End of the Season Keystone Wrap-Up

Written by: David Bray on April 16, 2025

With it now being a few days from the finale of the PIAA championships in my hometown of Hershey, the 2024-25 season has concluded after a long season, spanning from the middle of November until the near beginning of April. This season was my personal favorite Keystone Division year, with huge upsets throughout the year shaking up power rankings, rivalries refueled due to more competitive interdivisional games, and success throughout the end of the regular season and the postseason. As the season has come to an end, I will go through each team’s season and what is to come in the offseason through the order of the Keystone standings for the 24-25 season.

1. Mechanicsburg (22-6 Overall, 13-1 Division)

Despite Mechanicsburg not fulfilling their hope for the season as they had told me during the PennLive-hosted media day, wanting “an undefeated season”, Mechanicsburg had put together a great season last year with the wave of seniors that will be graduating come May. The Wildcats took down Hershey at home for their first loss of the season, went into their tournament in New York, defeating Binghamton, the eventual state champion for their division, and became the lone Keystone Champion after a hard-fought season. Heading into the playoffs, they secured a state playoff spot in their first full season within the 6A division.

Led by Princeton football commit Josh Smith, averaging 21 points, five assists, and seven rebounds, Mechanicsburg was able to make the state playoffs in their first season in the 6A after being moved up, making a statement early. West Virginia Wesleyan commit Chance Yanoski and Liam Owens made a big impact as the second and third scoring options, with Yanoski averaging around 2.5 threes a game and Owens impacting through his rebounding and scoring, averaging around eight points and five rebounds. With their loss to Governor Mifflin in the second round of the playoffs, Mechanicsburg bounced back by finishing sixth in the 6A, putting themself against Conestoga in the first round of the state playoffs. After putting up a fight through all four quarters, Mechanicsburg fell short and finished the season with another 20-win year. Coach Gaffey and the Wildcats will have a brand new team next year, with nine seniors graduating this spring with all five starters leaving the program with their 5A championship, three state tournament appearances, including two wins in the tournaments, and two Keystone titles, their first since before MaxPreps has data (being the 2008-09 season). 

Returning for Mechanicsburg are Jacob Eager, Alex Pida, and Chase Weiand, with Eager and Pida being seniors next year and Weiand being a junior. I got the chance before the last season to watch Weiand at the All-Around Sports Promotion Showcase, hosted by Awaan Sweet, who is part of the Mechanicsburg community for girls’ basketball, and for a player like him, he has the potential to play a huge part next year for the Wildcats while standing around 6’4. Eager had played important minutes for Mechanicsburg this past year, notably throwing multiple football passes to Smith for two-handed jams on the other end (which I showcased in his first team video, which you should check out on my X @KeystoneBBall). Pida got a few chances to play, showcasing his ability to play the point and assume the role that Smith played for the past three years for the Wildcats. Mechanicsburg has a lot of work to do this offseason, however, I know Coach Gaffey can reload for the 2025-26 season and put up a good fight in the Keystone Division. 

2. Hershey (25-4 Overall, 11-3 Division)

Hershey finished the season with only three losses, not losing again until the final game of the postseason after 5A champions Neumann-Goretti shut the door on the Trojans, ending their storybook Cinderella run through the state tournament. Hershey accomplished a lot this year, winning the District 3 5A title for the first time since 1974, getting their revenge after losing in the championship last season to their Keystone rival Mechanicsburg, and finishing third the season before, beating Mechanicsburg. Hershey was able to break even with Mechanicsburg on the season and maintained its undefeated streak until the eventual upset by Mechanicsburg on the road. After finishing second in the Keystone Division and the power rankings, the Trojans defeated New Oxford, Milton Hershey, West York, and Exeter Township to capture the championship at the GIANT Center. Hershey took on District 7’s eighth seed, Penn-Trafford, who upset the #2 seed in the WPIAL tournament as the 15 seed. Hershey took care of business and moved on to the next round. After the Malice at Meadville incident happened (which you can read about right below this article in the Keystone Chronicle), Hershey defeated West York for the second time in their playoff run and beat the WPIAL #1 (originally the WPIAL #4 seed) Chartiers Valley to secure a spot in the 5A championship match right in their backyard at the GIANT Center. In a hard-fought battle with Hershey leading by as much as 10 at one point, the Saints defeated the Trojans 85-71 to capture their 10th state championship. 

