District 3 AAAA Rankings as of 12/29

1
Reading
8.833
2
CD East
8.750
3
Cedar Crest
8.500
4
Carlisle
7.818
5
Mechanicsburg
7.750
6
Red Lion
7.667
7
Red Land
7.636
8
Cedar Cliff
7.300
9
Cocalico
7.250
10
York
7.182
11
McCaskey
7.182
12
Exeter
7.111
13
Hempfield
7.100
14
Solanco
6.727
15
Harrisburg
6.625
16
Dallastown
6.600
17
Conestoga Valley
6.545
18
Chambersburg
6.333
19
Central York
6.182
20
Wilson
6.077
21
Southwestern
5.917
22
Penn Manor
5.833
23
Central Dauphin
5.800
24
Cumberland Valley
5.800
25
Warwick
5.800
26
Manheim Township
5.727
27
Waynesboro
5.200
28
Elizabethtown
5.200
29
Gettysburg
5.091
30
Spring Grove
5.083
31
Lower Dauphin
5.000
32
Governor Mifflin
5.000
33
Ephrata
4.750
34
Twin Valley
4.417
35
Garden Spot
4.000
36
York Vo-Tech
3.636

District 3 AAAA Rankings as of 12/28

1
Reading
8.833
2
CD East
8.750
3
Cedar Crest
8.500
4
Carlisle
7.800
5
Mechanicsburg
7.727
6
Red Lion
7.636
7
Red Land
7.636
8
Cedar Cliff
7.300
9
Cocalico
7.250
10
York
7.182
11
McCaskey
7.182
12
Hempfield
7.100
13
Exeter
7.000
14
Solanco
6.727
15
Harrisburg
6.625
16
Dallastown
6.600
17
Conestoga Valley
6.545
18
Chambersburg
6.333
19
Central York
6.182
20
Central Dauphin
6.111
21
Wilson
6.077
22
Southwestern
5.917
23
Penn Manor
5.833
24
Warwick
5.800
25
Manheim Township
5.727
26
Cumberland Valley
5.444
27
Waynesboro
5.200
28
Elizabethtown
5.200
29
Gettysburg
5.091
30
Lower Dauphin
5.000
31
Governor Mifflin
5.000
32
Spring Grove
4.909
33
Ephrata
4.750
34
Twin Valley
4.417
35
Garden Spot
4.100
36
York Vo-Tech
3.636

Reading 86 Upper Darby 37

The Reading Red Knights captured the championship of the Reading Holiday Tournament with a very impressive victory over the Royals of Upper Darby. Here are my thoughts on the win:

1. I loved the way the team came out and from the start they let Upper Darby know they had no chance and completely took their will away. The one thing I really like about this team is that they really play hard every game but when they are playing a quality opponent they seem to turn it up an extra notch.
2. Jordan Burdine won tournament MVP with another strong effort. It seemed last night that whenever he wanted he could score.
3. The one thing I really took notice to tonight is that when we go to our bench we really pick up the defensive intensity. If we want to get to the promised land we will need to continue to see improvement from our bench.
4. I think with the week off you will see the coaching staff stress the fundamentals with this team on the week off. Also, I think it might be a good stretch to get Demrick Cook's confidence back. I still think he will make a big contribution to this team as the year goes on.
5. It was great to just walk around the concourse and hear all the fans talk about this team. There was a real buzz in the air and if their was a buzz in the air tonight just imagine what it will be like next Saturday evening.
6. As we look towards the second half of the season the schedule does get tougher but its not a daunting schedule. But I think the week off will help us more than it will hurt us. I know we would like to keep playing while were clicking on all cylinders. But with our schedule the rest of this month we are playing 3 games a week in most weeks so a full week of practice time is something that a lot of teams wont get at this point in the season.

