Rodriguez – Berks Sports Report

Ruben Rodriguez-Reading

Paul Roberts — Sun, 26 Mar 2023 14:07:00 +0000

The winningest boys basketball program in Pennsylvania history met a perennial power from the Philadelphia Catholic League on Saturday night at the Giant Center. Reading and Roman Catholic have combined for seven PIAA championships. The Class 6A Final lived up to the hype. The 5,025 people in attendance saw an instant classic. The Red Knights prevailed 63-56 in overtime for their third state title in seven years. “It honestly feels like a dream. It doesn’t feel real, said Ruben Rodriguez. The Rider commit, who finished with 2,008 career points, got his second foul with 1:48 left in the first quarter. Nick Chapman’s layup at the buzzer gave Reading a 12-10 edge after eight minutes. Myles Grey, a starter on the 2021 state championship team alongside Rodriguez, provided seven points in the opening period. 6’6 senior Anthony Finkley picked up his third foul midway through the second quarter. Finkley and point guard Xzayvier Brown are staying close to home. They’re both headed to Saint Joseph’s. The (27-4) Cahillites trailed 23-19 at halftime. Roman Catholic committed 11 turnovers in the first 16 minutes and 17 overall. Aris Rodriguez kicked off the second half with a trey from the top of the key. The Red Knights’ largest lead of nine points came with six and a-half minutes remaining in the third quarter. Aris Rodriguez hit another triple to make it 36-28. The 6’5 senior ended up with a team-high 16 points on 5-13 shooting. A putback before the horn by 6’8 sophomore Shareef Jackson pulled the District 12 champs within 43-39 entering the final period. Jackson’s father, Marc, played at Roman Catholic, Temple, and then in the NBA for seven seasons. Shareef piled up 17 points and 11 boards. Brown heated up in the second half. 17 of his game-high 23 points came after the break. The 6’1 senior converted a three-point play with 5:41 to go, but the 47-46 advantage disappeared quickly. Chapman connected on a 3-pointer from the left corner on the following possession. The 5’10 junior had a career-high nine points including seven of Reading’s ten points in the fourth quarter. Chapman averaged 2 ppg. this year. His older brother, Joey, had a pivotal steal in the final seconds of the 2021 championship game versus Archbishop Wood. Nick stole the show this time in Hershey. He made a pair of free throws with 27 seconds to play to break a tie at 51. Robert Cottrell, who had 15 points in the semifinals, was fouled with twelve seconds on the clock. The 5’11 junior went 1-of-2. Aris Rodriguez then missed the front end of a 1-and-1. The score remained 53-52 with nine seconds left. Brown drew a foul with two seconds remaining. With the crowd roaring, he missed the first attempt and made the second to force overtime. Brown nailed two free throws early in OT for a 56-54 lead, but the Cahillites wouldn’t score again. Yadiel Cruz went 3-of-4 from the charity stripe. After Finkley missed a turnaround jumper in the lane, Aris Rodriguez splashed a couple of clutch foul shots with 24 seconds to go. The (32-1) Red Knights were on top 59-56 when Brown turned the ball over. Grey scooped it up and was fouled. The 5’11 senior calmly sank both free throws to seal the victory. The all-county selection had 14 points. Chapman picked Brown’s pocket in the closing seconds. He threw the ball ahead to Aris Rodriguez for a breakaway dunk that set off a wild celebration and capped a 9-0 run. The bench points were 19-0 in favor of Reading. Roman Catholic was without seniors Jermai Stewart-Herring and Erik Oliver-Bush due to the PIAA’s transfer rule. Stewart-Herring was their second-leading scorer at 13 ppg. The Cahillites were held ten points below their season average by the scrappy Red Knights. Ruben Rodriguez stuffed 8 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals into 31 minutes. The 6’2 guard enjoys facing opponents from the PCL. “We love playing them. We love the smoke,” he replied. Reading was 7-16 from beyond the arc, while Roman Catholic went 3-12. There were 49 combined free throw attempts. The Red Knights converted 16-24. The Cahillites went 19-25. Rodriguez praised head coach Rick Perez. “He’s the heart and soul of our team and now he’s a three-time champion,” exclaimed Rodriguez. Perez is (281-74) over a dozen seasons. He has more wins than any coach in Reading history. Roman Catholic slipped to (32-9) all-time in the PIAA playoffs. Meanwhile, the Red Knights captured state gold for the second time in three years. “Pennsylvania, we run it,” stated Rodriguez.

