Ryan – Berks Sports Report

Ryan Moser-Fleetwood

Paul Roberts — Fri, 12 May 2023 13:42:00 +0000

The bases were loaded in the 5th inning and nobody was out, but Fleetwood senior Ryan Moser was unfazed. The southpaw sandwiched a pop out between two strikeouts to escape the jam unscathed. “I’ve been so good at handling pressure. That’s been my job to come in tight situations like that and get out of it. It’s nothing new,” said Moser. The fifth-seeded Tigers held off fourth-seeded Kutztown 5-2 in the BCIAA quarterfinals at Muhlenberg. Moser tossed three hitless frames with two punch outs. The Elizabethtown commit walked two and hit a batter. Moser took over after Jake Karnish walked the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the 5th. Karnish, who’s headed to King’s College for basketball, allowed a pair of runs on four hits and five walks in 4+ innings. Fleetwood scored all five of its runs in the 2nd inning. Junior outfielder Carson Brey crushed a 2-run triple to center field. “That was huge for us. That really got our momentum going. That got the bench going,” remarked Moser. A wild pitch by senior right-hander Bryce Schafer made it 3-0. Karnish and Zach Dilbeck then drew bases loaded walks. Schafer was charged with five runs on three hits and five walks over 1.2 innings. Sophomore Colten Mathias did an excellent job in relief for the (15-6) Cougars. The tall righty limited the (13-7) Tigers to three hits in 5.1 innings with four strikeouts. Kutztown got on the board in the 2nd thanks to a double steal, but they left the bases juiced. A RBI bunt single by sophomore Ashton Dunn got the Cougars within 5-2 in the 4th. Dunn also threw out a runner at home plate from center field earlier in that inning. Moser retired the Cougars in order in the 7th to snap their 6-game winning streak. Kutztown left nine men on base. Meanwhile, Fleetwood has won eight of its last ten contests. The Division 2 champions will meet #1 seed Gov. Mifflin in the Berks County semifinals on Saturday at FirstEnergy Stadium. “It’s such an honor. It feels great. We can compete with anybody,” stated Moser.

Ryan Sekulski-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 15:15:00 +0000

Wilson entered the Berks County Baseball Showcase with a three-game losing streak. The Bulldogs broke out of that slump in a big way on Wednesday at Owls Field. Ryan Sekulski was 2-for-3 with a walk and 2 RBI in a 11-2 win over Exeter. “We didn’t drop our heads. We kept fighting and that’s what this team is about. We’re like a family,” said Sekulski. Matt VanOstenbridge tossed a four-hitter with ten strikeouts and two walks. The junior lefty has 50K in 32.2 innings. “He’s a dog up there. Any time he’s pitching, we have a good shot to win. He proved why he’s one of the best pitchers in the county,” emphasized Sekulski. The (8-7, 3-5) Eagles put up a pair of runs in the top of the 4th. Quinnten Westley was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Luke Giering followed with a walk. Wilson answered with four runs on just one hit in the 4th. After Sekulski singled to right field, Mount St. Mary’s commit Deven Sheerin walked Nick Fiorini to force in a run. A wild pitch from the 6’6, 230-pound senior made it 2-2. Jordan Shutter then hit a ground ball to second and two runs scored when the throw went over the first baseman’s head. The (8-6, 4-4) Bulldogs blew it open with seven runs in the 6th frame. They scored seven runs combined in their previous three contests. Sheerin was taken out following Shutter’s RBI single to right field. With the infield in, sophomore Chase Blew gave up a ground ball to Nick Crocona that got past the shortstop allowing two runs to score. A bases loaded walk to Evan Gabaldon put Wilson in front 8-2. It was 9-2 after sophomore Christo Hunsicker’s infield single. Sekulski delivered a 2-run single down the left field line for the final margin. Sheerin was charged with eight runs, six earned, on three hits and five walks. He began the day with a 1.94 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 21.2 innings. Blew permitted three unearned runs on four hits in one inning. Six different Bulldogs knocked in at least one run. Wilson fell to Exeter 11-1 three weeks ago. Both teams trail Gov. Mifflin and Muhlenberg in the Division 1 standings. Sekulski is very impressed with the competition in this area. “It’s the best county for baseball. Any time we play a Berks County team, you expect a good game,” he stated. Sekulski gave a bold prediction for his favorite MLB team, the Pirates. He also discussed video games and food.

