ed note: We are
pleased to have the some info from the North Eastern part of the state.
We are pleased to have a long time LLHoops fan , Jon K. to contribute.
Thanks Jon. Hope you enjoy.
UPDATED 12/16/08
It’s a busy week around the Northeast Beat. Season previews from the Wyoming Valley
Conference and Lackawanna League races are now posted below. As usual the top upcoming games are also
listed along with up-to-date exhibition team records. Next week, holiday tourney will be previewed
and the first District 2 rankings will be released.
A couple of milestone achievements need to be mentioned this
week. Congratulations to Jeff Madrak (Elk Lake)
who scored his 1,000 career point in a 55-54 win over Athens Monday night. Wilkes-Barre GAR head coach Paul Brown
notched career win number 300. And, in
the category of a possible state record, Rebecca Keegan (Valley View) blocked
an amazing 22 shots in their win over West Scranton
last week. Tracking individual records
is difficult as non-scoring stats may only be regionally known. Nonetheless, this is a very impressive stat
and the Beat thanks for the Valley View AD for bringing it to our
attention. .
Covering hoops this time of year requires some creative
strategy. Having a shopping mall close
to the big game is a always a win-win situation. This past weekend the Beat headed down to
check out this year’s edition of Hazleton Area. It’s always a treat to watch a game in their spacious gym. And, before the game, one of the locally
famous meatball and schmutz sandwiches was enjoyed at the Ovalon Pub. A bit sloppy, but delicious. Despite worries that the Cougars might be
headed for a down year, Mike Joseph has a nice combination of height,
quickness, and ball handling skills. They played very well at time in their win over District 1 Council Rock
North. As an aside, the Beat did notice
that the Cougars were charging 5 dollars for an adult game admission. Ouch. No
doubt that athletic costs are rising, but it just
seemed bit excessive as compared to other high school venues across the
district who are charging a 3 dollar fee.
Everyone remembers the characters in the Wizard of Oz and
how each of them wanted something to make them a complete individual. Those same characteristics are important
whether you’re dodging wicked witches or hitting the hardwoods in District
2. Basic elements such as court sense
(brains), determination (heart), and aggressiveness (courage) all help build a
winning player. Not sure how to work in
the whole clicking the ruby slippers and wishing to be back in Kansas thing,
but there is also definitely something to be said for the cozy feeling of a
good home court advantage. Despite these
individual elements, there is another intangible which elevates solid teams to
championship teams each and every year. It’s
chemistry, and to some degree, it’s either there or not. That is not to say that talented teams cannot
succeed through sheer hard work and superior coaching. Chemistry isn’t coached, but it can be
cultivated in the right atmosphere, and it begins long before preseason drills
even begin. West Scranton definitely has
it, as does the Williamsport
program this year. As
the season progresses, keep an eye on which teams exhibit chemistry and watch
what those teams achieve.
Until next week, see you in the bleachers.
WYOMING VALLEY CONFERENCE BOYS PREVIEW
PREDICTED FINISH (team, class,
coach, last year)
DIVISION 1
1. Crestwood (3A,
Mark Atherton, 23-6 overall)
2. Hazleton (4A, Mike Joseph, 18-8 overall)
3. Pittston (3A, Jim
Blaskiewicz, 13-13 overall)
4. Wyoming Valley
West (4A, Chris Sload, 10-15 overall)
5. Tunkhannock (3A,
Bob Miller, 5-19 overall)
Division 1 is lacking something which has been a part of
most previous seasons, a decided favorite. Gone are some of the loaded squads which both Crestwood and Hazleton featured the
past two seasons. But, in its place is
one of the more interesting and anticipated big school division races fans have
seen in years. Crestwood, the defending
champion, gets the slight nod mostly due to having all-everything player of the
year Adam Fazzini (6-5, senior, 17 ppg
last year), a superb ball player who can take a perimeter trey or post up. The Comets also feature a talented guard in
5-10 senior Josh Popowycz. Mark Atherton
loses a seasoned inside defensive player, but he will be looking for Eric
Bogumil (6-4 senior) and Mike Harowicz (6-3 senior) to fill in that gap. They also have depth off the bench for a
change. For Crestwood to succeed, they
will need everyone to contribute. Close
on the heels of the Comets will be their neighbors to the south, Hazleton
Area. The Cougars are finding themselves
in a bit of an odd situation this season. No superstar marquee players as they had the past two seasons. Suddenly, Cougar-land seems to be in
unchartered waters with only one returning starter back, Danny Maguschak (6-4
senior wing). No chance? No problem. Mike Joseph is poised to hit the league schedule with a nicely balanced
lineup with both strong perimeter and inside presence. Chris Laputka (5-9 junior) will run the
offense with Adam Davis (6-0 junior), Paris Cleveland (6-2 junior), and Derek
Hammel (6-8 senior) rounding out their lineup. The Cougars have a deep bench and a very strong non-league schedule to
help them prepare for league play. Also
in the mix will be Pittston. The
Patriots feature an experience roster with team leaders Matt Zera (5-11
senior), Carl Stravinski (6-4 senior), and Dan Irvin (6-4 senior) leading the
way. The three combined to average over
33 ppg last season. Not to be overlooked
or out of the division picture, Wyoming
Valley West will provide strong competition. They have senior experience and are paced by Jack Crossin (5-10 senior)
and Ali Muhammed (6-2 senior). The
Spartans play exceptional defense and have one of the more underrated head
coaches in Chris Sload. Rounding out the
division will be Tunkhannock. The Tigers
will look to build on last year, but it is going to be difficult in this
division.
