Mounts make it official, beat Tulpy to claim Berks IV crown (updated)
There was no final night heartbreak for the Antietam Mounts this season.
They went into their regular season finale at Tulpehocken mathematically assured of winning the Berks Conference Division IV title, then made all the number-crunching moot with a 61-44 victory.
Josh McKoy scored 18 of his game-high 25 points in the second half to help the Mounts (10-2, 19-3) pull away; they trailed by five at the half.
The Mounts are division champs for the first time since 2015, and for just the second time as Antietam. They also won the Berks IV title in 1994. Overall, it’s the Mounts’ seventh division title; their first five titles came when they were known as Mount Penn.
The 19 wins is the most in the regular season for the Mounts in over 50 years. They went 20-2 in 1970-71 en route to a 26-win season and a PIAA championship. They have had just four 20-win seasons: 1967-68, 1970-71, 1971-72 and 1993-94.
The loss eliminated the Trojans (8-4, 16-4) from the Berks playoffs. Their only pathway was to pass Exeter in power ratings. They trailed the Eagles by more than 25 power rating points, according to unofficial figures posted on the District 3 website early Wednesday.
The Mounts will head into the Berks Conference quarterfinals Monday as either the No. 4 or No. 5 seed.
They’re in a razor-tight battle with Muhlenberg for the No. 4 spot and the accompanying opening-round home game.
The Mounts had a slight lead in the power ratings according to unofficial numbers posted early Wednesday. Not all schools had posted Tuesday results as of Wednesday morning.
The Mounts have also clinched the No. 1 seed in the District 3 Class 3A Tournament, which means they’ll play at home in the semifinals. With one win they’ll qualify for the PIAA Tournament.
Things didn’t end quite so happily last season. They went into the final night of the regular season tied with Oley Valley for first place. The Lynx won in double-overtime at Stony Creek to claim the title and eliminate the Mounts from the Berks playoffs.
A couple weeks later Antietam saw its season end when it fell to Lancaster Mennonite in the district title game; only district champs advanced to state play last season. This season the top three finishers in Class 3A advance. Even if the Mounts lose their district opener they’ll have a chance to play again for a state berth. Antietam has reached the PIAA Tournament just once in the last nine seasons, in 2019.
McKoy hit seven straight free throws and scored 13 points in the final quarter Tuesday. He hit a pair of free throws following a technical foul and was 10-for-10 from the line overall.
Jovan Hollis and Hector Tiburcio each scored 10 points for the Mounts.
David Bednarczyk led the Trojans with 13 points. Bryce Mellen, who topped 1,000 career points last week, was held to eight points.