New coach hopes success of Antietam boys basketball team can spark girls’ program
By Sean McBryan — MikeDragoSports.com correspondent
Antietam’s girls basketball team last made the district playoffs four seasons ago. Two years before that the Mounts appeared in the Berks playoffs for the second time since 2004 and made districts.
Tim Rivera hopes to bring that type of success back to Stony Creek as Antietam’s new head coach. He takes over for Greg Swavely, who went 23-37 in three seasons.
Antietam went 1-16 last season and suspended play the year before because of COVID-19. On top of that Antietam’s top two players from last year, juniors Jayleeah Tiburcio and Naomi Hopkins, have transferred to Reading High.
“I’m inheriting a lot of freshmen, with one or two sophomores,” Rivera said. “So a very, very young team. I know there’s not much expectation, but to me that’s no excuse to not be competitive. Obviously, we’re not going to win every game, but we’ll definitely be competitive every game, play hard, and play fast.”
Rivera grew up near the Antietam-Reading border, graduated from Reading High in 2006 and still lives in the area. His background includes coaching in Reading youth programs and running the Penn Playmakers AAU.
“Growing up in Reading, watching basketball where they push, push, push,” he said. “That’s what I want to bring to Antietam.”
Rivera, 32, was an assistant coach with the Antietam boys last season.
“I think it was the most (successful) season in a decade,” Rivera said. “We were division winners, lost in the district championship and made it to states.
“I think Coach (Mike) Green is one of the best coaches in the county. I learned a lot from him. I saw the head varsity position open for the girls and I enjoy challenges. I figured you can’t get a much bigger challenge than that.”
Antietam’s boys have a great run going with district final appearances in 2019, 2021 and 2022; they made the state tournament in 2019 and last season. The goal is to build toward that type of success on the girls’ side.
“The boys are winning,” Rivera said. “There’s people watching the games. I think it goes hand in hand. The success of the boys program gets the girls out. The girls support the boys, the boys go to the girls games. And it’s such a small town. Everybody knows each other, everybody’s neighbors. The success of any sports team definitely gets the town buzzing.”
Rivera works at the Olivet Boys & Girls Club of Reading & Berks County and is passionate about guiding young people.
“Working with the youth is just kind of my thing,” Rivera said. “I think our youth are our most vulnerable so any way I can be a mentor or be around the kids, honestly that’s just something I look forward to doing. It’s just something I’m passionate about, (seeing) them reach their potential.”
The Mounts have one returner in sophomore Alyzah Reyes, who played in 12 games last year. Rivera has been impressed with sophomore Airyana Jones and freshmen Kelyse Williams and Jisayree Santiago in offseason open gyms.
Assistant coach Troy Goodman, the Director of Antietam’s boys and girls youth programs for eight years, will provide help on the bench.
The Mounts open the season against Daniel Boone and first-year head coach Matt Bowe, giving the two Berks squads which combined for one win a year ago a chance to match that total in the season-opener.
“I’m not going to put too much pressure on the girls or myself, especially in our first year when we’re trying to test the waters,” Rivera said. “Just have fun first.”