DIVISION 2
1. Holy Redeemer (3A,
Mark Belenski, 20-7 overall)
2. Wilkes-Barre
Coughlin (3A, Joe Caffrey, 17-9 overall)
3. Dallas (3A, Ted Jackson, 18-9 overall)
4. Wyoming Area (3A,
Ken Yakobitis, 4-21 overall)
5. Berwick (3A,
Justin Beister, 6-19 overall)
Holy Redeemer comes into the season as a decided favorite in
Division 2, but that is not to say that they will not be tested throughout the
league season. The Royals have a young
lineup and did graduate a majority of their scoring from last year, but
returning they do have a great outside-inside combo in Greg Sam (5-9 senior)
and 6-11 center Pete Alexis. Mark
Belenski has some experience at getting the absolute most out of this type of
situation and has a couple state championships to prove it. Wilkes-Barre Coughlin was hit hard by
graduation, but do have Alex Grill, Joe Caffrey, and Jordan Flaherty back. The Crusaders always play a great brand of
team basketball. Dallas returns two starters in 6-5 senior
Henry Messinger and 6-0 senior Jack Ellis, but the Mountaineers have some holes
to fill in their lineup. Wyoming Area,
with strong center 6-6 senior Bernard Edmonds, can certainly challenge for a
higher position in the division. Berwick
needs to replace virtually all of the scoring from last year and will look to
improve for first year head coach Justin Beiter.
DIVISION 3
1. Wilkes-Barr GAR
(2A, Paul Brown, 19-11 overall)
2. Nanticoke (3A, Ken Bartuska, 17-10 overall)
3. Hanover Area (2A,
Bill Callahan, 7-18 overall)
4. Lake-Lehman (2A,
Dave Clancy, 7-17)
5. Wilkes-Barre
Meyers (2A, Pat Toole, 7-18 overall)
In Division 3, Wilkes-Barr GAR appears to have the best team
balance and athleticism to make a run at the division. The Grenadiers also got the return of 6-3
senior Ryan Womack who returned to the squad after leaving last January. They are led by PJ Brown (6-1 senior), Adam
Wayman (6-1 senior) and Mike Polakoski (6-0 sophomore). Nanticoke,
who lost most of their starters from their highly successful team last year,
does return Sean Bieski (6-2 senior) and will give their best effort night in
and out. Ken Bartuska has his Trojans
playing with a winning attitude, but it may not be enough to keep up with
GAR. Hanover Area brings an interesting
lineup into the season, led by Rich Colorusso (6-2 senior) and Rob Kokinda (6-5
senior). The Hawks may develop into a
competitive team capable of a few upsets as the season goes on. Lake-Lehman returns Mike Eckman and will look
to improve over last year. Wilkes-Barre
Meyers was hit hard by graduation losses and may have a tough time winning
division games.
DIVISION 4
1. MMI Prep (1A, Joe
Flanagan, 9-16)
2. Wyoming Seminary (1A, C. J. Kersey, 22-2
overall)
3. Northwest (2A,
Ryan Miner, 14-12)
4. West Side Tech
(2A, Rich Jones, 4-15 overall)
5. St.
Michaels (1A, Chris Rivers, 0-13 overall)
OK, so the Northeast Beat is going on a bit of a hunch with
this pick. In Division 3, MMI Prep gets
the slight nod over Wyoming Seminary and Northwest. The Preppers come into this season with a
group of seniors who have learned from their previous mistakes and hungry to
end their careers on a winning note. They feature a high scoring guard in Tyler Breznitsky (21 ppg last year,
1,000+ scorer) and smooth forward Justin Yakukowski. Joe Flanagan has a deep bench and needs his
players to finish games strong and rebound consistently. Also, to get that winning attitude that has
eluded their program for quite some time. Wyoming Seminary is a mere shadow of the powerful lineup that the
Knights had last season, but having 6-0 junior Evan Byers back does help CJ
Kersey build a nucleus. Northwest has
5-11 senior Billy Winter (12 ppg last year), but will have to scrap for the
division championship. West Side Tech
and St. Michaels will try and improve on last season.
