rankings – Berks Sports Report https://berkssportsreport.com Paul Roberts Sun, 06 Apr 2025 19:54:44 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.1 “Roberts Rankings”-Baseball https://berkssportsreport.com/roberts-rankings-baseball-8/ Sun, 06 Apr 2025 19:46:23 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=4853 Gov. Mifflin and Wilson have squared off in the past two Berks League championship games. The Bulldogs captured their 13th county title last year by beating the Mustangs 10-3. Will it be Wilson vs. Gov. Mifflin in the county final for a third consecutive season? The consensus around the league is that those two teams are a notch above the competition, but there’s a logjam of contenders waiting in the wings. Berks County has several quality baseball programs which should make for an exciting 2025 campaign.

The Mustangs have picked up right where they left off. After winning the PIAA-5A championship for the first time last spring, Gov. Mifflin is off to a perfect (10-0) start. The Mustangs returned three first team All-State selections. Bryce Detwiler (UConn), Ethan Grim (Virginia Tech), and Travis Jenkins (Canisius) are all committed to Division I colleges. Gov. Mifflin already has quality wins over Wilson, Exeter, Muhlenberg, Fleetwood, Ephrata, and Elizabethtown. Detwiler tossed a complete game shutout against the Bulldogs. Evan Glucksnis, a junior, threw 6.1 scoreless frames at Fleetwood on Friday.

Wilson has a very challenging non-league schedule. The Bulldogs fell to North Penn 8-1 and still have upcoming matchups with Parkland and Liberty. They will battle the Hurricanes on April 26th at FirstEnergy Stadium. Christo Hunsicker (2-1, 2.05) and Ben Kulp (1-1, 0.98) give Wilson two experienced starting pitchers. Kulp is a 6’2, 215-pound junior with a fastball in the low-90s. Hunsicker is a great all-around athlete who will continue his baseball career at Millersville.

Twin Valley has shown that it can compete with some of the top ball clubs in District 3. The Raiders came up short at Ephrata 5-4 and lost to Mechanicsburg 7-5. The Mounts were the District 3-6A runner-up in 2024, and the Wildcats won the District 3-5A crown for the second straight year. Kooper Zdimal (3-0, 0.81) is staying in Berks County to play college baseball. The Kutztown University commit has allowed ten hits over 17.1 innings.

Exeter’s only losses this season have come against Gov. Mifflin and Wilson. Jake Hafer (2-0, 0.88) is red hot on the mound and at the plate. The junior is batting .440 with two doubles and a pair of triples. Kamren Martin, another junior, has won both of his decisions with a 0.93 ERA. Martin has given up just six hits over 15 innings with 15 strikeouts. Carter Redding, who also plays football and basketball, is 10-for-17 so far. Keep in mind, the Eagles only had two seniors in the starting lineup last year.

Muhlenberg and Exeter were scheduled to meet on Friday, but the weather didn’t cooperate. They will try again on Tuesday in Reiffton. The Muhls have a date with Wilson tomorrow, if the rain holds off. After getting thumped by Gov. Mifflin 11-1, Muhlenberg bounced back with a 4-3 victory over Ephrata. Junior Cole Moody has limited opponents to one run in nine frames with 15 strikeouts. Aaden Lopez (1-0, 1.62) is a big key to the Muhls’ rotation. The hard-throwing senior has 15 strikeouts and 13 walks over 8.2 innings. Head coach Brian Kopetsky has 358 career wins. This is his 26th season as the skipper in Laureldale.

Fleetwood lost a very talented group to graduation, but don’t sleep on the Tigers this spring. Wylie Loy opened eyes as a sophomore last year. Nick Noll fired six shutout innings against Gov. Mifflin on Friday. The senior will change speeds and his delivery which makes things tricky for hitters. Fleetwood knocked off Berks Catholic 4-3 in eight innings late last month.

