Jones returned this season and wasn’t going to let another chance at a goal medal slip away at Santander Arena. After trailing by 16 points at halftime, third-seeded Exeter had pulled within 46-42 of the top-seeded Bulldogs with 2:22 left. Jones knocked down two key foul shots with 1:36 remaining and then came up with a pivotal steal. The Eagles fouled Laura Crocona who split a pair of free throws. She missed her second attempt, but 6’ senior forward Violet Houck grabbed the rebound. Exeter was forced to foul again with just 53 seconds to go. Houck went 2-for-2 from the stripe to give Wilson a 51-42 cushion. The (23-2) Bulldogs survived a scare and defeated the Eagles 54-44 on Friday night. “It feels like a very special moment. We waited four years to do this,” said Jones. The two-time All-County selection finished with a team-high 14 points as Wilson earned its first league title since 2014. Jones provided six points in the fourth quarter and was 4-for-4 from the foul line down the stretch. “It feels great that I was able to play and be able to even step my two feet on this floor. You can’t take anything for granted,” she emphasized.

The Bulldogs blew out the Eagles 67-36 on January 22nd. Jones poured in 21 points during that regular season rout. Wilson led 21-13 after the opening quarter and 32-16 at halftime on Friday. Exeter went scoreless for six minutes in the second quarter. It looked like the Bulldogs may cruise to the county championship, however, the (15-10) Eagles weren’t going down without a fight. They outscored the Bulldogs 17-10 in the third quarter. Addison Harper jammed seven points into those eight minutes. The 5’9 sophomore guard ended up with a game-high 17 points. In the final seconds of the third period, Harper was fouled while attempting a desperation shot just past half-court. She converted all three free throws to make it 42-33.

Harper hit a triple from the right wing with 5:33 on the clock to pull the girls from Reiffton within 42-36. After a layup by Lillie Keperling, Wilson committed a turnover in the backcourt. Harper nailed a jumper from the left wing and all of a sudden Exeter’s deficit was cut to 46-42 with two and a-half minutes left. That’s as close as the Eagles would get thanks to some clutch plays by Jones, Houck, and Crocona. All three seniors have been starting in West Lawn since they were freshman. Jones is committed to Penn State Harrisburg and Crocona is going to Kutztown. Houck will be headed south to Jacksonville University for track and field.

Exeter reached the BCIAA Final for the first time since 1977. The Eagles made tremendous strides following a (7-15) campaign in 2024-25. Chloe Dauble and Mairead Dolan chipped in with eight points apiece. Wilson utilized a 1-2-2 trap to force 22 turnovers. Exeter went 12-of-13 from the foul line, while the Bulldogs were 17-of-25. Kailani Hardy, a promising 5’10 junior guard, had eleven points. Crocona contributed nine points and Houck had eight. Matt Raquet improved his record to (43-12) in his second year as head coach. Wilson claimed its tenth Berks County crown.

Only five girls basketball teams from the county qualified for the District 3 playoffs. Exeter visits fifth-seeded Lampeter-Strasburg in the first round of the Class 5A tournament on Tuesday. The fourth-seeded Bulldogs host #13 Penn Manor in the Class 6A bracket on Monday. Both of those matchups begin at 7pm. “It feels great to win this game, but a lot of things to work on,” acknowledged Jones.

Altimar, who finished with seven points, said it was one of the best games that he’s ever played in. “It’s definitely top 5. Reading is always a tough team. They play good defense, they hustle, and they play hard. It was a great game,” replied Altimar. Esterly, who earned career win #862 over 37 years, agreed that this was an instant classic. “I’m not gonna say it was the best [BCIAA] Final ever, but it was a great game,” he emphasized. Altimar mentioned that most people have the wrong impression of Esterly. “Everyone thinks he’s just mean and yells, but he’s one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met. He always asks how I’m doing. He’s probably the best coach I’ve ever had,” stated Altimar. Esterly has nine Berks Conference championships on his resume, including four with the Saints.

