With rematch in sight, Cards, Knights can't get trapped

Marquis Marshall knows that when he arrives at school today, with Central Catholic set to play tonight in a Berks Conference semifinal, all anyone will want to talk about is Friday's championship showdown with Reading High.

The Cardinals and their legion of fans have been waiting 364 days to avenge that defeat.

They're not there yet, though.

"We still have to look at Muhlenberg," the Cards junior forward said of tonight's 6:30 tip at the Sovereign Center, the first half of a double-header that includes Reading High vs. Schuylkill Valley. "We can't let someone sneak up and beat us."

While both games seem one-sided they fall into the category of "trap game" for the Berks IV champion Cardinals (21-2) and the Berks I champion Red Knights (19-3).

Central is coming off a hard-fought win over Wilson and looking forward to erasing the memories of that 62-57 loss to Reading on the same court a year ago.

Reading High, which has won 13 of 14, figures to breeze past Berks III champ Schuylkill Valley (18-4) and play for its fourth straight Berks championship.

It's unlikely to be as easy as all of that, of course.

"It doesn't happen if we don't win Wednesday, right?" said Central coach Snip Esterly, checking to make sure his club hasn't drawn a bye to the final.

"We're not taking anyone lightly," Esterly said. "As long as I've been at Central I don't think we've taken anyone lightly."

Central will be going after its sixth - and final - Berks title.

Reading High has won a record 18.

And Schuylkill Valley?

The Panthers are playoff neophytes. They had never won a Berks quarterfinal before beating Daniel Boone Monday - they had been 0-for-8 in that round - and hadn't won a county playoff game in 35 years.

And they've never beaten Reading High. (Of course, they've never lost to the Red Knights, either.)

"It's pretty funny that we haven't come across them," said Schuylkill Valley coach Chris Gallo, who has guided the Panthers to the Berks playoffs eight times in the last 11 years. "We've always avoided them."

There will be no hiding from them tonight. The Red Knights are bigger, faster and deeper, all of which Gallo realizes.

And as much as the Panthers enjoy getting up and down the court at a fast pace they'll have to be guarded doing that against the Knights, who can play faster.

Gallo's biggest concern is on the boards. He doesn't have a starter taller than 6-2.

"They really go after the basketball," Gallo said of the Knights. "I've always been impressed with the way Reading rebounds the ball. I think their rebounding is relentless."

He knows protecting the ball against the press, and not letting the Knights score off their defense, will be key also.

"A lot of things have to go our way," he said.

Same goes for Berks II champ Muhlenberg (15-7).

Rebounding will be a key in this game, as well. The Cards controlled the glass against a physical Wilson team, with 6-9 center Donovon Jack and 6-3 Marcus Dawkins combining for 19 rebounds in the 42-34 win.

Avery Price, a 6-2 forward, averages 12 rebounds per game but he's the Muhls' tallest starter.

Reggie Weiss, the former Central coach, will have to come up with some magic to prevent the presumed championship rematch.

Esterly, a former Weiss assistant, is certain not to let his guard down.

"They play Reggie-ball," he said of the Muhls, who have won five straight. "They have three really nice players who can score. They'll play great defense, they'll move the ball, take 45 seconds off the clock they've got a nice ballclub, (but) we'll be ready."