Reading 90 Allentown Central Catholic 62

The Reading Red Knights improved to 11-0 on the season with a solid victory over the Vikings of Allentown Central Catholic on Thursday night in the opening round of the Reading Holiday Tournament at the Geigle Complex. Here are my thoughts on the game:

1. Jordan Burdine led the way tonight with 34 points. He is well on his way to being tournament MVP. He seems to have gotten out of his shooting funk. I also think when this team is in a close game he will be the go to guy when we need points.
2. Jermain Jackson also had a solid game tonight. He wasn't spectacular, but worked hard on the glass and had a really tough match up in the rotund center Carlos Pujols of ACC.
3. Macho had another good game running the point. He was very successful in maneuvering his way into the paint and getting layups against the ACC 2-3 zone. The Internet rumor that he wouldn't be there cause he was attending to a wedding was a Pennlive hoax just like the rumor that Jaren Burdine wouldn't play for a couple weeks while resting his ankle.
4. I really like how we have picked up the intensity on the defensive end of the court. While we have given up some rebounding presence with putting Nelson Leon in the starting lineup, we have increased our foot speed on defense. Also, I have heard a few people complain that we are giving up too many three pointers. When your constructing a defense you cant take away everything and I like the strategy since the three point shot is a low percentage shot. With the tempo we play at and as the game proceeds into the second half those long jumpers come up short and our like the outlet pass to our fast break.
5. We now will play Upper Darby tomorrow night. I know they are not as talented as they were last year, but this is a team we cant take for granted. They are 6-5 on the young season but you know they believe they can beat us after beating us the last two years in the holiday tournament and are going to come on the court a very confident team.

District 3 AAAA Rankings as of 12/22

1
Reading
8.900
2
CD East
8.800
3
Cedar Crest
8.625
4
Mechanicsburg
7.700
5
Carlisle
7.667
6
Red Lion
7.500
7
Cedar Cliff
7.500
8
Cocalico
7.400
9
McCaskey
7.333
10
Red Land
7.333
11
Harrisburg
7.286
12
Hempfield
7.000
13
York
6.889
14
Solanco
6.889
15
Exeter
6.667
16
Conestoga Valley
6.556
17
Wilson
6.545
18
Chambersburg
6.500
19
Central Dauphin
6.375
20
Dallastown
6.333
21
Central York
6.333
22
Manheim Township
6.222
23
Penn Manor
6.200
24
Southwestern
5.800
25
Waynesboro
5.500
26
Cumberland Valley
5.445
27
Warwick
5.125
28
Spring Grove
5.100
29
Lower Dauphin
5.000
30
Ephrata
4.875
31
Elizabethtown
4.875
32
Gettysburg
4.778
33
Governor Mifflin
4.714
34
Twin Valley
4.400
35
Garden Spot
4.111
36
York Vo-Tech
3.778

Reading 60 Owen J. Roberts 39

The Red Knights improved to 10-0 with a workmanlike win tonight against the Wildcats of Owen J. Roberts. Here are my thoughts on the game:

1. We really played flat for long periods of time tonight but I was very happy to see the defense play solid basketball. We didn't give up many layups and the numerous three pointers we allowed them to shoot were like an outlet pass for our fast break.
2. Tonight pointed out once again how much better and more comfortable Jermaine Jackson is on offense when he gets the ball on the lower block. Also, when teams converge on defense it also opens open jumpers for our guards.
3. Again tonight great balanced scoring. This I feel like is what sets us apart from other teams we don't rely on one or two players. We have about five or six guys who can go for 15-20 a night.
4. It was good to see us get a win tonight convincingly when we clearly didn't have a ton of energy and weren't running our offense that well.
5. Marcus Dawkins played about 10 minutes tonight and was OK but not as good as last night. I think it is easy to see though that is shot is the corner 3. He will continue to improve and really is an X factor for this team to get to that next level.

