Sudden impact: BC’s Kingston McKoy, other freshmen, playing key roles
Who calls a play late in a tight game against a top team to highlight the skills of a freshman?
Maybe if that freshman’s name is Lonnie Walker IV or Steve Mitchell, it might happen.
Or if his name is Kingston McKoy.
That was the case Thursday when Berks Catholic, with a one-point lead over Wilson in a nip-and-tuck game, called a clear-out to give McKoy a one-on-one opportunity. He came through with a basket off a drive and the Saints went on to win 49-44.
The original play broke down but McKoy had the insight to adapt and make a good play.
“He was smart enough to reverse it, and we got an easy layup out of it,” said Saints coach Snip Esterly.
That was just part of his impact on one of the Saints’ biggest wins of the season and an indication of the kind of talent he possesses.
Freshmen generally don’t make a big impact on the varsity level but McKoy — clearly Berks’ top player in the Class of 2026 — isn’t a typical freshman. He’s got skills on the offensive and defensive ends and plays bigger than his 6-1 listing.
He was assigned to the Bulldogs’ top scorer, 6-3 senior Aidan Melograna, and did a strong job. He’s become a lockdown defender who has the length to go against taller players and the quickness to handle smaller ones.
“He guards us so well in practice,” said Saints senior Jack Miller. “It’s so hard to score on him.”
Esterly was immediately taken with McKoy, who transferred to Berks Catholic, along with older brother Josh, last summer from Antietam. Before the season Esterly compared him favorably to Mitchell, who’s now playing at Marquette, when Mitchell was a freshman at Wilson.
His opinion of him has only grown since. Esterly gives him key defensive assignments and starter’s minutes, though he continues to bring him off the bench.
“It’s incredible to watch (him),” Esterly said. “I see it every day at practice: He’s special.”
McKoy heads a list of Berks freshmen who have made a sudden impact this season.
Aidan Dauble has become a key player off the bench for Exeter; he came up big earlier in the week, grabbing nine rebounds in a win over Muhlenberg.
Noah Walakovitz is second in scoring at Brandywine Heights, which is making a push for the District 3 Tournament despite having the youngest lineup in the league. He scored 20 points against Salisbury and has twice hit 18; he’s averaging 10.5 points.
Correll Aikings at Wilson and Michael Miller at Muhlenberg look like they could emerge as top players in the class by next season. They haven’t had many opportunities yet at the varsity level because their respective rotations are so strong.
Exeter coach Matt Ashcroft has such faith in Dauble, a 6-2 swingman, that he kept him on the floor in the final minutes of a one-possession game against Muhlenberg. The Eagles won it 57-50.
“He doesn’t play like a freshman,” Ashcroft said. “He’s been outstanding for us. We think he’s just scratching the surface.
“You talk about kids that just instinctively get it: He does things on the court that we look at and (think): ‘That’s not a freshman out there.’ Ball screen defense, rebounding: He’s one of the best players we have in several areas.”
Three years ago when a similar list of top freshman was presented it included (in alphabetical order) Myles Grey of Reading High, Cam Jones of Wilson, Josiah Jordan of Berks Catholic, Ruben Rodriguez of Muhlenberg and Joey Schlaffer of Exeter as the top five.
Three years from now, who on today’s list will still be on top? Kingston McKoy’s a good early bet.
“I feel like the sky’s the limit for him,” his brother said. “He can do a lot: He can stretch the floor, he can dribble, he’s probably one of the best defenders on the team, hands down.”
“To see him doing this as a freshman . . . ” said Miller. “Imagine him as a senior. It’s going to be crazy.”
Here’s a list of each program’s top freshman:
| Antietam | A.J. Scheifly | ||||
| Berks Catholic | Kingston McKoy | ||||
| Brandywine Heights | Noah Walakovitz | ||||
| Conrad Weiser | Kaden Leonard | ||||
| Daniel Boone | Gavin Welker | ||||
| Exeter | Aidan Dauble | ||||
| Fleetwood | Mason Senna | ||||
| Gov. Mifflin | Lebron Leaf | ||||
| Hamburg | Dylan Gough | ||||
| Kutztown | Chris Bergstrom | ||||
| Muhlenberg | Michael Miller | ||||
| Oley Valley | Nick DeBalko | ||||
| Reading High | Weshley Rosario | ||||
| Tulpehocken | Brayden Sweitzer | ||||
| Twin Valley | Cater Schmidt | ||||
| Wilson | Correll Aikings | ||||
| Wyomissing | Danny Fleischood |
