Reading upset Exeter 5-2 at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Eagles had won six of their previous seven contests.

Muhlenberg blanked Conrad Weiser 9-0. Cooper Burr fired five hitless innings with nine strikeouts. Six players had at least one hit for the Muhls.

Daniel Boone defeated Twin Valley 9-1 in Birdsboro. Sophomore Greyson Bell gave up one unearned run on one hit over 5.2 innings. The southpaw racked up eleven strikeouts. Chase Yenser finished with three hits. He scored a pair of runs and knocked in two more.

Wyomissing used a four-run second inning to top Hamburg 5-1 on “Hawk Hill.” Chase Bailey held Hamburg to one unearned run on three hits in 5.2 innings. Teddy White provided two hits and two runs.

Berks Catholic hammered Brandywine Heights 16-1 in four innings. Henry Pflomm went 2-for-3 and drove in five runs.

Oley Valley cruised past Antietam 8-0. Nick DeBalko limited the Mounts to one hit in 4.2 innings. He struck out nine batters. The Lynx host Kutztown on Wednesday in a battle for first place in Division 4.

Schuylkill Valley beat Tulpehocken 15-5 in six innings. The Panthers took the lead with nine runs in the fourth inning. The Trojans committed eleven errors.

Kutztown held off Executive Education Academy 12-9. The Cougars built a 10-0 cushion in the top of the fourth. Ryan Walters was 2-for-2 with two walks. He scored three times and knocked in a couple of runs. Domanic Nolt added two hits and 2 RBI.

O’Connell guided Cairn to 149 NCAA wins, including a record of (80-53) since 2021. He took over a program that won just two games in the 2013-14 campaign. The Highlanders went (21-7) this past season. They finished third in the nation in 3-pointers per game. Cairn ranked 23rd in the country in scoring at 86 ppg. The Highlanders reached the postseason every year since the COVID-shortened season of 2020-21. O’Connell coached eleven first team All-Conference players and ten 1,000-point scorers.

O’Connell graduated from Lancaster Bible College in 2012 with a degree in Sports Management. He holds master’s degrees from California University of Pennsylvania and Eastern Kentucky University. “I am incredibly grateful and excited for the opportunity to be the head men’s basketball coach at Alvernia University. I am eager to lead this program and establish a culture that represents the university with pride, both on the court and in the campus community, all while striving to compete at a high level,” said O’Connell.

The Red Knights won at York 70-60 back on December 6th. The Bearcats came out with a much more aggressive mentality this time around. They pounded the offensive glass and held Reading scoreless for three minutes and fifteen seconds. A 3-pointer by Sincere Burgos made it 7-0 after two minutes. Justin Brown came off the bench and hit a triple from the left corner with five seconds left in the opening quarter. The Red Knights trailed 22-10 after eight minutes and point guard Weshly Rosario had picked up a pair of fouls. He’s the lone senior in Reading’s starting lineup. Meanwhile, six different players scored for York in the first quarter.

The Bearcats began the second period with a pivotal 16-to-6 run. Nasir Barnes made three free throws after getting fouled beyond the arc with five and a-half minutes remaining in the first half. The 6’1 junior point guard was just getting warmed up. He piled up 33 points and nine assists. Barnes is already the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,614 career points. The smooth southpaw splashed a trey midway through the second quarter to give York a 33-16 advantage. A three-point play by Brown increased the margin to 38-16 with three minutes to go before halftime. The Red Knights closed out the half on a 13-to-2 run to finally gain some momentum. Javon Merriweather nailed a triple and Jostin DeCastro provided two three-point plays. DeCastro finished with a team-high 20 points before fouling out with 2:35 left. The 6’3 junior guard squeezed ten points into the third quarter. Reading was behind 40-29 at halftime.

A three-point play by Barnes put York in front 50-33 with 3:40 to play in the third period. The Red Knights responded with eight straight points. “A well-coached team, a lot of talented players, and we know Reading is gonna be tough and physical,” acknowledged Glover. The Bearcats maintained a 61-47 edge entering the fourth quarter. They missed their first four foul shots to start the period. Merriweather connected from long range to pull the Red Knights within 74-64 with 2:40 remaining. The 6’2 sophomore drained another trey from the left wing to make it 78-69 with two minutes on the clock. However, York sealed the deal with the final seven points including a 3-pointer from Barnes. He poured in 13 points over the last eight minutes. “Everyone knows he can score the basketball. I’ve challenged him to not just be the best scorer in District 3, be the best player. Be a leader, get other guys involved, and make sure we control the tempo,” remarked Glover.

