Hoop Notes: Saints back on top; Esterly moving up; 1,000-point watch

Berks Catholic’s 68-56 win Wednesday at Lancaster Mennonite was significant for several reasons. The Saints improved to 6-0, their best start since their first season in 2011-12 when they won their first 14.

The win came on the road, against the defending District 3 Class 2A champs, and one night after a pulsating 72-70 league win over Gov. Mifflin.

None of that would normally jump out off the page for a program that averaged 22 wins over its first nine seasons.

It’s noteworthy this year because the Saints are coming off a season that saw them finish 6-11. With Wednesday’s win they’ve already matched last year’s win total.

“We just have a lot more experience this year, and we all got a lot better over the summer,” said Berks Catholic senior Aidan Sands after recording eight assists and 12 points in the win over Mifflin. “We just want it more this year, too.”

The Saints had never experienced a losing season before last year. They debuted in 2011 and, powered by Donovon Jack and then Nana Foulland, won league and district titles their first two seasons. They won division titles in each of their first nine seasons.

Last year was a different story. They were young, saw several key players transfer out at the beginning of the season and were thrown in with the wolves in Division I of the Berks Conference. Like everyone else they couldn’t keep up with the likes of Reading High and Wilson.

It’s been different this season. The Saints returned their top four scorers and, as Sands pointed out, they’ve all stepped up their games. They showed that during the summer season when they beat Wilson for the West Reading League championship.

Junior guard Josiah Jordan has taken his game up a rung and is averaging a team-best 16.0 points.

Sands has developed his all-around game and is averaging 14.0 points; the 6-3 wing rebounds like a big and passes like a point guard.

Ryan Koch, a 6-3 junior, gives them yet another deep threat; he’s averaging 14.2 points and has 13 3’s, among the most in the league.

The schedule has been demanding, too. Four of their wins have come on the road. The first came against Loyalsock, the defending PIAA Class 3 A champ and a team that had lost just twice in the previous two seasons. They also won at Lancaster Catholic and Pottsville, two of the better programs around.

Berks Catholic is ranked No. 1 in the District 3 Class 4A power ratings; its .684 strength-of-schedule rating is one of the best in the district and higher than just a handful of Class 6A teams.

“Last year we had some bumpy roads,” said Jordan, “but we’re here to play now.”

Cracking the Top 10

Berks Catholic’s fast start has pushed head coach Snip Esterly into ninth place among the all-time winningest boys basketball coaches in Pennsylvania history. With 752 wins he’s two behind the legendary Speedy Morris, who retired following the 2020 weason with 754 wins.

Esterly, now in his 33rd season, ranks second among District 3 coaches. The only one with more wins is Trinity’s Larry Kostelac, who’s at 762. Kostelac ranks No. 6 all-time in PA.

By season’s end Esterly should pass Morris and No. 7 Julius Prezelski of Forest City.

Esterly has beaten at least four of the coaches ahead of him on the all-time wins list: No. 1 Ron Insinger of Loyalsock, No. 2 Tony Chapman of Holy Ghost Prep, Kostelac and Morris. He has lost several match-ups against No. 4 Ken Bianchi of Abington Heights.

Heading for 1,000

Antietam’s Hector Tiburcio was the lone Berks player to enter the season with 1,000 career points. He’s now at 1,103 points. That’s No. 6 in program history and second-most among Antietam players, trailing only Andy Wrobel (1,309). He has a chance to top Fred Wittich’s program record of 1,495.

(Mount Penn became Antietam in 1989-90; it is still considered the same program.)

Tiburcio didn’t play Tuesday against Brandywine Heights, for unspecified reasons, and is not expected to play Thursday vs. Daniel Boone.

Several other Berks players have a chance to hit 1,000 this season, two on the same team.

Senior Daniel Alcanatara enters the Reading High Holiday Tournament next week with 804 points. Teammate Ruben Rodriguez, a junior, has 698.

Tulpehocken senior Bryce Mellen has 752 career points. Only two Tulpehocken players have reached the 1,000-point milestone in the last 20 seasons: Brady Haughney (2007) and Robert Ekvall (2015).

Division shuffle

The Berks Conference will have a different look for the 2022-23 season. Berks Catholic and Exeter are moving to Berks II, from Berks I; Muhlenberg is returning to Berks I, from Berks II.

Berks I will have four teams; Berks II will have five.

By enrollment Berks Catholic qualifies for Berks III but the school petitioned to play in Berks II, and was granted that request by the BCIAA.

Fleetwood, which is large enough to fit into Berks II, petitioned to remain in Berks III and was granted that request.

Class 4A battle heating up

Two of top contenders for the District 3 Class 4A title, Middletown and Bishop McDevitt, met Wednesday, with the Blue Raiders winning 57-49. They figure to be in a battle with Berks Catholic for the top seed in Class 4A.