Aris Rodriguez-Reading

Paul Roberts — Wed, 22 Mar 2023 10:47:00 +0000

Reading is the highest scoring team in the Berks Conference at 70 points per game. The Red Knights can also play some defense. The District 3 champs rolled over Spring-Ford 55-32 in the PIAA-6A semifinals at Coatesville. The (28-4) Rams were held to 17 points in the first 24 minutes. Reading jumped out to a 13-0 advantage thanks to a pair of 3-pointers from Aris Rodriguez. “It was beautiful. We played our hardest defense and they were folding. That’s what we wanted them to do,” said Rodriguez. The (31-1) Red Knights were on top 13-3 after the opening quarter. Spring-Ford was scoreless for six and a-half minutes. The Rams first field goal came 90 seconds into the second period. They trailed 22-13 at the break. Nick Chapman came off the bench and hit a triple to put Reading in front 27-15. That was part of a 12-2 run to kick off the third quarter. Spring-Ford, the District 1 runner-up, was down 36-17 entering the final period. The Rams went on a 10-3 run to climb within 39-27 before Myles Grey sank a pair of free throws. The Red Knights finished 19-28, while Spring-Ford was 13-20 from the charity stripe. Ruben Rodriguez managed two points in the first half. He needed twenty to reach 2,000 for his career. The Rider commit crammed eleven points into the fourth quarter to hit the milestone. The 6’2 guard got to 2,000 points on a floater just inside the foul line with 1:53 remaining. His teammates piled on top of him at midcourt. Rodriguez had 20 points on 5-of-11 shooting from the field. He converted nine of his ten free throw attempts. The senior added eight rebounds and five steals. “That’s my brother. I love that man to death. There’s more to come. He has a bright future ahead of him,” emphasized Aris Rodriguez. The two guards aren’t related. Aris chipped in with a dozen points and Grey had seven. The Rams struggled mightily from long range. They shot 1-17 from beyond the arc. E.J. Campbell scored a team-high 17 points. The 6’1 junior provided eight over the last eight minutes. Leading scorer Jacob Nguyen, a 6’4 sophomore guard, was limited to six points. He averaged 16 ppg. this season with 76 triples. Nguyen poured in 25 points against Upper Merion to give Spring-Ford its first PAC title since 2016. He went for 22 in the state quarterfinals versus State College. The Rams advanced to the semifinals for the first time under second-year head coach Joe Dempsey. He had a very successful tenure at La Salle College High School. This was Spring-Ford’s fourth appearance in the PIAA tournament. Reading is no stranger to the postseason. The Red Knights improved to (59-43) all-time in the state playoffs. They’re searching for their third championship. Reading will meet Roman Catholic on Saturday at 8pm at the Giant Center. The Red Knights are riding a 22-game winning streak. “We’ve just been locked in. Nobody is gonna take it from us. We’re not gonna let nobody take it from us,” stated Aris Rodriguez.

