DISTRICT 2 BOYS Division Recaps (12/30 to 1/4)
Written by: Jon K on January 6, 2020
DISTRICT 2 BOYS DIVISION ANALYSIS
games through 1/4
WYOMING VALLEY CONFERENCE
DIVISION 1
Crestwood (2-0, 8-1) 5A
Pittston Area (1-0, 6-3) 5A
Hazleton Area (1-0, 5-3) 6A
Wilkes-Barre Area (1-0, 4-5) 6A
Dallas (0-1, 7-2) 5A
Berwick (0-1, 2-7) 4A
Nanticoke Area (0-1, 2-7) 4A
Wyoming Valley West (0-2, 2-8) 5A
LOOKING BACK
While Crestwood has jumped out to a 2-0 start in Division 1 with solid wins over Berwick and Wyoming Valley West, it was the performances of a couple other squads that really caught our attention this week. More on those teams in a moment. First up, the Comets got 18 points from Ryan Petrosky and 10 each from Brad Papura and Jared Zaleski as they rolled to a commanding 34-10 halftime lead and defeated Berwick, 63-32. Against WVW, Petrosky (21 points) and Jake Zaleski (19 points) teamed up for 8 triples in a 74-44 victory over the Spartans (who got a dozen points from Jordon Redguard). Crestwood exhibits a smothering, aggressive defense that features plenty of hustle and speed. The Comets started their 3-game week with an impressive 55-43 non-league win over highly regarded Danville. In that one, Petrosky netted 11 as the Comets controlled the middle periods (30-16). In Yatesville Friday night, Pittston Area got a stellar 33-point effort (including 8 triples) from sophomore guard JJ Walsh as the Patriots rallied in the second half to get by Dallas, 66-59. PA has played a challenging non-league schedule and they are should definitely be in the mix for division honors. Meanwhile, the Mountaineers, who are still making the transition from football season, got 28 points from Jack Farrell in the loss. He added 17 points while Austin Finarelli contributed 19 points as Dallas defeated Old Forge last Monday, 69-50 in a non-league tilt. Another team that started their conference play with a bang was Hazleton Area. The Cougars got 9 players into the scorebook led by Angel Cruz (13 points) and Scotty Campbell (12 points). HA has a great blend of tight defense, crisp ball movement, and timely shooting. They cruised to a 72-26 victory over Nanticoke Area. Elsewhere, Wilkes-Barre Area is another squad which should not be overlooked. Their current overall mark (4-5) is very deceiving as the Wolfpack has been playing very well recently. WBA pulled away in the second half, getting 18 points (plus 14 caroms) from Cole Walker and 16 points from Blake Masker in a 63-33 win over Wyoming Valley West (who got 12 points from Justin Simpson). The ‘Pack also notched a 64-46 win over Williamsport last week as Masker (20 points), Walker (17 points), and Brandon Hall (15 points) led the way. The Millionaires got 18 points from Nassir Jones and 12 from Ahmir Ellzy. In another non-league game, Nanticoke’s rally fell just short in a 64-61 loss to West Scranton. The Trojans got 19 points from Jake Krupinski and 11 from Sincere Shiloh.
COMING UP
There are several must-see games coming up this week. On Tuesday, Dallas entertains Crestwood. The Comets would love to keep their momentum going while the Mounts do not want to start off division play with consecutive losses. Another Tuesday game of interest will be in Nanticoke as the Trojans look to turn things around against Wilkes-Barre Area. On Thursday, the Wolfpack will host Pittston Area in what should be a marquee matchup. Also Thursday, Crestwood hosts Nanticoke Area and Hazleton Area visits Wyoming Valley West. Glancing into next weekend, there are several outstanding tilts on Saturday as Pittston Area hosts Hazleton Area and Dallas visits Wilkes-Barre Area. Crestwood is currently listing a Saturday home game against Central Bucks West (11-5, from District 1) – the status of that game being played is being confirmed.
