playoffs – Berks Sports Report https://berkssportsreport.com Paul Roberts Sat, 22 Mar 2025 12:12:24 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.2 Bryce Gumby-Berks Catholic https://berkssportsreport.com/bryce-gumby-berks-catholic-2/ Sat, 22 Mar 2025 12:09:08 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=4832 Bryce Gumby didn’t play basketball for Berks Catholic a season ago. He wanted to focus on football. Gumby opted to return to the court this year and that decision helped the Saints reach the state championship game. “I’m ecstatic. I was second-guessing myself at the end of football season. I’m very happy I did,” said Gumby with a smile from ear to ear. The 5’11 senior erupted for a career-high 19 points off the bench on Friday night. Berks Catholic defeated North Catholic 67-59 in the PIAA-4A semifinals at James Buchanan High School. The (25-5) Saints will face Devon Prep on Thursday, March 27 at 8pm at the Giant Center. Berks Catholic reached the state finals for the first time, but it wasn’t easy. The (22-7) Trojans led 51-46 with six and a-half minutes left. Gumby, who’s averaging 3.7 points per game, drilled a 3-pointer from the corner to make it 51-50 with just over six minutes remaining. Carmelo Harper hit a triple from the left wing to put the Saints on top 55-53 with 4:40 to go. The 5’10 freshman provided 13 points after entering early in the first quarter. Berks Catholic coach Snip Esterly went with a smaller lineup to match North Catholic which starts five guards. Harper had six points in the fourth quarter when the Saints outscored the Trojans 23-to-12. “He has a very bright future. He’s gonna be great. He played a big role in this game,” noted Gumby. Harper also came up big in the state quarterfinals with 17 points against Sharon. Kingston McKoy sank a pair of free throws to give Berks Catholic a 59-57 edge with 1:47 to play. The 6’2 junior guard poured in a game-high 24 points. Zach Suski fed Gumby for a fast break layup to make it 61-57 with 40 seconds left. Jude Rottman, who scored 28 points in the quarterfinals, missed a 3-pointer from the left wing on the ensuing possession. Gumby then converted two foul shots for a 63-57 advantage with 28 seconds remaining. He jammed eleven points into the fourth quarter while going 6-for-8 from the stripe. “My mind just clears. I just focus and hit the shots,” replied Gumby about his free throw shooting. He also made half of the Saints’ six treys. Berks Catholic was 15-for-20 from the foul line. The District 3 champions were 11-of-14 over the last eight minutes. The Trojans went 10-for-13 from the stripe and connected five times from beyond the arc. Jason Fredericks finished with a team-high 20 points. The 6’ junior came out on fire with a dozen points in the opening quarter. Fredericks scored 49 combined points in the first two rounds of the PIAA playoffs. Owen Maddalon added 17 points. The 6’4 senior is committed to Allegheny College. All of Joe Waskiewicz’s twelve points came in the second half. His triple from the top of the key put North Catholic in front 40-38 with two and a-half minutes to go in the third quarter. A 3-pointer by Rottmann made it 44-39 one minute later. That capped a 19-to-6 run by the Trojans. They were down 33-25 early in the third period following a three-point play by Suski. The 6’ senior forward chipped in with nine points despite being in foul trouble. Suski got his third foul with nearly seven minutes left in the second quarter. The Saints were up 16-11 before North Catholic ended the first quarter with seven straight points. Berks Catholic outscored the Trojans 12-to-4 in the second period. The Saints went to halftime with a 28-22 lead. McKoy had seven points in the second quarter, but the All-State guard was called for an offensive foul with 32 seconds before the break. It was his third foul of the game. Brady Altimar concluded the third quarter with a layup at the buzzer. The 5’9 junior pulled Berks Catholic within 47-44. Gumby gave credit to North Catholic for battling for all 32 minutes. “They fought the entire game. I gotta tip my hat to them,” he said. The Trojans made their 27th appearance in the PIAA playoffs since 1975. The Saints, however, dominated in bench points. They outscored North Catholic 32-to-2 in that department, thanks largely to a football player who decided to give basketball another shot.