LACKAWANNA LEAGUE BOYS PREVIEW
PREDICTED FINISH (team, class,
coach, last year)
DIVISION 1
1. Abington Heights
(3A, Ken Bianchi, 22-7 overall)
2. Scranton (4A, Tony Battaglia, 7-18 overall)
3. North Pocono (3A,
Patrick Shields, 10-14 overall)
4. West Scranton (3A,
Jack Lyons, 8-16 overall)
5. Scranton Prep (3A,
Joe Ferguson, 24-8 overall)
6. Wallenpaupack (4A,
George Werthmuller, 12-12 overall)
7. Delaware Valley
(4A, Chris Holtzer, 13-13 overall)
8. Honesdale (3A, Ron
Rowe, 7-18 overall)
Division 1 is loaded with contenders. It is very difficult to predict positions 1
through 5 because they are all very solid teams capable of competing on an even
level night in and night out. Abington Heights gets selected as top pick based
mostly on their potential of developing the most dangerous inside-outside
combination in the division. Cory
Spangenberg (6-0 senior) is the sole returning starter, but will get help from
Ross Danzig (6-3 junior) and Ryan Vassil (5-11 junior) around the
perimeter. Inside, the Comets have
height in Eric Hardaway (6-5 senior) and Nathan Basalyga (6-7 junior). Ken Bianchi loves this kind of challenge,
taking an inexperienced group of talent and turning it into a division
champion. But, to do it this year, given
the balance in the division, might be one of his toughest assignments. Scranton
had an inexperienced squad, but has tons of athleticism. The Knights return starters Faby Desir (6-0
senior) and Garry Melville (6-0 senior). Interestingly, Tony Battaglia will have to rely on immediate scoring
from 5-9 sophomore Bilal Floyd and impressive 6-4
freshman Terry Turner. No doubt that Scranton will look
forward to being a powerhouse in years to come with that lineup. North Pocono
returns four starters and will also be making a strong bid for the division
championship. Eric Steinmetz (6-1
senior) and Joe Bonacci (5-9 senior) lead the way for the Trojans. West Scranton
also finds themselves right in the middle of title talk, mostly due to a group
of athletes who play very well together on the floor. Jack Lyons has three solid starters returning
(Gabe Gigallon, Alex Lee, and Tyler Hughes) and will get strong play from Ethan
Dunn (5-10 junior), Tom Horan (6-3 junior), and Tim Langan (6-3
sophomore). The Invaders will be a fun
team to watch this year and will be capable of pulling off an upset on any
night. Scranton Prep, who graduated
their entire starting lineup, does return playmakers Tim Lavelle (5-10 senior),
Pat Mineo (6-0 senior), and Andrew Jackowitz (6-0 senior). The Cavaliers always run a great program,
have a terrific hoops tradition, and feature strong coaching. Wallenpaupack does not bring back any starters
but is always competitive. George
Werthmuller gets the most out of the Buckhorn roster. Delaware
Valley looks to make an
impact within this balanced division, but does have the potential to
improve. Honesdale returns 6-1 senior
Sean Curran, but the Hornets have a challenge ahead this season.
DIVISION 2
1. Holy Cross (2A, Al
Callejas, 26-4 overall)
2. Dunmore
(2A, Tony Lacertoso, 19-9 overall)
3. Valley View (3A,
Larry Pegula, 21-8 overall)
4. Riverside (2A, Mike Morgan, 11-13 overall)
5. Old Forge (1A, Al
Semenza, 18-10 overall)
6. Mid Valley (2A,
Mark Mazak, 2-22 overall)
7. Lakeland (2A, Dave Rosenkrans, 5-16 overall)
8. Carbondale (2A, Landon Gabriel, 11-15
overall)
Holy Cross is the hands down favorite to take home Division
2 honors this season. It’s not that the rest of the division is down, because
that is not the case. There are several
very solid teams which will have fine seasons ahead. The Crusaders have a powerful lineup that
will seek to use a division title as a stepping stone toward postseason
success. They are led by versatile big
man Mark Bevacqua (6-6 junior), guard Louis Cipriano (5-7 junior), feisty
defender JJ Gaughan (5-10 junior), Bret Podhyski (6-1 junior), and Ron Weber
(6-0 senior) back from knee injury suffered last year. Al Callejas must be careful that his
relatively young team continues to excel and not get complacent against any
opponent. They also have a terrific
exhibition schedule. Dunmore,
a bit roster depleted due to football season, should be strong with four
starters back, including high-scorer Pat Ross (5-10 junior). The Bucks also have Matt Maldonato (6-2
senior), Mike Ehnot (5-8 junior), and Brian Copeland (6-4 junior). Valley View lost some of their scoring punch from
last year, but the Cougars can still light up the scoreboard behind John
Strauss (5-10 senior) and Kyle Colachino (6-1 senior), plus an always strong
group of younger players. Riverside
returns four starters and Mike Morgan always play an intense, rugged style of
basketball. Old Forge returns 5-8 senior
Mike Rava, but will need some time to develop their lineup. The good news for Blue Devil fans is that
they have the familiar face and coaching experience of Al Semenza on the
bench. Mid Valley, Lakeland,
and Carbondale
(who moves up from Division 3) will all look to improve and focus on getting
better each day.
DIVISION 3
1. Elk Lake
(2A, John Warnero, 17-8 overall)
2. Mountain View (2A, Lawrence Tompkins, 16-9
overall)
3. Montrose (2A, Todd
Smith, 9-15 overall)
4. Forest City
(1A, Jason Pantzar, 12-12 overall)
5. Blue
Ridge (2A, Bill Arthur, 7-19 overall)
6. Lackawanna Trail
(2A, Andrew Kettel, 16-10)
7. Susquehanna (1A,
Scott Glidden, 14-11 overall)
8. Western Wayne (3A,
Ken Hemmler, 5-20 overall)
Elk
Lake gets a slight edge
over several other contenders for Division 3 top honors. The Warrior have seniors Jeff Madrak and Mike
Greenwood leading the way. Mountain View brings a
tall lineup and returns four starters paced by Alex Pashchuk (6-3 senior), Dave
Corbin (6-3 senior), guard Peter Hartman (6-0 junior), and Jon McBride (6-2
junior). Montrose returns four starters
and should be very competitive. Forest City
features 6-7 senior Jesse Walsh, Kyle Shollock (6-4 senior), and Ian White (6-1
senior). Blue Ridge
may be the most athletic team in the division and looks to be right in the
title chase also. Lackawanna Trail only returns one starter,
sharpshooter Chris Loman, but lacks any other experience. Susquehanna and Western
Wayne (who moves down from Division 2) do not return any starters
and will look to continue to work hard and develop their potential.