Ruben Rodriguez-Reading

Paul Roberts — Sun, 19 Mar 2023 11:35:00 +0000

If you thought Reading would be sluggish after traveling three hours to Altoona, think again. The Red Knights jumped on New Castle early and never looked back. Reading blew out the Hurricanes 72-48 in the PIAA-6A quarterfinals on Saturday afternoon. New Castle committed seven turnovers in the first quarter and trailed 19-10 after eight minutes. “When we’re playing defense like that, it just comes easy,” said Ruben Rodriguez. The Rider commit jammed nine points into the opening period. Rodriguez scored eight straight points, including two treys, to begin the third quarter and give the Red Knights a 41-22 advantage. They were on top 57-33 entering the final period. Reading piled up 24 points in the third quarter. Rodriguez finished with 27 points, six rebounds, and three steals. He was 11-16 from the field. The (30-1) Red Knights shot 62% overall. Aris Rodriguez was an efficient 7-9 for 15 points. Myles Grey added 16 points, including eight in the decisive third period. Da’Juan Young, a 6’2 senior, led the (24-4) Hurricanes with 18 points. Isaiah Boice chipped in with 13. Jonathan Anderson was limited to three points. The senior point guard averaged 17 ppg. this season. He had 22 points against Pittsburgh Central Catholic in the WPIAL Championship. New Castle, the District 7 runner-up, couldn’t overcome 19 turnovers on Saturday. The Hurricanes have been one of the elite squads in western Pennsylvania for many years. They won the state title in Class 4A in 2014. New Castle is a four-time state runner-up. Head coach Ralph Blundo is (314-51) with seven WPIAL championships over 13 years. Reading is another storied basketball program in Pennsylvania. The Red Knights are up to 2,244 wins, the most in state history. Reading has captured two PIAA crowns and a record 24 District 3 titles. Ruben Rodriguez is closing in on another milestone. The 6’2 guard is twenty points shy of 2,000. “It’s crazy to think about being so close to two thousand. As long as we get the dub, that’s really all that matters,” he replied. I asked Rodriguez if this was their best performance of the season. “It definitely has to be up there. We played a real complete game. We played hard from start to finish…You never know when it could be your last game,” he said. The Red Knights improved to (58-43) all-time in the state playoffs. The Hurricanes slipped to (49-26). Reading will meet Spring-Ford in the semifinals at Coatesville on Tuesday at 7pm.

Ruben Rodriguez-Reading

Paul Roberts — Sat, 25 Feb 2023 01:26:00 +0000

Star players are expected to step to the forefront in the playoffs. Ruben Rodriguez stole the show on Friday at the Geigle Complex. The 6’2 senior guard erupted for 42 points in a hard-fought 69-58 victory over #8 seed Chambersburg. The (25-1) Red Knights extended their winning streak to 16 and advanced to the District 3-6A semifinals. Rodriguez knew early on that this could be a big night. “Once I hit that second 3, I was feeling really good. My team did a great job finding me. Myles was doing a great job facilitating,” he replied. 5’11 senior Myles Grey dished out seven assists. Rodriguez’s dunk put top-seeded Reading in front 15-12. “It felt great. I heard the gym explode,” he said. The Rider commit poured in 17 points in the opening quarter. The Red Knights led 22-17 after eight minutes. Grey found Rodriguez for a layup before the buzzer to give Reading a 38-35 advantage at halftime. The two-time Berks County Player of the Year had 27 points at the break. The Red Knights started the third quarter with a 7-1 run. Aris Rodriguez provided six points during that stretch. The 6’5 senior guard ended up with ten points. The (14-10) Trojans trailed 52-44 entering the final period. They refused to go away. “They’re some dogs. You could really tell that they don’t give up. They fought the whole way,” acknowledged Ruben Rodriguez. Chambersburg was tied for third place in the Mid-Penn Commonwealth Division. 6’2 freshman Colton Cornwell hit a pair of triples to pull the Trojans within 54-52. Jacob Bassham, who had 17 points in their first round matchup with Carlisle, knocked down a trey from the left wing to cut Reading’s lead to 56-55 with four minutes remaining. Grey responded with a 3-pointer, and then he set up Malik Osumanu for a layup with three minutes to play. Ruben Rodriguez came up with a steal and cruised in for an easy bucket with just over one minute to go. That increased the Red Knights’ edge to 65-56. Aris Rodriguez converted a couple of free throws with 21 seconds on the clock. Reading ended the game on a 13-3 run. Bassham dropped a team-high 19 points. 6’4 senior forward Sedrick Vessah chipped in with ten. 6’5 sophomore J.J. Kelly and Cornwell scored eight points apiece. Chambersburg had a cold shooting night. The Trojans were 7-17 from the foul line and 7-24 from beyond the arc. The Red Knights, on the other hand, went 21-25 from the charity stripe and 4-9 from long range. Rodriguez made 14 of his 20 shots from the field. He was 11-15 from the FT line and 3-5 from downtown. “He’s a bad man,” stated head coach Rick Perez. Rodriguez stands at 1,880 career points. Reading improved to (135-51) all-time in the District 3 playoffs. The Red Knights are searching for their 24th District 3 championship and third in a row. They’ll be back home on Monday against #5 seed Waynesboro at 7pm. “This is the best gym in the state in my opinion. There’s no environment like it,” remarked Rodriguez.

