stewart – Berks Sports Report

Aaron Anders-Wyomissing

Paul Roberts — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 14:47:59 +0000

The seniors on Wyomissing’s girls basketball team have left a mark that will stand the test of time. Over the past three years, the Spartans compiled a staggering (83-9) record. They won three District 3-4A championships and a pair of Berks County titles. “It was a lot of fun. It was really neat to watch those kids grow,” said head coach Aaron Anders. Amaya Stewart, Alexis Hardy, and Audrey Hurleman were household names along Evans Avenue. They started for four seasons. After missing last year due to a knee injury, Lili Marshall returned to the court this season and was part of a four-guard lineup. Wyomissing didn’t lose a single home game over the past two years. The Spartans reached the state semifinals for just the third time a season ago when they went (31-1). They fell to Philadelphia Catholic League powerhouse Neumann-Goretti 58-45 in the second round of the PIAA-4A playoffs last week. That loss ended a (24-5) campaign, but not before Stewart became the school’s all-time leading scorer. The 6’1 Albany commit finished with 1,904 points. “She’s the best girls basketball player that’s ever come out of here,” stated Anders. Stewart averaged 19.5 ppg. in each of the past two seasons. She broke Rachel Hoffman’s record of 1,886 points. Hoffman is Wyomissing’s girls soccer coach. Stewart, a three-time Berks County Player of the Year, pulled down more than 1,000 rebounds in her remarkable career. “When she first came in as a freshman, you could see the love for the game…Her smile is infectious. Her personality is infectious,” emphasized Anders. Stewart was surrounded by outstanding all-around athletes including Annie McCaffrey, Audrey Hurleman, and Alexis Hardy. McCaffrey graduated in 2024 and is playing soccer at UMass. Hurleman is committed to North Carolina for lacrosse, and Hardy is headed to Delaware for track. She’s won multiple BCIAA and District 3 gold medals in the 100 and 200 meters. Hardy provided 8 points per game this season. Hurleman returned to the basketball team on “Senior Night” in late January after suffering a torn ACL on April 9th. Anders, a former basketball standout at Antietam and Alvernia, is (108-26) over five years. He will never forget his four seniors. “They put on one heck of a show the past three years,” replied Anders with a smile.

McKoy and Stewart Approaching Milestones

Paul Roberts — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 13:59:28 +0000

A pair of Berks County basketball standouts are approaching milestones. Wyomissing senior Amaya Stewart enters tonight with 1,879 career points. The 6’1 Albany commit needs eight points to break Rachel Hoffman’s school record. Hoffman is the Spartans’ girls soccer head coach. She has guided them to four District 3 championships in the past five years. Stewart is averaging 19 points per game this season. She’s a three-time Berks County Player of the Year selection. Wyomissing takes on Neumann-Goretti in the second round of the PIAA-4A playoffs. They get underway at 7:30pm at Spring-Ford. These squads met in the same round last year with the Spartans prevailing 62-52. They raced out to a 24-8 advantage. However, Neumann-Goretti stormed back and took a 44-41 lead early in the fourth quarter. Stewart dominated in the paint with 33 points and 11 rebounds. Wyomissing is (24-4) after beating Nazareth Academy 59-43 in the opening round on Saturday. The Saints defeated Archbishop Carroll 50-43 for the Philadelphia Catholic League title.

Berks Catholic junior Kingston McKoy is closing in on 1,000 career points. The All-State guard stands at 992 points after scoring 16 last night in a tense 51-47 victory over Scranton Prep. The (23-5) Saints are marching on to the PIAA-4A quarterfinals. They will battle District 10 runner-up Sharon on Friday. McKoy is putting up 21.5 ppg. this season. He has knocked down 58 triples and is also an elite defender. McKoy was voted the Berks County Player of the Year. He erupted for 29 points in the District 3 Championship against Eastern York. Berks Catholic blew out the Golden Knights 67-44 at the Giant Center. McKoy was limited to 14 games a season ago after suffering a broken tibia on January 23.

