Tulpehocken grad Cliff Richardson on track at Wilkes University

For Tulpehocken High School grad Cliff Richardson, it was a very memorable time. The 6’-0” senior guard was playing in the Freedom Conference championship game for Wilkes University as they took on top-seed Misericordia last February. Just playing in a game like that was what gives Richardson a charge he can’t get anywhere else.

Representing my school, playing in an amazing college environment and having a chance to win a championship was an electrifying feeling,” said Richardson. His team lost that game to Misericordia, 65-46, but it was a memory that will always stay with the Bernville resident.

Richardson is just getting his senior season underway at Wilkes. He’s not going to set any scoring records for the Colonels, nor any rebounding or assists records. In fact, so far through his first three seasons on the team, he mostly comes off the bench averaging around 14 minutes a game. But when he gets his opportunity to play, he always makes a difference for his team.

“Cliff has really grown in every way since he arrived on campus three years ago,” said Wilkes head men’s basketball coach Jerry Rickrode. “He’s a true student/athlete in every sense. He’s a leader both on our team and among his classmates on campus. As a player he gives 100% at all times and is a pleasure to work with.”

“I feel my basketball career at Wilkes University has been a great learning experience,” said Richardson. “I have learned a lot about myself, my coaches and my teammates I’ve had in the past, and my current teammates.”

His only goal for his senior season is to help he team win a league championship.

Richardson was a standout player when he was on the Tulpehocken High School boys’ basketball team. In his senior season, he scored 234 points, second on the team with a 10.6 points a game average. But it was his sophomore season that Cliff remembers most about his high school basketball career. The Trojans won the division with a league record of 11-2.

“We played in the district finals at the Giant Center,” said Richardson. “The adversity we went through playing in the quarterfinal and semifinal game to get to the championship will never be forgotten.”

In that district championship game, Ricahrdson had 10 points and four rebounds in a 39-32 loss to York Catholic.

Richardson started playing basketball when in lived in New York. He played elementary basketball for ST.CLARES located in Queens Rosedale, New York. His family moved to Pennsylvania towards the end of his 6th grade year in the Wilson School District.

He played for Wilson Central Junior High in seventh grade and played for Wilson Southern Junior High in eighth grade. Towards the end of his eighth grade year, his family moved to the Tulpehocken School Sistrict where I started his high school career.

After high school he moved on to Wilkes University where he had a little trouble adjusting to the college level play.

“It was difficult for me to make the transition from high school to college basketball because the pace of the game was faster and there a lot of adjustments I had to make offensively and defensively to play in the college level.” said Cliff. He quickly made the adjustments and started making major contributions to his team.

Richardson much of the credit to his mother.

“My mother is my biggest influence for me when it comes to basketball.” Said Richardson. “She has done everything and anything for my family and I. Her work ethic everyday has made me who I am today. She is my role model and I thank God everyday for having a mother like her who has given me an opportunity to get an education and play college basketball.”

Richardson is a business management major and plans to go on for his masters in HealthCare Administratlon.