Reading – Berks Sports Report

Reading falls to Central York

Paul Roberts — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 14:37:53 +0000

The defending state champions in Class 6A paid a visit to the Geigle Complex on Wednesday night. Central York returned four starters from a (29-3) squad that captured the school’s first PIAA title in boys basketball. Reading had three sophomores in its starting lineup and just one senior. The Panthers jumped out to a 7-0 lead. They were on top 25-12 after the opening quarter. “Reading’s always a scrappy team. We know that we can’t play lackadaisical at all, especially with this environment,” said Ben Natal. The 6’3 senior guard scored ten of his twenty points in the first eight minutes. Natal has more than 1,400 points in his career. The Red Knights had to go to their bench early after Jostin DeCastro and Kahlil Samuel each picked up two fouls in the first period. DeCastro, who was averaging 12 ppg., finished with just six points. Reading outscored Central York 17-to-13 in the second quarter and trailed by nine points at halftime. The Red Knights were mistakenly awarded two extra points in the third quarter. They were within 50-42 entering the final period. Reading got the first bucket of the fourth quarter. However, the (8-1) Panthers erupted for 23 points and pulled away from the (3-9) Red Knights. Ben Rill, a 6’8 senior, provided 20 points. Albright commit Byron Pinkney added 19 points. The 6’4 senior hit two of Central York’s four 3-pointers. There were 48 combined turnovers including 25 by the Panthers. Both teams did a better job of taking care of the ball in the second half. Jeremiah Camara had a team-high 15 points. The 5’9 sophomore scored nine points in the fourth quarter. Samuel chipped in with nine points. Weshly Rosario, “Coco” Malave, and Xavier Beatty provided eight points apiece. Malave, a 5’10 sophomore, got the start as Beatty came off the bench. Reading went 7-of-10 from the free throw line, while the Panthers were 9-of-14. These schools squared off in the state semifinals a season ago. Central York took that matchup 79-65. The Red Knights are back in action tonight at Twin Valley.

Shermar Killen-Muhlenberg

Paul Roberts — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 15:36:45 +0000

Shermar Killen was motivated by Tuesday’s loss at Gov. Mifflin. The 6’2 senior guard was limited to three points in the second half as Muhlenberg fell 77-73 to the Mustangs. Killen wasn’t going to let that happen again on Thursday night in front of a sold-out crowd in Laureldale. He erupted for 28 points in an intense 70-58 victory over Reading. “It’s a rivalry game. My coaches always tell me they need me. My teammates tell me they need me. I just want to be the best I can be for them,” he said. Killen is a physical guard who loves to attack the basket. He was 10-for-10 from the free throw line. “The kid took a lot of pride in the offseason in the weight room and conditioning…We rode his back and he delivered,” replied head coach Matt Flowers. Killen’s career-high of 29 points came against the same opponent in the same gym on January 9th. The Muhls beat Reading 87-74 in double overtime on that night. This one wasn’t as close, although the Red Knights were on fire early. They raced out to a 19-7 advantage on Jostin DeCastro’s three-point play with 2:42 left in the opening quarter. The 6’2 sophomore guard jammed all 17 of his points into the first half, including 13 in the first period. Reading was in front 28-18 after eight minutes and 37-22 midway through the second quarter. Killen, an All-County selection last season, scored nine points in the second quarter and brought Muhlenberg within 37-34 at halftime. During the break, the Muhls discussed their defensive game plan and made a key adjustment. “We figured it out. We were playing a little too close to them so they were able to blow by us,” explained Killen. Muhlenberg backed off slightly and the (1-4) Red Knights managed just 21 points in the second half. They didn’t make any 3-point shots. The (5-2) Muhls outscored them 21-10 in the third quarter. Killen provided ten points in that period. Muhlenberg took its first lead with 4:45 remaining in the third quarter on a layup by talented 6’3 sophomore Eli Hemmings. Reading was scoreless for the first three minutes and ten seconds of the fourth quarter. The Red Knights fell behind 59-47. Weshly Rosario finished with 14 points and sophomore guard Jeremiah Camara added a dozen. Reading committed 18 turnovers, while the Muhls only had nine. Senior guard Jayden Kantner contributed ten points for Muhlenberg. Hemmings and sophomore guard LJ Armstrong chipped in with eight points apiece. The Muhls were 17-of-24 from the foul line. Jadin Perez, the son of current Muhlenberg assistant coach Rick Perez, came off the bench and hit two of his team’s three triples. The Red Knights ended up 14-of-16 from the charity stripe, but they only made three field goals in the final period. Meanwhile, Killen has big expectations for the Muhls after going (16-12) a season ago. “I feel like we’re gonna make a long county [playoff] run, a long district run, and a long state run,” he said.