WILLIAMSPORT AMONG ELITE AAAA
TEAMS
They’re back. And
they’re going to make some noise come playoff time this year. The Millionaires returned their entire
starting lineup from last year’s team that severely tested Chester in the first round of state
playoffs. The Cherry and White are led
by the superb backcourt of Sean Ruane, Jadiah Lynch, and Isaiah Twine. Inside Dontahe Jordan and Thomas James lead
the way. Jordan can also launch some long
range shots from the perimeter. Port has
a deep bench (Shariff Monroe, Darryl Worthy, Keith Haynes) that does not lose a
step in applying their patented pressure defense. How good are the Millionaires? They trailed WVW by one point (15-14), but
quickly bolted out to a 27-2 run to take a commanding lead against a team which
took them to overtime in the district playoffs last year. The 6-year drought without winning a district
title may end this season, but it will likely be just a step on their way to
greater achievements. Williamsport
plays in the final game of a tripleheader this Saturday at Bucknell University
against state AAA powerhouse and defending state champion
Steelton-Highespire.
UPCOMING DISTRICT 2 TOP BOYS GAMES
TUESDAY, 12/16
Crestwood at Williamsport
Valley View at North Pocono
WEDNESDAY, 12/17
Old Forge at West Scranton
Pittston at Scranton
Prep
Dallas at Wilkes-Barre GAR
Scranton at Dunmore
Honesdale at Blue Ridge
MMI Prep at Weatherly
THURSDAY, 12/18
Valley View at Abington
Heights
Williamsport
at Holy Redeemer
Pittston at Nanticoke
FRIDAY, 12/19
Wilkes-Barre GAR at Hazleton
Montrose at Mid Valley
Scranton Prep at Wyoming Valley West
SATURDAY, 12/20
Berwick at Nanticoke
Notre Dame East Stroudsburg at Mt. View
Williamsport
vs. Steelton (Bucknell Showcase)
MONDAY, 12/22
Scranton Prep at West
Scranton (Lackawanna
D-1)
North Pocono at Wallenpaupack (Lackawanna D-1)
Old Forge at Valley View (Lackawanna D-2)
Dunmore at Riverside (Lackawanna D-2)
Forest City at Elk Lake (Lackawanna
D-3)
Wilkes-Barre Meyers at Wilkes-Barre GAR (WVC
D-3)
TUESDAY, 12/23
Scranton at Abington Heights
(Lackawanna
D-1)
Crestwood at Pittston (WVC D-1)
Hazleton at Wyoming Valley
West (WVC D-1)
Tunkhannock at Dallas
(WVC D-1/2)
Wilkes-Barre
Coughlin at Holy Redeemer (WVC D-2)
Williamsport at State College
LLHOOPS NORTHEAST BEAT BOYS PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Henry Messinger (6-5
senior) led Dallas
to three victories last week, scoring 22 points in a win over Lake-Lehman, 21
points in a win over Wyoming Seminary, and 17 points in a victory over
Wilkes-Barre Meyers.
Ethan Dunn (5-10
junior) led West Scranton to a pair of wins
last week. Ethan scored 22 points in a
63-59 win over Valley View and he netted 20 in a three-point win over Dunmore (56-53).
DISTRICT 2 BOYS NON-LEAGUE HIGHLIGHTS AND IN-THE-CLUTCH
CAGERS
Abington Heights got a pair of big wins over Dunmore
45-44 as Ross Danzig scored 16 points and over Holy Redeemer 54-44 as Corey
Spangenberg netted 22 points (The Comets went on a 12-1 run to open the 4th quarter). West
Scranton continues their torrid start to the season. The invaders got impressive wins over Valley
View (63-59) as Ethan Dunn and Tyler Hughes combined for 38 points (Kyle
Colachino scored 23 for the Cougars). They added a win over Dunmore 56-53 as
Dunn netted 20 and Tom Horan scored 13. Scranton continues to see
hot scoring from their younger players. The Knights defeated Valley View 70-62 was Tim Fisch scored 21, Bilal
Floyd 18, and Terry Turner 17 (Valley View got fantastic efforts from John
Strauss with 27 points and Kyle Colachino who had 26). Scranton
dropped a game against Pocono Mountain West, 78-60, but freshman Terry Turner
continues to impress by scoring 30 points. Pat Mineo is stepping into a leading role on the Scranton Prep
squad. He had a 2-game total of 38
points in wins over Riverside
(45-44) and Valley View (61-44). Eric
Steinmnetz scored 19 points for North Pocono
in a 47-42 loss to East Stroudsburg North.
