadin Perez came off the bench and hit two of the Muhls’ three triples in the first half. Murray drilled three of Exeter’s four 3-pointers. He has 46 treys this year. Carter Redding, who was averaging 10 ppg., batted foul trouble and was limited to one point. The Eagles remain atop the Division 2 standings. Muhlenberg is in a tight race in Division 1 with Wilson, Berks Catholic, and Gov. Mifflin. The Bulldogs are in first place with a (6-1) league record. “It’s wide open,” emphasized Flowers.

Matt Coldren-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 14:35:41 +0000

Central Dauphin and Wilson held the top two spots in the District 3-6A power rankings entering Monday. Their battle in West Lawn went down to the wire. The Bulldogs knocked off the Rams 59-53 in a potential playoff preview. “In my opinion, that’s the best starting five in our district…I think we proved ourselves a little bit tonight,” said Wilson coach Matt Coldren. All-County guard and All-State football player Madyx Gruber is comfortable playing in big games. The 5’11 senior poured in 27 points and knocked down six 3-pointers. “He was really fantastic. He was feeling it early. When he’s feeling it, we pretty much don’t run stuff. We let him do his thing,” noted Coldren. Gruber exploded for 19 points and hit five triples in the first half. He’s up to 958 career points. The (11-2) Rams trailed 25-15 in the second quarter. Standout sophomore Shakur Starling got his third foul midway through that period. The 6’2 guard finished with ten points and seven rebounds. A breakaway dunk by Wayne Fletcher II in the final seconds of the half tied it at 32-32. The 6’3 Navy commit ended up with a team-high 18 points and seven boards. “He’s a great player. He’s the best player that we have faced this year. He’s a tough matchup. He’s a 3-level scorer,” stated Coldren. Fletcher II has 1,046 career points. His father is in his seventh season as the head coach at Central Dauphin. Like Coldren, he also played basketball for Kutztown University. Gruber drilled a trey from the right wing to end the third quarter and expand the Bulldogs’ cushion to 50-42. That lead quickly evaporated as the Rams scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter. Gruber drove to the basket and found Luke Levan for a layup to make it 54-51. A putback by Jelani Easter got Central Dauphin within 55-53 with 52 seconds remaining. Easter, a 6’5 junior, provided 15 points, five rebounds and five assists. Tommy McFadden sank a pair of free throws with 47 seconds left. After Khalil Roberts missed a layup, McFadden went 2-for-2 again at the foul line with 12 seconds to go. The Albany soccer commit played great defense and converted at the charity stripe when the rest of the team was struggling. Wilson was 9-of-18 from the free throw line, while the Rams went 8-of-9. The (13-2) Bulldogs did an outstanding job of taking care of the ball. They only committed four turnovers and had none in the second half. “To have four turnovers is pretty amazing so kudos to our guys. They stepped up to the occasion. I’m super proud of them,” said Coldren. Correll Akings added a dozen points and made two of Wilson’s eight 3-pointers. Levan, a 6’6 senior, chipped in with ten points. “It was a great team effort. Every guy that played for us contributed in big ways. That’s what you need to do when you play good teams,” emphasized Coldren.

Matt Hoffert Resigns at Hamburg

Paul Roberts — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 15:06:01 +0000

Hamburg is looking for a new head coach of its high school football program. Matt Hoffert resigned after three seasons on Hawk Hill. Hoffert, a 2001 Hamburg graduate, was (21-13) overall including a (9-3) record in his first year. “We appreciate Matt’s contributions to our program over the past three years. Hamburg Area wishes him nothing but the best into the future,” said athletic director Aaron Menapace. Hoffert served as an assistant coach for the Hawks from 2005-09 and again from 2012-13. He took over the program from Jeff Chillot who was (7-4) in his only season at the helm.

Hamburg got off to a (5-1) start this fall before finishing (6-5) for the second consecutive season. The Hawks lost in the Eastern Conference Championship Game each of the past two years. North Pocono shutout Hamburg 41-0 to end the 2024 campaign. The Hawks averaged 25 points while allowing 23 ppg. They ended up in fourth place in Section 5 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League with a (4-3) mark.

