Hoop Notes: Measuring stick, battling cancer, Cougars’ Hall, and more

Cam Jones might not be on the floor Thursday for Wilson when it meets Berks Conference Division I rival Reading High for the first time this season.

The Bulldogs’ all-division pick and top player was injured in his final football game Nov. 12 and has yet to play. Wilson coach Matt Coldren said following Tuesday’s win at Muhlenberg that Jones was cleared to play but Coldren wants to be cautious with his return and planned to hold him out until next week.

“That’s a tough game to come and get into (for the first time),” Coldren said of Reading. “We’re going to ease him in next week. We’re gonna play him little minutes until it’s go-time, and we need him, then we’re gonna set him loose.”

The Bulldogs have done well without Jones: They’re 8-1 and ranked No. 3 in the District 3 Class 6A power ratings.

They face a Red Knights team that is unbeaten against Pennsylvania opponents but that has had trouble out of the gate. Reading trailed Exeter by eight points after the first quarter Tuesday at Reiffton before coming back for a 65-60 win.

Reading dug out of a 19-point hole to beat Cardinal O’Hara two weeks ago and trailed Devon Prep by 13 points last week before coming back to win 58-50.

The Red Knights have won four straight in the series and five of the last six, including the 2021 District 3 Class 6A championship game that ended Wilson’s season and Stevie Mitchell’s record-setting career. Wilson beat Reading seven timesin the 10 games Mitchell started against them, including the 2020 District 3 championship game.

The teams have met 11 times over the past three seasons. They easily could meet four times this season, including match-ups in the league and district playoffs.

“Thursday’s one game,” Coldren reasoned. “If we win, great. If we lose it’s not the end of the world. It’s gonna be good for us to see where we’re at and how much more we have to go till the end of the year. It’s a good measuring stick.”

Berks III battle

Fleetwood, fresh off a tough test at Oley Valley, figures to get a challenge from Berks III rival Hamburg Thursday. Each is 2-0 in league play.

The Hawks are 7-3 overall and have two of the top scorers in the league in seniors Kevin McFarland II (15.5 points per game) and Xander Menapace (14.9).

Hamburg has enjoyed a big turnaround under first-year coach Kevin McFarland. The Hawks haven’t won as many as seven games since 2019-10, when they finished 8-14. They are looking to snap a string of 22 straight losing seasons, since going 23-7 in 1999-2000.

Hamburg is ranked No. 7 in the District 3 Class 4A power ratings; the top 10 teams qualify. It hasn’t reached districts since 2006.

Fleetwood is off to a 9-0 start after rallying to beat Oley Valley 59-50 Tuesday in a crossover matching the Division III and IV preseason favorites.

Jack Karnish, who topped 1,000 points late last month, is Berks’ leading scorer at 25.3 points per game. He is also shooting a Berks-leading 88.2 percent from the foul line after hitting 10-of-11 against the Lynx.

The Tigers are No. 2 in the District 3 Class 4A power rankings, behind unbeaten Berks Catholic.

Coaches vs. Cancer tip-off

Berks basketball coaches, through an initiative started by the Reading Berks Basketball Association, will be participating in the nationwide Coaches vs. Cancer campaign.

Berks coaches will take part in “Shirts and Sneakers” week Jan. 23-29, which will run in conjuction with the “Suits and Sneakers” program at the college level. Local coaches will wear Coaches vs. Cancer T-shirts and sneakers during games to raise awareness. Local schools have fundraising efforts planned during games.

“We were looking for a project to help the community, and this was a natural tie-in with basketball,” said Greg Galtere, RBBA Coaches vs. Cancer chairperson.

The RBBA is also building a “Wall of Hope,” which will recognize those affected by cancer. To recognize an individual, contributions of $25 or more can be made through the RBBA by filling out this form: Wall of Hope. Deadline is Jan. 26.

Honorees will be recognized in the county championship and all-star program books, on display at those games and on the RBBA website.

The RBBA raised $6,500 through it’s Jack-O-Lattern Classic golf tournament at Reading Country Club. It will forward that money to local schools, providing matching funds for each school’s fundraising effort.

Former University of Missouri men’s coach Norm Stewart, a cancer survivor, kicked off the program nearly 30 years ago. In the time since coaches have raised over $145 million for the American Cancer Society.

Former Gov. Mifflin basketball coach Kyle Conrad succumbed to cancer in September. The RBBA program was in its final planning stage at that time.

Back on the floor

David Bednarczyk, an all-division pick as a junior, was back on the floor for Tulpehocken Tuesday after missing nine games with an injury. Bednarczyk scored 12 points in the 52-41 loss to Annville-Cleona.

The senior fractured a bone in his right (shooting) hand early in the season-opener against Upper Perkiomen. He stayed in the game despite the pain and scored a game-high 21 points.

Bednarczyk is the top returning scorer in Division IV of the Berks Conference; he averaged 16.5 points per game last season. He is 108 points away from 1,000 career points heading into the Trojans’ game Thursday against Oley Valley.

Cougars Hall

Thousand-point scorer Brad Sechler will be part of Kutztown’s 2023 Hall of Fame class, which will be inducted Friday, Jan. 13 during halftime of the Cougars’ game against Fleetwood.

Wrestler Rob Rarick and the Cougars’ 2002 PIAA championship softball team will also be inducted.

Sechler was a two-time All-Berks pick in basketball, in 1997 and 1998, and an All-Berks pitcher in baseball, helping the Cougars to the Berks Conference championship in 1998.

In basketball, he scored 1,144 points and had over 700 rebounds in 70 career games. He went on to play at Wilkes where he set the program record for career 3-point shooting percentage (46.4).

Rarick was a two-time section and District 3 Class AA champ who qualified for the PIAA Tournament twice, finishing third in the state in 1980. He went 27-1 as a senior. He was selected for the Berks all-century team.

The Cougars softball team went 26-4 on the way to the PIAA Class AA championship. Gary Mikus was the head coach.