Crestwood is showing that they are a terrific second half
team. The Comets defeated Wyoming
Seminary (52-30) and Meyers (64-43) as Josh Popowycz scored 19 points. Pittston continues to play very well and added
wins over Northwest and Carbondale
as Carl Stravinski scored a 2-game total of 32 point. Hazleton Area got an overtime win over Whitehall, their victory over Council Rock North, but
dropped a game at highly regarded LVC powerhouse Easton Monday night. Williamsport
hit the century mark in their 100-64 win over Wyoming Valley West as the
Millionaires netted 10 treys and placed five players in double figures. Brian Weiscarger scored 22 points (5 treys)
for Coughlin in their 54-33 win over Meyers. Henry Messinger scored a 3-game total of 60 points in wins over rival Lake-Lehman, Wyoming
Seminary, and Meyers. Bernard Edmonds
netted 22 points in the Warriors 54-40 victory over Hanover. Holy Redeemer got 28 points from Zach Redding and 16 from Pete Alexis in
their 56-45 win over Nanticoke (Sean Bieski had 17 for the Trojans). The Royals added a win over GAR 52-48 despite
only converting 10 of their 21 foul shot opportunities.
West Scranton captured the Finan Tournament championship
with a 50-43 win over Forest
City as Tom Horan scored
21 points. Horan had 20 more in their
semifinal win over Honesdale. In the
Final consolation, Sean Curran scored 24 points (5 treys) for Honesdale in
their 53-32 win over Forest
City. Jesse Walsh scored 24 points for Forest City
in their semifinal win over Carbondale. Holy Cross got a great game from Brett
Podhyski (27 points) in their 65-52 win over Pittston. The Crusaders added a pulsating overtime win
over Holy Redeemer Monday night. Matt
Rava netted 19 points as Old forge defeated Notre dame East
Stroudsburg, 42-40. Sean
Bieski led Nanticoke to pair of close wins,
scoring 18 in a 55-54 win over Tunkhannock and 17 in a 51-45 win over Riverside. GAR got a combined 34 points from Adam Wayman
and AJ Magda in a close 51-49 win over Wyoming Area (Bernard Edmonds scored 22
for the Warriors).
Tyler Breznitsky scored 24 points for MMI Prep in their
65-61 win over Panther
Valley. Adam Hurst (West Side Tech) scored 22 points
in a loss to Weatherly. Mid Valley
captured the Lackawanna Trail Tourney with a 56-38 win over host Trail. Mid Valley advanced to the title game with a
buzzer beating layup to get by Lake-Lehman, 44-42. The Black Knights rebounded in the
consolation to get by Lakeland,
48-37. Alan Charles scored 27 points for
Montrose as the Meteors rolled over Wyalusing, 70-44. Jeff Madrak netted 26 points for Elk Lake
to also defeat Wyalusing, 57-42.
DISTRICT 2 BOYS EXHIBTION RECORDS (games thru 12/15)
WYOMING
VALLEY CONFERENCE
DIVISION 1
Crestwood (4-0)
Pittston (4-1)
Tunkhannock (2-1)
Hazleton
Area (3-2)
Wyoming
Valley West (1-4)
DIVISION 2
Dallas
(5-0)
Wilkes-Barre
Coughlin (4-1)
Holy Redeemer (3-2)
Wyoming
Area (3-2)
Berwick (0-2)
DIVISION 3
Wilkes-Barre
GAR (2-2)
Lake-Lehman (2-2)
Nanticoke
(2-3)
Hanover
(0-5)
Wilkes-Barre
Meyers (0-5)
DIVISION 4
MMI Prep (2-1)
Northwest (2-3)
Wyoming
Seminary (1-4)
West Side Tech (0-2)
St. Michaels
LACKAWANNA
LEAGUE
DIVISION 1
West Scranton (4-0)
Abington
Heights (3-1)
Scranton
Prep (3-1)
Wallenpaupack (3-2)
Honesdale (2-2)
North Pocono (2-2)
Scranton
(2-2)
Delaware
Valley (0-2)
DIVISION 2
Holy Cross (4-0)
Old Forge (4-1)
Mid Valley (3-1)
Valley View (2-2)
Dunmore (1-3)
Lakeland
(0-3)
Riverside
(0-4)
Carbondale
(0-5)
DIVISION 3
Elk
Lake (3-0)
Susquehanna (3-0)
Blue Ridge (2-0)
Montrose (2-0)
Lackawanna Trail (2-2)
Forest
City (1-2)
Mountain View
(1-2)
Western Wayne (0-3)
GIRLS BASKETBALL GIRLS BASKETBALL GIRLS
BASKETBALL
WYOMING VALLEY CONFERENCE GIRLS PREVIEW
PREDICTED FINISH (team, class,
coach, last year)
DIVISION 1
1. Hazleton (4A, Joe Gavio, 18-7 overall)
2. Wyoming Valley
West (4A, Curt Lloyd, 10-16 overall)
3. Pittston (4A, Amy
Hughes, 15-9 overall)
4. Crestwood (3A,
Isiah Walker, 5-19 overall)
5. Tunkhannock (3A,
Harry Fenwick, 2-21 overall)
Hazleton Area is the favorite to claim Division 1. This is a team which has a deep lineup, lots
of experience and is hungry for a lot more than a division championship. Senior point guard Alyssa Flanagan is back,
her fourth year as a starter. Preseason
medical issues will prevent starting guard Brianna Dudeck and forward Kayla
Mantush from competing until after the holidays, but the Lady Cougars can
weather that storm. Senior forward Maddy
Ludwig returns to the lineup after missing all of last year with a knee injury
and steadily-improving forward Christa Sereta will help Joe Gavio’s squad
compete toward winning their seventh straight WVC championship. Wyoming Valley West has a youthful lineup,
but their success hinges right on the shoulders of 6-1 junior center Sami
Himlin. Pittston Area returns junior
Lauren Smicherko, but lacks any other varsity experience. Crestwood is a young team and is led by super
sophomore Chelsea Cornelius (6-0 guard) and Carissa Gegaris (5-5 junior guard,
11 ppg last year). The Lady Comets have
some good size and can score all over the floor, but they top reserves are all
freshmen. Tunkhannock will be much
improved over last year and will have talented junior Tiffany Rule leading the
way for the Lady Tigers.