The Saints earned the Division 3 championship and qualified for the BCIAA playoffs in 2024. It was their first appearance in the Berks County tournament since 2018. Trey Stricker is the ace of Berks Catholic’s rotation. The West Chester commit hasn’t allowed an earned run in a dozen innings. Stricker is (1-0) with 18 strikeouts. He’s also doing damage at the dish with a .542 batting average. The Saints are hitting .385 as a team. Since dropping their opener to Twin Valley 3-1 in Myrtle Beach, Berks Catholic has won six of its past seven contests. They defeated rival Wyomissing 7-1 on Friday with Stricker on the hill.

Seth Brizek is back at Oley Valley. The 1992 graduate took over as head coach after Jeff Pinder stepped down following three seasons. Brizek is the school’s all-time leader in hits, home runs, RBI, wins, and ERA. He went on to become an All-American at Clemson. Brizek was inducted into the Berks County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame two years ago. The Lynx already have wins over Fleetwood and Kutztown on their resume. They outlasted the Tigers 4-3 in eight innings, and got by the Cougars 3-1. Gryffin Cappellano, Chase Kegerise, Tim Fries, and Wyatt McCluskey all started as sophomores a season ago. Fries (3-0, 0.88) has 29 strikeouts and five walks in 24 innings. Cappellano has a lofty .481 batting average.

Kutztown is once again a team to keep an eye on. The Cougars reached the District 3-2A championship game last spring with only two seniors in the lineup. Tim Mertz’s squad is always fundamentally sound and willing to play small ball. Mertz, a Kutztown graduate, is in his 25th year as the Cougars’ head coach. He has the most victories in school history, including four District 3 titles.

Without further ado, here are my high school baseball rankings for the Berks League. The records that you see below are from last year. Remember that no matter where your favorite team is ranked, the sun will come out tomorrow!

“The Great 8”

1.Gov. Mifflin (24-5)

2.Wilson (19-8)

3.Twin Valley (15-7)

4.Exeter (11-9)

5.Muhlenberg (14-9)

6.Fleetwood (17-10)

7.Berks Catholic (16-5)

8.Oley Valley (11-10)

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“Roberts Rankings”-Boys Basketball https://berkssportsreport.com/roberts-rankings-boys-basketball-17/ Tue, 01 Apr 2025 01:19:05 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=4846 The 2024-25 high school basketball season has come to a close. I was fortunate enough to cover 66 games this year. Thanks to all of the coaches and athletic directors for their assistance. They provided valuable information and insight which I greatly appreciated. It was an extremely exciting season. Many of the games that I attended came down to the final seconds.

Berks Catholic was the last team from Berks County left standing. The Saints won the District 3-4A Championship and reached the PIAA-4A Final at the Giant Center last Thursday. The Saints won both matchups with Wilson during the regular season which is why they earned the top spot in my rankings.

The Bulldogs put together another impressive run during the BCIAA playoffs. They claimed their fourth Berks County title in the past six years. Wilson’s senior class will be difficult to replace.

Gov. Mifflin had a dramatic turnaround, winning twelve more games than a season ago. The Mustangs advanced to the District 3-6A semifinals and qualified for the PIAA tournament for the first time in program history.

After a rough start, Reading hit its stride in the second half of the season. The Red Knights were the BCIAA runner-up. They won nine of their last eleven contests. However, Reading missed the District 3 playoffs for the first time since 2001.

Exeter finished second in the District 3-5A tournament as a #8 seed. The Eagles reached the state playoffs for the fourth consecutive year.

Muhlenberg barely missed out on the Berks County playoffs. The Muhls then got a tough draw in their District 3 opener against Central Dauphin. The Rams ended up as the District 3 runner-up in Class 6A.

Wyomissing and Schuylkill Valley had similar seasons. They both finished with 15 wins. In addition, they both lost in the BCIAA quarterfinals and the District 3-4A quarterfinals.

Without further ado, here is my final poll for the Berks Conference. Remember that no matter where your favorite team is ranked, the sun will come out tomorrow!

