Reading High uses gigantic comeback to beat Exeter, win record 25th Berks title
(This story will be updated later tonight with additional details, postgame reaction.)
Reading High scored 18 straight points in the fourth quarter to erase a 10-point deficit and beat Exeter 70-63 Friday to claim its second straight Berks Conference championship at Santander Arena.
The second-seeded Eagles (19-6) led 57-47 with 4:45 left before the top-seeded Red Knights (24-1) staged one of the greatest comebacks in Berks basketball championship history.
Exeter went over four minutes without scoring over the final half of the fourth quarter. Reading took the lead for good on Aris Rodriguez’s 3-pointer — his first of the night — with 2:03 left.
Ruben Rodriguez scored a game-high 23 points for Reading, seven in the fourth quarter. Aris Rodriguez had 17 for Reading, 13 in the fourth quarter. The Red Knights outscored the Eagles 30-15 in the fourth quarter and 23-6 over the last 4 1/2 minutes.
Zyion Paschall scored 20 points to lead Exeter. Anthony Caccese had 17 points and 16 rebounds for the Eagles; he played the final nine minutes with four fouls.
Exeter played the second half without its No. 2 scorer and rebounder Reece Garvin, who suffered a leg injury. It played the final 4:23 without starting wing Kevin Saenz, who fouled out. The Eagles led 57-47 when he went out.
Exeter came out fast, shooting to leads of 11-4 and 17-6 in the first 5 1/2 minutes. Caccese had his way inside in the first quarter, scoring eight points and grabbing five offensive rebounds.
The Red Knights came back to take the lead twice in the second quarter, the last time on Ruben Rodriguez’s transition layup to make it 22-20.
Paschall hit a pair of 3-pointers and Teddy Snyder hit one to help Exeter go on top 28-22 midway through the second quarter. The Eagles hit 6-of-12 shots from 3-point range in the first half and took a 33-30 lead into intermission.
Reading has won a record 25 Berks championships, including six in coach Rick Perez’s 12 seasons.
Exeter has appeared in just two Berks championship games, in 1972 and 1974. It won each, beating Cedar Crest in 1972 and Muhlenberg in 1974. Reading High did not join the Berks Conference until the 1979-1980; it won championships its first six years in the league before losing a semifinal to Wyomissing in 1986.
Exeter came in allowing 45.7 points per game, third-lowest in the league. Only two teams, Berks Catholic (73) and Perkiomen Valley (63) topped 60 against the Eagles.
Reading beat Exeter 65-60 in a crossover game Jan. 3 at Reiffton. Ruben Rodriguez scored 24 points and Caccese 20.
Exeter last met Reading in a Berks Conference playoff game in 2018, losing 52-26 in the semifinals.
Reading advanced to the title game with an 84-54 win over Schuylkill Valley in the quarterfinals and a 54-30 win over Wilson in the semis. Only two previous teams in the expanded playoff era have won each of their three county playoff games by 20 or more points.
Exeter beat Oley Valley 68-35 and Berks Catholic 59-45 on its way to its first title-game appearance since 1974.
Reading High opens play in the District 3 Class 6A Tournament next Friday at home against either No. 8 Chambersburg or No. 9 Carlisle. The Red Knights are the top seed and two-time defending champion.
Exeter opens play in the District 3 Class 5A Tournament Monday at home against No. 14 Shippesburg; the Eagles are the No. 3 seed.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Exeter | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 63 |
| Reading High | 12 | 18 | 10 | 30 | 70 |
| Eagles (19-6) | FG | FT | 3’s | A | R | Points |
| Paschall | 8-13 | 1-3 | 3-5 | 0 | 5 | 20 |
| Saenz | 3-11 | 1-2 | 1-7 | 4 | 2 | 8 |
| Snyder | 3-9 | 0-0 | 2-6 | 1 | 0 | 8 |
| Garvin | 0-4 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Caccese | 7-9 | 3-3 | 0-0 | 0 | 16 | 17 |
| Kelsey | 3-7 | 0-1 | 2-4 | 4 | 0 | 8 |
| Dauble | 1-3 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 1 | 5 | 2 |
| Totals | 25-56 | 5-10 | 8-24 | 12 | 30-32 | 63 |
| Red Knights (24-1) | FG | FT | 3’s | A | R | Points |
| Burdine | 0-4 | 6-8 | 0-0 | 1 | 4 | 6 |
| R. Rodriguez | 8-18 | 6-16 | 1-5 | 1 | 10 | 23 |
| Grey | 2-10 | 4-6 | 0-2 | 1 | 6 | 8 |
| A Rodriguez | 4-17 | 8-10 | 1-8 | 0 | 5 | 17 |
| Osumanu | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Cruz | 4-8 | 3-4 | 0-0 | 0 | 9 | 11 |
| Chapman | 2-4 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Ortega | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Totals | 20-62 | 28-45 | 2-15 | 3 | 37-46 | 70 |
Turnovers: Exeter 21, Reading High 13.