10 Questions with Reading High’s Joey Chapman, presented by Diamond Credit Union
Each Wednesday MikeDragoSports.com goes one-on-one with a Berks boys basketball player to find out what’s on his mind — on the court and off.
Presented by Diamond Credit Union
Joey Chapman, Reading High
Senior guard
Q: What’s the hardest thing about being a basketball player at Reading High?
Waking up at 4 a.m to be on time for practice at 5, along with the conditioning. Not many can handle the discipline or intensity, I promise you that.
Q: Your first game as a freshman was at Chester, and your first shot was a 3-pointer (which you made). What do you remember most about that game?
What I remember most is that we were losing and I was nervous. I didn’t think that I wasn’t going to get into the game, but my time came and I just played my best to help my team.
Q: If you could hang out with any celebrity or pro athlete for the day, who would it be and what would you do?
It would be Stephen Curry, and he would teach me how to shoot.
Q: What’s the one thing Coach P has said to you that you think you’ll remember 20 years from now?
I am at my best when I smile.
Q: Who’s the hardest-working player on your team?
Xavier Davis. Every workout, every practice, anything we do he gives it his all every time. The intensity he brings to every game is unmatched, and his leadership is like having a coach on the floor.
Q: What was the first Reading High game you went to at the Geigle?
The first Reading High game I went to was when I played on the Reading Youth and it was youth night. The game was packed and I was just like, ‘Wow.’ I never ever thought I would be in the same position as the guys as I was watching when I was 12 years old.
Q: Who’s the best player you ever had to guard in a high school game?
The hardest players I had to guard in a high school game would probably be last year when we played Archbishop Wood in the state championship game.
Q: When are you more nervous: At the foul line in the final seconds of a close game or trying to finish a math exam with time running out?
For sure, at the foul line! Too much pressure, especially when the game is on the line.
Q: Which of your teammates would be toughest to guard in a real game?
Daniel (Alcantara) and Ruben. (Rodriguez). Daniel, because he is tall so he would try to post me up; Ruben wouldn’t be able to do that, but he is fast and athletic. They both would be tough to guard — but I would lock them both up, for sure!
Q: What’s the one thing you’ll miss most about high school basketball?
My teammates, coaching staff, the city of Reading and their support over the years.
10 Questions, presented by Diamond Credit Union, appears each week on MikeDragoSports.com throughout the 2021-2022 basketball season.
