State – Berks Sports Report https://berkssportsreport.com Paul Roberts Tue, 08 Jul 2025 16:55:22 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 All-State Softball https://berkssportsreport.com/all-state-softball/ Tue, 08 Jul 2025 16:55:22 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=4985 The 2025 All-State softball team was announced today and eight players from Berks County were selected. Wilson, Boyertown, and Kutztown each had two representatives on the team. Alex Trevena from Conrad Weiser received special recognition. The Kent State commit was voted the Class 5A Player of the Year. Congratulations to all of the players who were chosen from Berks County.

Class 6A:

Tatum Werley-Wilson-SS (1st team)

Shannon Bratton-Wilson-P (2nd team)

Rielynn Carey-Boyertown-2B (2nd team)

Kyra Neiswender-Boyertown-Utility (2nd team)

Class 5A:

Alex Trevena-Conrad Weiser-SS (1st team)

Class 3A:

Felicia Oldt-Kutztown-C (1st team)

Sadie Berger-Kutztown-OF (1st team)

Kyla Lytle-Wyomissing-OF (2nd team)

]]> Berks Catholic’s Historic Season Ends https://berkssportsreport.com/berks-catholics-historic-season-ends/ Tue, 10 Jun 2025 14:02:45 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=4974 Berks Catholic was six outs away from reaching the state championship game. The Saints led Mount Carmel 3-1 in the bottom of the 6th before falling 4-3 in the PIAA-3A semifinals on Monday. Sophomore Gabe Yuskoski delivered a two-out, walk-off single to left-center in the 7th at Wenger Field in Fredericksburg. “Sometimes it’s easier to lose if you get blown out,” acknowledged Berks Catholic head coach Brandon Shurr. The (20-8) Saints and the (20-4) Red Tornadoes were both making their first appearance in the state semifinals. Each team had its ace on the mound. West Chester commit Trey Stricker entered the day with a (7-1) record and a eye-popping 0.64 ERA. Drew Yagodzinskie had allowed just one hit over his previous 21 innings. The Monmouth commit had piled up 88 strikeouts in 52.2 frames for the District 4 champions. Berks Catholic, however, got to Yagodzinskie early in the contest. Mikey Fidler singled and then scored on Dennys Rodriguez’s double to left-center in the top of the 1st. Mount Carmel tied it up in the bottom half of the inning on a two-out, RBI single to center by Lukas Carpenter. The junior outfielder came into the game with a .438 batting average. Carpenter provided two of his team’s four hits. The 3rd inning began with Brock Shrawder lofting a fly ball to right field that got lost in the sun for a double. After Stricker singled, Fidler hit a pop up to shallow right field. The ball dropped allowing Shrawder to score, but the Red Tornadoes did get a force out at second base. Rodriguez came through again with a RBI single to left to put the Saints in front 3-1. Rodriguez, a catcher who’s committed to Shepherd, accounted for two of Berks Catholic’s five hits. Yagodzinskie (7-1) found his groove after the 3rd and didn’t allow a hit over the final four innings. He retired 14 straight batters. “He got a bunch of our lefties out with changeups. It was a lot more of the secondary stuff. The off-speed stuff was what just kept you off-balance enough,” explained Shurr. Yagodzinskie went the distance with eleven strikeouts and no walks. He’s only given up 27 hits all season. Mount Carmel opened the bottom of the 6th with two walks and an infield single by Carpenter. Stricker struck out Clarke Cartwright with the bases full before reaching the pitch limit of 105. “Trey has been great all year. He’s gonna have a great baseball career at West Chester and hopefully beyond that. He’s been our #1 all year. Unfortunately, he just ran out of gas a little bit in the 6th,” replied Shurr. Fidler took over on the mound and threw a wild pitch that allowed Yagodzinskie to score and make it 3-2. Carpenter attempted to score all the way from second base on the play, but he was tagged out at the plate by Fidler. With two outs, the Saints committed an error on Walker McGinley’s grounder to shortstop which evened the score at 3-3. Fidler struck out Brody Brinkash to end the 6th. Brayden Brinkash was hit by a pitch to start the bottom of the 7th. Freshman Jason Klokis then hit a ground ball to third base that looked like a possible double play opportunity. However, Aidan Curley’s throw to second was low and Berks Catholic didn’t get an out. Yagodzinskie walked with one out to load the bases. Carpenter hit a pop up back to Fidler for the second out. Yuskoski, who entered the afternoon hitting .279, ripped a clean single to knock in the game-winning run. Fidler was charged with one unearned run on one hit in 1.1 innings. Stricker gave up three runs, two earned, on three hits over 5.1 innings. He finished with eight strikeouts and four walks. Both Stricker and Fidler hit one batter. The Saints committed three errors, while the Red Tornadoes had one. Berks Catholic had a very memorable season. The Saints reached the BCIAA Championship Game as a #7 seed and won the District 3-3A title this season. Shurr gave credit to his senior class which includes Stricker, Fidler, Rodriguez, and Shrawder. “This senior group really set the tone early. We grew every year. To finish in the final four [in the state playoffs] is a great achievement,” said Shurr.