Ruben Rodriguez-Reading

Paul Roberts — Sat, 18 Feb 2023 02:13:00 +0000

It started with a three-point play from an unlikely source. After an Exeter turnover underneath the basket, Nick Chapman scooped up the loose ball and flipped it high off the glass while being fouled. “Nick got a crazy steal and 1. I feel like that changed the whole game,” said Ruben Rodriguez. Chapman had scored 34 points all season going into Friday’s Berks Conference Championship. The 5’10 junior kick-started an 18-0 run that Reading fans will never forget. The Eagles were in front 57-47 with four and a-half minutes remaining. They didn’t score again until Alex Kelsey hit a triple with 40 seconds left. Second-seeded Exeter was seeking its first county title since 1974. The Eagles were also trying to snap a 28-game losing streak to the Red Knights. Aris Rodriguez splashed a 3-ball from the left corner to give top-seeded Reading a 59-57 edge with two minutes to go. The 6’5 senior guard was 1-7 from beyond the arc, but he knocked it down when it mattered most. Ruben Rodriguez followed with a layup off an inbounds play. A fast break basket by Yadiel Cruz and two free throws from Myles Grey put the (24-1) Red Knights on top 65-57 with one minute on the clock. Reading earned its 25th Berks County championship with a hard-fought 70-63 victory in front of 4,200 fans at Santander Arena. “We just kept fighting. We couldn’t just give up. We had to keep going,” emphasized Ruben Rodriguez. The (19-6) Eagles committed nine turnovers in the final quarter. “We did a great job defensively, kept making everything hard for them. The last couple minutes they started breaking,” remarked Rodriguez. The Rider commit piled up 23 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 steals. Rodriguez went just 6-of-17 from the foul line. Reading converted 28 of its 46 free throw attempts. Exeter was 5-10 from the charity stripe. The Eagles raced out to a 17-6 lead. Anthony Caccese provided eight points in the first quarter. The 6’7, 280-pound center ended up with 17. Zyion Paschall poured in a career-high 20 points. He nailed a pair of 3-pointers in the second quarter. Exeter was up 33-30 at halftime. Reece Garvin didn’t play in the second half due to an injury. The 6’3 junior was averaging nearly 12 ppg. with a team-high 39 treys. The Eagles shot 8-23 from long range, while the Red Knights were just 2-15. Kelsey, Kevin Saenz, and Teddy Snyder scored eight points apiece. Exeter missed the front end of three one-and-one opportunities down the stretch. Aris Rodriguez erupted for 13 of his 17 points in the final period. Yadiel Cruz chipped in with eleven points and six rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench. Reading extended its winning streak to 15 games as head coach Rick Perez claimed his sixth Berks Conference title. Ruben Rodriguez surpassed Lonnie Walker and moved into tenth place on the Berks County all-time scoring list with 1,838 points. Walker, who guided the Red Knights to their first state championship in 2017, is currently playing for the Lakers. “He was legendary. His name will never be forgotten. He set the path and we’re just here to follow it. I’m just happy and blessed,” said Rodriguez. Reading is off until next Friday when they host either Chambersburg or Carlisle in the quarterfinals of the District 3-6A playoffs.