Hamburg will also be searching for a new quarterback and #1 wide receiver. Tyler Shuey and Ty Werley were two of the ten seniors on this year’s roster. Shuey set a school record with 4,256 career passing yards. As a junior, he established a single-season school record with 2,764 yards through the air. Werley holds the Hawks’ career records with 104 receptions and 1,788 receiving yards.

Hamburg hasn’t had a losing season since 2018. The Hawks reached the District 3 playoffs in 2021 and 2022. Hamburg moved up to Class 4A this year. “Our administration has started the search for new leadership and will make a hire when we find the right person to fit our student-athletes’ needs,” said Menapace.

Wilson hires Matt Raquet

Paul Roberts — Mon, 05 Aug 2024 23:55:43 +0000

Wilson has found its new girls basketball head coach. Matt Raquet was approved at tonight’s school board meeting. Raquet graduated from Holy Name in 2005. He was on the Blue Jays’ basketball, football, and track and field teams. Berks Catholic inducted Raquet into its Hall of Fame in 2016.

Raquet spent three years (2010-13) as a graduate assistant/video coordinator with the Temple women’s basketball team. His next stop at the Division I college level was Holy Cross. He was an assistant women’s basketball coach for the Crusaders from 2013-18. Raquet stepped down for family reasons, but later coached one of the top AAU programs in Philadelphia for four years. He moved back to Berks County a few years ago.

Chris Gallo resigned as Wilson’s head coach in early May. He had a record of (65-30) over four seasons. The Bulldogs went (24-5) this year and reached the state playoffs. They lost to Wyomissing 45-36 in the BCIAA championship and finished fourth in the District 3-6A tournament.

Wilson’s starting lineup this past season included four sophomores. Unfortunately, point guard Laila Jones suffered a torn ACL last month during an AAU tournament. The two-time All-County selection has 788 career points. Jones averaged a team-high 16 points as a sophomore.

Matt Coldren-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 17:26:50 +0000

The extreme temperatures haven’t slowed down Wilson’s boys basketball team this summer. After beating Exeter 54-37 last week, the Bulldogs improved to (7-0) in the West Reading League. They’re also unbeaten in the Cedar Beach League with a mark of (12-0) in Allentown. “It’s been a good summer. The kids have been very committed. I’m really pleased with where we’re at,” said head coach Matt Coldren. He likes what he has seen on the offensive end of the court. “I think what I’ve been most pleased about is they are sharing the ball which is really huge for us,” noted Coldren. He has an experienced squad with four starters and some key reserves returning from a county championship team. Wilson defeated Reading 54-53 in the Berks Conference Final at Santander Arena. The Bulldogs claimed their third county title in five years. “I think what’s the greatest thing about winning championships…it’s the joy on the kids’ faces and the glow they had,” emphasized Coldren. Wilson finished (17-9) a season ago. Madyx Gruber, Correll Akings, Luke Levan, and Tommy McFadden are all back. Gruber was an All-County selection who averaged nearly twelve points per game. Levan, a 6’5 rising senior, gives the Bulldogs some size. Akings provided a team-high 12.1 ppg. as a sophomore. Coldren has won a school record 408 games over 23 years. He understands that expectations will be high this winter. “I’ve been at Wilson long enough to realize that we’re not really liked so it doesn’t matter whether we’re the favorite or we’re the underdog,” he stated.