District 3 AAAA Rankings as of 12/21

1
Reading
8.889
2
CD East
8.800
3
Cedar Crest
8.625
4
Carlisle
7.667
5
Mechanicsburg
7.556
6
Cedar Cliff
7.500
7
Cocalico
7.400
8
Hempfield
7.375
9
York
7.375
10
McCaskey
7.333
11
Red Lion
7.333
12
Harrisburg
7.286
13
Red Land
7.250
14
Chambersburg
7.000
15
Solanco
6.889
16
Exeter
6.667
17
Conestoga Valley
6.556
18
Central Dauphin
6.375
19
Dallastown
6.333
20
Central York
6.333
21
Wilson
6.300
22
Manheim Township
6.222
23
Southwestern
6.222
24
Penn Manor
6.200
25
Waynesboro
5.500
26
Cumberland Valley
5.445
27
Lower Dauphin
5.250
28
Warwick
5.125
29
Spring Grove
5.100
30
Gettysburg
5.000
31
Ephrata
4.875
32
Elizabethtown
4.875
33
Twin Valley
4.400
34
Governor Mifflin
4.333
35
Garden Spot
4.111
36
York Vo-Tech
3.778

Reading 75 Exeter 45

The Red Knights improved to 9-0 last night with another impressive victory. Here are my thoughts on the game:

1. I loved the way we came out tonight and just attacked from the start. When we are aggressive and push the tempo we are a great team. I know some people will say its only beating Exeter, but they came in full of momentum after a big win over Wilson on Tuesday.
2. Trenity Burdine had another great game last night. I was impressed with how he saw his jumper wasn't falling, but then even got more aggressive with taking the ball to the hole. Trenity seems to improve game by game. He has easily been the biggest surprise this year.
3. Jermaine Jackson continued his strong play. I love how Coach Reyes has moved him to the center spot and gotten him down low on the block where his offensive game can really flourish. Like I mentioned a few weeks ago when you can get Jermaine touches early it really gets him going on the offensive end.
4. Last night it was great to see the training wheels were taken off and Marcus Dawkins got to play quality minutes. It is rare that you see a freshman who is as skilled on the defensive side of the ball as the offensive side. He makes this easily the most balanced Reading team in recent memory. With Marcus I think we just have to keep giving him 10 to 15 minutes a game and let him just keep getting better because the sky is the limit with this kid.
5. Tonight's game against O.J Roberts will tell us something about the maturity of this team. You have to think in the back of the players mind that they already have their eyes on that January 5 match up with Harrisburg.
6. When you look at the rest of our schedule I really think you can say we will be favored in every game in the regular season, even the Harrisburg game.

District 3 AAAA Rankings as of 12/20

1
Reading
8.875
2
CD East
8.778
3
Cedar Crest
8.571
4
Carlisle
7.625
5
Mechanicsburg
7.500
6
Cedar Cliff
7.429
7
Cocalico
7.222
8
Exeter
7.200
9
Hempfield
7.143
10
York
7.143
11
Red Land
7.143
12
McCaskey
7.125
13
Red Lion
7.125
14
Chambersburg
7.000
15
Harrisburg
7.000
16
Central Dauphin
6.714
17
Central York
6.625
18
Solanco
6.625
19
Manheim Township
6.500
20
Southwestern
6.500
21
Penn Manor
6.444
22
Wilson
6.300
23
Conestoga Valley
6.250
24
Dallastown
6.000
25
Waynesboro
5.857
26
Cumberland Valley
5.625
27
Lower Dauphin
5.571
28
Gettysburg
5.286
29
Warwick
5.286
30
Spring Grove
5.222
31
Ephrata
5.000
32
Elizabethtown
5.000
33
Twin Valley
4.555
34
Governor Mifflin
4.333
35
Garden Spot
4.125
36
York Vo-Tech
3.375

Reading 88 Conrad Weiser 52

The Reading High Red Knights improved to 8-0 with a victory tonight over the Scouts of Conrad Weiser. Here are my thoughts on the game:

1. We really came out flat against Weiser tonight. Defensively, we really only played well for a quarter, which was the second. We gave up way too many easy baskets against a team who had no size.
2. The best sign from tonight's game was Jordan Burdine got his three point shot back. When he got going tonight, especially from the outside it opened up some shots for Trenity Burdine and then some big holes in the middle of defense opened up for Macho to attack the basket.
3. Jermain Jackson continues to play well after a slow start. The one part of his game that has been improving his being able to hit some jumpers after moves with his back to the basket.
4. I know we have another 30 point victory tonight but we still have a long way to go defensively before we can be considered a legitimate contender for a state title. But with that being said, when we make perimeter jump shots like we did tonight we are a very difficult team to beat.
5. Marcus Dawkins made his long awaited varsity debut tonight in garbage time. I think we need to keep getting his feet wet and get him acclimated to the speed of varsity basketball. I know he has immense talent offensively but he will really improve us defensively, as he is a shot blocking threat and is a great rebounder.
6. With Exeter big win over Wilson tonight they will come into Friday's game with a ton of confidence. I did get to see this Exeter team beat Cocalico and they have more talent than any Exeter team from the past few years. We have to come ready to play and more focused than we were tonight. The keys to the game for me are getting Jordan Burdine going cause he has killed Exeter routinely in the past. The other key is getting this into a high speed up tempo game.