Aris Rodriguez-Reading

Paul Roberts — Wed, 08 Feb 2023 09:26:00 +0000

Aris Rodriguez dropped a career-high 30 points on Central York in Reading’s season opener. He drilled four 3-pointers in the first quarter and hasn’t slowed down since. The 6’5 guard averaged 5 points per game a year ago. He’s providing nearly 15 points a night during his senior campaign. Rodriguez set the tone on Tuesday in front of a sold out crowd at Muhlenberg. Eleven of his game-high 18 points came in the first half of a 66-47 victory. Rodriguez reached double digits for the 19th time this season. The (21-1, 11-0) Red Knights completed a perfect run through league play, and extended their winning streak to twelve. The Muhls pulled within one point at the end of the opening period when Kyle Archie hit a jumper from the right corner and was fouled just before the buzzer. Archie’s three-point play made it 10-9. Ruben Rodriguez connected from long distance in the final seconds of the second quarter to put Reading in front 28-20. The Rider commit finished with 14 points giving him 1,777 for his career. The Red Knights kicked off the second half with an 8-0 run and were never threatened again. They led 44-28 entering the fourth quarter. Yadiel Cruz added ten points off the bench and Myles Grey chipped in with seven. “We trust each other. If I’m off, I know Ruben or Myles is gonna be on. Somebody on the team is always gonna be on,” said Aris Rodriguez. He noted that Cruz has been a huge addition. “Him coming from the Dominican Republic was a blessing. I’m glad he’s on the team,” replied Rodriguez. The Muhls were held 15 points below their season average. Rodriguez talked about their defensive game plan. “Stop #1 (Xzavion Robertson) and #2 (Dan Dan Mosquera). That was it. Their offense is done without them,” stated Rodriguez. Robertson, Archie, and Josh Alcantara scored nine points apiece. Mosquera was limited to seven. The all-division guard is putting up nearly 14 points per game. Muhlenberg went 14-16 from the free throw line, while Reading was 18-28. Alcantara hit two of the Muhls’ five triples. Jedaya Ortega gave the Red Knights a boost in the final period when he had seven points. The 6’5 senior forward has gone from 290 pounds at the beginning of the season to 255. This was Ortega’s third appearance of the year. Aris Rodriguez admitted that he didn’t watch the Grammys, but he did rank his top three musical artists. He also gave a pick for the Super Bowl. As for the Red Knights, he knows there’s more work to be done. “We’re not even playing our best yet. [Our] confidence is getting there. We’ve got more to come.”