Matt VanOstenbridge-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 08:12:00 +0000

Wilson senior Matt VanOstenbridge had to deal with back tightness this season. It’s safe to say that the Bulldogs’ ace is healthy again. The southpaw tossed a one-hitter in a 1-0 victory over Fleetwood last week. On Wednesday, VanOstenbridge was even better. The Penn State commit fired a no-hitter against Exeter in the Berks County High School Baseball Showcase at Owls Field. “It felt amazing. Everything was working, all four pitches…I felt very effortless. I felt very smooth,” he said. Wilson rolled over the Eagles 11-0 in five innings. VanOstenbridge struck out ten, walked one, and hit a batter. The lefty hasn’t allowed an earned run in his last 17 innings. He needed just 68 pitches to get through five frames. VanOstenbridge helped himself with a RBI single in the second inning. C.J. Fernandez followed with a two-run single to center field. Wilson tacked on four runs in the bottom of the 3rd. Cooper Kennedy and freshman Ryan Marmolejos provided RBI singles and VanOstenbridge added a sacrifice fly. Kennedy, a senior outfielder, made it 10-0 with a bases-clearing triple to right-center in the fourth inning. Kennedy and Christo Hunsicker had two hits apiece. Sophomore Jack Gabel went 1-for-3. The shortstop is batting a team-high .422. Nick Fiorini doubled and was hit twice by pitches. The senior center fielder is hitting .413. Fiorini leads the team with 19RBI and nine extra-base hits. “We’re really, really good top to bottom. We don’t have a weak link in our lineup. Our pitching is really good. We have so many arms,” remarked VanOstenbridge. The (10-4, 6-2) Bulldogs are tied with Gov. Mifflin atop Division 1. VanOstenbridge (3-0, 0.52) has 43 strikeouts in 26.2 innings. He’s only given up seven hits. The All-County pick from a season ago explained why he’s headed to Penn State. “It’s close to home. It’s every kid’s dream in Pennsylvania to play for Penn State…The facilities are amazing. The coaches are amazing. Everything about it was the perfect fit,” he replied. Exeter junior Gavin Miller took the loss on Wednesday afternoon. He entered the contest at (6-0) with a 2.36 ERA. Miller was charged with seven runs, five earned, on six hits. He lasted 2.1 innings. Sophomore Liam Porter allowed four runs on four hits for the (8-6, 3-5) Eagles. Meanwhile, Wilson has a mix of experienced players with some young talent. “This is my favorite team. These guys are awesome,” said VanOstenbridge after a Gatorade cooler filled with water was dumped on him.

Matt Koehler-Gov. Mifflin

Paul Roberts — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 12:03:00 +0000

Gov. Mifflin is one of the top teams in Berks County, as well as Class 5A in District 3. The Mustangs could be even better next year and that’s a scary thing to think about for their opponents. They had seven juniors in the starting lineup for the Berks High School Baseball Showcase at Owls Field. Gov. Mifflin cruised past Muhlenberg 10-0 in five innings on Wednesday night. Matt Koehler is part of that talented junior class. The 6’3 third baseman went 2-for-3 with 2RBI out of the No. 6 spot in the order. He crushed a double to left field in the 3rd to knock in a run and put the Mustangs up 6-0. “We were really motivated because they beat us on our field and they acted really excited,” said Koehler. The Muhls took the first matchup 4-3 in Shillington two weeks ago. This was a much different story. Bryce Detwiler went the distance and allowed just a pair of hits. The UConn commit struck out eight and walked two. “It’s not only what he shows on the field. He’s always hitting after practice. He never lets up,” remarked Koehler. Detwiler and Ethan Grim had two hits apiece. Travis Jenkins singled and was on base three times. Detwiler, Grim, and Jenkins are all juniors. Gov. Mifflin scored twice in the second inning on a RBI single by Koehler and a sacrifice fly from Bryce Wunderlich. The (11-2, 6-2) Mustangs blew it open with eight runs on eight hits in the third frame. Grim knocked in two runs with a couple of singles during the hit parade. Dylan Barrett, Joey Berg, and Detwiler provided RBI singles as well. Dante Casantini added a line drive RBI double down the right field line. Gov. Mifflin piled up a dozen hits from nine different players. Aaden Lopez was charged with four runs on one hit and four walks. The junior righty hit two batters over two innings. Lopez has issued 24 walks in 17 innings this season. Koehler noted that their game plan was to be patient at the plate. Cole Moody replaced Lopez with no outs and two runners on base in the top of the third. The sophomore gave up six runs on six hits while getting just one out. Muhlenberg is still in the race for the Division 1 title. The (9-4, 5-3) Muhls trail the Mustangs and Wilson by one game. Koehler, who led Gov. Mifflin’s basketball team with 11.5 ppg., knows that nothing has been settled. “It’s gonna be a tight race going to the end,” he stated.

