Spooky Nook Sightings- Vol. I
Written by: Andy Herr on June 16, 2025
As part of our summer coverage, LLHoops will post semi-weekly updates regarding things we have seen while over at Spooky Nook observing their annual summer league. With the June-only league now sitting squarely on its halfway point, it seemed like as good a time as any to release the first report of our findings. And since this is summer we are talking about, remember to please take all of this with a Titanic-sized grain of salt đ
Perfect attendance: File this under a small thing, but a big thing. If there was an award given to teams that routinely have shown up in sheer numbers, you can best believe that the Solanco Golden Mules would be right near the top of that heap. Not too shabby considering that this is the first opportunity that new head man, Scott Gaffey, has had in working with his new team since taking the job last month. In talking to Solancoâs most recent head coach and athletic director still in charge, Anthony Hall, one of the biggest sticking points he tried to impress upon the greater Quarryville contingent and families with young men within the program was that if winning was the desired outcome in December and January, simply showing up come the start of official practices in November wouldnât cut it, nor would simply doing skill work during the summer without then playing against actual, relatable competition. Sure, skill work is great and all, but everyone else is doing that. And then supplementing that with games upon games to boot on top. Even last year, with Solanco dipping their feet into both the Spooky Nook and Lancaster Country Day summer league pools, the Mulesâ buy-in to Hallâs request was readily apparent even a year ago with Solanco never hurting for numbers on any given summer league night. Now, even with an unfamiliar voice in the front of the room in Gaffey, Solanco appears to be serious about this year-long investment to get better all the same. Oh yeah, and Isaiah Wright continues to be the best guard no one really talks about.
Heir to the throne?: Iâve said this a million times, so whatâs a million and one amongst friends? The single biggest change within the Lancaster-Lebanon League boysâ basketball scene the last decade has been Warwick moving down from Section One into Section Two. Full stop. In fact, Iâm not even sure what would even be #2 on that list due to the Warriors’ success being so demonstrative. The facts back it up. Aside from one brief year when the road detoured through Manheim, all avenues for a section title with Warwick involved eventually run through Lititz since 2018. Even in a metaphorical universe where the Warriors would be forced to rely solely on their 9th grade team suddenly moving up to varsity, you might still feel obligated to slot Warwick near the top of the pecking order just out of an abundance of caution for fear of being incorrect because their accumulated track record of late is so far deep in everyoneâs collective heads. So we know they are there. But can anyone take the mantle away? Well, Cocalico is certainly going to give it a go. On paper, this might be one of the Eaglesâ best rosters put together in quite some time. Fresh of that state tournament appearance this past year when they had to navigate their way through the consolation bracket in 5A — including knocking off their bffâs from Manheim Central on the Baronsâ home floor along the way — the fellas from Denver look ready to make the next logical step based on their summer exploits thus far where they have looked quite impressive. For starters, Timmy Hambright isnât afraid to go and get whatâs his while also making sure that his teammates are also living up the high bar he himself is setting. Ty Wealand is also a significant focal point within the Eaglesâ steady rotation which makes the opposing scouting report anything but centrally focused on one sole name. Along with that, Cocalico also has nice size for a lineup within their division while featuring a host of athletes who are almost exclusively basketball centric. The Eagles have every right to feel like they are ready for primetime. The onus is on them now in proving those assumptions correct.
Knight and Day: Among the litany of things that made the 2024-25 L-L League season so peculiar was notably Hempfieldâs absence from even the middle of the pack in the Section One race. As far as the records will have it, it was the Black Knightsâ fewest wins found during a season ever with all of three triumphs experienced throughout last year’s campaign. Like ever, ever. Thatâs the bad news. The good news is that Section One figures to be wide-open yet again with the margin of separation between the top and the bottom not being as overly dramatic as one might think. Yes, obviously the added dynamic of McCaskey adding a significant piece to their rotation might be enough to tilt the tectonic plates of the delicate landscape enough on its own here, but Hempfield looks anything but a team automatically relegated to the bottom of the section contingent yet again heading into this season. First and foremost, in two separate viewings of Hempfield, itâs fair to glean that they can flat-out shoot the cover off the ball. With multiple guys too. Typically, the shooting proficiency during the dog days of summer looks anything but polished, yet hereâs Hempfield routinely ripping the cords during the month of June. If they can do that now, absent of a full-fledged daily regimen of practices and workouts found during the actual season itself, it makes the Black Knights a curious and dangerous mix added to the Section One potion. And does anyone want to bet against the leagueâs fourth winningest head coach all-time in terms of L-L League games won, Danny Walck? Didnât think so. Again, it is âjustâ summer league, but Hempfield did beat last yearâs 5A state silver medalist, Hershey, over at Nook earlier this month. Just sayinâŚ.