“The Great 8”

1.Berks Catholic (25-6)

2.Wilson (24-7)

3.Gov. Mifflin (20-10)

4.Reading (13-12)

5.Exeter (15-13)

6.Muhlenberg (15-8)

7.Wyomissing (15-10)

8.Schuylkill Valley (15-10)

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District 3 Boys Basketball Rankings https://berkssportsreport.com/district-3-boys-basketball-rankings-4/ Wed, 05 Mar 2025 01:32:17 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=4805 Congratulations to Central York, Hershey, Berks Catholic, Trinity, York Catholic and High Point Baptist for winning District 3 boys basketball championships in their respective classifications. It was the first District 3 title for Central York, and the first in 51 years for Hershey. Trinity claimed its 20th District 3 crown, only Reading has more with 24. York Catholic earned District 3 gold for the 13th time. Good luck to all of the District 3 teams that qualified for the state tournament which begins on Friday.

It’s time for another edition of my District 3 rankings. I give you the top five squads in all six classes. Remember that no matter where your favorite school is ranked , the sun will come out tomorrow!

Class 6A

1.Central York

2.Central Dauphin

3.Gov. Mifflin

4.Chambersburg

5.Wilson

Class 5A

1.Hershey

2.West York

3.Exeter

4.York Suburban

5.Lampeter-Strasburg

Class 4A

1.Berks Catholic

2.Eastern York

3.Big Spring

4.Susquehanna Township

5.Bishop McDevitt

Class 3A

1.Trinity

2.Lancaster Mennonite

3.Antietam

4.Halifax

5.Brandywine Heights

Class 2A

1.York Catholic

2.Linville Hill Christian

3.Delone Catholic

4.Greenwood

5.Steel-High

Class A

1.High Point Baptist

2.Shalom Christian

3.York Country Day

4.Lancaster Country Day

5.Ephrata Mennonite

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District 3 Boys Basketball Rankings https://berkssportsreport.com/district-3-boys-basketball-rankings-3/ Tue, 11 Feb 2025 19:29:33 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=4742 It’s time for another edition of my District 3 boys basketball rankings! I give you the top 5 teams in all six classifications. You will see new #1 squads in both Class 5A and Class 3A this week. Lampeter-Strasburg also made a big jump into my poll in 5A. The District 3 tournament is right around the corner. The deadline for games to count is February 12. Once again, these are not the official District 3 power rankings. This is my poll as of February 10. Remember that no matter where your favorite school is ranked, the sun will come out tomorrow!

Class 6A

1.Central York

2.Cumberland Valley

3.Mechanicsburg

4.Central Dauphin

5.Chambersburg

Class 5A

1.Manheim Central

2.West York

3.Lampeter-Strasburg

4.Hershey

5.Octorara

Class 4A

1.Berks Catholic

2.Eastern York

3.Big Spring

4.Susquehanna Twp.

5.Schuylkill Valley

Class 3A

1.Lancaster Mennonite

2.Trinity

3.Halifax

4.Antietam

5.Pequea Valley

Class 2A

1.Delone Catholic

2.Linville Hill Christian

3.York Catholic

4.Greenwood

5.Steel-High

Class A

1.York Country Day

2.Lancaster Country Day

3.High Point Baptist

4.Ephrata Mennonite

5.LaAcademia Partnership Charter

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District 3 Boys Basketball Rankings https://berkssportsreport.com/district-3-boys-basketball-rankings-2/ Mon, 03 Feb 2025 20:00:10 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=4723 The District 3 basketball tournament is quickly approaching. If there’s one thing I know, it’s that people love rankings. I think some fans pay more attention to rankings than their first-born child. Just kidding, or am I? Anyway, I looked at all six classifications and ranked the top 5 boys basketball teams. These are not the District 3 power ratings. These are my projections as of February 1st. You may agree or disagree. It’s all good. The champions will be decided on the court. Remember that no matter where your favorite team is ranked, the sun will come out tomorrow!

