One Berks girls division title down, three to be determined in season’s final week
By Sean McBryan — MikeDragoSports.com correspondent
The final week of Berks Girls League divisional games starts Tuesday with the standings becoming official after the final slate of games wrap up Feb. 6.
Hope you didn’t blink.
Last week’s games painted a clearer picture of clinching scenarios.
Wyomissing (8-0, 17-2) clinched the Berks III title Thursday when Fleetwood (5-4 Berks III, 10-8) defeated Schuylkill Valley (5-4 Berks III, 8-10).
Brandywine Heights (8-1, 14-5) clinches the Berks IV title if it defeats Oley Valley (6-3, 12-6) Tuesday or wins two of its last three league games.
The Berks III/IV runner-up, and the Berks Girls League playoff spot that goes with it, will come down to the Lynx and Panthers. Oley gets in if Fleetwood finishes second in Berks III, due to a head-to-head win over the Tigers. If Schuylkill Valley finishes second, it qualifies for the Berks playoffs. Fleetwood defeated Schuylkill Valley twice so the Tigers have the tiebreaker advantage if there’s a tie for second.
Berks Catholic (9-0, 14-5) has a strong hold on first place in Berks I. Gov. Mifflin’s (7-2, 9-10) victory over Reading High (6-3, 11-6) Thursday was pivotal for second place because the Berks I runner-up will qualify over the Berks II runner-up for a playoff spot.
The Saints need two wins their final three league games to clinch the title; they play at Reading Tuesday, against Mifflin Friday, then close at Conrad Weiser Feb. 6.
The third- and fourth-place Berks I teams — either the Mustangs, Red Knights, or Wilson (6-3, 11-8) — are locks to get into the Berks playoffs based on power ranking.
Exeter (5-4, 8-10) leads in Berks II and is in good shape with a win already over second-place Twin Valley (3-5, 3-15). The Eagles will clinch the division with two league wins or a win and a loss by the Raiders in the final week.
Here are the latest power rankings posted on the District 3 website; power ratings will determine initial seeds for the eight Berks qualifiers:
- Berks Catholic (.728)
- Wyomissing (.702)
- Reading High (.680)
- Wilson (.618)
- Brandywine Heights (.607)
- Gov. Mifflin (.591)
- Oley Valley (.559)
- Exeter (.491)
- Schuylkill Valley (.463)
- Hamburg (.423)
- Twin Valley (.378)
If everything sticks to script, this is the projected Berks Girls League playoff field:
No. 1 Berks Catholic vs. No. 8 Exeter
No. 2 Wyomissing vs. No. 7 Oley Valley
No. 3 Reading High vs. No. 6 Gov. Mifflin
No. 4 Wilson vs. No. 5 Brandywine Heights
The quarterfinals are scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 11, sites to be determined. The semifinals and championship will be played at Santander Arena, on Feb. 14 and 17, respectively.
