York High-64, Hazleton-51

Nasir Barnes scored a game-high 21 points for the (11-5) Bearcats, including eight in the fourth quarter. The junior guard surpassed 1,000 career points last month. Sophomore Yoziah Romero added 15 points. He had nine points in the first quarter as York raced out to a 19-8 lead after eight minutes. The (7-9) Cougars trailed 37-24 at halftime. They pulled within 51-49 when sophomore guard Edison Macko splashed a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 5:15 remaining. The Bearcats went on a 13-to-2 run to end the game. Hazleton committed seven of its 21 turnovers in the fourth quarter. Kendrick Ortiz, a 6’4 senior, finished with a team-high 16 points, including ten in the third period. Dylan Stish chipped in with 13 points and Oscaudy Vasquez had 10. The Cougars went 8-for-10 from the foul line, while York was 8-of-15. Hazleton connected five times from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, the Bearcats hit six triples. They’ve won seven of their last eight contests.

Spring-Ford-56, Reading-48

The Rams came out firing and drilled three 3-pointers in the first quarter. They jumped out to a 14-9 advantage, but the Red Knights closed the period on a 7-0 run. They were tied 25-25 at halftime. Syaire Barnes and Matteo Magazollo sank back-to-back treys to put Spring-Ford in front 31-27 with 4:50 left in the third quarter. Jack Kennedy buried another triple from the right corner to extend their cushion to 36-27. Reading scored ten of the next twelve points and got within 38-37 entering the final period. A 3-pointer by sophomore Javon Merriweather gave the (11-5) Red Knights a 42-40 edge with six and a-half minutes to go. The (14-4) Rams responded with a decisive 16-to-4 run. Bryce Robinson, a 6’4 junior, contributed all six of his points on three layups down the stretch. Reading was down 52-46 when sophomore Cameron “Bron Bron” Jones misfired from 3-point range with 25 seconds on the clock. Barnes and Magazollo then made four consecutive free throws to ice it. Spring-Ford went 11-of-12 from the stripe, while the Red Knights were 5-for-5. Blake Turner, a Colgate football recruit, led the Rams with 13 points, including seven in the opening quarter. Magazollo was responsible for three of their seven triples. He finished with 11 points. Barnes and Kennedy had 10 points apiece in a balanced attack. Jostin DeCastro, a 6’3 junior guard, ended up with a game-high 21 points for Reading. Merriweather and Weshly Rosario each scored eight points. The Red Knights had won eight of their previous nine games.

Reading (Girls)-58, West York-49

The Bulldogs’ five-game winning streak came to a halt at the Geigle Complex. The (10-7) Red Knights reeled off the first seven points and led 14-8 after the opening quarter. Senior guard Mekhira Gaskins scored six points in the first half and Reading was on top 27-14 at the break. West York pulled within 33-26 with five and a-half minutes left in the third quarter, but the Red Knights answered with a 9-to-3 run. They had a 48-36 advantage going into the final period. A three-point play by sophomore Xiani Beatty made it 53-40 with 5:13 remaining. Both teams then went scoreless for two minutes. The (9-6) Bulldogs trailed 53-45 after Cam Forsythe’s three-point play with 1:35 on the clock. CJ Henry’s layup closed the gap to 54-49 with 26 seconds left. Nalani Sosa and Yolanda Velez each split a pair of free throws to put Reading in front 56-49 with 23 seconds to go. Following a West York turnover, Velez connected twice from the foul line. Beatty finished with a game-high 16 points. JilliAnn Laws, a 5’11 senior, added eleven points and Velez chipped in with seven. Forsythe had a team-high 13 points for the Bulldogs and Brooke Nalls ended up with eleven. The Red Knights have won four in a row.

Weshly Rosario, who was providing 18.3 ppg., picked up two fouls in the first four and a-half minutes. Jones took over at point guard and hit a pair of triples before finding Jamier Jacob for a layup. The 6’ sophomore helped the Red Knights build a 19-14 edge after the opening quarter. “Oh my goodness, Bron Bron is exceptional to the game. He just knows how to play…I love him to be a playmaker. He really forces tempo and starts the break,” emphasized Perez. Jones ended up with ten points, the most in the early stages of his career. He enjoys sharing the ball. “I like to get everybody involved, make sure everybody is happy,” he said.

Braylon Reinert got his second foul less than three minutes into the game. The 6’3, 225-pound forward managed just two points in the first half. The (6-2, 2-1) Eagles were once again without Dylan Donate. The senior guard, who averaged 19 points in three games, is dealing with a calf strain. Exeter got some good news on Monday with the return of Aidan Dauble. The 6’3, 215-pound senior was an All-Division pick a season ago when he contributed a team-high 16 ppg. Dauble struggled from 3-point range against Reading, but he hadn’t played since the season opener due to an injury. The first team linebacker in Section 2 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League led the Eagles with ten points. Dauble scored the first basket of the second half to pull Exeter within 28-27. The Red Knights responded with a 23-to-4 run. A three-point play by DeCastro made it 44-30 midway through the third quarter. Rosario knocked down a trey with three minutes left in the period for a 51-31 advantage. Reading was on top 55-35 entering the fourth quarter.