District 3 AAAA Rankings as of 12/15

1
Reading
9.000
2
CD East
8.750
3
Cedar Crest
8.400
4
Cedar Cliff
8.000
5
Chambersburg
7.750
6
Harrisburg
7.500
7
Mechanicsburg
7.429
8
Carlisle
7.429
9
Hempfield
7.400
10
Central York
7.000
11
Red Land
7.000
12
Wilson
6.875
13
Red Lion
6.857
14
Exeter
6.750
15
Cocalico
6.714
16
Solanco
6.667
17
York
6.600
18
McCaskey
6.500
19
Central Dauphin
6.500
20
Penn Manor
6.429
21
Dallastown
6.286
22
Conestoga Valley
6.167
23
Southwestern
6.143
24
Warwick
5.800
25
Gettysburg
5.667
26
Manheim Township
5.667
27
Cumberland Valley
5.625
28
Lower Dauphin
5.571
29
Ephrata
5.400
30
Elizabethtown
5.400
31
Spring Grove
5.375
32
Waynesboro
5.000
33
Twin Valley
4.750
34
Garden Spot
4.167
35
Governor Mifflin
3.600
36
York Vo-Tech
2.833

Reading 64 Boyertown 33

The Reading High Red Knights improved to 7-0 with their blowout victory over Boyertown in the opening game of Saturday's Coaches vs. Cancer Classic at the Sovereign Center in downtown Reading. Here are my thoughts on the game:

1. I really liked how we came out against Boyertown and played with great intensity on the defensive side of the ball. With the way we played early on it let Boyertown know they had no chance right from the start.
2. I heard some people complain that we gave up way too many outside shots. When you create a defense you cant take everything away from a team. I like the strategy of making teams make outside jumpers since its a low percentage shot and a lot of times the long rebounds are like an outlet pass for our potent fast break.
3. I really think we need to take a strong look at getting Jordan Burdine some rest for his bum ankle. Ever since he hurt the ankle his outside shot hasn't been there. We need him at full strength once we get to the month of January.
4. Trenity Burdine had another strong game yesterday. The one thing I really like that Burdine gives us his some length on defense when we go to the 1-2-2 zone. He is another guy who gives teams matchup problems.
5. Hats off to the city of Reading for putting on a great event for a good cause. I know the attendance of approximately 2500 was on the lower end but still nice to see the powers to be in the city of Reading put their heads together and hopefully for years to come this can be an event we all look forward to. In the coming years I think it would be a good idea to play a team that has a decent following that can bring more people into the city to see a great facility.
6. This upcoming week will tell us a lot about this team. If we can go out and really take care of business this week it will show what we have thought about this team that they have really grown up.
7. On the power ratings for the district after Tuesday we will vacate the top spot if CD East wins their game on Tuesday but if we can go 3-0 this week we should get the top spot back after Saturday.

District 3 AAAA Rankings as of 12/14

1
Reading
9.000
2
CD East
8.750
3
Cedar Crest
8.400
4
Cedar Cliff
8.000
5
Chambersburg
7.750
6
Harrisburg
7.500
7
Mechanicsburg
7.429
8
Hempfield
7.400
9
Carlisle
7.167
10
Central York
7.000
11
Red Land
7.000
12
Penn Manor
6.833
13
Exeter
6.750
14
Cocalico
6.714
15
Solanco
6.667
16
York
6.600
17
Wilson
6.571
18
McCaskey
6.500
19
Central Dauphin
6.500
20
Red Lion
6.500
21
Dallastown
6.286
22
Conestoga Valley
6.167
23
Southwestern
6.143
24
Manheim Township
6.000
25
Warwick
5.800
26
Ephrata
5.750
27
Spring Grove
5.714
28
Gettysburg
5.667
29
Cumberland Valley
5.625
30
Lower Dauphin
5.571
31
Elizabethtown
5.400
32
Waynesboro
5.000
33
Twin Valley
4.286
34
Garden Spot
4.167
35
Governor Mifflin
3.600
36
York Vo-Tech
2.833