Ruben Rodriguez/Rick Perez-Reading

Paul Roberts — Wed, 11 Jan 2023 10:03:00 +0000

Reading’s boys basketball team is like an avalanche. You’re never sure when it’s coming, but when it does, look out. The avalanche came in the third quarter of Tuesday’s Division 1 matchup with Muhlenberg. The Red Knights erupted for 27 points in eight minutes and turned a 33-28 halftime edge into a 17-point lead. Ruben Rodriguez opened the second half with a dunk off of a Muhls’ turnover. The Rider commit followed his slam with a 3-pointer from the left wing. The 6’2 guard threw down another jam after a steal with 18 seconds remaining in the quarter. It was deafening inside the Geigle Complex as Reading rolled to a 77-60 victory. “We have the best fans around. I couldn’t even hear anything. That’s what we expect every night. We love it when it’s like that,” said Rodriguez. He finished with 26 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. Rodriguez crammed 13 points into the pivotal third period when the (12-1, 4-0) Red Knights got their transition game going. The first half was very physical. Each team had seven fouls in the opening quarter. Players had to be separated midway through the second period and both teams received a technical foul. “We knew that’s what type of game it was gonna be and we can play any type of game. We love playing physical. That’s a great program and a very well coached team,” stated Rodriguez. The (7-5, 2-2) Muhls led 10-4 early thanks to seven quick points from Xzavion Robertson. The 5’11 lefty hit three of Muhlenberg’s ten triples. Robertson ended up with 19 points. “Dan Dan” Mosquera had a team-high 23 points. The 5’9 senior made an NBA 3-pointer to even the score at 24 with three minutes left in the second period. Mosquera was 10-of-10 from the free throw line. Yadiel Cruz gave Reading a big lift off the bench. The 6’2 junior from the Dominican Republic provided a season-high 15 points along with 11 boards. Cruz, who leads the team in rebounds, shot 6-of-7 from the field. His trey from the right corner made it 70-48 with five minutes to play. Aris Rodriguez added 13 points. The Red Knights were just 17-34 from the foul line and 3-14 from beyond the arc. “We have so much more we have left. We have a lot in store for the county,” noted Ruben Rodriguez. He passed Reading legends Stu Jackson (1,563) and Donyell Marshall (1,581) on the all-time scoring list. Rodriguez, who’s averaging 22 points this season, is up to 1,582 career points. Rick Perez was honored before the game for becoming the program’s winningest coach earlier this season. Perez is (261-74) over 12 years. Jim Gano previously held the school record with 251 victories. I asked Ruben Rodriguez what it’s like playing for Perez. He replied, “It’s legendary. He’s going down in the [record] books. It’s a blessing to be able to make history with him.” Perez said that Rodriguez belongs on Reading’s Mount Rushmore with Lonnie Walker, Marshall, and Jackson.

Aris Rodriguez-Reading

Paul Roberts — Fri, 06 Jan 2023 00:33:00 +0000

If you were looking for highlights for the SportsCenter Top Ten, West Lawn wasn’t the place to be on Thursday. When rivals Reading and Wilson square off, it’s not about style points. “We’re not out here for judges. We’re out here for wins,” said Red Knights’ head coach Rick Perez. Reading prevailed 44-39 in a Division 1 slugfest in front of a great crowd. Only eleven points were scored in the first quarter. The Bulldogs committed ten turnovers in the first eight minutes, yet led 6-5. The (11-1, 3-0) Red Knights went on a 9-to-5 run to begin the second quarter and force a Wilson timeout. Reading was in front 20-17 at the break. Myles Grey and Aidan Melograna traded 3-pointers midway through the third period. Grey provided eight of his thirteen points in the quarter. The 5’11 senior added eight steals. The Red Knights were on top 36-28 entering the final period thanks to a pair of buckets from junior guard Yadiel Cruz. Nico Sosa hit a triple to start the fourth quarter and increase Reading’s advantage to eleven points. However, the (8-2, 2-1) Bulldogs held the Red Knights scoreless for the next six minutes. Seamus Breslin limited Rider commit Ruben Rodriguez to seven points on 3-of-10 shooting. Rodriguez entered the game averaging 23.5 points. The 6’2 guard has 1,556 points in his career. Aris Rodriguez went 4-4 from the foul line down the stretch. The 6’5 senior guard made two free throws with 34 seconds remaining. Cleveland Harding’s layup pulled Wilson within 42-39 with ten seconds to go. Aris Rodriguez sank two more from the stripe with nine seconds to play to ice it. “Just close my eyes and [have] tunnel vision. It’s just me and the rim, just shoot the ball and I know it’s going in,” stated Rodriguez. He ended up with a game-high fourteen points. Rodriguez gave credit to the Bulldogs. “They came to play…It was super physical. We always knew that they were gonna be physical,” noted Rodriguez. He went crashing to the floor after trying to dunk a pass off the backboard from Grey in the first half. Rodriguez had a big bag of ice on his back after the game, but told me that he was fine. Reading shot just 2-16 from beyond the arc, while Wilson went 3-8. The Bulldogs were hurt by 24 turnovers. Melograna, a 6’3 senior, had a team-high eleven points. Harding chipped in with ten and Ofure Odiale contributed nine. Wilson was 8-12 from the free throw line. The Bulldogs have dropped five straight against the Red Knights. Wilson was once again without all-division point guard Cam Jones due to injury. The Holy Cross football commit is expected to return soon. The Bulldogs host Spring-Ford on Saturday afternoon. Reading had been putting up 72 points a night. The Red Knights only managed eight points in the final quarter, but held on in a playoff atmosphere. “It was beautiful. That’s what we love playing against, especially when the crowd is against us. It’s great energy,” emphasized Aris Rodriguez.

