Ruben – 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.

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.

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.

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.

Rodriguez/Suarez-FIBA Tournament

Paul Roberts — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 10:20:00 +0000

Ruben Rodriguez and Edwin Suarez were the top two scorers in the Berks Conference last season. Their basketball skills have taken them to Mexico this week. Rodriguez and Suarez are competing in the FIBA U18 Americas Championship. The tournament got underway on Monday and continues until Sunday, June 12th. Rodriguez, who will enter his senior season at Reading High with 1,291 career points, helped Puerto Rico blow out Ecuador 85-64 in its opener. The 6’1 guard finished with 8 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists in 17 minutes. He shot 4-7 from the field. Rodriguez is a two-time, first team all-state selection. He averaged 20 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds for the Red Knights this year. He led Reading to county and District 3-6A titles.

Suarez is playing for the Dominican Republic this week. They had to face a tough United States squad on Monday. The USA cruised to a 116-48 victory. Suarez ended up with 6 points and 4 rebounds in 22 minutes. He went 3-10 from the field. The 6’6 forward poured in nearly 19 points per game for Muhlenberg this past season. The all-county pick guided the Muhls to 18 wins. Suarez hasn’t yet committed to a college.

Ruben Rodriguez-Reading

Paul Roberts — Sun, 06 Mar 2022 12:40:00 +0000

A loss isn’t always a bad thing over the course of a long season. The Red Knights got tripped up at Muhlenberg 63-61 on February 8th. Ruben Rodriguez told me that they learned a valuable lesson that night. Reading has been laser-focused since coming up short in Laureldale. The (25-3) Red Knights have won seven straight games by an average of 23 points! Warwick was their latest victim in the District 3-6A championship at the Giant Center. Rodriguez poured in ten points in the first four minutes, including two 3-pointers. The all-state guard finished with a game-high 23 points in a 68-43 victory over the (20-6) Warriors. Rodriguez started the game with a dunk and ended a 16-2 run in the fourth quarter with another slam. The 6’1 junior described his emotions on those plays. Rodriguez provided another highlight in the final seconds of the third period. After stealing an inbounds pass, he banked in a 3-pointer from NBA range to put Reading in front 50-36. The Berks County Player of the Year is averaging nearly 20 points this season with 33 treys. Warwick was searching for its second District 3 title and first since 1984. The seventh-seeded Warriors got within five points at 41-36 in the third quarter. The top-seeded Red Knights exploded for 25 of the next 27 points. Joey Chapman opened the final period with three straight baskets. The 6’1 senior guard had a career-high 19 points. Rodriguez was very pleased with how Chapman passed out of the high post against Warwick’s 2-3 zone. Rodriguez also praised Amier Burdine for his defense on Tate Landis who’s committed to York College. Landis was limited to ten points and just three in the second half. The 5’11 sharpshooter averages 18 points. Rodriguez challenged Burdine to pick up his defensive intensity at halftime. Avery Sapp and 6’2 freshman Caleb Johnsen had ten points apiece. Reading led 17-15 after eight minutes and 35-23 at the break. Xavier Davis chipped in with nine points and Myles Grey added seven. The Red Knights were 9-11 from the free throw line, while the Warriors went 7-11. Reading connected five times from beyond the arc and forced 15 turnovers. The Warriors slip to (1-4) all-time in the District 3 Finals. The Red Knights earned their record 23rd District 3 championship and second in a row. I asked Rodriguez about playing for the winningest program in Pennsylvania. The Red Knights have piled up 2,213 victories. Reading is a remarkable (134-51) in the District 3 playoffs. The Red Knights will host Downingtown West on Wednesday at 7pm in the first round of the state tournament. Rodriguez said, “I think we can win it all.” Reading is the defending state champion in Class 6A.

