Wilson’s dominance in Berks County boys lacrosse continues.
The Bulldogs secured their 14th consecutive county championship with a 9-3 victory over Twin Valley on Tuesday night at Alvernia University in the second game of a girls/boys doubleheader.
Wilson has now defeated Twin Valley in three straight county championship games.
“They’re different every year because the journey is always different, and it’s a different group of kids working to get here,” Bulldogs coach Ryan Sheaffer said of what this title meant. “I certainly respect the heck out of Twin Valley and their program. They’re well coached and a really worthy opponent. It’s been great because we’ve really developed a little bit of a rivalry with those guys.
“So the guys take this really seriously. This is really important to us. We talk about it at the start of the year. It’s one of our very first goals. It starts with this one. We want to win some more, but it always starts with this one.”
Wilson goalie Ethan Harding leaps to make a stop against Twin Valley in a 9-3 BCIAA boys lacrosse final victory over the Raiders on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at Alvernia University. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
The Bulldogs (16-3) avenged an 8-5 defeat to Twin Valley on April 7, with an emphatic performance Tuesday night.
Second-seeded Wilson was led by senior midfielder Luke Azzanesi, who recorded a first-half hat trick. Beckett Redner added two goals, while Harrison Moyer contributed one goal and three assists. Ian Miller also chipped in with a goal and an assist. Alex Crouse won 11 of 16 face offs and scored one goal.
“It means a lot,” Azzanesi said of the victory. “We lost to them earlier in the season, and it just meant the absolute world to these guys. We did this for the other 13 teams that have won this thing. They deserve to keep this streak alive. We deserve it, and it was for them.”
Defensively, Ethan Harding made 12 saves in goal to erase numerous Raiders scoring chances.
As for the Raiders, who had not been held under five goals all season, Twin Valley struggled throughout the night to find the back of the net.
Wilson’s Harrison Moyer puts a shot on goal against Twin Valley in a 9-3 BCIAA boys lacrosse final victory over the Raiders on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at Alvernia University. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
Outside of two goals from Drew Engle, who scored the first goal in each half, the Raiders offense was largely smothered by Wilson’s defense.
“Always play hard all the way through,” Harding said of Wilson’s defensive mentality. “My boys have my back. Trust your teammates, knowing where the shots come from, and putting me in a good position to keep making saves.”
The game quickly got out of hand for the top-seeded Raiders (16-3), who were without one of their top players, Colin Gallagher, a Marquette commit, due to illness.
Sheaffer and the Bulldogs learned upon arriving at Alvernia that the Raiders’ second-leading scorer would not be available.
“It’s a shame,” Sheaffer said of Gallagher’s absence. “Colin is a great player. I would have loved to see him out there tonight.”
Wilson capitalized early and seized control by the end of the first quarter.
The Wilson Bulldogs celebrater their 9-3 BCIAA boys lacrosse final victory over the Raiders on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at Alvernia University. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
Azzanesi scored the Bulldogs’ first goal of the game as Wilson consistently pressured the Raiders’ defense.
Redner added two first-half goals, while Moyer and Sam Nevins each found the back of the net. Moyer also recorded three assists as Wilson spread the wealth around effectively.
The Bulldogs shifted the energy inside the stadium entirely to their side of the bleachers. Leading 7-1 at halftime, Wilson was firmly in control.
After Engle opened the second half with a goal for Twin Valley, Crouse answered moments later to push Wilson’s lead back to six.
Ian Miller added another goal in the third quarter as time began running out on any hopes of a Raiders comeback.
Senior Patrick Shanahan scored in the fourth quarter to trim the deficit slightly, but Wilson remained in command from start to finish.
Wilson’s Alex Crouse puts a shot on net against Twin Valley in a 9-3 BCIAA boys lacrosse final victory over the Raiders on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at Alvernia University. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
“I think our preparation was different,” Sheaffer said when asked what changed from the first matchup between the teams. “We’re at our best when we play loose and just play good lacrosse. I think we were a little tight in the first game this year, and Twin Valley did a nice job. Our shooters shot the ball a little better tonight, and that was a big step.”
Wilson now heads into the District 3 Class 3A playoffs looking to improve upon last season’s third-place finish after falling to Manheim Township 9-6 in the semifinals. The Bulldogs most recently captured a district championship in 2024 with an 11-8 win over Manheim Township.
“Win that thing, like we won this,” Azzanesi said of Wilson’s district goals. “We can celebrate for maybe tonight, but that’s literally it, just eyes on that prize.”
Harding added that the Bulldogs share one collective mindset moving forward.
“It’s the expectation at this point. All of those years, we put all the work in during the offseason. We know it’s not going to come easy, so we have to stay hard and stay disciplined in order to reach our goal.”
As for the Raiders in Class 2A, they also finished third in districts last season after falling to Lampeter-Strasburg 9-7 in the semifinals. Twin Valley has never reached a district championship game.
The Wilson Bulldogs are the BCIAA boys lacrosse champions following a 9-3 victory over Twin Valley on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at Alvernia University. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)