Ruben Rodriguez-Reading

Paul Roberts — Thu, 22 Dec 2022 00:29:00 +0000

Yadiel Cruz probably isn’t the first name that comes to mind when you think about the Reading boys basketball team. Ruben Rodriguez has scored 1,475 points and is committed to Rider. 6’5 senior guard Aris Rodriguez has seen his stock rise tremendously this year. Myles Grey is one of the elite sharpshooters in Berks County. Amier Burdine is an experienced player who recently picked up Division I football offers from Saint Francis and Sacred Heart. Cruz rounds out the starting lineup, but flies under the radar. Well, at least until recently he did. Cruz helped the (7-0) Red Knights break open a close game versus Chester with 11 points in the final quarter. The 6’2 junior guard finished with a career-high 14 points in a 71-57 victory. “He’s a threat all around. [On] the defensive end, he does a great job rebounding and fighting down low with the bigs. Offensively, he can do whatever he wants,” said Ruben Rodriguez. Cruz has reached double figures in three straight games. Rodriguez is no stranger to putting up points. He dropped 26 on the (3-3) Clippers who saw their three-game winning streak come to a halt. “It’s always a fun game. That’s a great program. They’re always athletic and really strong. That’s always a good game for us to have, playing against that physicality,” noted Rodriguez. The 6’2 all-state guard knocked down a pair of 3-pointers in the opening period. Reading jumped on top of Chester 13-4 after just four and a-half minutes. Terrence Cobb hit a couple of triples to get the Clippers back in it. Cobb entered the night averaging a team-high 22 points. The 6’1 senior poured in 24 points at the Geigle Complex on Wednesday. Cobb and junior guard Kyree Womack combined for 11 of Chester’s 13 points in the second quarter. The Red Knights were in front 29-23 at the break. Cobb started the second half with a shot from beyond the arc. He splashed another with 55 seconds remaining in the third quarter. That 3-pointer pulled the Clippers within 42-38. Chester head coach Keith Taylor picked up a technical foul with five seconds left in the period. Taylor earned his 100th career win earlier this season. It’s his sixth year at the helm of the Clippers. He coached their JV squad for 13 seasons. Reading led 46-38 with eight minutes to go. The Red Knights exploded for 25 points in the fourth quarter. Rodriguez provided nine and converted a nifty behind the back pass from Grey. “We were just getting up smarter shots. The first half I fell like we were forcing a lot of 3’s up. The second half we did a good job of really pushing it and getting out on the fast break, and finding easy layups,” emphasized Rodriguez. Grey chipped in with ten points and Nico Sosa had nine off the bench. Reading went 18-of-27 from the free throw line, while Chester was 13-19. Womack scored 13 points before fouling out. Power forward Dominic Toy was limited to two points. The 6’5, 220-pound junior is a tight end on the Clippers’ football team. Toy has offers from Temple, Rutgers, and Boston College. Rodriguez praised Burdine for his hard work in the paint. “That’s my dog. I’m never surprised by the stuff he does. With him you get everything you need; athleticism, smarts, [and] a great personality,” replied Rodriguez. Reading and Chester are the winningest basketball programs in Pennsylvania. The Red Knights and Clippers have combined for 4,217 victories. Reading leads the way with 2,221. Chester has captured eight state championships. The Clippers have been the state runner-up ten times. The Red Knights own two state titles and a record 23 District III championships. Chester has claimed District I gold 25 times. This round between the perennial powers went to Reading.