DIVISION 2
Wyoming Seminary (1-0, 7-2) 3A
Holy Redeemer (1-0, 4-4) 3A
Hanover Area (1-0, 3-6) 4A
Lake-Lehman (1-0, 2-7) 3A
Tunkhannock (0-1, 6-3) 4A
Northwest Area (0-1, 3-4) 2A
Wyoming Area (0-1, 3-6) 4A
MMI Prep (0-1, 1-4) 1A
LOOKING BACK
In Division 2, Wyoming Seminary used a 15-5 run in the third stanza to pull away from a solid Tunkhannock squad and defeat the Tigers, 51-37. The Blue Knights were led by Ethan Meuser (13 points), Jeremy Callahan (12 points), and Todd Phillips (11 points). Tunk, who only trailed by 6 points at the break, got a dozen points from Ryan Harder. Last week, Sem also logged a non-league 60-41 victory over McLean (Md) as they placed 4 players into doubles (Meuser 17, Callahan 13, Aidan Murphy 11, and Phillips 10). Holy Redeemer kept pace, also coming away with an impressive non-league win. The Royals dominated the first and third periods (44-20) as they defeated Wyoming Area 67-43. HR got an incredible 1-2 scoring punch from sophomore Justice Shoats (26 points) and Mason Mendygral (20 points, including 6 triples). The Warriors got 17 points from Sammy Solomon. Holy Redeemer then came away with an eye-catching 53-48 Saturday afternoon win over the defending PIAA 1A State Champion, Sankofa Freedom Academy. The Royals got 15 points from Matt Prociak while Jared Piontkowski added 11 rebounds and 4 blocks. Hanover Area got 15 points from Asad Whitehead and 13 points from Khairi Carson as the Hawks defeated Northwest Area 55-30. The Rangers got 10 points each from Walker Yaple and Matt Saxe. Lake-Lehman got their first two wins of the season, a 57-24 division win over MMI Prep and a 69-37 non-league victory over Montrose. Max Paczewski (24 points with 6 triples) and Sean Hanks (11 points) keyed their win over the Preppers (who got 13 points from freshman Drew Sechler). The Black Knights then got 19 points (with 4 treys) from both Paczewski and Jesse Dougherty plus 13 points from Josh Kane in their win over Montrose. Elsewhere, in an exciting non-league game from last week, Wyoming Area staged a big comeback (trailed 30-16 at halftime) to defeat Forest City 53-50. The Warriors got 17 points from Jesse Mikoliczyk, 15 from Solomon, and 13 from Kane. On Saturday, Walker Yaple led Northwest Area with 13 points as the Rangers defeated Roberto Clemente Charter, 43-25.
COMING UP
On Tuesday, Hanover Area travels to play Holy Redeemer in a key game. On Thursday, the Royals visit Northwest Area while Tunkhannock hosts Wyoming Area. Saturday features a pair of interesting road trips as Holy Redeemer heads to play Tunkhannock and Wyoming Seminary visits Hanover Area.
LACKAWANNA LEAGUE
DIVISION 1
Scranton Prep (1-0, 7-2) 4A
Scranton (1-0, 6-3) 6A
West Scranton (0-1, 8-2) 5A
Valley View (0-1, 7-3) 4A
Abington Heights (0-1, 5-5) 5A
LOOKING BACK
In Division 1, Scranton displayed an outstanding blend of defense, rebounding, and shooting Friday night as the Knights ended the 23-game league winning by Abington Heights. Kevin Lazdowsky put together an all-around superb effort (20 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals) while Jason Shields added 17 and AJ Dinterman 10 points for the 56-43 victory. Scranton showed patience and maturity in handling an 8-0 run by the Comets with their own offensive response to put the game back into double digits. AH was led by Corey Perkins with 12 points. The Comets evened their overall record at 5-5 with a 38-29 non-league win over Berks Catholic the next afternoon as they got 10 each from Kyle Nealon and Jacob Anderson plus 9 points from Harry Johnson. Scranton Prep pulled away in the second half for secure a crossover win over Honesdale, 64-40, as they were led by Gavin Bednarz (15 points) and Rhys Merritt (12 points). In crossover action, West Scranton and Valley View came up short to very good Division 2 squads. Cayden Merrifield netted 24 points and Nick Forsette added 11 as the Invaders dropped a 72-49 loss to North Pocono. Valley View led 12-8 after the first period and got 15 points from Connor Kelley, but the Cougars dropped a 58-41 loss to Western Wayne. In an exciting non-league matchup from last week, West held off a second half rally by Nanticoke Area for a 64-61 win over the Trojans as they placed four into double digit scoring (Merrifield 19, Londall Wright 16, Brandon Barnes 14, and Lewin Fernandez 11).
COMING UP
With Division 2 crossover games promising to be highly competitive this season, there are going to be lots of tough choices for fans. What game to go see??? This week does not disappoint. Tuesday features the City Battle as Scranton and West Side get together. The game will be played at the historic Lackawanna College gym. There are also a pair of terrific crossover games as Abington Heights hosts undefeated Wallenpaupack and Scranton Prep travels to North Pocono. On Friday, West Scranton visits Abington Heights while Scranton Prep entertains Scranton. In another interesting crossover tilt, Valley View hosts North Pocono.