]]> The Saints Go Marching On https://berkssportsreport.com/the-saints-go-marching-on/ Fri, 06 Jun 2025 18:32:48 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=4970 Berks Catholic’s baseball team is making history. The Saints are headed to the state semifinals for the first time. They held off Notre Dame Green Pond 5-3 in the PIAA-3A quarterfinals on Thursday at Methacton. Berks Catholic scored a pair of runs in the 3rd inning for a 2-1 lead. The District 3 champions added one run in the 5th and two more in the 7th for a 5-1 cushion. The Crusaders made it interesting with two runs in the bottom of the 7th. The District 11 champs brought the tying run to the plate, but Brock Shrawder got a flyout to left field with a runner on third base to end it. Notre Dame Green Pond finished with ten hits, however, the Crusaders left ten men on base. Each team committed two errors. Owen Schalk accounted for three of the Saints’ eight hits. “It feels like Owen has cashed in every opportunity for us. He gives protection to Dennys and his 41 RBI have been huge for us,” said head coach Brandon Shurr. Schalk, a junior outfielder, hammered two doubles and knocked in a pair of runs. Dennys Rodriguez went 1-for-3 with a walk. The Shepherd commit drove in a run. Aidan Curley was 1-for-4 with a RBI. Mikey Fidler, who tossed a one-hitter in the District 3-3A Championship against Bermudian Springs, provided another quality start. The senior righty allowed two runs on eight hits in six innings. He struck out four and walked two while throwing 95 pitches. “Mikey was tough and pitched through some pressure situations with runners on. He battled all day to give us a great chance to come out on top,” replied Shurr. Fidler also scored two runs and knocked in another. Shrawder was charged with one run on two hits. He got the final three outs. The (20-7) Saints are one of four teams left standing in Class 3A. “Anytime you can do something for the first time in school history, it’s special. We’re trying to enjoy every moment and keep prolonging our time together as a team,” said Shurr. Berks Catholic will take on District 4 champ Mount Carmel on Monday afternoon. Drew Yagodzinskie has only given up one hit over his last 21 innings. The senior pitcher is committed to Monmouth. The (19-4) Red Tornadoes eliminated Bermudian Springs 3-1 in the quarterfinals. They will meet the Saints at 2pm at Wenger Field in Fredericksburg. Mount Carmel is also making its first trip to the PIAA semifinals.

