Top 10 takeaways from the Berks girls basketball season
By Sean McBryan — MikeDragoSports.com correspondent
1. Wyomissing breakout
The Spartans’ 28 wins are the most by a Berks girls team since Boyertown went 28-5 on its way to the PIAA Class 6A title in 2017. The Spartans won their first county and district titles and went to the PIAA Class 4A quarterfinals behind Berks Player of the Year Amaya Stewart.
The last time a Berks Girls League team won 28 or more games was 2008, when Wilson went 29-4. The Bulldogs won a district title and went to the PIAA Class 4A semifinals.
Wyomissing’s preseason goal was to hang banners; two new ones will be placed in the gymnasium after this season. Give the Spartans their dues.
2. Short run
Only three Berks Girls League teams made district: Berks Catholic and Wyomissing in Class 4A and Brandywine Heights in 3A.
Seven teams made it last season: Gov. Mifflin and Wilson in 6A; Twin Valley in 5A; Berks Catholic, Schuylkill Valley and Wyomissing in 4A; and Brandywine Heights in 3A. Berks Catholic went the furthest, losing to Delone Catholic in the championship.
Berks Catholic, Brandywine Heights, and Twin Valley made the state tournament in 2021, each losing in the first round. Only BC and Wyomissing returned this season. The Saints lost to Audenreid in the first round.
Wyomissing defeated Delone Catholic for the District 3 title, the first time a Berks team won a district title since Wilson in 2014. The Spartans also won two PIAA playoff games, their first state wins since 2004.
3. Back for more
Berk’s top returning players for the 2023-24 season:
- Wyomissing: Amaya Stewart, Alexis Hardy, Annie McCaffrey and Audrey Hurleman.
- Berks Catholic: Madison Langdon, Molly McFadden and Sydney Corado.
- Exeter: Grace Reedy.
- Wilson: Laila Jones, Violet Houck, Laura Crocona and Jasilyn Moncada.
- Reading High: Yamilex Rodriguez, Tamyia Collier and Heaven’Li Franklin.
- Gov. Mifflin: Taylor Koenig.
- Schuylkill Valley: Natane White and Julianna Stichter.
- Brandywine Heights: Addison Benner, Olivia Moyer (working her way back from an ACL tear).
- Oley Valley: Morgan Snyder, Ryanne Wheeler.
- Twin Valley: Hailey Kilgore.
4. Grand totals
Berks Catholic senior Caraline Herb, who is off to play at Chestnut Hill College, was the only Berks girl to reach 1,000 points this season.
Fleetwood’s Alexis Hess, who’s headed to Kansas State, finished her career with 1,403 points; she reached the 1K mark as a junior. Hess is the 36th-highest scorer in Berks Girls League history and fourth-highest in Fleetwood history behind Donna Werner (1,704), Jill Henne (1,516), and Katie Madenford (1,510).
Herb finished with 1,140 points, tied for 89th in county history. That total is third most in Berks Catholic history behind Devon Merritt (1,730) and Dejah Terrell (1,290).
Sue Wright (1,256), Karen Yeasted (1,236), Adelle Schade (1,180), Meg Stitzel (1,089), Rachel Skolny (1,069), Peggy Dugan (1,061), Erin Voelker (1,058), and Kristin Yeasted (1,042) scored 1,000 for Holy Name.
Diane Trout (1,372), Krissy Wrobel (1,263), Erin Hurleman (1,235), Kelly Krawczyk (1,212), Kelly Wrobel (1,111), Carolyn Piasecki (1,056) and Alicia Yapsuga (1,032) scored 1,000 for Central Catholic.
Gov. Mifflin’s Shakyla Mayo (860) and Anyah Ortiz (771) and Kutztown Ky Brantley (706) were Berks’ other highest-scoring seniors.
5. Shooting for 1K
Exeter rising senior Grace Reedy, the Berks scoring champ this season at 22.3 points per game, needs 98 points to reach 1,000. Wyomissing rising junior Amaya Stewart needs 284, Brandywine Heights rising junior Addison Benner needs 328, and Oley Valley rising senior Morgan Snyder needs 333.
Schuylkill Valley rising senior Natane White (561 career points), Oley Valley rising senior Ryanne Wheeler (556), and Gov. Mifflin rising senior Taylor Koenig (503) would have to significantly increase their scoring output in order to reach 1,000.
Berks Catholic rising junior Madison Langdon (458), Reading High rising junior Yamilex Rodrigeuz (431), Wilson rising sophomore Laila Jones (322), and Twin Valley rising sophomore Hailey Kilgore (231) are on pace to reach the milestone.
