Muhlenberg opens District 3 Tournament as ‘scariest 12th seed that could be produced’
When Edwin Suarez was on the floor last week in a Berks Conference semifinal, Muhlenberg outscored Reading High.
When the 6-6 senior center was on the bench, in foul trouble, it wasn’t close; the Muhls couldn’t keep up.
The task now for the 12th-seeded Muhls as they open play in the District 3 Class 6A Tournament Tuesday at Cedar Cliff is to find a way to keep one of the best post players in the district out there competing.
“He is a difference-maker,” said Muhls coach Matt Flowers of Suarez, his leading scorer, rebounder and shot blocker. “We have to do a better job of putting him in situations and spaces on the floor. He still has to play aggressive but he has to become more mature.”
Also Wednesday in Class 6A, No. 9 Wilson opens at No. 8 Waynesboro. Teams which lose in Wednesday’s opening round are done for the season.
Suarez’s presence will be as important as ever against the fifth-seeded Colts (19-4), who have a big presence in the middle themselves: 6-9 senior Tyler Houser, a Virginia Military Institute recruit. He’s Cedar Cliff’s leading scorer and led the team to the Mid-Penn Conference championship last week.
Houser is a three-year starter and the best player in the Mid-Penn Keystone, says his coach Tigh Savercool.
“You can’t coach passion, and he’s got a strong passion and love for the game,” Savercool, the former Tulpehocken coach, said on a recent episode of the Mike Drago Sports Podcast.
“He’s a supremely skilled basketball player. He’s been a steady and reliable producer for us.”
“He’s a house,” said Flowers of Houser. “He’s throwing his body around, he steps out and shoots the ball, his guards are feeding him.
“We have to play really aggressive, touch him at all times, impose our strength and what we do well on him.”
The Muhls (18-6) do a lot of things well. It’s not a one-man show, though two-time All-Berks pick Suarez can be dominant. They play aggressive fullcourt defense, run the floor and shoot 3’s.
Junior point guard J’Daniel Mosquera is one of Berks’ most-improved players; he was outstanding in the Muhls’ 63-61 regular season win over Reading High, and again in the Berks playoffs, in a win over Fleetwood and a loss to the Red Knights. He scored a team-high 17 points in the semifinals.
“Dan-Dan is gaining more and more confidence every single day,” Flowers said. “He’s stepping into his 3-pointer, he’s hitting his floater, he’s taking the guard to the basket. He’s hitting all three phases of the game on the offensive side.
“He’s understanding its time to go. He’s a (relative) senior now (because of his experience); he’s no longer (considered) a junior; we’re in the postseason.”
The Muhls are making their fourth straight trip to the district playoffs. They won the Class 5A title in 2020 and opened last year’s Class 6A tournament with a win over Cedar Cliff, despite not having Suarez available. He was ruled ineligible because he transferred from Reading High following his sophomore year.
The Muhls beat the Colts 70-44 last year but only one player who scored for Muhlenberg in that game is back, Eric Branch. Flowers is in his first season as head coach and the Muhls look a lot different than they did at this time last year.
“They still shoot a lot of 3’s, they’re very athletic, but you can tell they’re more engaged defensively this year,” Savercool said. “There are pieces that are similar, but their style is different.”
The Muhls come in as the lowest-seeded team in the 12-team bracket, in large part because they played several lowly ranked teams, which dragged down their power rating. Each of their three Berks II rivals — Twin Valley, Conrad Weiser and Daniel Boone — finished with losing records. Their non-league schedule included games against Ephrata (6-16), Solanco (2-18), Susquehanna Township (5-17) and Dieruff (4-14). Boone didn’t win a game and had the lowest power rating of any of the district’s 33 Class 5A teams.
Savercool is not fooled by the Muhls’ seeding.
“I think it’s obvious: Muhlenberg’s one of the best teams in the state,” he said. “They’re the scariest 12th seed that could be produced. They’re a very, very good squad.”
Flowers said he and his players are not thinking about that No. 12 seeding, either.
“It has not been discussed,” he said. “No seed matters to us. We’re just glad to play another 32 minutes and God-willing we get blessed with another 32 minutes (if we win).
“I believe we’re playing really good basketball right now. As long as our poise and togetherness stays strong I believe we’ll be fine.”
Wilson has reached the last two District 3 Class 6A championship games, with a win over Reading in 2020, but enters this tournament on a three-game losing streak.
The Bulldogs (14-8) played much better in the second half of the season, winning 10-of-11 at one point, capped by a 60-56 overtime win over Methacton, the No. 1 seed in District 1.
They lost at Berks Catholic and at Reading High the final week of the regular season, then were upended by Exeter 55-51 in the Berks quarterfinals.
Waynesboro (17-4) tied for first place in the Mid-Penn Colonial Division with Shippensburg. The Indians knocked off Shippensburg 60-50 late in the season.