West – Berks Sports Report

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.

West Reading-Sacramento Exchange

Paul Roberts — Thu, 30 May 2024 12:27:00 +0000

The 52nd West Reading-Sacramento Cultural Exchange program is being held in Berks County next month. The Franklin High School boys basketball team from Elk Grove, California will be here for a week beginning on June 11th. Berks Catholic is hosting a tournament on Thursday, June 13th. Franklin, Berks Catholic, Wyomissing, Waynesboro and Smithsburg, Maryland are participating in that event. On June 14th, Franklin will play at Gov. Mifflin at 10 o’clock and then travel to Wilson for another game at 4:30pm. On June 15th, Exeter will entertain Franklin at 10am. Oley Valley will take on Franklin that evening at the West Reading playground. That game is scheduled for 6:20pm.

The Franklin players will get to visit Philadelphia, New York City and Washington, D.C. They will also attend a Reading Fightin Phils game at FirstEnergy Stadium on Saturday, June 15th. In addition, Franklin will take part in basketball clinics at the 3rd & Spruce Recreation Center and West Reading playground.

Nick Crocona-West Lawn

Paul Roberts — Tue, 11 Jul 2023 12:33:00 +0000

The Shillington Dodgers went into Monday knowing that they needed two wins to claim the Berks County Championship. West Lawn made sure that there wouldn’t be a nightcap. The Owls soared to a 3-0 lead after one inning and cruised to an 8-1 victory. Nick Crocona struck out the side in the top of the 1st. “It definitely gave me a lot of confidence moving forward because they have some talented hitters in the top of their lineup,” said Crocona. Mansfield commit Ryan Sekulski hammered a 2-run triple to left field in the bottom of the frame. Lucas Gensemer followed with a RBI single up the middle. Three of West Lawn’s five hits came in the 1st. “You feel like you have much more of a cushion. You feel a lot more relaxed,” noted Crocona. The right-hander tossed five scoreless innings with five strikeouts and no walks. He allowed five hits. The (17-5) Owls erupted for five runs in the 3rd. After Charlie Frantz tripled, Christo Hunsicker lofted a sacrifice fly to center. A passed ball and an error at third base allowed the next two runs to score. Shillington trailed 6-0 before Jordan Shutter’s 2-run bloop single to right field. Crocona, who’s headed to Ursinus, gave a lot of credit to Shutter. He replied, “That’s my guy. I feel like we connect so well. He knows what I want to go to. He’s a phenomenal catcher.” Crocona improved to (2-2) with a 2.60 ERA this summer. Gensemer threw the final two innings at Owls Field. He gave up an unearned run on one hit and a pair of walks. Bryce Detwiler went the distance on the mound for the Dodgers. They upset Boyertown to reach the championship game. Detwiler allowed five hits and three walks. The rising junior at Gov. Mifflin struck out six and hit a batter. He was an All-Berks selection during the high school season. Detwiler went 2-for-2 with a walk. Matt Koehler drove in Shillington’s lone run with a single to right field in the 6th. West Lawn advanced to the Region 2 tournament which begins on Saturday at Boyertown. “We’re having a great time. We have great friendships all around and we bond so well,” said Crocona.

West Reading-Sacramento Cultural Exchange

Paul Roberts — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 12:01:00 +0000

The 51st West Reading-Sacramento Cultural Exchange program was a success for the players and coaches from Berks County. The West Reading All-Star Team went (6-2) during its trip to California last week. Tony Balistrere was the head coach this year. He was assisted by Jeff Ebner and Randy Hinsey. JayJay Jordan from Berks Catholic and Fleetwood’s Jake Karnish served as co-captains. Here’s a quick recap.

Game 1: West Reading beat Sacramento High School 62-47. Aidan Melograna of Wilson led a balanced attack with 11 points.

Game 2: West Reading blew out Elk Grove 73-47. Jordan, Melograna, and Exeter’s Reece Garvin each provided 13 points.

Game 3: West Reading rolled over Ponderosa 86-47. Karnish poured in 16 points.

Game 4: West Reading defeated Franklin 67-57. Aidan Dauble, a rising sophomore at Exeter, racked up 20 points.

Game 5: West Reading crushed Johansen 100-40. Melograna went for 20 points and Dauble added 15.