Class 6A

1.Central York

2.Cumberland Valley

3.Central Dauphin

4.Mechanicsburg

5.Chambersburg

Class 5A

1.Hershey

2.Manheim Central

3.Octorara

4.West York

5.York Suburban

Class 4A

1.Berks Catholic

2.Eastern York

3.Schuylkill Valley

4.Big Spring

5.Susquehanna Township

Class 3A

1.Trinity

2.Lancaster Mennonite

3.Halifax

4.Antietam

5.Pequea Valley

Class 2A

1.Delone Catholic

2.Linville Hill Christian

3.York Catholic

4.Greenwood

5.Steel-High

Class A

1.York Country Day

2.Lancaster Country Day

3.High Point Baptist

4.Coventry Christian

5.Ephrata Mennonite

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District 3 Boys Basketball Rankings https://berkssportsreport.com/district-3-boys-basketball-rankings/ Mon, 27 Jan 2025 18:06:51 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=4704 The high school basketball regular season is winding down. The deadline for games to count toward a school’s District 3 power ranking is February 12th. Keep in mind that BCIAA playoff games aren’t factored into the equation. Let’s take a look at where the Berks County boys basketball teams currently stand. Reading, Hamburg, and Kutztown need to finish strong in order to make the District 3 tournament.

Class 6A (16 teams qualify)

2.Wilson

8.Muhlenberg

13.Gov. Mifflin

19.Reading

Class 5A (16 teams qualify)

11.Exeter

12.Conrad Weiser

Class 4A (8 teams qualify)

1.Berks Catholic

3.Wyomissing

5.Schuylkill Valley

10.Hamburg

Class 3A (6 teams qualify)

4.Antietam

5.Brandywine Heights

7.Kutztown

Class 2A (4 teams qualify)

No Berks County schools are in this classification.

Class A (10 teams qualify)

5.High Point Baptist Academy

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“Roberts Rankings”-Girls Basketball https://berkssportsreport.com/roberts-rankings-girls-basketball-3/ Mon, 30 Dec 2024 16:21:03 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=4662 As we get ready to turn the page to 2025, it’s a good time to look at where things stand in the Berks League. Twin Valley and Conrad Weiser enter my new rankings. The Raiders and Scouts have a combined record of (17-4). They took the place of Schuylkill Valley and Brandywine Heights. Oley Valley is a team to watch in Division 4. The Lynx are off to an (8-3) start.

Wyomissing remains on top of my poll. The Spartans are riding a six-game winning streak and are expected to get Audrey Hurleman back soon. The North Carolina lacrosse commit has been out with a knee injury. Amaya Stewart, the two-time Berks County Player of the Year, is averaging 18 points. Wyomissing hosts Twin Valley on Thursday.

Gov. Mifflin has moved up three spots in my rankings. The Mustangs are unbeaten in league play at (4-0). They cruised past Berks Catholic by 20 points and escaped Wilson with a 47-45 victory. Gov. Mifflin suffered setbacks to Central York and York Catholic over the weekend. Sophomore guard Bella Super is providing 18 ppg.

Wilson has played a brutal schedule that included Cardinal O’Hara, Emmaus, Parkland, Dallastown, and Cedar Crest. Things are looking up, however, as the Bulldogs have won four of their last five contests. Kailani Hardy has been as advertised. The sophomore is putting up 16 points a night.

Reading knocked off Berks Catholic 56-42 in mid-December, but then fell at home to Wilson by 18 points. The Red Knights have a big test coming up at Gov. Mifflin on January 7th. Senior guard Yamilex Rodriguez is averaging 14 points per game.

Berks Catholic dropped a couple of spots in my poll. It’s important to note that the Saints have had an extremely challenging schedule. They lost a hard-fought battle at rival Wyomissing 37-34 before Christmas. Berks Catholic took down Wilson by ten points three weeks ago. Those two contests showed that the Saints can play with anyone in the county. On Friday, senior point guard Madison Langdon reached 1,000 career points in a 40-32 win over Mount St. Joseph Academy at Wildwood.

