Red – Berks Sports Report

Kahlil Samuel-Reading

Paul Roberts — Wed, 05 Feb 2025 14:26:20 +0000

Win or go home. Those are four powerful words in the world of sports. Reading needed to win its league finale against Gov. Mifflin and hope that Muhlenberg lost at Wilson on Tuesday night. Otherwise, the Red Knights’ season would end and they would miss the BCIAA playoffs for the first time since 1997. The Muhls fell to the Bulldogs 60-57 in overtime which opened the door for Reading. There was just one problem. The Red Knights trailed the Mustangs by 14 points in the final minute of the third quarter. Reading pulled off a dramatic comeback on Senior Night and defeated Gov. Mifflin 68-64 in overtime. The Geigle Complex was rocking as the (11-11, 7-5) Red Knights outscored the Mustangs 20-11 in the fourth quarter. “At some point, they’re gonna start breaking. We just kept running and running because they can’t run with us,” said Kahlil Samuel. The 6’1 forward is the only senior in the starting lineup. “Some of our juniors and sophomores kept emphasizing play for the seniors, play for the seniors. I appreciate them for that,” noted Samuel. Reading won seven of its last eight contests to qualify for the Berks County playoffs. Although Muhlenberg has a higher District 3 power ranking than the Red Knights, the (15-7, 6-6) Muhls are not eligible for the BCIAA tournament because they finished in fifth place in Division 1. According to BCIAA rules, only the top four teams in each division are considered. Gov. Mifflin, which had already locked up its postseason bid, looked like the team with more urgency in the first quarter. The (14-7, 7-5) Mustangs knocked down four 3-pointers in the first eight minutes and led 22-11. Their advantage increased to 27-13 early in the second quarter. Jeremiah Camara picked up his third foul with 1:34 left in the second period. The 5’9 sophomore averages a team-high 13.9 points per game. The son of second-year head coach Francis Camara came up big in the final quarter and overtime. Gov. Mifflin was on top 35-31 at halftime and 49-35 late in the third quarter. A three-point play by Weshly Rosario got Reading within 49-38 with 30 seconds remaining in the period. After a Mustangs’ turnover, Samuel converted a layup and suddenly the Red Knights were only down 49-40 with eight minutes to play. Rosario, a flashy 6’ junior guard, made a layup with five minutes to go that gave Reading its first lead at 51-50. They capped an 11-to-1 run to begin the fourth quarter. Jahmair Johnson, who usually operates in the low post, hit a triple with 3:40 left to put Gov. Mifflin back in front 54-53. After a putback by Reading senior Xavier Beatty, Matt Koehler answered with an inside bucket. The 6’3 senior drained a 3-pointer from the right corner to make it 59-55 with 1:45 remaining. Ian Fleming then split a pair of free throws and the Red Knights trailed 60-55 with 1:20 to play. Reading rose to the occasion with five consecutive points including a layup in transition by Camara. Beatty followed with two clutch foul shots to tie it up with 41 seconds on the clock. The Mustangs held the ball for the final shot. Koehler missed a tough jumper from the right elbow before the buzzer. Camara started the overtime session with a steal and a layup on the fast break. Andrew Galantuomo and Fleming each went 1-for-2 from the foul line to even the score. Rosario provided the biggest basket of the night with 37 seconds to go. He drove down the middle of the lane and was fouled. That three-point play gave the Red Knights a 65-62 edge. After Galantuomo misfired on a pull-up jumper, Camara sank two free throws with 13 seconds left. A layup by Johnson made it 67-64 with six seconds remaining. Samuel was immediately fouled and missed his first free throw. He connected on his second attempt, however, to seal the thrilling victory for Reading. “I knew I had to make it. It’s Senior Night and I know if we lose, we go home so I had to make that shot,” replied Samuel. He spent last year at South Shore High School in Brooklyn. Samuel is happy to be back with the Red Knights. “When I came back, they all welcomed me with open arms,” he stated. Reading avoided its first losing season since 1988. “We’ve been in playoff mode for about four games. We just gotta keep playing hard and stay together,” said Samuel. He provided eleven points. Rosario (18) and Camara (17) combined for 35 points. Camara erupted for 13 points after the third quarter. Beatty, a 6’3 forward, was a key contributor off the bench with nine points including seven in the fourth quarter. The Red Knights went 17-of-31 from the foul line, while Gov. Mifflin was 10-of-18. The Mustangs made eight shots from beyond the arc. Reading connected just three times from long range. Gov. Mifflin was without starting guard Stephen Mayo due to a shoulder injury that he suffered against Conrad Weiser on Friday. Koehler and Johnson scored 16 points apiece. Galantuomo added a dozen and Fleming chipped in with ten points. Evan Byrne, a 6’7 senior, was in the starting lineup for the Mustangs. He had seven points before fouling out in the fourth quarter. The Berks County playoff brackets will be released on Thursday. Gov. Mifflin and Reading will both be in the field of eight. “I feel like we can go far as long as we keep working hard and take it one game at a time,” said Samuel.