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Wilson and Mifflin shut down in PIAA Playoffs https://berkssportsreport.com/wilson-and-mifflin-shut-down-in-piaa-playoffs/ Fri, 14 Mar 2025 14:58:10 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=4820 The second round of the PIAA-6A boys basketball tournament was the end of the road for Wilson and Gov. Mifflin. The Bulldogs fell to District 10 champion McDowell 50-46 on Wednesday night at Pitt-Johnstown University. Wilson managed just four points in the first quarter and eleven in the first half. The Bulldogs trailed 23-11 at the break. Stephon Porter drilled a 3-pointer at the buzzer to put the Trojans on top 33-21 after the third quarter. Porter, a running back during the fall, scored eight points. Wilson came alive in the fourth quarter with 25 points. Correll Akings and Cam Zullinger each connected twice from beyond the arc. Tommy McFadden, who’s committed to Albany for soccer, went 9-for-9 from the foul line in the final period. McDowell’s cushion was cut to 35-29 with 3:54 remaining. The (24-7) Bulldogs were down 43-38 with 36 seconds to go when Kam Kramer made a pair of free throws. The senior guard finished with a team-high eleven points. Blayze Myers, the Trojans’ star quarterback, chipped in with eight points. The 6’3 senior set school records with 5,091 career passing yards, 413 completions, and 55 touchdown passes. McDowell was 17-of-22 from the foul line including 9-of-11 in the fourth quarter. The (23-4) Trojans hit three triples. McFadden set a career-high with 15 points. The 6’1 senior was a perfect 11-for-11 from the stripe. Akings and Zullinger provided ten and nine points respectively. Madyx Gruber, who was in foul trouble, was limited to six points. The two-time All-County guard averaged 17 ppg. this season. McDowell will take on WPIAL champ Upper St. Clair on Saturday in the state quarterfinals. Wilson says goodbye to eight seniors who won back-to-back Berks County titles. The Bulldogs have claimed four BCIAA championships in the past six years.

Gov. Mifflin also saw an outstanding campaign come to a halt on Wednesday night. The Mustangs lost to Upper St. Clair 50-38 at Altoona. The (25-2) Panthers reached the PIAA-6A quarterfinals for the third time in five seasons. The (20-10) Mustangs made their first appearance in the state playoffs this year. They fell behind 18-11 after the opening quarter. Each team only scored six points in the second period. Gov. Mifflin pulled within 29-26 with four and a-half minutes left in the third quarter, but Upper St. Clair closed out the period with a 8-to-2 run. It was 37-31 with five and a-half minutes to play when the Panthers sealed the deal with a decisive 12-to-3 run. Although 6’10 senior Tyler Robbins gets a lot of attention, it was Jake Foster who stole the show on Wednesday. The junior guard poured in a career-high 22 points. Foster was averaging 8 ppg. He splashed three of his four 3-pointers in the first quarter. Upper St. Clair was 16-of-20 from the foul line with six treys. Robbins stuffed the stat sheet with twelve points, nine rebounds, and four blocks. His younger brother, Ryan, added eight points. He’s a 6’7 sophomore. The Mustangs struggled from long range, going 2-for-12 from beyond the arc. They were 6-of-10 from the free throw line. Jahmair Johnson ended up with a team-high eight points. Matt Koehler and Stephen Mayo had seven points apiece. There were ten seniors on the roster for first-year head coach Garrett Etzel. The 2003 Gov. Mifflin grad and former All-County guard turned things around quickly in Shillington. The Mustangs finished (8-14, 3-8) a season ago. They advanced to the District 3 semifinals for the first time this year.

