UPDATED 1/2/08

 

Welcome back to the Northeast Beat.  As the calendar changes over to a new year, there is ample opportunity for a fresh start, a chance to establish new goals or redefine existing ones.  Each year coaches have the challenge of developing consistency through a chaotic December filled with non-league matchups and holiday tournaments and then trying to bridge that momentum into league play.  Even though the season is approaching the halfway point, there remains a great deal of optimism, but uncertainty lingers in many locker rooms.  Only two district teams remain undefeated, Wyoming Seminary (8-0) on the boys side and Abington Heights (10-0) on the girls.  Abington takes on national powerhouse Christ the King (NY) at home this Saturday afternoon.         

 

This post-holiday edition of the Beat is filled with recaps from District 2 non-league action, the start of league play in the Wyoming Valley Conference and Lackawanna League, plus all of the holiday tournaments.  And I do mean all, as in 17 boys tourneys and 14 girls events involving virtually every District 2 team.         

 

 

 

THIS WEEK’S DISTRICT 2 BOYS TOP 10

1.  Crestwood (9-2) 3A

2.  Williamsport (8-3) 4A

3.  Hazleton Area (7-3) 4A

4.  Holy Redeemer (8-3) 3A

5.  Wyoming Seminary (8-0) 2A

6.  Holy Cross (8-2) 2A

7.  Valley View (10-1) 3A

8.  Abington Heights (7-3)

9.  Scranton Prep (6-3) 3A

10. Nanticoke (6-4) 3A

 

OTHERS TO WATCH

Dallas (6-3), Delaware Valley (5-5), Dunmore (5-5), Elk Lake (7-2), Forest City (6-4), Mountain View (8-3), Old Forge (8-3), Pittston (5-6), Susquehanna (8-2), Wilkes-Barre Coughlin (7-4), Wilkes-Barre GAR (7-4)  

 

 

 

THIS WEEK’S DISTRICT 2 TOP BOYS GAMES

 

WEDNESDAY, 1/3

Abington Heights at Pocono Mountain East

 

THURSDAY, 1/4

Williamsport at Hollidaysburg

 

FRIDAY, 1/5

Berwick at Hazleton (WVC Division 1)

Pittston at Wilkes-Barre Coughlin (WVC Division 1)

Dallas at Nanticoke (WVC Division 2)

Wilkes-Barre GAR at Holy Redeemer (WVC Division 2)

MMI Prep at Wyoming Seminary (WVC Division 3)

Abington Heights at Wallenpaupack (LL Division 1)

Old Forge at Valley View (LL Division 2)

Mountain View at Susquehanna (LL Division 3)

Elk Lake at Blue Ridge (LL Division 3)

Lackawanna Trail at Carbondale (LL Division 3)

 

SATURDAY, 1/6

Berwick at Pittston (WVC Division 1)

Hazleton Area at Altoona

Keystone Oaks at Williamsport

 

TUESDAY, 1/8

Crestwood at Berwick (WVC Division 1)

Wilkes-Barre Coughlin at Wyoming Valley West (WVC Division 1)

Hazleton Area at Pittston (WVC Division 1)

West Scranton at Abington Heights (LL Division 1)

Valley View at Riverside (LL Division 2)

Elk Lake at Forest City (LL Division 3)

Blue Ridge at Lackawanna Trail (LL Division 3)

 

 

 

SCRANTON AREA BOYS HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT RECAPS

In the tournament which many pen as being the grand-daddy of all local holiday events, the 57^th Lynett Memorial took place at Scranton high school.  In one semi-final, newly formed Holy Cross (a combination of former Bishop O’Hara and Bishop Hannan schools) broke open a close halftime game (25-20 Crusader lead) to defeat Scranton 62-51 as Mark Bevaqua scored 15 and Nico Fricchione netted 13.  In the other semi-final, Scranton Prep used some great defense and a 14-2 run to stretch a 32-26 lead out to 18 points on their way to a convincing victory over Dunmore (60-41).  For the Cavaliers, Chris Dende had 20 and Mark FitzPatrick had 16 points and 12 rebounds.  In the championship matchup, the Cavs showed how they continue to learn and buy into Joe Ferguson’s philosophy to play in-control offense and relentless defense.  Holy Cross seemed to be comfortably in control at halftime (leading 32-21) until an untimely early 3^rd period technical foul on Holy Cross triggered a 16-4 Prep run to take a 40-36 lead.  The Crusaders were held scoreless for nearly 4 minutes of the period as the Prep defense took command of the temp (Nico Fricchione remained on the bench for nearly 7 minutes of the period).  Chris Dende scored 17 points in the victory that marked the 16^th Lynett championship for Scranton Prep.  Dunmore bounced back to defeat Scranton 60-49 in the consolation as Dennis Dempsey scored 15.  In the loss the Knights scored 9 treys (Fabby Desir 11 points, Bilal Floya 20).  

