Boys soccer preview: Close-knit Fleetwood Tigers open Berks tourney as top seed
By Jason Guarente — MikeDragoSports.com senior correspondent
It’s easy to take success at Fleetwood for granted. The Tigers have Berks County’s greatest tradition and the most trophies stuffed into their case.
That doesn’t mean wins happen automatically. If ever there was a chance for Fleetwood to have a down year, this appeared to be it. Only two starters returned and there were no experienced goal scorers in the lineup.
None of that seemed to matter.
Six weeks after the ball was put in play, Fleetwood will start the BCIAA boys soccer playoffs as the No. 1 seed. The Berks II champs host Brandywine Heights in the quarterfinals Saturday at 5 p.m.
Click here for BCIAA boys soccer bracket
“These guys wanted to prove a point,” coach Keith Schlegel said. “I think they’re hungry. They’ve really come together. We’ve got some good leadership. We have a really close-knit team.”
Forwards Oscar Flores and Davin Millisock helped fill the scoring void left by the graduation of All-State forward Hunter Smith and Danny Heebner. Flores and Millisock have combined for nine goals and 14 assists. Malachi Herndon has contributed six goals.
Ryan Piskorski and Nate Herb anchor the center of a defense that has posted six shutouts in 12 league games.
Fleetwood (12-5) is the only team with just one blemish on its league record. A 2-1 loss at Gov. Mifflin on Sept. 28 is all that stood between the No. 1 seed and an undefeated run.
The Tigers last won the county championship in 2018, when Abe Jalloh, Lucas Strange, Haydyn Zagorski and Andrew Slusser brought home the school’s fourth state title.
Here’s a look at the rest of the boys field:
No. 8 Brandywine Heights (12-5): Center-mid Spencer Miller and leading scorer Owen Lichtenwalner lead the Bullets into the playoffs for the first time in a decade. This isn’t a typical Berks IV team. Brandywine is the only opponent to defeat Berks III champ Wyomissing. The Bullets are physical and they’re dangerous.
No. 5 Oley Valley (12-4-1) at No. 4 Conrad Weiser (11-6), Saturday, noon
In a season where county gold appears to be up for grabs, Fleetwood is at the top of the bracket. Given how many players the Tigers lost, that’s no small feat.
The Lynx are pursuing their third consecutive title and fourth in the past six years. They’re 8-1-1 in their last 10 games with their only loss coming against Wyomissing. Unlike some of the other contenders, Oley has a deep collection of scorers. Anthony Witt has 15 goals, Danny Turchi has 14 and Chase Reifsnyder has nine.
The Scouts have a chance to capture their first league playoff win since claiming the 2007 championship. Marty Ramsay, who’s tied with Ibrahim Sheriff for the team lead with six goals, is back after missing time with an injury. Weiser has won four in a row and has some quality non-league victories this season.
No. 7 Exeter (6-9-3) at No. 2 Wyomissing (13-3-1), Saturday, 2 p.m.
The Spartans had arguably the best regular season in Berks. Their only league loss was against Brandywine Heights with some players out of their lineup. The versatile tandem of Brandon Vargo and Tyler Lentz helped Wyomissing win a powerhouse division. Their goal is to end a 27-year county championship drought.
The Eagles clinched their first Berks I title since 2013 with a win at Mifflin and Wilson’s loss against Reading High on the final day. This is a senior-laden group that entered the season with big dreams. Exeter’s last four league games were wins over Daniel Boone, Reading High, Wilson and Mifflin. The Eagles are surging at the right time.
No. 6 Gov. Mifflin (6-6-4) at No. 3 Tulpehocken (13-3-2), Saturday, 7 p.m.
The Mustangs overcame the unexpected departure of Micah Nyce and returned to the playoffs. After losing in the final in 2019 and the semis on penalty kicks last year, they’re trying to bring home that elusive championship. Joey Petricoin is the leading scorer with seven goals and should be a Player of the Year candidate.
The Trojans are the stingiest team in the league with eight goals allowed. Their only league loss since their opener against Oley Valley was Tuesday’s matchup against Wyomissing that decided Berks III. Mason Lillis is second in the league with 18 goals. Tulpehocken is trying for its first county championship since 2011.
