Lancaster got points on the opening drive thanks to a 24-yard field goal by Peter Fiorello from L-S. Gabe Martin then broke off a 41-yard run on fourth-and-2 in the second quarter. Garden Spot’s dual-threat quarterback took the ball down the right sideline to the 18-yard line. However, Lancaster wasn’t able to cash in on the red zone opportunity. A missed 32-yard field goal kept the score at 3-0 with 7:49 remaining in the first half.

Berks/Lebanon responded with its best series of the night. Wilson’s Mason Young, an Albright commit, lofted a perfect pass down the left sideline to Jayden Ware of Exeter for a 34-yard gain. They hooked up again to cap the drive with a 17-yard touchdown pass in the left corner of the end zone. Ware, who’s going to Indiana University of Pennsylvania, finished with three catches for 65 yards. “Jayden is certainly a playmaker. He has a real true competitive spirit. Kids like that never want to leave the field and coaches love guys like that,” remarked Moyer. Berks/Lebanon was in front 7-3 with 1:57 left in the second quarter.

Lancaster’s offense answered immediately. Martin rolled right and was under pressure when he lofted a pass deep down the right sideline to Kris Burgos-Wise from Solanco. The ball just made it over the hand of Reading cornerback Idris Weaver. Burgos-Wise made the grab at the 25-yard line and cut back into the middle of the field for a touchdown. Momentum shifted quickly as Lancaster went on top 10-7 with 1:38 to go in the half. Burgos-Wise, a Gettysburg commit, wasn’t done. On Lancaster’s next possession, he reeled in a 50-yard pass over the middle from Sawyer Esbenshade of Conestoga Valley. Lancaster couldn’t add to its lead because of a low snap on a 29-yard field goal attempt as time expired.

The only turnover of the contest came on the first play of the second half. Northern Lebanon quarterback Bryan Mitzel ran to his left where defensive tackle Taylor Veilleux of Manheim Township forced a fumble. His teammate with the Blue Streaks, Zach Bomberger, scooped up the ball and returned it 22 yards for a touchdown. Lancaster increased its advantage to 17-7 just nine seconds into the third quarter. Berks/Lebanon tried a 45-yard field on the ensuing series, but it was well short.

Lancaster put together a drive that lasted almost six and a-half minutes. All-State running back Johnny Garcia from Solanco and Marcos Fernandez of Manheim Township split time in the backfield. Fernandez took an inside handoff and lowered his shoulder at the goal line for a 7-yard touchdown. The extra point was blocked, but Lancaster seized control with that 80-yard march. Berks/Lebanon was behind 23-7 with 10:03 left on the clock. They turned the ball over on downs at Lancaster’s 40-yard line with 4:29 remaining. Cam Small, Muhlenberg’s all-time leading rusher with 3,817 yards, was bottled up for most of the game. He ended up with 58 yards on 16 carries. Will Milazzo, another standout from Manheim Township, provided a pair of sacks.

Despite the outcome, Moyer enjoyed working with the players on the Berks/Lebanon roster. “I told the kids they are certainly a special group, truly All-Stars and really a bunch of class acts,” he noted. Moyer added, “I met many parents after the game and made a point to tell them what great kids they have.”

Bill Underwood was chosen as the BCIAA Coach of the Year. He guided Wilson to its 14th league championship. The Bulldogs defeated Muhlenberg 10-0 in six innings at FirstEnergy Stadium. Wilson played a very challenging schedule and finished its season with a record of (17-7).

Here is the 2026 All-County team. You can find the all-division picks on the BCIAA website.

Ben Kulp-Wilson-Senior-Player of the Year

Jake Hafer-Exeter-Senior

Greyson Bell-Daniel Boone-Sophomore

Janser Paredes-Reading-Senior

Timmy Fries-Oley Valley-Senior

Cole Moody-Muhlenberg-Senior

Henry Pflomm-Berks Catholic-Senior

Nate Lord-Twin Valley-Senior

Jack Gabel-Wilson-Senior

Brandon Weller-Exeter-Junior

Isaak Stewart-Hamburg-Junior

Exeter’s lone run came in the bottom of the first. Jake Franek walked and stole second base. The speedy shortstop advanced to third on a groundout and scored on a wild pitch. Liam Porter cruised through the first three innings. The senior entered the day with a perfect (5-0) mark and a pristine 0.64 ERA. He piled up six strikeouts through three frames. Porter walked Brandon Bechtel to begin the fourth inning. Ashton Parks followed with a bunt down the first base line. Jake Hafer’s throw to first hit Parks and bounced away which put runners on the corners. Sophomore Luke Husser lofted a sacrifice fly to right field that brought home Bechtel and evened the score at 1-1.