]]> Heartbreaking Loss for the Mustangs https://berkssportsreport.com/heartbreaking-loss-for-the-mustangs/ Fri, 06 Jun 2025 14:46:27 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=4968 With two outs in the bottom of the 6th inning, everything changed. Up until that point, Bryce Detwiler was dealing on the mound. The UConn commit had allowed just one hit, an infield single, and no walks. Franklin Pichardo, a Maryland commit, stunned Gov. Mifflin with a solo homer to left field. The senior catcher flipped the bat high into the air. That was the lone run of the game as Liberty advanced to the PIAA-6A semifinals. “Bryce did a great job. They have a very good lineup. He’s gonna beat himself up over that one pitch, but overall he did a fantastic job. I couldn’t ask for more from a senior captain,” said head coach Chris Hole. Detwiler (9-1) and Hole were very emotional after the loss at DeSales University on Thursday. “I love them. Life is bigger than baseball. You learn more from your failures than your successes,” noted Hole. The (26-2) Mustangs couldn’t capitalize on early opportunities against Liam Fitzpatrick. The junior righty got the start because Hurricanes’ ace Michael Mariano Jr. wasn’t available after pitching in their 11-3 first round victory over West Chester Henderson. Mariano Jr. is (11-1) with a 2.12 ERA over 85.2 innings. Fitzpatrick entered the state quarterfinal at Weiland Park with a modest (4-3) record and a 4.89 ERA. He gave up a single and a pair of walks in the opening frame, but struck out Billy Angstadt with the bases loaded. Gov. Mifflin failed to score in the 2nd after putting runners on first and second with one out. Detwiler struck out and Pichardo threw out a runner trying to steal third base. “We knew their catcher was outstanding and he was able to erase a couple guys on the bases. We were able to get one bunt down, but missed a couple others,” lamented Hole. The Mustangs had another chance to get on the scoreboard in the top of the 3rd with runners on the corners. Angstadt ripped a line drive right at sophomore shortstop Willie Cruz to end the threat. Gov. Mifflin left six men on base in the first three innings and seven overall. “We hit the ball on the screws to a lot of their guys, especially right field. We took the ball well the other way, but nothing fell,” acknowledged Hole. The Mustangs finished with just four hits and none after the 3rd inning. Fitzpatrick had four strikeouts and five walks in four innings. Rocco Sciarra, a 6’1 junior, earned the win with three hitless innings of relief and one strikeout. Detwiler, the two-time Berks County Player of the Year, grounded out to first base to end it. He was one of eight seniors in Gov. Mifflin’s starting lineup. Liberty, the District 11 runner-up, will face Cedar Cliff in the PIAA-6A semifinals on Monday. The Hurricanes stand at (22-6). The Mustangs won their first state championship a season ago in Class 5A. They brought home BCIAA and District 3 titles this year. Gov. Mifflin went (50-7) over the past two seasons. “This team will go down as the best in Mifflin baseball history,” stated Hole.

]]> PIAA Baseball Quarterfinal Sites https://berkssportsreport.com/piaa-baseball-quarterfinal-sites/ Wed, 04 Jun 2025 12:40:47 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=4965 Three baseball teams from the BCIAA qualified for the state playoffs and all three won their first round matchups. Gov. Mifflin defeated Perkiomen Valley 6-1 in Class 6A. Fleetwood knocked off District 12 champion Archbishop Ryan 3-1 in Class 4A. Berks Catholic shut out Hughesville 1-0 in Class 3A. The (26-1) Mustangs, (16-7) Tigers, and (19-7) Saints have advanced to the PIAA quarterfinals on Thursday. The sites and times for those games have been set.

Gov. Mifflin faces District 11 runner-up Liberty at 11am at DeSales University in Center Valley.

Fleetwood takes on District 4 champ Montoursville at 11am at Central Columbia High School in Bloomsburg.

Berks Catholic meets District 11 champion Notre Dame Green Pond at 4pm at Methacton High School in Eagleville.

The state semifinals will take place on Monday, June 9th.

