Quiet start to the new week except for Tuesday with Jenny, she was in town for an appointment and I took her home with a stop for lunch along the way. On Thursday we convened at McCaskey for the season's first road game and another ride north on 222. I talk a great deal about the value of playing a strong non-league schedule and on this night the gauntlet continued with a visit to Reading High. Any time we play in Berks County I invariably run into someone I know, this night was no exception. The basketball pedigree at RHS is known statewide, the program is the current "6A" state champion and they also won it in 2021. A large chunk of the '23 team is gone as is its head coach but as they often say "tradition never graduates". The JPM JV team lost to fall to 0-2, the varsity game followed a similar path. We were down fourteen at the quarter and by twenty-two at the half, the final was 74-54. De'Andre Jones was high scorer with 19, Nemias Tirado also hit doubles with 14. Aiden Burgess and Jared Kumah had seven each, Kamryn Pugh scored four, Kaiden Russell had a field goal and Eddie Bencosme recorded his first varsity point at the foul line. The record stands at 1-2, the varsity next plays at home on Wednesday the 13th. The JV has a stand-alone game at home on the 9th, I'm out of it since the Royals are at home. Take care, thanks for reading.