Amaya Stewart-Wyomissing

Paul Roberts — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 14:46:45 +0000

The best player on the floor made the biggest play of the game. Wyomissing senior Amaya Stewart blocked Nevaeh Kennedy with two seconds left to preserve a 26-24 victory over Lancaster Catholic at the Giant Center. “It was something so inspirational, something that moved me a lot. I got emotional. It meant a lot to me. I knew I had to be there for my teammates,” said Stewart with tears in her eyes. The third-seeded Spartans claimed their third straight District 3-4A championship on Friday. Points were at a premium in this defensive battle. In fact, it was the lowest scoring District 3 girls basketball final in history. Wyomissing and the top-seeded Crusaders were 6-for-37 combined from the field in the first half. The (23-4) Spartans led 6-3 after the opening quarter. They blanked Lancaster Catholic in the second quarter and took a 10-3 edge into halftime. Audrey Hurleman scored the only four points in the second period. The North Carolina lacrosse commit played in her eleventh game since returning from a torn ACL. Meanwhile, the (22-5) Crusaders were missing Emma Stefanow, Sophie Hall, and Stella Higgins due to serious knee injuries. Alexis Hardy, a Delaware track and field commit, started the third quarter with a 3-pointer from the right wing. That was the only shot that connected from beyond the arc for both teams. Wyomissing built a 17-5 cushion, but Lancaster Catholic fought back. The Crusaders have won a record 21 District 3 titles, including the past two at the Class 3A level. They ended the third period on a 13-to-0 run. A three-point play by Kennedy gave Lancaster Catholic a 18-17 advantage with three seconds left. The 5’7 sophomore had a game-high 14 points after dropping 27 in a semifinal rout of Delone Catholic. The Spartans trailed 20-17 before Stewart hit a baseline jumper and a pair of free throws. The three-time Berks County Player of the Year put Wyomissing in front 21-20 with five minutes remaining. A layup by Hardy made it 23-20 with 4:34 to go. One minute later, they were tied 24-24 after a baseline jumper by sophomore Natalie Cellucci. The Crusaders got the ball back, however, they turned it over with one minute to play. It was the most significant of their 18 turnovers. Hurleman then drove to the left and threw a pass to Stewart on the right block. The ball was nearly deflected by the outstretched hands of sophomore Charlotte Albertini. Stewart corralled the pass and finished the go-ahead layup with 48 seconds on the clock. Kennedy missed a 3-pointer from the top of the key, but the Spartans turned it over. Lancaster Catholic had one final opportunity. Kennedy drove from the Giant Center logo all the way down the center of the lane with two seconds left. Stewart was the last line of defense. The 6’1 Albany commit blocked Kennedy’s layup to clinch the three-peat for Wyomissing. “It means so much not only for us girls, but to the school. To leave my mark somewhere is so impactful. I’m so proud not only of myself, but every single person on this team,” said Stewart. She ended up with a team-high eight points. Hardy and Hurleman chipped in with six points apiece. Lili Marshall, one of four seniors on the roster, provided four points. The Spartans were 3-of-5 from the foul line, while the Crusaders went 8-of-11. “They really did an amazing job, but it’s all about how we rise to adversity and how much we stick together,” replied Stewart. Wyomissing reached the state semifinals a season ago. The PIAA-4A tournament begins on Saturday, March 8th. “We’re not done yet. We gotta get right back to this spot,” emphasized Stewart.