Francis Camara-Reading

Paul Roberts — Fri, 06 Dec 2024 14:11:35 +0000

Two high school basketball heavyweights squared off in the Ches-Mont Challenge at West Chester University. The short-handed Red Knights had two lengthy scoring droughts in a 55-35 loss to Coatesville. “Our boys fought. We fought hard. That’s a very good Coatesville team. They’ve got some really good size. They killed us on the glass,” said second-year head coach Francis Camara. The Red Raiders fell to Reading 62-44 in the state quarterfinals a season ago. They trailed 16-13 after the opening quarter on Thursday night. Coatesville outscored the Red Knights 8-0 over the first two minutes of the second quarter. Reading went scoreless for five minutes and fifteen seconds as the (2-0) Red Raiders went in front 25-16. They were on top 29-21 at halftime. The Red Knights pulled within 36-32 entering the final period, but they were outscored 19-3 in the fourth quarter. Reading committed ten of its 22 turnovers over the last eight minutes. “Most important, we gotta take care of the ball. We had some good looks. It felt like there was a lid on the rim. Things weren’t going in for us,” noted Camara. The Red Knights were 3-of-12 from beyond the arc in their opener. Kahlil Samuel, a 6’1 senior who returned to Reading from New York, had a team-high ten points and six rebounds. “Kahlil is gonna be a very good contributor for us. He’s very versatile,” replied Camara. Senior guard Amon Fowlkes led Coatesville with 16 points including eight in the fourth quarter. Senior point guard Nasir Williams, a transfer from Sankofa Freedom Academy, added 15 points. Larry Brown, a 6’7 junior, and reserve guard Chris Allegra chipped in with seven points apiece. The Red Raiders were just 11-of-22 from the free throw line, while the Red Knights finished 8-for-11. Jeremiah Camara was the only returning starter on the court for Reading. The sophomore guard had nine points with seven coming in the first half. Juniors Weshly Rosario and Blake Adams aren’t currently eligible. Adams is a 6’9 transfer from Nativity who averaged 8.6 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks last season. “Obviously, adding those two back with us is gonna be a great addition, but we’ll roll with what we have right now. We’re gonna continue to fight,” stated Camara. The Red Knights hope to have Rosario and Adams in the lineup soon. Reading’s 2,268 victories are the most in Pennsylvania history. Coatesville is up to 1,850 wins after knocking off Lower Merion and Reading to begin the 2024-25 campaign. Head coach John Allen led the Red Raiders to a state championship in 2001. He racked up 2,372 points during his high school career before going to Seton Hall. Camara believes playing a difficult schedule will benefit the Red Knights down the road. They started three sophomores on Thursday. “You continue to challenge your team. You want them to get better and better every day…We’re gonna be tougher in the long run for it,” he emphasized.

Troy Godinet-Reading

Paul Roberts — Sat, 31 Aug 2024 06:17:16 +0000

It may not have been pretty, but the “Battle of the Border” trophy is staying at Reading High. The (1-1) Red Knights defeated rival Muhlenberg 34-20 at Shirk Stadium. “We’re still working on building the culture here, but these kids have worked extremely hard. I’m proud of them. I love them,” said head coach Troy Godinet. The former All-County linebacker at Reading saw his defense allow just six points in the second half. The (1-1) Muhls failed to score on their final four possessions. Each team committed three turnovers and more than ten penalties. Gabriel Laws provided the first and last touchdowns of the night. His 12-yard run off the left side capped a 55-yard drive and put the Red Knights on top 7-0 just three minutes into the contest. Laws, a 210-pound senior linebacker, powered his way into the end zone from two yards out with 11:22 remaining. That touchdown gave Reading a 14-point cushion. “He is the emotional leader of this team. That kid has worked his tail off…He’s one of the reasons I applied for this job,” stated Godinet. Laws finished with 69 yards on ten carries. Kayson Fritz was nearly perfect through the air. The 6’1, 200-pound senior went 11-of-12 for 126 yards. Fritz also ran for 111 yards on 16 carries. After a 31-yard completion down the left sideline to 6’2 senior Xavier Beatty, Fritz ran seven yards for a score and a 14-6 edge in the second quarter. An interception by senior cornerback Alexis Alvarado set up the Red Knights at Muhlenberg’s 25-yard line. Fritz found Jared Santos over the middle for a 24-yard touchdown with 23 seconds to go before halftime. Santos, a 5’10 senior, made a terrific leaping grab for a 21-14 lead. Reading opened the second half by marching 66 yards in just five plays. A 1-yard score by Alvarado made it 27-14. He had 68 yards on 13 carries. “He’s just a competitive kid. He’s gonna bounce back. He’s battled a tremendous amount of adversity over this past year. He’s a great kid,” replied Godinet. The Red Knights outgained the Muhls 392-to-306. Reading transfer Cameron Small grinded out 170 yards and 3TD on 29 carries. Small, a 182-pound junior, sprinted 16 yards up the middle for a touchdown with 7:38 left in the third quarter. That pulled the Muhls within 27-20. Head coach Rob Flowers turned to freshman quarterback Adriel Baez in the fourth period. Starting QB Christian Coley ended up 8-of-18 for 63 yards and a pick. Baez was intercepted by Jeremiah Camara midway through the final quarter. The Red Knights have won three straight in the series with Muhlenberg. “It’s a great rivalry. The kids know each other. The communities come out,” said Godinet.