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Archbishop Carroll ends Wilson’s season https://berkssportsreport.com/archbishop-carroll-ends-wilsons-season/ Wed, 12 Mar 2025 04:07:44 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=4815 Going into Tuesday night, Wilson head coach Matt Raquet thought Archbishop Carroll would be the best team that the Bulldogs had faced all season. That’s saying a lot considering Wilson’s grueling non-league schedule. The Bulldogs battled the Patriots before falling 60-41 in the second round of the PIAA-6A tournament at Spring-Ford. The final score doesn’t tell the whole story. Wilson put forth a gutsy effort and led the top seed from District 12 early in the third quarter. Kailani Hardy jammed eight of her team-high 20 points into the third period. “It starts on the defensive end of the floor and I thought she played great on the defensive end. The better the competition, she steps up to that plate every single time,” noted Raquet. Hardy got off to a quick start. The 5’9 sophomore knocked down a pair of 3-pointers and had eight points in the opening quarter. Archbishop Carroll, the runner-up in the mighty Philadelphia Catholic League, trailed 13-10 after eight minutes. The Bulldogs grabbed a 15-11 advantage before the Eberz sisters began to heat up. Alexis Eberz, a 5’8 junior, averages 18 points per game. She reached 1,000 career points late last month. Kayla Eberz, a versatile 5’10 freshman, provides 13 ppg. Her twin sister, Kelsey, has been out since December with a knee injury. The (19-9) Patriots were in front 27-26 at halftime. Senior guard Olivia Nardi hit a triple from the left corner early in the third quarter. It was her only field goal of the night, and it gave Archbishop Carroll a 32-30 edge. Nardi’s shot from beyond the arc ignited a 17-to-7 run by the Patriots. Hardy drilled a jumper from the right wing at the buzzer to pull Wilson within 46-39 entering the final period. The (20-10) Bulldogs were outscored 14-to-2 over the next eight minutes. They were scoreless until Hardy made two free throws with 4:21 remaining. The Patriots were in control 52-41 at that point. Archbishop Carroll sealed the deal at the foul line. The Patriots finished 14-for-17, including 8-for-10 in the fourth quarter. Wilson ended up 4-of-5 from the stripe. Laura Crocona chipped in with eight points. The 5’8 junior sank two of the Bulldogs’ five treys. Alexis Eberz, who poured in 23 points, gave credit to the Bulldogs. “They’re a great team. We knew that coming into this game. They play really great defense,” she said. Kayla Eberz contributed 18 points, including 13 in the second half. Sophomore Abbie McFillin added nine points. Archbishop Carroll was able to create turnovers which led to easy transition opportunities after halftime. The Patriots won the PIAA-6A championship two years ago. They’re moving on to the quarterfinals on Friday against Central Dauphin. Wilson saw its season come to an end. The Bulldogs, who finished fifth in the District 3 tournament, didn’t have any seniors in the starting lineup. They also played this entire season without two-time All-County point guard Laila Jones. The 5’8 junior was out with a torn ACL. Jones averaged 16 ppg. last year. “I thought it was a great season overall, really proud of this group. They’ve dealt with adversity all year. They kept trusting each other. They kept putting winning first,” remarked Raquet. He said he’s excited for his second season in West Lawn.

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Bulldogs and Mustangs Advance in State’s https://berkssportsreport.com/bulldogs-and-mustangs-advance-in-states/ Sun, 09 Mar 2025 18:20:45 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=4813 Wilson and Gov. Mifflin are moving on in the PIAA-6A boys basketball playoffs. The (24-6) Bulldogs outlasted Plymouth Whitemarsh 56-51 in overtime on Saturday. The (20-9) Colonials were the District 1 runner-up. Wilson finished fifth in the District 3 tournament. The Bulldogs led 31-27 at halftime, but were outscored 12-to-5 in the third quarter. Luke Levan tied it at 49-49 with two seconds left in regulation. Plymouth Whitemarsh anticipated a skip pass to All-County guard Madyx Gruber. Two defenders went to Gruber on the wing, while Levan slipped the screen and got a layup. The 6’6 senior provided a dozen points and eight rebounds. Levan scored four points in overtime. Wilson allowed just two points in the extra session. Gruber had a team-high 16 points and seven boards. The 5’11 senior made all four of his 3-pointers in the first half. Correll Akings added 13 points including seven in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs connected eight times from beyond the arc. The Colonials only hit three triples. Mani Sajid jammed ten of his 19 points into the fourth period. The highly-touted 6’5 junior guard averaged nearly 23 points this season. Michael Pereira, a 6’9 junior, chipped in with twelve points. Both teams were 8-for-12 from the free throw line. Wilson will face District 10 champion McDowell in the second round on Wednesday. That’s a 5:30pm tip at Pitt-Johnstown University. McDowell blew out Pittsburgh Central Catholic 72-40 on Saturday.