Hershey was led by junior Cameron Sweeney, taking his game to a whole other level, shooting up from nine points per game to an astounding 20 points per game, giving the Trojans the fuel they needed to spark the huge playoff run this past season. Senior Case Western commit James Campbell played a good role for Hershey, averaging 12 points per game and shooting consistently through the majority of the season. Sophomore Drew Grana was a great addition to Hershey, contributing around seven points per game and providing many key moments for the Trojans throughout the season defensively and offensively. With Campbell highlighting the graduating seniors, along with fellow starters Aidan Miller and Roman Panko and bench piece Jaiden Waynes, Hershey has a few holes to fill for the upcoming season. The seniors finish their Trojan career experiencing a Keystone title, a District 3 5A championship, and four straight state playoff appearances, including five wins, not including the double forfeiture (3 in 2025). 

The Trojans, however, get their star player back for another season, with Sweeney taking his first-team level season for one final time as a senior. Grana will return for Hershey as a junior, posing as a key piece from the perimeter shooting and his defensive ability. Rounding out the returning crew, Grant Later returned for his final season after showing a flash of potential in the final game of the postseason, shooting 4-4 from three before his looks became limited in the second half against Neumann-Goretti. For the first time in a few years, Hershey gets some firepower back from their previous season, and with Coach Blackburn looking to improve in a weakened 5A due to realignment this past season, they have the opportunity to keep moving in the right direction come 2025-2026.

3. Milton Hershey (17-10 Overall, 10-4 Division)

Milton Hershey was the team that I had making the biggest jump from last season, and boy was I correct. The Spartans turned around from a 3-win season, notably one of the worst seasons in the school’s history, according to Assistant Coach Young’s end-of-the-season tweet (https://x.com/CoachCYoung/status/1902082853103456608), to a 17-win season, district and state tournament appearances, and reclaimed a top-three spot in the division. Milton Hershey’s gym went from around 30 fans, including myself, at the end of the season to a sold-out gym filled with all of the passionate Spartan faithful across the campus, which, in my eyes, was amazing to see over a calendar year. The Spartans were able to defeat Hershey at home, handing them their second loss of the regular season, defeated Lower Dauphin three times, and made one of the best comebacks I’ve seen all season against LL League Champion Cedar Crest to defeat them right before the playoffs to secure the 7-seed. Milton Hershey did their best efforts against Hershey in the second round of the playoffs, however, their lead succumbed to a huge fourth-quarter comeback by the Trojans, placing Milton Hershey in the consolation bracket. After losing to Lampeter-Strasburg in the game before the placement matchups, Milton Hershey defeated Spring Grove in the 7th-place game to secure the 7th seed in the state tournament, where they took on Montour from the WPIAL. The Spartans fought hard, however, they couldn’t keep up with the height advantage of 6’10 senior Ama Tening Sow, who is a UT Martin commit. 

Milton Hershey was led by junior guard Khalif Turner, turning his game from a rotational piece off the bench to being a consistent 18-point-per-game scorer for the Spartans. Sophomore forwards Abdou Diene and Dylan Crawford played key roles for the team, with Diene averaging around 12 points and 10 rebounds a game while Crawford continued to get better throughout the season, rounding out with around 13 points and 7 rebounds a game. The Spartans have a very small graduating class, however, some key aspects will be removed from the 2025-26 roster. Josh Sessoms, a player who earned the starting role throughout the season, will graduate after putting together a solid season all year, contributing to all aspects of the game. Aryan Sandhu, who hit some of the biggest three-pointers of the season, will finish his career as a Spartan along with Steven Dao and Josh Gibb, both key players off the bench this past season. The seniors finish their career as Spartans, experiencing two state tournament appearances, losing both to Peters Township in 2023 and Montour this season, three District 3 5A tournament appearances, finishing with a record of 6-5, and a Keystone title in 2022-23.

That being said, Milton Hershey has the biggest and best returning cast of the Keystone teams, with their top three scorers all returning: Turner (senior), Diene (junior), and Crawford (junior). Other than the new big three of Milton Hershey, upcoming senior Boyega Awofiranye played a key role in the final games of the regular season and is a player that I believe has the potential to play a big role next season. Upcoming senior Kingston George, who was replaced in the starting lineup by Sessoms, also returns, highlighting the next season’s roster, playing floor general for most of the season and contributing a lot of assists for the Spartans. Mekhi Nivar, an upcoming junior, also returns as another forward who will be back for the high-powered Milton Hershey squad. If this team plays to its potential for the 25-26 season, Milton Hershey has a chance to make a huge run in the 5A. As for a fan like myself, this is a fun team to watch, and I am eager to see this team in action along with the rest of the Keystone for 2025-2026. 

