State – Berks Sports Report

PIAA Baseball Tournament

Paul Roberts — Sat, 31 May 2025 18:59:08 +0000

Three teams from Berks County have qualified for the state baseball playoffs. Gov. Mifflin, Fleetwood, and Berks Catholic will be in action on Monday, June 2. The (25-1) Mustangs and (18-7) Saints both won District 3 championships. The (15-7) Tigers advanced to the PIAA tournament by finishing in third place.

Gov. Mifflin claimed its first state title last year in Class 5A. The Mustangs defeated Hollidaysburg 2-1 in the championship game. Fleetwood reached the state semifinals a season ago for the first time in school history. The Tigers fell to Indiana 10-3. Berks Catholic didn’t qualify for the PIAA tournament in 2024.

Gov. Mifflin and Berks Catholic will be hosting their first round matchups. Meanwhile, Fleetwood will be traveling to Philadelphia. Here are the three playoff contests on tap for Monday.

Class 6A:

Perkiomen Valley at Gov. Mifflin-4pm

Class 4A:

Fleetwood at Archbishop Ryan-4:30pm

Class 3A:

Hughesville at Berks Catholic-4pm

All-State Boys Basketball Team

Paul Roberts — Sun, 04 May 2025 18:19:24 +0000

The Pennsylvania Sports Writers announced the All-State boys basketball team on Sunday. Congratulations to Kingston McKoy of Berks Catholic for making the first team in Class 4A. The 6’2 junior was the only player selected from Berks County. He was a third team pick last year. McKoy averaged 21.5 points and knocked down a team-high 63 three-pointers this season. He led the Saints to their sixth District 3 Championship. McKoy poured in a game-high 29 points and hit three triples as Berks Catholic blew out second-seeded Eastern York 67-44 at the Giant Center. The versatile guard, who is also elite on the defensive end of the floor, surpassed 1,000 career points in the state quarterfinals against Sharon. Berks Catholic reached the PIAA-4A Final for the first time. McKoy finished with a team-high 16 points in a 55-39 loss to Devon Prep. The Saints ended the year with a record of (25-6).

Here are the first team All-State selections, as well as Coach of the Year picks, in all six classifications.

Class 6A:

Chris Roantree-Father Judge-Coach of the Year

Kevair Kennedy-Father Judge-Player of the Year

Shareef Jackson-Roman Catholic

Jordan Ellerbee-St. Joseph’s Prep

Derrick Morton-Rivera-Father Judge

R.J. Smith-Imhotep Charter

Jaron McKie-St. Joseph’s Prep

Class 5A:

Paul Blackburn-Hershey-Coach of the Year

Stephon Ashley-Wright-Neumann-Goretti-Player of the Year

Cameron Sweeney-Hershey

Jayden Davis-Chartiers Valley

Ama Sow-Montour

Donte Tisinger-Greater Johnstown

Matt Gardler-Marple Newtown

Class 4A:

Jason Fisher-Devon Prep-Coach of the Year

Zane Conlon-Devon Prep-Player of the Year

Rowan Carmichael-Avonworth

Luca Foster-Archbishop Carroll

Kingston McKoy-Berks Catholic

Zion Moore-Belle Vernon

Reese Craft-Devon Prep

Class 3A:

Miguel Bocachica-West Catholic and Tony DiCenzo-South Allegheny-Coaches of the Year

Josh Pratt-Aliquippa-Player of the Year

Owen Schlager-Trinity

Drew Cook-South Allegheny

Jayvon Byrd-West Catholic

Nico Antoniacci-Riverside

Michael Hughes-Holy Cross

Class 2A:

Mike Schatzmann-Linville Hill Christian-Coach of the Year

Stephen Smucker-Linville Hill Christian-Player of the Year

Lucas Stanley-Union

Khamal Orange-Delaware County Christian

Josh Miner-Northwest

Owen Koleno-West Branch

Giovanni Sejuste-Linville Hill Christian

Class A:

Jordan Marks-Neighborhood Academy-Coach of the Year

Courtney Wallace-Neighborhood Academy-Player of the Year

Trey Keating-Nativity

Avery Collins-Erie First Christian

Jeremy Dietz-Conemaugh Valley

Nafis Dubose-Sankofa Freedom Academy

Landon Francis-Otto-Eldred

Chris Hole-Gov. Mifflin

Paul Roberts — Sat, 26 Apr 2025 15:05:12 +0000

Gov. Mifflin and Hempfield squared off in a battle of defending state champions on Friday night. If that wasn’t enough, both teams were undefeated and it was Hall of Fame night in Shillington. “I don’t think we’ve ever been part of a bigger regular season game, definitely an intriguing matchup,” said Mustangs’ head coach Chris Hole. Camden Hulock drilled a 3-run homer to left in the 9th and the Black Knights held on for a thrilling 3-2 victory. Gov. Mifflin left 13 runners on base. “We just didn’t capitalize and that’s baseball,” noted Hole. Ethan Grim put on a show for the MLB scouts in attendance. The hard-throwing Virginia Tech commit struck out the first five batters he faced. Grim finished with 14 strikeouts and one walk over seven innings. The 6’1, 195-pound righty only allowed one hit. “He’s incredible, just incredible. He threw every pitch that Travis [Jenkins] called beautifully. He had his slider working, his change, his curve. He kept a fantastic hitting team off-balance,” emphasized Hole. Hempfield entered the contest with a .344 team batting average. Grim has piled up a staggering 56 strikeouts in 28 innings this season. Brody Gebhard (2-0, 0.61) was also outstanding on the mound. The senior limited the (16-1) Mustangs to three hits over six frames. He struck out five, walked two, and hit two batters. Gebhard is no stranger to big games. He went the distance in the PIAA-6A Championship last year. The Black Knights defeated La Salle College High School 3-2 for their first state title. Gov. Mifflin also earned its first state championship a season ago. The Mustangs beat Hollidaysburg 2-1 in the PIAA-5A Final. Gov. Mifflin had men on second and third with one out in the 3rd when Grim hit a grounder to third base. Dylan Jackson knocked the ball down and threw out Bryce Detwiler at the plate. Hempfield catcher Josh Toole, a Coastal Carolina commit, was shaken up, but stayed in the game. Matt Koehler grounded out to first base to end the threat. Southpaw Jonathan O’Maille (4-0, 0.88) took over for Gebhard after the 6th. Billy Angstadt and Dylan Barrett provided back-to-back singles with one out in the 7th. O’Maille got two pop outs to keep it scoreless. The Mustangs loaded the bases with two outs in the 8th. O’Maille struck out Angstadt to keep the (14-0) Black Knights in it. In the top of the 9th, Brayden Hostetter and Toole drew walks from Jenkins with two outs. Hulock then ripped a 3-run shot to left field. It was only the second hit all night for Hempfield. Jenkins had four strikeouts and two walks over the final two innings. Gov. Mifflin added to the drama in the bottom of the 9th. The Mustangs loaded the bases with one out. Jenkins hit a RBI groundout to second for their first run. After Grim was intentionally walked to load the bases, Koehler drew a walk to make it 3-2. Designated hitter Cam Zurawski struck out to end the marathon. “So proud of our boys, the way that they battled to the very end. Credit to Hempfield as well…two great teams going at it and couldn’t ask for more,” stated Hole. O’Maille gave up two runs on four hits and five walks in three innings. He struck out four and picked up the win in relief. Detwiler, a UConn commit, delivered three of Gov. Mifflin’s seven hits. “He stays very balanced up there. He doesn’t try to do too much. He’s a lot like Tyler Minick. He recognizes what pitchers are going to do to him,” explained Hole. Minick is having a big season at UConn. He leads the team with 14 HR, 47 RBI, and a .364 batting average. Koehler went 1-for-3 with a pair of walks. Barrett was 1-for-3 and reached base twice. The Mustangs travel to rival Wilson on Monday afternoon. “It’s Wilson, they’ll be focused,” replied Hole. Ed Williamson, Dan Batz, Steve Murray, and current assistant coach Kurt Henry were recognized on the field before Friday’s game. They make up the inaugural class of the Gov. Mifflin Baseball Hall of Fame.

