Madison Langdon, Berks Catholic, not about to back down from tough challenges
2023 Berks basketball coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
By Sean McBryan — MikeDragoSports.com correspondent
One key factor that separates the top athletes and teams from the rest is being unafraid to face challenges head-on without the fear of failure.
The elite players and teams welcome it because they know that’s how to improve and desensitize from the high-pressure games and situations that will come down the line, likely in the playoffs at the end of the season.
Berks Catholic junior point guard Madison Langdon has experienced that the past two seasons. Bob Birmingham’s Saints have no fear in scheduling top competition even for the first game of the season.
The Saints fell 47-29 Friday night to the Delone Catholic Squirettes — more on them in a second — at Wolf Gymnasium on opening night for basketball across the state.
“We didn’t want this game to end the way it did — points wise — but we can’t get better and we can’t reach our goals if we don’t play teams like this,” said Langdon, who scored a team-high 10 points. “Delone’s a really good team and they made it far last year.”
Delone went to the District 3 Class 4A championship last season, losing to Wyomissing, which had knocked off the Saints by one point in the previous round. The Squirettes won a state playoff game and have won seven district championships and four state titles; they are one of the premier programs in the state.
The Squirettes full-court pressed the short-handed Saints, who were without one of their top players, Molly McFadden.
Langdon welcomed the challenge. She’s used to it by now.
Berks Catholic opened last season against Plymouth-Whitemarsh, which was coming off a perfect season and state championship in PIAA’s highest classification. She had nine points in a six-point loss. The Saints finished 20-8 overall last year.
In her freshman season, Langdon had four points in an eight-point season-opening win over a West York team that went to the state quarterfinals. In her second varsity game, Langdon faced Delone Catholic; she scored three points in a 13-point loss. Those tough opening games sharpened the Saints, helping them go on to finish 11-1 in Berks I and 21-7 overall.
“We take these games as learning experiences,” Langdon said. “You can only get better playing really good teams. So we’re just going to learn and make corrections.”
Langdon plays basketball and faces top competition year-round. She plays for the Philly-based Lady Runnin Rebels AAU squad in the spring and summer. Since fifth grade she has been training with Villanova’s all-time 3-point leader Adrianna Hahn.
Langdon’s work ethic, combined with her natural athletic, ability have prepared her for a season in which she’ll step in as the Saints’ primary guard, taking over for Caraline Herb, a 1,000-point scorer now playing at Chestnut Hill.
“One thing about Madison that really works well for her and separates her from a lot of other players is her internal drive,” said Hahn, who hit a program-record 311 3’s for the Wildcats from 2015-19. “She’s eager to learn more about the game and takes that beyond the court, not just when she’s playing. She studies college games and she’s a gym rat.”
Langdon also has younger siblings, which Hahn said naturally makes her a leader. That will come in handy in taking the reins as the main point guard, even as a junior.
“Obviously there’s going to be some pressure in replacing Caraline,” Langdon said. “But we’re all just taking what we learned from her, especially leadership, communication, and just working together.”
The next step, Hahn said, is becoming a bit more selfish in the proper way by doing more on the court to control the time and score of the game. The Villanova great is working with Langdon on learning when is the right time to make or demand a certain play.
“She’s gotten so much better at that and that’s what is going to help her get recruited to college,” Hahn said. “I think she can definitely play at a mid-major level like a Drexel, LaSalle, Temple, St. Joe’s. It just takes a coach to believe in her.”
Langdon has toured Richmond and James Madison.
The 5-4 guard hasn’t missed a game in her high school career and increased her scoring from 5.4 points as a freshman to 10.9 last season, second on the team behind Herb. Langdon is working to increase that total again and boost her 3-pointers; she made 16 last year. That’s something she works on with Hahn, who trains athletes through her business, Hahn Hoops.
The goals this season are the same for Langdon, Birmingham, and the Saints as always: Win the division, contend for a district title, and make a run in the state tournament.
Birmingham-led teams have been to the state final twice: In 2018 against Lancaster Catholic and in 1993 with Holy Name, which faced Cranberry.
That’s nothing to scoff at. No other Berks girls team has even reached a state championship game, other than Boyertown, which competes in the Pioneer Athletic Conference and won in 2017.
Friday’s loss doesn’t change those goals.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Berks Catholic | 8 | 2 | 7 | 12 | 29 |
| Delone Catholic | 12 | 15 | 8 | 12 | 47 |
| Squires (1-0) | FG | FT | 3’s | A | R | Points |
| Meckley | 5-11 | 0-0 | 2-4 | 0 | 1 | 12 |
| Jacoby | 2-3 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| Baughman | 6-11 | 0-0 | 4-7 | 2 | 2 | 16 |
| Schwarz | 1-4 | 1-2 | 0-1 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Hughes | 1-3 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| Knobloch | 2-5 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| Robinson | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Schussler | 1-2 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Bealmear | 0-2 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Walter | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 18-41 | 3-6 | 8-17 | 14 | 13 | 47 |
| Saints (0-1) | FG | FT | 3’s | A | R | Points |
| Mad. Langdon | 4-11 | 2-2 | 0-1 | 0 | 5 | 10 |
| Corado | 0-2 | 1-2 | 0-1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| G. Roberts | 0-1 | 0-2 | 0-1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Linderman | 3-5 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| Mirenda | 1-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| Unger | 0-1 | 4-4 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Wolf | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Mac. Langdon | 1-2 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| S. Roberts | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Borden | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Esterbrook | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gordos | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Hook | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 10-26 | 8-12 | 1-5 | 6 | 15 | 29 |
Turnovers: Berks Catholic 19, Delone Catholic 14. Team Rebounds: Delone Catholic 2, Berks Catholic 2.
