Which Berks teams are headed to the postseason? You might be surprised
Which Berks teams are headed to the postseason?
The easier (shorter) answer is which teams aren’t.
Heading into the final week of the regular season 10 of Berks’ 14 Lancaster-Lebanon League entries are in strong position to play in Week 11 — six in the District 3 Tournament, four in the Eastern Conference.
The playoffs start next week. The power ratings posted on the District 3 website will become official sometime Sunday.
The Eastern Conference field is composed of member schools from Districts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 11 which miss out on their respective district playoffs. Two teams qualify in each of five classes.
Here’s a quick look at what Berks teams are looking at:
Berks Catholic
The Saints (3-6) will finish with a losing record for the first time — but they’ll finish playing for a trophy.
They’re out of the District 3 picture but are leading in the race for an Eastern Conference Class 3A spot, and could play the championship game next week at home. A win at Elco (4-5) Friday should clinch that.
Conrad Weiser
The Scouts (3-6) are ranked 13th the District 3 Class 4A field, which takes the top 10 teams with the highest power ranking. They would need to beat Cocalico (5-4) and see at least three teams directly ahead of them — Donegal (3-6), Susquehannock (3-6), Elco (4-5) and/or Kennard-Dale (3-6) — all lose to have a chance. That’s a longshot.
The Scouts currently are second in the Eastern Conference Class 4A standings but the team right behind — Big Spring — will get a forfeit win Friday over Middletown, which suspended its program before the season. That means the Scouts need a ‘W’ to extend their season.
Fleetwood (2-7) and Daniel Boone (1-8) are on the periphery of the 4A Eastern Conference race but can’t pass Big Spring, because of its guaranteed win.
Exeter
The Eagles (9-0) are No. 2 in the District 3 Class 5A power ratings, where the top four earn a first-round bye and the top 12 qualify. Even with a loss Friday to Manheim Central (9-0) its unlikely they would fall out of the top four.
If they hold at No. 2 they’ll enjoy home-field advantage through the semifinals, and in the championship game if No. 1 Solanco is knocked off.
Road games didn’t seem to bother the Eagles last year; they won three of them en route to the 5A championship.
Gov. Mifflin
The first losing season in 19 years won’t be enough to keep the Mustangs (3-6) out of the postseason.
If they can beat Warwick Friday they might qualify for a berth in the Eastern Conference Class 5A/6A championship game, likely against Boyertown (4-5). It’s possible the Mustangs could lose and still make it.
Hamburg
The Hawks (7-2) will return to the District 3 Class 4A Tournament for the second straight year. At stake now is home field in the opening round. If the Hawks beat reeling Columbia (3-6), which has lost six of its last seven, they’ll lock up the No. 4 seed against either Schuylkill Valley, which sits at No. 5, or Upper Dauphin (7-2), which is at No. 6.
Kutztown
The Cougars (3-6) are well out of the running for a district playoff spot but a win over Pequea Valley (1-8) could send them to the Eastern Conference 3A title game.
That would be significant. The Cougars have made the postseason just once, in 2008, when they qualified for the Eastern Conference.
Reading High
The odds of the Red Knights (3-6) extending their season are longer than a Kyle Schwarber home run . . . but there’s a chance. First they would need to beat Section 1 champ Hempfield (7-2) — a major hurdle. Then they would need Gov. Mifflin to lose. That might open up a slot in the Eastern Conference Class 5A/6A championship game.
The Phillies have a much better chance of beating the Astros.
Schuylkill Valley
The Panthers (6-3) are in position to make the District 3 Class 3A playoffs, possibly even with a loss Friday to Lancaster Catholic (9-0). They’re currently No. 5; it’s unlikely No. 7 Susquenita (5-4) can make up enough ground to catch them, even by beating Juniata (5-4).
A second straight loss by the Panthers could drop them into sixth place and give them a tougher opponent — West Perry (9-0) — and much longer opening-round trip.
The Panthers haven’t made districts since 2014.
Twin Valley
Despite being just a game over .500 the Raiders (5-4) are in strong position to earn a first-round bye in the District 3 Class 4A Tournament. A win Friday at Hatboro-Horsham (1-6) will lock that up.
That’ll be a first for the Raiders, who qualified for districts for the first time last season; they lost their Class 5A opener at No. 4 Spring-Grove.
If they win Friday and clinch the sixth seed they’ll play a quarterfinal at No. 3, which is currently Lampeter-Strasburg (8-1).
Wilson
The Bulldogs (7-2) will make the District 3 Class 6A field but likely won’t be playing any home games.
They’re currently No. 7 in the power ratings; the top eight qualify.
With a win Friday over Manheim Township (7-2) they could move up a spot but likely won’t get higher than No. 6.
At No. 6 they could be headed back to Harrisburg — a regular house of horrors for the Bulldogs.
Wyomissing
The Spartans (9-0) clinched a playoff spot sometime around the Fourth of July.
The three-time defending District 3 Class 3A champs look like a slam-dunk for a fourth straight title but things could get messy if they lose Saturday to Lampeter-Strasburg (8-1).
That would cost them the No. 1 seed and with it home field throughout the tournament.
The Spartans beat Boiling Springs at the A-Field for the championship last year and beat Middletown there in 2019. It would be nice to hold aloft another trophy there.
By taking care of Lampeter the Spartans can clinch a first-round bye and have the chance to play two more games at home. A loss could drop them to third and send them on the road in the second round.