Weshly Rosario-Reading

Paul Roberts — Fri, 24 Jan 2025 14:44:39 +0000

Weshly Rosario is known for his great court vision and flashy passes. On Thursday evening, the 6’ junior guard decided to flip the script. “I changed today because they know I pass the basketball so I was looking more to score,” he explained. Rosario finished with a career-high 28 points in Reading’s 88-80 victory over Muhlenberg at the Geigle Complex. He had eleven points in the fourth quarter including two pivotal plays. With three and a-half minutes remaining, Rosario drilled a 3-pointer from the right corner to put the Red Knights on top 73-67. On their next possession, he converted a three-point play for a 76-67 advantage. Xavier Beatty provided the exclamation point with a one-handed dunk that sent the crowd into a frenzy. “Oh my God, that was crazy. That was amazing. I got excited,” said Rosario. Beatty, a 6’3 senior forward, contributed a dozen points off the bench. Reading raced out to a 7-0 lead. Blake Adams, a 6’9 junior transfer from Nativity, picked up two fouls in 90 seconds. However, the Red Knights were still in front 21-18 after the opening quarter. Adams was playing in just his fourth game after winning an appeal on his eligibility. The Muhls reeled off the last eight points of the first half and trimmed their deficit to 40-39 at the break. The offensive explosion continued in the second half. Reading had a 63-57 edge after the third quarter. A total of 48 points were scored in the final eight minutes. Michael Miller hit a triple with 5:45 left to bring Muhlenberg within 68-66. The 6’ junior forward made four of the Muhls’ eleven treys. Miller, who averages seven points, ended up with 14. All-County guard Shermar Killen dropped a team-high 23 points and LJ Armstrong added 18. Jayden Kantner was a spark off the bench with 15 points. Both teams were very good from the free throw line. Reading went 30-for-36, while Muhlenberg was 17-for-23. Rosario attacked the basket repeatedly and was rewarded. He shot 14-of-15 from the charity stripe. Rosario also sank both of the Red Knights’ 3-pointers. He was setting up his teammates as well. Rosario dished out nine assists. Reading prefers to create off the dribble than dial long distance. Sophomore guard Jostin DeCastro provided 20 points and senior Kahlil Samuel finished with 15. The (13-5, 5-4) Muhls saw their five-game winning streak come to an end. The (8-10, 4-4) Red Knights have won four in a row, including an impressive 44-41 victory over Central Dauphin on Saturday. After a tough start to the season, Reading is in desperation mode to qualify for the Berks County playoffs. The Red Knights have the lowest power ranking of the five teams in Division 1. They’re behind Wilson, Berks Catholic, Muhlenberg, and Gov. Mifflin with four games to go. Reading hasn’t missed the BCIAA tournament since 1997. “We talk about it every day. If we go to County’s, they better be ready because we’re coming for everybody,” stated Rosario.

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.

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.