District 3 AAAA Rankings as of 12/12

1
Reading
9.000
2
CD East
8.714
3
Harrisburg
8.666
4
Cedar Crest
8.250
5
Mechanicsburg
8.000
6
Cedar Cliff
7.750
7
Penn Manor
7.400
8
Chambersburg
7.333
9
Solanco
7.200
10
Hempfield
7.000
11
Central Dauphin
7.000
12
Red Lion
7.000
13
Red Land
6.800
14
Carlisle
6.800
15
Dallastown
6.666
16
Central York
6.666
17
Exeter
6.666
18
Conestoga Valley
6.600
19
Wilson
6.571
20
Manheim Township
6.500
21
Cocalico
6.333
22
Gettysburg
6.200
23
McCaskey
6.000
24
York
6.000
25
Spring Grove
6.000
26
Cumberland Valley
5.857
27
Elizabethtown
5.750
28
Southwestern
5.666
29
Lower Dauphin
5.166
30
Governor Mifflin
5.000
31
Warwick
5.000
32
Waynesboro
5.000
33
Twin Valley
4.666
34
Ephrata
4.666
35
Garden Spot
4.200
36
York Vo-Tech
3.000

District 3 Rankings as of 12/11

1
Reading
9.000
2
CD East
8.833
3
Harrisburg
8.500
4
Cedar Crest
8.250
5
Central Dauphin
7.750
6
Red Land
7.750
7
Penn Manor
7.400
8
Chambersburg
7.333
9
Cedar Cliff
7.333
10
Solanco
7.200
11
Hempfield
7.000
12
Red Lion
7.000
13
Carlisle
6.800
14
Gettysburg
6.750
15
Dallastown
6.666
16
Central York
6.666
17
Exeter
6.666
18
Manheim Township
6.500
19
Mechanicsburg
6.500
20
Cocalico
6.333
21
Wilson
6.333
22
Conestoga Valley
6.250
23
Cumberland Valley
6.166
24
McCaskey
6.000
25
York
6.000
26
Spring Grove
6.000
27
Waynesboro
6.000
28
Elizabethtown
5.750
29
Southwestern
5.666
30
Lower Dauphin
5.600
31
Governor Mifflin
5.000
32
Warwick
5.000
33
Twin Valley
4.666
34
Ephrata
4.666
35
Garden Spot
4.200
36
York Vo-Tech
3.000

Reading 53 Academy Park 52

The Red Knights improved to 6-0 after a heartstopping victory against Academy Park in Sharon Hill, PA. Here are my thoughts on the game:

1. Let me first get to the comments of a few after last night's game. I did not hear Reyes use any vulgarity towards the team at the end of the game but Im not saying in any way that he didnt use any. But I think like numerous other people have said every coach we have ever had has used vulgar language at time to time. But I can understand why he wanted to get the players off the court because you could see Academy Park was really upset about losing on their home court and I dont think Coach Reyes wanted to upset them even more by us celebrating in an over the top manner on their court. I know some might say who cares since they aren't a District 3 school, but I think it still is very possible you could see them in late February or March in the State playoffs. I also think he didnt think it was really right to be celebrating a lot in a game we could have very easily lost.
2. Im not aware of the having Cook come off the bench situation was a discliplinary measure or just a coaching decision. But I did take notice that when we had the starting lineup which in all likelihood is a four guard lineup spaces the floor out nicely and it also seems to get Jermain Jackson the ball in better spots. I still do value Cook has a very important part of the team and I think you will see him get a lot of minutes.
3. If you want to have a special season you are going to need games where unexpected guys come up big and that is what we got from Nelson Leon last night.
4. The best thing to come from this game was that we didnt play our A or even B game and found a way to squeak out a win.
5. I think a thing to watch for now is that with three days of practice before our next game hopefully we can really get down to work and improve our defense. I thought last night it was better but still not at a great level.
6. The other thing last night showed is that we could have problems as the year goes on if we become too reliant on the three point shot. Which is why we need the inside post offense to get better.
7. I know on the stat sheet Jermain Jackson had only 11 points but I thought the last two games his play has improved and it is nice to see that he responded to the crititcism that many including me gave him after the Wilson game.
8. I will have updated District 3 AAAA power rankings throught last night;s game posted on my blog later tonight.