Gov. Mifflin qualified for the PIAA playoffs for the first time in program history. The Mustangs made the most of the opportunity on Saturday. They knocked off Mt. Lebanon 66-54 in Shillington. The Blue Devils were the #4 seed from District 7. Gov. Mifflin finished third in the District 3 tournament. The (20-9) Mustangs, who were (8-14) last season, held a 31-27 advantage at halftime. They outscored Mt. Lebanon 21-to-11 in a decisive third quarter. Gov. Mifflin spent a lot of time at the foul line. The Mustangs ended up 28-for-35 from the stripe, while the Blue Devils were 6-of-11. Andrew Galantuomo poured in a game-high 22 points. The 5’7 senior point guard made nine of his ten free throws. Jahmair Johnson, a 6’3 senior forward, scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half. Matt Koehler added 15 points. He was a perfect 6-for-6 from the foul line. Mt. Lebanon did most of its work from long range. The (17-10) Blue Devils splashed a dozen 3-pointers. Liam Sheely hit four treys and provided 17 points. Carter Gould (14) and Jacob Zuber (13) combined for 27 points. Gov. Mifflin will meet District 7 champ Upper St. Clair in the second round on Wednesday. They’ll get underway at 6:30pm at Altoona. Upper St. Clair hammered York High 67-30 in the opening round.

Antietam’s season came to a close on Saturday evening in Philadelphia. The Mounts fell at West Catholic 79-35 in the first round of the PIAA-3A playoffs. Antietam finished with a record of (15-11). The Mounts took third place in the District 3 tournament.

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Zach Suski-Berks Catholic https://berkssportsreport.com/zach-suski-berks-catholic-2/ Sat, 08 Mar 2025 05:30:34 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=4809 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.

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PIAA Girls Basketball First Round Games https://berkssportsreport.com/piaa-girls-basketball-first-round-games/ Sun, 02 Mar 2025 19:36:58 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=4802 And then there were three. Only a trio of girls basketball teams from Berks County have advanced to the state playoffs. Congratulations to Wyomissing on winning its third consecutive District 3-4A championship on Friday at the Giant Center in Hershey. The (23-4) Spartans held off Lancaster Catholic 26-24. Wilson and Conrad Weiser also qualified for the PIAA tournament. Here are their first round matchups.

Class 6A-Friday, March 7

Wilson at Upper Dublin at 6pm

Class 5A-Saturday, March 8

Conrad Weiser at Peters Township at 1pm

Class 4A-Saturday, March 8

Nazareth Academy at Wyomissing at 1pm

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PIAA Boys Basketball First Round Games https://berkssportsreport.com/piaa-boys-basketball-first-round-games/ Sun, 02 Mar 2025 19:18:16 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=4800 The District 3 boys basketball playoffs came to a close on Friday at the Giant Center in Hershey. Congratulations to Berks Catholic and High Point Baptist for winning District 3 championships in Class 4A and Class A respectively. Next up, the state tournament. Six teams from Berks County have survived and advanced. Here are their first round matchups in the PIAA playoffs.