When Barnes wasn’t scoring, he was getting into the lane and finding his teammates for easy buckets. He also spent a lot of time at the foul line, going a perfect 12-for-12. Brandon DeShields, a 6’6 senior, had 13 points. Yoziah Romero and Brown added ten points apiece. Dawone Hodges, a 6’3 senior, chipped in with eight points. The Bearcats went 24-of-31 from the stripe, while Reading was 20-of-26. York made seven 3-pointers, compared to just three for the Red Knights. Raybin Rubio provided a spark for Reading with a dozen points. The sophomore guard became a starter a few games ago. Rosario had ten points in his finale.

York clinched a berth in the state playoffs. The top eight teams in Class 6A advance to the PIAA tournament. Red Knights’ head coach Rick Perez will enter next season with 299 career wins. He’ll have a much more experienced squad next winter. DeCastro, Merriweather, Cameron “Bron Bron” Jones, Jamier Jacob, Rubio, and freshman Tai’je Slaughter will return. “This game has become much more than winning and losing to me. I fell short of being able to impose that on our guys and have them believe in that. That has always been the driving force to this program. I pray I can teach that, and show them that playing for something bigger than wins, losses and championships can take you further than you imagined. I will be better,” said Perez.

Crocona, who’s headed to Kutztown University, helped Wilson get off to a fast start. Two of her three 3-pointers came in the opening quarter. “I’ve obviously had some ups and downs with shooting this year, but tonight my shot felt really good. It felt good to see them go in,” said Crocona. The (13-11) Red Knights fell behind 19-10 after eight minutes. The Bulldogs began the second quarter with six straight points. The defending county champions were limited to five points in that period when they committed eight turnovers. Wilson was on top 29-15 at halftime and 42-25 entering the fourth quarter.

JilliAnn Laws, a 5’11 senior forward, made a layup with 2:23 left to pull Reading within 46-34. Following a bucket by Wilson’s Violet Houck, Xiani Beatty nailed a triple to make it 48-37 with 1:15 remaining. Junior guard Ryan Leaman converted three of four foul shots to seal it. The North Carolina lacrosse commit finished with a dozen points. Kailani Hardy added eleven points and Houck had six. Hardy, a 5’10 junior guard, picked up an offer from La Salle late last month. Houck is committed to Jacksonville University for track and field. “We’re a really close group. We hang out all the time. It’s so nice to know that if someone is not having their best day, other people have each other to pick each other up,” remarked Crocona.

The Bulldogs are back at full strength this season with the return of Laila Jones. The 5’8 point guard missed the 2024-25 campaign due to a torn ACL. Jones is a two-time All-County selection and a 1,000-point scorer. “She’s so talented, she’s a great teammate. Having her back has been so big this year. We really missed her last year,” said Crocona. Jones recently committed to Penn State Harrisburg. She’s averaging 12 ppg. this season as part of a balanced attack.

Wilson went 9-of-16 from the stripe, while the Red Knights were just 1-for-6. Each team connected four times from beyond the arc. Crocona is second on her squad with 31 3-pointers. She was an all-division field hockey player in the fall. Crocona also excels in the classroom with a lofty 4.25 GPA. Her older brother, Nick, played football, baseball and basketball during his high school days in West Lawn.

The talented Bulldogs spent very little time celebrating after beating Reading. Their focus is on winning their first county title in twelve years. “We know that our job is not done…We know that Exeter is gonna come to play,” stated Crocona.

The (18-6) Red Knights opened the heavyweight contest with five straight points and built a 18-8 advantage on the scorecard. The (16-7) Muhls trailed 19-10 after eight minutes. A three-point play by Perez pulled Muhlenberg within 23-19 midway through the second quarter. Merriweather contributed five points in that period and Reading led 35-25 at halftime. The southpaw was playing in Santander Arena for the first time. “I liked it a lot. I always like big moments. I never get nervous,” he replied. Cameron “Bron Bron” Jones, a 6’ sophomore, chipped in with ten points. Rosario and Jamier Jacob finished with eight points apiece in a balanced attack. “Anybody on this team could score. Being unselfish, that’s how we play best. If we keep doing that, we’re a great team,” emphasized Merriweather.

The Muhls, as expected, didn’t go away quietly. They began the second half with a 12-to-4 run. The Red Knights responded by scoring ten of the next twelve points. Rosario converted a three-point play and Jones hit a triple. Muhlenberg was behind 49-41 entering the fourth quarter. A 11-to-3 run by the Muhls evened it up at 52-52 with 5:36 to go. Eli Hemmings squeezed twelve of his game-high 22 points into the final period. The lanky 6’4 junior guard put home an offensive rebound and was fouled with 4:34 on the clock. Hemmings sank the free throw to give Muhlenberg its first lead at 55-54. His scoop shot put the Muhls on top 57-56 with 1:47 to play. Rosario, the lone senior in Reading’s starting lineup, drove down the right side of the lane and scored with 1:26 left. Merriweather then found DeCastro for a layup with 52 seconds remaining. DeCastro opted to attack the basket with a 60-57 edge in the final seconds. He missed which gave Muhlenberg another opportunity to tie the game. Hemmings passed to Perez in the corner for a 3-pointer. Jones got his hand on the ball just before Perez released the shot. It came up short, grazing the right side of the rim.