Keyshawn Efese-Reading

Paul Roberts — Fri, 16 Aug 2024 20:34:31 +0000

In 2002, seven sophomores started on Reading’s football team. Those young men, including Keyshawn Efese, are now seniors. Efese stands out at 6’5 and 290 pounds with a 7-foot-1 wingspan. “I don’t think I’m different than everybody. I just think I was blessed,” he said. Efese was 365 pounds in tenth grade. He credits head coach Troy Godinet and the Red Knights’ staff for helping him physically and mentally. Efese has eight Division I offers. “It feels good. I stay humble every day, just continue to work,” he replied. The soft-spoken offensive and defensive tackle mentioned that location will be a factor when he makes his college decision. “I don’t want to stay close. I want to get out of Pennsylvania,” stated Efese. Reading returns nine starters on offense and seven on defense. Efese will once again be joined up front by Romello Fuentes (240 pounds), Bryant Del Carmen (320 pounds), and Efrain Bonilla (360 pounds). They’ll be opening holes for rising senior Alexis Alvarado. Cameron Small, a rising junior running back, transferred to Muhlenberg. However, Kahlil Samuel is back with the Red Knights after spending last year in New York. Gabriel Laws and Xavier Beatty are experienced players who will be counted on heavily. Beatty was named a first team defensive back in Section 1 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League last fall. The 6’2 rising senior is a very tough matchup at wide receiver. Beatty earned a silver medal in the long jump at the PIAA-3A championships. Laws is a 210-pound linebacker with a nose for the football. The Red Knights are trying to turn things around after a (1-9,0-6) campaign. This will be Godinet’s third year at the helm. He was an All-County linebacker at Reading who played in the 2003 District 3-4A championship game. The Red Knights will host Phoenixville next Friday in their opener. The Phantoms finished (8-4) a season ago. Meanwhile, Efese will continue to quietly work on his craft. “I’m trying to improve on my first step and my drive blocking,” he said.

Correll Akings-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Sat, 03 Aug 2024 02:45:35 +0000

The West Reading Summer Basketball League championship came down to the final second. Zach Suski got behind Wilson’s defense after a missed free throw. Suski missed an open layup and the Bulldogs held on for a 37-35 victory over Berks Catholic. “I thought it was gonna be a tie game and we were gonna have to fight through overtime. That game was very tough and it came down to the wire,” said Correll Akings. The Saints had won the previous three West Reading League titles. They battled back after trailing 8-0 and 15-4 on Thursday night. Kingston McKoy finished with a game-high 20 points, including four three-pointers. “He’s so good and crafty. He knows how to get a bucket whenever he needs one,” acknowledged Akings. Suski, who had 12 points, sank a triple from the right corner before the halftime buzzer. Berks Catholic was down 21-14 at the break. Wilson was on top 27-24 after the third quarter. A jump hook by Luke Levan gave the Bulldogs a 33-31 advantage with 1:45 remaining. McKoy’s putback tied the score. A tough floater by Madyx Gruber made it 35-33. A layup by Akings gave Wilson a 37-33 cushion with 36 seconds left. However, Akings missed five consecutive free throws down the stretch which gave the Saints a chance. The rising junior guard still ended up with a team-high 11 points. Levan provided eight points. “He’s developed so much and he’s become such a strong player for us,” emphasized Akings. Gruber received the Terry Brennan Most Outstanding Player award. The rising senior guard had 16 points in a 38-29 semifinal win against Warwick. The Bulldogs captured the West Reading League championship for the first time since 2019. Akings, Gruber, Levan, Tommy McFadden, Jon Etim, Cam Zullinger, and Christo Hunsicker are all back from the team that won the BCIAA title this year. “The chemistry is getting stronger and stronger day in and day out. I love the guys so much. They mean a lot to me,” said Akings.

West Reading League Playoffs

Paul Roberts — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 13:09:38 +0000

The West Reading Summer Basketball League playoffs got underway on Monday. It’s going to be a busy week for the league. The quarterfinals begin at 5:25pm on Tuesday. The semifinals are scheduled for 6pm and 7pm on Wednesday. The championship is on Thursday at 6pm and will be followed by the All-Star Game. If there’s rain this week, the games will be moved to Wyomissing’s old high school gym.

