Strong freshman class brightens future for Berks girls basketball

By Jason Guarente — MikeDragoSports.com senior correspondent

Eight years have passed since a Berks County school brought home a District 3 championship in girls basketball. Wilson’s back-to-back titles in 2013-14 remain the most recent.

There have been some near-misses since then. Conrad Weiser made the final in 2015. So did Gov. Mifflin in 2016. Berks Catholic was a runner-up in 2016 and 2018. Twin Valley fell in the 2020 final.

Berks Catholic has a chance to end the drought this week. The third-seeded Saints face No. 7 Bermudian Springs at Wolf Gymnasium in the Class 4A semifinals Tuesday night.

The future in Berks looks bright. This was the Year of the Freshman in many ways. An influx of ninth graders combined with major contributions from sophomores could change the county’s recent trend at the district level.

The league hasn’t been this deep in talent in a long time. Here’s a look at some of the rising stars in the county:

Addison Benner, Brandywine Heights: The 5-10 guard averaged 14.8 points, drilled 38 3-pointers and helped the Bullets win Berks IV and earn the No. 1 seed in Class 3A. A versatile scorer who was instantly an All-Berks candidate.

Ryanna Hightower-Prentice, Muhlenberg: A 6-1 all-around force who averaged 9.5 points and 7.2 rebounds while earning all-division recognition. Will be the top returning player in Berks II and could transform the Muhls into a contender.

Madison Langdon, Berks Catholic: The 5-1 point guard is already logging major minutes for one of the best teams in the county. A confident floor leader who can shoot the 3 and makes 81% of her foul shots. Teams up with freshmen Sydney Corado and Molly McFadden to give the Saints a loaded Class of 2025.

Yamilex Rodriguez, Reading High: The Red Knights’ No. 2 scorer at 7.9 points per game. A threat from beyond the arc with 23 3-pointers. Scored 26 points against Allentown Allen and helped Reading make a late push into the county semifinals.

Amaya Stewart, Wyomissing: A 6-1 center with polished post moves who averaged 10.5 points and was named all-division. Stewart, point guard Alexis Hardy and defensive wizard Audrey Hurleman are a freshman trio that could lead the Spartans to gold one day.

Alex Trevena, Conrad Weiser: One of the top outside shooting threats in the league with 37 3-pointers. Only five players had more. Averaged 6.3 points, second-most on the Scouts.

Super sophomores

Taylor Koenig, Gov. Mifflin: After her freshman season was derailed by COVID, Koenig became the league’s top 3-point shooter with 48 and averaged a team-high 12.9 points for the county champions. The Mustangs, with All-Berks pick Shakyla Mayo and Anyah Ortiz heading into their senior year, will be the preseason favorites in December.

Grace Reedy, Exeter: Quietly putting together a terrific career. A two-time all-division selection who ranked third in the league scoring 15.1 points. 

Morgan Snyder and Ryanne Wheeler, Oley Valley: Oley Valley has perhaps the best sophomore tandem in the league. Both Wheeler and Snyder were all-division picks. Snyder averaged 13.2 points and Wheeler checked in at 12.6.

Natane White, Schuylkill Valley: White runs the show for the senior-laden Panthers, who went 20-1 in the regular season and captured Berks III. White is averaging 7.2 points and was named all-division. Sophomore Juliana Stichter grew into a bigger role as the season progressed. Keep an eye on her.

Olivia Moyer, Brandywine Heights: It’s easy to overlook how young Brandywine Heights was this season. Moyer is a point guard who plays great defense. She and fellow sophomores Avery Potteiger and Dana Wartzenluft are going to pile up a lot of wins together.

Peyton Brill, Muhlenberg: Brill averaged 5.5 points and hit a game-winning shot in a league victory against Exeter. She’s a player to watch moving forward.

Annie McCaffrey, Wyomissing: A tenacious competitor who averaged 5.0 points in her first varsity season. McCaffrey, the three freshmen and juniors Lexi Loeb and Maddie Campbell give Wyomissing perhaps the most returning talent heading into next season.