Snip Esterly-Berks Catholic

Paul Roberts — Fri, 28 Mar 2025 12:41:48 +0000

For 24 minutes, Berks Catholic stayed right with one of the top teams in the mighty Philadelphia Catholic League. The Saints trailed Devon Prep 38-36 entering the fourth quarter of the PIAA-4A championship on Thursday night at the Giant Center. Then Berks Catholic got cold, ice cold. The District 3 champions were 1-of-12 from the field and 0-for-6 from beyond the arc over the final eight minutes. The Tide outscored the Saints 17-3 in the fourth quarter for a 55-39 victory. “It wasn’t our night offensively. We had some good looks, but we turned the ball over way too many times. You can’t do that against a team like that,” said longtime head coach Snip Esterly. Berks Catholic shot 33% overall and finished 6-of-24 from long range. The (25-6) Saints committed 14 turnovers in their first appearance in the state finals. They went scoreless for nearly six minutes in the final period. While a lot of the pregame talk surrounded Devon Prep’s frontcourt of 6’7 Reece Craft and 6’5 Zane Conlon, the Tide’s backcourt was the difference. Mason Thear, a 6’ senior who averaged 11 ppg., scored a game-high 17 points. Thear sank three of his five 3-point attempts and added seven rebounds. Calvin Smith, a 6’3 sharpshooter, provided 13 points and hit three triples. Devon Prep shot 43% from the field and went 6-for-15 from downtown. The Tide rattled off the first twelve points of the fourth quarter. Thear drilled a trey from the top of the key and Smith followed with a 3-pointer from the left wing. They gave Devon Prep a 46-36 advantage with 4:49 remaining. Conlon, who’s older brother Joey played at Berks Catholic, provided nine points. Craft and Shane Doyle chipped in with eight points apiece. Doyle also contributed defensively with four steals. The 6’3 senior guard has strong ties to Berks County. His mother graduated from Central Catholic and his father attended Holy Name. Doyle’s grandparents also went to Central Catholic and his cousin, Matt Ashcroft, helped the Cardinals win a PIAA title in 2007. The (23-4) Tide earned their third state crown in four years. They claimed Class 3A championships in 2022 and 2024. Kingston McKoy led the Saints with 16 points and a dozen rebounds. The All-State guard buried a 3-pointer from the top of the key and scored in transition in the last 35 seconds of the second quarter. The 6’2 junior pulled Berks Catholic within 28-25 at halftime. “We just can’t rely on Kingston. We gotta make sure we get more scoring,” noted Esterly. He mentioned that Devon Prep’s balanced offensive attack was the difference. The Tide were in front 18-10 after the opening quarter. They ended up 9-of-11 from the free throw line, while the Saints went 1-for-2. Carmelo Harper, a promising freshman guard, had nine points off Berks Catholic’s bench. Zach Suski, the lone senior in their starting lineup, scored five points. “Zach made himself a nice little player. I can’t say enough about Zach. He played his heart out all year,” emphasized Esterly. After losing four starters from a season ago, the Saints won their sixth District 3 title and reached uncharted territory in the PIAA tournament. “They gave us a nice ride. It was a privilege to be able to coach these young guys. They’re pretty special,” remarked Esterly.

Saints are going against the Tide

Paul Roberts — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 14:25:57 +0000

The Berks Catholic boys basketball team will try to make history on Thursday night at the Giant Center in Hershey. In the 14th season since Holy Name and Central Catholic merged, the Saints have advanced to the state championship game for the first time. They will take on Devon Prep, the top seed from District 12, at 8pm in the PIAA-4A Final.