DIVISION 2
Wallenpaupack (1-0, 9-0) 5A
Western Wayne (1-0, 6-3) 4A
North Pocono (1-0, 6-4) 5A
Honesdale (1-1, 6-4) 5A
Delaware Valley (0-2, 3-6) 6A
LOOKING BACK
While many observers have noted that Wallenpaupack may be the most talented team in all of District 2, there is no denying that the competition among Division 2 teams is going to make for some interesting hoops. The undefeated Buckhorns rolled to a 60-17 win in their league opened over Delaware Valley. ‘Paupack was led by Elijah Rosenthal with 17 points and Gabe Springer with 15. Western Wayne and North Pocono kept pace with big crossover victories. Ryan Ruddy led the way with 20 points while Kollin Leschinsky and Billy Pabst combined for 24 points as the Trojans topped West Scranton 72-49. Western Wayne pulled away in the second half to secure a 58-41 win over Valley View as Zach Rovinsky paced the Wildcats with 21 points. They also got 17 points from Thomas Chernasky and 11 points from Matt Henneforth. Honesdale dropped to 1-1 after a 64-40 crossover loss to Scranton Prep. The Hornets got 16 points from Chris Cespedes and 14 points from Jimmy Rodda. Honesdale began league play back on December 21 with a matchup against Delaware Valley played at the Barclays Center following a Brooklyn Nets NBA game. Cespedes netted 18 points that day in a 38-35 win over the Warriors (who got a dozen points from Jackson Shafer). And in a non-league game last week, Honesdale got a 62-50 win over Riverside as they placed 4 into doubles (Cespedes 17, Joey Scarfalloto 15, Luke Bancroft 12, and Robbie Campen 11).
COMING UP
On Tuesday, there are three crossover matchups worth noting – Wallenpaupack visits Abington Heights, North Pocono hosts Scranton Prep, and Honesdale entertains Valley View. On Friday, North Pocono travels to Valley View for a crossover tilt while Wallenpaupack entertains Western Wayne. In non-league action, Honesdale hosts East Stroudsburg South on Saturday.
DIVISION 3
Lakeland (1-0, 7-2) 3A 0-0 crossover
Riverside (1-0, 5-4) 3A 0-0 crossover
Dunmore (1-0, 4-5) 3A 0-0 crossover
Holy Cross (0-0, 8-1) 2A 1-0 crossover
Old Forge (0-1, 4-4) 2A 0-0 crossover
Mid Valley (0-1, 4-5) 3A 0-0 crossover
Carbondale (0-1, 3-6) 3A 0-0 crossover
LOOKING BACK
In Division 3, Lakeland, Riverside, and Dunmore all logged their first wins in league play. Lakeland rallied for a 40-37 win over Mid Valley as the Chiefs got 16 points from Caleb Vigil. Tyler O’Connor netted 21 points for the Spartans who led after three periods, 28-26. Dunmore jumped out to an early lead and defeated Old Forge as Thomas Dougherty scored 25 points for the Bucks. The Blue Devils got 11 each from Michael DiGregorio and Mario Samony. Riverside got 18 points from Michael Rickert and 17 from Brando Reed as the Vikes got by Carbondale 70-36. Ray Ofner hit 13 points for the Chargers. In a crossover matchup, Holy Cross controlled the first and third periods (35-11) and got 15 points from Leahy O’Connor in a 52-23 victory over Susquehanna Community. In a non-league game from last week, Riverside placed four players into doubles (Reed 15, Michael Antoniacci 13, Rickert 10, and Todd Monahan 10) in a 62-50 loss to Honesdale. Also last week, Sean Donovan and Mario Samony teamed up for 24 points for Old Forge in a 69-50 loss to Dallas.
COMING UP
On Tuesday, the schedule is highlighted by Mid Valley hosting Riverside and Holy Cross entertaining Old Forge. Wednesday has an interesting crossover matchup as Elk Lake visits Lakeland. And Friday features Holy Cross visiting Lakeland and Mid Valley traveling to Dunmore.
DIVISION 4
Lackawanna Trail (1-0, 5-4) 2A 0-0 crossover
Mountain View (1-0, 2-6) 2A 0-0 crossover
Forest City (1-0, 2-5) 2A 0-0 crossover
Susquehanna (0-0, 1-8) 2A 0-1 crossover
Elk Lake (0-1, 4-4) 2A 0-0 crossover
Blue Ridge (0-1, 1-6) 2A 0-0 crossover
Montrose (0-1, 0-9) 3A 0-0 crossover
LOOKING BACK
In what might have been an early showdown among Division 4 favorites, Lackawanna Trail came out on top of Elk Lake 59-57 in a thrilling matchup which swung back and forth. After holding 12-point leads at the close of the first and third quarters, the Lions needed a triple at the buzzer by Nico Berrios (21 points) to get the pulsating victory. LT also got 19 points from Josh Rzucidlo and 10 from Richard Helbing. The Warriors got 23 points from Brant Marshal, 19 from Matt Lowry, and 10 from Trevor Graham. Forest City placed three players into doubles (Jay Lipko 15, Justin D’Antonio 15, and Cade Hartman 10) in a 65-50 win over Montrose. The Meteors got 15 points each from Brad Teetsel and Connor Watkins. Mountain View controlled the first and third periods (29-11) and went on to a 52-35 win over Blue ridge. The Eagles got 17 points from Mike Fanelli plus 14 each from Jalique Gillyard and Ryan Henke.
COMING UP
On Tuesday, Lackawanna Trail hosts Mountain View. Wednesday Elk Lake travels to Lakeland for an interesting crossover matchup. On Friday, Forest City entertains Lackawanna Trail in a key game. Saturday has a non-league game as Elk Lake visits Towanda.
Enjoy the games !!!
See you in the bleachers !!!
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