Season is dominated by Gov. Mifflin, McDaniel
Gov. Mifflin continued its dominance, holding off Peyton McDaniel-led Twin Valley for its fourth Berks title in six seasons
A memorable Berks girls basketball season has come and gone.
Gov. Mifflin cut down the nets (again). Twin Valley made school history. Peyton McDaniel became an all-time great.
Those three months went by in a blur. With the sports world placed on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic, why not take a few minutes and reflect on what we just saw?
Here are five shining moments from the winter:
1. Mustangs still ride
While much of the preseason attention went to Twin Valley and its returning Player of the Year, everyone knew better than to count out Gov. Mifflin.
The Mustangs, despite losing three starters, were essentially co-favorites for the Berks crown. They’ve earned that kind of respect by winning so many championships.
Mifflin continued one of the most dominant stretches in league history at Santander Arena in February. The Mustangs defeated Reading High 52-34 in the final and won their fourth county title in six seasons.
Stella Mollica and Sydney Payne were starters on back-to-back championship teams.
“I’m enjoying it,” Mifflin coach Mike Clark said. “Every year I’m still thinking about how we can get better. If you come to Gov. Mifflin, you’re going to be playing for championships.”
Clark has built a dynasty in Shillington and there’s no end in sight.
2. Raiders reach final
So many times the semifinals brought disappointment for Twin Valley. Twice in the county playoffs. Twice in districts. The Raiders just couldn’t get over the hump.
Then they made a trip to Mechanicsburg, where they faced the No. 1 seed that started the season 20-0. That’s where they had their breakthrough.
Twin Valley built a 17-point lead in the third quarter and held off a furious fourthquarter rally. The Raiders reached the district final for the first time.
Peyton McDaniel made six free throws in the final minute to seal it. She and her teammates finally got their moment on the big stage at Giant Center.
“She’s doing what she should be doing.” coach Mark Morrow said. “She’s right where she belongs, along with the rest of these kids. They belong in a championship game.”
Twin Valley led Gettysburg by four points in the fourth quarter before falling short in the final. The Raiders were the only Berks team to play for district gold and the only one to win a PIAA game this season.00
3. Ms. 2000
Peyton McDaniel delivered her share of magical moments as a senior. She scored 45 points against Exeter. She scored 15 points in the final 4:12 against Mifflin. She made six consecutive 3-pointers in a PIAA win over Radnor.
The 6-0 guard’s greatest moment came during her final game on her home court.
McDaniel scored 34 points against Spring Grove in the district quarterfinals. She poured in 25 in the second half, including a 3-pointer that gave her 2,000 for her career. That was her final shot in a game at Twin Valley’s gym.
The atmosphere was electric as her teammates stormed the court to celebrate McDaniel becoming the sixth player to reach 2,000.
“The energy in this place was wild,” McDaniel said. “It was cool to do it in front of the home crowd. People started getting louder and louder. I was like, ‘OK, maybe it’s coming.’”
McDaniel shot 10-for-13 in the second half and scored her final 11 points in 1:49. She finished her career with 2,102. Only Wendy Davis (Daniel Boone, ’88), Corielle Yarde (Schuylkill Valley, ’08), Zena Edwards (Hamburg, ’85) and Rashida Suber (Reading High, ’03) have scored more.
4. Tiebreaker that wasn’t
The most unusual game of the season was played at Kutztown on Feb. 6. Berks Catholic and Schuylkill Valley squared off in a playoff where only one team had anything at stake.
Berks II finished in a three-way tie and Fleetwood won the tiebreaker. Berks Catholic and Schuylkill Valley battled for second. The interesting part was the Saints already had clinched a playoff spot by power rating and didn’t need to win the extra game.
Berks Catholic won 54-40 anyway. Sophie Emkey played brilliantly, scoring a careerhigh 16 points, and the Saints eliminated the Panthers from the county playoffs.
