Boys basketball: Berks IV team-by-team preview capsules
Berks IV
Oley Valley Lynx
Coach: Matt Barrell, 10th season, 66-118.
Last season: 5-7 Berks IV, 13-10 overall.
PIAA classification: 3A.
Last D3 playoff appearance/victory: 2022/2007.
Key loss: All-Division G Danny Turchi.
Top players: 6-0 Sr. G Chase Reifsnyder, 6-1 Sr. PG Jaden Kelly.
Key players: 6-0 Sr. G Chase Rubendall, 6-1 Sr. G/F Keith Neal, 6-3 Jr. F Davey Turchi, 5-6 Jr. PG Johnny Turchi, 5-11 Soph. G Ben DeBalko, 5-8 Sr. G Ethan Gallardo.
Outlook: Lynx had a productive summer, with a strong showing at Cedar Beach and with Chase Rubendall, Jaden Kelly and Ben DeBalko earning All-Star nods in the West Reading Summer League. Replacing 1,000-point scoring Danny Turchi won’t be easy, and they’ll start the season without injured Chase Reifsnyder. In a division in flux, they have more reliable pieces than any other team.
Kutztown Cougars
Coach: Craig Mogel, fourth season, 21-43.
Last season: 5-7 Berks IV, 13-10 overall.
PIAA classification: 3A.
Last D3 playoff appearance/victory: 2022/2019.
Key losses: All-division G Xavier Goodman, G Grant Fitzgerald.
Top players: 6-6 Sr. C Andrew Fleming, 6-6 Sr. G/F Myles Schmidt.
Key players: 6-1 Sr. G/F Dalton Furst, 5-11 Sr. G Ethen Miller, 5-9 Jr. G E.J. Miranda, 5-7 Jr. G Phoenix Kellogg.
Outlook: The Cougars improved by 10 wins a year ago and had a big second half, winning 10 of their final 12 games to squeeze into districts. They have to replace their top scorer and rebounder, Xavier Goodman, but bring back the biggest front court in the division.
Antietam Mounts
Coach: Mike Green, 10th season, 128-106.
Last season: 10-2 Berks IV champ, 20-6 overall.
PIAA classification: 2A.
Last D3 playoff appearance/victory: 2022/2022.
Key losses: All-Berks F Hector Tiburcio, all-division F Joshua McKoy, G Kingston McKoy.
Top player: 6-3 Sr. F Jovan Hollis.
Key players: 6-2 Jr. F Noah Archambault, 5-7 Sr. G Carson Lubas, 6-0 Sr. F Kyle Lash, 6-4 Soph. Julious Williams, 5-7 Soph. G Jowen Reyes-Rodriguez, 5-7 Soph. G Shawn Raffety.
Outlook: Mounts took some big offseason hits with graduation of four-year starter and 1,400-point scorer Hector Tiburcio and the transfer of Joshua and Kingston McCoy to Berks Catholic. Rather than division favorite they’ll now be scrambling to get back to the Berks playoffs.
Tulpehocken Trojans
Coach: Nate Miller, first season.
Last season: 8-4 Berks IV, 19-7 overall.
PIAA classification: 3A.
Last District 3 playoff appearance/victory: 2022/2022.
Key losses: All-Division F Bryce Mellen, G Aidan Miller.
Top player: All-Division 6-1 Jr. G David Bednarczyk.
Key players: 5-9 Sr. PG Nolan Sweitzer, 6-1 Sr. G Noah Addis, 5-11 Sr. G Nasir Evans, 6-4 Jr. F Lucas Werner, 6-3 Sr. F Noah Addis, 6-1 Soph. Aidan Schwalm, 5-5 Soph. G Calvin Kampe, 5-6 Fr. G Brayden Sweitzer.
Outlook: Trojans won a district playoff game for the first time in 15 years last season but they’ve lost a couple of key parts since then and had a late coaching change. They’ll rely a lot of David Bednarczyk, whose 16.5 scoring average is third-highest among returning players in the league.
Brandywine Heights Bullets
Coach: Dave Mosely, second season, 7-16.
Last season: 2-10 Berks IV, 7-16 overall.
PIAA classification: 3A.
Last District 3 playoff appearance/victory: 2021/2020.
Key losses: All-Division G Spencer Miller, C Gunnar Wetzel.
Key players: 5-9 Soph. G Jayden Kantner, 5-11 Fr. G Noah Walakovitz, 5-11 Fr. F Scotty Ray, 5-8 Fr. G Nate Winkler, 5-8 Soph. G Tommy Clark, 5-7 Fr. G Brecken Hermany, 6-0 Soph. G Cody Levengood, 6-0 Jr. F Seamus Coffin.
Outlook: The Bullets are as green as Kermit the Frog after seeing eight seniors leave the program. They could have three or more freshman on the court, none taller than 6-foot. Only one senior on the roster. A true rebuilding season.