Over his 36 years as a head coach, Snip Esterly has always made defense a priority and this year’s squad is no different. Berks Catholic is allowing just 45.4 points per game during the District 3 and PIAA playoffs. The (25-5) Saints have won seven straight games since falling to Reading 48-41 in the BCIAA semifinals at Santander Arena. Berks Catholic rallied from a five point deficit in the fourth quarter to top North Catholic 67-59 last Friday in the semifinals. The Saints held the Trojans to eight points over the final six and a-half minutes. Berks Catholic got past Scranton Prep 51-47 in the second round before defeating Sharon 67-58 in the quarterfinals. This is the Saints’ 11th appearance in the PIAA tournament. They’re (9-10) overall in the state playoffs. Esterly guided Central Catholic to a state title in 2007. He has 840 career wins and 15 District 3 championships on his resume. The Saints hammered Eastern York 67-44 in the District 3-4A Final one month ago.

Berks Catholic is led by 6’2 junior guard Kingston McKoy. He was a third team All-State selection a season ago. McKoy is providing 21.6 ppg., along with a team-high 61 triples. After pouring in 24 points against North Catholic, McKoy is up to 1,039 for his career. He’s also an elite defender. Zach Suski, the Saints’ quarterback in the fall, is averaging 13 ppg. with 31 treys. Carmelo Harper and Bryce Gumby have come up big off the bench this postseason. Harper, a soft-spoken 5’10 freshman, scored 17 points in the state quarterfinals versus Sharon. He followed up that performance with 13 points in the semifinals. Gumby set a career-high with 19 points in the thrilling victory over North Catholic. Eleven of his points came in the fourth quarter. Berks Catholic remains without 6’2 junior forward Gavin Welker. He’s ineligible after transferring from Daniel Boone.

The Saints’ frontcourt will be tested by Devon Prep. Reece Craft is putting up 16 points and 7 rebounds a night. The 6’7 Swarthmore College commit was a third team All-State pick in Class 3A last year. Zane Conlon was chosen for the first team. The 6’5 senior is contributing 16 points and 9 rebounds per game this season. He’s headed to Southeastern University, a NAIA school in Florida. Conlon is very familiar with Berks Catholic’s program. His older brother, Joey, played for the Saints. Craft and Conlon combined for 51 points in their 64-44 semifinal win over Valley View. The Tide’s closest game in the state tournament came in the opening round when they eliminated Bishop McDevitt 77-63. They blew out District 1 champ Bishop Shanahan 64-40 in the quarterfinals. Mason Thear (11 ppg.) and Calvin Smith (10 ppg.) are part of an offensive attack that averages 65 points per contest. Smith is their top threat from beyond the arc.

Shane Doyle, a 6’3 senior, has a wealth of connections to the Reading area. His mom and grandparents attended Central Catholic. His father, Jim, is a Holy Name graduate. Doyle’s cousins, Matt and Justin Ashcroft, both played for Coach Esterly at Central Catholic. Matt was a key piece of the Cardinals’ 2007 state championship team. He later served as an assistant under Esterly before becoming the head coach at Exeter. Doyle dishes out six assists per game to go along with nine points.

The top five scorers for Devon Prep are all seniors. This is a very experienced group. The Tide claimed PIAA-3A crowns in 2022 and 2024. They knocked off Franklin Area 60-56 in last year’s state final. Jason Fisher was named the Coach of the Year in Class 3A a season ago. He was an outstanding player at the University of Scranton, scoring more than 1,500 career points. Devon Prep is (27-15) all-time in the PIAA playoffs. The Tide have a (22-4) mark this year. Two of those losses were at the hands of Roman Catholic, a state finalist in Class 6A.

