Berks Catholic, Mifflin again at the top in Berks girls basketball
By Jason Guarente — MikeDragoSports.com senior correspondent
The last seven Berks girls basketball championships have been claimed by two teams. Gov. Mifflin has four. Berks Catholic has three.
Those programs have risen above the rest. To find a different county winner, one must travel back to Wilson in 2014.
There’s an excellent chance that trend continues this season. Berks Catholic, which defeated Wyomissing in last year’s final, and Mifflin are again the teams to beat.
Here’s a look at the top contenders in the county:
The favorites
Berks Catholic (19-4)
The Saints return three starters and a key reserve from the group that cut down the nets at Wolf Gymnasium in February. Two of those players, Caroline Reedy and Caraline Herb, were All-Berks selections.
Reedy is the kind of player often found on championship teams. The senior can do just about anything. Reedy defends the paint, rebounds, handles the ball, shoots free throws well and averaged 11.1 points. She scored in double figures in 15-of-23 games.
Herb is one of the league’s most explosive scorers as evidenced by her 38-point effort against Reading High when she made a Berks-record 12 3-pointers. The junior averaged 11.6 points and already has 100 3-pointers in her career.
Mackenzie Gordos returns for her second season as the starting point guard. She’ll be one of the most valuable players in the league. Aaliyah Dabney steps into the starting lineup as a shut-down defender.
Berks Catholic’s next wave of standouts is here, including a talented freshman class. Keep an eye on Sydney Corado, a 5-11 wing, from that group.
“We have a young supporting cast,” said coach Bob Birmingham, who enters his 33rd season four wins away from 600. “I’m going to be tougher on them than I’ve ever been on freshmen. We need them and they have the ability to do it.”
Keziah Brantley, Berks Catholic’s third-leading scorer at 10.2 points, transferred to Kutztown. Otherwise the Saints would be even more loaded.
As it stands they have a chance to repeat and maybe achieve more.
“We start every year with, ‘We want to win a county and district championship,’ ” Birmingham said. “County championship we’ve been pretty good at the last few years. District championships we haven’t been there for a while. That’s a goal for us. It’s an attainable goal.”
Gov. Mifflin (17-7)
The Mustangs were marching toward a three-peat when they were stunned by Wyomissing in overtime in the Berks semifinals. They swept two meetings with Berks Catholic and went 12-0 in league play.
Mifflin’s outlook starts with who is missing. Stella Mollica, a four-year starter and two-time All-Berks selection, has graduated. So has sharpshooter Jocelyn Grosch.
Replacing Mollica will be difficult. She’s one of the best point guards of the last decade and was a 1,000-point scorer. Elisa Fiore, Shakyla Mayo and Anyah Ortiz will likely take turns running the show.
“If these kids play together and share the ball, I think Mifflin could still be the team,” coach Mike Clark said. “We need to space the floor without Stella. Not just have a one guard set like we have in the past.”
Mifflin returns five members of its seven-player rotation. Fiore, Mayo and Ortiz are All-Berks candidates. Taylor Koenig, who saw limited action as a freshman, will step into an expanded role and Shyanna Mayo should start.
One key player off the bench will be Payton Witman, a 6-1 center who could give the Mustangs some inside scoring. That’s something they’ve lacked even in their championship years.
There’s enough talent for Mifflin to return to the top. The Mustangs’ matchups with Berks Catholic will be must-see events.
The contenders
Wilson (9-9)
Wilson finished with four consecutive wins in the regular season and nearly knocked off Wyomissing in the Berks quarterfinals. The Bulldogs showed signs of improvement as the weeks passed.
That shouldn’t be surprising. It was the first season with coach Chris Gallo and COVID-19 limited practice time in the summer and beyond.
Wilson has a chance to return to contention. The Bulldogs have a rare combination of size and experience.
Guards Gia Borelli and Amiyah Nguyen will share point guard duties. Borelli is one of the league’s better 3-point shooters. Keira Levengood, at 5-11, and Isis Dojan, at 6-2, will try to control the lane. Jasilyn Moncada and Elyse Norman will take on larger roles.
“I expect a lot from us,” Borelli said. “We have four returning starters, so that’s a great thing. I expect us to win a lot of games and maybe win counties. That’s the goal.”
Wilson is the biggest threat to ending the dominance of Berks Catholic and Mifflin.
Reading High (6-10)
No team had more to overcome last season than Reading High, which wasn’t in school because of COVID-19 and had a coaching change. The Red Knights started 5-2 before losing eight of their last nine games.
The outlook is brighter this time around. Coach Rashida Suber, one of six players to reach 2,000 career points, will have a more complete roster.
Kya Washington, an All-Berks selection who averaged 12.6 points, is back after only playing one game last season. Ashanti Chapman, who led the team with 8.5 points per game, also returns. Four-year varsity players Meyshalee Bonilla and Mariselys Ortiz-Gonzalez complement an influx of skilled freshmen.
The Red Knights reached back-to-back county finals in 2019 and 2020. They’re always a threat to play at that level.
The darkhorse
Wyomissing (12-7)
It might seem strange to say Wyomissing is more talented this season than last. The Spartans lost Berks Player of the Year Lily Seyfert, All-Berks point guard Abby Doyle and No. 3 scorer Ava Gehman. That’s a lot to replace.
Wyomissing returns Maddie Campbell’s tenacity and Lexi Loeb’s outside shooting. Vicky Heliodoro will patrol the paint and Lela Berger will move into a starting role.
That nucleus would be enough to challenge in Berks III. It’s the new faces that could elevate Wyomissing to county contender. If not this season, then soon.
Annie McCaffery will make her debut after missing her freshman year due to injury. Abby Zechman and Julia Reber will play more. Then there are the freshmen: Amaya Stewart, Alexis Hardy, Audrey Hurleman and Sophia Zeppos.
Wyomissing will improve as this season progresses and will be a force in the years to come.
Others to watch
Fleetwood (10-7): Alexis Hess was named All-State third team and is the favorite for Player of the Year after averaging 17.5 points. Julia Kaskey is a two-time all-division pick. Is there enough depth for the Tigers to make a playoff run?
Twin Valley (17-8): Natali Foster averaged 10.3 points and was part of the core when the Raiders went to the District 3 final in 2019. New coach Doug Myer put his share of trophies in the case at Wilson. They’ll try to repeat in Berks II.
Conrad Weiser (7-13): Ellie Miller was an all-division selection. Natalia Moll and Kailee Richmond are returning starters. The Scouts are another team with a strong group of freshmen that’s hoping to elevate the program.
Schuylkill Valley (11-9): Madison Ziska is the top returning scorer at 9.8 points. Lekaiah Solomon is a four-year varsity player. Natane White is an up-and-coming point guard. No one enjoys playing the hard-nosed Panthers.
Brandywine Heights (10-10): Don’t overlook the Bullets. They return four starters: all-division selections Emily Savitz and Olivia Moyer along with Avery Potteiger and Caroline Fenstermacher. They welcome freshman Addison Benner. Brandywine can repeat in Berks IV.
Oley Valley (10-10): The Lynx just missed winning Berks IV after playing a condensed schedule because of an early season COVID pause. They will challenge Brandywine again. Kelsey Biehn’s 12.1 points per game are second-most among returning players.