 

Forest City hosted the 35^th Rotary Tourney.  The Foresters rolled over St. Rose Academy 52-17 while Mountain View rallied from a 7-point halftime deficit to edged Western Wayne in the other semi-final, 57-52 (Patrick Lambert had 25 for Mt. View).  In the championship, the Eagles put an effective double-team in place against Forest City big man Jesse Walsh (who still scored 25 points) and then benefited from some poor long-range shooting from Forest City (3 of 16 treys) to win their 4^th straight title, 60-46.  Mountain View got 17 from Dave Corbin and 20 from Alex Paschuck in the win.  Western Wayne rolled over St. Rose in the consolation, 69-31 as Mark Ohman scored 21 of the Phoenix points.

 

In Carbondale, the 36^th Pete Turonis Tourney saw red-hot Valley View take a 21-5 first quarter lead over Mid Valley and go on for a 64-37 win (Scott Fenton had 13).  Lakeland got 19 from Dylan Cerra to take a quick lead on Carbondale and win the other semi, 49-45.  In the championship, Valley View gained their 9^th straight victory as Dave Abdalla scored 22 in their 58-40 win over Lakeland.  Carbondale outscored Mid Valley 18-6 in the final period to break open a close game and defeat Mid Valley in the consolation matchup.

 

In North Pocono, the 38^th James Akens Tourney hosted another group of solid teams this year.  In the semis, North Pocono had a big 3^rd quarter (25-13 advantage) to defeat Lackawanna Trail, 64-59.  Eric Steinmetz had 18 and Joe Bonacci had 17 for the Trojans.  Chris Sunseri scored 21 for Trail.  In the other matchup, highly regarded Pocono Mountain East rallied from a 10-point first quarter deficit (17-7) and got 15 from Matt Lepri to nip Mifflinburg, 55-50.  Mifflinburg bounced back in the consolation to slip past Trail 48-45 as Clint Davis had 18 (Sunseri 19 for Lackawanna Trail).  In the championship, North Pocono gave PM-East all they could handle before falling 62-60.  They got another great effort from Eric Steinmetz (13), Joe Bonacci (21) and Mike Bonacci (12).  Kyheim had 21 and Matt Lepri 15 for the winners.  

 

Out in Wayne County, local rivals got together in the 48^th Honesdale Jaycees Tourney.  In one semi, Wallenpaupack rolled over St. Michaels (Tunkhannock) 81-19 as Dustin Morgan netted 14.  Honesdale nailed 16 of 18 free throws and got 25 from Joe Tierney and 13 from Jesse Mellin to defeat Western Wayne 64-57 in the other matchup.  In the championship game, Wallenpaupack got 23 from Tim Silsby as the Buckhorns rallied from a 38-34 deficit to defeat Honesdale, 55-50.  Again, Tierney (14) and Mellin (16) had fine efforts for the Hornets.  Western Wayne got 17 from Mitch Vitovsky to defeat St. Michaels, 74-35 in the consolation.

 

At Delaware Valley, the Warriors hosted the 31^st Rotary Tourney.  Delaware Valley had a halftime lead, but fell to Kittatinny in the semifinals, 58-55 (Ryan Murphy had 16).  They then rebounded to edge Port Jervis in the consolation, 60-57 as Murphy netted 29 points (Marcus Burbridge had 23 for Port Jervis).  East Stroudsburg North, behind MVP Terrence King defeated both Port Jervis (61-53) and Kittatinny to win the championship (68-60). 

 

Riverside hosted the 22^nd Taylor Lions Tourney.  The host Vikings rolled over MMI Prep 58-36, holding high-scorer Tyler Breznitsky to only 13 points.  Riverside got 18 from Kevin Sochovka, 13 from Casey Surridge, and 12 from Chris Bergamino in the semi-final win.  West Scranton won the other semi over Tunkhannock, 48-42 as Matt McGloin (16) and Shawn Irving (13) led the Invaders.  The Tigers got 16 from Will Zaleppa and 13 from Eric Atkinson.  West Scranton got another fine effort from McGloin (18) and Irving (12) to win the championship over Riverside, 47-33.  Tunkhannock grabbed the consolation over MMI (58-56) as Will Zaleppa scored 27 while Tyler Breznitsky hit for 34 points (19 in the 3^rd period).

 

The Wyoming Area Holiday Tourney featured some great games and interesting upsets.  In one semi-final, Dallas got a great night from Pat Murray (16) and both Messingers (Henry 12 and Myer 10) to overcome a 21-point effort from Kyle McMyne (5 treys) and edge Old Forge, 48-47 in overtime.  Wyoming Area got a trey at the buzzer from Shane Ostrowski (14) and 18 points from Bernie Edmonds to get by Northwest 50-47 and advance to the title game.  In the championship game, Dallas broke open a 24-24 halftime tie to defeat Wyoming Area 50-38.  The Mountaineers got 15 from Myer Messinger and 13 from Henry Messinger in the win.  Bernie Edmonds had another great game for the Warriors with 18 points in the loss.  In the consolation, Northwest got 15 from Kyle Hillard and pulled off a surprising upset over Old Forge 34-32.