Bryce Gumby-Berks Catholic

Paul Roberts — Sat, 22 Mar 2025 12:09:08 +0000

Bryce Gumby didn’t play basketball for Berks Catholic a season ago. He wanted to focus on football. Gumby opted to return to the court this year and that decision helped the Saints reach the state championship game. “I’m ecstatic. I was second-guessing myself at the end of football season. I’m very happy I did,” said Gumby with a smile from ear to ear. The 5’11 senior erupted for a career-high 19 points off the bench on Friday night. Berks Catholic defeated North Catholic 67-59 in the PIAA-4A semifinals at James Buchanan High School. The (25-5) Saints will face Devon Prep on Thursday, March 27 at 8pm at the Giant Center. Berks Catholic reached the state finals for the first time, but it wasn’t easy. The (22-7) Trojans led 51-46 with six and a-half minutes left. Gumby, who’s averaging 3.7 points per game, drilled a 3-pointer from the corner to make it 51-50 with just over six minutes remaining. Carmelo Harper hit a triple from the left wing to put the Saints on top 55-53 with 4:40 to go. The 5’10 freshman provided 13 points after entering early in the first quarter. Berks Catholic coach Snip Esterly went with a smaller lineup to match North Catholic which starts five guards. Harper had six points in the fourth quarter when the Saints outscored the Trojans 23-to-12. “He has a very bright future. He’s gonna be great. He played a big role in this game,” noted Gumby. Harper also came up big in the state quarterfinals with 17 points against Sharon. Kingston McKoy sank a pair of free throws to give Berks Catholic a 59-57 edge with 1:47 to play. The 6’2 junior guard poured in a game-high 24 points. Zach Suski fed Gumby for a fast break layup to make it 61-57 with 40 seconds left. Jude Rottman, who scored 28 points in the quarterfinals, missed a 3-pointer from the left wing on the ensuing possession. Gumby then converted two foul shots for a 63-57 advantage with 28 seconds remaining. He jammed eleven points into the fourth quarter while going 6-for-8 from the stripe. “My mind just clears. I just focus and hit the shots,” replied Gumby about his free throw shooting. He also made half of the Saints’ six treys. Berks Catholic was 15-for-20 from the foul line. The District 3 champions were 11-of-14 over the last eight minutes. The Trojans went 10-for-13 from the stripe and connected five times from beyond the arc. Jason Fredericks finished with a team-high 20 points. The 6’ junior came out on fire with a dozen points in the opening quarter. Fredericks scored 49 combined points in the first two rounds of the PIAA playoffs. Owen Maddalon added 17 points. The 6’4 senior is committed to Allegheny College. All of Joe Waskiewicz’s twelve points came in the second half. His triple from the top of the key put North Catholic in front 40-38 with two and a-half minutes to go in the third quarter. A 3-pointer by Rottmann made it 44-39 one minute later. That capped a 19-to-6 run by the Trojans. They were down 33-25 early in the third period following a three-point play by Suski. The 6’ senior forward chipped in with nine points despite being in foul trouble. Suski got his third foul with nearly seven minutes left in the second quarter. The Saints were up 16-11 before North Catholic ended the first quarter with seven straight points. Berks Catholic outscored the Trojans 12-to-4 in the second period. The Saints went to halftime with a 28-22 lead. McKoy had seven points in the second quarter, but the All-State guard was called for an offensive foul with 32 seconds before the break. It was his third foul of the game. Brady Altimar concluded the third quarter with a layup at the buzzer. The 5’9 junior pulled Berks Catholic within 47-44. Gumby gave credit to North Catholic for battling for all 32 minutes. “They fought the entire game. I gotta tip my hat to them,” he said. The Trojans made their 27th appearance in the PIAA playoffs since 1975. The Saints, however, dominated in bench points. They outscored North Catholic 32-to-2 in that department, thanks largely to a football player who decided to give basketball another shot.