Game 6: West Reading lost to Edison 72-50. Jordan scored 15 points. West Reading trailed 35-32 at halftime.

Game 7: West Reading got back on track with a 61-57 victory over Monte Vista. Mark Rajnath from Schuylkill Valley finished with 16 points.

Game 8: West Reading fell to Pittsburg 64-53. Jordan had 13 points.

West Reading League All-Stars

Paul Roberts — Wed, 27 Jul 2022 09:19:00 +0000

The West Reading Summer Basketball League wraps up this week. The championship and All-Star Game will take place on Thursday. Ed Kuhn started the league in 1965. Berks Catholic and Oley Valley each have three all-star selections this summer. Here’s a look at the all-star rosters:

Division 1

JayJay Jordan-Berks Catholic

Ryan Koch

Jaxon Geddio

Gerrell McNeil-Gov. Mifflin

Delsin McNeil

Anthony Caccese-Exeter

Reece Garvin

Cleveland Harding-Wilson

Aidan Melograna

Donovan Gingrich-Conrad Weiser

Carter Horst-Warwick

Division 2

Jaden Kelly-Oley Valley

Chase Rubendall

Ben DeBalko

Mark Rajnath-Schuylkill Valley

Eli Houser

Drew Eisenhower-Wyomissing

Drew Forry

Jovan Hollis-Antietam

Mason Saccarello-Daniel Boone

Dylan Mahlandt-Ephrata

Josh Phillips-Twin Valley

Ryan Kelly-West Lawn

Paul Roberts — Wed, 06 Jul 2022 23:12:00 +0000

Ryan Kelly struggled with his command in the opening round of the Berks County Legion League playoffs, but he didn’t let that impact him at the plate. The left-handed hitter ripped a 3-run homer in the third inning of West Lawn’s 6-2 win over Shillington on Wednesday night. Kelly took advantage of the short porch at Owls Field. It’s 305 feet down the right field line. His blast just made it over the fence and provided a spark for the third-seeded Owls. Kelly, a rising sophomore at McDaniel College, only lasted 3.1 innings. The righty allowed two runs, one earned, on two hits and five walks. He struck out five. Kelly walked Tristan Huyett with the bases loaded in the top of the first. Matt Novotny walked the first three batters that he faced in the bottom half of the frame, but the rising senior at Gov. Mifflin was able to get out of the jam without giving up a run. Shillington put runners on the corners in the third inning with nobody out. Hunter Unger grounded into a double play which gave the sixth-seeded Dodgers a 2-0 advantage. The (16-10) Owls answered right back. Evan Gabaldon stroked a two-out RBI single before Kelly’s 3-run shot. West Lawn added two more runs in the sixth when Ryan Sekulski’s fly ball to right field was dropped. Kelly gave credit to Lucas Gensemer and Christo Hunsicker who combined to toss 3.2 innings of scoreless relief. They each allowed one hit. Hunsicker got speedy leadoff hitter Mason Woolwine to ground out to third with two outs and the bases juiced in the top of the sixth. Gensemer and Hunsicker were 1-for-3 at the plate. Gabaldon provided two of West Lawn’s five hits. Shillington managed four hits. Novotny finished 2-for-3 with a pair of singles. The right-hander pitched 5+ innings. He gave up five runs, four earned, on five hits and six walks. Novotny also hit a batter while striking out four. The Dodgers fall to (4-11). Kelly stressed that the competition in the Berks League is tough and they can’t overlook any teams. We talked about using wood bats. He said, “It’s a huge difference. Pitchers just have to throw more strikes. It changes the entire game.” Kelly has been working on a two-seam fastball this summer. He helped Wilson capture two District 3 championships during his high school career. I asked him about competing against college hitters this past season at McDaniel. He replied, “They’re a lot more patient. No one swings at bad pitches and every at bat counts.” Kelly participated in a league for college players last month at Myrtle Beach. He enjoys being back in West Lawn and playing baseball with his friends. He described the rivalry between the Owls and Shillington. West Lawn will visit Bear Stadium on Thursday at 7pm to battle #2 seed Boyertown. The tournament shifts to Owls Field on Friday. The winner advances to the Region 2 tournament which will be held in Quakertown.

