Reading High faces busy, challenging weekend vs. Mikey Williams, Archbishop Wood
Reading High was playing at a high level when the season tipped. It knocked off Imhotep Charter 60-57 in its season opener and beat La Salle College by 20 points a week later.
Disciple problems interrupted that momentum, starters Daniel Alcantara and Joey Chapman were benched and the Red Knights lost games to Devon Prep and Lower Merion.
| Geigle Classic | Saturday schedule | ||
| 12:30 | Reading High girls | vs. | Allen girls |
| 2:00 | Lower Merion | vs. | Allen |
| 3:30 | McCaskey | vs. | Hazleton |
| 5:00 | Dieruff | vs. | C.D. East |
| 6:30 | Muhlenberg | vs. | Susquehanna Twp. |
| 8:00 | Reading High | vs. | Archbishop Wood |
Both are back now but it likely will take time for the Knights to regain that early season chemistry. They’ll find out how far they have progressed with one of the most challenging weekends they have ever faced.
Friday they play Vertical Academy, a national program, at Santander Arena at 8. One night later its a rematch of last season’s PIAA Class 6A championship when Archbishop Wood appears for the marquee matchup in the Geigle Classic.
That’s two high hurdles, back to back, but Reading coach Rick Perez welcomes the opportunity.
“This is a hooper’s dream,” he said. “We’re not gonna turn down a weekend of great basketball like this. This is what you do. We’re going to embrace that opportunity.”
Friday, Reading plays in the back end of a doubleheader. It starts at 6:15 with Muhlenberg, now coached by former Perez assistant Matt Flowers, facing Executive Education Charter.
Saturday’s there’s a six-game card at the Geigle, starting with the Red Knights girls at 12:30. Muhlenberg will be part of that, as will Dieruff, now coached by former Reading High assistant J’Tai Randall. Lower Merion, which beat Reading on Sunday, has been added to the lineup.
Alcantara, who had 28 points against both Imhotep and La Salle, returned to the starting lineup for a 111-43 win over Daniel Boone Wednesday. Chapman, a three-year starter, came off the bench.
Perez, appearing on the Mike Drago Sports Podcast earlier this week, said that playing without Alcantara, Chapman and key reserve Aris Rodriguez “put some hurdles in the way of our development.”
“We have to get back on track,” he said. “Flow is very important; you want to build momentum. It’s not about winning games at this point, it’s not about being at your best in January. Every game you want to be able to see that we clicked. We have to get back to those things, being more fluid, and playing distraction-free basketball.”
They’ll need to be at their best against Vertical Academy, which features national sensation Mikey Williams, who once scored 77 points in a game as a freshman. He’s a 6-3 junior now with 10 Division I offers and an endorsement contract with Puma.
Vertical Academy, located in Huntersville, N.C., was founded last year by Williams’ father Mahlon. It is unaffiliated with any sanctioned high school athletic association, has a 12-man roster that includes players from California, Texas, Georgia and Kentucky, and plays no home games.
On Saturday Reading faces a rebuilt Archbishop Wood team. The starters from last year’s powerhouse team — which the Red Knights defeated 58-57 — are all gone. But head coach John Mosco has rebuilt quickly and has the Vikings playing well again and in first place in the Catholic League.
“They don’t have the talent level that they had last year,” Perez said, “but they’re playing very good basketball. When we played them they didn’t play a team game. But now they’re playing some amazing team basketball. For them to beat Devon Prep by (10 points), to beat Roman Catholic (64-61), I know we’re gonna go to war both Friday and Saturday. Two different styles, but it’s going to be great basketball.
“We have to get back to playing with a purpose, because that’s our foundation. When we’re playing for each other, when we’re loving each other, when that’s on full display, I feel we can play anyone at any time.”