Wilson and Mifflin shut down in PIAA Playoffs

Paul Roberts — Fri, 14 Mar 2025 14:58:10 +0000

The second round of the PIAA-6A boys basketball tournament was the end of the road for Wilson and Gov. Mifflin. The Bulldogs fell to District 10 champion McDowell 50-46 on Wednesday night at Pitt-Johnstown University. Wilson managed just four points in the first quarter and eleven in the first half. The Bulldogs trailed 23-11 at the break. Stephon Porter drilled a 3-pointer at the buzzer to put the Trojans on top 33-21 after the third quarter. Porter, a running back during the fall, scored eight points. Wilson came alive in the fourth quarter with 25 points. Correll Akings and Cam Zullinger each connected twice from beyond the arc. Tommy McFadden, who’s committed to Albany for soccer, went 9-for-9 from the foul line in the final period. McDowell’s cushion was cut to 35-29 with 3:54 remaining. The (24-7) Bulldogs were down 43-38 with 36 seconds to go when Kam Kramer made a pair of free throws. The senior guard finished with a team-high eleven points. Blayze Myers, the Trojans’ star quarterback, chipped in with eight points. The 6’3 senior set school records with 5,091 career passing yards, 413 completions, and 55 touchdown passes. McDowell was 17-of-22 from the foul line including 9-of-11 in the fourth quarter. The (23-4) Trojans hit three triples. McFadden set a career-high with 15 points. The 6’1 senior was a perfect 11-for-11 from the stripe. Akings and Zullinger provided ten and nine points respectively. Madyx Gruber, who was in foul trouble, was limited to six points. The two-time All-County guard averaged 17 ppg. this season. McDowell will take on WPIAL champ Upper St. Clair on Saturday in the state quarterfinals. Wilson says goodbye to eight seniors who won back-to-back Berks County titles. The Bulldogs have claimed four BCIAA championships in the past six years.

Gov. Mifflin also saw an outstanding campaign come to a halt on Wednesday night. The Mustangs lost to Upper St. Clair 50-38 at Altoona. The (25-2) Panthers reached the PIAA-6A quarterfinals for the third time in five seasons. The (20-10) Mustangs made their first appearance in the state playoffs this year. They fell behind 18-11 after the opening quarter. Each team only scored six points in the second period. Gov. Mifflin pulled within 29-26 with four and a-half minutes left in the third quarter, but Upper St. Clair closed out the period with a 8-to-2 run. It was 37-31 with five and a-half minutes to play when the Panthers sealed the deal with a decisive 12-to-3 run. Although 6’10 senior Tyler Robbins gets a lot of attention, it was Jake Foster who stole the show on Wednesday. The junior guard poured in a career-high 22 points. Foster was averaging 8 ppg. He splashed three of his four 3-pointers in the first quarter. Upper St. Clair was 16-of-20 from the foul line with six treys. Robbins stuffed the stat sheet with twelve points, nine rebounds, and four blocks. His younger brother, Ryan, added eight points. He’s a 6’7 sophomore. The Mustangs struggled from long range, going 2-for-12 from beyond the arc. They were 6-of-10 from the free throw line. Jahmair Johnson ended up with a team-high eight points. Matt Koehler and Stephen Mayo had seven points apiece. There were ten seniors on the roster for first-year head coach Garrett Etzel. The 2003 Gov. Mifflin grad and former All-County guard turned things around quickly in Shillington. The Mustangs finished (8-14, 3-8) a season ago. They advanced to the District 3 semifinals for the first time this year.

Archbishop Carroll ends Wilson’s season

Paul Roberts — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 04:07:44 +0000