4. Lower Dauphin (13-12 Overall, 8-6 Division)

Lower Dauphin finished their second straight season fourth in the Keystone Division and 8-6 over the divisional games. Their record didn’t give them enough credit, especially with 3 games being decided by one possession, and two games falling on buzzer-beaters. Unlike last season, the Falcons made a heroic postseason run, unfortunately, falling short in the final game, leaving them out of the last spot in the state tournament. Lower Dauphin was a great team to watch this past year, especially since their entire starting rotation was back for one final ride with the Falcons. The team got key wins over every Keystone team twice, other than the top three teams, and beat Northern to secure the #10 seed in the District 3 tournament. After losing their first playoff game to fellow Keystone opponent Milton Hershey, Lower Dauphin made a massive run in the consolation bracket, fighting for the final seed in the state tournament. The Falcons knocked off New Oxford in the first round of the consolation, defeated Northern York for the second time this season, and faced Cocalico in the battle for the 9th-place spot in the state tournament. After a battle early on, Camden Ochs and Cocalico were too tough to tame, with Lower Dauphin falling just short of the state playoffs, finishing the season 13-12 overall. 

Lower Dauphin was led this past season by their entirely senior starting lineup, with Nico DeFrank leading the team with 14.2 points per game and being nominated for the all-defensive first team after being one of the best rim-protectors in the Mid-Penn. King’s College commit Brady Hofsass led the team in points with 14.4 points per game, cashing in as one of the best shooters in the Keystone while making threes consistently. Evan Deibler and Landon Miller finished the year averaging around nine points per game, respectively, and Wes Heagy was a defensive catalyst in their success throughout the season, constantly forcing close games with steals and stops. The Falcons will lose their entire starting lineup for the 2025-26 season due to graduation, with all of them being core pieces in the program over the past 3-4 seasons. The seniors have experienced one state tournament appearance in 2021-22, losing their only game to Pittston, and three District 3 5A tournament appearances, finishing with a record of 4-5. 

Lower Dauphin has key pieces from last season returning, with upcoming sophomore Colin Schaffer leading the charge for the Falcons, coming off a freshman season averaging around five points and five rebounds a game. Schaffer showed shades of what’s to come for the upcoming season, tallying nine points off the bench in the loss to Hershey after DeFrank fell into foul trouble early on. Isaac Medlin and Luke Brown are both returning for the Falcons in 2025, with Brown becoming the leading senior on the young team. Brown had key moments throughout the season, showcasing his shooting ability, and upcoming junior Medlin was a strong floor general when Hofsass and Heagy were off the floor. Coach Attivo will have to make some adjustments for this young squad next season, but the potential of the younger players who played key roles last season could surprise other teams and do damage within the division. 

5. Palmyra (9-13 Overall, 5-9 Division)

In Coach Bean’s second season under the helm and with the roster changes with Hank Roesch relocating, Tyler Burgess deciding not to play, and Seth Loser tearing a ligament in his knee, Palmyra had a lot of rough patches to overcome heading into 2024. With Alex Dorta returning for the Cougars and with the team building chemistry during the season, Palmyra became a fun team to watch as the season went on, providing the biggest upset of the season, defeating their rival, Hershey, at home at the end of the race for the playoffs. Palmyra defeated LL League opponent Warwick on the road when the team was undefeated, winning their first eight in a row to begin their campaign to the LL League Finals. The Cougars provided tight games against some of the best teams in the area, almost shocking Cedar Crest, Milton Hershey, Exeter Township, and Hershey, with the Keystone game being played on the road. Palmyra had a sold-out crowd for the season finale matchup against Red Land, being one game away from their first playoff appearance since the 2021-22 season, where they ultimately lost to Elizabethtown in the ninth-place game to miss the state playoffs. After the loss, there was hope that they could sneak in the 16-seed, facing off against Manheim Central, but the system that determines rating (which everyone I have talked to doesn’t know how it works) gave Palmyra the 17-seed, just 0.005 points behind Spring Grove. 