Aris Rodriguez-Reading

Paul Roberts — Wed, 07 Dec 2022 11:13:00 +0000

You’re already very familiar with Ruben Rodriguez. The 6’2 senior guard is a two-time, first team all-state selection with more than 1,000 points over the past two years at Reading. You’re probably not nearly as familiar with Aris Rodriguez. Until now. The 6’5 senior guard turned Tuesday’s season opener against Central York into his coming out party. He knocked down four 3-pointers in just four and a-half minutes, and jammed 14 points into the first quarter. Aris Rodriguez poured in a career-high 30 points in an 87-68 rout of a talented Panthers’ squad. He gave credit to the fans at the Geigle Complex for energizing him. “It’s beautiful. It’s a blessing. We just know that if we have a home game, it’s gonna be packed,” said Rodriguez. The Red Knights are (502-97) all-time at the Geigle which opened prior to the 1973-74 season. A breakaway dunk by Rodriguez gave Reading a 27-14 edge early in the second quarter. Central York got within 37-29 before he hit another triple with 1:50 remaining until halftime. The defending Berks County and District 3-6A champions were on top 48-34 at the break. The teams combined for 48 points in the second period. Ruben Rodriguez kicked off the third quarter with a trey from the right corner and the Red Knights were never threatened. The Rider commit finished with 31 points including 18 in the second half. He’s up to 1,322 career points. There are four seniors in Reading’s starting lineup. “We’ve been playing since we were young so the chemistry is there. You’re gonna pass the ball and you’re gonna get it back,” noted Aris Rodriguez. He praised senior forward Amier Burdine for his interior defense. “Amier is a dog. He’s been a dog since second grade. He’s always been that small guy to guard a big man and keep him off the block,” replied Aris Rodriguez. Central York got a boost when 6’8 sophomore Ben Rill transferred from Westtown. The lefty had a team-high 24 points. Greg Guidinger, a 6’6 junior forward, added 16 points. He kept the Panthers hanging around in the second quarter with 12 points. Guidinger has offers from Drexel, Toledo, and Robert Morris. There were 41 combined free throw attempts. Central York went 17-24 while Reading was 14-17. The Panthers committed 23 turnovers and only made three shots from beyond the arc. The Red Knights splashed nine 3-pointers, six came from Aris Rodriguez who averaged 5.4 points a season ago. His brother, Rene Rodriguez, was a guard on the 2021 state championship team. Aris told me that the Lakers are his favorite NBA team right now because of former Reading star Lonnie Walker. “He had me on my feet when I was like 7 [years old]. He was a big inspiration, especially coming from the same part of town. He represented the hood a lot,” said Rodriguez. Walker is averaging 16 points for the Lakers this year. If Aris Rodriguez continues to perform like he did on Tuesday night, he’ll be inspiring the next generation of Red Knights. Rick Perez earned his 250th victory. This is his 12th season as head coach. He’s one win shy of tying Jim Gano’s school record. Perez has guided Reading to two state titles, four District 3 crowns, and five Berks County championships. Perez took part in a pregame ceremony to remember former head coach Pete Carril who passed away in August at 92. Carril led the Red Knights from 1958-66 with an outstanding mark of (145-42). He spent one season at Lehigh before taking over the Princeton men’s basketball program. From 1967-96, Carril won 514 games and 13 Ivy League titles. The Tigers made eleven appearances in the NCAA tournament. Carril was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998. All of the Reading High coaches wore bow ties in his honor on Tuesday.