Summer – Berks Sports Report

West Reading Summer League Championship

Paul Roberts — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 02:34:36 +0000

Over the past two nights, Berks Catholic showed that how you finish, not how you start, is what really matters. On Wednesday, Berks Catholic (Berks Packing) fell behind Exeter 23-9 in the second quarter. Berks Catholic rallied to win that semifinal 55-53. On Thursday, Berks Catholic trailed Wilson (Apella Wealth) by 13 points in the second quarter. Once again, Berks Catholic turned things around in the second half and beat Wilson 47-37 in the West Reading Summer Basketball League Championship. Wilson was outscored 20-3 in the fourth quarter. They were on fire early, making five 3-pointers in the opening period. NeChar Mercado scored eight of his team-high 15 points in the first quarter. The rising sophomore point guard hit a pair of triples. Wilson was in front 21-10 after eight minutes. Mercado drilled a trey from the right wing to make it 26-15 in the second quarter. He added a couple of free throws to increase Wilson’s advantage to 28-15 with one minute remaining before halftime. Matt Coldren’s young team was up 29-19 at the break. Johnny Giesa and Kingston McKoy finished off three-point plays to pull Berks Catholic within 34-27 in the third quarter. Wilson went scoreless for six and a-half minutes in the final period. Gavin Welker drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 5:40 to go. All of a sudden, Berks Catholic was only down by two points. McKoy followed with a sensational reverse layup while being fouled. The two-time All-State selection completed the three-point play to put Berks Catholic on top 35-34. A layup by McKoy made it 37-34 with 3:45 left. He sank four straight free throws to give Berks Catholic a 41-35 cushion with one minute remaining. Wilson trailed 45-37 after Brady Altimar went 2-for-2 from the foul line with 33 seconds to play. McKoy converted two more free throws to seal the deal with 17 seconds on the clock. He ended up with 27 of their 47 points. Welker chipped in with eight points. Correll Akings, the lone returning starter for Wilson, had eleven points.

Berks Catholic won Division 1 of the Ron Krick Memorial League with a (9-3) record during the regular season. Wilson was in second place at (8-4). These squads squared off for the West Reading League title last summer as well. Wilson prevailed 37-35 a year ago.

Berks Catholic left Wyomissing with some individual hardware on Thursday night. McKoy received the Terry Brennan Memorial Most Outstanding Player award. Giesa took home the Woozy Smith Memorial Most Improved Player award. The Bill Snyder Best Defensive Player award went to Exeter’s Jayden Ware. Xavier Negron from Conrad Weiser won the West Reading Drug Store Sportsmanship award.

West Reading League Semifinals

Paul Roberts — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 01:51:46 +0000

Due to excessive heat, the West Reading Summer Basketball League semifinals were moved inside to Wyomissing on Wednesday evening. Exeter (Dulin’s Tire) came out on fire against Berks Catholic (Berks Packing). Exeter was in front 9-2 early and 12-6 after the first quarter. Michael Fisher knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the key to make it 18-6. Aidan Dauble hit a triple from the right wing to expand the lead to 23-9 midway through the second quarter. Berks Catholic trailed 30-22 at halftime. Dylan Donate drilled a trey with 4:21 remaining in the third quarter to give Exeter a 37-27 advantage. However, Berks Catholic closed that period on a 10-to-4 run. Gavin Welker’s 3-pointer put Snip Esterly’s team on top 42-41 with 6:20 to go. Brady Altimar sank a pair of free throws to make it 48-46 with 3:12 left to play. Kingston McKoy, a two-time All-State pick, finished off two straight spin moves in the lane for a 52-48 cushion. Exeter wouldn’t go away quietly. Dauble, who connected four times from beyond the arc, splashed a 3-pointer from the right corner. After a Berks Catholic turnover, Dauble’s baseline layup put Exeter back in front 53-52 with 41 seconds on the clock. Welker responded with a triple from the left wing with 28 seconds remaining. Exeter had the final possession with a chance to tie or take the lead. Dauble drove down the left side of the lane and took a turnaround jumper with McKoy’s hand in his face. The shot was short and Berks Catholic held on for a hard-fought 55-53 victory. McKoy had a game-high 23 points and Welker added 15. Dauble and Donate led Exeter with 14 points apiece. Braylon Reinert chipped in with eight points. They were outscored by Berks Catholic 33-23 in the second half.

