Where do Exeter Eagles fit within the Berks boys basketball hierarchy?

Reading High . . . Berks Catholic . . . Wilson . . . Exeter.

Which one doesn’t belong?

If you’re talking Berks Conference championship games, the Red Knights certainly belong. They’re a virtual staple. They’ve reached seven of the last eight, 10 of the last 13, 13 of the last 16 title games. They own a record 24 Berks championships. The Santander Arena is their second home.

The Bulldogs? They’ve made it to three straight title games. They have claimed 10 titles, the two most recent coming in 2021 and 2020 when Stevie Mitchell ran the show.

The Saints? They matched a Berks record by reaching the championship game eight straight seasons, from 2012-19. And their coach, Snip Esterly, has appeared in more county title games than any other coach.

Anyone who grew up watching “Sesame Street” knows it’s the Exeter Eagles who don’t belong. They haven’t played for a Berks championship since . . . 1974?

Heck, Bert and Ernie were newbies back then.

Oley Valley, Schuylkill Valley and Daniel Boone have played for the Berks title since the Eagles last did; so have Central Catholic and Holy Name, who haven’t fielded teams in more than a dozen years.

The Eagles played in the shadows of the Red Knights, Bulldogs, Blue Jays and Saints for decades. The few times they did crack the Berks playoff field they didn’t do well. Did you realize they’ve never won a league semifinal?

They’ll put that drought to the test Wednesday when they meet Berks II rival Berks Catholic in the opening game of a BCIAA semifinal doubleheader at Santander Arena at 6.

The Berks I champion Red Knights (22-1), favorites for a second straight title since polishing off the last one 52 weeks ago, meet the Berks I runner-up Bulldogs (17-6) in the second game.

The Eagles might not have a trophy case as big as the other semifinalists but their current resume is up-to-date; they know they can challenge and beat any of the contenders.

They were up eight in the first half against Reading High in early January before the Red Knights came back for a 65-60 win. They topped Wilson 48-35 in West Lawn Jan. 27 (the Bulldogs were without Cam Jones that night). And they finally snapped a lengthy losing streak against the Saints, beating them 49-45 less than two weeks ago at Wolf Gymnasium.

The Eagles (18-5) are playing their best ball of the season, with eight straight wins – the latest a 33-point pounding of Oley Valley in the quarterfinals – and 12 victories in their last 13 games.

They have a balanced, battle-tested lineup that banged its way to the state tournament a year ago. They have the league’s most imposing big man, 6-6 Delaware football recruit Anthony Caccese, who leads the team in scoring (12.0), rebounds and blocked shots. They have three outside snipers who have knocked down 30 or more 3-pointers. And they play defense as well as anyone in the league.

Oh, and they’re confident, too.

“We don’t go into any game thinking we’re going to lose,” said junior forward Reece Garvin, who scored a career-high 20 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the 68-35 win over Oley Valley. “We just have that in us this year. We don’t think anyone can take us down.”

The Saints (20-3) can. And did. They beat Exeter 73-63 at Reiffton in December. They have a veteran lineup, with a pair of three-year starters, Josiah Jordan and Ryan Koch. Jordan is the program’s all-time scoring leader; Koch is the program’s all-time leader in 3-pointers.

The Saints avenged one of their three losses in the first round when they dismissed Muhlenberg 65-48. They’re looking for payback after losing to Exeter cost them the Berks II title.

The Bulldogs missed out on the semifinals last season when they were upset by Exeter in quarterfinals. They’ve had a strong season despite playing the first half of it without Jones, an all-division guard who couldn’t play until early January due to a football injury. Aiden Melograna has 53 3-pointers and leads a balanced scoring attack.

Wilson survived a first-round thriller when Ofure Odiale blocked a shot in the final seconds to preserve a 54-53 win at Fleetwood.

Reading remains the top dog, even after some close calls in league play. The Red Knights have won 13 straight and haven’t lost to a Pennsylvania team. They’re coming off one of the best regular seasons in program history. With All-State guard Ruben Rodriguez and a strong cast around him they are positioned for an extended playoff run.

So, too, is Exeter. It’s ranked third in the District 3 Class 5A power ratings and figures to challenge for that title. First, it wants to play for the Berks trophy.

“Our goal is to be playing on Friday night,” Exeter coach Matt Ashcroft said when asked about a third meeting with Berks Catholic. “We want to come out with energy, with enthusiasm; we want to play together. If we do those things we like our chances.”