Ken Manfredi-Franklin High School

Paul Roberts — Sun, 19 Jun 2022 11:04:00 +0000

The West Reading-Sacramento Basketball Cultural Exchange is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Ken Manfredi has been able to experience this unique program as both a player and coach. He was on the Sacramento All-Star team that came to Berks County in 1990. They ran into a star-studded West Reading squad that included Donyell Marshall and Del Savage of Pottstown. Marshall scored 1,581 points at Reading High and went on to spend fifteen seasons in the NBA after a stellar career at UConn. Manfredi told me that the gym was packed for that summer league matchup 32 years ago. He said, “We were floored. We got ran out of the gym. I think we lost by 25-30 points. It was a wake up call.” Manfredi, who played at Division II UC Davis from 1992-‘96, compared Marshall to Kevin Durant due to his wingspan and shooting ability. He has been coaching high school basketball since 2000. Manfredi is the head coach at Franklin High School in Sacramento. He previously coached at Redwood, Elk Grove, and Monterey Trail. He brought a young team to the Reading area this week. Three of his ten players had never been on a plane before. Only two of them had visited Washington, D.C. prior to this experience. Manfredi emphasized that the trip has been terrific. “The hospitality that Mr. Kuhn and the whole community have set up with Reading, West Reading, and Berks County; it’s been fantastic,” he said. Ed Kuhn is stepping down as the full-time director of the West Reading Summer League after this year. Adam Ressler will take over the West Reading-Sacramento Cultural Exchange program. Franklin faced Exeter, Wyomissing, and Conrad Weiser during this past week. The Wildcats met the West Reading All-Star team on Saturday morning. Bryce Gumby, a rising sophomore at Berks Catholic, poured in 19 points and splashed five 3-pointers in a 72-64 victory for West Reading. Mark Rajnath of Schuylkill Valley added 13 points and Keith Neal from Oley Valley had twelve. Rising senior Aydan Claro finished with a team-high 14 points for Franklin, including eleven in the fourth quarter. Coach Manfredi’s son, Treyson, provided twelve points and seven rebounds. Kason Johnson, an all-league selection this year in the Delta League, also had a dozen. On Saturday night, the Wildcats lost to Berks Catholic 56-46. The Saints trailed by two points at halftime. Franklin cut a double digit deficit to three in the fourth quarter before coming up short. Manfredi and I discussed the style of play on the West Coast versus the East Coast. He mentioned that teams in Berks County tend to be more physical, while the brand of basketball in California is more up-tempo. The Franklin team got to check out New York City on Sunday. They’ll head back to Sacramento on Monday. Hopefully, their return flight is a little less adventurous!

Bryce Gumby-West Reading All-Stars

Paul Roberts — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 14:52:00 +0000

The West Reading All-Star team was assembled just a few days ago, but they looked like they had been playing together for years. They faced Franklin High School from Sacramento on Saturday morning at Berks Catholic. The game was part of the West Reading-Sacramento Cultural Exchange program which is celebrating its 50th anniversary. The West Reading squad was comprised of eight players from five Berks County high schools. Former Holy Name boys basketball coach Tony Balistrere served as the head coach. His team jumped out to a quick 7-0 advantage. Bryce Gumby, a rising sophomore at Berks Catholic, said they did a great job of sharing the basketball and getting quality shots. The Wildcats evened the score at 14 and trailed 20-18 after the first quarter. West Reading limited Franklin to twelve points in the second period for a 37-30 halftime lead. Gumby took over in the third quarter. He drilled three 3-pointers and jammed eleven points into those eight minutes. West Reading outscored the Wildcats 24-15 in the third period and never looked back. Despite struggling offensively in the final quarter, they pulled out a 72-64 victory. Gumby, who also plays football for the Saints, finished with a game-high 19 points. He sank five of his team’s ten shots from beyond the arc. Gumby told me that playing in his high school’s gym made him feel very comfortable. He thought that Mark Rajnath and Andrew Galentuomo stood out. Rajnath, a rising senior at Schuylkill Valley, added 13 points including ten in the first half. He also played well on the defensive end of the floor. Rajnath averaged 7.6 points in 14 games for the Panthers this year. Galantuomo is a rising sophomore from Gov. Mifflin. The 5-4 guard chipped in with seven points and some nifty assists. Keith Neal helped to set the tone early. The rising senior at Oley Valley had nine points in the first half. He ended up with a dozen. Neal averaged 6.1 points for the Lynx this season. Aiden Schippers of Wyomissing pulled down a team-high five rebounds to go along with six points. Jaden Kelly and Ethan Gallardo of Oley Valley combined for 13 points off the bench. Franklin outscored West Reading 19-11 over the last eight minutes. Aydan Claro came alive in the fourth quarter with eleven points. The rising senior finished with a team-high 14 points. Treyson Manfredi, a rising junior, contributed twelve points and seven boards. He’s the son of Wildcats’ head coach Ken Manfredi who played for the Sacramento All-Star team in 1990. He went up against an extremely talented West Reading unit that featured Reading High legend Donyell Marshall and Pottstown star Del Savage. The Franklin players visited Washington, D.C. this week. They’ll get a chance to see New York City on Sunday before flying out of Philadelphia on Monday morning.