DIVISION 2
1. Holy Redeemer (3A,
Rich Nemetz, 24-5 overall)
2. Wilkes-Barre
Coughlin (3A, Tony George, 19-9 overall)
3. Berwick (3A, Bill
Phillips, 16-10 overall)
4. Wyoming Area (3A,
Mike Judge, 5-20 overall)
5. Dallas (3A, Tom Gilroy, 18-8 overall)
Holy Redeemer is the pick in Division 2. The Lady Royals return a core group of
players from a team which advanced deep into state play last year. Four starters return, paced by versatile 6-2
junior playmaker Monica Wignot who makes plays from anywhere on the court. Holy Redeemer gets solid guard play from
seniors Alyssa Sabalesky, Megan Kazmerski, and Laura Wingert. Christina Flaherty, a talented scorer
transferred from Hanover
and will be an immediate impact player for Rich Nemetz. Wilkes-Barre Coughlin returns four starters
from a strong team last year, including junior center Kacee Rava, guards Jordan
Britt and Ally Banks, and smooth forward Lauren McGinley. Berwick has arguably the best pure athlete in
the division in 5-9 senior Katlin Michaels, but also has Cynthia Hallowich
transfer Courtney Shields, and Lillian Farmer to lead the way for the Lady
Dawgs. Berwick can definitely pull off a
few upsets along the division race this year. Wyoming Area has Allie Scalzo but
may find the going tough this season. Dallas got hit hard by
graduation and will need to begin a rebuilding process.
DIVISION 3
1. Lake-Lehman (2A,
Jim Spencer, 17-8 overall)
2. Nanticoke (3A, Jack Rentko, 15-12 overall)
3. Wilkes-Barre
Meyers (2A, Chris Gray, 16-11 overall)
4. Hanover (2A, Steve Horensky, 3-19 overall)
5. Wilkes-Barre GAR
(2A, Chris Parker, 16-13 overall)
Lake-Lehman is the favorite in Division 3, but will be
challenged by Nanticoke. Lake-Lehman has one of the top players in the
entire conference in 5-10 sophomore Selana Adamshick. She led the WVC is scoring last year and is
as good a defender as a scoring threat. The Black Knights also have perimeter scorer junior Gaby Olshemski as
wells as a top rebounder, junior Ellen Matza. Challenging Lake-Lehman will be Nanticoke,
a team which loves to play defense from start to finish. The Trojanettes have 5-1 junior Jen
Harnischfeger who plays all over the floor. Morgan Thomas is a top 3-point scorer. Kelsey Yohey is a strong rebounder and freshmen Sami Gow has been
contributing early. This is a program
with a tremendous winning tradition and attitude. This year’s edition is looking to put their
mark with a championship run. Wilkes-Barre Meyers return all five starters, including senior Christa
Tutella (14 ppg last year). The Mohawks
were a bit of a surprise team last year, so don’t be shocked to see them
compete with the frontrunners on any given night. Hanover
lost a key cog in their team with the transfer of Christina Flaherty to Holy
Redeemer, but does have some impact players such as Shari Bugonowicz to provide
leadership. Wilkes-Barre GAR is looking
to get settled under first year coach Chris Parker and improve as the season
goes on.
DIVISION 4
1. Wyoming Seminary
(2A, Ron Strothers, 11-11 overall)
2. Northwest (2A, Joe
Stepanski, 12-14 overall)
3. MMI Prep (1A,
Patty Medvecky, 5-19 overall)
4. West Side Tech
(1A, Leo Drogan, 2-19 overall)
Wyoming Seminary will battle for the Division 4 title with
Northwest. Seminary features 6-0 senior
Allie Berry, a strong post player. Northwest does not have much height, but does have solid, quick guards. They are led by seniors Jess Engle and Sara
Stepanski. MMI Prep only has eight
players on their roster, but does have senior forward Morgan Thomas, forward
Gabby Joseph, and junior guard Laine Titus. West Side Tech has top scorer Melissa Wallace (junior, 14 ppg last
year), but needs to establish some other scoring options.