“Every time we come out, we want to play our best,” Berks Catholic coach Bob Birmingham said. “I think sometimes if you teach kids not to give 100%, or if you as a coach don’t do that, you’re sending the wrong message. Especially in high school sports.”
Berks Catholic’s victory put Reading
High into the playoffs as a wildcard. The Red Knights used the second chance to reach the county final for the second consecutive year.
5. Milestones
Wilson senior Kaya Burkhart and Wyomissing junior Lily Seyfert, both two-time All-Berks selections, gained entry into the 1,000-point club.
Burkhart earned her spot against Mifflin in January. She scored 13 points and made it to 1,000 with a free throw in the second quarter. The 5-4 guard, who is headed to Jefferson University, finished with 1,115 points.
“She has put a ton of time into the game,” Wilson coach Kevin Calabria said. “She’s a magician with the ball. She can make shots. That’s really a hard thing to acquire in a player. Not only a great handle but also a great shooter.”
Seyfert finished the season with exactly 1,000 by scoring 21 in a state-qualifier loss against Bermudian Springs. The milestone basket was a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter.
“Honestly, I never thought I would reach it going into freshman year,” Seyfert said. “I wasn’t expecting anything like this. It’s overwhelming. I’m just very happy and thankful.”
Seyfert became the 133rd Berks player to reach 1,000. She has a chance to climb high on the county’s all-time list. Only 29 players have reached 1,500 points.
Looking ahead
Here’s a way-too-early look at next year’s Big Five:
1. GOV. MIFFLIN » Mustangs have won four of the last six championships and will return four key players from the team that cut down the nets last month. They’re the county’s dominant program.
2. WYOMISSING » Spartans return two-time All-Berks pick Lily Seyfert, Ava Gehman and Abby Doyle. They need a coach after Mike Mitchell Jr. resigned, but the pieces are in place for a title run.
3. BERKS CATHOLIC » Saints reached the PIAA Tournament and county semifinals with five underclassmen in their top eight. Caroline Reedy and Caraline Herb could be the foundation for their next great team. 4. TWIN VALLEY » Raiders will be fascinating to follow in their first year after Peyton McDaniel. They bring back everyone else, including three-year starters Ava Morrow, Morgan Lennon and Natali Foster.
5. FLEETWOOD » All-Berks pick Alexis Hess, who made a seemingly effortless transition to varsity as a freshman, could be the league’s next all-time great.
All-Berks candidates
LILY SEYFERT, WYOMISSING » Two-time AllBerks guard reached 1,000 points in the season finale. She’ll be a Player of the Year candidate with a chance to etch her name in history.
STELLA MOLLICA, GOV. MIFFLIN » All-Berks point guard will try to make it three consecutive county titles. She has 741 career points.
ALEXIS HESS, FLEETWOOD » Sky’s the limit for the 5-11 guard after one of the best freshman seasons in recent memory. She averaged 14.9 points and made 43 3-pointers.
KYA WASHINGTON, READING HIGH » AllBerks guard was a force as a sophomore, averaging 12.6 points and helping the Red Knights return to the county final. CAROLINE REEDY, BERKS CATHOLIC » Only six Berks players scored more field goals than the sophomore, who is a versatile offensive player. She’ll be a 1,000-point scorer if she stays healthy.
AVA MORROW, TWIN VALLEY » Already one of the league’s top defenders and allaround contributors, Morrow will have to score more next season. She has 712 career points.
ELISA FIORE, GOV. MIFFLIN » The sophomore’s breakout was delayed by an earlyseason wrist injury. She recovered and was one of the Mustangs’ top players down the stretch.
OTHERS TO WATCH » Kelsey Biehn, Oley Valley; Gia Borelli, Wilson; Ashlyn Clark, Brandywine Heights; Alayna Day, Antietam; Jocelyn Grosch, Gov. Mifflin; Caraline Herb, Berks Catholic; Julia Kaskey, Fleetwood; Keira Levengood, Wilson; Leeaura McCorkle, Antietam; Allyson Velez, Daniel Boone.