Going into Tuesday night, Wilson head coach Matt Raquet thought Archbishop Carroll would be the best team that the Bulldogs had faced all season. That’s saying a lot considering Wilson’s grueling non-league schedule. The Bulldogs battled the Patriots before falling 60-41 in the second round of the PIAA-6A tournament at Spring-Ford. The final score doesn’t tell the whole story. Wilson put forth a gutsy effort and led the top seed from District 12 early in the third quarter. Kailani Hardy jammed eight of her team-high 20 points into the third period. “It starts on the defensive end of the floor and I thought she played great on the defensive end. The better the competition, she steps up to that plate every single time,” noted Raquet. Hardy got off to a quick start. The 5’9 sophomore knocked down a pair of 3-pointers and had eight points in the opening quarter. Archbishop Carroll, the runner-up in the mighty Philadelphia Catholic League, trailed 13-10 after eight minutes. The Bulldogs grabbed a 15-11 advantage before the Eberz sisters began to heat up. Alexis Eberz, a 5’8 junior, averages 18 points per game. She reached 1,000 career points late last month. Kayla Eberz, a versatile 5’10 freshman, provides 13 ppg. Her twin sister, Kelsey, has been out since December with a knee injury. The (19-9) Patriots were in front 27-26 at halftime. Senior guard Olivia Nardi hit a triple from the left corner early in the third quarter. It was her only field goal of the night, and it gave Archbishop Carroll a 32-30 edge. Nardi’s shot from beyond the arc ignited a 17-to-7 run by the Patriots. Hardy drilled a jumper from the right wing at the buzzer to pull Wilson within 46-39 entering the final period. The (20-10) Bulldogs were outscored 14-to-2 over the next eight minutes. They were scoreless until Hardy made two free throws with 4:21 remaining. The Patriots were in control 52-41 at that point. Archbishop Carroll sealed the deal at the foul line. The Patriots finished 14-for-17, including 8-for-10 in the fourth quarter. Wilson ended up 4-of-5 from the stripe. Laura Crocona chipped in with eight points. The 5’8 junior sank two of the Bulldogs’ five treys. Alexis Eberz, who poured in 23 points, gave credit to the Bulldogs. “They’re a great team. We knew that coming into this game. They play really great defense,” she said. Kayla Eberz contributed 18 points, including 13 in the second half. Sophomore Abbie McFillin added nine points. Archbishop Carroll was able to create turnovers which led to easy transition opportunities after halftime. The Patriots won the PIAA-6A championship two years ago. They’re moving on to the quarterfinals on Friday against Central Dauphin. Wilson saw its season come to an end. The Bulldogs, who finished fifth in the District 3 tournament, didn’t have any seniors in the starting lineup. They also played this entire season without two-time All-County point guard Laila Jones. The 5’8 junior was out with a torn ACL. Jones averaged 16 ppg. last year. “I thought it was a great season overall, really proud of this group. They’ve dealt with adversity all year. They kept trusting each other. They kept putting winning first,” remarked Raquet. He said he’s excited for his second season in West Lawn.

Bulldogs and Mustangs Advance in State’s

Paul Roberts — Sun, 09 Mar 2025 18:20:45 +0000

Wilson and Gov. Mifflin are moving on in the PIAA-6A boys basketball playoffs. The (24-6) Bulldogs outlasted Plymouth Whitemarsh 56-51 in overtime on Saturday. The (20-9) Colonials were the District 1 runner-up. Wilson finished fifth in the District 3 tournament. The Bulldogs led 31-27 at halftime, but were outscored 12-to-5 in the third quarter. Luke Levan tied it at 49-49 with two seconds left in regulation. Plymouth Whitemarsh anticipated a skip pass to All-County guard Madyx Gruber. Two defenders went to Gruber on the wing, while Levan slipped the screen and got a layup. The 6’6 senior provided a dozen points and eight rebounds. Levan scored four points in overtime. Wilson allowed just two points in the extra session. Gruber had a team-high 16 points and seven boards. The 5’11 senior made all four of his 3-pointers in the first half. Correll Akings added 13 points including seven in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs connected eight times from beyond the arc. The Colonials only hit three triples. Mani Sajid jammed ten of his 19 points into the fourth period. The highly-touted 6’5 junior guard averaged nearly 23 points this season. Michael Pereira, a 6’9 junior, chipped in with twelve points. Both teams were 8-for-12 from the free throw line. Wilson will face District 10 champion McDowell in the second round on Wednesday. That’s a 5:30pm tip at Pitt-Johnstown University. McDowell blew out Pittsburgh Central Catholic 72-40 on Saturday.