Both teams came out on fire. Kingston McKoy hit two triples in the opening quarter and Berks Catholic led 19-16 after eight action-packed minutes. Before the second quarter began, there was a delay to replace one of the nets. The scoring slowed down considerably in second period as the Red Knights built a 26-21 advantage. The Saints were held to two points until Oye “Junior” Guilavogui drained a trey from the left corner with six seconds to go. The senior guard had 16 points in the Saints’ 68-47 rout of Reading on January 31st at Lloyd Wolf Gymnasium. The Red Knights took their first meeting 48-40 at the Geigle Complex on December 29th.

McKoy started the second half with five quick points. His three-point play put Berks Catholic in front 29-26. The Colgate commit and two-time All-State pick poured in 29 points, including eleven in the third quarter. Carmelo Harper, a 6’1 sophomore guard, added 14 points. “He’s gonna be good. He’s frying everybody. It’s gonna be scary for the county next year,” remarked Altimar. Harper sank a 3-pointer from the right wing to make it 32-28 with 6:27 to play in the third period. Reading responded and took a 33-32 lead on Raybin Rubio’s three-point play. The 6’1 sophomore guard was recently inserted into the starting lineup. The Saints answered with a 8-0 run. Guilavogui, who chipped in with eight points, and McKoy drilled shots from beyond the arc to give Berks Catholic a 40-33 cushion with 4:36 left in the third quarter. Weshly Rosario, the lone senior starter for the Red Knights, made a short jumper at the buzzer to even things up at 45-45. Rosario and sophomore Cameron “Bron Bron” Jones contributed twelve points apiece. Jamier Jacob had nine points, while Jostin DeCastro was limited to eight. The 6’3 junior guard came into Friday averaging 20.8 ppg.

McKoy opened the fourth quarter with a triple from the top of the key. He found Johnny Giesa for a layup and a 50-47 edge with just over six minutes remaining. McKoy went 2-for-2 from the stripe with 3:24 to go. Reading trailed 54-48 before scoring the next six points. DeCastro split a pair of foul shots with 1:24 on the clock to tie it at 54-54. The Red Knights missed five free throws in the fourth quarter. They were 12-for-19 overall, while the Saints knocked down eight of their nine attempts.

Berks Catholic held the ball for one final shot. McKoy drove down the right side of the lane with five seconds to play. Rosario got a piece of the ball as McKoy was going up and his layup rolled off the rim. In overtime, Jones buried a trey from the right wing with 2:49 on the clock. That was Reading’s only 3-pointer all night. It would also be the last time they scored. Altimar responded thirty seconds later with a long range strike of his own. “Kingston and all my teammates were telling me to keep shooting it, shoot it with confidence. I got open in the corner and let it fly,” he said. It was the tenth 3-pointer for the Saints who played without 6’3 senior forward Gavin Welker for the second straight game due to a school-related issue. Altimar’s clutch free throws made it 59-57. After sophomore Javon Merriweather misfired on a triple from the top of the key, McKoy went 2-for-2 from the stripe with thirty seconds left. The Red Knights were down 61-57 when they committed a turnover with 16 seconds remaining. McKoy split a couple of foul shots for the final margin. The Colgate commit is up to 1,583 career points.

Berks Catholic outscored Reading 8-to-3 in overtime. Both teams did a terrific job of taking care of the basketball. There were only 15 combined turnovers and just seven by the Saints. This heavyweight battle lived up to the hype.

The Red Knights will face #12 seed York High on Tuesday at 7pm at the Geigle Complex in the first round of the District 3-6A playoffs. The Saints don’t play again until Friday, February 20th. They host #8 seed Eastern York at 6pm in the District 3-4A quarterfinals. Berks Catholic blew out Eastern York 67-44 in the District 3-4A Championship last year. It was the sixth District 3 crown for the Saints. Altimar is confident that they will have a long postseason run. “We’re gonna win District’s. We’re gonna go far in State’s too,” he stated.

Neither team scored for nearly three minutes to begin the game. Exeter had a 8-7 edge after the first quarter. The Mustangs went scoreless for the first three minutes of the second quarter and fell behind 13-7. Brooklyn George and Bella Super hit back-to-back triples to even the score. However, the third-seeded Eagles ended the half on a 9-to-3 run. Addison Harper came alive with seven points in the second period. The 5’9 sophomore erupted for 20 points in a 47-36 quarterfinal victory over Twin Valley. Gov. Mifflin trailed 22-16 at halftime. The Mustangs only made five shots in the first half and four of them were from beyond the arc. Their 3-point shooting dried up over the final 16 minutes. They connected just once from long range in the second half.