Class 6A-Saturday, March 8

Wilson at Plymouth Whitemarsh at 3pm

Mt. Lebanon at Gov. Mifflin at 4pm

Class 5A-Friday, March 7

Greater Latrobe at Exeter at 7pm

Class 4A-Friday, March 7

Simon Gratz at Berks Catholic at 6pm

Class 3A-Saturday, March 8

Antietam vs. West Catholic at 5pm at West Philadelphia High School

Class A-Friday, March 7

Nativity BVM vs. High Point Baptist at 5pm at Exeter

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Snip Esterly-Berks Catholic https://berkssportsreport.com/snip-esterly-berks-catholic-10/ Tue, 25 Feb 2025 14:15:22 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=4787 Berks Catholic picked a good time to play one of its best games of the season. The top-seeded Saints blew out fifth-seeded Susquehanna Township 61-42 to earn a trip to Hershey. “It’s absolutely unbelievable. I love the place,” said longtime coach Snip Esterly. Berks Catholic will face second-seeded Eastern York in the District 3-4A championship. They meet at 4:30pm on Thursday at the Giant Center. The (20-5) Saints came out on fire against the (15-8) Indians. Kingston McKoy and Jackson Kozik each knocked down a 3-pointer and Johnny Giesa hit a pair of jumpers. Carmelo Harper provided instant offense with six points in the first quarter. The 5’10 freshman finished with ten points. “Melo came off the bench and gave us a heck of a spark…He loves the game. He has the passion for the game,” emphasized Esterly. Harper had a career-high 15 points in the District 3-4A quarterfinals versus Bishop McDevitt. Susquehanna Township, which had won eight straight games, found itself down 18-8 late in the opening period at Lloyd Wolf Gymnasium. Harper pulled down an offensive rebound and found Zach Suski for a layup right before halftime. Berks Catholic was in control 32-18 at the break. Esterly noted that facing Reading helped them immensely to prepare for the Indians’ up-tempo style. “The three times we played Reading, it got us ready for this,” he replied. The Saints continued to roll in the third quarter. They outscored Susquehanna Township 15-6 in that period. Suski came alive with seven points, including a three-point play that made it 47-24 with 26 seconds left. He added another three-point play with 4:20 remaining to put Berks Catholic on top 55-32. Twelve of Suski’s 17 points came in the second half. “He does everything. He’s a sneaky offensive player. First of all, he has a great outside shot. He gets a lot of offensive rebounds. He cuts and he gets easy layups,” explained Esterly. The Saints’ defense was outstanding again. Brady Altimar limited junior guard Mekhi Slappy to seven points. Slappy is averaging nearly 15 ppg. and he’s made 69 triples this season. The Indians were held to 24 points through 24 minutes on Monday night. They committed ten turnovers in the first half. Susquehanna Township was 10-for-16 from the free throw line, while Berks Catholic went just 8-for-19. Jahkai Sloane-Marks led the Indians with 17 points. The 6’6 freshman had 25 points and 11 rebounds in a 65-60 quarterfinal victory at Wyomissing. Alfonso Burnett, a 6’2 senior, chipped in with a dozen points against the Saints. McKoy led everyone with 21 points. The 6’2 junior guard was responsible for three of Berks Catholic’s five treys. “Kingston was Kingston,” stated Esterly. Berks Catholic gets a chance at some redemption on Thursday at the Giant Center. Eastern York defeated the Saints 51-44 in the semifinals last year. Berks Catholic is searching for its sixth District 3 crown.

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Brady Murray-Exeter https://berkssportsreport.com/brady-murray-exeter/ Sat, 22 Feb 2025 05:21:56 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=4780 Brady Murray has made more 3-pointers than any player in Berks County this season. Exeter’s 6’2 senior guard gives all the credit to his father. “I couldn’t do it without him. He’s the whole reason why I’m a good shooter so shout out to my dad,” said Murray. During the summer, Brady practices his jump shot with his dad every day. Brady will take at least three hundred 3-pointers. The offseason work is paying off. Murray hit five triples and scored a game-high 19 points in a 58-50 win over Spring Grove on Friday night. The (14-11) Eagles advanced to the District 3-5A semifinals on Tuesday at York Suburban. Exeter jumped all over the (11-13) Rockets who were coming off a 45-38 upset of top-seeded Manheim Central. The Eagles led 11-0 after a steal and layup by Jayden Ware with three minutes left in the opening quarter. Cooper Smith, Spring Grove’s leading scorer at 12 ppg., picked up his second foul and headed to the bench just 34 seconds into the second period. Exeter built a 25-9 cushion with four and a-half minutes remaining in the first half. It was 28-13 at the break, but Murray and his teammates understood that they couldn’t relax against the #16 seed. “We knew that they played a really hard schedule like us. We knew that they were battle-tested. It wasn’t like a walk in the park,” emphasized Murray. The Rockets are part of Division 1 in the York-Adams League which includes all Class 6A schools. They caught fire in the third quarter. Six of their ten treys came during that eight minute span. Smith and Kayleb Allen each connected three times from beyond the arc in the third period. Murray responded with a pair of long range shots to keep Spring Grove at a distance. The eighth-seeded Eagles were on top 43-33 entering the fourth quarter. Murray splashed another trey from the top of the key with six and a-half minutes to go. The Rockets were down 48-37 before going on an 8-to-2 run. Owen Renda, who provided seven points off the bench, sank a 3-pointer to cut their deficit to 50-45 with three minutes to play. Aidan Dauble, who poured in 22 points in the first round of the tournament, had back-to-back buckets to increase Exeter’s edge to 54-45 with 55 seconds left. After Dom Pierre knocked down a triple, Carter Redding went 2-for-2 from the foul line to make it 56-48 with 37 seconds remaining. Ware sealed the victory with a breakaway layup with 21 seconds on the clock. Murray thought having home-court advantage was important. “It was great. Fans really were into it, our bench was into it. It’s always fun playing here. I love the rims,” he replied. Dauble (13) and Redding (11) combined for 24 points. Ware chipped in with nine. The Eagles were just 4-of-9 from the charity stripe, but they made eight 3-pointers. Murray has connected 73 times from long range this season. Allen, a 6’2 junior guard, finished with a team-high 14 points. He hit four triples. Pierre added a dozen points. The 6’4 senior had eight points in the fourth quarter. Smith, a 6’3 junior, scored all eleven of his points in the second half. Spring Grove was 2-of-6 from the free throw line. The Rockets outscored Exeter 37-to-30 after halftime. They’ve clinched a spot in the state playoffs for the third time in program history. Spring Grove didn’t qualify for the District 3 tournament a season ago. The Eagles earned their first District 3 championship in 2023. They’re headed back to the Final Four in Class 5A. “I want this season to last as long as possible. I love these guys. I love this team. They’re really fun to be around,” said Murray.