The Red Knights were outstanding from the foul line. They went 12-for-14 and the Muhls ended up 12-for-16. Jones knocked down two of Reading’s four treys. Muhlenberg only connected three times from beyond the arc. Nelson “Coco” Malave had 15 points, including eleven in the first half. The junior guard played for the Red Knights last year. Perez provided eight points off the Muhls’ bench. They were trying to reach the Berks Conference Championship for the first time since 1974. Reading has claimed a record 25 BCIAA titles. “We don’t look ahead…We talk about what we’re gonna do the next day at practice. We don’t want to talk about championships,” explained Merriweather. They’ll get another chance to cut the nets down on Friday night at Santander Arena.

The Red Knights limited McKoy to five points in a 48-40 win at the Geigle Complex on December 29th. “We were really hurt from that game…We needed that lost,” emphasized Guilavogui. Berks Catholic is riding an 11-game winning streak after knocking off Muhlenberg, York Country Day, and Reading in consecutive days. Guilavogui set the tone in front of a packed house on Saturday. He squeezed eight points into the opening quarter, including a pair of treys. Guilavogui has hit 26 triples this year, second-most on the team. He’s averaging 5.3 points per game. Gavin Welker got a friendly bounce on his 3-pointer before the halftime buzzer. Welker’s shot from the right wing hit the rim and then the backboard before rattling home. The 6’3 senior forward gave the Saints a 32-18 advantage at the break.

Reading point guard Weshly Rosario had to go to the bench after picking up his fourth foul with 7:10 left in the third quarter. Guilavogui then sank two treys to make it 38-24. Johnny Giesa drilled a triple from the left corner to increase the margin to 43-28 with 2:27 remaining in the period. Welker connected from long range to begin the fourth quarter and extend Berks Catholic’s lead to 48-30. Eleven of Welker’s season-high fourteen points came in the final period. “He’s a great shooter. We tell him that at practice all the time. Our coaches always let him know that he has to shoot the ball,” noted Guilavogui. Giesa, a 6’5 junior, added 13 points in a balanced attack. “I think he’s always had it. Since I’ve been playing with him since eighth grade, I’ve seen how good he was. He just needed that confidence and that aggression,” replied Guilavogui.

The Saints made eleven 3-pointers and finished 11-of-12 from the foul line. The (15-6, 8-3) Red Knights converted just three attempts from beyond the arc, all in the fourth quarter. They ended up 4-of-8 from the stripe. Sophomore guard Javon Merriweather contributed a team-high eleven points off the bench. Sophomore Cameron “Bron Bron” Jones had nine points and Jostin DeCastro was held to eight. The 6’3 junior is putting up 21 points a night this season. Reading was coming off a 55-51 overtime victory at Wilson on Friday. The Red Knights had won twelve of their previous fourteen contests before getting blown out by Berks Catholic.

Both of these squads are headed to the BCIAA playoffs. The Saints haven’t claimed a Berks County title since 2018. They fell to Reading 48-41 in the semifinals last year at Santander Arena. “We just take it game by game. When we get there, we’ll get there,” said Guilavogui.

Class 6A (16 teams qualify)

3. Muhlenberg

4. Reading

8. Wilson

20. Gov. Mifflin

Class 5A (16 teams qualify)

11. Exeter

19. Daniel Boone

20. Fleetwood

23. Conrad Weiser

31. Twin Valley

Class 4A (8 teams qualify)

1. Berks Catholic

4. Wyomissing

6. Schuylkill Valley

8. Oley Valley

13. Tulpehocken

16. Hamburg

Class 3A (6 teams qualify)

3. Antietam

6. Brandywine Heights

7. Kutztown

Reading knocked down all five of its 3-pointers in the opening quarter. Rosario hit a pair of triples and sophomore Javon Merriweather came off the bench to make two more treys. The (14-4, 7-2) Muhls found themselves in a 23-13 hole after eight minutes. Mike Miller Jr. jammed eight points into the first period, but he picked up his fourth foul with 6:53 left in the first half. The senior forward fouled out with 6:41 remaining in the third quarter. The Red Knights were in front 40-24 at halftime and they got a bucket from DeCastro to begin the second half.

