Heavy medal: Berks enjoys record haul on All-State basketball teams
The most successful postseason in Berks boys basketball history led to a heavy haul on the All-State teams.
Led by Class 6A Player of the Year Ruben Rodriguez of Reading High, Berks landed a record seven All-State selections, with picks from four different schools and two Coach of the Year selections.
Aris Rodriguez and Myles Grey join teammate Ruben Rodriguez on the 6A team as third-team selections after leading the Red Knights to their second PIAA championship in three years and third in seven.
Exeter’s Anthony Caccese is a second-team pick and teammate Zyion Paschall a third-team pick in Class 5A. Fleetwood’s Jake Karnish is a second-team pick in 4A; High Point’s Drew Hoffman is a second-team pick in 2A.
Rick Perez of Reading High and Matt Ashcroft of Exeter were named Coach of the Year in Class 6A and 5A, respectively.
Perez’s selection is his third in seven years, following the Red Knights’ third state championship since 2017.
There are seven teams, one for each of the PIAA’s six classifications and one for non-PIAA members. The teams were selected in a vote of sportswriters across the state.
| Players of the Year | ||
| 6A | Ruben Rodriguez | Reading High |
| 5A | Justin Edwards | Imhotep Charter |
| 4A | Robert Wright III | Neumann-Goretti |
| 3A | Makhai Valentin | Steel Valley |
| 2A | Davion Hill | St. John Neumann |
| 1A | Vinnie Cugini | Aquinas Academy |
| Non-PIAA | Christian Bliss | George School |
Ruben Rodriguez, who won his second state championship and record fourth District 3 championship, made history with a third consecutive first-team selection. He joins West Reading’s legendary Ron Krick as Berks’ only three-time first-team pick.
Only two other Berks players have been three-time All-State picks: Donovon Jack of Central Catholic and Berks Catholic and Lonnie Walker IV or Reading. Jack was a first-team pick as a junior and senior and a third-team pick as a sophomore; Walker was a second-team pick as a sophomore and a first-team pick his last two seasons.
Only five Berks players have been two-time first-team picks, with Wilson’s Stevie Mitchell and Reading’s Stu Jackson joining Krick, Jack and Walker.
With Reading High winning the Class 6A title, Exeter reaching the 5A title game and Muhlenberg winning its state opener, Berks boys teams combined to win a record 10 PIAA Tournament games.
The seven All-State picks are two more than the previous Berks record, which came in 2021 when Mitchell, Rodriguez and Reading’s Moro Osuman were first-team picks, Reading’s Daniel Alcantara was a third-team pick and Antietam’s Hector Tiburcio was a third-team pick.
This marks the second time in four years that Berks netted a pair of Coach of the Year selections. In 2020, Wilson’s Matt Coldren was the 6A selection and Muhlenberg’s Tyrone Nesby the 5A selection.
Caccese and Paschall give Exeter a pair of All-State picks for the first time. Colin Payne was a third-team pick last year. Before that, you’d have to go back to 1973 and Charlie Booker to find the Eagles’ last All-State selection.
Karnish is Fleewood’s first All-State pick since 1957, when Arlan Burkert was selected after he led the Tigers to their only PIAA championship. The two-time All-Berks pick led the Tigers to a 22-5 record – their most wins since 1984 — and to their first District 3 championship game appearance since 1990. Their opening-round win over Middletown in a Class 4A quarterfinal was the first postseason win for the program in 33 years.
Karnish averaged 21.6 points per game, second in the league, and finished with a program-record 1,420 points.
Hoffman averaged 20.2 points, third-highest in Berks, and knocked down 63 3-pointers in 25 games. He finished with 1,510 career points, second-most in program history.
Ruben Rodriguez is one of two returning first-team picks on the Class 6A team, along with Roman Catholic’s Xzayvier Brown. They faced each other in the PIAA championship game, which featured five All-State players, including Roman third-team selection Jermal Stewart-Herring.
Justin Edwards repeats as Class 5A Player of the Year after leading Imhotep Charter to a 78-40 victory over Exeter in the PIAA championship game. He scored a game-high 19 points in the title game. He is joined on the six-man first team by teammates Ahmad Nowell and Rahmir Barno. Barno was a first-team pick as a junior, Nowell a second-team pick as a sophomore.
Junior Robert Wright III of Neuman-Goretti repeats as Player of the Year in Class 4A after leading the Saints to the PIAA championship game, where they were turned back by Lincoln Park. Wright is joined on the six-man first team by teammate Sultan Adewale, a repeat pick. Lincoln Park landed a pair of first-team picks, repeat selection Brandin Cummings and Meleek Thomas.
Rodney Gallagher, a West Virginia wide receiver recruit, earned his second straight first-team selection; last year he was picked for the 5A team.
| Coaches of the Year | ||
| 6A | Rick Perez | Reading High |
| 5A | Matt Ashcroft | Exeter |
| 4A | Mike Bariski | Lincoln Park |
| 3A | Miguel Bocachica | West Catholic |
| 2A | Seth Buckwalter | Lancaster Mennonite |
| 1A | Tanner Prosser | Berlin Brothersvalley |
| Non-PIAA | Tom Baudinet | Perkiomen School |
Makhai Valentine of Steel-Valley is a repeat first-team pick and Player of the Year in Class 3A. He’s joined on the first team by repeat pick Patrick Haigh of Bishop Guilfoyle and Zion Standford, a second-team pick last season.
Davion Hill of St. John Neumann, the Class 1A Player of the Year as a junior, is the 2A Player of the year as a senior. He’s joined on the first team by Camden Hurst of District 3 champ Lancaster Mennonite, a second-team pick last season, and repeat pick Ross Eyer of Muncy.
Vinnie Cugini of Aquinas Academy is Player of the Year in Class 1A and a repeat pick on the first team. He’s joined by two players from state finalist Berlin Brothersvalley, Pace Prosser and Craig Jarvis. Brothersvalley lost to Imani Christian Academy in the PIAA championship game.
