Reading defeated Wood 64-58 on January 22nd at the Geigle Complex. Ruben Rodriguez led the way with 19 points. Daniel Alcantara and Myles Grey had 15 apiece. Alcantara broke his left hand after a dunk against Wilson in the District 3 quarterfinals on February 25th. The 6’5 forward ended his career with 1,056 points. Alcantara was a third team all-state selection last year. Jalil Bethea scored a team-high 13 points in the late January loss to the Red Knights. The 6’4 sophomore guard dropped 23 on Plymouth-Whitemarsh in the opening round of the PIAA playoffs. Bethea knocked down four 3-pointers.

Reading is riding an eight-game winning streak. The Red Knights captured their 24th Berks Conference championship by defeating Berks Catholic for the third time this season. They went on to claim their record 23rd District 3 title with a 68-43 rout of Warwick at the Giant Center in Hershey. Reading took care of Downingtown West 56-42 in the first round of the state tournament. Rodriguez erupted for 23 points, increasing his career total to 1,270. The 6’1 junior is the top scorer in Berks County at nearly 20 points per game. He was named first team all-state last year. Grey provided eleven points vs. the Whippets. The 5’11 junior has hit 56 triples this season, third-most in the Berks Conference. Seniors Joey Chapman and Xavier Davis play much bigger than their size. Chapman set a career-high with 19 points in the District 3 Final. The Red Knights are the highest-scoring team in the county at just under 71 points per game.

Archbishop Wood is from the rugged Philadelphia Catholic League which produces multiple Division I players every year. John Mosco’s squad finished third in the league standings with an (11-2) mark. The Vikings fell to Archbishop Ryan 74-73 in the PCL quarterfinals. Justin Moore leads Wood in points (16), assists (6), and steals (2) per game. The 6’2 senior guard is committed to Drexel. He reached 1,000 points early last month. Moore is a first team All-Catholic League pick. This is his third school in as many years. Moore attended Cheltenham for his freshman and sophomore years. He then transferred to Bishop McDevitt in the PCL and averaged 12ppg. as a junior. When that school was closed, Moore took his talents to Wood. Bethea is the Vikings’ second-leading scorer at 13 points a night. He’s connected more than 70 times from beyond the arc. Bethea shoots over 40% from long distance. 6’4 senior Mike Knouse is another threat from downtown. Carson Howard gives Wood an inside presence at 6’7. The junior contributes nine points and eight rebounds per game. Howard is on the second team All-Catholic League roster. Bethea and Bahsil Laster were third team selections. Laster is a 6’4 junior guard who puts up eight points and dishes out four assists a night.

The Vikings are a remarkable (14-2) all-time in the PIAA playoffs. They won the 5A championship in 2017. Wood was a state runner-up last year and in 2019. Reading took home state gold from the Giant Center last season and in 2017 with Lonnie Walker. The Red Knights finished second in 1973 and 1934. They’re (55-42) in the state playoffs.

Reading held off Wood 58-57 in last year’s state final, but these are much different teams. The Vikings lost all five starters to graduation including four Division I players. The Red Knights had to replace rebounding machine Moro Osumanu (West Chester University) and Rene Rodriguez. Plus, Alcantara is out of the lineup with a left hand injury. Head coach Rick Perez is going for win #250 on Sunday. Jim Gano holds the school record with 251 victories. Perez is (249-72) over eleven seasons at Reading.