 

In the Susquehanna County Holiday Tourney, Elk Lake advanced with a 73-31 win over Blue Ridge as Jeff Madrak (32) and Payton Baltzley (14) led the way for the Warriors.  Susquehanna got 24 from Kirk Fallon to also move into the title game with a 48-38 win over Montrose.  The Sabers then got 31 points from Fallon (5 treys) to get by Elk Lake 67-62 in the championship, despite the Warriors placing four players in double figures (Lunger 16, Baltzley 11, Madrak 11, and Morahan 10).  Montrose got by Blue Ridge in the consolation, 40-20.       

 

 

 

WILKES-BARRE AREA BOYS HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT RECAPS

In the 26^th Crossin Tourney held at Wyoming Valley West, the host Spartans finally shook off a lackluster performance in the semi-finals to get by Wyalusing 55-45.  WVW only converted 8 of 16 free throws, but got another solid game from Ali Muhammed (15), Ken Kufta (13) and Jack Crossin (13).  Princeton Claremont Academy (Md) won the other semi-final over Lake-Lehman (67-45) as Beloved Rogers scored 25.  In the title game, Rogers had another great game (28 points) to slip past Valley West, 64-61.  For the Spartans, Muhammed (21), Justin Pacovsky (15), and Crossin (13) led the way.  Wyalusing (7-3) got 28 points from Bucky Aeppli to defeat Lake-Lehman in the consolation, 64-51.

 

The 42^nd Robert McGrane Tourney played at the Wilkes-Barre CYC had a great lineup of teams this year.  Holy Redeemer continues to settle into Mark Belenski’s style of zone defense and got by Hanover in one semi-final, 60-39.  Mike Bedrin (14) and Pate Alexis (13) paced the Royals who got an incredible drive and crowd-pleasing one-handed dunk from Owen Wignot (7 points) in the 3^rd quarter.  Hanover got 14 from Rich Colorusso.  Wilkes-Barre GAR (playing without Ryan Womack who was out-of-town) got 17 from Tyseane Whitt to get by Pittston in the other semi-final (44-39) as Matt Zera scored 17 points for Pittston.  In the championship, fellow WVC Division 2 top-contenders GAR and Holy Redeemer met.  Holy Redeemer seemed to have the game in control leading 33-20 at halftime, but shot only 20% in the second half and saw their lead whittled away to a mere bucket (40-38) halfway through the final period.  The Royals regrouped and got a key shot by Pete Alexis (10 points) late in the game to secure a 49-44 win over the Grenadiers (who had 9 team treys, Adam Wayman 15 points, Whitt 12).  Holy Redeemer also got 16 from Greg Sam and 13 from Wignot.  Pittston rebounded in the consolation to win 64-45 over Hanover as Matt Zera (15), Carl Stravinski (15) and Dave Strubeck (22) paced the Patriots.  Hanover continues to get strong efforts from Rich Colorusso (15 points).

 

At the Holiday Tournament played at Wilkes-Barre Meyers, Abington Heights got 20 points from Spencer Liddic and got by a much-improved Nanticoke team 42-37 in one semi-final.  Sean Bieski scored 14 for Nanticoke who were tied with the Comets 28-28 at halftime.  In the other semi, Meyers continues to give Wilkes-Barre Coughlin fits and edged the Crusaders for the second time this season 36-32.  The Mohawks got 16 from Mark Dorzinsky and rallied from a 6-point deficit (27-21) after three quarters for the win.  In the championship game, Abington Heights held Meyers scoreless in the second period to win easily, 64-29 as Liddic scored 22.  Coughlin got 14 from Jared Berry and rallied from a halftime deficit (20-15) to beat Nanticoke in the consolation 38-36 (Josh Niewinski 13 and Sean Bieski 10 for the Trojans in the loss).     

 

In the Munley Tournament played at Crestwood, the host Comets got 18 from Adam Fazzini to defeat Lehigh Christian in one semi-final 66-46.  Mountain View, the only District 2 competing in two holiday tourneys, got 26 from Pat Lambert and 16 from Alex Paschuck to roll over Northwest in the other semi-final, 54-31.  In the championship game, Crestwood took a commanding 22-6 lead after one quarter and rolled over Mt. View 58-28.  Adam Fazzini (18), Evan Guignet (13), and Kyle Bogumil (11) paced the top-rated Comets.  Northwest got 20 from Kyle Hillard and defeated Lehigh Christian in the consolation, 59-47.    