Amaya Stewart-Wyomissing

Paul Roberts — Tue, 24 Dec 2024 15:14:01 +0000

The Wyomissing and Berks Catholic girls basketball teams gave the fans in attendance an early Christmas gift on Monday night. The rivals squared off in a hard-fought game that went down to the wire. Amaya Stewart blocked Madison Langdon’s shot from just past half-court as the buzzer sounded to preserve a 37-34 win. “It was special to be here and having all these fans here,” said Stewart. The 6’1 senior had 21 points and 12 rebounds as the Spartans improved to (7-1). Stewart, who’s committed to Albany, jammed ten points into the third quarter. Wyomissing trailed 8-7 after the opening quarter. It was 16-16 at halftime. The Saints fell behind 31-25 entering the fourth quarter. They responded well with a 9-2 run. Gianna Mirenda’s fast break layup gave Berks Catholic a 34-33 advantage with 2:50 left. “It’s okay to get punched in the mouth. That means we just gotta punch back harder,” replied Stewart. The two-time All-State pick hit a short jumper in the lane to put the Spartans back on top with 1:15 remaining. After a Berks Catholic turnover, Kacey Maggs went 1-of-2 from the free throw line for a 36-34 lead with 29 seconds to go. Molly McFadden couldn’t convert on the other end and the Saints were forced to foul. Alexis Hardy missed both foul shots with eight seconds to play, but Berks Catholic committed another costly turnover. Maggs split a pair of free throws with three seconds left for the final margin. Wyomissing extended its winning streak to six despite going 4-of-11 from the foul line. Maggs and sophomore Karly Hyde contributed six points apiece. Stewart, who’s dominant in the post, has spent a lot of time working on her all-around game. “There’s a lot of things in the archive that people don’t see. I’m excited to see what’s next,” she said. The Saints packed in a zone against Stewart to limit her touches down low. The Spartans made just three 3-pointers. The difference was in the turnover department. Wyomissing forced twenty turnovers while only committing nine. Sydney Corrado had a team-high 13 points for Berks Catholic. The 6’ senior splashed a triple from the left wing to pull the (4-4) Saints within 33-31 early in the fourth quarter. Liv Welker, a junior transfer from Daniel Boone, scored seven of her eight points in the third quarter to keep Berks Catholic in striking distance. All-County point guard Madison Langdon ended up with seven points. The 5’4 senior needs five points to reach 1,000 for her career. The Saints finished 6-of-9 from the charity stripe and connected just twice from beyond the arc. Stewart has enjoyed being part of this backyard rivalry. “It goes on and on and on. I hope it continues to carry on. It’s always gonna be fun. It’s always gonna bring joy to the community,” she emphasized.

Stewart picks Albany

Paul Roberts — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 21:30:20 +0000

It’s become trendy to refer to hard-nosed athletes as “dogs.” Wyomissing basketball standout Amaya Stewart is going to be a great dane. The 6’1 rising senior announced on Wednesday that she’s committed to Albany. The Great Danes were (25-7) overall this past season. They finished (13-3) in the America East Conference.

Stewart has been a first team All-State selection in each of the past two years. She’s a two-time Berks County Player of the Year. Stewart will enter her senior season with 1,339 points. She reached 1,000 points against Middletown on January 13. That also happened to be her birthday. Stewart averaged 19.5 points per game last year. She showed her versatility by stepping outside and hitting 21 three-pointers. Stewart has been a dominant low post player for the Spartans.

Wyomissing has won back-to-back Berks League and District 3-4A championships. Stewart led the Spartans to a (31-1) record a season ago. They fell to Blackhawk 47-31 in the PIAA-4A semifinals. Stewart erupted for a career-high 33 points in a 62-52 victory over Neumann-Goretti in the second round of the state playoffs.

Albany reached the semifinals of the America East Tournament this year. The Great Danes came up short versus Vermont 50-46. They were knocked out in the opening round of the WNIT. Colgate defeated Albany 64-50.

All-State Team-Girls Basketball

Paul Roberts — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 14:08:00 +0000

A pair of high school girls basketball players from Berks County were voted to the Pennsylvania Sports Writers’ All-State team. Wyomissing’s Amaya Stewart is a first team selection in Class 4A for the second straight year. Exeter senior Grace Reedy made the third team in Class 5A.

Stewart averaged 19.5 points while leading the Spartans to their second consecutive Berks League and District 3-4A championships. In the second round of the state playoffs, the 6’1 junior poured in a career-high 33 points in a 62-52 victory over Neumann-Goretti. Wyomissing finished (31-1) and reached the PIAA-4A semifinals. Stewart will enter her senior campaign with 1,339 career points. She improved her range last season and made 21 treys. Stewart has averaged a double-double since her freshman year. She’s a two-time Berks County Player of the Year.