Ryan Koch-Berks Catholic

Paul Roberts — Thu, 01 Dec 2022 11:00:00 +0000

Berks Catholic visited Wilson on January 11th for a Division 1 battle. The Saints came up short that night, but Ryan Koch showed everyone in West Lawn that he was legit. The 6’4 shooting guard finished with a career-high 27 points including 17 in the second half. He splashed six 3-pointers in the 51-48 loss to the Bulldogs. Koch hit three triples in the fourth quarter to keep the Saints in the game. Berks Catholic went on to win 23 games and a District 3 championship. The Saints hammered Middletown 60-37 at the Giant Center in the Class 4A Final. It’s their fourth District 3 title in eleven years. With Koch, JayJay Jordan, and Jack Miller all returning, they will be contenders again this season. Jordan is an all-county point guard who averaged a team-high 15.6 points per game. He was named the Section 4 Defensive Back of the Year this week in the Lancaster-Lebanon League. Jordan was also voted a first team running back and kick returner. Miller is a sniper from long distance. The senior guard drilled 44 treys last season. Koch is a versatile scorer who provided 14 ppg. a season ago. He led the Berks Conference with 63 3-pointers. Koch is headed to Division II Pitt-Johnstown. “I just fell in love with the coaches right away. They’re really good guys. They came to a lot of my games last year,” he said. Koch scored 20 or more points five times as a junior. He enters this year with 605 career points. Berks Catholic got a boost when 6’3 junior Josh McKoy and his brother Kingston transferred from Antietam. Josh averaged 15 points a night for the Mounts. Kingston is a freshman who will get minutes with the varsity team. “Josh brings a lot of size and Kingston brings his quick abilities. They’re both very unselfish…They’re filling good roles,” noted Koch. Jaxon Geddio played well this summer for Berks Catholic in the West Reading League. The Saints are moving from Division 1 to Division 2 of the Berks Conference this year. Three of their five losses last season came against Reading. The Red Knights defeated Berks Catholic 51-35 in the Berks County championship. About 3,700 fans were in attendance at Santander Arena to see that heavyweight matchup. I asked Koch about the competition in Berks County. He replied, “It’s always a battle each and every night. You gotta come out with your best game. If you don’t, you can get taken advantage of real quick.” Division 2 now includes Berks Catholic, Exeter, Conrad Weiser, Twin Valley, and Daniel Boone. Koch told me that his favorite NBA player is Jayson Tatum and his favorite rapper is Drake. The Saints open the season at Exeter’s tip-off tournament. They face Allentown Central Catholic next Friday. Berks Catholic head coach Snip Esterly has a remarkable career record of (769-212) with eight Berks County championships, thirteen District 3 titles, and a state gold medal from 2007 with Reading Central Catholic. He spent 22 years with the Cardinals. This will be Esterly’s 12th season with the Saints (227-79).

Ryan McMillan-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Wed, 07 Sep 2022 20:49:00 +0000

A 46-15 loss to Roman Catholic didn’t sit well with the Wilson players. “We knew we needed to send a message to everyone. People were doubting us,” said junior Ryan McMillan. The 5’11, 215-pound linebacker racked up nine tackles and forced a fumble in a key 17-10 win at Central Dauphin last week. The (1-1) Bulldogs held the (0-2) Rams to 201 total yards including just 62 through the air. Central Dauphin was limited to 3.9 yards per carry. Nate Capitano, a senior safety, contributed six tackles and an interception. McMillan emphasized that getting fellow inside linebacker Landon Farrell back from injury was a big boost. The 220-pound senior was Wilson’s second-leading tackler a season ago. McMillan also gave a lot of credit to the coaching staff. Head coach Doug Dahms became an assistant coach for the Bulldogs in 1976. Defensive coordinator Ernie Wolber has been on the staff for 23 years. “It’s amazing. Just learning from them, asking them questions helped me so much from my freshman year. [They] taught me pretty much everything I know about playing linebacker,” stated McMillan. Dahms has won 83% of his games as head coach, a Berks County record. He holds the school record with 171 victories. McMillan made an impact as a sophomore. He had a touchdown catch and a 26-yard fumble return score at Exeter. He finished with ten tackles against Manheim Central. McMillan has also made a name for himself on the wrestling mat. He finished third in the Berks County and District 3 tournaments at 215 pounds. He went (35-7) while in tenth grade. In addition to playing linebacker, McMillan is starting at guard this season. The offensive line includes 280-pound tackle Jack Dendall and 270-pound center Logan Kurzweg. They’re both juniors. “The chemistry is coming together, just get 1% better every day on the O-line. Working together, getting reps in, that’s the most important thing,” said McMillan. Wilson averaged 5 yards per carry versus Central Dauphin. Cam Jones ripped off a 53-yard TD run in the third quarter. I asked McMillan what would happen if he had to tackle Jones in the open field. He replied, “Luckily, I don’t have to. I don’t know, probably not great for me.” Jones was an all-state selection in 2021 when he returned seven kicks for touchdowns! The Bulldogs meet Martin Luther King High School on Friday in West Lawn. Wilson cruised in this matchup last year 50-8. McMillan noted that MLK has speed at the skill positions. We also discussed his favorite teachers, music, food, and NFL teams. He’s hoping that the Bills and Saints advance all the way to the Super Bowl. Finally, McMillan revealed what type of car he would buy if he ever won the lottery.

