2025-26 Berks IV Girls Basketball: Top Players to Watch

The 2025-26 Berks girls basketball season tips off on Black Friday. Here is a list of players to watch in Division IV of the Berks Girls League.

Sophia Benner

Sophomore, Brandywine Heights

The 5-7 all-division guard had a stellar freshman season averaging 11.4 points per game. A 3-point sniper, Benner hit 64 3s on the year, which was the most in the county and tied for 13th in a single season in Berks history. She scored a career-high 30 points in her third varsity game, all of which came from distance. The 10 3PM is the second-highest single-game mark in Berks girls basketball history, trailing only former Berks Catholic guard Caraline Herb's 12 in 2021.

Jade Fitzgerald

Junior, Kutztown

A contributor since she was a freshman, Fitzgerald increased her scoring average from 4.9 to 5.9 ppg as a sophomore. An all-division honorable mention selection, the 5-8 wing is part of a strong 2027 returning class for the Cougars. The three-sport athlete also plays softball and soccer.

Jayden Gehris

Senior, Kutztown

The 5-3 guard was an all-division honorable mention last season after averaging 4.7 ppg. Another Cougar who has contributed since she was a ninth grader and is a three-sport athlete (softball and soccer), Gehris averaged 6.7 as a sophomore and 2.5 as a freshman. She'll be the key senior leader and a vital ball handler for Kutztown, which has big expectations this season.

Lily Hare

Senior, Oley Valley

Heading into last season, the Lynx needed to replace over 60 percent of their scoring. Hare, a 5-6 guard, was one of the players to pick up the slack. The all-division honorable mention selection averaged 6.4 ppg and hit 18 3s while shooting 70 percent from the foul line. Now, with top scorer Izzy Buehler graduated, Hare is expected to produce even more.

Kaitlyn Houptley

Junior, Kutztown

The 5-3 all-division guard returns after leading the Cougars in scoring (10.2 ppg) as a sophomore. She made 79 percent of her free throws, the second-highest total in Berks. Houptley and Kutztown have had a good offseason, highlighted by a victory over Wyomissing in the Spartans' summer league.

Lyla Pugh

Senior, Tulpehocken

Pugh, a 5-8 wing, can play all five positions and has been a steady contributor throughout her high school career. She's increased her scoring average from 1.7 ppg in 19 games as a freshman to 3.5 in 21 games as a sophomore to 8.1 in 22 games last year. Now she'll be the go-to player for the Trojans.

Marlena Rinkevich

Senior, Antietam

The 5-3 guard dealt with injuries last season and only played in 15 games, scoring at a 3.8 clip and hitting three 3s. As a sophomore, Rinkevich played in all 22 games with a 5.1 scoring average and hit 13 3s. Fully healthy for her senior season and with all-division selection Airyana Jones graduated, Rinkevich is expected to lead the Mounts.

Julia Wagner

Senior, Oley Valley

Along with the aforementioned Hare, Wagner also took a leap last season increasing her scoring average from 4.2 to 9.3. The 5-7 all-division guard hit 35 3s, 10th most in Berks. A Wagner (fittingly) field hockey commit, she will be key to Oley Valley defending its division title, which they've captured in two consecutive seasons.

Others to watch: Brandywine Heights freshman Genevieve Aul, Oley Valley sophomore Nina Bauer, Kutztown senior AJ Blank, Brandywine Heights senior Jenna Crist, Brandywine Heights junior Taylin Dalzell, Kutztown junior Riley Derstine, Antietam freshman Asahnti Dotson, Tulpehocken junior Leanne Eckenrode, Tulpehocken junior Molly Goldberg, Tulpehocken junior Katelyn Kampe, Tulpehocken junior Kayla Kampe, Kutztown junior Ava Kutz, Tulpehocken senior Heidi Marks, Antietam sophomore Christina Ocasio, Brandywine Heights senior Ella Potteiger, Oley Valley junior Kadyn Rhoads, Kutztown senior Emme Sanders, Oley Valley junior Taylor Schlegel, Brandywine Heights junior Lizzie Tomaine, Tulpehocken junior Kaylee Weaver, Kutztown sophomore Emma Zimmerman.