Porter issued one-out walks to Cooper Frey and Evan Allison, the No. 8 and 9 batters, in the fifth inning. Mason Goodhart took over on the mound for the Eagles. His wild pitch moved the runners to second and third base. The go-ahead run came with some confusion when Bechtel hit a fly ball to deep left field. Hafer, who had moved from first base to left, made a great sliding catch on the warning track. Brady Myers scored on the play, but Exeter appealed that he left too soon. “When we appealed at third base, the third base umpire called him out. The home plate umpire told us it was his call and he had him safe. The third base umpire was signaling an out for the catch, not for the appeal,” explained Freese. “It was a close play. One of our assistants did think that he was a little early. I just watched Jake make a hell of a catch. Unfortunately, the call didn’t go our way. That was the game-winning run, but offensively we didn’t do our job,” added Freese.

In the sixth, Hafer was hit by a pitch with one out. Wonder exited after 90 pitches and was replaced by Husser. Hafer, an East Stroudsburg commit, got caught stealing for the second out of the inning. Franek then singled, but he was picked off first base by Husser. Both catchers, Frey and Brandon Weller, threw out two runners.

Husser got a groundout and a pair of strikeouts in the bottom of the seventh. He allowed one hit in 1.2 innings with no walks. Wonder and Myers had the only hits for Spring Grove. The (12-9) Rockets are going to the District 3-5A quarterfinals after starting the season (1-5). They visit #2 seed Lower Dauphin on Monday. Porter took the loss despite racking up eight strikeouts in 4.1 innings. He was charged with two runs on four walks and one hit. Goodhart tossed 2.2 innings of scoreless relief with three strikeouts and no walks. Exeter will need to revamp its pitching staff next spring. Porter, Goodhart, Hafer, and Kamren Martin are all graduating.

In Friday’s other action, #9 seed Twin Valley fell at #8 New Oxford 5-0. In Class 6A, #11 seed Muhlenberg upset #6 Manheim Township 6-3. Cole Moody fired a complete game with six strikeouts and one walk. He improved to (8-0) this season. The (14-8) Muhls scored six times in the third inning. All of those runs were unearned. The (17-7) Blue Streaks committed seven errors. The Lancaster-Lebanon League champions got knocked out in the first round. Marvin Frias went 3-for-4 for Muhlenberg. He drove in two runs and scored another. The Muhls travel to #3 Waynesboro on Monday. #13 seed Northeastern stunned #4 Wilson 3-1 at Owls Field in West Lawn. The Bulldogs finish with a mark of (17-7). They won their 14th Berks County Championship this year.

Brian Kopetsky, who’s in his 27th year as the Muhls’ head coach, decided not to start Cole Moody. Muhlenberg’s ace had thrown 90 pitches in a 4-0 win over Gov. Mifflin on Thursday in the quarterfinals. Kopetsky gave the ball to sophomore John Martin. If healthy, he would have been one of the Muhls’ top pitchers this season. Martin had only one inning under his belt this spring. The young righty didn’t allow a run over the first two frames against Wilson.

Alex Frantz, the No. 9 hitter, and Gabel opened the bottom of the third with singles. Ryan Rosenberry, who tossed three scoreless innings on Friday in the county semifinals, took over for Martin. After a walk to Pat Lengle, Ben Kulp hit a grounder to third base. Sophomore Mike Canfield came home, but the throw wasn’t in time to get Gabel who scored the first run. Tim Lengle drew a walk to make it 2-0. A balk by Rosenberry gave the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead. Matt Mallis then put a squeeze bunt down the first base line which scored Kulp. Spohn followed with a RBI double down the third base line. “I was fired up. It was a great feeling, top 5 moment in baseball for me,” emphasized Spohn. Wilson took control with five runs on three hits and two walks in the third inning.

The Bulldogs ended it early with five more runs in the sixth. Sophomore Landon Kostelac led off with a double before Frantz walked. A single to left field by Gabel made it 6-0. A sacrifice fly to left by Ryan Marmolejos gave Wilson a 7-0 cushion. After walking Pat Lengle, Rosenberry was replaced by Chase Kreider. Following a walk by Kulp, Tim Lengle hit a 2-run opposite field single to left. Spohn’s RBI single through the middle was the final blow. The (17-6) Bulldogs claimed their second BCIAA title in three years and 14th overall. The (13-8) Muhls await the District 3-6A playoffs which begin on Friday.