Reading’s Season Ends in Final 4

Paul Roberts — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 04:14:08 +0000

Most high school teams are fortunate to have one 1,000-point scorer in their lineup. Central York has three of them. The Panthers showed off their offensive firepower in a 79-65 win over Reading in the PIAA-6A semifinals. The Red Knights held McDowell to 47 points in the second round and Coatesville to 44 in the quarterfinals. Central York demonstrated why its averaging 72 points per game. The (28-3) Panthers can beat you inside or outside. They splashed six 3-pointers in the first half. Greg Guidinger, the school’s all-time leading scorer, sank three treys in the first quarter. The 6’6 senior jammed eleven points into the first eight minutes. He finished with 22. Ben Rill, a 6’8 junior, had a game-high 26 points. He was 10-for-15 from the free throw line. Ben Natal, who’s also in the 1,000-point club, exploded for ten points in the second period. The 6’2 junior guard drained a triple from the right corner to end the third quarter. Natal provided 13 points. Reading led 11-to-6 early. Central York was in front 20-19 after a quarter and 37-31 at the break. There was confusion at the scorer’s table in the third quarter. Central York was mistakenly awarded two extra points. The Red Knights trailed 57-43 entering the final period. They never threatened the Panthers in the fourth quarter. Yadiel Cruz contributed a team-high 21 points. The 6’2 senior racked up 1,010 points in just two seasons at Reading. Cruz was 9-of-9 from the foul line. He averaged 22 ppg. and was named the Berks County Player of the Year. Nick Chapman, a scrappy 5’10 senior, scored 14 of his 16 points in the first half. Sophomore Weshly Rosario added 13 points. The game included 56 free throw attempts in front of a packed house at Warwick. Central York was 20-of-30 from the stripe, while the Red Knights were 22-of-26. Reading began its quest for back-to-back state titles with a 90-73 loss at Central York on December 5th. The Panthers ended the Red Knights’ season three and a-half months later. Central York will make its first appearance in the PIAA Finals on Saturday night. The Panthers face Parkland at 8pm at the Giant Center. After a (7-6) start, Reading finished with a mark of (22-11). First-year head coach Francis Camara was extremely grateful for the six seniors on the team. “They trusted me, believed in me, and stood by my side through all the adversity. They helped me grow as a coach through my mistakes and held me accountable. They are the definition of what it means to be a Red Knight,” he remarked.

Francis Camara-Reading

Paul Roberts — Sun, 17 Mar 2024 13:46:13 +0000

Reading and Coatesville squared off for the 56th time at Martz Hall in Pottsville. This time a trip to the Final Four was on the line in the PIAA-6A tournament. The Red Knights overcame a slow start and rolled to a 62-44 victory. Reading lost to the Red Raiders 69-51 two months ago, and trailed 18-5 in the second quarter on Saturday afternoon. Francis Camara said everything changed during a timeout midway through the second period. “Our boys started to lock in together. I tell them all the time, with us being together we can move mountains,” stated the first-year head coach. The (22-10) Red Knights also switched to a 2-3 zone defense. “We tried to limit their downhill drives and I think our zone did that. We tried to give them different looks and tried to make them uncomfortable. We were very active in the zone,” remarked Camara. Yadiel Cruz was fouled with 2:40 remaining in the first half. Lawrence Brown, a 6’7 sophomore, was also called for a technical foul. Cruz, the BCIAA Player of the Year, made four consecutive free throws to pull Reading within 18-13. That was part of a critical 12-0 run to end the second quarter. Coatesville led 18-17 at the break, but had lost momentum. Reading came out of the locker room on fire. The Red Knights outscored the Red Raiders 18-4 to open the third period. That 30-4 run over the middle quarters put the defending state champions in firm control. They were in front 39-26 entering the final period. Cruz erupted for 17 points in the second half as Reading’s transition game took over. The 6’2 senior finished with 25 points. “Every game he knows he’s gonna get double-teamed. Every game he knows that he’s the focal point of the other team’s scouting report, and every game he comes out and produces. He does it [while] loving his teammates. He’s the most humble kid,” emphasized Camara. Cruz is just eleven points shy of 1,000 in two seasons with the Red Knights. He went 11-for-15 from the foul line. Reading was 19-of-28 from the charity stripe, while Coatesville went 3-of-12. Nick Chapman provided nine points and some clever steals that led to easy layups. The 5’10 senior didn’t play in the first meeting with the Red Raiders due to an eye injury. Malik Osumanu, a 6’5 senior, blocked four shots and Weshly Rosario dished out five assists. Senior guards Nico Sosa and Daquan Burgess combined for eleven points off the bench. Zuri Harris had a team-high 13 points for Coatesville, the #6 seed from District 1. Amon Fowlkes chipped in with eleven points. Dior Kennedy, a 6’3 senior guard, was limited to four. The Red Raiders end up (22-9) in John Allen’s second year as head coach. Allen scored 2,372 points at Coatesville and guided the Red Raiders to their only state title in 2001. The Red Knights evened the all-time series with Coatesville at (28-28). These programs have piled up a total of more than 4,000 wins! Reading will meet Central York in the semifinals on Tuesday. Camara is enjoying the ride. “It’s been fun. If you see me on the sidelines, there’s a lot of sweat going on. I’m working my butt off. I love the journey with these boys. I’m blessed to be in the position that I’m in,” he said.