Ruben Rodriguez-Reading

Paul Roberts — Tue, 01 Mar 2022 23:18:00 +0000

We’ve all heard the saying that defense wins championships. Well, it can also win semifinals. The Red Knights forced 18 turnovers in a 46-39 victory over fifth-seeded Cedar Cliff in the District 3-6A semifinals. With 6’5 senior Daniel Alcantara out due to a broken left hand, Reading had no one taller than 6’2 in the lineup. Meanwhile, the Colts’ frontcourt features the Houser brothers. Tyler is a 6’9 senior who averages 20 points per game. He’s committed to VMI. Justin is a 6’10 sophomore who comes off the bench. The combination of Joey Chapman, Xavier Davis, and Amier Burdine played extremely physical low post defense. They never let Tyler Houser get comfortable and limited his touches in the paint. He was held to ten points after getting shutout in the first half. Justin Houser scored nine points, but just two came after the opening quarter. The top-seeded Red Knights raced out to a 12-2 advantage. Ruben Rodriguez told me that everyone gave extra effort as a tribute to Alcantara who was injured last Friday against Wilson in the quarterfinals. Alcantara has 1,056 career points. The all-county selection was averaging 16 points this season. Chapman wore #21 to honor his best friend who couldn’t be on the court. The Reading players and coaches had #21 t-shirts on before the game. The (24-3) Red Knights decided to shorten the contest with Cedar Cliff using a 2-3 and 1-3-1 zone. They spread the floor and held the ball for between one minute and 90 seconds at the end of the first three periods. Aris Rodriguez drilled a 3-pointer from the left wing at the end of the first quarter. Reading was on top 20-13 after eight minutes. Ruben Rodriguez had a tip-in that barely beat the halftime buzzer. He mentioned how energized the team was going into the locker room up 29-20. The 46 points was a season-low for the typically uptempo Red Knights who were averaging 72 points a night. Rodriguez said, “It’s playoff time so every possession matters.” The 6’1 junior threw down a one-handed dunk to make it 37-24 with four and a-half minutes remaining in the third quarter. The (21-5) Colts, under the direction of former Tulpehocken head coach Tigh Savercool, came out of their zone defense late in that period. Savercool guided Cedar Cliff to the Mid-Penn Conference championship this season. The Colts trailed 37-24 with eight minutes to go. They managed just four points in the third quarter and went scoreless for the first two and a-half minutes of the final quarter. Junior guard Ayden Frey (8 points) hit two triples to pull Cedar Cliff within 40-35 with 1:45 left. Rodriguez and Justin Walker combined to sink six consecutive free throws over the last minute to end the threat. Rodriguez had a game-high 21 points. The all-state guard increased his career total to 1,224. Myles Grey chipped in with seven points. The 5’11 junior knocked down his 52nd trey of the year. Chapman provided six points and a lot of muscle on defense. I jokingly asked Rodriguez what would happen if he had to wrestle Chapman. Rodriguez knows that would be a mismatch! Reading was 11-16 from the foul line, while the Colts went 4-4. Rodriguez can’t wait to play at the Giant Center again. The Red Knights will battle #7 seed Warwick on Saturday at 7:45pm. Reading is looking for its 23rd District 3 championship. The Red Knights are (133-51) all-time in the District 3 playoffs. Speaking of history, the win over Cedar Cliff was #500 for Reading at the Geigle Complex which opened prior to the 1973-‘74 season. The Red Knights are (500-97) at the well known venue which holds 3,400 people.

Ruben Rodriguez-Reading

Paul Roberts — Fri, 25 Feb 2022 22:50:00 +0000

A 23-point win over rival Wilson is normally cause for a big celebration at the Geigle Complex. Not tonight. Several Reading players were in tears after the 68-45 victory in the District 3-6A quarterfinals. The mood changed drastically when 6’5 senior Daniel Alcantara went crashing to the court after a dunk with 2:06 remaining in the third quarter. Ruben Rodriguez threw a pass off the backboard and Alcantara slammed it home. The initial concern was Alcantara’s back, but the focus shifted to his wrist and hand. Rodriguez was emotional when we talked about the injury. Alcantara was a third team all-state selection last year. The versatile forward averages 16 points per game. He had 15 points against the Bulldogs, increasing his career total to 1,056. Alcantara was voted by the coaches to the all-county team this season. Rodriguez was named the Berks County Player of the Year. The 6’1 junior finished with a game-high 20 points including nine in the second quarter when the (23-3) Red Knights blew it open. The (15-9) Bulldogs struggled to take care of the basketball, especially over the first sixteen minutes. They committed four turnovers in the opening two and a-half minutes. That number grew to 21 by halftime. Wilson trailed 20-8 after the first quarter and 45-19 at the break. The ninth-seeded Bulldogs ended up with 28 turnovers. Rodriguez told me that defense is their top priority. He said, “It makes everything easier. It just makes the game fun. When we’re running on the break, I feel like that’s the most fun we have.” Reading thrives on turning defense into offense. Wilson came into the game allowing 50 points a night. The top-seeded Red Knights were held to six points in the third quarter, yet still put up nearly 70. DeShawn Wilson nailed a pair of 3-pointers in the final period. His second trey gave Reading a 66-42 advantage with three and a-half minutes to go. The Berks County champions got 20 points from their bench. Joey Chapman and Aris Rodriguez provided seven apiece. Ruben Rodriguez stressed that Chapman has outstanding vision in addition to being a very physical guard. The Red Knights were 11-17 from the free throw line, while the Bulldogs went 2-5. Foday Sillah scored eight consecutive points to begin the third quarter. The 6’4 senior had a team-high twelve. Cleveland Harding chipped in with eight points. All-division guard Cam Jones was limited to three. He picked up his fourth foul with three minutes left in the second quarter. Rodriguez mentioned how much he loves playing at home. The Red Knights are (11-1) at the Geigle this season. Reading’s overall record there is a remarkable (499-97). The Red Knights have won four in a row versus the Bulldogs. Reading hosts #5 seed Cedar Cliff in the District 3 semifinals on Tuesday at 7pm. Wilson will travel to #4 Hempfield on Tuesday night. The winner qualifies for the state tournament. The top seven teams advance in Class 6A.