Martin was charged with two runs on four hits in two innings. Rosenberry allowed seven runs on four hits and four walks in 3.1 innings. Gabel needed just 72 pitches to get through six frames. He also provided three of Wilson’s ten hits. Gabel boosted his batting average to .389 this year. Tim Lengle went 2-for-3 with a walk and 3 RBI. Spohn provided two hits and knocked in a pair of runs. “If you’re down, he really keeps you in it. He’s a great captain. Behind the plate, he’s a brick wall,” remarked Gabel of his catcher. Pat Lengle was 1-for-2 with two walks and two runs. The freshman is hitting .464 this season. His older brother, Tim, isn’t far behind at .431.

The Bulldogs are hitting .351 as a team this spring. They only used three pitchers to navigate through the county playoffs. Gabel, Kulp, and Pat Lengle each threw a complete game. Wilson outscored its three opponents 24-to-3. “I don’t think anyone can beat us when we’re playing our game,” stated Gabel.

The (16-6) Bulldogs won their first two meetings with Exeter by a combined score of 30-11. Martin, a Shippensburg commit, made sure that this wasn’t going to be another rout. The 6’4, 230-pound righty limited Wilson to one run on three hits in 5.1 innings. Martin struck out six and walked two. “He’s legit. He’s got a firm fastball and a snappy curveball. He keeps you on your toes,” said Kulp. Martin didn’t give up a hit until Ryan Marmolejos’ double to left field in the bottom of the fourth. He reached third base with one out, but was stranded there. The Bulldogs loaded the bases in the fifth. Marmolejos flew out to center to end the threat.

Freshman Pat Lengle started the bottom of the sixth with a grounder to first base. Jake Hafer made a diving stop, however, Martin dropped the toss while running to the bag. It was ruled a single for Lengle. Kulp then hit a ground ball to third and the (15-7) Eagles tried to turn a double play. They got an out at second base, but the throw to first got away which let Kulp reach second. Martin exited at that point after throwing 89 pitches. He had only pitched ten innings this spring prior to Friday. Mason Goodhart took over on the hill and Tim Lengle greeted him with a ground-rule double that bounced over the fence in right field. “That was awesome. As soon as we got the one run, we were three outs away,” replied Kulp. Sophomore Landon Kostelac, a courtesy runner, scored the lone run of the game.

Brenton Feathers hit a one-out single down the third base line in the top of the seventh. Goodhart grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end it. Kulp finished with 93 pitches. Wilson made two errors and Exeter committed one.

The Bulldogs are looking for their 14th Berks County title. They will take on third-seeded Muhlenberg on Monday. The county championship is set for 6:05pm at FirstEnergy Stadium. “The atmosphere is elite, top of the line. You get big crowds out there,” said Kulp.

The top-seeded Bulldogs trailed 3-1 after three innings in the nightcap at Muhlenberg. Wilson ended the game with eight runs in the sixth. The (15-6) Bulldogs finished with 13 hits from eight players. Pat Lengle had two hits and knocked in a pair of runs. The freshman also went the distance on the mound. Lengle allowed two earned runs on four hits with four strikeouts. West Chester commit Jack Gabel provided two hits and three runs. Alex Frantz went 2-for-3 with 2 RBI. Chris Bergstrom took the loss for the (13-8) Cougars. He was charged with five runs, four earned, on nine hits in five innings.

Exeter-7, Berks Catholic-5

The fourth-seeded Eagles went on top 6-1 with four runs in the fourth inning. They had a 7-1 cushion entering the final frame. The (13-6) Saints made it interesting by scoring four times in the top of the seventh. Mason Goodhart was called upon to get the final three outs. He also went 2-for-2 at the plate with a couple of runs. Liam Porter gave up just one run on three hits over six innings. He struck out seven, but walked five. Porter helped himself with a RBI double. Henry Pflomm suffered the loss. He allowed seven runs, five earned, on seven hits in four innings. Exeter improved to (15-6). The Eagles meet Wilson at 4pm on Friday at Owls Field in West Lawn.