Reedy has led the BCIAA in scoring the past two seasons. The 5’9 guard averaged 21 ppg. this year. She connected 35 times from beyond the arc. Reedy dropped 21 points in the opening round of the District 3-5A tournament at Manheim Central. That performance made her Exeter’s all-time leading scorer. She finished her career with 1,403 points. Reedy is a two-time All-County pick.

Amaya Stewart-Wyomissing

Paul Roberts — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 02:15:53 +0000

The 3-pointer has completely changed the game of basketball at the college and professional levels. Many teams are launching more shots from beyond the arc than ever before. Wyomissing, however, is more than happy to pound the ball inside. When you have a talent like Amaya Stewart, give her the ball and let her “go to work” as head coach Aaron Anders often says from the sideline. Stewart erupted for a career-high 33 points and 11 rebounds in a thrilling 62-52 win over Neumann-Goretti on Wednesday at Pottstown. “It’s a blessing. We worked so hard to get here and it’s paying off,” remarked Stewart. The Spartans improved to (30-0) and advanced to the PIAA-4A quarterfinals. They led the (19-7) Saints 9-0 and 18-5 after the first quarter. Their advantage expanded to 24-8 in the second quarter. Neumann-Goretti, a five-time state champion, didn’t go away easily. The Saints ended the first half on a 17-to-4 run to pull within 28-25 at the break. They have five guards in their starting lineup including 5’4 junior Carryn Easley and highly touted 5’8 freshman Regina Baker. “They are really tough. They’re probably the best [guards] in the state,” stated Stewart. Easley finished with 22 points and Baker added 11. They were both first team selections in the Philadelphia Catholic League. Stewart fed Audrey Hurleman for two layups to open the third quarter. Neumann Goretti, the #3 seed from District 12, went on another run. Easley jammed nine points into that period and Wyomissing trailed 41-39 entering the final quarter. Annie McCaffrey hit a triple from the left corner with five minutes remaining. Her ninth trey of the season put the Spartans in front 46-44. The lone senior in their starting lineup provided 13 points. McCaffrey is committed to UMass for soccer. Stewart followed with a three-point play for a 51-47 cushion midway through the fourth quarter. The 6’1 junior grabbed a missed free throw and turned it into another three-point play with three minutes left. The first team All-State pick had a dozen points in the last eight minutes. “Take over, take over. I’m gonna step up. I’m built for that,” replied Stewart when asked about her mentality. Hurleman, a 5’8 junior, made a pair of foul shots with 1:15 to go for a 58-52 edge. The North Carolina lacrosse commit contributed 12 points. McCaffrey went 2-for-2 from the charity stripe with 47 seconds remaining. She gave Wyomissing a 60-52 lead. The Spartans ended up 11-of-19 from the free throw line, while the Saints were 8-of-14. Sophomore Kamora Berry made half of Neumann-Goretti’s six 3-pointers. The Saints fell to the Spartans in the second round for the second straight year. Wyomissing will meet District 7 champ North Catholic at 2pm on Saturday at Bald Eagle High School. Stewart is grateful for the fan support during this undefeated streak. “It’s beautiful. We love our community. We know we have a huge community behind our back,” she said.