 

At the Cougar Holiday Classic played in Hazleton, the host Cougars got 23 from Ethan Eicchorst and 19 from JJ Gundry (one of the premier player combinations in District 2) to finally shake off a determined effort from Pleasant Valley, 60-38.  The game was much closer than the final score indicates.  Pleasant Valley only trailed 32-27 mid-way through the 3^rd period, but they were seriously hurt by the injury loss of last year’s leading scorer Eddie Ortiz.  In the other semi-final, Abington trailed 38-37, but rallied for a win over Harley Allendale Columbia (NY), 53-47 as Lorenzo McDuffie scored 15 for the Ghosts.  In the championship matchup, Hazleton battled back after trailing much of the game (down 31-28 halftime and 46-44 end third).  The Cougars pulled out a 62-54 win over Abington (3-10) by continuing to play better defense and using their height advantages for stronger rebounding.  JJ Gundry had another great game scoring 24 to go with 14 from Dan Maguscak and 11 from Ethan Eicchorst.  Harley Allendale (5-3) got 17 from Anthony Simmons and converted 8 of 9 final period free throws to win the consolation over Pleasant Valley (1-9) 45-40.

 

Berwick hosted the River Tourney that was captured by a talented Shikellamy team.  The Braves (8-2) defeated Warrior Run (64-53) and Selinsgrove 60-46 to win the championship.  Berwick split their games, dropping a semi-final overtime loss to Selinsgrove 57-53.  The Dawgs only hit 13 of their 27 free throws and got 14 points each from Keith Whitenight and Phil Dellegrotti (Weston Hoffman had 19 for the Seals).  Berwick then won the consolation game with a 64-35 win over Warrior Run as Mike Pyles (14), Keith Whitenight (13), and Adam Dalo (13) led the way for the Bulldogs.  

 

West Side Tech won the Thomas Feeney Memorial tournament with wins over St. Rose Academy (61-23) and Columbia Montour Vo-Tech (55-42).  Eric Tomcho (12) and Matt Eck (16) led the way over the Phoenix while Tomcho netted 27 in their win over CMVT.  In the consolation, Triboro Christian got 26 from Dave Long to defeat St. Rose who got 21 from Dave Ohman (49-44).

 

 

 

WILLIAMSPORT 8-GAME WIN STREAK ENDS IN HOLIDAY CLASSIC

Out in Billtown, Williamsport annually hosts a terrific Holiday Classic lineup and this year was no different.  In the first semi-final, Paterson Catholic (NJ) took on undefeated Pittsburgh Central Catholic.  Pitt CC led at halftime 48-40 but had some trouble as the more athletic Cougars and eventually caught up to them in the second half.  The Vikings Matt McKenna (12 first quarter points) went down with a first half leg injury and missed the rest of the game.  Paterson Catholic pulled out the 81-79 win as Lance Brown (28) and Fuquan Edwin (18) led the way for the Cougars.  Lucas Mickens who scored 29 points paced Pitt CC.  In the other semi-final matchup, Williamsport didn’t panic when Jadiah Lynch got into serious first half foul trouble or when Council Rock South grabbed a 7-point halftime lead (29-22).  Port rallied to knot the game at 29 and used their exceptional defense to get their transition game rolling toward a 69-55 victory.  The Millionaires got great offensive balance with two players gaining double-doubles (Dontahe Jordan 13 points, 15 rebounds and Thomas James 12 points, 10 caroms) along with Sean Ruane (17) and Jadiah Lynch (16).  In the championship game, the Cherry and White fell behind quickly (down 43-24 at the half) but used some superb outside shooting to trim the gap to 6 points (68-62) before falling to Paterson Catholic 75-62.  The loss snapped an 8-game win streak for Port.  Williamsport (8-3) great efforts from Isaiah Twine (18), Jadiah Lynch (16), Sean Ruane (12), and Dontahe Jordan (12) while Paterson (5-1) was led by Lance Brown (21) and Fuguan Edwin (20).  In the consolation game, Pittsburgh Central Catholic rolled over Council Rock South, 63-45.

 

The Millionaires also grabbed three impressive other wins before their holiday tourney.  First they defeated Scranton Prep 59-43.  Next, they got by defending AA state champion Prep Charter at home 76-63.  The Huskies could not contain Jadiah Lynch who scored an impressive 29 points with an assortment of defense breaking moves.  Prep Charter did make the trip without a few key players, but did get 25 from Ferguson Myrick and 14 from Parrish Grant.  Port also got another great game from Sean Ruan with 18 points.  Finally, the Cherry and White headed to play Notre Dame East Stroudsburg and came away with a 52-45 win.  The game was close all the way (15 lead changes).  Williamsport had four players in double figures (Twine 12, Lynch 10, Ruane 12, Jordan 14).  Williamsport gets back into action this week as they head out to play Hollidaysburg Thursday before hosting Keystone Oaks Saturday.          