LACKAWANNA LEAGUE GIRLS PREVIEW
PREDICTED FINISH (team, class,
coach, last year)
DIVISION 1
1. Abington Heights
(3A, Vince Bucciarelli, 25-2 overall)
2. Scranton (4A, Bill Gibbons, 24-6 overall)
3. Scranton Prep (3A,
Roy Gibbs, 14-11 overall)
4. Wallenpaupack (4A,
Bob Donovan, 8-16 overall)
5. North Pocono (3A,
Jeff West, 20-9 overall)
6. Honesdale (3A,
Tracy Ludwig, 10-15)
7. Delaware Valley
(4A, Chris Neidig, 6-19)
8. West
Scranton (3A, Leo Ciullo, 8-17)
Abington
Heights gets the tossup
pick for Division 1 honors. They will
battle Scranton
for the top position. Abington Heights,
minus the 22 ppg that Becky Burke brought to the court each night, still has a
strong lineup. The Lady Comets feature
Division 1 recruit Jamie Halloran (6-1 senior), Liz Kilzy (5-8 senior), and
Dakin Hewlett (5-5 senior). The biggest
challenge which Vince Bucciarelli faces is whether to stick with his
experienced senior players or work some of his talented younger players into the
lineup. Scranton, without Layla Bailey (torn ACL) and
Liz Borgia (leg injury), has been adjusting to their new coaching style and
lineup. Terika Turner (6-0 senior) leads
the way for the Lady Knights along with Lashelle Miller (5-5 junior) and Kayla
Gatto (5-6 junior). Scranton Prep will also
be in the division race behind the play of Celia Rader (5-4 senior), Meghan
McDonald (5-8 junior) and Sarah Walsh (5-2 senior). The Classics are always a perennial
contender. Wallenpaupack returns four
starters and is paced by seniors Jess Bonney, Gina Palazzi, and Jaine
Slutter. North
Pocono returns three starters and looks to improve on last year’s
successful season. Honesdale,
Delaware Valley, and West
Scranton all are seeking to work hard and get some wins.
DIVISION 2
1. Dunmore
(2A, Ben O’Brien, 28-2 overall)
2. Valley View (3A,
John Duffy, 18-8 overall)
3. Holy Cross (2A,
Barry Fitzgerald, 17-9 overall)
4. Old Forge (1A, Tom
Gatto, 19-9 overall)
5. Riverside (2A,
Jack Mekilo, 14-10 overall)
6. Mid Valley (2A,
Bob Doughton, 7-19 overall)
7. Carbondale (2A, Kristen Rude, 23-2 overall)
8. Lakeland (2A, Danielle Goerlitz, 8-17
overall)
Dunmore has enough talent
returning to be considered a favorite to capture Division 2. Seniors Lauren Carra (5-10) and Tayler Pallotta
(5-11) lead the way for the Lady Bucks. But look for the rest of the division to be a lot closer to Dunmore this season. Valley View gets the pick in a virtual tossup for second place. The Lady Cougars return four starters,
including Rebecca Keegan, Abbey Rodway, Emily Pambianco, and Allie Stine. Holy Cross will also be hot on the heels of
the division lead behind the talented returning duo of Kaya Sileo and Julie
Kostin. Old Forge, returns four starters
(Sarah Fife, Kim Kaville, Aleca Semenza, Chrissy Belko), but does not have much
height. Riverside returns three starters and is
always competitive. Mid Valley, off to a
terrific start, features a young lineup and will look to build a strong
foundation for the future. Carbondale returns
Brittany Mang (5-5 junior) and Cassie Cantanzano (5-5 junior), but needs to
fills some gaps in their lineup. Lakeland returns three
starters and will look for improvement as the season progresses.
DIVISION 3
1. Montrose (2A, Al
Smith, 14-13 overall)
2. Forest City
(1A, Carl Urbas, 7-19 overall)
3. Mountain View (2A, Errol Mannick, 9-16
overall)
4. Susquehanna (1A,
Dori Sabetelli, 7-18 overall)
5. Western Wayne (3A,
Colleen Corrigan, 2-23 overall)
6. Lackawanna Trail
(2A, Thomas Nasser, 8-15 overall)
7. Blue
Ridge (2A, Brian Hinckley, 12-12 overall)
8. Elk Lake
(2A, Al Caines, 7-17 overall)
Montrose is the pick in Division 3 in what is projected to
be an extremely balanced division race. The Meteors return three starters, Autumn Ely (5-6 senior), Chelsea
Lunger (5-7 senior), and Julie Koloski (5-6 senior). Forest
City returns five
starters. Mountain View
brings back four starters, including 6-2 Kayla Kazmierski. Susquehanna also return four starters and
should be right in the mix. Western Wayne moves down from Division 2 and could make
some noise and bounce back from their winless league season last year. Lackawanna Trail is another team capable of
pulling off an upset on any given night. Seeing a pattern here? Even Blue Ridge, who returns four starters, can make a
division run if they remain healthy. Elk Lake
is also looking forward to being competitive.
UPCOMING DISTRICT 2 TOP GIRLS GAMES
TUESDAY, 12/16
Nanticoke
at Crestwood
State College at Hazleton
WEDNESDAY, 12/17
Abington
Heights at Holy Redeemer
THURSDAY, 12/18
Dallas
at Lake-Lehman
Williasmport at Milton
FRIDAY, 12/19
Hazleton at Scranton Prep
SATURDAY, 12/20
Holy Redeemer at Allentown
Central Catholic
Valley View at Scranton
Wyalusing at Williamsport
MONDAY, 12/22
Pittston at Crestwood (WVC D-1)
Wyoming Valley West at Hazleton
(WVC D-1)
Holy Redeemer at Wilkes-Barre
Coughlin (WVC D-2)
Abington Heights at Scranton (Lackawanna D-1)
Wallenpaupack at North Pocono (Lackawanna D-1)
Valley View at Old Forge (Lackawanna D-2)
Riverside at Dunmore (Lackawanna D-2)
Williamsport
at Midd-West
LLHOOPS NORTHEAST BEAT GIRLS PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Sami Himlin (6-1
junior) paced Wyoming Valley West to a 70-50 win over Dallas (scoring 29 points and grabbing 17
rebounds). Sami also scored 13 points in
a 46-41 win over Nanticoke.
