The District 3 tournament begins this Friday. Here are the matchups involving local teams in each classification.

Class 6A:

#13 Northeastern vs. #4 Wilson at 7pm on Friday, May 15th. That first round game will be played at Owls Field in West Lawn.

#11 Muhlenberg at #6 Manheim Township at 4:30pm on Friday, May 15th.

Class 5A:

#10 Spring Grove at #7 Exeter at 4pm on Friday, May 15th.

#9 Twin Valley at #8 New Oxford at 4:30pm on Friday, May 15th.

Class 4A:

#6 Oley Valley at #3 East Pennsboro at 4:30pm on Monday, May 18th.

Class 3A:

#6 Pequea Valley at #3 Berks Catholic at 4:30pm on Monday, May 18th.

#5 Wyomissing at #4 Kutztown at 6:30pm on Monday, May 18th.

Class A:

#6 Fairfield at #3 High Point Baptist at 4:30pm on Friday, May 15th.

Class 6A (14 teams qualify)

8. Wilson

13. Muhlenberg

14. Gov. Mifflin

19. Reading

Class 5A (14 teams qualify)

7. Exeter

13. Twin Valley

14. Daniel Boone

28. Conrad Weiser

Class 4A (8 teams qualify)

7. Oley Valley

10. Hamburg

11. Fleetwood

14. Schuylkill Valley

17. Tulpehocken

Class 3A (6 teams qualify)

3. Berks Catholic

4. Kutztown

6. Wyomissing

14. Brandywine Heights

Class 2A (4 teams qualify)

6. Antietam

Class 6A:

The Wilson boys fell at New Castle 68-38. The Bulldogs finished (17-11).

The Wilson girls defeated Conestoga 59-46 in West Lawn.

The Gov. Mifflin girls battled District 7 champion Canon-McMillan down to the wire, but the (18-9) Mustangs came up short 48-46.

Class 5A:

Exeter ran into a buzz saw at Chartiers Valley. The Colts went 15-of-28 from 3-point range. The (18-11) Eagles lost 66-42.

Class 4A:

Berks Catholic was upset by Carver High School of Engineering & Science 40-35 at Lloyd Wolf Gymnasium. The Saints end their season at (25-3).

Schuylkill Valley got tripped up by District 2 champion Scranton Prep 65-48. The (16-11) Panthers made their third appearance in the PIAA playoffs.

Wyomissing fell to Archbishop Carroll from the Philadelphia Catholic League 77-52. The Spartans finished (16-11).

Berks Catholic came out hot on Friday with four 3-pointers in the opening quarter. Kingston McKoy and Carmelo Harper hit back-to-back triples to put the Saints in front 16-10. Fareed Brown, a first team selection in the Public League, picked up two fouls in the first quarter and didn’t play the rest of the half. The 5’9 senior guard averages a team-high 13 points and four assists. Matt McField, another first team pick in the Public League, stepped up with Brown on the bench. The 6’ senior guard scored eight points in the first eight minutes and drilled two treys. However, the Engineers trailed 16-12 entering the second period.

Oye “Junior” Guilavogui splashed a 3-pointer from the right corner to make it 20-14. That was the only shot Berks Catholic made in the entire quarter. Carver E&S struggled on the offensive end as well. The Engineers outscored the Saints 6-4 in the period to pull within 20-18 at halftime. Brown connected on a jumper to begin the third quarter. A spin move by McKoy gave the Saints a 30-24 cushion with 2:20 left in the quarter. Berks Catholic was limited to five points over the final ten minutes. Samir Roberts-Mouzon came off the bench and nailed a triple from the right wing at the buzzer. His only field goal of the contest evened things up at 30-30.

A layup by Brown started the fourth quarter. His three-point play with 6:42 to go put Carver E&S on top 35-31. McKoy, a Colgate commit, threw down a breakaway dunk with just under four minutes left. That was the only shot the Saints made in the last quarter. Sahin Rodriguez, a 6’3 senior forward, went to work in the low post with 2:45 on the clock. His bucket provided the Engineers with a 37-33 edge. McKoy connected twice from the free throw line to make it 38-35 with 2:03 remaining. Roberts-Mouzon missed a pair of foul shots with 48 seconds to play. Carver E&S committed a turnover with 29 seconds left, but Berks Catholic didn’t take advantage. McKoy got trapped in the left corner which led to a steal by the Engineers. McField finished off a 2-on-1 fast break to ice it with four seconds on the clock.

