The ‘Big House’ is still where it’s at for Berks girls basketball
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For the past 20 years Berks girls basketball has had the big stage all to itself one night each year, during the BCIAA semifinals.
A girls double-header has been played at Santander Arena since 2004, and that’s been a big deal.
“Santander is where it’s at,” said Wyomissing coach Aaron Anders, whose team cut down the nets last February at Berks’ Big House. “To me (getting there), that’s what it’s all about.”
The top four teams in the Berks Girls League will still get their moment on the big stage but this year they’ll be sharing it. Because of lackluster attendance for the girls-only semifinals the BCIAA will host a quadruple-header on Feb. 14 at Santander, with two girls games and two boys games, starting at 4.
It’s not a move BCIAA executives were eager to make but the girls doubleheader has been a money-loser for years. There were just 623 people in the building last year; one night later, for the boys semifinals, there was nearly five times that number. For the championship game three nights later there were nearly six times as many.
The situation is not ideal, said Wilson coach Chris Gallo, but he understands the reality of the situation.
“It (still) gives us an opportunity to play there,” said Gallo, whose team has clinched the Berks I title and figures to be playing at Santander. “They tried to give us a night (there) and we just weren’t filling it up. This makes the most sense.”
Game match-ups and times won’t be determined until next week, after the quarterfinal round is completed Monday night.
The two girls games won’t necessarily be first on the four-game card, according to BCIAA basketball chairman Tom Legath. He said he’ll try to schedule schools with both girls and boys teams in the semifinals in back-to-back games, to accommodate their fans and parents with a student-athlete on each team.
Berks Catholic, Wilson, and Exeter will likely have both its teams qualify for the playoffs; Schuylkill Valley could, as well.
(Tim Macrina photo)
The semifinal games will be played at 4, 5:30, 7 and 8:30. The championship games on Feb. 16 will be tip at 6 and 8.
The Reading High girls were the first to cut down the nets at what was then the Sovereign Center in 2004; later that same night the Red Knights boys did it.
Playing games at the arena, which opened in 2001, has elevated basketball in Berks County.
Playing in a big-time arena is a life experience for the players and coaches; just being on that court makes it seem like a big game.
“This is a moment for these kids,” Anders said.
It’s an arena where nearly 7,000 once filed in to watch Lonnie Walker IV win a championship.
It’s where the Reading Royals hockey team has played for years.
It’s where entertainers such as Fleetwood Mac, Barry Manilow, Joan Jett, Pearl Jam, Eric Church, Jerry Seinfeld and the Harlem Globetrotters have performed.
There’s been debate whether it would be better to play the girls semifinals in the big arena or take it to one of the local high schools.
Put 600 spectators in Santander and it seems empty, and quiet. Squeeze that same group into a smaller gym and the atmosphere becomes electric. Anyone who was at Wolf Gymnasium last year for Wyomissing’s district semifinal against Berks Catholic will tell you that. It reeked of playoff atmosphere.
So, which is the better alternative: Big stage with little atmosphere or small stage where you can feel the intensity?
Most girls coaches will tell you they’d rather play at Santander, no matter what time of day or how many people are cheering.
“It’s a special thing for the kids to get to play there,” said Gallo. “It’s a neat experience. Not every team gets to be there.”