Twin Valley is getting nearly 15 ppg. from junior Hailey Kilgore. The Raiders opened some eyes by defeating Exeter 52-37. Twin Valley’s only losses came against Cedar Crest and Trinity by a total of eleven points. The Raiders travel to Robesonia on January 7th for a key Division 2 matchup with Conrad Weiser.

Speaking of the Scouts, they’ve won eight out of ten under new head coach Chris Kline. Conrad Weiser beat Oley Valley, Exeter, and Schuylkill Valley during its current four-game winning streak. The victory over the Panthers was by 19 points. The Scouts did get tripped up by Wilson on December 13th by 20 points.

Exeter fell two spots in my rankings. The Eagles’ record won’t impress you, but they’ve won four of their last six games. Keep in mind that four of Exeter’s losses were by five points or less. The Eagles could easily be above the .500 mark with a few breaks.

Without further ado, here is my new poll for the Berks Girls Basketball League. Remember that no matter where your favorite team is ranked, the sun will come out tomorrow!

“The Great 8”

1.Wyomissing (7-1)

2.Gov. Mifflin (6-3)

3.Wilson (6-5)

4.Reading (8-4)

5.Berks Catholic (5-5)

6.Twin Valley (9-2)

7.Conrad Weiser (8-2)

8.Exeter (4-7)

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“Roberts Rankings”-Boys Basketball https://berkssportsreport.com/roberts-rankings-boys-basketball-16/ Fri, 27 Dec 2024 19:39:51 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=4658 The high school basketball season is off to a fantastic start. There have already been numerous games that came down to the wire! The competition is fierce in Division 1 as expected. The action on the hardwood should only get more exciting in 2025.

Berks Catholic won six of its first seven contests. The only blemish on the Saints’ resume is a 54-49 setback to Gov. Mifflin. Kingston McKoy has lived up to the hype. The 6’2 junior guard is averaging 22 points per game. Wilson’s only losses have been against Berks Catholic and Chambersburg. JJ Kelly and the Trojans are one of the top squads in the Mid-Penn Conference, along with Central Dauphin and Cumberland Valley. The Bulldogs have an experienced lineup, quality guards, and a veteran head coach. That combination will make them tough to beat when the BCIAA playoffs arrive.

Coaches across Berks County told me to look out for Gov. Mifflin this winter and they were spot on. The Mustangs are only two wins shy of their total from a season ago. They have already knocked off Berks Catholic and Muhlenberg. Gov. Mifflin took Cumberland Valley to overtime and only fell to Wilson by three points. Muhlenberg has three quality losses to Central Dauphin, Berks Catholic, and Gov. Mifflin. The Muhls showed how dangerous they can be versus Reading. After trailing by 15 points, Muhlenberg rallied to defeat the Red Knights 70-58.

Speaking of Reading, we have never seen this kind of start at the “Castle on the Hill.” The Red Knights have dropped six of their first seven games. Keep in mind, however, that Reading has played a brutal schedule. The Red Knights have battled Father Judge, Coatesville, Wilson, and Berks Catholic. Father Judge is one of the elite teams in the entire state this year. Exeter has reeled off three consecutive victories. The Eagles snuck past Conrad Weiser 55-53 on Monday. Carter Redding provided the game-winning shot. Aidan Dauble is putting up 18 points a night for Exeter.

Conrad Weiser had an opportunity to beat the Eagles earlier this week. The Scouts can’t be overlooked in Division 2. They started (3-0) before getting blown out by Antietam. The Mounts suffered a recent 63-54 loss to Brandywine Heights. The Division 4 standings are jam-packed right now. Wyomissing and Schuylkill Valley are two teams to watch in Division 3. The Spartans and Panthers have balanced scoring.

As you can see, a lot is still up in the air when it comes to the Berks Conference. The top programs are evenly matched which makes ranking them very difficult. Without further ado, here is my new poll for Berks County boys basketball.