The Saints were held 24 points below their season average of 59 ppg. “They really doubled Kingston. When we had some guys that were open, we just didn’t hit the shot,” explained Esterly. Berks Catholic connected seven times from long range, but just twice after halftime. Carver E&S made three 3-pointers and went 11-for-15 from the foul line. The Saints were 4-for-6 from the stripe. McKoy poured in a game-high 19 points. The two-time All-State guard wrapped up an outstanding career with 1,679 points. McKoy averaged 22 ppg. this year. Harper, a 6’1 sophomore, chipped in with nine points and Johnny Giesa had four. McField led the (21-6) Engineers with 14 points. Rodriguez added nine points and Brown had seven in limited minutes due to early foul trouble.

Berks Catholic ends its campaign with a mark of (25-3). The Saints, who reached the state final a season ago, saw their 19-game winning streak come to a halt. They did bring home BCIAA and District 3-4A championships this winter. “I’m so proud of them, the way they developed over the last two years. We just came up short tonight,” replied Esterly.

Here are the first round matchups.

Boys:

Class 6A-Wilson at New Castle at 1pm on March 7th.

Class 5A-Exeter at Chartiers Valley at 6pm on March 6th.

Class 4A-Carver High School of Engineering and Science at Berks Catholic at 6pm on March 6th.

Schuylkill Valley at Scranton Prep at 7pm on March 6th.

Wyomissing at Archbishop Carroll at 7pm on March 6th.

Girls:

Class 6A-Conestoga at Wilson at 7pm on March 6th.

Gov. Mifflin at Canon-McMillan at 6pm on March 6th.

Class 6A (16 teams qualify)

3. Muhlenberg

4. Reading

8. Wilson

20. Gov. Mifflin

Class 5A (16 teams qualify)

11. Exeter

19. Daniel Boone

20. Fleetwood

23. Conrad Weiser

31. Twin Valley

Class 4A (8 teams qualify)

1. Berks Catholic

4. Wyomissing

6. Schuylkill Valley

8. Oley Valley

13. Tulpehocken

16. Hamburg

Class 3A (6 teams qualify)

3. Antietam

6. Brandywine Heights

7. Kutztown

Twin Valley got off to a fast start. Drew Engle ripped off a 39-yard run on the first play from scrimmage. Lucas Myers, Brett’s son, went untouched up the middle for a 20-yard touchdown just two minutes into the game. Southern Lehigh responded quickly with an 80-yard drive that took less than three minutes. Steckert followed up his 46-yard run with an 11-yard score to make it 7-7. The Raiders’ 21-yard field goal attempt on the ensuing possession was no good after a low snap bounced back to the holder. Freshman Declan Walsh converted the first field goal of the Spartans’ season for a 10-7 edge. The 24-yard kick came with 3:17 left in the second quarter. Sophomore Maverik Foster then hit Dominic Summers over the top of Southern Lehigh’s defense for a 64-yard touchdown pass. Once again, the Spartans had an answer. On fourth-and-1 with 25 seconds remaining in the second quarter, Steckert bounced outside and raced 27 yards down the left sideline for a score. The District 11 champs were in front 17-14 at halftime.

On the first series of the second half, Colton Sams found Otto Young down the left seam for a 40-yard touchdown pass. Sophomore Adam Fritts then picked off Foster, setting up Southern Lehigh at Twin Valley’s 31-yard line. A 6-yard run by Steckert put the Spartans on top 30-14 midway through the third quarter. Engle capped a 65-yard drive by the Raiders with a 4-yard touchdown run. Twin Valley opted not to try a 2-point conversion and trailed 30-21 with 2:44 to go in the third period.

One of the pivotal plays of the night came early in the fourth quarter with Southern Lehigh facing a fourth-and-6 at the Raiders’ 43-yard line. Sams had plenty of time to throw and connected with Luke Kawczenski over the middle for a 12-yard gain to move the chains. Sams, the son of head coach Phil Sams, fired a slant to Young moments later for a 30-yard touchdown pass. Although the 2-point conversion was stuffed, Southern Lehigh had extended its advantage to 36-21 with 10:21 to play. Twin Valley decided to punt on fourth-and-11 near midfield with eight minutes left. The Spartans marched down the field, but Ben Grundy turned them away with an interception in the end zone with 4:45 remaining. Fritts, however, came up with his second pick on the very next play. Steckert polished off a short 13-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run with 2:06 on the clock. On the ensuing series, sophomore safety Jack Pavis made his team-high fifth interception.