Reading-Chester Rivalry

Paul Roberts — Sun, 03 Mar 2024 13:54:00 +0000

4,290 is a big number. That’s the amount of victories that the Reading and Chester boys basketball programs have accumulated. The Red Knights and Clippers rank first and second in wins in Pennsylvania history. They will square off on Saturday in the first round of the PIAA-6A playoffs. It’s a 1pm tip in Chester.

Reading holds the state record with 2,265 all-time wins. The Red Knights have captured three state championships in the past seven years. They knocked off Roman Catholic 63-56 in overtime for the Class 6A crown a season ago. Reading owns a record 24 District 3 titles.

Chester has racked up 2,025 victories in its illustrious history. The Clippers have won eight state championships. They’ve been the PIAA runner-up ten times. Chester has brought home gold from 25 District 1 tournaments.

Reading is (19-10) this season. The Red Knights finished fourth in the District 3-6A bracket. Chester also ended up fourth in its district playoffs. The Clippers slipped to (20-4) after falling to West Chester Henderson 65-61 in the third place contest. Dominic Toy led Chester with 19 points. The 6’5, 220-pound senior is a tight end during football season. He’s committed to UConn.

This will be the 43rd meeting between Reading and Chester. The heated rivalry is even at (21-21). The Red Knights have won three straight in the series including a 71-57 victory last season at the Geigle Complex. Ruben Rodriguez dropped 26 points in that matchup and Yadiel Cruz added 14 points. Rodriguez is now playing at Rider. Cruz has become the BCIAA Player of the Year. The 6’2 senior leads Berks County at 22 points per game.

Reading falls at C.V.

Paul Roberts — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 01:02:00 +0000

Reading entered Tuesday’s District 3-6A semifinal averaging 67 points. Cumberland Valley was allowing just 47 points a night. Something had to give at the Dome. The sixth-seeded Red Knights went nearly seven minutes in the fourth quarter with only one field goal. The three-time defending District 3 champs fell to the Eagles 66-47. Cumberland Valley outscored Reading 16-to-3 over the final four minutes. Daquan Burgess hit a triple to pull the Red Knights within 45-42 with seven minutes remaining. They wouldn’t make another shot until Yadiel Cruz’s layup with one minute to go. Cruz, a 6’2 senior, poured in 28 points. The BCIAA Player of the Year exploded for nine points in the opening quarter. Reading led 13-7 in that period. Nick Chapman added eight points. No one else had more than four points for the (19-9) Red Knights. They trailed the second-seeded Eagles 31-25 at halftime. The Mid-Penn Conference champions were on top 44-37 after the third quarter. JJ Lebo finished with a team-high 18 points, ten above his season average. The 6’2 junior guard made a pair of 3-pointers and went 6-for-7 from the free throw line. Nolan Buzalka proved to be a handful at 6’3, 220 pounds. The TE/DE on the Cumberland Valley football team had 17 points. Creston Austin, a 6’4 junior forward, provided 11 points including nine in the second half. The (23-3) Eagles extended their winning streak to eight. They ended up 18-of-28 from the foul line. Twenty of those attempts came in the fourth quarter when Reading was fouling to stop the clock. The Red Knights were 5-of-7 from the charity stripe. Each team connected four times from beyond the arc. The Red Knights struggled from long range against Cumberland Valley’s matchup zone. They attempted 19 treys. Jake Snyder, the lone senior in the Eagles’ starting lineup, chipped in with nine points. Cumberland Valley lost to Reading 55-54 in overtime in last year’s District 3-6A final. The Eagles will get another shot at their first District 3 title on Friday night. They face fourth-seeded Chambersburg at 8pm at the Giant Center. Meanwhile, the Red Knights will host Red Lion in the third place game on Thursday at 7pm.