“The Great 8

1.Berks Catholic (6-1)

2.Wilson (6-2)

3.Gov. Mifflin (6-2)

4.Muhlenberg (6-3)

5.Exeter (4-3)

6.Reading (1-6)

7.Wyomissing (5-2)

8.Conrad Weiser (6-4)

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“Roberts Rankings”-Girls Basketball https://berkssportsreport.com/roberts-rankings-girls-basketball-2/ Tue, 03 Dec 2024 23:41:13 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=4598 Can Wyomissing pull off a three-peat? That’s one of the big questions in the Berks County Girls Basketball League this winter. The season is just underway and it should be an exciting one. A handful of teams are legitimate contenders for the county title. Parity could be a word that is used often over the next three months. Seven squads from the Berks League qualified for the District 3 playoffs a season ago, but just two advanced to the state tournament. There are several new head coaches and emerging stars this year.

The Spartans sit atop my poll which shouldn’t come as a surprise. They’re coming off a (31-1) campaign and have claimed back-to-back Berks County and District 3 crowns. Yes, their loss at Hazleton over the weekend was ugly. Keep in mind, however, that seniors Alexis Hardy and Audrey Hurleman didn’t play against the defending District 2-6A champs. Hurleman, a North Carolina lacrosse commit, is expected back in January after recovering from a knee injury. Wyomissing still has the top player in the county in Amaya Stewart. The 6’1 Albany commit is a two-time All-State selection who averaged 19.5 points per game as a junior.

Laila Jones will be sorely missed in West Lawn. The two-time All-County pick is out with a torn ACL. The flashy point guard led the Bulldogs to a (24-5) mark last season. New head coach Matt Raquet still has some tremendous all-around athletes to work with in juniors Laura Crocona and 5’11 Violet Houck. You will be hearing a lot about 5’9 sophomore Kailani Hardy. She dropped 25 points in Wilson’s season opening loss to Emmaus. Hardy can score at all three levels.

Berks Catholic returns four starters who should be motivated after finishing with a (12-13) record. Congratulations to Bob Birmingham who picked up career victory #650 on Saturday. This is his 36th year as a head coach. Madison Langdon, Sydney Corado, and Molly McFadden have been household names at Lloyd Wolf Gymnasium for the past three seasons. Langdon earned All-County status as a junior when she averaged 16.5 ppg. The 5’4 point guard knocked down 49 treys and is closing in on 1,000 points. Daniel Boone transfer Liv Welker will provide a boost for the Saints. The 5’10 junior scored 10 ppg. for the Blazers.

Reading and Gov. Mifflin are two dangerous teams that shouldn’t be overlooked. The Red Knights return a pair of double digit scorers in seniors Tamyia Collier and Yamilex Rodriguez. Freshman guard Xiani Beatty will be an impact player at the Geigle Complex. The Mustangs have plenty of young talent as well. Bella Super, Brooklyn George, and Bridget Martin return for their sophomore seasons. Super provided a dozen points a night last year and connected 34 times from beyond the arc. Freshman forward Saray Renninger has a bright future in Shillington. Mike Clark is one win shy of 300. He’s entering his 17th season overall and 13th at Gov. Mifflin. If the 3-pointers are falling, you can never count out the Mustangs. They’ve piled up 14 Berks League titles.

Exeter begins a new chapter with the graduation of Grace Reedy, the school’s all-time leading scorer at 1,403 points. Reedy poured in 21 ppg. last winter and was named to the Class 5A All-State team. The Eagles have an athletic group that includes Meredith Fylypowycz, Maggie Kopanski, Chayse Flood, and Lillie Keperling. Coaches around the league don’t expect Exeter to fall off the map because Reedy is gone.