A layup and a trey by Lillie Keperling put Exeter in front 31-23 with 3:20 left in the third quarter. The 5’7 senior forward made another layup for a 35-28 lead with seven minutes remaining. Mairead Dolan drained a jumper from the right wing which put Gov. Mifflin in a 39-30 hole with 5:36 to go. A bucket by Keperling gave the Eagles a 43-37 cushion with two minutes on the clock. Bridget Martin responded with a 3-pointer from beyond the NBA line. That shot pulled the Mustangs within 43-40 with 1:07 to play. They wouldn’t score again. Harper converted three of her four free throw attempts down the stretch as Gov. Mifflin’s five-game winning streak came to a halt.

Keperling, who averages 9 ppg., finished with a game-high 15 points. Considering the circumstances, it was one of the best performances of her career. “She’s had quite a few good ones, but it has to be in the top 5 for sure,” remarked Wolfe. Harper provided 14 points, including seven in the fourth quarter. Dolan and sophomore Chloe Dauble chipped in with six points apiece. Exeter was 3-of-5 from the foul line. The Eagles swished a trio of triples. Super and George led the Mustangs with eleven points apiece. Super was a third team All-State pick a season ago. The 5’7 junior reached 1,000 career points on January 6th. Martin had nine points for Gov. Mifflin. Longtime coach Mike Clark has four juniors and a sophomore in his lineup. Super, George, and Martin are all three-year starters.

Exeter now awaits top-seeded Wilson. The Bulldogs have won 14 consecutive games. They blew out the Eagles 67-36 on January 22nd. The BCIAA Championship is set for 6pm on Friday at Santander Arena.

Crocona, who’s headed to Kutztown University, helped Wilson get off to a fast start. Two of her three 3-pointers came in the opening quarter. “I’ve obviously had some ups and downs with shooting this year, but tonight my shot felt really good. It felt good to see them go in,” said Crocona. The (13-11) Red Knights fell behind 19-10 after eight minutes. The Bulldogs began the second quarter with six straight points. The defending county champions were limited to five points in that period when they committed eight turnovers. Wilson was on top 29-15 at halftime and 42-25 entering the fourth quarter.

JilliAnn Laws, a 5’11 senior forward, made a layup with 2:23 left to pull Reading within 46-34. Following a bucket by Wilson’s Violet Houck, Xiani Beatty nailed a triple to make it 48-37 with 1:15 remaining. Junior guard Ryan Leaman converted three of four foul shots to seal it. The North Carolina lacrosse commit finished with a dozen points. Kailani Hardy added eleven points and Houck had six. Hardy, a 5’10 junior guard, picked up an offer from La Salle late last month. Houck is committed to Jacksonville University for track and field. “We’re a really close group. We hang out all the time. It’s so nice to know that if someone is not having their best day, other people have each other to pick each other up,” remarked Crocona.

The Bulldogs are back at full strength this season with the return of Laila Jones. The 5’8 point guard missed the 2024-25 campaign due to a torn ACL. Jones is a two-time All-County selection and a 1,000-point scorer. “She’s so talented, she’s a great teammate. Having her back has been so big this year. We really missed her last year,” said Crocona. Jones recently committed to Penn State Harrisburg. She’s averaging 12 ppg. this season as part of a balanced attack.

Wilson went 9-of-16 from the stripe, while the Red Knights were just 1-for-6. Each team connected four times from beyond the arc. Crocona is second on her squad with 31 3-pointers. She was an all-division field hockey player in the fall. Crocona also excels in the classroom with a lofty 4.25 GPA. Her older brother, Nick, played football, baseball and basketball during his high school days in West Lawn.

The talented Bulldogs spent very little time celebrating after beating Reading. Their focus is on winning their first county title in twelve years. “We know that our job is not done…We know that Exeter is gonna come to play,” stated Crocona.

