Conrad Weiser senior Emma Perkins is looking to achieve something that only two other Berks girls tennis players have ever done: win four BCIAA Flight 1 singles titles and county Player of the Year awards.
Perkins is trying to join Wilson’s Cara Wirth (2008-11) and Wyomissing’s Martha Blakely (2006-10) as four-time champs.
“It’d be a really big thing for me personally,” Perkins said of a four-peat. “I know it’s a pretty small town, but it just means a lot to me since I grew up here and know the culture. It’s a big deal.”
Perkins is also a three-time District 3 Class 2A doubles champion (with three different partners), a two-time Berks doubles champ, the 2020 PIAA Class 2A doubles champ with Alex Pancu and finished second in the state in doubles last year with Victoria Waltz.
With her long list of achievements, Perkins still is striving for more in her senior season.
“I’m just really excited,” she said. “Obviously, it’s my last season. So I’m just going to play my heart out and just see where it goes. I feel confident in our team. Obviously, I love everyone on my team. We’re really good friends. So we’ll just keep up the good vibes.”
Weiser coach Ryan Knarr knows how much hard work and dedication Perkins has put in to have the opportunity to do something historic this season.
“It’s a special thing,” Knarr said. “The wins don’t happen by themselves. They’re manufactured through hard work, dedication, and she’s had a terrific summer down with the academy and we’re really excited not only for her and her aspirations, district and state title contender, but as a team.”
However, it will not be easy for Perkins to win that fourth county title. Hamburg junior Mia Gassert will be one girl who can challenge for the title.
Gassert is a two-time All-Berks pick, last year’s Berks runner-up and a two-time District 3 Class 2A singles runner-up and state qualifier.
Perkins beat Gassert 6-1, 6-3 in last year’s county final.
On the team side, it appears to be a wide-open race for the Berks title.
Reading High is coming off a 16-4 season, including 8-0 In Berks I, during which it defeated Conrad Weiser 3-2 to capture its first county championship.
The Scouts went into last year coming off three straight Berks titles.
The Red Knights return senior twin sisters Hailey and Hallie Guerrero, who contributed mightily to their success.
“I think we have a very good chance to defend our title to be Berks County champions,” Hailey Guerrero said. “We’re very confident going into the season.”
Hailey and Hallie will also be playing doubles together for the first time this season.
“Our goal is to win the doubles county championship as a team,” Guerrero said. “Especially because she’s my twin sister and it’s our senior year. I think it’d be really cool to win with her.”
Along with Reading High in Berks I, Conrad Weiser will look to get back to the Berks final and win its fifth county championship in six seasons.
The Scouts have a deep team that includes Perkins, Isabel Wiggins, Charlotte Wenrich, Emily McGonigle and Reagan Wenrich.
Another Berks I team that will be in the mix is Exeter, which is coached by Michael Herman.
Perhaps the darkhorse of the division, the Eagles will be led by Hansika Kurduru and Myah Marturano. With good depth behind their top two players, they will challenge the Red Knights and Scouts in Berks I play.
As for Berks II, it will be another interesting race this season.
Wyomissing is the defending division champ and will look to go back-to-back. Joelle Lamboley is in her first season as head coach of the Spartans, who finished 7-2 in Berks II and 12-3 overall last season.
The Spartans return All-Berks selection Charlotte Reedy and Lily Chen.
A team that has flown under the radar with talent and depth is Brandywine Heights.
The Bullets possibly have the deepest roster in Berks.
“I mean I feel pretty good,” Bullets coach Bryan Rothermel said of this season. “We have five returning starters, that’s always a good thing and we have a lot of seniors, which is good for this year.”
According to Rothermel, the Bullets have great depth, which will help in doubles going late into the season. There is great optimism to get back to the playoffs and make some noise. Brandy wine went 5-2 in Berks II and 7-4 overall last season.
Brandywine will also have Charlie Burkhardt on the coaching staff. He started coaching the program in 1967.
“He has seen everything,” Rothermel said of Burkhardt. “It’s great having a sounding board.”
Abby Davidheiser and Maci Rohrbach will be the Bullets’ top two players this season. They have both improved this offseason, according to Rothermel.
