PIAA Tournament preview: Reading High (19-10) vs. Chester (21-4)
2024 Berks basketball coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
What: Class 6A, first round
When: Saturday, 1:00
Where: Chester High, Chester
Red Knights’ schedule & results
About the Clippers (1-4)
Avenged January loss to Coatesville with 67-64 win over the fifth-seeded Red Raiders in District 1 quarterfinal before losses to top-seeded Lower Merion (54-48) and second-seeded West Chester Henderson (65-61) to finish fourth. Entered districts as the fourth seed.
(Mark Jordan/Cityofbasketballlove.com photo)
Opened season 15-1 before 66-62 loss to Coatesville at the Clip Joint Jan. 26. Only other regular season loss came in second game, against Math, Civics and Sciences.
Enter state tournament with back-to-back losses after 21-2 start.
Downgraded regular season schedule, dropping Reading High and adding Class 1A La Academia Charter and Class 2A Lancaster Mennonite.
Eight-time PIAA champs have seen program raided in recent years, with top players transferring to academy, private and Philly Catholic League schools.
That led to 12-10 finish last season and missing the district playoffs for the first time in 53 years. Lost a Delaware Valley Conference game for the first time in 13 years.
“Last year hurt, and it’s why this season is about payback,” coach Keith Taylor told cityofbasketballlove.com prior to the season. “These kids know the history of this program, and they take great pride in that.
“It is fair to say that we are looking for a little payback, that’s all. The kids want to uphold the tradition, and they know last year was a fluky season.”
Last year’s leading scorer, Kyree Womack, transferred to Bonner-Prendergast but three other starters returned from that team: Point guard Dante Atkinson-Payne and 6-5 senior forwards Calvin Williams and Vince Coleman. Dominic “Big Dom” Toy, a 6-6 University of Connecticut football recruit, adds bulk to the inside.
As always the Clippers go deep; Taylor often runs 10-11 players into games.
Have won a record eight PIAA championships, the most recent in 2012, and 123 state tournament games overall. Reached the Class 5A semifinals in 2021 and 2022; returned to 6A last year but did not qualify.
About the Red Knights (3-4)
Defending PIAA champs enter tournament with back-to-back losses for first time this season after falling to eventual champ Cumberland Valley 66-47 in District 3 semifinals and at home to eighth seed Red Lion 55-53 in third-place game.
Fourth-place finish is lowest since 2014, when they lost three straight and failed to make state tournament.
Beat Roman Catholic 63-56 in overtime last March 25 to claim third state title in seven years. Beat Haverford, Upper Darby, New Castle, and Spring-Ford on way to fifth state championship game appearance (including losses in 1934 and 1973).
Senior center Malik Osumanu is the only return starter from championship team, though Yadiel Cruz and Nick Chapman played key roles in the program-best 32-1 season.
Cruz has emerged as the top scorer in the Berks Conference, averaging 22.2 points. Named the Berks Player of the Year by the league’s coaches, he shoots 56.1 percent from the field, leads the team in rebounds (7.5 per game) and averages 2.9 assists per game. He leads team with 48 3’s.
Chapman, a senior guard and All-Berks pick, averages 10.4 points, is the team’s defensive stopper and averages 1.9 steals.
Freshman Jeremiah Camara, an all-division pick, averages 9.1 points and 2.2 assists. Sophomore point guard Weshly Rosario, an all-division pick, leads team in assists (4.9 per game) and steals (2.1).
Daquan Burgess is a threat off the bench; he has 38 3’s, second-most on the team.
Chester has been a Reading High tormentor over the decades but the Red Knights have had the upper hand in the series in recent seasons, with three straight wins. They did not meet this season. Reading won at the Geigle last season, 71-57.
Reading also won the last time they met in a state tournament game, Lonnie Walker IV leading it to a 73-64 quarterfinal victory at Temple. Overall the teams have met 42 times and the series is tied at 21-21, though the Clippers hold a painful 6-2 advantage in March games.
Overall, Reading is 60-43 in state tournament play with 11 wins in its last 12 games.
Red Knights have not experienced a three-game losing streak since losing at Chester, at Wilson and at Coatesville in December, 2018.