Brandywine Heights and Schuylkill Valley round out my initial rankings. Rob Benner takes over for Jason Bieber as the Bullets’ head coach. Bieber is the new skipper of the Fleetwood boys basketball program. Meanwhile, Benner will be relying on some familiar faces. His daughters, Addison and Sophia, hope to get Brandywine Heights back to the postseason. Addison Benner, a skilled 5’11 senior, needs just twenty points to join the 1,000 club. Her sister Sophia, a talented freshman guard, will be part of an uptempo offense. Junior guard Elyssa Sellers could have a big season in Leesport. The southpaw averaged nearly eight points last year for the Panthers. Sellers and senior guard CC Reali are joined by Gov. Mifflin transfer Hannah West.

Twin Valley and Conrad Weiser are a couple of other teams to watch. They easily could have slid into my rankings. Hailey Kilgore should be the focal point of the Raiders’ offense after averaging 14 ppg. as a sophomore. She drilled 47 three-pointers. Syracuse lacrosse commit Ellie Kaplan is part of a solid junior class that includes Olivia Schmittinger. Matt Hahn begins his first full season as head coach in Elverson. The Scouts also have a new man in charge. Athletic director Chris Kline has an experienced group of players in Robesonia. Five of them were part of the starting lineup at different times last winter. Seniors Alex Trevena, Gisselle Feliciano, and Lauren Grabosky look to improve on a (6-16) campaign. Trevena averaged a team-high 7 ppg. with 28 triples. Speaking of triples, she’s headed to Kent State for softball. Grabosky, a 6’ center, will help in the rebounding department. She had 16 boards in their season opener. Sophomore Geniva Paul is another underclassmen to keep an eye on. It will be difficult for Oley Valley to reach 17 victories again this year. Morgan Snyder ended her career with more than 1,000 points. The All-County selection is now playing field hockey at Penn State.

Without further ado, here is my poll for the Berks Girls Basketball League. Ranking the top eight teams wasn’t easy. I consider many of the spots to be interchangeable this year. The records that you see below are from last season. Remember that no matter where your favorite school is ranked, the sun will come out tomorrow!

“The Great 8”

1.Wyomissing (31-1)

2.Wilson (24-5)

3.Berks Catholic (12-13)

4.Reading (10-13)

5.Gov. Mifflin (15-10)

6.Exeter (14-10)

7.Brandywine Heights (14-8)

8.Schuylkill Valley (15-9)

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“Roberts Rankings”-Boys Basketball https://berkssportsreport.com/roberts-rankings-boys-basketball-15/ Fri, 29 Nov 2024 19:24:01 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=4596 Basketball is back! High school hoops season kicks off today across Pennsylvania. Nine boys teams from the Berks Conference qualified for the District 3 playoffs last season and five advanced to the state tournament. I was fortunate to cover a total of 62 boys and girls basketball games during the 2023-24 campaign. I’m looking forward to another exciting year!

Wilson is the defending BCIAA champion and the consensus favorite in the county this season. The Bulldogs have cut the nets down three times over the past five years at Santander Arena. They return four starters and several key reserve players. Wilson pushed back its opener against Central Dauphin due to another lengthy football season. Madyx Gruber, Correll Akings, Mike Glover, Cam Zullinger, and Christo Hunsicker will all be making a quick transition from the gridiron. The Bulldogs had a great summer on the court. They didn’t lose a single game in the West Reading and Cedar Beach Leagues.

Reading is searching for its 26th Berks County title since 1980. It will be difficult to replace All-State selection Yadiel Cruz and his 22 points per game. Jeremiah Camara, the son of head coach Francis Camara, and Weshly Rosario return in the backcourt. The big question is when will 6’10 junior Blake Adams be able to play for the Red Knights. Nativity still hasn’t signed off on his transfer. Adams averaged nearly nine points, eight rebounds, and three blocks there a season ago. The good news is Kahlil Samuel has returned to Reading from New York, and there are a couple of young players to keep an eye on. Freshman Cameron “Bron Bron” Jones and sophomore Jostin DeCastro are names to remember.

