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Westtown's PAISAA win end of an era for Bergers

03/06/2022, 12:30am EST
By Sam Istvan

Sam Istvan (@sistvan_14)

After six years of coaching his two sons at Westtown, Seth Berger watched his youngest son Quin Berger step to the line and ice the state championship for his team. The finish could not have been more poetic. In the moment though, Berger was not focused on the storybook ending.

“No, actually I mean it sincerely that until the game was over,” Berger said, “I saw [Quin] as our senior leader and our highest percentage free-throw shooter.”

After time to reflect, though, Berger acknowledged the power and significance of the moment, though.


Seth Berger (right) and Quin Berger pose with the 2022 PAISAA championship plaque. (Photo: Sam Istvan/CoBL)

“I admire him,” said Berger, speaking of his son and team captain. “Think about the fact that he went to the free throw line as the coach’s son, as a four-year kid, as a two-year captain, and he ices the championship. That is heroic.”

The final game of the six-year long Berger father-son era at Westtown fittingly had a familiar script: a bevy of Berger 3-pointers and a championship, the fourth state championship for Westtown in the six-year span.

T.J. Berger, two years older than Quin, is a prolific shooter in his own right. Now a sophomore playing at U.C. San Diego, T.J. holds the Westtown school record for 3-pointers in a game (11) and buried over 100 threes in his senior year.

The shooting performance from the youngest Berger though, in his final high school game, was one to behold.

“It felt like he made every one tonight,” said Seth Berger of his son’s performance from the 3-point line. 

In fact, Quin made each of his first five 3-point attempts, barely touching the rim on any of them. Of course, his dad knows better than anyone else the hours in the gym that Quin logged to be able to produce the results he got on Saturday night.

“The amazing thing about Quin is that since he came into the gym as a freshman, he’s never taken one play off in practice or anything else,” Seth said. “I’ve never had to worry that my intensity and my competitive fire would be matched because his has been higher than anybody else’s in the gym for four straight years.”

That competitive fire and shared passion that Quin has for the game of basketball is not unique in the Berger household, though.

“[Basketball]’s both of ours’ first passion, so it’s subconscious how much we want to do it together,” said Quin Berger of his relationship with his father and basketball.  “It just feels so natural and so perfect.”

“If you’re addicted to the game of basketball, you’re addicted for life,” Seth said. “A great weekend in our house is probably watching about four or five basketball games from 12 o’clock to 10 o’clock. It’s a love for the game that all of us share.”

Seth was careful though not to show any favoritism once his sons began to play for him. In fact, their shared love became a tough love and dad became coach when they were on the court

“My kids knew that once they walked into the gym at Westtown, they were to call me coach and not dad,” said Seth. “They were gonna have it probably harder than any of the other kids on the team in terms of the expectations of them as teammates, as leaders, as players. And both of them rose to the challenge of being the coach’s son and what that requires as a player.”

“That’s basketball, said Quin. “When two people love what they do so much and they’re both such competitive people, you’re gonna butt heads at times but we both know that we’re better for it for each other.”

Now begins a new era for Westtown and for the Bergers. For the first time in six years, next year’s Westtown roster won’t have a head coach’s kid on it. The empty nest life is fast approaching for Seth Berger, not just as a father but as a coach.

“As a coach, I’m gonna miss them,” he said. “As a father I got to be blessed with hours upon hours of my sons that other dads aren’t blessed with. I got to watch them grow up as a father and a coach, and now I admire them.”

Berger is ready to cheer on his sons from afar, while he stays at the helm for Westtown leading them into the new era.

“For me, I’m looking forward to being his number one fan,” Berger said, “just like I’m T.J.’s number one fan, just like I was [oldest son] Cole’s number one fan when he played golf in college.”

As for Quin, uncharted waters await for the senior. He remains uncommitted but has an offer from NJIT, where he will take an official visit in a few weeks. One thing's for sure though. His next coach won’t be his dad for the first time in a while. When asked to reflect on that fact and whether happiness, sadness, and excitement were emotions that came to mind, Quin had a quip ready.

“You named all three, dog.”


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