Amaya Stewart-Wyomissing

Paul Roberts — Mon, 18 Dec 2023 19:47:00 +0000

The Wyomissing girls basketball team couldn’t wait for this day to arrive. The Spartans got the opportunity to play at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Monday afternoon. “We couldn’t sit still at practice for the past two weeks,” emphasized Amaya Stewart. The All-State forward and Berks County Player of the Year finished with 15 points in a 43-27 victory over ELCO. The Spartans jumped out to an 8-3 lead. The Raiders didn’t go away quietly. They outscored Wyomissing 12-9 in the second quarter to even things at 17-17. Makenna Seifert, a 5’9 senior forward, scored six of her team-high eight points in the second period. Stewart provided the Spartans with eleven points in the middle quarters. Wyomissing was on top 31-27 with eight minutes remaining. The Spartans’ defense stole the show in the final period as ELCO went scoreless. Audrey Hurleman, one of four returning starters for Wyomissing, had a dozen points. “Oh my gosh, MVP of the game. It was great,” said Stewart about Hurleman. The junior forward is an All-County selection in both soccer and lacrosse. Junior guard Alexis Hardy chipped in with six points. The (7-0) Spartans are coming off a historical season. They won their first Berks County and District 3 championships in 2022-23. However, this talented group isn’t taking things lightly. “We come to practice ready to work every single day,” remarked Stewart. ELCO won the boys game 60-47. Sophomores Kaden Shultz-Tillison and Josiah Hayes came off the bench to combine for 31 points. Shultz-Tillison poured in a game-high 20 points for the (4-2) Raiders. He knocked down three NBA treys. Freshman guard Justice Hardy led the (0-2) Spartans with 15 points including eight in the fourth quarter. All of the players were grateful for the opportunity which was organized by ELCO athletic director Tommy Mealy. “It was an amazing experience. It was something like no other. It’s a one time experience. I’ll talk about it forever,” stated Stewart.

Amaya Stewart-Wyomissing

Paul Roberts — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 00:24:00 +0000

Amaya Stewart got to play at Santander Arena for the first time on Tuesday and she made the most of it. The 6’1 sophomore had a game-high 19 points in Wyomissing’s 43-35 victory over Wilson in the Berks League semifinals. Stewart and Annie McCaffrey dominated in the paint all night long. McCaffrey scored eight of her 16 points in the first quarter. “I love that girl. She did her absolute best when they were locking up me. Now that she’s coming out of her shell, it feels great,” said Stewart. McCaffrey, a 5’9 junior, is committed to UMass for soccer. She averages eight points per game. The second-seeded Spartans and third-seeded Bulldogs were even at 12-12 after eight minutes. Stewart came to life in the second period with nine points. Wyomissing began that quarter with a 10-2 run. Wilson trailed 25-18 at halftime. The (15-9) Bulldogs outscored the (22-2) Spartans 11-8 in the third frame. Laila Jones drilled a 3-pointer to get Wilson within 35-32 with five and a-half minutes remaining. She’s one of three freshmen in the starting lineup. The 5’6 point guard hit a shot with 90 seconds left to make it 37-35, but the Bulldogs wouldn’t score again. Maddie Campbell sank a pair of free throws with one minute to go. The 5’4 guard was the only senior who started for Wyomissing. McCaffrey added two more foul shots with 47 seconds to play. A layup by Stewart sealed the deal. The Spartans ended up 11-22 from the free throw line, while Wilson went 3-5. Jones (13) and Violet Houck (12) combined for 25 points. Houck is a promising 5’11 freshman center. She grabbed eight rebounds. Wilson’s 6-game winning streak came to a halt. The Bulldogs, who were limited to six points in the fourth quarter, didn’t qualify for the District 3 playoffs this season. The top twelve teams get in the Class 6A tournament. Wilson was #13 in the power rankings. I asked Stewart how it feels to have the opportunity to compete for a county championship. She replied, “Oh my gosh, a dream come true. To push through now, it feels amazing.” Wyomissing has never won a Berks League title in girls basketball. Reading stands in their way. The fourth-seeded Red Knights upset top-seeded Berks Catholic 39-33 in the semifinals. Reading outscored the Saints 17-5 in the last quarter. Stewart had a message for the (14-10) Red Knights. “I love them to death because I played with every single one of them. But when it comes to Friday, we’re on your necks. No mercy,” she stated.

Braylon Stewart-Gov. Mifflin

Paul Roberts — Thu, 26 Aug 2021 20:46:00 +0000

Cam’Ron Stewart was an All-State DL for the Mustangs last year. He’s now playing at Rutgers. His younger brother, Braylon (6’2, 165), isn’t quite as big as Cam’Ron (6’4, 245). Braylon told me about their relationship and how Cam’Ron has helped him. Braylon is a senior LB/WR. He said the Mustangs aren’t looking past York High. Gov. Mifflin faces rival Wilson in its second game. Braylon is hoping to win even more than a District 3 championship this season. He had high praise for All-State RB Nick Singleton both on and off the field.