After an early exit in the BCIAA playoffs, the Berks Catholic boys basketball team has been on a roll. The Saints have ripped off seven straight wins through the district and state playoffs.
The only thing standing between them and their first state championship was Devon Prep.
the Tide has ripped off their last six games as well. Two of the hottest teams in the state met in Hershey on Thursday night.
However, Devon Prep was just a little bit hotter. Once they took the lead with 3:09 in the first, they never looked back and captured the PIAA Class 4A boys basketball title at the Giant Center in Hershey with a 55-39 win.
“I love coming into the gym and coaching these kids,” said head coach Snip Esterly. “It’s a privilege, i told every one of them.”
Berks Catholic finished the season 24-5.
To open the game, the nerves were on display for both teams. Shots were long or short by a good margin and turnovers were no stranger to the stat sheet.
Eventually, Devon Prep (24-4) caught some fire, hitting over 50 percent of their first quarter shots including a 11-2 run to end the quarter. As for the Saints, the shots weren’t coming so easily. A 4-13 start put them in an 18-10 hole at the end of the first quarter.
To open the second, it was the freshman Carmelo Harper who provided the spark to get Berks Catholic back into the game. After a coast-to-coast steal and score, Harper drove to the lane with a good runner which sparked a 10-4 Saints run, forcing a Devon Prep time out.
“What a great year he had and he’s only a freshman,” said Esterly. “He made some freshman mistakes but he’s gonna be a nice player, he has a nice work ethic.”
Devon Prep responded with a 6-0 run to claim its original largest lead of the game with under a minute in the half. However, Kingston McKoy wouldn’t stay quiet forever. After having just one basket in the first, McKoy went on a 5-0 run in a 30-second span including a steal to stop Devon Prep’s final possession of the half to keep it at 28-25.
The struggle to retain the lead continued for Berks Catholic in the third quarter. The Saints would bring it back within a score, just for Devon Prep to extend their lead back to five or six. Harper, who finished with nine points, did a good job driving again which was followed by a Mckoy fadeaway, but just when they were within two, Devon’s Mason Thear hit a corner three, forcing Esterly to call timeout.
Luckily for the Saints, they finished the third quarter on the plus side of those runs. Mckoy was able to display his all-around game and hit Johnny Giesa for a drive and kick three to cut the lead to two heading into their final period of the season.
To start the fourth quarter, Devon Prep went on an 8-0 run to counter what Berks Catholic did to end the last quarter. Eventually, a three from Calvin Smith would put the Saints in a 10-point hole with 4:49 left in the game.
What was once a close game turned into Devon Prep pulling away in the final minutes. Berks Catholic wouldn’t get their first point of the period until the 2:03 mark. Even then, the Devon lead had already grown to 13.
After a game of keep-away and fouling, Devon Prep would put Berks Catholic away with a 55-39 victory.
“They know to get back here to put the work in,” said Esterly. “Players are made in the summer, teams are made in the winter.”
Source: Berkshire mont