 

 

 

WVC BOYS NON-LEAGUE ACTION AND IN-THE-CLUTCH CAGERS

Let’s review some terrific pre-holiday exhibition games involving Wyoming Valley Conference teams.  Hazleton got 20 points from JJ Gundry and pulled away from Holy Redeemer 50-32.  The Cougars also defeated Hanover 59-33 as Gundry scored 23 and Ethan Eicchorst netted 14.  Wyoming Valley West dropped a pair of games to the Pocono Mountain schools.  First they lost to PM-West 63-49 as Jon Mangual scored 22.  Then, PM-East placed four players in double figures and hit 8 treys in their 77-66 win over WVW.  Despite the two losses, Valley West’s Justin Pacovsky played very well scoring a combined 35 points in the two games.  Adam Fazzino scored 24 points as Crestwood defeated Hanover, 53-40.  Pittston got by an improving Meyers squad, 52-46.  The Meyers Mohawks got 21 from Frank Triniewski in their 52-45 victory over Northwest.  Another vastly improved team is Nanticoke.  The Trojans got 20 points from Sean Bieski and played very well against a good Elk Lake team in their 65-56 win over the Warriors.  They also got 17 from Joe Fetterman in a 54-42 win over Northwest.  Finally, Nanticoke played tough against highly regarded Wyoming Seminary but dropped a 49-43 decision.  Speaking of the Blue Knights, they really caught some added attention with their 44-29 win over Wilkes-Barre GAR as Matt Swaback scored 15 and Mike Alvardo had 12.  Wyoming Area got 23 from Bernie Edmonds in their 53-28 win over Berwick.  Dallas got 18 from Pat Murray and rolled over rival Lake-Lehman, 79-45.  Holy Redeemer traveled to take on Reading Central Catholic.  The Royals got 17 from Owen Wignot and 10 from Pete Alexis to win 47-43.  Tyler Breznitsky (MMI Prep) continues his red-hot scoring pace, hitting 35 in a loss to Shenandoah Valley (70-63), 21 in a win over Panther Valley (58-45), and 35 in a win over Bloomsburg (82-65).                                

 

 

 

WYOMING VALLEY BOYS CONFERENCE PLAY NOW UNDERWAY

League play in the Wyoming Valley Conference was light with only a handful of games in Divisions 1 and 2.  Division 3 begins play this week. 

 

In Division 1, Crestwood was expected to get a real battle from Wilkes-Barre Coughlin, but the Comets won the game comfortably, 51-35 as Adam Fazzini scored 25.  Jim Lavan had 15 for the Crusaders.  Hazleton made their longest division roadtrip to Tunkhannock and placed three players in double figures (Gundry 18, Calarco 14, Eicchorst 12) in their win over the Tigers 61-37.  The one bright spot for Tunkhannock was their 7 treys in the game.  This week Berwick travels to Hazleton.  Despite their sub-500 record, the Bulldogs always play Hazleton very closely.  Pittston travels to Coughlin in what appears to be a must win for the Crusaders after their loss to Crestwood.  Next Tuesday, the Division favorites face difficult road tests as Hazleton travels to Pittston and Crestwood goes to Berwick.  Hazleton also has a roadtrip this Saturday to take on Altoona, a team that dominated them in every phase of the game in last year’s matchup at the East Pennsboro shootout.  

 

In Division 2, Meyers placed three players in doubles (Frank Trinisewski 15, Nighee Brown 14, Mike Burns 13) in their impressive 4^th quarter rally over Dallas, 47-45.  Dallas held a 38-28 lead after three periods and got 24 points from Myer Messinger in the surprising loss.  Nanticoke for 19 from Josh Niewinski and 12 from Joe Fetterman in their impressive 51-35 win over GAR.  Hanover rolled over Wyoming Area 55-37 as Rob Kokinda netted 18 and Matt Mario had 17 (Bernie Edmonds had 24 for the Warriors).  This week a pair of great games highlight the Friday schedule.  Dallas travels to Nanticoke and Holy Redeemer hosts GAR (in a rematch of the McGrane tourney title game won by the Royals last week).  Both coaches openly expressed displeasure with having to play each other again so soon, but realize that there isn’t much they can do about the situation. 

 

Division 3 tips off with MMI Prep going to Wyoming Seminary to highlight Friday’s schedule.  Seminary has not played for almost two weeks as the school maintains the tradition of allowing students to return home for an extended holiday break.                        

 

 

 

LL BOYS NON-LEAGUE ACTION AND IN-THE-CLUTCH CAGERS

League play began in the Lackawanna League with little room for exhibition games, but there were a few noteworthy performances.  Scranton Prep took on Williamsport at Marywood University, but dropped a 59-43 loss to the Millionaires.  The Cavaliers got 17 from Chris Dende and 10 from Matt FitzPatrick in the loss.  Port had three players in double figures, Jadiah Lynch (18), Dontahe Jordan (16), and Isaiah Twine (15).  Dunmore got 18 from Pat Ross and 15 from Mike Ehnot to get past Forest City (Jess Walsh 25) by a score of 60-54.  Lackawanna Trail got 21 from both Jordan Schneider and Christian Sunseri to defeat West Side Tech 74-59.     