Reading 101 McCaskey 78

The Red Knights continued their hot start to the season with a very impressive victory tonight at the Geigle over JP McCaskey. Here are my thoughts on the game:

1. The game tonight was plain and simple a statement game. This was a statement to the rest of District 3 that the Red Knights will be a major player. It told a lot about this team that they brought this kind of performance after a tough game against Wilson.
2. The player of the game tonight has to go to Macho. He continues to play with the heart of a champion and gives this team the swagger that they need. He has it in his mind that when he attacks the basket he wont be denied. Plus his mid range jumper has improved by leaps and bounds.
3. I was one of many who called out Jermain Jackson out for his sub par play in the first four games, but he came up with a strong effort in scoring 16 points in limited time since he got in foul trouble. Tonight just proves how unstoppable our offense can be when Jackson comes to play and is a force on offense.
4. Jordan and Trenity Burdine both had solid efforts again tonight. It seems that at times when we have needed it Jordan just goes on stretches where he scores 6 or 8 points in a row or hits a couple of three's in a short stretch and it seems to really be deflating to the opponent.
5. On the defensive side of the ball I thought we came out really aggressive and played good defense in the first half but the second half we fell back into the same mode we did in previous games and let them get easy layups. When we got our big lead in the first half a lot of the easy buckets were off long rebounds from missed McCaskey three point shots.
6. I don't know which was more surprising tonight, the offensive output against a quality McCaskey team or that McCaskey coach Steve Powell didn't have another sweater out of the Cliff Huxtable collection. All kidding aside Coach Powell is a class act and was nice to see him looking great. It really seemed like he dropped some pounds too.
7. Also tonight a wonderful national anthem was sung by the young lady. I hope this is the first of many times that she sings before our games.
8. With the win tonight we really have a great shot to go into the holiday tournament with a perfect record, but lets take things one game at a time.
9. Even after the impressive win tonight the thing we must remember it is still December and the regular season is only two weeks old. Things can change in a hurry.
10. Weather permitting I will be heading up to the Academy Park game on Tuesday, hope to see the rest of you there.

Reading 57 Wilson 50

The Red Knights returned home with a tough division win over Wilson tonight at the Geigle. Here are my thoughts on tonight's game:

1. I must say that I never thought this game would be a blowout like some fans suggested. A defending champ with three starters back isn't going to roll over and die. When people look at Wilson the thing people fail to give them credit on is how good of a defensive club they are.
2. I see the typical Reyes bashing is on the Pennlive board as the game ends. The only problem I had tonight was the zone defense coming back from the half. He deserves credit for beating Wilson in a half court game.
3. The other thing that I disagree with some is about the officiating tonight. I really didn't have a problem with it, I didn't see either team really gain a big advantage, and lets face it when your playing Wilson there wont be a lot of calls on either side. The Red Knight players didn't seem to worry about the officiating in this game so as fans I think we should do the same.
4. I want to first off state that I think Jermaine Jackson is a great kid and a immense talent. But he needs to take the bull by the horns and be more aggressive. If we can get him to be more aggressive he will be a better player. The two things in his game that I think that are working against him is that when he doesn't get the touches early he seems to get out of sync. The other thing is when he gets the ball he waits and composes himself before making a move and it lets the opponents defense get set. When he puts it together he makes this team a state title contender. With the balance this team has he really shouldn't feel as much pressure this year as well. With all this being said I don't think it is time to get down on the kid.
5. The run at the end of the second quarter and the run at the start of the 4th quarter is what one the game tonight for us.
6. I truly feel like Macho is really becoming the inspirational leader of this team. The kid has no fear and that kind of attitude is infectious. When I watch him play the point he plays it in the mode of a Tony Parker type point guard.
7. Tonight's game was another indication of how good of a player Jordan Burdine is. He can get his own shot whenever he wants to and he has a total all around game that he can always seem to go for 20 points a night.
8. Another great performance by Trenity Burdine tonight who chipped in 12 points. This kid gets better every game and his confidence his rising minute by minute.
9. The one thing that must improve after the first four games is our defense and especially our defense around the basket. We had way too many mental breakdowns and gave up a lot of easy layups. When you look back at this game Wilson took very few outside shots. When we play them again later on in the year we have to get the defense around the rim cleaned up and force them to take outside jumpers.
10. As we look again we will play another heavyweight in McCaskey who comes in on Saturday after losing two straight to Norristown and Chester. But Steve Powell's gang of Red Tornadoes will come in hungry and we better come out stronger than we did tonight.