6. Leaderboard
Here are the top 10 scorers by average this season:
Exeter’s Grace Reedy (22.3), Kutztown’s Ky Brantley (20.8), Fleetwood’s Alexis Hess (17.6), Oley Valley’s Morgan Snyder (15.9), Berks Catholic’s Caraline Herb (15.5), Wyomissing’s Amaya Stewart (15.3), Wilson’s Laila Jones (13.4), Brandywine Heights’ Olivia Moyer (13.3), Brandywine Heights’ Addison Benner (13.2), Schuylkill Valley’s Natane White (13.0).
Brantley played four games and Moyer was limited to 15 due to injuries.
Here are the top 10 scorers by overall points:
Reedy (513), Stewart (474), Herb (434), Hess (369), Jones (322), Berks Catholic’s Madison Langdon (306), Benner (304), Snyder (303), White (300), Gov. Mifflin’s Shakyla Mayo (273).
7. Top teams
The Berks League’s top scoring teams: Wyomissing (49.8), Berks Catholic (48.7), Gov. Mifflin (46.2), Oley Valley (46.0), Reading High (45.2).
Fewest points allowed: Wyomissing (29.4), Oley Valley (29.5), Brandywine Heights (31.1), Wilson (35.7), Schuylkill Valley (38.1).
8. Exceeding expectations
- Wilson thought it would have one of the top players in the county this season with the return of All-Berks center Isis Dojan, but she was not on the team. It appeared a rebuilding season was in the works. Head coach Chris Gallo turned to a group of freshmen led by dynamo point guard Laila Jones and the Bulldogs reached the county semifinals. Freshman Violet Houck was injured for a part of the season. She showed great chemistry with Jones and untapped potential after returning.
- Reading High started 11-4 before a six-game losing streak. The Red Knights proceeded to shock top-seeded Berks Catholic in the BCIAA semifinals. It was the fourth time Reading High has appeared in the county championship (2012, 2019, 2020) since it last won in 2010.
- After winning just two games last season Exeter won the Berks II title. The Eagles finished 11-12 overall with a county playoff appearance. Yes, the transition from Berks I helped but the Eagles weren’t the same 2-19 team as they were in 2022. They were one spot away from qualifying for the district playoffs. Scoring maestro Grace Reedy produced regardless of the opponent; she scored 17 against Wyomissing, 29 against Berks Catholic, 20 against Gov. Mifflin and 14 against Wilson.
- Schuylkill Valley had to replace four starters, including All-Berks pick Madison Ziska. Head coach Jason Bagenstose and juniors Natane White and Julianna Stichter did a remarkable job in leading the Panthers back into the county playoffs, where they lost to Berks Catholic 49-32.
9. Left out
Oley Valley had a better record (9-3 Berks IV, 15-7) than both eventual Berks IV champ Brandywine Heights (9-3,15-9) and Berks III runner-up Schuylkill Valley (7-4, 11-12) but lost out to each due to tiebreakers.
The Lynx lost to the Panthers 45-37 in a Berks III-IV crossover on Jan. 20. That head-to-head game between eventual division runners-up determined the Berks playoff spot.
The Lynx return top scorer Morgan Snyder (15.9 points per game), Ryanne Wheeler (11.0), and Dana Messner (8.0). They’ll be gunning for the Bullets, who have won the division title three seasons in a row and will likely be without leading scorer Olivia Moyer for a lot of the season as she recovers from a torn ACL suffered on Jan. 14.
10. Looking ahead
Here’s a very early look at the crystal ball:
Wyomissing is the clear favorite to repeat as county champ and make district and state playoff runs.
Berks Catholic looks to be second in line but will need increased production from rising juniors Madison Langdon, Sydney Corado, and Molly McFadden with the graduation of Caraline Herb. Rising senior Gianna Roberts will also have increased scoring and ball handling responsibility.
Wilson returns a lineup that gained valuable experience this season. The Bulldogs pushed both Berks Catholic and Wyomissing to the brink in their matchups.
Reading High returns its top scorers, Yamilex Rodriguez and Heaven’Li Franklin, but leader Ashanti Chapman is graduating. Rising junior Tamyia Collier and others will have to step up for the Red Knights to return to the county final.
Gov. Mifflin’s Taylor Koenig missed most of her junior season with a knee injury but will be one of the top players in the county next season if healthy. She and fellow rising senior Keira Estrada will have to weather the departure of Shakyla Mayo, Anyah Ortiz, Jayla Richardson, and Payton Witman for the Mustangs to regain their county supremacy. The Mustangs won county championships in 2022, 2020, 2019, 2016, and 2015.
Next in line: Oley Valley, Schuylkill Valley, Brandywine Heights and Exeter.