Gov. Mifflin qualified for the PIAA playoffs for the first time in program history. The Mustangs made the most of the opportunity on Saturday. They knocked off Mt. Lebanon 66-54 in Shillington. The Blue Devils were the #4 seed from District 7. Gov. Mifflin finished third in the District 3 tournament. The (20-9) Mustangs, who were (8-14) last season, held a 31-27 advantage at halftime. They outscored Mt. Lebanon 21-to-11 in a decisive third quarter. Gov. Mifflin spent a lot of time at the foul line. The Mustangs ended up 28-for-35 from the stripe, while the Blue Devils were 6-of-11. Andrew Galantuomo poured in a game-high 22 points. The 5’7 senior point guard made nine of his ten free throws. Jahmair Johnson, a 6’3 senior forward, scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half. Matt Koehler added 15 points. He was a perfect 6-for-6 from the foul line. Mt. Lebanon did most of its work from long range. The (17-10) Blue Devils splashed a dozen 3-pointers. Liam Sheely hit four treys and provided 17 points. Carter Gould (14) and Jacob Zuber (13) combined for 27 points. Gov. Mifflin will meet District 7 champ Upper St. Clair in the second round on Wednesday. They’ll get underway at 6:30pm at Altoona. Upper St. Clair hammered York High 67-30 in the opening round.

Antietam’s season came to a close on Saturday evening in Philadelphia. The Mounts fell at West Catholic 79-35 in the first round of the PIAA-3A playoffs. Antietam finished with a record of (15-11). The Mounts took third place in the District 3 tournament.

Zach Suski-Berks Catholic

Paul Roberts — Sat, 08 Mar 2025 05:30:34 +0000

Zach Suski gets to see Kingston McKoy every day at practice. He knows how hard McKoy works on his craft. “When practice is over, he’s getting extra 3s up, extra foul shots. He’s a great leader, great motivator. I’m happy to play with him,” said Suski. McKoy nearly outscored Simon Gratz by himself in the first round of the PIAA-4A playoffs. The 6’2 junior guard poured in 30 points in a 61-36 rout of the Bulldogs at Lloyd Wolf Gymnasium. “We’re really confident. We’re hoping to make a great push in the state tournament,” stated Suski. The 6’ forward provided 14 points. He’s the only senior in Berks Catholic’s starting lineup. “A little sad it’s the last time I’ll be playing here, but I’m happy that we’re moving on,” he explained. The (22-5) Saints had a slow start against the 2-3 zone utilized by Simon Gratz. The #5 seed from District 12 led 9-4 before Berks Catholic scored the final eight points of the quarter. McKoy opened the second period with a 3-pointer from the top of the key. On the Saints’ next possession, he converted a three-point play for a 18-9 advantage. McKoy’s putback made it 22-9 with 6:11 left in the first half. The (20-7) Bulldogs were scoreless for the first four minutes of the second quarter. Berks Catholic went on a 20-to-0 run to seize control. “We’ve been playing great defensively all playoffs,” noted Suski. The Saints allowed just 39.3 points per game during the District 3-4A playoffs. They earned their sixth District 3 championship in fourteen years. On Friday night, Berks Catholic held Simon Gratz to 13 points in the middle quarters. The Saints were on top 33-16 at halftime after a layup by McKoy with two seconds remaining on the clock. He had 18 points at the break. Berks Catholic expanded its margin to 47-22 after the third period. McKoy hit two of his four triples in the fourth quarter. The Saints connected six times from beyond the arc, while the Bulldogs made four treys. Carmelo Harper (six points) and Bryce Gumby combined for eleven points off Berks Catholic’s bench. The Saints ended up 7-for-12 from the free throw line and committed just three turnovers. Simon Gratz finished 8-for-12 from the stripe. Senior Rashaan Murphy, a 6’3 lefty forward, had a team-high eleven points. Nasir Mackley, another 6’3 senior, chipped in with ten points. Sihaaj “Pop” Johnson was held to six points on a pair of 3-pointers in the first half. He was the Player of the Year in the Liberty Division of the Philadelphia Public League. Berks Catholic will meet District 2 runner-up Scranton Prep in the second round on Tuesday. The Cavaliers blew out Northwestern Lehigh 75-48 in the opening round. “Anybody that comes to play us, we’re ready to play them,” said Suski.