West Lawn had its ace available for Monday’s game and Ben Kulp went the distance. The West Chester commit allowed four runs, all unearned, on six hits. He struck out six and walked two over seven innings. “He doesn’t let anything bother him. He’s a very calm pitcher. If he walks somebody, it’s not a big deal. He regroups and he makes quality pitches when he needs to make quality pitches,” explained Spatz. Kulp also helped himself by going 3-for-5 and driving in a run. He was an All-State pick for Wilson this spring. All nine batters in the Owls’ lineup had at least one hit. Alex Ernesto and Zach Troutman each finished with a pair of singles. Tyler Herbein went 1-for-1 with three walks. The catcher had 2 RBI.

Kulp got West Lawn on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first with a RBI double to right-center. An error on a grounder to second base made it 2-0. The (21-5) Owls doubled their lead in the second inning. Aiden Incledon’s ground ball got past the third baseman allowing two runs to score with two outs. West Lawn went in front 5-0 in the third thanks to Herbein’s bloop RBI single to center.

The Owls blew it open with five runs on three hits and an error in the fourth. Ernesto’s line drive single to center made it 6-0. Alex Frantz grounded out to shortstop to add another run. Ernesto scored on a double steal for a 8-0 advantage. Cole Sensenig followed with a RBI single through the left side. That ended the day for Reading pitcher David Garcia. He was charged with ten runs, four earned, on nine hits. Garcia had two strikeouts and three walks in 3.2 innings. Frandy Ruiz took over on the mound and gave up a RBI single to Jack Gabel which put West Lawn on top 10-0.

The Groundhogs took advantage of a dropped fly ball in shallow left field to score four runs in the fifth. Victor Mejia provided a two-run double on a long fly ball to left-center. Janser Paredes ripped a two-run single to left that got Reading within 10-4. All four runs came with two outs. Mejia and Paredes each went 2-for-3. Paredes, an East Stroudsburg commit, was a two-time All-State selection for Reading High. Herbein walked with the bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth to give the Owls a 11-4 lead. Ruiz gave up one run on three hits and four walks in 1.1 innings.

The Groundhogs’ season came to an end, while West Lawn improved to (5-0) in the double-elimination tournament. The Owls allowed a total of just seven runs. They shut out Shillington 1-0 on Thursday and blanked Boyertown 3-0 on Saturday. West Lawn defeated Norchester 7-2 on Sunday. The Owls advanced to the Region 2 tournament which begins Friday at Quakertown. “It’s gonna be a tough regional…it’s all about executing. It’s all about making pitches, playing defense, and timely hitting. I’m excited for our team. I think the expectations are high,” said Spatz.

Muhlenberg was the last team standing from the BCIAA. The (18-9) Muhls caught fire after a (7-7) start to the season. They won their first District 3 championship since 2008 and fourth overall. Muhlenberg was the only school from Berks County to reach the PIAA playoffs. The Muhls fell to Owen J. Roberts 7-2 in the Class 6A quarterfinals at FirstEnergy Stadium. Cole Moody ended his campaign with a perfect (11-0) record and nine complete games.

Wilson earned its 14th BCIAA title with a 10-0 victory over Muhlenberg in six innings. West Chester commit Ben Kulp was voted the Berks County Player of the Year, while Bill Underwood took home Coach of the Year honors. The (17-7) Bulldogs were upset 3-1 by #13 seed Northeastern in the first round of the District 3-6A tournament. Freshman Pat Lengle demonstrated his potential with a .441 batting average. His older brother, Tim, hit .426 with a team-high 32 RBI.

Exeter suffered a pair of tough losses in the postseason. The (15-8) Eagles came up short against Wilson 1-0 in the BCIAA semifinals. Exeter was then tripped up at home 2-1 by #10 seed Spring Grove in the opening round of the District 3-5A playoffs. Jake Hafer was once again one of the toughest outs in the league. The East Stroudsburg commit hit .432 and led the Eagles with 27 runs.

Tom Frees returned to Berks Catholic and guided the Saints to the Division 3 crown. Berks Catholic lost to Exeter 7-5 in the county quarterfinals. The (15-7) Saints got doubled up at second-seeded Trinity 12-6 in the District 3-3A semifinals.

Oley Valley claimed the Division 4 championship. The (15-7) Lynx dropped a nailbiter to #7 seed Daniel Boone in the BCIAA quarterfinals. Oley Valley had a rough draw in the District 3-4A tournament. The Lynx were defeated by perennial power East Pennsboro 10-3 in the quarterfinals.

Kutztown advanced to the District 3-3A semifinals before running into top-seeded Bermudian Springs. The (14-9) Cougars lost 6-1 in their season finale. Kutztown was eliminated in the BCIAA quarterfinals 13-3 by #1 seed Wilson.

It was a much different year in Shillington. The Mustangs lost eight starters and five All-State picks from the 2025 squad. They were blanked 4-0 by third-seeded Muhlenberg in the Berks County quarterfinals. Gov. Mifflin barely missed out on the District 3-6A field. The (10-11) Mustangs ended up 15th in the power rankings and only 14 teams qualified.

Daniel Boone was in a similar boat. The (10-11) Blazers finished 15th in the District 3-5A power ratings and missed the cut by one spot. Muhlenberg shut out Daniel Boone 5-0 in the league semifinals. Sophomore Greyson Bell delivered as advertised. The 6’2, 185-pound southpaw was (6-1) with a 1.01 ERA. Bell limited opponents to only 12 hits over 41.2 innings. The top-rated lefty in the Class of 2028 piled up 75 strikeouts.

Wyomissing and Twin Valley had winning records and made it to the postseason. The (11-9) Spartans lost 6-1 at fourth-seeded Kutztown in the District 3-3A quarterfinals. The (12-9) Raiders fell 5-0 at #8 seed New Oxford in the first round of the District 3-5A tournament.

Hamburg went (12-8) this spring, but didn’t qualify for the playoffs. Isaak Stewart was selected to the All-County team. The junior hit .433 and pitched a team-high 46 innings with a 2.38 ERA.

Reading showed improvement and ended up with a mark of (9-11). The Red Knights knocked off Muhlenberg, Wilson, and Exeter. They also beat Berks Catholic twice. Janser Paredes had another outstanding season. The senior hit .462 and was voted onto the All-County team.

Camara averaged a team-high 14 points per game as a sophomore at Reading. He was voted to the all-division team that season. Camara transferred to Berks Catholic and helped the Saints on the football field last fall. Despite missing the first three games, he finished second on the team in rushing yards with 758 and averaged 7.2 yards per carry. Camara scored seven touchdowns for the (9-3) Saints. Berks Catholic finished as the District 3-3A runner-up.

Camara’s basketball career at B.C. came to a halt just as it was getting started. A torn meniscus in the first game against Carver E&S ended his season. The Saints went on to win the Berks County and District 3-4A championships.

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