The nightcap in the Ron Krick Memorial League featured rivals Wilson (Apella Wealth) and Gov. Mifflin (Savage Auto Group). This semifinal was much more of a defensive struggle. In fact, Gov. Mifflin was shutout in the opening quarter. Wilson led 4-0 after the first period and 14-10 at halftime. Correll Akings, the lone returning starter for Wilson, started the third quarter with a 3-pointer. He ended up with a game-high 15 points. Gov. Mifflin was down 21-16 entering the last quarter. Ronaldo Gonzalez, a newcomer to Wilson’s program, nailed a 3-pointer with five minutes left to make it 24-18. A three-point play by Akings gave Wilson a little breathing room at 27-18 with 3:48 to go. Gov. Mifflin fell 37-27. Gonzalez contributed eight points and point guard NeChar Mercado added six. Nick Kalis scored a team-high eight points, including seven in the fourth quarter, for Gov. Mifflin. Ian Fleming provided six points. Wilson will take on Berks Catholic for the championship at 5:25pm on Thursday.

Correll Akings-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Sat, 03 Aug 2024 02:45:35 +0000

The West Reading Summer Basketball League championship came down to the final second. Zach Suski got behind Wilson’s defense after a missed free throw. Suski missed an open layup and the Bulldogs held on for a 37-35 victory over Berks Catholic. “I thought it was gonna be a tie game and we were gonna have to fight through overtime. That game was very tough and it came down to the wire,” said Correll Akings. The Saints had won the previous three West Reading League titles. They battled back after trailing 8-0 and 15-4 on Thursday night. Kingston McKoy finished with a game-high 20 points, including four three-pointers. “He’s so good and crafty. He knows how to get a bucket whenever he needs one,” acknowledged Akings. Suski, who had 12 points, sank a triple from the right corner before the halftime buzzer. Berks Catholic was down 21-14 at the break. Wilson was on top 27-24 after the third quarter. A jump hook by Luke Levan gave the Bulldogs a 33-31 advantage with 1:45 remaining. McKoy’s putback tied the score. A tough floater by Madyx Gruber made it 35-33. A layup by Akings gave Wilson a 37-33 cushion with 36 seconds left. However, Akings missed five consecutive free throws down the stretch which gave the Saints a chance. The rising junior guard still ended up with a team-high 11 points. Levan provided eight points. “He’s developed so much and he’s become such a strong player for us,” emphasized Akings. Gruber received the Terry Brennan Most Outstanding Player award. The rising senior guard had 16 points in a 38-29 semifinal win against Warwick. The Bulldogs captured the West Reading League championship for the first time since 2019. Akings, Gruber, Levan, Tommy McFadden, Jon Etim, Cam Zullinger, and Christo Hunsicker are all back from the team that won the BCIAA title this year. “The chemistry is getting stronger and stronger day in and day out. I love the guys so much. They mean a lot to me,” said Akings.

West Reading League Playoffs

Paul Roberts — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 13:09:38 +0000

The West Reading Summer Basketball League playoffs got underway on Monday. It’s going to be a busy week for the league. The quarterfinals begin at 5:25pm on Tuesday. The semifinals are scheduled for 6pm and 7pm on Wednesday. The championship is on Thursday at 6pm and will be followed by the All-Star Game. If there’s rain this week, the games will be moved to Wyomissing’s old high school gym.

Here are the results from the first round of the playoffs:

Wilson beat Conrad Weiser 44-23.

Berks Catholic got by Daniel Boone 45-39.

Exeter fell to Warwick 29-27.

Gov. Mifflin defeated Ephrata 31-22.

Wyomissing knocked out Fleetwood 50-32.

Hamburg lost to Schuylkill Valley 40-33.

Antietam rolled over Kutztown 43-24.

High Point eliminated Oley Valley 47-38.