Reading 76 Coatesville 59

The following are my thoughts

on last night's win over Coatesville:

1. I had a feeling going into this game that we would see a different Coatesville team than we have seen in the past. Just had the feeling with a new coach and playing their home opener they would come out full of emotion and they definitely were.
2. The one thing that we need to really improve on is our defense and especially rebounds. Early on we have given up way too many offensive rebounds.
3. For most of the game the officiating really took us out of our game. But the senior leadership on this team really showed when they didnt panic down 8 points in the second quarter. In the past this game could have gotten away from us, but this team wasnt going to let that happen.
4. The biggest surprise to me in the first few games of the season is the play of Trenity Burdine. I think the biggest thing for him in his development was last year sending him down to play in JV games and got his confidence back and has come into this year a totally different player.
5. The other thing that was good to see about last night's game was how the players didnt let the inconsistant officiating affect them during the game.
6. After three games this year we have made 26 three pointers. I know its against some subpar competition but this is one thing I didnt expect from this team. I thought Burdine would make his fair share of them but not as many from the whole team.
7. You have to think we are playing Wilson at the right time. After they lost to a decent Cocalico team in West Lawn last night. But you know they are going to try and make it a half court game and keep the score in the 40's. But I think more than ever we are fully capable of beating them in a half court setting. The biggest thing in this game is to keep Cook out of foul trouble.

Reading 96 Conestoga Valley 46

The Red Knights improved their record to 2-0 on the season with another impressive victory tonight at the Geigle over the Conestoga Valley Buckskins. Here are my thoughts on tonight's win:

1. Congratulations to Jordan Burdine for collecting his 1000 points. Burdine didnt have as dominating a game as he did against Dieruff but he did do a good job of getting his teammates involved.
2. Trenity Burdine had a great night tonight hitting numerous three pointers from the field and also did a good job of getting some rebounds on defense. I know I questioned his game at the start of the season, but if the more he contributes the better we will be as a team. Especially, if he can hit that long range jumper since we will see lots of zone defenses this year.
3. I really do think it is hard to tell how good we are after these first two games against average talent.
4. I do love the way the last two nights we have come out in attack mode and went for the jugular early. When you get a 10 point lead on a team early they tend to pack it in.
5. I think we will see at least a little better competition on Tuesday night in Coatesville. They did lose tonight to Mccaskey 64-49. Coatesville has not been what they once were in the last few years, but you know with a new coach they are going to come hard on Tuesday night in front of their home fans.

Below is a video of the pictures that I took tonight at the game.