Palmyra was led by senior guard Alex Dorta, averaging around 14 points per game and playing some of the best basketball at Palmyra since his last season two seasons prior. Dorta was also lethal at the end of quarters, draining multiple half-court shots and buzzer-beaters throughout the season. Junior Braydon Bown continued his three-point shooting from last season to this season, draining college-length threes consistently and averaging around 11 points per game. Stepping up for the injured Loser, junior Micah Warner played well in the paint, contributing eight points per game, and added a game-winning jumper over Cedar Cliff to give Palmyra a huge road victory. Palmyra will lose a few key seniors, with Cameron Scott playing a key defensive role, Dorta being their top scorer, and Bennett Weaber, who was crucial in a few games off the bench. The seniors have experienced no state tournament appearances; however, they have made the District 3 5A tournament once with a record of 2-2. 

Returning for the Cougars is the majority of their offense, with upcoming seniors Braydon Bown and Aidan Willard highlighting the crew for Palmyra. Rising senior Micah Warner returns as the primary center for the Cougars, with upcoming senior guard Luke Grumbein and upcoming junior guard Brady Kyper looking for bigger roles next season. Despite the early-season struggles in 2024, we got a glimpse of what they could be at the end of the season, defeating 3 of their last 4 opponents. With three-point threats in Bown and Kyper, along with paint threats like Willard and Warner, Palmyra has the chance of making a huge improvement looking towards next season. Coach Bean has previously turned Hershey from a mid-table team into a 20-win season, and with the potential that Palmyra has for the future, there’s a chance that he could do the same for the program. 

6. Red Land (8-14 Overall, 5-9 Division)

Red Land had come into the 2024-25 season after losing four of their five starters due to graduation, including 6’9 Division I recruit Elijah Espinosa, Division III recruit Tyler Kerlin, and Division I baseball catcher Anderson French. Red Land got out to a solid start, entering the new year with a 5-6 record, defeating a 20-win Delone Catholic and putting together strong performances against West York and Milton Hershey. Red Land fell into a rough stretch, facing off against the top of the 5A in Manheim Central and the 6A in Mechanicsburg. Red Land got their annual victory against their crosstown rival in Cedar Cliff, evening the West Coast Rivalry at 1-1 on the season. The Patriots pulled off a shocking upset against Milton Hershey on the road, moving themselves up the power rankings into possible playoff contention. After their loss to Lower Dauphin and Northern York, they were eliminated from the playoff race, placing themselves 21st in the standings. Red Land spoiled Palmyra’s playoff hopes with a huge double-digit victory on the road to finish the season strong and finish 20th in the 5A. 

Red Land was led by junior guard Colton Rose, the only returning player from last year’s starting lineup. Rose put together the most threes in the Mid-Penn and was very consistent, shooting over 35% from beyond the arc, giving the Patriots the boost they needed to overcome tough opponents. Senior forward Noah May played a crucial role, especially over the holiday break, where he put together a 30-point and a 32-point performance in the Gettysburg Tournament, leading them to win the tournament overall. Through an ever-changing rotation, Austin Michelsen played a key role for the Patriots, being a consistent floor general for the team and handling the ball while Rose was heavily guarded. Noah May headlines the senior class that is graduating from Red Land this season. For the seniors, they have made the 5A playoffs twice, losing both games.

Red Land keeps their best scoring player for next season, holding on to Colton Rose for one final season after an incredible jump from 2023-24. If the Patriots can work around Rose and open up more opportunities for those who are open when Rose is double or even triple-teamed, Red Land has the chance to keep going up. After Coach Mehaffey had a great season in 2023, the rebuild was imminent, however, the Patriots have a chance to rebound after this season and continue to build around this new core of players. 

7. Mifflin County (10-13 Overall, 3-11 Division)

Despite finishing the season with ten wins, this season is a big success for Mifflin County in recent history. After losing their top scorer, Jayden Bilger, it was uncertain how the Huskies would turn out in the regular season. Mifflin County put together a solid year, opening the season 3-0 after winning their opening tournament and their first non-conference game. Through the first eight games, the Huskies sat at 4-4 overall, which wasn’t helped by the fact that Zach Keller, Jack Curry, and Evan Strohecker all missed time in this span, with all three missing games against Red Land and Lewisburg. After Keller was out for the remainder of the regular season and Curry was sidelined for around a month, the strong start that had begun for the Huskies petered out a little, especially without the firepower those two brought to the court. Mifflin County did a great job in their non-divisional matchups, finishing the season 7-1 in those games, however, the divisional play held them back, rounding out with only three wins, two against Cedar Cliff and one against Red Land. Their record in the three-team District 6 6A locked them into the championship matchup against State College. After a hard-fought game, the Huskies fell just short of a state playoff spot after losing by four. 

