Mifflin, Berks Catholic girls dominated the court — and might again next year

By Jason Guarente — MikeDragoSports.com senior correspondent

Another Berks girls basketball season is history and another number has been added to Gov. Mifflin’s banner. The Mustangs have captured five county championships since 2015.

This one was a little different. Mifflin finished third in Berks I and lost three of its final five league games. The bright lights of Santander Arena bring out the best in the Mustangs. They’ve won the last three titles decided on that floor.

It was an interesting winter. It introduced many great freshmen. It elevated Caroline Reedy to Player of the Year. It saw Alexis Hess reach 1,000 points. It led to Schuylkill Valley and Brandywine Heights becoming league powers.

Let’s take a look back at five teams who had memorable runs, the top five teams heading into next season and the All-Berks candidates of the future.

Buzzer-beater

The story of the season would be told differently without one play that lasted eight seconds. Elisa Fiore grabbed a rebound and connected with Shakyla Mayo on an outlet pass. Mayo’s basket as time expired lifted Mifflin over Berks Catholic 41-40 in the Berks semifinals.

Without that play, BC is likely the back-to-back champion. Instead it was Mifflin that lifted the trophy for the third time in four seasons.

Something about coach Mike Clark’s freewheeling style elevates the Mustangs in February. They play loose and carefree when the stakes are the highest. Clark has won five county titles. That total ranks him with the league’s all-time great coaches.

Mayo became an All-Berks selection because of her terrific performance those two nights in downtown Reading. Fiore ended her career with her third gold medal.

Silver lining

Berks Catholic recovered from the disappointment of the county playoffs and was the only team to reach a District 3 final. The Saints lost to Delone Catholic in Class 4A.

It was a fun season at Wolf Gymnasium. Reedy reached 1,000 career points in the county quarterfinals. Aaliyah Dabney emerged as the league’s top defender. Coach Bob Birmingham won his 600th game.

Berks Catholic’s best win came against York-Adams champ Bermudian Springs in the district semifinals. Caraline Herb hit some huge shots in overtime and Mackenzie Gordos made the defensive stop at the end. The 49-46 overtime victory sent the Saints to Giant Center.

Only two Berks teams won district playoff games that weren’t seeding games: Berks Catholic and Twin Valley.

20-1

Everything came together during a magical seven weeks for Schuylkill Valley. It went undefeated against Berks III and IV opponents and only a narrow loss to Susquehanna Township kept the Panthers from a perfect regular season.

It was a close-knit group that got the most out of its talent. Madison Ziska was named All-Berks. Jadyn Heck-Hoppes was one of the league’s best two-way players, Lekaiah Solomon was a stealing and rebounding machine. Natane White ran the show.

Every league game that went down to the wire tilted Schuylkill Valley’s way. It was a triumph of determination. Jason Bagenstose was a worthy selection as Coach of the Year.

Bulldogs are back

Wilson returned as a contender with four seniors in the starting lineup. The Bulldogs won 16-of-19 games at one point and advanced to the league final.

Isis Dojan, a 6-2 junior, was named All-Berks. Keira Levengood was one of the most versatile players around. Guards Amiyah Nguyen and Gia Borelli brought experience and timely shooting.

Wilson posted wins over Berks Catholic and Mifflin during the regular season. The Bulldogs won a nail-biter over Reading High to reach the title game. They were a force in the county again.

Bullet proof

Brandywine Heights started 10-0, only lost one league game and earned the No. 1 seed in the District 3 Class 3A playoffs. The Bullets qualified for states.

They’re just getting started. Their top six players included three sophomores and a freshman. Addison Benner averaged a team-high 14.1 points. Avery Potteiger was a top rebounder and Olivia Moyer was a strong defensive point guard.

Brandywine and Oley Valley, another young team, will have some battles in Berks IV in the coming years. 

Next season’s Big Five

Either Mifflin or Berks Catholic has won the county championship for eight years running. Those two are the favorites until someone proves otherwise.

Gov. Mifflin: Mayo, Anyah Ortiz and Taylor Koenig give the Mustangs the best returning nucleus. Kiera Estrada steps in at point guard. They could win it again.

Berks Catholic: Herb will be the senior leader. The sharpshooter has 704 career points and a chance at 1,000. Madison Langdon is unflappable and will run the offense.

Reading High: The Red Knights finished with a flourish. Only a missed 3-pointer at the buzzer kept them from pushing the county semifinal against Wilson to overtime. Three of their top four scorers, Ashanti Chapman, Yamilex Rodriguez and Mariah Ruiz, will return.

Wyomissing: A transition year resulted in the Spartans earning appearances in the county and district playoffs. Next season they’ll have all five starters back, including freshmen Amaya Stewart, Alexis Hardy and Audrey Hurleman. They’re definitely on the rise.

Wilson: The Bulldogs return one of the league’s top post players in Dojan and guard Jasilyn Moncada will have a bigger role. They’ll try to contend in powerful Berks I.

All-Berks candidates

Addison Benner, Brandywine Heights: The 5-10 all-around offensive threat had one of the best freshman seasons in recent memory.

Ky Brantley, Kutztown: The league’s leading scorer at 19.4 points and a county champ with Berks Catholic in 2021. She’s at 807 points and is likely the next to reach 1,000.

Caraline Herb, Berks Catholic: The top 3-point shooter in the league has a chance to reach 200 for her career. An All-Berks selection as a sophomore. 

Alexis Hess, Fleetwood: Three-time All-Berks selection has scored 1,034 points. She’ll rank among the all-time greats when her career is finished.

Isis Dojan, Wilson: Named All-Berks for the first time after averaging 11.1 points and helping the Bulldogs finish second in Berks I

Ryanna Hightower-Prentice, Muhlenberg: Made an instant impact as a freshman, averaging 9.5 points, and could lead the Muhls into contention in wide-open Berks II.

Shakyla Mayo, Gov. Mifflin: All-Berks pick earned her place among the league’s best with her playoff performance. Anyah Ortiz and Taylor Koenig could join Mayo on the All-Berks list.

Grace Reedy, Exeter: The sophomore sometimes gets lost because Exeter has struggled in loaded Berks I. Only Brantley and Hess averaged more points than Reedy’s 15.1.

Yamilex Rodriguez, Reading High: Averaged 7.9 points, made 23 3-pointers and finished strong for the Red Knights.

Amaya Stewart, Wyomissing: The 6-1 center was a consistent double-digit scorer and rebounder as a freshman. The paint will belong to her for the foreseeable future.

Morgan Snyder, Oley Valley: Both Snyder and fellow sophomore Ryanne Wheeler have All-Berks talent. Snyder averaged 13.2 points and shot 73.7% at the line. 

Outside the Berks League

Bethany Thompson, High Point: Averaged 17.8 points to help the Eagles reach the District 3 playoffs. Has scored 876 points and will likely become the school’s first 1,000-point scorer next season.