]]> Travis Jenkins-Gov. Mifflin https://berkssportsreport.com/travis-jenkins-gov-mifflin-3/ Tue, 03 Jun 2025 03:45:57 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=4962 Survive and advance. That’s what playing in the state tournament is all about. There is no consolation bracket. There aren’t any third and fifth place games. It’s win or go home. Gov. Mifflin overcame some pitching issues and beat Perkiomen Valley 6-1 in the first round of the PIAA-6A playoffs. The District 3 champions jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the 1st inning. After an error and a walk, Travis Jenkins ripped a two-run double to right-center. The Canisius commit and All-State catcher said it’s important to strike first in the postseason. “You don’t want to feel like you’re playing from behind at all. You know teams are gonna be tough, teams are gonna battle. You can’t take an out off,” he replied. Jenkins went 3-for-4 on Monday afternoon in Shillington. The senior catcher was a home run shy of the cycle. Matt Koehler made it 3-0 with a RBI groundout to shortstop. Billy Angstadt knocked in another run with a single to center. Mikey Strechay needed 39 pitches to get through the opening frame. The senior righty entered the day with a (5-2) record and 1.35 ERA. The Vikings finished sixth in the District 1 tournament after winning the PAC title. Strechay allowed six runs, four earned, on six hits over just 1.1 innings against the (26-1) Mustangs. Bryce Detwiler started the bottom of the 2nd with a triple to right-center. The UConn commit scored on a groundout by Branson Adams. Jenkins then hammered a triple to right field which ended Strechay’s outing. Nick Cress took over on the hill for the (17-9) Vikings. Ethan Grim hit a hard ground ball to Liam McNeill at third base. His throw to home plate hit courtesy runner Nick Montgomery in the back. Gov. Mifflin had quickly built a 6-0 cushion. Grim (8-0) felt some tightness in his arm which prompted head coach Chris Hole to turn to Evan Glucksnis. Grim, who’s headed to Virginia Tech, gave up one hit and a walk in two innings. He struck out three. Glucksnis went 1.2 innings before he was also taken out due to arm tightness. Hole expects both pitchers to be fine moving forward. Glucksnis was given credit for the win after not permitting a run. The junior got a pair of strikeouts and limited Perkiomen Valley to one hit. Aden Reiter entered with runners on first and second and two outs in the 4th. The 5’5 junior got Chris Allen to ground out to third to end the threat. Reiter had only pitched a few innings all season. “Aden came in and shut the door. We knew he could pitch, but we never knew it would be in this spot…We needed people to step up in roles and they obviously did,” noted Jenkins. Reiter provided 2.1 innings of relief. He limited the Vikings to one run on two hits. They got on the scoreboard in the 5th thanks to a RBI single down the third base line by Washington College commit Andrew Keenan. He came into the week with a .361 batting average, seven doubles, and three homers. Perkiomen Valley left two runners on base in the 5th. RJ Weaver was called upon in the 7th for the Mustangs. The junior gave up one hit and a walk before sealing the deal. Aidan Autovino, a Mount St. Mary’s commit, had three of the Vikings’ five hits. They committed two errors. Gov. Mifflin racked up ten hits. Eight different Mustangs had at least one hit. They will meet District 11 runner-up Liberty in the state quarterfinals on Thursday. Gov. Mifflin won the PIAA-5A title last year. The Mustangs have claimed BCIAA and District 3 championships this spring. They’re still looking for more. “We all came back with the same mentality. We want to win all three [titles] this year,” stated Jenkins.

]]> PIAA Baseball Tournament https://berkssportsreport.com/piaa-baseball-tournament/ Sat, 31 May 2025 18:59:08 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=4959 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 https://berkssportsreport.com/all-state-boys-basketball-team/ Sun, 04 May 2025 18:19:24 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=4903 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 https://berkssportsreport.com/chris-hole-gov-mifflin-7/ Sat, 26 Apr 2025 15:05:12 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=4885 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 https://berkssportsreport.com/snip-esterly-berks-catholic-11/ Fri, 28 Mar 2025 12:41:48 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=4840 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.

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