Philadelphia – Berks Sports Report

Zach Suski-Berks Catholic

Paul Roberts — Sat, 08 Mar 2025 05:30:34 +0000

Zach Suski gets to see Kingston McKoy every day at practice. He knows how hard McKoy works on his craft. “When practice is over, he’s getting extra 3s up, extra foul shots. He’s a great leader, great motivator. I’m happy to play with him,” said Suski. McKoy nearly outscored Simon Gratz by himself in the first round of the PIAA-4A playoffs. The 6’2 junior guard poured in 30 points in a 61-36 rout of the Bulldogs at Lloyd Wolf Gymnasium. “We’re really confident. We’re hoping to make a great push in the state tournament,” stated Suski. The 6’ forward provided 14 points. He’s the only senior in Berks Catholic’s starting lineup. “A little sad it’s the last time I’ll be playing here, but I’m happy that we’re moving on,” he explained. The (22-5) Saints had a slow start against the 2-3 zone utilized by Simon Gratz. The #5 seed from District 12 led 9-4 before Berks Catholic scored the final eight points of the quarter. McKoy opened the second period with a 3-pointer from the top of the key. On the Saints’ next possession, he converted a three-point play for a 18-9 advantage. McKoy’s putback made it 22-9 with 6:11 left in the first half. The (20-7) Bulldogs were scoreless for the first four minutes of the second quarter. Berks Catholic went on a 20-to-0 run to seize control. “We’ve been playing great defensively all playoffs,” noted Suski. The Saints allowed just 39.3 points per game during the District 3-4A playoffs. They earned their sixth District 3 championship in fourteen years. On Friday night, Berks Catholic held Simon Gratz to 13 points in the middle quarters. The Saints were on top 33-16 at halftime after a layup by McKoy with two seconds remaining on the clock. He had 18 points at the break. Berks Catholic expanded its margin to 47-22 after the third period. McKoy hit two of his four triples in the fourth quarter. The Saints connected six times from beyond the arc, while the Bulldogs made four treys. Carmelo Harper (six points) and Bryce Gumby combined for eleven points off Berks Catholic’s bench. The Saints ended up 7-for-12 from the free throw line and committed just three turnovers. Simon Gratz finished 8-for-12 from the stripe. Senior Rashaan Murphy, a 6’3 lefty forward, had a team-high eleven points. Nasir Mackley, another 6’3 senior, chipped in with ten points. Sihaaj “Pop” Johnson was held to six points on a pair of 3-pointers in the first half. He was the Player of the Year in the Liberty Division of the Philadelphia Public League. Berks Catholic will meet District 2 runner-up Scranton Prep in the second round on Tuesday. The Cavaliers blew out Northwestern Lehigh 75-48 in the opening round. “Anybody that comes to play us, we’re ready to play them,” said Suski.

Berks/L-L team falls in Carpenter Cup

Paul Roberts — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 03:06:55 +0000

The Berks/Lancaster-Lebanon team lost to Inter-Ac 11-4 in the Carpenter Cup at FDR Park on Monday morning. Inter-Ac took control early with six runs in the 2nd inning. Wilson southpaw Matt VanOstenbridge struggled with his command. The Penn State commit allowed six runs, five earned, on two hits and four walks. VanOstenbridge struck out five over three frames. Daniel Boone junior Anthony Manogue and Wyomissing sophomore Noah Rauenzahn each gave up two runs in relief. Inter-Ac finished with ten hits. The Berks/L-L squad scored all of its runs in the 8th inning. Wilson’s Christo Hunsicker provided a two-run double with two outs. Kevin Rodriguez of Muhlenberg also doubled earlier in the game. Sophomores Nate Lord (Twin Valley), Jake Hafer (Exeter), and Maddox Roy (Daniel Boone) each singled. The Berks/L-L team was limited to five hits. The Carpenter Cup is a single-elimination tournament in Philadelphia.

Amaya Stewart-Wyomissing

Paul Roberts — Mon, 18 Dec 2023 19:47:00 +0000

The Wyomissing girls basketball team couldn’t wait for this day to arrive. The Spartans got the opportunity to play at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Monday afternoon. “We couldn’t sit still at practice for the past two weeks,” emphasized Amaya Stewart. The All-State forward and Berks County Player of the Year finished with 15 points in a 43-27 victory over ELCO. The Spartans jumped out to an 8-3 lead. The Raiders didn’t go away quietly. They outscored Wyomissing 12-9 in the second quarter to even things at 17-17. Makenna Seifert, a 5’9 senior forward, scored six of her team-high eight points in the second period. Stewart provided the Spartans with eleven points in the middle quarters. Wyomissing was on top 31-27 with eight minutes remaining. The Spartans’ defense stole the show in the final period as ELCO went scoreless. Audrey Hurleman, one of four returning starters for Wyomissing, had a dozen points. “Oh my gosh, MVP of the game. It was great,” said Stewart about Hurleman. The junior forward is an All-County selection in both soccer and lacrosse. Junior guard Alexis Hardy chipped in with six points. The (7-0) Spartans are coming off a historical season. They won their first Berks County and District 3 championships in 2022-23. However, this talented group isn’t taking things lightly. “We come to practice ready to work every single day,” remarked Stewart. ELCO won the boys game 60-47. Sophomores Kaden Shultz-Tillison and Josiah Hayes came off the bench to combine for 31 points. Shultz-Tillison poured in a game-high 20 points for the (4-2) Raiders. He knocked down three NBA treys. Freshman guard Justice Hardy led the (0-2) Spartans with 15 points including eight in the fourth quarter. All of the players were grateful for the opportunity which was organized by ELCO athletic director Tommy Mealy. “It was an amazing experience. It was something like no other. It’s a one time experience. I’ll talk about it forever,” stated Stewart.