 

 

 

LACKAWANNA LEAGUE FIRST HALF BOYS ACTION CONTINUES

In Division 1, preseason picks Abington Heights and Scranton Prep are both 2-0 in first half play.  The Comets defeated Delaware Valley 57-41 getting 20 points and 8 rebounds from Spencer Liddic.  The game was expected to be a lot closer, but some early inside foul trouble for DV opened the door for Liddic.  He had another terrific game (26 points, 17 rebounds) in their 61-39 win over North Pocono.  Joe Bonacci had 19 for the Trojans.  Scranton Prep got 17 from Billy Joyce in their 51-39 win over West Scranton.  The Cavaliers also got by Wallenpaupack 58-43 was Chris Dende got 15 and Matt FitzPatrick 13.  For the Buckhorns Mike Keane scored 15 and Tom Silsby 14.  Elsewhere Paupack defeated North Pocono 51-39, Delaware Valley bounced back with a 63-46 win over Scranton, and West Scranton got by Honesdale 58-50.  This week, Abington Heights has an interesting non-league game at Pocono Mountain East Wednesday before heading to Paupack Friday.  The Comets host West Scranton next Tuesday in what is always an intense battle in all sports.  Scranton Prep has a pair of manageable home games against Honesdale and Scranton upcoming. 

 

In Division 2, Valley View, Holy Cross, and Old Forge have all bolted out to 2-0 starts.  Valley View got a pair of great games from Kyle Colachino scoring 20 in their win over Mid Valley (58-29) and 21 in a 56-39 win over Western Wayne.  Holy Cross got by crosstown rival Dunmore 56-38 as Nico Fricchione netted 19 for the Crusaders.  Fricchione teamed up with Mark Bevaqua and Robert Weber to each score 13 in their 50-40 win over Riverside.  Old Forge got 24 from Kyle McMyne (4 treys) to defeat Western Wayne, 48-32.  The Blue Devils also got by Lakeland 56-38.  Dunmore, a preseason pick to challenge for the division bounced back from their loss to Holy Cross with a 69-38 win over Mid Valley.  This week Valley View is involved in a pair of critical games.  Thursday they host Old Forge and then travel to Riverside next Tuesday.  The Vikings home gym is one of the toughest places to win and the site of many memorable upsets. 

 

In Division 3, Elk Lake and Mountain View are currently atop the division with 2-0 records.  Elk Lake jumped out to an early lead, survived some shaky free throw shooting, and defeated Lackawanna Trail as Tom Greenwood (24) and Jeff Madrak (20) led the way for the Warriors.  They also got by Carbondale 65-59 as Madrak added another 28 points.  Mountain View pulled off what some may consider an upset, 49-41 over Forest City.  However, the Foresters just have not been playing all that consistently so far this season.  Mt. View also defeated Blue Ridge 47-27 as Alex Paschhuck scored 18.  Susquehanna got by Carbondale despite Lincoln Gabriel scoring 25 for the Chargers.  Then the Sabers got 31 from Brent Brent Keyes, but it only matched the 31 from Jesse Walsh as they lost in triple overtime to Forest City 63-62.  After Walsh fouled out, BJ Zembrzycki hit a pair of key free throws last in the game.  Despite those foul line heroics, the two teams combined to hit a mere 22 of 40 free throws.  Elsewhere, Blue Ridge defeated Montrose 66-54 as Ben Hinckley scored 31 points (12 for 12 from the charity stripe).  Montrose had free throw shooting woes, only converting 14 of 30 attempts.  Lackawanna Trail also defeated Montrose 52-33.  With all the competitive teams in this division, there are multiple interesting matchups each league night.  This week, premier games include Mountain View heading to play Susquehanna Friday night and Elk Lake traveling to play at Forest City next Tuesday.                                       

 

 

 

LLHOOPS NORTHEAST BEAT BOYS PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

JJ Gundry (6-6, senior) Hazleton Area has really begun to be a dominant force in the middle for the Cougars.  JJ scored 20 in a convincing win over Holy Redeemer and 23 against Hanover.  Then, in their holiday hoops tourney, he scored 19 in a semi-final win over Pleasant Valley and 24 in the championship win over Abington.

 

Chris Dende (6-2 senior) Scranton Prep is an important cog in the team-first oriented Cavalier program.  Chris scored 17 in a loss to powerful Williamsport.  Then is the Lynett Memorial tourney, he scored 20 points in their impressive semi-final win over Dunmore and added 17 more in their come-from-behind championship win over Holy Cross.    