Ryan Kelly-West Lawn

Paul Roberts — Wed, 06 Jul 2022 23:12:00 +0000

Ryan Kelly struggled with his command in the opening round of the Berks County Legion League playoffs, but he didn’t let that impact him at the plate. The left-handed hitter ripped a 3-run homer in the third inning of West Lawn’s 6-2 win over Shillington on Wednesday night. Kelly took advantage of the short porch at Owls Field. It’s 305 feet down the right field line. His blast just made it over the fence and provided a spark for the third-seeded Owls. Kelly, a rising sophomore at McDaniel College, only lasted 3.1 innings. The righty allowed two runs, one earned, on two hits and five walks. He struck out five. Kelly walked Tristan Huyett with the bases loaded in the top of the first. Matt Novotny walked the first three batters that he faced in the bottom half of the frame, but the rising senior at Gov. Mifflin was able to get out of the jam without giving up a run. Shillington put runners on the corners in the third inning with nobody out. Hunter Unger grounded into a double play which gave the sixth-seeded Dodgers a 2-0 advantage. The (16-10) Owls answered right back. Evan Gabaldon stroked a two-out RBI single before Kelly’s 3-run shot. West Lawn added two more runs in the sixth when Ryan Sekulski’s fly ball to right field was dropped. Kelly gave credit to Lucas Gensemer and Christo Hunsicker who combined to toss 3.2 innings of scoreless relief. They each allowed one hit. Hunsicker got speedy leadoff hitter Mason Woolwine to ground out to third with two outs and the bases juiced in the top of the sixth. Gensemer and Hunsicker were 1-for-3 at the plate. Gabaldon provided two of West Lawn’s five hits. Shillington managed four hits. Novotny finished 2-for-3 with a pair of singles. The right-hander pitched 5+ innings. He gave up five runs, four earned, on five hits and six walks. Novotny also hit a batter while striking out four. The Dodgers fall to (4-11). Kelly stressed that the competition in the Berks League is tough and they can’t overlook any teams. We talked about using wood bats. He said, “It’s a huge difference. Pitchers just have to throw more strikes. It changes the entire game.” Kelly has been working on a two-seam fastball this summer. He helped Wilson capture two District 3 championships during his high school career. I asked him about competing against college hitters this past season at McDaniel. He replied, “They’re a lot more patient. No one swings at bad pitches and every at bat counts.” Kelly participated in a league for college players last month at Myrtle Beach. He enjoys being back in West Lawn and playing baseball with his friends. He described the rivalry between the Owls and Shillington. West Lawn will visit Bear Stadium on Thursday at 7pm to battle #2 seed Boyertown. The tournament shifts to Owls Field on Friday. The winner advances to the Region 2 tournament which will be held in Quakertown.

Ryan Koch-Berks Catholic

Paul Roberts — Thu, 24 Feb 2022 22:06:00 +0000

Size vs. shooting. That was the matchup Thursday night at Lloyd Wolf Gymnasium in the District 3-4A quarterfinals. The shooters from Berks Catholic were too much for #8 seed ELCO. The (21-4) Saints won 55-40 and clinched a berth in the state playoffs. Ryan Koch knows that the 3-point shot is a big reason for their success. The 6’3 junior connected four times from beyond the arc on his way to a game-high 19 points. The trio of Koch, Jack Miller, and Aidan Sands has knocked down 133 treys this season. Koch (56-3’s) and Sands were both all-division selections in a very competitive Division 1 of the Berks Conference which includes Reading, Wilson, Exeter, and Gov. Mifflin. Miller had the hot hand early. The 5’10 junior hit three of his four triples in the first half. He finished with twelve points. Sands added nine. Berks Catholic led 12-11 after the opening quarter. The Saints went on an 11-4 run over the first two and a-half minutes of the second period. Miller sank a pair of 3-pointers and Aron Reinhart came off the bench to provide five points. Only two more points were scored the rest of the quarter. Berks Catholic took a 25-15 advantage to the locker room. The Berks County runner-up outscored ELCO 13-4 in the second period. Koch had eight points in the third quarter including two shots from long range. His 3-pointer late in the period gave the Saints a 40-24 edge. He made another one from the left corner with 3:45 remaining for a 48-34 lead. Berks Catholic ended up with nine triples compared to three for the (14-11) Raiders. The Section 4 champions from the Lancaster-Lebanon League feature 6’7 senior Corey Attivo and 6’3, 210-pound senior Luke Williams. I talked with Koch about going up against the size of ELCO. Attivo had a team-high 14 points. He scored their first five points of the game. His dad, Scott, helped Steel-High win two state championships. Corey is getting a lot of Division III interest. Williams is headed to Bloomsburg to play linebacker. He piled up more than 400 tackles in his high school career. Williams averages a dozen points, but was held to four by the top-seeded Saints. Sophomore guard Dallas George chipped in with nine points for the Raiders. They got eight from 6’2 senior Rheece Shuey. ELCO went 5-7 from the free throw line, while Berks Catholic was 10-14. Each team only committed six turnovers. Koch was happy to be playing at home. We discussed longtime coach Snip Esterly. Koch admitted that he was intimidated by Esterly early in his career, but he realizes that Snip wants the best for him. Esterly is (767-211) over 33 years as a head coach. He has won 225 games in eleven seasons at Berks Catholic. Esterly’s postseason record is a remarkable (191-70). He’s looking for his 13th District 3 title. The Saints will host #4 Littlestown in the semifinals on Monday at 7pm. Koch loves to golf. I asked him about his favorite golfers, and would he rather play in the NBA or on the PGA Tour. His answers may surprise you. You will also learn who his favorite teacher is at Berks Catholic. Plus, Koch explained why he doesn’t play football.

