Berks boys quarterfinal preview: No. 3 Fleetwood vs. No. 6 Muhlenberg
2024 Berks basketball coverage presented by
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No. 3 Fleetwood (19-2) vs No. 6 Muhlenberg (13-7)
When, where: Monday, 7, at Fleetwood.
Head to head: Did not meet this season.
*Berks playoff records: Fleetwood 0-5, Muhlenberg 9-20.
The Tigers
(Tim Macrina photo)
Won third straight Berks III title with unbeaten ride through league play, a first for the program. . . Have not won three straight division titles since the 1950’s, when they won four Eastern Division titles in a row. . . Finished with second-best regular season record in program history after program-best 20-2 run last year. . . Senior F Aiden Soumas leads team in scoring at 18.0 per game, No. 3 in the league. He averages 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals. . . Soumas topped 1,000 career points Jan. 29 against Garden Spot. . . Senior G Nate Herb is averaging 10.7 points and leads team in assists (4.5 per game) and steals (2.5). . . Senior G Liam Hilburt has team-best 27 3-pointers. . . Senior C Hunter Svoboda, a William & Mary football recruit, averages 10.2 points and a team-leading 8.5 rebounds. . . Team shooting just 51.2 percent from the foul line, the lowest among Berks playoff qualifiers. . . Allowing 39.8 points per game, the lowest figure in the league. . . Have allowed 76 3’s; only Schuylkill Valley has allowed fewer. . . Average winning margin of 16.6 is tops in the league . . . Lone losses came to Octorara (52-51) and Manheim Central (56-41). . . Earned wins over expected district playoff qualifiers Oley Valley, Schuylkill Valley (twice) and Antietam. . . Last Berks playoff win came in 1962, when they won county title. . . 0-1 all-time vs. Muhlenberg in Berks playoffs. . . 3-0 against Berks playoff field this season.
The Muhls
(Tim Macrina photo)
Enter league playoffs as wild card entry after losing to Reading in Berks I showdown Tuesday at the Geigle and finishing behind Wilson in power rating. . . Went 3-3 in Berks I play, with a costly loss to Gov. Mifflin. . . Making sixth straight league playoff appearance; have not advanced past semifinals since 1974. . . Have not won county title since 1969. . . Junior Shermar Killen has emerged as one of the most improved players in the league. He saw very few varsity minutes last season but is averaging a team-leading 15.9 points. He has 15 3’s and is shooting 70.3 percent from the foul line. . . Senior Alex Collado, a back-up last season, is averaging 14.9 points and leads team with 30 3’s. . . Senior Kyle Archie is averaging 10.6 points. . . Junior Jayden Kantner is averaging 12.0 points over his last nine games. . . Have been playing without soph Michael Miller for the past five weeks; he is out with a torn meniscus, an injury he suffered during football season. . . Earned wins over expected district playoff qualifiers Lampeter-Strasburg, Wilson, Reading High and Exeter. . . 3-3 against Berks playoff field.
Winner advances . . . to play either No. 2 Reading High or No. 7 Schuylkill Valley, Wednesday at Santander Arena, time TBD.
Championship: Friday, Santander Arena, 8.
*Since expanded Berks playoffs in 1982-83