 

 

 

DISTRICT 2 BOYS BASKETBALL RECORDS

 

WYOMING VALLEY CONFERENCE

 

DIVISION 1 (first half league record, overall season record)

Crestwood (1-0, 9-2)

Hazleton Area (1-0, 7-3)

Pittston (0-0, 5-6)

Berwick (0-0, 4-5)

Wyoming Valley West (0-0, 4-6)

Wilkes-Barre Coughlin (0-1, 7-4)

Tunkhannock (0-1, 4-5)

 

DIVISION 2

Nanticoke (1-0, 6-4)

Wilkes-Barre Meyers (1-0, 5-6)

Hanover (1-0, 1-9)

Holy Redeemer (0-0, 8-3)

Dallas (0-1, 6-3)

Wilkes-Barre GAR (0-1, 7-4)

Wyoming Area (0-1, 4-5)

 

DIVISION 3

Wyoming Seminary (0-0, 8-0)

MMI Prep (0-0, 5-7)

Northwest (0-0, 4-8)

West Side Tech (0-0, 2-5)

St. Michaels (0-0, 0-2)

Lake-Lehman (0-0, 0-10)

 

 

LACKAWANNA LEAGUE

 

DIVISION 1 (first half league record, overall season record)

Abington Heights (2-0, 7-3)

Scranton Prep (2-0, 6-3)

Wallenpaupack (1-1, 6-4)

Delaware Valley (1-1, 5-5)

West Scranton (1-1, 4-7)

Scranton (1-1, 3-8)

Honesdale (0-2, 5-7)

North Pocono (0-2, 4-6)

 

DIVISION 2

Valley View (2-0, 10-1)

Holy Cross (2-0, 8-2)

Old Forge (2-0, 8-3)

Dunmore (1-1, 5-5)

Riverside (1-1, 4-7)

Western Wayne (0-2, 3-9)

Lakeland (0-2, 1-6)

Mid Valley (0-2, 1-11)

 

DIVISION 3

Elk Lake (2-0, 7-2)

Mountain View (2-0, 8-3)

Susquehanna (1-1, 8-2)

Forest City (1-1, 5-4)

Lackawanna Trail (1-1, 6-6)

Blue Ridge (1-1, 3-7)

Montrose (0-2, 3-7)

Carbondale (0-2, 3-8)

 

 

 

 

 

 

GIRLS BASKETBALL     GIRLS BASKETBALL     GIRLS BASKETBALL

 

 

THIS WEEK’S DISTRICT 2 GIRLS TOP 10

1.  Abington Heights (10-0) 4A

2.  Dunmore (11-1) 2A

3.  Holy Redeemer (6-3) 3A

4.  Scranton (9-3) 4A

5.  Pittston (9-3) 3A

6.  Hazleton (6-5) 4A

7.  Dallas (9-2) 3A

8.  Scranton Prep (8-3) 3A

9. Wilkes-Barre Coughlin (8-3) 3A

10. Old Forge (9-1) 1A

 

OTHERS TO WATCH

Carbondale (8-1), Holy Cross (6-4), Lake-Lehman (9-2), Nanticoke (5-6), North Pocono (7-3), Northwest (5-7), Riverside (5-3), Valley View (8-4), Wilkes-Barre GAR (8-3), Wyoming Valley West (4-6)

 

 

 

THIS WEEK’S DISTRICT 2 TOP GIRLS GAMES

 

THURSDAY, 1/3

Hazleton at Berwick (WVC Division 1)

Wilkes-Barre Coughlin at Pittston (WVC Division 1)

Lake-Lehman at Holy Redeemer (WVC Division 2)

Nanticoke at Dallas (WVC Division 2)

Northwest at Wilkes-Barre Meyers (WVC Division 3)

Scranton Prep at Scranton (LL Division 1)

North Pocono at West Scranton (LL Division 1)

Valley View at Old Forge (LL Division 2)

Carbondale at Lackawanna Trail (LL Division 3)

 

FRIDAY, 1/4

Pocono Mountain East at Crestwood

 

SATURDAY, 1/5

Christ the King (NY) at Abington Heights

Holy Cross at Carbondale

Nanticoke at Northwest

 

MONDAY, 1/7

Wyoming Valley West at Wilkes-Barre Coughlin (WVC Division 1)

Pittston at Hazleton (WVC Division 1)

Holy Redeemer at Wilkes-Barre GAR (WVC Division 2)

Dallas at Lake-Lehman (WVC Division 2)

Scranton at North Pocono (LL Division 1)

Abington Heights at West Scranton (LL Division 1)

 Riverside at Valley view (LL Division 2)

Carbondale at Mountain View (LL Division 3)

 

TUESDAY, 1/8

Montrose at Abington Heights

 

WEDNESDAY, 1/8

Berwick at Wyoming Valley West (WVC Division 1)

Crestwood at Pittston (WVC Division 1)

 

 

 

SCRANTON AREA GIRLS HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT RECAPS

In the 5^th annual Lynett Memorial, Abington Heights got some balanced scoring (Becky Burke 20, Kim Kalinoski 11, Liz Kilzi 10) to defeat Montrose 67-22 in one semi-final.  Dunmore took a 15-4 lead after the first period and rolled over Scranton Prep 49-23 in the other semi.  The much awaited showdown between District 2 unbeatens took place in the championship game.  Dunmore struggled, hitting less than 30% and converting only 4 of 14 free throws, in the 41-34 loss to Abington Heights.  The Lady Comets jumped out to a quick 8-0 lead behind a pair of early treys from Becky Burke (25 total points, 10 rebounds, 4 steals, and 11 for 11 from the foul line).  In the consolation game, Scranton Prep got 18 from Sarah Walsh and 13 from Celia Rader in their 60-33 win over Montrose.