After going 4-of-4 for 90 yards in the first half, Foster was 0-for-6 in the second half with 3 INT. He had not thrown a pick in the Raiders’ first 14 games. Engle ran 22 times for 175 yards. The Army Lacrosse commit finished with 2,095 rushing yards this season and 4,211 in his career. Those totals are both school records. He also holds the program record with 61 career touchdowns. “Drew is special. The way he competed tonight is special. He’s a great kid and he’s a leader,” noted Myers. Twin Valley had 325 total yards including 235 on the ground. Lucas Myers, a 215-pound junior, provided 52 yards on 11 carries.

Sams went 13-of-18 for 145 yards. The 5’11, 169-pound junior already owns the all-time records for passing yards and touchdown passes at Southern Lehigh. Sams threw for 2,688 yards and 36 TD this year. He and Steckert were All-State selections a season ago in Class 4A. Young had three catches for 79 yards and two scores against the Raiders. Kawczenski chipped in with six receptions for 48 yards. The Spartans’ offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage. That group includes 6’4, 336-pound senior Carter Giberson who’s committed to Albany.

When the pain of this loss subsides, Twin Valley will look back at a lot of special memories. The Raiders established a school record with 14 wins. They knocked off Wyomissing and Lampeter-Strasburg in back-to-back weeks to claim the Section 4 title in the Lancaster-Lebanon League. They defeated top-seeded Susquehanna Township 41-21 for their first District 3 crown. Twin Valley held off five-time state champion Aliquippa 28-24 in the PIAA-4A semifinals. The Raiders averaged 48.7 ppg. during the historic 2025 campaign. “Twin Valley is a special place, special families. It’s a special school. If I was a young person looking for a place to raise my kids, I’d be moving to Twin Valley because it’s a great place,” said Myers.

Twin Valley is averaging 50.6 points, but the (14-0) Raiders struggled offensively in the semifinals against WPIAL powerhouse Aliquippa. The Quips only allowed 113 total yards. They didn’t give up a single first down in the second half. Twin Valley took advantage of outstanding field position in the first half. Ryan Rementer and Keenan Munn came up with key interceptions that led to 14 points in the second quarter. Rementer and Lucas Myers, the son of head coach Brett Myers, are the Raiders’ top two tacklers. Twin Valley is limiting opponents to 11 ppg. Myers, a 215-pound junior linebacker, has a team-high nine sacks. Junior defensive end Andrew Cabigas (6’3, 215) has added five sacks. Rementer and Drew Engle have three interceptions apiece.

Engle is much more well known for what he’s done on the offensive side of the ball. The 5’11, 185-pound senior holds school records for single-season (1,920) and career (4,036) rushing yards. His 60 touchdowns are the most in program history. The Army lacrosse commit is averaging 9.5 yards per carry this year. Myers has also been a force in a rushing attack that puts up 287 yards a night. He has 1,147 yards and 24 TD on the ground this season. Myers scored three times in the victory over Aliquippa a week ago. They run behind an offensive line that averages 279 pounds. The Raiders get just 96 yards per contest through the air. Sophomore Maverik Foster has been very efficient for the District 3 champs. He’s completing 71% of his passes with 16 touchdowns and no interceptions.

Southern Lehigh is more balanced offensively. The (14-1) Spartans average 231 rushing yards and 172 passing yards. Sean Steckert has been a workhorse again this year. The 5’9, 175-pound senior has put together back-to-back seasons with more than 2,000 yards on the ground. Steckert has piled up 2,911 yards and 41 TD in 2025. He’s been good for 8.3 yards per pop on a whopping 349 carries. Steckert ran the ball 46 times in the District 11-4A Final versus Bethlehem Catholic. He finished that 49-28 win with 277 yards and five touchdowns. Steckert turned 40 carries into 210 yards and three scores last week against Cardinal O’Hara. Southern Lehigh was in front 21-0 in the second quarter, but needed a late rally. Steckert’s 4-yard touchdown run with 31 seconds left was the difference. He’s a standout on the wrestling mat as well with 80 career wins. The Spartans’ offensive line includes Carter Giberson (6’4, 336), Lucas Sutyak (6’3, 292), and Dylan Gretz (6’2, 247). Giberson is committed to Albany.