Reading 70 Dieruff 46

A great opening night win for the Red Knights in front of an excellent crowd at the Geigle. Here are my thoughts on tonight's game:

1. Great to see Jordan Burdine back wearing the Red Knight colors, it was as he had not left. You can see that he is probably even becoming our number 1 scoring option which i didnt expect. He now needs three more points to reach 1000 for his career which he should get tommorrow night against Conestoga Valley.
2. Jermain Jackson had a consistant and solid night tonight. While he didnt have a lot of points you can see the maturity in his game coming through.
3. It was clear to see tonight that Cook is a beast on the boards and when he is in the lineup this team is a lot better. The key for him will be keeping him out of foul trouble and not having him pick up silly fouls.
4. Give credit to Coach Reyes he really had the team fired up at the start of the game and they let Dieruff know that the game was over in the first quarter.
5. My last point is to give big props to acting Athletic Director Pat Slator for having new lights installed in the gym and replacing the ceiling tiles. By the way, when is the administration going to give this guy the full time gig. He has the student athletes interest on the top of his agenda and it was nice to see the game run smoothly from a fan standpoint and Mr. Slator deserves big props for this.

The below video is a collection of the picutures I took at the game.

Season Preview

Welcome Back Friends. I am back blogging as the opening of the season is upon us. As we enter the season I look at this year’s edition of the Red Knights as a team that has a lot of potential and promise. I will give a summary of what I expect to see out of the contributing players in our lineup.

Jermaine Jackson: I expect big things out of Jackson this year. He got the college decision out of the way and can fully concentrate on his senior year. I think you will see him take on a leadership role as this year develops. In the postseason you could see him start to do this. I think you will also see someone who is very driven to bring home some hardware to the castle on the hill, because lets face facts this is his team and he is the face of the 2007-2008 edition of the Red Knights. I still think he will score in the 15 point per game range but he will be the guy this team leans on when the team is in need of points in a close game.

Jordan Burdine: To me Burdine is the most talked about and exciting part to the team this year. I think the year away from Reading will help him as a person and as a player. A lot of times with high school kids they need an eye opening experience to help them grow up. As a player I think he will be an upgrade over Lawson in that he isn’t just a shooter and he has the talent to become one of the better shooting guards in recent Red Knights history. I expect him to average in the 15 ppg range. But I think it will take him a few games to get totally comfortable with his new teammates, but it is good that he did get to play with them over the summer and in the scrimmages as well.

Nelson Leon: Leon was one of the bigger surprises from last year’s squad. He is a nice complimentary piece to this team. He seems to excel being the third or fourth option on team. He has the talent to be a number 2 option on a less talented team but what makes him great is that he is fundamentally sound and rarely makes a careless mistake on the court. Also, if you’re going to be a championship team you need players like Nelson Leon.

Justin Rodriquez: The vocal leader of the team. I love the confidence this kid plays with and really gives the squad a swagger. He needs to improve on his jump shot to become a great player. But with that being said he has no fear which helps make him the player that he is.

Demrick Cook: Cook is the best rebounder on the team and when he is on the court we are a totally different team. The big thing with Cook is to keep him on the floor and out of foul trouble. Cook is coming off a good football season where he was a first team Lancaster Lebanon League selection on the defensive line. So hopefully this can catapult him into a solid season on the hardwood.

Trenity Burdine: Burdine has a lot of potential and great size. I believe he needs to become more forceful on the court. At times last year he look lost and felt at the beginning he was rushed into playing time. Hopefully he will continue to develop and improve as the season goes along.

Gaston: I do apologize for not knowing his first name. I believe Gaston could me a very intriguing player who can play 3 different positions and give match up problems to the opposition. I think he could make himself into a very good player. When he saw varsity time last year the thing that stood out was his excellent defensive play. I see Gaston as a defensive stopper who you put on a team’s best perimeter player.

Marcus Dawkins: Dawkins is this year’s player who will start on the JV squad but push for varsity time. From all reports the kid has great talent and will be a valuable asset when he gets action on the varsity level.

Tonight’s opener against Allentown Dieruff is a game where we should go in as a clear favorite. We did beat them last year 65-51.and they did finish with a 12-14 record. Hopefully this is a game where we can get a lot of people some varsity playing time in the first game of the year and with us playing three games in the first five days of the season and 5 games in the first 9 days of the season.

I will be back after the game to give my summary on tonight’s game as well; I will this year be taking pictures with my new digital camera and be uploading them tonight on here. As always I love your comments and questions. I promise to answer email within that same day.

Prediction for tonight
Reading 70
Dieruff 51

Sincerely yours,
Tom Schlegel