Boys basketball: Berks III team-by-team preview capsules
Fleetwood Tigers
Coach: Terry Sitler, 11th season, 96-115.
Last season: 9-2 Berks III champ, 16-8 overall.
PIAA Classification: 4A.
Last D3 playoff appearance: 2022/1990.
Key loss: All-Division C Will Ryan.
Top players: All-Berks 6-2 Sr. G Jake Karnish, all-division 5-11 Jr. G Aiden Soumas, 5-11 Jr. PG Nate Herb.
Key players: 6-7 Jr. C Hunter Svoboda, 6-3 Sr. F Braden Williams, 5-11 Jr. PG Liam Hilburt, 6-3 Sr. F Travis Loy.
Outlook: Tigers return three starters, including one of the league’s top players in Jake Karnish, from a team that won its first division title in over 60 years and made its first district playoff appearance since 2000. More good things on the way, especially now that they’ve dropped one classification, to 4A, which will help come playoff time. Depth is biggest concern.
Wyomissing Spartans
Coach: Ryan Ludwig, sixth season, 43-39.
Last season: 8-3 Berks III, 12-11 overall.
PIAA Classification: 4A.
Last D3 playoff appearance/victory: 2022/2021.
Key losses: All-Division G Julian O’Brien, all-division F Amory Thompson.
Top players: 6-2 Sr. F Ben Zechman, 5-10 Sr. G Drew Eisenhower.
Key players: 6-3 G/F Aiden Schippers, 5-11 Jr. G Alex Campbell, 5-11 Jr. G Logan Hyde, 6-2 Jr. F Andrew Forrey, 6-1 Soph. G Dylan Latourelle.
Outlook: Spartans graduated a lot of scoring punch, length and experience. They’ll have a small lineup, very little big-game experience and, as usual, will be several weeks behind because most of their rotation remains involved in the PIAA football playoffs, which will extend to Dec. 10 if Spartans win this weekend.
Hamburg Hawks
Coach: Kevin McFarland, first season.
Last season: 2-9 Berks III, 5-17 overall.
PIAA Classification: 4A.
Last D3 playoff appearance: 2006/2000.
Key losses: None.
Top players: All-division 6-5 Sr. F Xander Menapace, 6-3 Sr. G Kevin McFarland III.
Key players: 5-10 Sr. G Conner Licklider, 6-3 Sr. F Morgan James, 5-8 G Sr. Luke Bensinger, 6-1 Soph. G Ty Werley, 6-3 Soph. G Ricky Clark, 5-10 Jr. G Joe Martin, 6-2 Jr. G Braden Fetherolf.
Outlook: Hawks have two of the top players in the division in Xander Menapace and Kevin McFarland and a bunch of experienced, multi-sport athletes who have had success in other venues. Perhaps that combination will help the team snap a streak of 22 consecutive losing seasons and make a run at the Berks Conference playoffs.
Schuylkill Valley Panthers
Coach: Taylor Grim, 11th season, 99-122.
Last season: 3-8 Berks III, 7-14 overall.
PIAA classification: 4A.
Last D3 playoff appearance: 2021/2017.
Key losses: All-Division G Troy Frantz, G Ben Eddinger.
Top players: 6-2 Sr. G Mark Rajnath, 6-0 Sr. F Elijah Houser, 6-1 Jr. G Dominic Giuffre.
Key players: 5-10 Soph. G Cooper Hohenadel, 6-0 Sr. F Kelton Faulk, 6-0 Jr. G Jacob Zimmerman, 6-1 Sr. G William Johnson III, 5-9 Jr. G Donovan Miley, 6-0 Jr. G Julian Kemmerer, 6-0 Soph. G Kowen Gerner, 6-2 Soph. F Lucas Spott.
Outlook: Panthers were hampered a year ago by string of injuries, played the whole season without their top player, and never recovered from an 0-4 start. They’ve graduated their two top scorers and have little size or experience returning. They do have some quickness and athleticism. They’ll use that to play at a quicker pace and wil attempt to disrupt with attacking defense.
