Mike Drago Sports Podcast

Dr. Robert Lombardi, Executive Director of the PIAA, talks about the upcoming state basketball tournament, and site selection, the surprising move from Hersheypark Stadium to Cumberland Valley for the state football championships and the controversial PIAA "Success Formula" and where that might be headed.

Longtime Berks basketball official Barry Sherman talks about what it takes to be good official, the shortage of officials at the high school level, the coaches he's run into over the years and the biggest games he's worked over his 44-year career.

We prep for the District 3 Tournament with Cedar Cliff coach Tigh Savercool, Bishop McDevitt coach Mike Gaffey and LNP News sportswriter John Walk of Lancaster.

We get ready for the Berks Conference playoffs with three of the coaches preparing for the quarterfinals: Muhlenberg's Matt Flowers, Fleetwood's Terry Sitler and Berks Catholic's Snip Esterly. 

Matt Flowers has the Muhlenberg Muhls headed to the playoffs in his first season as head coach after coaching at Reading High for the past decade. He talks about his team, the progress made by Muhls' center Edwin Suarez, and the upcoming showdown against the Red Knights and their coach, his long-time friend Rick Perez. 

Lancaster sportswriter Mike Gross breaks down the top boys basketball teams in the Lancaster-Lebanon League and which have the best chances to win championships in the upcoming District 3 Tournament. Also, we discuss the upcoming LL-Berks football merger, plus Penn State football and Nick Singleton's prospects.

Red Knights coach Rick Perez talks about his team's upcoming challenges, against Vertical Academy and Archbishop Wood, and Play-by-Play Classics CEO Jeremy Treatman talks about the big event at Santander Arena, featuring national recruit Mikey Williams.

We talk about Exeter's thrilling comeback win over Wilson, the Eagles' fast start and hopes for the District 3 playoffs. Also, we talk about Matt's days playing at Central Catholic, where he was part of a PIAA championship team, and his upcoming match-up against Berks Catholic and his former coach, Snip Esterly.

Snip Esterly, the winningest coach in the history of Berks basketball, talks about his days at Central Catholic and Berks Catholic, the great players he's coached and coached against, and his current Saints' team, which is off to a 6-0 start and about to play Reading High in a Berks Division 1 game.

Long-time sportswriter Tony Zonca discusses his recently published book on Reading High basketball, as well as his career in sportswriting, covering the Phillies and Sixers, and his encounters with Muhammad Ali.