Colton Sams, the son of head coach Phil Sams, is the quarterback for an offense that averages 39.9 ppg. The 5’11, 169-pound junior is already in the record books at Southern Lehigh. Sams is the school’s all-time leader in passing yards and touchdown passes. In 2025, he has thrown for 2,543 yards with 34 TD and 5 INT. Sams is completing 72% of his attempts. Darius Roman and Luke Kawczenski are his top targets. The two seniors have combined for 95 receptions, 1,379 yards, and 16 touchdowns. Roman (5’8, 185) came up big in the state semifinals. He reeled in seven passes for 112 yards and a score. Sams was 14-of-18 last week for 149 yards and a touchdown.

The Spartans are allowing 16.5 ppg. Senior linebackers Dariuz Lightner and Jacoby Jacobs have 95 tackles apiece. Gretz has wreaked havoc on the defensive line with 7.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss. Sophomore safety Jack Pavis and Lightner each have four interceptions. Pavis is third on the squad with 61 tackles.

Southern Lehigh’s lone loss came at the hands of Northwestern Lehigh on October 24th. The undefeated Tigers prevailed 36-28. Northwestern Lehigh is going for its second straight PIAA-3A title on Saturday afternoon. Twin Valley’s closest game was last week’s thriller with Aliquippa. The Raiders trailed Susquehanna Township at halftime before pulling away 41-21 for their first District championship. Twin Valley knocked off Wyomissing 28-6 at Bob Wolfrum Field in Week 8. It was the Raiders’ first win over the Spartans since 2009.

48 minutes. That’s what Twin Valley and Southern Lehigh have left. 48 minutes to decide who leaves Chapman Field with state gold. All of the hours in the weight room and all of the time spent running sprints will be poured into those 48 minutes. The PIAA-4A Final is set for 7pm on Thursday. I’ll have live updates from Cumberland Valley.

Twin Valley limited perennial powerhouse Wyomissing to only six points in a highly anticipated Week 8 matchup at Bob Wolfrum Field. The Raiders prevailed 28-6 for their first win over the Spartans since 2009. The following week, Twin Valley held Lampeter-Strasburg to just seven points and 91 total yards. Second-seeded West York could only muster 14 points versus the Raiders in the District 3 semifinals. Rementer and Myers have been quite a one-two punch all season. They each have more than 110 tackles. Rementer was an honorable mention pick at linebacker in Section 4 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League last year. “People say that it’s a very physical position and it is, but it’s not all about that. It’s really mental and I like having that challenge,” he explained. Rementer is also a standout in the classroom. He carries a 4.0 GPA.

The Raiders will face Aliquippa in the PIAA-4A semifinals on Friday at 7pm at Mifflin County High School. The (10-3) Quips are riding a 5-game winning streak. Two of their three losses came back in September when they fell to undefeated Avonworth and New Castle. Aliquippa features a stingy defense as well. The Quips are giving up 12.8 ppg. They got a 100-yard pick-6 from senior safety Qalil Goode in last week’s 28-6 victory over Oil City. Aliquippa knocked off McKeesport 21-12 for its record 21st WPIAL crown. This is familiar territory for the Quips. They’ve won five state titles, most recently in 2023. The program from north of Pittsburgh has 801 wins in its illustrious history.

Rementer knows that stopping the run will be a big key on Friday. “They’re very physical. We need to match and exceed that physicality…We’ve gone up against a lot of running teams that are also very physical so we’re very familiar with that,” he noted. Twin Valley loves to run the rock too. Drew Engle racked up 281 yards and 3 TD on 31 carries a week ago. The Army lacrosse commit has established school records with 3,971 career rushing yards and 60 career touchdowns. Engle broke his own single-season record with 1,855 rushing yards this year. The Raiders are ranked #1 in the state in Class 4A by PennLive. Aliquippa sits at #3 in this week’s poll. Although Twin Valley made history by capturing its first District 3 championship, the Raiders aren’t satisfied yet. “It feels great, but we’re gonna keep going one game at a time, one rep at a time, and one day at a time,” said Rementer.

Gov. Mifflin claimed its first state title last year in Class 5A. The Mustangs defeated Hollidaysburg 2-1 in the championship game. Fleetwood reached the state semifinals a season ago for the first time in school history. The Tigers fell to Indiana 10-3. Berks Catholic didn’t qualify for the PIAA tournament in 2024.

Gov. Mifflin and Berks Catholic will be hosting their first round matchups. Meanwhile, Fleetwood will be traveling to Philadelphia. Here are the three playoff contests on tap for Monday.

Class 6A:

Perkiomen Valley at Gov. Mifflin-4pm

Class 4A:

Fleetwood at Archbishop Ryan-4:30pm

Class 3A:

Hughesville at Berks Catholic-4pm