Berks Catholic raced out to a 15-5 advantage over Exeter after the first quarter. The Saints led 8-0 before Dauble splashed a 3-pointer from the top of the key. The 6’3, 215-pound senior is committed to Shippensburg for football. He’s averaging 15 ppg. this season. Dauble reached 1,000 career points last month. The (15-9) Eagles trailed 29-15 at halftime.

Carmelo Harper and Altimar hit back-to-back triples in the third quarter. Berks Catholic’s cushion extended to 32-15 with 3:15 left in the period. The Saints were in control 43-27 entering the fourth quarter. McKoy drained a trey from the right wing with six minutes remaining to make it 48-29. The 6’4 Colgate commit finished with a game-high 24 points, including nine in the final period. Harper added 16 points. The 6’1 sophomore guard was responsible for two of Berks Catholic’s five 3-pointers. Johnny Giesa chipped in with seven points and Altimar had six on a pair of shots from beyond the arc. The Saints were without Gavin Welker due to a school-related issue. The 6’3 senior forward had 16 points in a 58-42 win over Schuylkill Valley in the quarterfinals on Monday.

Berks Catholic went 4-of-9 from the foul line, while the Eagles ended up 7-for-11. After Dauble’s early 3-pointer, they didn’t make another attempt from long range until the fourth quarter. Dauble, Jayden Ware, and Braylon Reinert had eight points apiece. “Overall defensively, I thought we did a great job,” said Esterly. The Saints are searching for their first BCIAA title since 2018. They split a pair of games with Reading during the regular season. Berks Catholic prevailed in the most recent matchup 68-47 on January 31st at Lloyd Wolf Gymnasium.

The (18-6) Red Knights opened the heavyweight contest with five straight points and built a 18-8 advantage on the scorecard. The (16-7) Muhls trailed 19-10 after eight minutes. A three-point play by Perez pulled Muhlenberg within 23-19 midway through the second quarter. Merriweather contributed five points in that period and Reading led 35-25 at halftime. The southpaw was playing in Santander Arena for the first time. “I liked it a lot. I always like big moments. I never get nervous,” he replied. Cameron “Bron Bron” Jones, a 6’ sophomore, chipped in with ten points. Rosario and Jamier Jacob finished with eight points apiece in a balanced attack. “Anybody on this team could score. Being unselfish, that’s how we play best. If we keep doing that, we’re a great team,” emphasized Merriweather.

The Muhls, as expected, didn’t go away quietly. They began the second half with a 12-to-4 run. The Red Knights responded by scoring ten of the next twelve points. Rosario converted a three-point play and Jones hit a triple. Muhlenberg was behind 49-41 entering the fourth quarter. A 11-to-3 run by the Muhls evened it up at 52-52 with 5:36 to go. Eli Hemmings squeezed twelve of his game-high 22 points into the final period. The lanky 6’4 junior guard put home an offensive rebound and was fouled with 4:34 on the clock. Hemmings sank the free throw to give Muhlenberg its first lead at 55-54. His scoop shot put the Muhls on top 57-56 with 1:47 to play. Rosario, the lone senior in Reading’s starting lineup, drove down the right side of the lane and scored with 1:26 left. Merriweather then found DeCastro for a layup with 52 seconds remaining. DeCastro opted to attack the basket with a 60-57 edge in the final seconds. He missed which gave Muhlenberg another opportunity to tie the game. Hemmings passed to Perez in the corner for a 3-pointer. Jones got his hand on the ball just before Perez released the shot. It came up short, grazing the right side of the rim.

The Red Knights were outstanding from the foul line. They went 12-for-14 and the Muhls ended up 12-for-16. Jones knocked down two of Reading’s four treys. Muhlenberg only connected three times from beyond the arc. Nelson “Coco” Malave had 15 points, including eleven in the first half. The junior guard played for the Red Knights last year. Perez provided eight points off the Muhls’ bench. They were trying to reach the Berks Conference Championship for the first time since 1974. Reading has claimed a record 25 BCIAA titles. “We don’t look ahead…We talk about what we’re gonna do the next day at practice. We don’t want to talk about championships,” explained Merriweather. They’ll get another chance to cut the nets down on Friday night at Santander Arena.