Julie Kosin (5-9
junior) scored 22 points and pulled down 18 rebounds in a 70-43 win over Elk Lake. Julie also scored 17 points in a 63-54 win
over Mountain View
as head coach Barry Fitzgerald closes in on career win number 400.
DISTRICT 2 GIRLS NON-LEAGUE HIGHLIGHTS AND IN-THE-CLUTCH
CAGERS
Nora Joyce scored 21 points as West Scranton defeated Riverside 59-56 (Jess Segilia scored 26 for the Lady
Vikes). Hazleton Area, despite leading
late by 7 points, had to hang on for a nail biting win over nemesis Scranton, 60-58. Terika Turner scored 22 points and pulled
down 20 rebounds for the Lady Knights. The Lady Cougars added an impressive win over Williamsport, 71-53 as they expanded a
1-point 31-30 halftime lead into a 21 point advantage heading into the final
period. Sami Himlin scored 29 points (17
rebounds) for Wyoming valley West in their
70-50 win over Dallas. She added 13 more in a strong 46-43 win over
talented Nanticoke. The Lady Spartans then dropped a 70-55 loss
to Scranton
Monday night. Katlin Michaels scored 26
and teammate Cynthia Hallowwich netted 22 in Berwick’s 73-63 loss to highly
regarded East Stroudsburg South (Carly Gallagher had 37 for ES-South). Tiffany rule scored 21 points to keep
Tunkhannock winning, 54-36 over Northwest. Holy Cross got three wins over Elk
Lake, Mountain
View, and Western Wayne to place
head coach Barry Fitzgerald on the doorstep of 400 career wins. Mid Valley continues to be the surprising
team. They got by an experienced
Susquehanna squad, 58-39 as Alli Walsh scored 19 points. They then rolled over Honesdale, 48-25, as
freshman Danielle Terranella scored 23 points. Lauren Carra scored 24 points for Dunmore in their 52-40 win over North Pocono. Though
she found herself in early foul trouble (and only scored 7 points) teammates
Ashley Murray and Tayler Pallotta combined for 35 points in a 52-44 win over Scranton. Jess Segilia scored 22 in a 56-35 Riverside win over Wyoming Seminary. Rebecca Keegan scored 18 points and blocked
an amazing 22 shots in Valley View’s 36-30 win over West
Scranton.
Jordan Britt scored 18 points to lead Coughlin to a 58-47
win over Hanover. Holy Redeemer got 18 points from Monica
Wignot and rolled over Dunmore, 63-40 (the
Lady Royals led at halftime, 31-13). Allie Scalzo scored 25 points for Wyoming Area in their 60-45 win over
MMI Prep. Raisha Piper scored 25 points
for Hanover
in their 51-44 win over Pittston. Nanticoke got a great
effort from their spectacular running guards to roll over Pittston, 53-33. Gaby Olshemski scored 21 and Selana Adamshick
netted 20 in Lake
Lehman’s 63-31 win over
Tunkhannock.
DISTRICT 2 GIRLS EXHIBTION RECORDS (games thru 12/15)
WYOMING
VALLEY CONFERENCE
DIVISION 1
Hazleton
Area (4-0)
Tunkhannock (5-1)
Crestwood (3-1)
Wyoming
Valley West (3-1)
Pittston (2-3)
DIVISION 2
Berwick (4-1)
Wilkes-Barre
Coughlin (4-1)
Wyoming
Area (4-1)
Holy Redeemer (2-1)
Dallas
(1-3)
DIVISION 3
Lake-Lehman (4-0)
Nanticoke
(3-1)
Hanover
(1-3)
Wilkes-Barre
Meyers (1-4)
Wilkes-Barre
GAR (0-5)
DIVISION 4
MMI Prep (2-4)
Wyoming
Seminary (1-5)
West Side Tech (0-2)
Northwest (0-5)
LACKAWANNA
LEAGUE
DIVISION 1
Wallenpaupack (3-1)
North Pocono (2-1)
Abington
Heights (1-2)
Scranton
Prep (1-2)
Delaware
Valley (1-2)
Honesdale (1-3)
Scranton
(1-3)
West Scranton (1-3)
DIVISION 2
Dunmore (4-0)
Old Forge (4-0)
Valley View (4-0)
Holy Cross (3-0)
Mid Valley (3-0)
Carbondale
(3-2)
Riverside
(2-2)
Lakeland
(1-2)
DIVISION 3
Blue Ridge (2-1)
Montrose (2-1)
Lackawanna Trail (2-3)
Elk
Lake (1-2)
Mountain View
(1-3)
Susquehanna (1-3)
Forest
City (0-1)
Western Wayne (0-4)
That’s it for this edition of the NEP Beat. See you next time!
Question or Comments, email us at LLHoops.NEP-Beat@att.net
Jon K.
|