West – 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.

Jack Gabel-West Lawn Owls

Paul Roberts — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 13:59:18 +0000

West Lawn entered Tuesday needing two wins to capture the Berks County Legion League championship. Pitching has carried the Owls all season, and it didn’t let them down with the title on the line. West Lawn allowed just two runs over fourteen innings to sweep a doubleheader with Exeter. “Steve Carroll, our pitching coach, has put a plan in place all year. Our pitching has been outstanding all year. I can’t be more proud of Dylan because he went out there and set the tone,” said head coach Scott Spatz. Dylan Siwik fired a four-hitter with nine strikeouts and one walk in the first game. “He’s been battling arm injuries. He’s our guy. I consider him our ace. He pounds the zone,” stated shortstop Jack Gabel. The third-seeded Owls blanked the eighth-seeded Blue Jays 2-0 to force a second game in the double-elimination tournament at Owls Field.

Brock Shrawder got the ball for the nightcap for Exeter. However, he suffered an injury and left the game after getting just two outs. Jake Franek took over on the mound with the Blue Jays trailing 1-0 thanks to a sacrifice fly by Austin Snyder. Exeter loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the 1st, but failed to score. Mikey Fidler ripped a line drive to first base that Christo Hunsicker turned into an inning-ending double play. A two-out, RBI single to right field by Cole Lavin put West Lawn on top 2-0 in the second frame. The Blue Jays tied it with a pair of runs in the 2nd, but they left the bases loaded. Snyder gave up two runs on five hits over three innings. He struck out five and walked three. The Owls opened the 4th with a single by Michael Bradley and a double from Gabel. With one out and the bases full, Alex Ernesto hit a grounder to third base. Brenton Feathers came home with the throw, but it was dropped which allowed West Lawn to go in front 3-2. Eight errors were committed in the final game, including five by Exeter. A wild pitch by Franek made it 4-2. Hunsicker, who just returned from vacation, tossed three scoreless frames of relief. The Millersville commit held the Blue Jays to one hit. Tyler Herbein, the No. 8 hitter, gave the Owls a 5-2 advantage in the 5th. The catcher hit a leadoff double and then scored all the way from second on a wild pitch. Herbein had three of West Lawn’s twelve hits. “That production was great. We couldn’t have asked for anything more from him. He’s been playing great behind the plate,” noted Gabel. A passed ball in the 5th gave the Owls a 6-2 cushion. Gabel, a rising senior who’s committed to West Chester, broke it open with a 3-run double to left in the 6th. Franek was charged with nine runs on nine hits in five innings. He walked four to go along with three strikeouts. In the 7th, Feathers walked Jack Froelich and Alex Frantz with the bases juiced. West Lawn won 12-2 to earn its 11th league championship. “They never give up. We built a schedule that made them play some games in hot weather and I think it paid off for us,” added Spatz. Gabel, Lavin, and Ernesto provided two hits apiece. “Throughout the whole year, we haven’t been able to get hits. Tonight, we put it together and that’s who we are. When we’re doing that, we’re pretty dangerous,” explained Gabel. Franek had two of Exeter’s six hits on a pair of infield singles. The Blue Jays were missing Jake Hafer and Brandon Weller, two of their top players. They upset top-seeded Norchester in the first round of the tournament. The (23-4) Owls advanced to the Region 2 tournament at Boyertown. They will face South Parkland at 4:15pm on Friday.

Trey Stricker-Berks Catholic

Paul Roberts — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 13:05:18 +0000

Last spring, Berks Catholic qualified for the BCIAA baseball playoffs for the first time since 2018. The Saints lost 7-2 to Wilson in the first round. They then came up short at James Buchanan 10-8 in the District 3 quarterfinals. Despite a (16-5, 11-1) record, the season ended abruptly. Berks Catholic is looking to go a lot further this year. “I think the squad we have this year can make a really deep run. I believe in every single one of them that’s out there,” said Trey Stricker. The senior pitcher and second baseman is doing his part on the mound and at the plate. Stricker (1-0, 0.27) has 43 strikeouts in 26.1 innings. He’s allowed just 14 hits. The West Chester commit is throwing in the high-80s. The cutter is his favorite pitch. Stricker is working on a changeup to go along with his slider and curveball. He’s also carrying a .432 batting average through eleven games. The (8-3) Saints are hitting .340 as a team. The reigning Division 3 champs have won six of their last seven contests. They got past Oley Valley 3-2 on Monday. Mikey Fidler scored the go-ahead run from second base when the catcher’s pickoff throw went into center field in the 7th. Fidler had two hits and tossed 2.1 innings of scoreless relief. “He has been a huge player for us. He’s a phenomenal kid, a great teammate, always there for everyone. He came up huge,” replied Stricker. Fidler leads Berks Catholic with 21 runs and seven stolen bases. The senior is hitting .424 with a .525 on-base percentage. Owen Schalk provided a pair of hits and two RBI against the Lynx. The junior outfielder has a lofty .459 batting average with a team-high 25 RBI and six extra-base hits. “Good bat to ball skills, he’s hard to get out,” noted Stricker. Shepherd commit Dennys Rodriguez is hitting .407 with four doubles and a 1.106 OPS. Rodriguez and Stricker were All-Division picks a season ago. Aidan Curley has done a nice job on the mound. The junior is (2-1) with a 0.64 ERA. Curley has struck out thirteen over eleven frames. The Saints dropped down from Class 4A to 3A this year. They’re currently third in the District 3 power rankings, just ahead of Kutztown and Wyomissing. Stricker is looking forward to competing in the PSAC. West Chester won Division II national titles in 2012 and 2017. The Rams have made twenty appearances in the NCAA Tournament. “Winning culture, they want to win. They want to do the best that they can and I think that means a lot to a player like me,” said Stricker.

Berks County High School Baseball Showcase

Paul Roberts — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 19:23:39 +0000

The Berks County High School Baseball Showcase begins later this month. The event includes 14 teams from the Berks League. The showcase runs from Wednesday, April 30th to Saturday, May 3rd at Owls Field in West Lawn. Thursday, May 1st is a scheduled rain date. Admission each day is $5 for adults and $3 for students. Wilson will hold its Senior Night ceremony on May 2nd. Here’s the slate of seven games.

April 30:

Berks Catholic vs. Wyomissing at 4:15pm

Gov. Mifflin vs. Daniel Boone at 7pm

May 2:

Kutztown vs. Antietam at 4:15pm

Wilson vs. Muhlenberg at 7pm

May 3:

Hamburg vs. Tulpehocken at noon

Twin Valley vs. Conrad Weiser at 3pm

Oley Valley vs. Brandywine Heights at 6:30pm

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.