Ed Kuhn-West Reading Basketball

Paul Roberts — Sun, 12 Jun 2022 15:46:00 +0000

When Ed Kuhn started the West Reading Summer Basketball League, The Sound of Music was the highest-grossing movie, the Beatles released “Help!”, and the average price of gasoline in the United States was 30 cents/gallon. Since its inception in 1965, the league has continued to grow while giving countless players the opportunity to improve their skills. Former players, coaches, and officials joined family members near the West Reading courts this weekend to honor Kuhn, and celebrate the 50th anniversary of the West Reading-Sacramento Cultural Exchange. Kuhn spoke about the talented 1972 West Reading All-Star team that traveled to California for the first time. The star-studded roster included Stu Jackson (Reading), Dave Angstadt (Gov. Mifflin), Fred Wittich (Mount Penn), Bobby Reese (Holy Name), Cliff Durham (Reading), and Mike DeCusatis (Wyomissing). Jackson scored 1,563 points in his high school career before playing college basketball at Oregon. Kuhn explained that Jackson was far from a standout as a kid, but he had a tremendous work ethic. “He was driven. He wanted to be good. He was a very good student too which helped,” said Kuhn. We also discussed former Red Knights’ legend Donyell Marshall who participated in the West Reading Summer League. Kuhn was impressed with the 6-9 forward’s ability to shoot from the perimeter. Marshall piled up 1,581 points at Reading. He was the fourth overall pick out of UConn in the 1994 NBA Draft. Marshall spent fifteen seasons in the NBA. Kuhn played with Ron Krick, the all-time leading scorer in Berks County history. Krick finished with 3,174 points and led West Reading High School to Class A state championships in 1959, 1960, and 1961. Kuhn said, “I thought he was a player ahead of his time. He was 6-8 and he could really shoot for a big guy. If we had the 3-point line, I don’t know how many points he would’ve scored. We knew he was the ticket.” The guest speakers on Saturday included Reese, Wittich, longtime Albright men’s basketball coach Rick Ferry, and former Reading guard Kashif Reyes, as well as Kuhn’s wife, Lynda, and son, Andy. Kuhn noted that his wife has been extremely understanding for many years. Andy, who scored nearly 1,100 points at Wyomissing, took part in the West Reading-Sacramento Cultural Exchange. Ferry, a Wilson graduate, was on the 1981 West Reading All-Star team. Reyes spoke candidly about how the trip to California changed his entire life. After attending a junior college, Reyes went on to play at Chaminade. He was a second team All-Pacific West Conference selection as a junior and senior. His ten points helped Chaminade defeat Villanova 52-49 in 2003. Reyes averaged 12 points as a senior and shot 87% from the free throw line. He still stays in touch with the family that hosted him in Sacramento. The cultural exchange program is about much more than basketball. The student-athletes from California get to visit New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. while they’re staying in Berks County. Kuhn mentioned that one of the highlights for the kids is a stop at Rucker Park. Kuhn announced that Adam Ressler will be in charge of the West Reading-Sacramento Cultural Exchange after this year. Meanwhile, Sal Raccuglia will become the new director of the three leagues that utilize the West Reading basketball courts each summer. Kuhn told me that he’s never been a big fan of long speeches. However, he was extremely grateful to everyone who attended Saturday’s event. A lot of old stories and laughs were shared while acknowledging Kuhn’s wide-ranging impact on the local basketball community.