Jadin Perez, the son of Reading head coach Rick Perez, splashed a 3-pointer with just over two minutes to go in the third quarter. Eli Hemmings, a 6’4 junior guard, then made two free throws to pull Muhlenberg within 50-41. Hemmings was fouled on the Muhls’ next possession. He split a pair of foul shots, grabbed an offensive rebound after his second attempt, and was fouled again. Hemmings connected twice from the stripe and Reading’s lead had quickly dwindled to 50-44 with 1:45 to play in the third period. The Red Knights were outscored 21-12 in that quarter. They were on top 52-45 entering the last eight minutes.

Perez buried another triple from the left corner and then found sophomore Rhyon Hutchinson for a layup. The fans were going crazy as Muhlenberg made it 53-50 with 6:29 on the clock. However, Reading responded with a pivotal 8-0 run. DeCastro gave credit to Perez who earned his 294th career win. “The talent is there on our team. We can go up against anybody. Our only problem is our emotions. Coach P. does a lot of keeping us together and keeping our emotions in check,” noted DeCastro. Following a turnover by the Muhls, DeCastro finished a breakaway layup for a 69-57 edge with 1:18 left. He converted two important free throws with 36 seconds remaining. Perez sank his third 3-pointer from the left corner to get Muhlenberg within 71-66 with 24 seconds to go. Rosario answered with two clutch foul shots three seconds later. The Red Knights ended up 27-of-39 from the stripe. They were 18-of-24 in the fourth quarter. Rosario connected on 12 of his 17 attempts, while DeCastro was 8-for-10. Jamier Jacob chipped in with nine points and Merriweather added eight. Reading won for the fifth time in six games, despite committing 19 turnovers.

Hemmings had a team-high 23 points for the Muhls, including 21 in the second half. He scored a game-high 25 points when Muhlenberg defeated Reading last month. Nelson “Coco” Malave, a transfer from Reading, contributed ten points on Thursday. Perez, a 6’4 senior, was responsible for nine of the Muhls’ 17 bench points. Miller and junior point guard LJ Armstrong ended up with eight points apiece. Muhlenberg drained eight treys and went 16-for-24 from the foul line. Their five-game winning streak came to a halt.

Four teams in Division 1 of the Berks Conference are within two games. Berks Catholic is atop the standings with a (8-1) league mark. The Red Knights and Muhls are tied for second place at (7-2). Wilson, which won 55-51 at Exeter on Thursday, is still in the mix at (6-3). “Right now, it’s up in the air. There’s no guarantee who’s gonna win,” said DeCastro.

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.

Exeter jumped out to a 13-5 advantage on a layup by Mason Goodhart. Braylon Reinert jammed seven of his 18 points into the opening quarter. “If you look at the games that we’ve performed well, he’s gotten a lot of touches. It’s a big emphasis…he’s huge for us,” emphasized VanGorder. The 6’3, 225-pound junior forward is a tight end and linebacker in the fall. The (10-6) Eagles were tied 13-13 after eight minutes. State College went scoreless for four and a-half minutes in the second quarter. When Carr went down, the Little Lions trailed 28-14. However, they closed the first half on a 7-0 run.

It was even at 37-37 when Jayden Ware converted a three-point play with 50 seconds left in the third period. Ware chipped in with eleven points before fouling out late. Exeter had a 41-37 edge entering the final quarter. A putback by Dauble made it 47-42 with 5:31 remaining. Dylan Donate drilled a 3-pointer from the left corner to give the Eagles a 50-42 cushion with 5:05 to go. Sophomore Cam Scott knocked down a pull-up jumper to extend the margin to 54-44 with 3:10 on the clock. It was his only bucket of the afternoon. Scott then found Goodhart for a layup to make it 58-50.

Exeter went 14-of-16 from the free throw line, while State College was just 2-for-6. “We’ve been struggling a little bit from the foul line. Some of it is Dylan [Donate] and Dauble were hurt. I knew coming in that State College was really good, but they didn’t shoot a ton of free throws and we did. That was an advantage that we ended up having,” noted VanGorder. Dauble and Ware were each 5-of-6 from the stripe. The Little Lions hit seven triples, including three by senior forward Parker Thurley. All eleven of his points came in the second half. Micah James scored eight of his team-high 13 points in the fourth quarter. Sophomore point guard Chase Rhoades and Lucas Starks added nine points apiece. Chase is the son of Penn State head coach Mike Rhoades.

Dauble will try to surpass 1,000 points on Tuesday when the Eagles host Daniel Boone. He’s averaging a team-high 14.3 ppg. this season. “I’m very happy that he’s about to reach this milestone. He’s been one of the best players in Berks County for three years,” said VanGorder.