Here are the results from the first round of the playoffs:

Wilson beat Conrad Weiser 44-23.

Berks Catholic got by Daniel Boone 45-39.

Exeter fell to Warwick 29-27.

Gov. Mifflin defeated Ephrata 31-22.

Wyomissing knocked out Fleetwood 50-32.

Hamburg lost to Schuylkill Valley 40-33.

Antietam rolled over Kutztown 43-24.

High Point eliminated Oley Valley 47-38.

West Reading-Sacramento Exchange

Paul Roberts — Thu, 30 May 2024 12:27:00 +0000

The 52nd West Reading-Sacramento Cultural Exchange program is being held in Berks County next month. The Franklin High School boys basketball team from Elk Grove, California will be here for a week beginning on June 11th. Berks Catholic is hosting a tournament on Thursday, June 13th. Franklin, Berks Catholic, Wyomissing, Waynesboro and Smithsburg, Maryland are participating in that event. On June 14th, Franklin will play at Gov. Mifflin at 10 o’clock and then travel to Wilson for another game at 4:30pm. On June 15th, Exeter will entertain Franklin at 10am. Oley Valley will take on Franklin that evening at the West Reading playground. That game is scheduled for 6:20pm.

The Franklin players will get to visit Philadelphia, New York City and Washington, D.C. They will also attend a Reading Fightin Phils game at FirstEnergy Stadium on Saturday, June 15th. In addition, Franklin will take part in basketball clinics at the 3rd & Spruce Recreation Center and West Reading playground.

All-State Team-Boys Basketball

Paul Roberts — Wed, 24 Apr 2024 09:09:00 +0000

Two high school basketball players from Berks County were selected to the PA Sports Writers’ All-State team. Reading’s Yadiel Cruz is a first team pick in Class 6A. Kingston McKoy of Berks Catholic was named to the third team in Class 4A.

After averaging 8.5 points as a junior, Cruz led the Berks Conference in scoring at 22 ppg. in the 2023-24 season. The 6’2 guard hit a team-high 48 triples for the Red Knights. He finished with 729 points as a senior, including a career-high 40 in a 71-62 victory over Harrisburg on January 13th. Cruz shot 54% from the field and 38% from beyond the arc, while averaging 7.2 rebounds. In just two years at Reading, he accumulated 1,010 points. Cruz was voted the Berks County Player of the Year in 2024. He also received the Dr. Richard Kleppinger Award from the Reading Berks Basketball Association. The Red Knights won 22 games and reached the state semifinals this season.

McKoy made the All-State squad despite playing in only 14 games. Unfortunately, his season came to an end on January 23rd when he suffered a fractured tibia against Reading. Berks Catholic rallied to win that game 61-59 at Lloyd Wolf Gymnasium. McKoy poured in a career-high 29 points in a thrilling 77-73 overtime victory at Trinity in late December. The 6’2 sophomore guard averaged 15 points this year. He also provided elite defense. McKoy was voted to the All-County team as well. The (23-5) Saints advanced to the second round of the PIAA-4A playoffs.

Caleb Ricketts-Fightin Phils

Paul Roberts — Sat, 06 Apr 2024 10:39:00 +0000

Baseball players take different paths to reach the professional ranks. In the case of Caleb Ricketts, it meant staying in college for four years. “It helped me tremendously [to] grow as a player and a person, emotionally too. I was a totally different player than I was at 18. I’m really grateful for those four years I spent at USD,” said Ricketts. The 6’3, 225-pound catcher put up big numbers as a senior at the University of San Diego. He hit .373 with 16 home runs and 55 RBI in 56 games. The Phillies selected Ricketts in the seventh round of the 2022 draft. The left-handed hitter got off to a great start last year in Clearwater. He posted a .368 batting average while driving in 23 runs in 23 games. Unfortunately, injuries cost him about two months. Ricketts struggled after being promoted to High-A Jersey Shore. The 23-year-old hit .218 in 44 games while dealing with a wrist injury. He was able to get some more plate appearances in the Arizona Fall League. “That was an awesome experience. That was a blessing to be able to go out there and play. I definitely learned a lot from all my coaches and teammates,” remarked Ricketts. He’s ranked as the #21 prospect in the Phillies’ minor league system. Reading won its season opener 5-2 at Bowie on Friday night. The Fightin Phils scored three times in the 9th inning. Max Lazar struck out the side in the bottom half of the frame for the save. Southpaw Matt Osterberg got the start. He allowed one unearned run on two hits over 3.2 innings. Jordi Martinez picked up the win in relief. The lefty tossed 1.2 hitless innings with four strikeouts. Ricketts is confident in Reading’s pitching staff. “I think all of our guys are gonna be able to bring it to the table and help us win,” he replied.