Wyomissing Summer League Notebook: Houptley Hooping, BC & Wyo Begin Rebuilds
- Sean McBryan
- Jul 3
- 8 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
The Wyomissing Summer League wrapped up Wednesday night with the Spartans, Conrad Weiser, Berks Catholic, Kutztown, Exeter, and Oley Valley (the Lynx weren't present Wednesday) taking the court the past four weeks with games running at Wyomissing Junior/Senior High School's main and back gyms.
Wyomissing head coach Aaron Anders organized the league and was on the sideline coaching for the Spartans Wednesday.
The schedule consisted of two games — one each played simultaneously in the main and back gyms — starting at 6:00, 6:50, and 7:40.
The games are played with 18-minute halves.
Here are a few takeaways:
Houptley Hooping
Kutztown finished last season with its most wins since 2010-11, going 10-12 in head coach Jessica Plisko's first season on the sideline.
Plisko grew up in Northeast Pennsylvania and scored over 1,000 points at Riverside High, winning a district championship in 2006. Those accomplishments inspire her players.
"I think that it's changed in a really positive way," rising junior Kaitlyn Houptley said of the Kutztown girls basketball culture. "We really look up to [Plisko]. We know what she did when she was in high school. She really brings a lot of energy.
"She's really hard on us, too in practice, which really helps. And you know, when we're making mistakes, she makes sure we know what we need to do to fix it."
The Cougars plan to build on that record heading into the 2025-26 season with a key returning core led by Houptley, an all-division selection last season.
Houptley and the Cougars picked up a morale-boosting W on Wednesday, beating Wyomissing 28-22 in the 6:50 set. That's a far cry from the 61-7 loss the Spartans handed them in a league crossover game last season.
"We took control pretty early, which really boosted our confidence," Houptley said. "We were ahead at the half. We were making good plays, making good passes, and we weren't being selfish at all.
"We've been working hard in practice. It's really good that it is paying off and we're playing well against a really good team."
Houptley had at least nine points (including a 3), five rebounds, an assist, and a steal for the Cougars in the win. Riley Derstine, a 2027 forward, also played well with at least six points, five rebounds and an assist.
Houptley averaged a team-high 10.2 points per game last season and made 79 percent of her free throws — the second-highest percentage in Berks.
"I shoot them every day," Houptley said. "I'm very hard on myself, so I try to make sure every time I'm at the free-throw line, I'm doing the best I can."
Derstine averaged 5.1 ppg and 5.3 rebounds per game last season. All-division honorable mention selections in 2027 Jade Fitzgerald (5.9 ppg) and 2026 Jayden Gehris (4.7 ppg) — plus 2027 Ava Kutz (4.4 ppg) — also return for the Cougars giving Plisko a group capable of making some noise in Berks IV, which has come down to either Oley Valley or Brandywine Heights the past few seasons.
Most of the core are all multi-sport athletes with Houptley playing soccer and running track and Fitzgerald, Gehris, and Kutz playing soccer and softball. For Houptley and Derstine, basketball is the main sport.
"Our goal is definitely to win the division this year," Houptley said. "We want to try to make it to a county game. None of us have made it to any kind of district or county game. We're going to focus on one game at a time and just try to take care of business."
Kutztown last made the Berks County playoffs during the aforementioned 2010-11 season and last made the District 3 tourney the following year. The Cougars are ready to turn that into a false statement come February.
New Saints Come Marching In
Berks Catholic head coach Bob Birmingham — another head coach on the sideline Wednesday joining Anders, Plisko, and Conrad Weiser's Chris Kline — had to be happy with his young Saints' performance during the last day of the Wyomissing Summer League.
The Saints won both of their games with a 45-16 win over Weiser and a 33-18 win over Wyomissing. The Spartans and Scouts look a bit different after deep graduation hits, but each were state playoff teams last season.
The Saints also lost a boatload of production due to graduation. All-Berks pick Madison Langdon (Randolph-Macon, 15.1 ppg), Sydney Corado (11.7 ppg), Giana Mirenda (4.4 ppg), Molly McFadden (4.3 ppg), and Emma Linderman have all graduated, meaning Birmingham needs to find new players to replace nearly 76 percent of his team's scoring from last year.
Judging by the play Wednesday of the new wave expected to step into larger roles this season, the Saints are in good hands.
Abby Cannon, Esperanza Zudie, Janaiyah Ford, Belle Hopkins, and McKenna Pegram each had their moments at different parts of the two wins.
“With five of the seniors going, it’s a big job," Zudie said. "But I think with the girls we have, we can push through. It’s going to be a hard fight, but hopefully we can make the playoffs.”
Cannon, a 2028 guard who came into her own as her playing time increased toward the end of last season, appears to be the next in line of guards running the show at Wolf Gymnasium.
She averaged 3.5 ppg last season and hit 12 3s. Cannon has exceptional court vision, picking up at least four assists to go along with her six points and steal in the win over Weiser.
Zudie, a 2028 wing, did a bit of everything, slashing to the rim and drawing fouls, forcing turnovers and affecting shots defensively, crashing the boards with vigor, and — while many didn't fall — showing potential to knock down outside jumpers.
