Reading headed to Chester for PIAA opener; other Berks qualifiers set to hit the road, too
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Get ready to hear the stomp, Red Knights fans: Reading High and Chester are on for the state tournament Saturday afternoon.
The long-time state powers will open the PIAA Class 6A Tournament against each other at 1 at the Clip Joint after the Clippers fell to West Chester Henderson 65-61 Friday night, finalizing the match-up. The Red Knights (19-10) finished fourth in the District 3 Tournament; the Clippers(21-4) finished fourth in District 1.
The PIAA finalized first-round sites and times today.
Each of the Berks Conference’s other four state qualifiers – Exeter and Muhlenberg in Class 5A and Berks Catholic and Fleetwood in Class 4A — will open Friday on the road.
Exeter (18-9), which finished fifth in the District 3 Class 5A Tournament, will open at District 1 runner-up Upper Dublin (19-4) at 7.
Muhlenberg (16-11), the seventh-place finisher in District 3 Class 5A, opens against Central Mountain (23-3), the District 4/6 subregional champ, at Selinsgrove at 7.
Berks Catholic (22-4), the third-place finisher in 4A, opens at District 11 runner-up Blue Mountain (23-4) at 7.
Fleetwood (20-5), which finished fourth in District 3 after a loss to the Saints Thursday, opens at District 2 champ Scranton Prep (16-9) at 7.
Chester has been a Reading High tormentor over the decades but the Red Knights have had the upper hand in the series in recent seasons, with three straight wins.
They did not meet this season. Reading won at the Geigle last season, 71-57.
Reading also won the last time they met in a state tournament game, Lonnie Walker IV leading it to a 73-64 quarterfinal victory at Temple. The Red Knights went on the claim the first of their three state titles.
Overall the teams have met 42 times and the series is tied, though the Clippers hold a painful 6-2 advantage in March games.
The Red Knights enter the tournament as defending champs after beating Roman Catholic in overtime in last year’s title game.
Exeter made a big run last year in the tournament, winning four games before being turned back in the 5A title game by powerhouse Imhotep Charter.
Muhlenberg won its state opener last year, at Unionville, before being eliminated by Imhotep.
Berks Catholic has lost in the opening round of the state tournament in each of the past two seasons, and in its last three trips. The Saints haven’t won a PIAA game since 2018 when they opened with wins over Bartram and Valley View.
Fleetwood lost its state opener last year. The Tigers haven’t won a tournament game in 40 years, since beating Bristol in a second-round game.