Four players were in double digits for the Red Knights. Jacob had a dozen points and Rosario added ten despite being limited due to foul trouble. His third foul came one minute into the second quarter. Mikal Portalatin chipped in with six points. He started in place of Javon Merriweather who expects to return this Saturday. The sophomore shooting guard has been putting up nearly 15 points a night. Reading went 11-for-15 from the foul line, while the Eagles were 14-of-20. Reinert and Jayden Ware finished with eight points apiece. Exeter only made three 3-pointers and two of those shots came in the final minutes.

Jones was the spark that the Red Knights needed in the first quarter. After falling to Muhlenberg and Wilson at home, Reading earned its first league win. This is a program that has won a record 25 BCIAA championships and 24 District III titles. Perez guided the Red Knights to a trio of state crowns, most recently in 2023. “It’s a legacy, it’s a culture. You feel some different type of energy when you got the Reading High jersey on,” stated Jones. Perez believes that Jones has a bright future. “If there’s one person who understands Red Knight toughness and Red Knight culture, it’s him,” remarked Perez.

Perez will be counting on his backcourt of Weshly Rosario and Jostin DeCastro to lead the way. DeCastro averaged 12.9 points per game as a sophomore last year. “Jostin is a diamond in the rough. His game just keeps ascending. As he learns more, he wants more,” said Perez. The 6’2 guard was Reading’s second-leading scorer during the 2024-25 campaign. “Jostin reminds me of when Daniel Alcantara burst on the scene. They have different playing styles, but how smooth they are and their feel for the game is similar. His best basketball is yet to come,” remarked Perez. DeCastro poured in 20 points in a 88-80 win over Muhlenberg in late January. He had 14 points when the Red Knights upset top-seeded Berks Catholic 48-41 in the BCIAA semifinals. Reading had won nine out of ten games before falling to Wilson 55-39 in the Berks County Championship at Santander Arena. DeCastro only made two 3-pointers in 25 games. He got in the gym and started practicing his long range shot as soon as the season ended. “I saw how they were playing me in the county championship game and I knew I had to work on that. It’s a big part of basketball now,” he explained.

Rosario will run the show for the Red Knights this winter. The 6’ senior point guard is a tremendous passer with great vision. DeCastro enjoys playing with Rosario. “It’s a lot of fun. He connects the whole team. We all come together with him on the court. He finds you, he looks you open sometimes,” replied DeCastro. Rosario averaged 12 ppg. last year. He erupted for 28 points in the victory over Muhlenberg on January 23rd at the Geigle Complex. Rosario will be setting up a pair of young guards this season. Cameron “Bron Bron” Jones and Javon Merriweather are a couple of sophomores to keep an eye on. Jamier Jacob will need to provide a presence in the paint for the undersized Red Knights. The 6’2, 215-pound junior was a TE/DE on the football team this fall.

Reading finished (13-12) after a (1-6) start last year. The Red Knights didn’t qualify for the District III playoffs for the first time since 2001. Expectations are always high on North 13th Street. Reading holds the state record with 2,281 all-time wins. The boys basketball program has been around for 125 years. The Red Knights have racked up 25 BCIAA championships, 24 District III titles, and 20 Central Penn League crowns. Reading begins its season at the York High tournament on Friday and Saturday. The Red Knights’ home opener is Tuesday, December 9th against McCaskey. “I’m really excited. Last year we came up short and I’m glad that we have the opportunity to come back and prove ourselves,” said DeCastro.

Perez guided the Red Knights for twelve years. They captured PIAA titles in 2017, 2021, and 2023. Reading also claimed five District 3 championships and six BCIAA crowns during Perez’s tenure. Perez had a record of (281-74) with the Red Knights. He has the most victories in program history, surpassing Jim Gano’s mark of 251 wins. Lonnie Walker helped Reading earn its first state championship in 2017. The Red Knights defeated Pine-Richland 64-60 in front of 9,531 fans at the Giant Center in Hershey.

Francis Camara served as Reading’s head coach the last two years. The Red Knights finished (13-12) this past season after a (1-6) start. They won seven of their last eight regular season games to qualify for the Berks County playoffs. However, Reading didn’t make it into the District 3-6A tournament for the first time since 2001. Camara, a 2008 Reading graduate, had previously been an assistant coach under Perez. The school district opted to open the position of head coach last month. Camara’s son, Jeremiah, is now attending Berks Catholic. He was the Red Knights’ leading scorer last season at 14 points per game. Perez’s sons, Jadin and Kalib, are on Muhlenberg’s basketball team.

Reading has won more games than any other high school in Pennsylvania history. The Red Knights have piled up 25 Berks County championships and 24 District 3 titles.