Matt Coldren-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Sat, 17 Feb 2024 09:03:00 +0000

Wilson head coach Matt Coldren and his team will remember the past five days for a long time. The Bulldogs beat fifth-seeded Exeter, top-seeded Berks Catholic, and second-seeded Reading to win the Berks Conference championship. They held off the Red Knights 54-53 on Friday night in front of 3,443 fans at Santander Arena. “I haven’t coached a team that’s won a championship that had to beat three great teams like we had to this week,” said Coldren. It’s the third county title in the last five years for Wilson and its 12th overall. This one was tight the whole way. Reading, which was attempting a three-peat, led 16-15 after eight minutes. The (17-8) Red Knights were up 32-31 at halftime. They won both regular season contests with the Bulldogs by six points apiece. Wilson gained momentum in the third quarter and built a 41-35 advantage. It was 44-41 entering the final period. A layup by junior guard Madyx Gruber put the (17-8) Bulldogs on top 52-51 with 2:25 remaining. Luke Levan sank a pair of free throws with 38 seconds left. The 6’5 junior made it 54-51. “I’m so proud of him. As far as he has come in a year is amazing. I can’t wait to see what he does in the offseason,” emphasized Coldren. Levan racked up 12 points and 10 rebounds. A layup by freshman guard Jeremiah Camara pulled Reading within 54-53 with 19 seconds to go. After Correll Akings missed two foul shots, the Red Knights had one final possession with two seconds on the clock. Nick Chapman inbounded the ball on the right sideline to Weshly Rosario. Chapman immediately cut to the basket, but Rosario’s return pass was deflected by a diving Gruber to end the thriller. Wilson forced 18 turnovers. Gruber and Tommy McFadden each provided twelve points. That’s a career-high for McFadden who missed the first five games of the season with an injury. “He’s a tough kid. He’s a great kid. He needs to believe in himself a little bit more. I gotta keep building him up,” replied Coldren. Yadiel Cruz poured in a game-high 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field. Chapman added eleven points. Rosario had seven points and six assists. Reading went 7-for-12 from the free throw line, while the Bulldogs were 12-for-20. The Red Knights came in averaging 67 points. They were 2-of-7 from beyond the arc. Wilson snapped a 9-game losing streak to Reading. “I wish it could be Reading-Wilson every year [in the final]. There’s something special about that rivalry. It brings out the best in both teams,” stated Coldren.

Matt Coldren-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 23:52:00 +0000

Wilson hosted Warwick on Thursday in a matchup of two teams that qualified for the state playoffs a season ago. The Bulldogs had a slim 27-25 advantage heading into the fourth quarter. Their defense was the key in a 43-32 victory. “We were really good tonight. I thought we did a great job on their shooters…I thought as a team we did a great job limiting open looks,” said head coach Matt Coldren. The 1990 Wilson graduate has always preached about the importance of defense during his 23 years at the helm in West Lawn. The Warriors came in averaging 64 points. They were held to half of that, including just seven points over the final eight minutes. Tommy Hunsicker hit a three-pointer and then assisted on Luke Levan’s basket early in the fourth period. This was the first close game of the season for the (4-1) Bulldogs. “I was most pleased with, when we had the lead, taking care of the ball and making some good decisions,” replied Coldren. Madyx Gruber poured in 19 points. The 5’11 junior guard connected on three of Wilson’s five three-pointers. Gruber is the lone returning starter for the Bulldogs. He provided nearly nine points per game as a sophomore on a (19-10) squad. Coldren, who picked up his 395th win, noted that Gruber has improved tremendously. “It’s like night and day. First of all, he’s more physically mature. He’s much stronger this year. He was the best player on the floor,” stated Coldren. Gruber also had the assignment of guarding Carter Horst. The 6’1 senior is committed to York College. Horst entered the night averaging 16 points, but he was limited to eight and only two in the second half. 6’3 junior Caleb Johnsen had a team-high 12 points for the (2-3) Warriors. Warwick only knocked down three treys. The Bulldogs were on top 11-7 after a quarter and 22-15 at the break. Luke Levan, a 6’4 junior, chipped in with eight points and six rebounds. “He’s really improved. I wish people could see how far he’s come since the beginning of last year…He put the time in and has worked super hard,” said Coldren. Correll Akings added seven points. Hunsicker, the BCIAA Football Player of the Year, had six points and four assists. Wilson’s roster is loaded with football players. Coldren mentioned that it typically takes until early January for them to get into basketball shape. The Bulldogs got good news on Thursday. Junior guard Tommy McFadden was cleared to practice after suffering a preseason ankle injury. “He is by far our most athletic kid. He’s tough, probably our best defender…We’re super excited to get him back into our rotation,” emphasized Coldren.