Through all of the injury struggles, senior Aidan Attivo continued his stretch of scoring the past couple of seasons, leading scoring for the Huskies with 15 points per game, including a few 20-point games sprinkled across games throughout the season. After Curry missed a period, he played an important role for the Huskies, putting together just under 15 points per game. Josh Hartzler played an important role as a starter, putting together around 10 points per game and finding his shot from beyond the arc as the season progressed. Strohecker dished out a lot of assists while he was on the court for Mifflin County, including a game-winning three-pointer, which gave the crowd in Lewisburg a huge boost. A loss of Attivo in the graduating class will be brutal for the scoring next season for the team. The seniors have turned the program around from being a 2-to-5-win team to racking up double-digit wins through the past three seasons under Coach Curry, and the sky’s the limit for this team. In the four seasons before Coach Curry, the team won a total of nine games. In the past three seasons, the Huskies have won 22 games. 

The reason why the sky’s the limit for this team is that the only seniors are Aidan Attivo and Nathan Parks. Outside of those two, Hartzler, Strohecker, and Landon Haigh will be seniors, and Curry, Keller, Luke Bender, and Carson Franklin will be juniors. Bender took over the role that had been vacant due to the injury of Keller and was a very solid player, putting together around eight points a game and dishing out around four assists. Franklin came off the bench frequently, cashing a few threes and making an impact, while Haigh played a key role on a smaller team, racking up rebounds while playing alongside Hartzler. Barring injury, this team together will be a team to watch out for next year, especially with teams like Lower Dauphin and Mechanicsburg losing most of their teams with graduation. With Keller and Curry healthy, this team was dismantling teams with their speed and shooting ability. If they both return as Strohecker did a season prior, this team will do some damage in the Keystone and possibly make their first state playoff and their second winning season in program history. 

8. Cedar Cliff (3-19 Overall, 1-13 Division)

Cedar Cliff had to rebuild from last season’s graduating class, including the Keystone Player of the Year, Sam Grube, who put together 23 points per game. The Colts’ first half of the season featured many single-digit losses, including key games against East Pennsboro, Mechanicsburg, and Mifflin County. Cedar Cliff notched themselves in the win column with a dominating performance against Dover, and again two games later against Conestoga Valley in their winter tournament. The Colts fell into the unfortunate rabbit hole of tight game losses, with close games to round out their regular season against Palmyra, Mechanicsburg, Hershey, and Hempfield, possibly finishing ahead of Lower Dauphin for the most one-possession losses this season. Cedar Cliff did get back a huge win over rival Red Land to give them their only divisional win and their final win of the season. 

Junior guard Jayvion Walker led the Colts, averaging around 14 points per game, putting together huge 20-point performances, and putting on a show with his long-range shooting ability. Junior Mo Ahmed had another solid season as part of Cedar Cliff, putting together around 11 points per game, playing well in the paint, and being a consistent starter. Sophomore Troy Joray, an immediate starter for the Colts, played well for his first full season on varsity, racking up seven points per game and pulling in around five rebounds. Junior Garret Weaver played well off the bench for Cedar Cliff, knocking down trees when needed and giving the team the push they needed. Highlighting the senior class, twins Levi Lehman and Seth Lehman will be leaving the program after putting together solid three-point shooting performances throughout the season. Forward Julius Tirado, forward Trey Seilhamer, and center Hazikyah Latini will also be graduating, contributing valuable minutes off the bench, even with Tirado making a select number of starts towards the end of the year. For the seniors, they have experienced one District III 6A tournament, with a record of 2-2, and made the state playoffs once, losing to Cheltenham in the first round. 

Cedar Cliff has a good returning class, with Jayvion Walker and Mo Ahmed leading the charge for 2025-26, both being seniors next season. Garret Weaver and Troy Joray will return for next season, with Weaver becoming a senior and Joray being a junior. Another player who made an immediate impact for the Colts was the younger brother of Mo, Amin Ahmed, a freshman this past season who battled injury early and came back to play a prominent role in the offensive game. With the question circling on the availability of the junior season of Amarian Autry, who played key minutes as the starting forward as a freshman last season, Cedar Cliff has the potential to make a huge jump, especially with the returning talent from last season. Despite only three wins to show for the team, the Colts battled through the entirety of the season, and with small boosts through development in the offseason, those single-possession losses could easily turn into wins. Coach Rutherford’s intensity and drive to make this team successful will fuel the offseason for the team, and if all goes to plan, the Keystone will see one of the most competitive fights for the playoffs in a while. 

Follow LLhoops on Twitter @LLhoops