Berks boys quarterfinal preview: No. 1 Berks Catholic vs. No. 8 Antietam
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No. 1 Berks Catholic (19-2) vs No. 8 Antietam (12-10)
When, where: Monday, 7, at Wolf Gymnasium.
Head to head: Did not meet this season.
*Berks playoff records: Berks Catholic 22-8, Antietam 1-5.
The Saints
Set program record by opening with 18 straight wins before a loss to unbeaten Abington Heights. . . Lost next time out, at Exeter. . . Played final seven games without Berks Player of the Year candidate Kingston McKoy, who broke his leg against Reading High Jan. 23; he will not return this season. . . Edged Exeter for Berks II title, their 10th division title and first in four years. . . Made clean sweep in Berks I crossovers, beating Reading High, Wilson, Muhlenberg, and Gov. Mifflin. . . Senior Josh McKoy leads team in scoring at 17.2 points per game. He has 17 3’s and is shooting 72.6 percent from the foul line. . . Senior Parker Nein is among the most improved players in the league. He’s averaging 17.1 points, leads team with 43 3’s and is shooting 80.4 percent from the line, fourth-best in the league (among qualifiers). . . Kingston McKoy was averaging 14.9 points. . . Allowing 48.0 points per game, second-lowest in the league. . . Winning margin of 13.3 is second-highest in the league. . . Head coach Snip Esterly, the only coach in program history, surpassed 800 wins earlier this season. He enters the postseason with 811. . . Have won three Berks titles, most recently in 2018. . . Lost to Reading High in league championship game in 2019 and 2022. . . Bumped out in semifinals last year by Exeter. . . Earned key non-league wins against expected district qualifiers Cedar Crest, Allentown Central Catholic, Octorara, Trinity, Pottsville, and York Catholic. . . Have a 1-0 record vs. Mounts in Berks playoffs. . . Overall, 4-1 against Berks playoff field this season.
The Mounts
Secured program’s eighth division title, and third as Antietam, by beating Oley Valley 49-47 in OT in first-place showdown last week. . . Also won division titles as Antietam in 2022 and 2015. . . Went 7-1 in division play, lone loss coming to Oley Valley in late December. . . Enter postseason with four wins in last five games. . . Soph AJ Scheifly has emerged as one of the top underclassmen in the league. The guard is averaging a team-best 15.9 points, is shooting 43 percent from 3-point range and leads team in steals and deflections. . . Junior C Julious Williams is averaging 9.7 points, a team-leading 7.7 rebounds and shooting team-best 54 percent from the field. . . Junior Shawn Raffety is averaging 10.6 and shooting a team-best 71 percent from the foul line. . . Only senior on the roster is Denzel Severino, who scored the game-winner at Oley Valley. . . Best wins of the season came against Wyomissing and Oley Valley, each in OT. . . Lone Berks playoff win as Antietam came in 1993 came over Kutztown, 64-62. . . Overall, 0-2 against Berks playoff field this season.
Winner advances . . . to play either No. 4 Wilson or No. 5 Exeter, Wednesday at Santander Arena, time TBD.
Championship: Friday, Santander Arena, 8.
*Since expanded Berks playoffs in 1982-83