“I’m trying to work on my shooting," she said. "If I can pull a shot from out there, I think it would be really helpful for the team.”
Zudie had at least seven points, five rebounds, a block, and a steal in the win over Weiser. She played in 10 games last season for the Saints while being a main piece on the JV team.
“Playing JV really built me up for varsity," Zudie said. "It gave me a lot of experience and helped prepare me.”
Cannon and Zudie were each honorable mention picks on BerksGirlsBasketball.com's All-Freshmen team last season.
Ford, a 2028 post; Hopkins, a 2028 wing; and Pegram, a 2030 wing (yes, an eighth grader) showed potential, too.
Ford had at least 12 points and three rebounds against Weiser and is a physical presence in the post offensively and defensively. She played in seven games last season.
Hopkins and Pegram are slashing wings in a similar mold to Zudie. Hopkins, who played in five games last season, had at least eight points and two steals. Pegram had at least six points and two rebounds in the Weiser game.
The 2028 crew has played with or against each other since middle school.
“In middle school, we used to play against each other," Zudie said. “Belle, Janaiya, and I all went to [St. Ignatius], so we’ve had a bond together since then.”
Rising senior Liv Welker and rising juniors Myah Pegram and Katy Linderman are also expected returnees for the Saints. Pegram and Linderman were present Wednesday but out with injuries.
Birmingham also mentioned 2029 guard Jaylianni Ortiz has transferred to BC from Muhlenberg. Ortiz played on the Muhls' junior high football team.
Keep an eye on how this group continues to grow together.
Spartan Restart
When one of the best players — and senior classes — in Berks history graduates, a rebuild is expected. Losing two of your top returners to injury throws a wrench into the speed of that rebuild.
Amaya Stewart, who recently made her way up to Albany, capped a stellar high school career as the top scorer in Wyomissing history and No. 9 scorer in Berks history. Audrey Hurleman will soon be headed to play lacrosse at North Carolina. Alexis Hardy will be headed to run track at Delaware.
Rising junior Karly Hyde and rising senior Kacey Maggs are likely out for the season with injuries.
Still, the three-time defending District 3 Class 4A champion Spartans have no plans to relinquish their recent stranglehold on Berks III.
“We just have to have leaders step up," 2027 sharpshooting guard Addie Loeb said. "The younger kids are working hard to become better and be part of this team. It’s all about playing together and lifting each other up.”
Loeb will be the top returning scorer for the Spartans. She averaged 4.9 ppg and hit 42 3s last season, the sixth highest total in Berks, including a game-changing pair in the district semifinal win over Northern Lebanon.
That's the type of past experience the Spartans will have to leverage to defend their Berks III crown with Schuylkill Valley breathing down their necks.
“We’re just trying to show up to open gyms and games like this to play better and create our bond," Loeb said. "As you play together more, you become a stronger team, and that’s just what we’re trying to do this season.”
Loeb knows she'll need to play a larger role in the leadership and production departments.
“I’m just trying to work on driving more and my handles, because my strongest point is my shooting," she said. "So I have to work on everything else to be an all-around player.
“It’s a little different, but I’ve been in leadership positions before. I used to play field hockey and I was a captain, so I’m kind of used to it.”
She has another goal: Reaching her sister Lexi's 3-point records. Lexi hit a program record 57 3s in a season in 2023 and made 123 total in her career. Addie is currently at 58 career 3s.
“Yeah, definitely, I would say that’s one of my goals, to make more threes than Lexi,” Addie said with a smile.
Wyo fell to Kutztown and Berks Catholic Wednesday, but it served as an opportunity to get the next group of young players some valuable playing time.
Lily Paolini (3.1 ppg) and point guard Ella Anders are key returning pieces who played in over 20 games last year.
Two new players who impressed Wednesday were 2028 guard Jay'Liyah Marshall and 2029 guard Claire Hurleman, who is the youngest gifted athlete in her family after Hannah, Max, and Audrey.
Marshall had at least eight points, including two 3s, and two rebounds as she sparked a Wyomissing comeback in the final minutes of the game against Kutztown and played well in the loss to BC.
Family Matters
BGB did not have eyes on Exeter's victory over Conrad Weiser, but word around the gym was that rising sophomore Addison Harper and the Eagles continue to look good throughout the offseason.
Harper averaged a team-high 8.6 ppg last season.
The Eagles want to improve last season's 7-15 finish and reclaim the Berks II crown, which they won in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons.
Harper is the cousin of Berks Catholic boys basketball guard Carmelo Harper and Boyertown girls basketball's Rhian Harper, who averaged 7.5 points and 9.1 rebounds last season as a freshman for the Bears.
Exeter will be competing with BCIAA and District 3 qualifiers Twin Valley and Conrad Weiser in Berks II this season.
What's Next?
Hamburg will be hosting Pinegrove, Minersville, and Fleetwood for scrimmages on July 16 and another set of scrimmages on July 23.
The Athletes for Better Education (AFBE) Girls Summer Showcase will feature a bunch of Berks teams at Exeter from July 24th through July 27th.
Former Wilson star Zakiyah Winfield holds her third annual camp on August 10 at Alvernia University. The deadline to register is July 31.
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