Berks Catholic has the top player in the county and a coach with 815 career wins. Snip Esterly is preparing for his 36th year as a head coach. He will rely on 6’2 junior guard Kingston McKoy. The All-State pick has made a full recovery from a fractured tibia that occurred on January 23rd versus Reading. McKoy is an elite defender who can score at all three levels. The Saints will have some newcomers in the mix. Freshman guard Carmelo Harper opened eyes this summer and 6’2 junior forward Gavin Welker transferred from Daniel Boone. In addition, football standout Bryce Gumby has decided to play basketball again.

A nice collection of talent has assembled in Laureldale over the past few years. Freddy Lacey, a transfer from Daniel Boone, is the most recent to join the Muhls. All-County guard Shermar Killen is poised for a big senior season. Eli Hemmings is one of the top sophomores in the area. Jayden Kantner and L.J. Armstrong will help Muhlenberg to push the tempo, while Mike Miller provides a physical presence. The Muhls are always a dangerous opponent, especially in their gym.

Exeter has won 46 games over the past two seasons. The Eagles, however, lost three significant pieces to graduation in Kevin Saenz, Reece Garvin, and Alex Kelsey. Saenz was arguably the most versatile player in the county last year. Exeter will have a strong football flavor on its roster. Aidan Dauble, Carter Redding, Jayden Ware, and Braylon Reinert could all be in the starting lineup. They’re joined by a terrific long range shooter in Brady Murray.

There’s optimism in Shillington this winter. The Mustangs expect to improve upon a (8-14) record. They had ten juniors on the team last season. They’re all back with the exception of UConn baseball commit Bryce Detwiler. Former All-County guard Garrett Etzel returned to Gov. Mifflin as its head coach. Etzel was at the helm in Wyomissing last year. Matt Koehler, Andrew Galantuomo, Stephen Mayo, and Jahmair Johnson form an experienced nucleus for the Mustangs.

Speaking of experience, Conrad Weiser has seven seniors on its squad this year. Donovan Gingrich and Brady McKee have become household names in Robesonia. Gingrich holds the school record for 3-pointers in a career. McKee is a point guard with the ability to score. Evan Miller is back after not playing last season. He had shoulder surgery following the 2023 football season. All-State soccer player Gavin Rapp will also give the Scouts some size. Once again, Conrad Weiser has a new head coach. Joey Negron is in charge after being an assistant to Mike Dooley a season ago. Marquis Marshall, the son of longtime NBA player Donyell Marshall, has joined the Scouts’ staff.

Wyomissing has a new head coach as well. Konlan Krick is now leading the Spartans into battle. He was an assistant at Exeter for the previous seven years. Danny Fleischood is Wyomissing’s #1 scoring option. The 6’1 guard averaged a dozen points as a sophomore. The Spartans also have an outstanding all-around athlete in Justice Hardy (Football/Track), and a 3-point threat in Dylan Latourelle.

Schuylkill Valley, Oley Valley, and Antietam are other teams to watch. The Panthers went (15-7) last season and return three starters in Luke Spotts, Kowen Gerner, and Cooper Hohenadel. That trio helped Schuylkill Valley capture the Section 5 football championship in the Lancaster-Lebanon League this fall. Ben DeBalko knocked down 63 treys for the (12-11) Lynx a season ago. He led the county in that department. Antietam only had one senior on its roster last year when the Mounts finished (12-12). They qualified for the BCIAA and District 3 playoffs. Fleetwood won 20 games last season, but the Tigers must replace all five starters.

Without further ado, here is my preseason poll for the Berks Conference. The records listed below are from 2023-24. Remember that no matter where your favorite team is ranked, the sun will come out tomorrow!

“The Great 8”

1.Wilson (17-9)

2.Reading (22-11)

3.Berks Catholic (23-5)

4.Muhlenberg (16-12)

5.Exeter (19-10)

6.Gov. Mifflin (8-14)

7.Conrad Weiser (8-14)

8.Wyomissing (11-11)

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