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Carmelo Harper-Berks Catholic https://berkssportsreport.com/carmelo-harper-berks-catholic/ Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:18:43 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=4774 Berks Catholic was the top seed entering the BCIAA playoffs last week. The Saints fell to Reading 48-41 in the semifinals at Santander Arena. That loss didn’t sit well with Carmelo Harper. “It really had me broken because we lost and my teammates weren’t happy. I feel like I let them down,” he said. The 5’10 freshman guard used that game as motivation. Harper scored a career-high 15 points in a 51-32 victory over eighth-seeded Bishop McDevitt in the District 3-4A quarterfinals. He knocked down three of of Berks Catholic’s eight 3-pointers at Lloyd Wolf Gymnasium. Harper doesn’t mind coming off the bench. “I get to see how the game is paced. Once I get in the game and I score, it slows down for me,” he explained. Brady Altimar also established a new career-high with a dozen points. The (19-5) Saints went scoreless for nearly five and a-half minutes before Altimar hit a triple from the left wing. The 5’9 junior followed with another trey. Berks Catholic led 8-7 after eight minutes. Altimar was 6-for-6 from the foul line in the fourth quarter. “He always finds his open teammates,” added Harper. Zach Suski drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key to give the Saints a 15-12 edge midway through the second quarter. The 6’ senior chipped in with eleven points. He was 4-of-5 from the charity stripe in the final period. Johnny Giesa splashed a triple to open the second half and put Berks Catholic in front 24-16. The 6’1 sophomore started in place of Gavin Welker. Welker, who averaged 8 ppg., isn’t eligible after transferring from Daniel Boone before the season. Bryce Gumby connected from long range with one minute remaining in the third quarter. The football standout gave the top-seeded Saints a 33-24 cushion entering the last period. A three-point play by Suski made it 40-26 with 4:15 to go. The (10-11) Crusaders have lost six of their last eight games. They were without leading scorer Damir Arp. The 6’3 freshman guard was academically ineligible. He averages 17 ppg. Berks Catholic participated in Bishop McDevitt’s Catholic Christmas Showcase where Arp poured in 26 points against Pittsburgh Central Catholic on December 27. Pat Denisco, a 5’10 junior, finished with a team-high twelve points. Max Henderson, a 6’6 senior, had six points. The Crusaders only hit two 3-pointers. They were 6-of-9 from the free throw line, while the Saints ended up 15-of-17. The top five teams in Class 4A qualify for the state tournament. Bishop McDevitt will have to win a pair of consolation games to advance. The Crusaders visit fourth-seeded Wyomissing on Monday. Kingston McKoy had a quiet night on Thursday. The All-State guard was limited to three points and didn’t make a field goal. McKoy leads Berks County in scoring at 21 ppg. The 6’2 junior was part of a terrific defensive effort. Bishop McDevitt didn’t reach ten points in any quarter. Head coach Snip Esterly earned his 834th career win over 36 seasons. He has always stressed hard-nosed, man-to-man defense. “Big time, we get screamed at a lot but it’s worth it,” replied Harper. The Saints host fifth-seeded Susquehanna Township in the semifinals on Monday at 7pm. Berks Catholic has already secured a berth in the PIAA-4A playoffs.

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