Top players to watch in Berks IV boys basketball
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Ben DeBalko
Oley Valley
(PhilMarPhoto)
With an experienced senior lineup around him and 6-4 David Turchi inside to occupy attention, DeBalko was often left alone on the outside last season. He made opponents pay, knocking down a league-best and program-record 65 3-pointers in 26 games.
After singeing the nets from the perimeter and leading the Lynx in scoring at 11.1 points per game, opposing teams are sure to pay more attention this time around.
“He’s not flying under the radar anymore,” said Lynx coach Chad Walters. “He’s a pure shooter. The league knows he can knock down open shots now. He needs to add another element to his game.”
That means developing a better handle and putting the ball on the floor in order to get to the basket when defenders crowd him around the 3-point line.
“It’s a whole new learning experience for him,” Walters said.
DeBalko was a consistent shooter and scorer last season: He had at least one 3 in 25-of-26 games, three or more 3’s in 14 games and scored in double figures 18 times, with a high of 17. He also shot nearly 74 percent from the foul line.
In the summer he earned a spot on the West Reading All-Star team.
AJ Scheifly
Antietam
(PhilMarPhoto)
The Mounts lost the top three scorers from their District 3 Class 2A finalist; they’re gonna someone new to put the ball in the basket.
That could be the 5-11 Scheifly, a sophomore guard who showed loads of potential down the stretch last season and played big minutes in the postseason.
He scored a season-high 16 points against Kutztown in late January and knocked down three 3-pointers against division champ Oley Valley a few days later.
“He’s got a lot of confidence,” said Mounts coach Mike Green. “And he’s a smart player. He can hit the 3 and could be one of our best scorers.”
Scheifly is also a talented soccer player; he was second on the team in scoring last season.
David Turchi
Oley Valley
(PhilMarPhoto)
Turchi, a 6-4 senior and the centerpiece of the biggest front line in the division, is capable of scoring inside and out.
He did most of his damage in the paint last season, when he averaged 10.1 points. Now he’s expected to score more often from the perimeter.
“He’s expanded his game,” said Lynx coach Chad Walters. “He’s gonna have opportunities to be left open from 15-18 feet.
“He’s athletic enough that he can put the ball on the floor and get to the basket.”
Turchi will be part of a frontcourt that could include 6-4 Tristan McFarland, a “freakish athlete” according to Walters, and 6-5 Carter Smith.
No one in the division will come close to matching that.
“We have some size and some athleticism,” Walters said. “That gives us a nice inside/outside punch.”
Nate Winkler
Brandywine Heights
(PhilMarPhoto)
The 5-11 Winkler was part of an outstanding freshman class that had the Bullets looking good for years to come. That all changed in the span of two weeks in early March when their top two scorers, Jayden Kantner and Noah Walakovits, transferred: The first to Muhlenberg, the latter to Northampton.
That puts a lot more emphasis on Winkler, who averaged 8.7 points and knocked down a team-best 23 3-pointers.
“He’s a three-level scorer,” said Bullets coach Dave Moseley. “He can score from mid-range; he can get to the rim and his 3-point shot has improved. He’s creative.”
Winkler does more than just score: He had 77 steals last season and 78 deflections, along with 58 assists.
The Bullets will have to wait to see him fully display that kind of all-around game: Winkler will miss about a month with a broken hand. That comes on top of a lost summer when he couldn’t play because of a broken elbow.
Once back he’ll be their top ballhandler and defender and a leader on the floor.
Julious Williams
Antietam
(PhilMarPhoto)
Mike Green can only sit and wonder what kind of team he could be looking at this season: A lineup that includes the McKoy brothers, Josh and Kingston . . . Jowen Reyes-Rodguez, who would be one of the top juniors in Berks IV . . . emerging junior Julious Williams . . . and promising sophomore guard AJ Scheifly.
That’s a team that could win a district title and a bunch more games in March.
It’s only a dream, though: The McKoys transferred to Berks Catholic before last season and Reyes-Rodriguez took his game to Reading High after last season.
That means the onus falls on the 6-4 Williams to carry the load, something he showed he was capable of last season when he sparked the Mounts drive to the District 3 Class 2A championship game.
He scored 13 points in the semifinals and knocked down a pair of first-half 3-pointers in the championship.
“A 6-4 guy who can hit 3’s and also go down low?” Green said. “I don’t usually get bigs here.”
Williams figures to be one of the top post players in the division, though there’s not as much help around him as he enjoyed last season. In the summer he earned a spot on the West Reading All-Star team.
Other top players to watch
- Tommy Clark, Brandywine Heights
- Phoenix Kellogg, Kutztown
- Tristin McFarland, Oley Valley
- E.J. Miranda, Kutztown
- Shawn Raffety, Antietam
- Scotty Ray, Brandywine Heights
- Johnny Turchi, Oley Valley
- Lucas Werner, Tulpehocken