Whatâs New Is Old Again: When the Lampeter-Strasburg job turned open this offseason that came part in parcel with the graduation of All-State 5A Second Team honoree, Chase Smucker, those who wished to see the Pioneers get knocked down a peg or two come all this ânewnessâ in their camp might be frustrated to learn that a downfall and demise might be greatly exaggerated. In other words, if you were praying on their downfall to steal a phrase, you might need that divine intervention to intervene. With Austin Smucker, a 2013 L-S grad, making the proverbial 6-inch slide in seats over to the main chair on the Piosâ bench this season, the cupboard looks hardly bare for the first-year coach to try and cook with. Yes, L-S will be without the services of Smuckerâs younger brother Chase who now heads off to Bloomsburg this winter to start his college career, rising L-S senior, Hayden Martin, looks to be the next in line in terms of carrying the torch regarding explosive L-S guards in recent memory while remembering the likes of Seth Beers, Ty Burton, and Smucker. Beyond that, L-S has a bevy of athletes who have the ability to quite literally put their chin on the rim with sudden bounce. Similar to Warwick as mentioned above, L-Sâ success on the floor has been so prominent that we have now arrived at that time where those currently funneling through the Piosâ program have quite literally seen their home school be nothing but stellar in their formative years growing up while wearing the Pioneer blue and white on travel teams and the like. Thatâs the type of pressure that most any coach would crave to be in charge of. Yes, Octorara is out there returning literally 100% of their roster from a 5A state playoff trip in Section Three. 100%-plus technically if they add in some new faces I suppose. But you wonât go broke making a profit. The Octorara Braves will be your preseason divisional favorite here, but continuing to invest in L-S still seems like the safe play in the greater L-L marketplace.
Destination 322: Now, for your non L-L portion of the programâŚ.According Google Maps, the distance between the Spartan Center and a pin put in where Hershey High Schoolâs gym is located is said to be about 1.8 miles. In theory, the distance between these two programs is much, much closer than the stoneâs throw which separates the campuses of Milton Hershey and Hershey High respectively from one another if this summer is proving to be any indication. Admittedly, I personally did not see Milton Hershey up close and personal at Nook while observing our L-L friends. However, seeing brief glimpses from afar, the talent and athleticism is just oozing out the Spartansâ roster heading into 2025-26. In fact, unsolicited, folks have said how either Milton Hershey had just got done handling their own team, or they had witnessed the Spartans thrashing a different opponent while waiting for their own game to start. In terms of way too early projections, Milton Hershey figures to easily be on the early District 3-5A favorites based on what others have detailed. Of course, the irony there is that their neighbors up Route 322 also happen to call 5A their home. Those nearby friends also lay claim to the actual D3-5A crown at this moment in time while also having ownership rights of the stateâs silver medal in 5A when speaking on the Hershey Trojans of course. For the Trojans, it obviously starts with 5A State Player of the Year runner-up, Cam Sweeney. Aside from having all the perimeter skills one would imagine for a guard at the 5A level who earned such high accolades, Sweeney also has flashed the wherewithal to turn into a big man when matched up with a much smaller guard going against him by bringing them into the post and then putting them wherever he so desires thanks to his physical advantage before tallying an easy deuce inside or finishing through contact with the defender forced to do nothing but foul, whether it be out of necessity or frustration. Simply put, it at times doesnât look like a fair fight. All in all, this might be one year where having the championship game be held inside a spacious venue with a Hershey mailing address makes the most sense. Even if it comes by happenstance.
Get out and enjoy some free hoops at Nook throughout the rest of the month. Tip times go from 6-8pm on Tuesday and Thursday nights throughout the rest of the month with the final night of play coming on the 27th for central PAâs premier high school summer league.
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