Muhlenberg-4, Gov. Mifflin-0

Cole Moody fired another complete game for the (12-7) Muhls. He held the (10-11) Mustangs to three hits. All four of Muhlenberg’s runs came in the bottom of the sixth. Moody and Mike Canfield delivered two-run singles. Cooper Burr chipped in with two hits and a run. RJ Weaver pitched very well for #6 seed Gov. Mifflin before running into trouble in the sixth. Weaver limited the Muhls to six hits while striking out four. The Mustangs were the defending Berks County champions.

Daniel Boone-2, Oley Valley-0

Greyson Bell and Timmy Fries, a pair of southpaws, squared off in a classic pitcher’s duel at Owls Field. Bell tossed a no-hitter with 16 strikeouts and two walks. The 6’2 lefty showed why he’s ranked as one of the top prospects in the Class of 2028. Fries was taken out after throwing 75 pitches in six innings. The Lebanon Valley College commit gave up just two hits and a walk while striking out seven. The seventh-seeded Blazers scored twice in the top of the seventh on wild pitches by Gryffin Cappellano. Chase Yenser had all three of Daniel Boone’s hits. He also scored a run. The (10-10) Blazers will take on Muhlenberg in the second semifinal game at Owls Field on Friday.

Wilson has dropped three in a row after winning twelve consecutive games. The (13-6, 9-3) Bulldogs were outscored 23-to-1 by Gov. Mifflin and Reading this week. Wilson sent Ben Kulp to the mound on Friday. The West Chester commit entered the Senior Night contest with a (6-0) record and a 1.32 ERA. Gavin Moody made his first appearance for the (10-7, 9-3) Muhls. “I borrowed the opener idea. The goal was to get to Rosenberry for the fourth inning and ride him to the finish. At this point in the season, you get a little thin in pitching so we put Gavin in a tough spot. I thought Marv did a great job for the two innings to steady things,” noted Kopetsky. Moody hit Jack Gabel with a pitch to begin the bottom of the first. He then walked two batters, but limited the damage to one run on a passed ball. Frias tossed a pair of scoreless innings without allowing a hit. The junior lefty walked three and hit a batter.

John Martin, Muhlenberg’s designated hitter, stroked a two-run single to right field in the fourth. The lead didn’t last long for the Muhls. A wild pitch by Ryan Rosenberry tied it up at 2-2 in the bottom half of the frame. The Bulldogs made three errors in the fifth which put them in a 3-2 deficit. After Kulp doubled down the right field line in the bottom of the fifth, Tim Lengle ripped a RBI triple to right-center. A wild pitch put Wilson on top 4-3.

Muhlenberg loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth. Kulp had to exit after reaching the 100 pitch limit. Ben Shaub came out of the Bulldogs’ bullpen and struck out Rosenberry for the first out. That set the stage for Burr. His double fell just out of the reach of speedy right fielder Aidan Incledon. Rosenberry got three ground ball outs in the bottom of the seventh to retire Wilson in order. The Bulldogs, who came into the night with a .349 team batting average, were limited to three hits. Kulp went 1-for-2 with two walks. Burr provided two of the Muhls’ five hits. Kulp was charged with six runs, one earned, on four hits over five innings. The 6’2, 215-pound righty finished with eight strikeouts and a pair of walks. Wilson committed four errors, while Muhlenberg made none.

Both teams are headed to the BCIAA playoffs. The Berks County quarterfinals are set for Thursday, May 7th. The Muhls wrapped up a playoff berth on Tuesday with a 2-0 victory at Exeter. “Now you’re seeing a loose team. Now you’re seeing a team that’s hungry, a team that’s aggressive, a team that’s got some spirit. They’re a fun bunch. They can do some damage,” said Kopetsky.

Wednesday, April 29th:

Reading vs. Wilson-4:15pm

Gov. Mifflin vs. Daniel Boone-7pm

Friday, May 1st:

Oley Valley vs. Brandywine Heights-4:15pm

Muhlenberg vs. Wilson-7pm

The Bulldogs will be honoring their senior players at this game.

