More honors for Reading’s Ruben Rodriguez at RBBA banquet

The vote for the annual Dr. Richard Kleppinger Award as Berks County’s top senior boys basketball player can often be close, but not this year. This time it was unanimous.

Reading High’s Ruben Rodriguez towered above the competition, leading the Berks Conference in scoring for a second straight season and taking home three gold medals – for county, district and state championships.

“It’s just a blessing to end my career the way I did,” he said in accepting the award, and the $2,500 scholarship that goes with it, Wednesday at the annual Reading Berks Basketball Association Winter Shindig at Victor Emmanuel II Beneficial Society.

Rodriguez scored the last of his 2,008 points Saturday in Reading’s 63-56 overtime victory over Roman Catholic. A missed throw by Roman’s best player, Xzayvier Brown, with 1.7 seconds remaining let the Red Knights off the hook and sent the game into OT.

“God was with us a lot this year,” Rodriguez said humbly. “He led the way for us and we just did what we did.”

Rodriguez towered over everyone in the room, except perhaps former Reading High great Stu Jackson, who was on hand to honor Red Knights teammate Francisco Molina.

Molina, a longtime youth coach and currently an assistant at Muhlenberg, received the RBBA’s Distinguished Achievement Award, as did Kevin Quimby and Michael Kuhn.

Quimby, who played at Wilson and Alvernia, has coached basketball for 22 years. He was head coach at Tulpehocken and is currently an assistant coach at Wilson. Kuhn played at Holy Name and went on to play soccer at Mount Saint Mary’s.

Paula Ogeka, an official for 23 years, received the Robert W. Harbach Jr. Award, in recognition of her dedication and work ethic.

Longtime basketball official and Berks Chapter commissioner Mike Schorn received the Dr. Richard P. Flannery Memorial Award for his vast contributions to Berks County basketball and mentorship of young officials over the years.

It was announced that the RBBA’s Coaches vs. Cancer initiative, headed by Greg Galtere, raised over $14,000. Fifteen Berks high schools, along with Albright and Alvernia, took part in the fundraising.

Jackson was the second recipient of the Kleppinger Award, in 1973, and one of four recipients who have had careers in the NBA.

Donyell Marshall, the 1991 recipient, played in the league and Lonnie Walker IV (2017) currently plays for the Los Angeles Lakers. Chris Finch, the 1988 recipient, currently coaches the Minnesota Timberwolves. Jackson coached the New York Knicks and later worked as an executive for the league.

Recent winners of the award include Muhlenberg’s Edwin Suarez, Wilson’s Stevie Mitchell and Evin Timochenko, Reading High’s Wesley Butler and Berks Catholic’s Keba Mitchell.