Matt Bauer-Exeter

Paul Roberts — Sat, 04 Nov 2023 01:38:00 +0000

It wasn’t that long ago that Exeter was riding an eight-game winning streak and ranked in the top 5 in the state in Class 5A. How quickly things can change. #8 seed Hershey rallied from a 21-0 halftime deficit to stun the ninth-seeded Eagles 28-27 in the opening round of the District 3-5A playoffs at Hersheypark Stadium. “Nothing I can say right now is gonna make them feel any better,” said head coach Matt Bauer. Exeter committed four turnovers in the second half. “You can’t make those types of mistakes in November. Those types of mistakes end your season,” stated Bauer. The (8-3) Trojans had miscues of their own in the second quarter. On 4th & 4 from the 10-yard line, sophomore Cameron Sweeney was intercepted by sophomore linebacker Aiden Dauble. On Hershey’s next possession, running back Angel Cabrera fumbled at the Eagles’ 17-yard line. The 225-pound senior entered the night with 1,408 rushing yards and 20 TD. Exeter scored on three consecutive drives in the second period. Sophomore Zumar Boston capped a 71-yard march with a 2-yard run. Riley Martinez hit Carter Redding over the middle for a 22-yard touchdown. Redding avoided three defenders and managed to stay in bounds along the right sideline. Martinez, a 6’3 sophomore, found Redding deep over the middle for a 21-0 advantage with 1:14 remaining before halftime. The string of turnovers for the Eagles began on the opening possession of the third quarter when Martinez was picked off in the end zone by Derek Guzman. About four and a-half minutes later, Exeter fumbled a punt at midfield. Those takeaways resulted in 14 points for the Trojans in the form of short TD runs by Cabrera. The powerful running back finished with an eye-popping 37 carries for 174 yards and 4 TD. Jayden Zandier raced up the gut for a 69-yard score with 3:10 to go in the third period. The Eagles went on top 27-7. They couldn’t get off the extra point due to a high snap. Zandier piled up 222 yards on 25 carries. The speedy junior had a costly fumble that was recovered by Guzman with six minutes on the clock. A few plays later, Sweeney heaved the ball deep down field and Guzman somehow came down with it at the 38-yard line. Cabrera’s fourth touchdown, a 1-yard plunge, tied it up with 2:36 left. Cole Goodman made the PAT for a 28-27 edge. One minute later, safety Anthony Vasquezi intercepted Martinez’s pass and sprinted down the right sideline to Exeter’s 22-yard line. Hershey pulled off its first victory in the District 3 playoffs since 2010. The Trojans are appearing in the tournament for the first time since 2013. The Eagles were the Class 5A runner-up a season ago. Exeter outgained Hershey 426-to-391. The Trojans will travel to top-seeded New Oxford next Friday. The Eagles end up (8-3). “It’s a great bunch of kids. It’s a very unselfish bunch of kids…our kids battled. They gave everything they had,” said Bauer. He added, “Tough times don’t last. Tough people do.”