Saturday, May 2nd:

Hamburg vs. Tulpehocken-3pm

Schuylkill Valley vs. Berks Catholic-6pm

The (10-4) Eagles jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Jake Hafer, an East Stroudsburg commit, ripped a double down the right field line and Jake Franek followed with a triple to right. Franek scored on Brandon Weller’s hard ground ball to shortstop. Hafer, Franek, and Matt Woram had two hits apiece. The rest of Exeter’s lineup produced just one hit. Wilson piled up 13 hits. Eight players had at least one hit for the Bulldogs. Aidan Incledon went 3-for-4 with a walk and four runs. The speedy senior outfielder was struggling in the classroom last year and got cut from the team. Incledon is now hitting second in Wilson’s lineup and has a .500 batting average. Freshman Pat Lengle was 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs. He’s also hitting .500 this spring. Spohn, Ben Kulp, and Ryan Marmolejos added two hits apiece against the Eagles. Spohn, who’s hitting .404, drove in four runs in the first frame. Kulp, a West Chester commit, knocked in three runs and scored two more.

Hafer entered the game with a (4-0) record and a 1.94 ERA. The southpaw only managed to get two outs. Hafer allowed seven runs on three hits and four walks. Jack Gabel and Incledon walked to begin the bottom of the first inning. Kulp lofted a bloop single to right to make it 2-1. Spohn’s two-run double down the third base line put the Bulldogs in front 3-2. “We’ve seen some good pitchers this year. He’s a great pitcher, but we have guys who can really hit. We were confident at the plate and good things happened,” explained Spohn. A two-run single to left field by Marmolejos gave Wilson a 5-2 edge. After a walk to No. 9 hitter Zach Troutman, Hafer was replaced by sophomore Balin Mann. Gabel’s bloop single to right made it 6-2. Incledon followed with a RBI single and Kulp delivered a two-run single through the left side for a 9-2 advantage. Matt Mallis walked with the bases loaded before Spohn hit a two-run single through the right side for a 12-2 cushion. Mann was taken out and junior Ethan Ramos got the final out of the first inning. Mann was charged with five runs on four hits and a pair of walks. Ramos limited the Bulldogs to one run on three hits over 3.1 innings.

A RBI double to center by Tim Lengle put Wilson on top 13-2 in the second. Exeter responded with four runs in the third. Woram dropped a RBI single into left field and a wild pitch by Gabel made it 13-4. The Eagles tacked on two runs on Mason Goodhart’s grounder to shortstop. The Bulldogs made two throwing errors on the play. Gabel gave up six runs, four earned, on seven hits in five innings. The West Chester commit had six strikeouts to surpass 100 for his career. Gabel, who reached base three times on Monday, is hitting .408 this season.

Marmolejos drilled a triple to right-center and scored on a wild pitch by Ben Ruppert in the fifth. Wilson ended the contest with two runs in the sixth. Mallis hit a long fly ball to right field for a RBI single and a 16-6 margin. The Bulldogs outscored the Eagles 30-to-11 in two matchups this year. Exeter had won four straight and eight of its previous nine games coming into the week.

Wilson ended up (14-8) a season ago. The Bulldogs lost in the BCIAA quarterfinals and the District 3-6A quarterfinals. “I know as a senior and a captain that we had to turn things around. Last year, we didn’t have a great result and we came in super hungry. This is my last baseball season. I’m trying to leave everything out there,” said Spohn.

Muhlenberg defeated Fleetwood 9-5 in Laureldale. Cole Moody went 3-for-3. He scored two runs and drove in another. Mike Canfield provided two of the Muhls’ twelve hits. The sophomore ended up with 4 RBI.

Exeter blew out Twin Valley 16-6 in five innings. The Eagles erupted for ten runs in the fourth. They piled up 17 hits. Jake Hafer was 4-for-4 with three runs. Jake Franek and Brandon Weller added three hits apiece.

Reading shut out Conrad Weiser 7-0. The (4-5) Red Knights look for their third straight win tonight. They face Harrisburg at FirstEnergy Stadium at 6pm.

Brandywine Heights beat Hamburg 10-6. A couple of sophomores had big games for the Bullets. Jaxton Henry racked up four hits and scored twice. John Miltenberger contributed three hits and knocked in three runs. Ethan Bollinger hurled a complete game. All six of the runs that he gave up were unearned.

Kutztown took down Tulpehocken 14-4 in five innings. The Cougars got off to a fast start with six runs in the first inning. Kaden Kerecz went 3-for-3 with three runs and three RBI. Zane Cherrie also drove in three runs.

Schuylkill Valley got past Antietam 6-4. Alex Aletras limited the Mounts to one run on one hit over 4.2 innings. Derek Grim had two hits and two runs.

Oley Valley doubled up Wyomissing 6-3. You can read the full story on my website, along with an interview with southpaw Timmy Fries.