Ryan Ludwig-Wyomissing

Paul Roberts — Sat, 29 Jan 2022 21:26:00 +0000

“It’s huge!” That’s how Wyomissing head coach Ryan Ludwig responded when asked about the significance of his team’s dramatic 42-41 victory over Oley Valley on Saturday. The Spartans are within a-half game of first place Fleetwood in Division 3. They’ll square off on Monday at Fleetwood. Wyomissing entered the weekend #10 in the District 3-4A power rankings. The top ten squads get into the dance. Julian O’Brien hit a mid-range shot with five seconds remaining to stun the (11-4, 5-3) Lynx. Oley Valley, which was riding a 7-game winning streak, led for almost the entire game. O’Brien finished with 24 points. The senior guard jammed 19 into the second half. Ludwig was thrilled with the decision that O’Brien made during the last possession. He told me that they work on mid-range shots all the time. Ludwig stressed that having some quality practice time this week really helped. The (8-6, 5-2) Spartans have won five of their last six games. They struggled early against the Lynx. Wyomissing trailed 15-8 after the opening period and 22-10 midway through the second quarter. The Spartans committed nine turnovers in the first eight minutes. They were down 34-29 after the third quarter. Jaden Kelly nailed a 3-pointer from the left corner to give Oley Valley a 39-33 advantage halfway through the final period. The Lynx hit six treys compared to three for Wyomissing. Nevin Carter connected from beyond the arc with 1:31 to go. It was his fourth 3-pointer this season and it got the Spartans within one point. That was his only field goal all afternoon. Carter is one of four starters who helped Wyomissing’s football team reach the Class 3A state championship game. The all-state DB is committed to California University of Pennsylvania, along with his teammate Amory Thompson who had eight points vs. Oley Valley. O’Brien made a floater for a 40-39 lead with 50 seconds to go. Danny Turchi responded immediately with a reverse layup to put the Lynx back on top, but O’Brien had the final answer. He was coming off a career-high 33 points in a 68-60 comeback win at Antietam on Friday. O’Brien averaged 8.5 points as a junior. He’s up to 16.5 this season. Ludwig said it was a total team effort on defense. The Spartans allowed just 14 points in the second half. Oley Valley was averaging 54 points. The Lynx managed two points over the last four minutes. Turchi was on fire in the first half with 19 points. The 6’2 senior was limited to three in the second half. Chase Reifsnyder provided eight points including a 3-pointer from the right corner at the end of the third quarter. Oley Valley had 13 turnovers over the last two quarters. The Lynx went 9-13 from the free throw line, while Wyomissing was a perfect 9-9. Oley Valley is one game behind Antietam and Tulpehocken in Division 4. Things are getting tight in the Berks Conference. Ludwig was all smiles as he left the gym, but he knows there’s still work to be done.

Ryan Souder-Daniel Boone

Paul Roberts — Wed, 20 Oct 2021 21:30:00 +0000

Ryan Souder may not be the biggest middle linebacker at 5’8 and 166 pounds, but the junior is always around the football. Souder is Daniel Boone’s leading tackler and a returning starter. The Blazers are on a roll, winning five of their last six games. They’re #10 in the District 3-5A power rankings. The top 14 teams will qualify which Souder said would mean a lot to his teammates. Souder told me that sophomore QB Dean Rotter has really stepped up. Rotter is completing 62% of his passes with 12TD and 2INT. I asked Souder if he ever saw a better one-handed TD catch than the one Alex Vassallo made last week vs. Reading. He replied, “maybe in the NFL.” Souder is looking forward to getting a shot against Nick Singleton and the undefeated Gov. Mifflin Mustangs on Friday in Shillington. Singleton has a Berks County record 101 career TD’s! I found out that Souder is a huge movie fan, but until recently he had never watched any of the Star Wars films. You’ll hear about his favorite all-time movies.