 

The 22^nd Taylor Lions Tourney was held at Riverside.  In one semi-final Nanticoke hit 15 of 16 free throws and got 16 from Jen Harnischfeger and 15 from Kelsey Yohey to defeat West Scranton 47-42.  In the other semi, Scranton took a big 15-2 lead after the first period and placed three players in double figures (Liz Borgia 13, Terika Turner 19, Nashira Turner 12 points and 21 rebounds) in their 63-41 win over Riverside.  In the championship, Scranton got 16 from Nashira Turner and defeated Nanticoke 53-34.  In the consolation, Gina Mehall scored 23 for West Scranton but it was not enough as Riverside slipped past the Lady Invaders in overtime, 60-58.

 

At the 17^th Delaware Valley Rotary Tourney, Delaware Valley got by East Stroudsburg North in the semi-finals 42-39 as Christina Marks scored 16 (Monae Baker had 23 for ES-North).  Pennsbury advanced to the title game with a 70-36 win over Port Jervis.  In the championship, Pennsbury took a 14-5 lead after the first period and got 20 from Sarah Thorn in a 62-39 win over the Lady Warriors.  ES-North grabbed the consolation with a 48-22 win over Port Jervis. 

 

At the 22^nd Honesdale Jaycees Tourney, Wallenpaupack advanced with a 66-36 win over Western Wayne as Jessica Bonney and Gina Palazzi each netted 15.  Honesdale also advanced with a 41-25 win over Forest City as Kayla Hartley scored 14 for the Lady Hornets.  In the championship, Wallenpaupack got 14 from Bonney in a 54-28 win over rival Honesdale.  Forest City got their first win of the season with a 33-28 consolation win over Western Wayne.    

 

In the 9^th Joyce Veterans Memorial played at Pittston, Kim Kaville scored 21 to lead Old Forge to a 43-29 semi-final win over Wyoming Area.  Pittston placed 3 players in doubles (Regina Linskey 12, Christen D’Eliseo 11, Lauren Smicherko 10) to advance with a 58-31 win over Wyoming Seminary.  In the championship, Pittston handed Old Forge their first loss of the season (54-30) as Smicherko scored 21 and Linskey scored 17.  Wyoming Seminary got 19 from Brielle Winslow-Majette to defeat Wyoming Area in the consolation 47-45 (Allie Scalzo had 19 for Wyoming Area). 

 

In the 2^nd Lou Camoni Tournament held at Valley View, Carbondale advanced with a 51-39 win over Lakeland (Rosanne Clister scored 15 for the Chargerettes).  Valley View won the other semi-final, 61-18 over Mid Valley and then captured the championship with a 35-27 win over previously undefeated Carbondale.  Valley View rallied from a halftime deficit behind 11 points each from Rebecca Keegan and Sam Pientack.  In the consolation, Lakeland got 19 from Sara Teeple and 14 from Steph Racht to defeat Mid Valley 55-42 (Diane Butash had 17 for Mid Valley).    

 

In the Susquehanna County Tourney, Susquehanna got 26 points from Christy Glidden and advanced with a 55-46 win over Mountain View.  In the other semi-final, Elk Lake pulled off a strong upset over Blue Ridge (63-52) as three players scored in double figures (Karley Caines 16, Jackie Vaow 14, Celia Taylor 11).  In the championship, Elk Lake bounced back from a 13-point deficit after the first period (19-6) to defeat Susquehanna, 57-46.  Karley Caines scored 19 and Celia Taylor 10 for Elk Lake while Christy Gildden (16) and Hannah Price (14) paced Susquehanna.  Blue Ridge won the consolation behind Lauren Findley’s 35 points to defeat Mountain View, 59-52.      

 

At the North Pocono Christmas Tourney, Wyoming Valley West advanced with a 74-31 win over Lackawanna Trail.  Holy Cross edged North Pocono in the other semi 51-46 despite only hitting 11 of 21 free throws.  In the championship, Holy Cross rallied from a 40-32 halftime deficit to defeat Wyoming Valley West, 70-64.  The Lady Crusaders went on a 17-2 third period run to take the lead as they placed four players in double figures (Julie Kosin 19, Amy Volz 14, Kayla Sileo 15, Lauren Rogan 13).  WVW got a huge game from Sami Himlin (23) and Nicole Sharpnick (21).  In the consolation, Katie Cahill scored 19 to lead North Pocono to a 65-34 win over Lackawanna Trail. 

 

 

 

WILKES-BARRE AREA GIRLS HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT RECAPS

In the 36^th Munley Tournament played at Crestwood, Wilkes-Barre Coughlin got 20 from Lauren McGinley to defeat Lake-Lehman 56-34.  Lake-Lehman missed many inside shots in that game.  In the other semi-final, Crestwood got 21 from Carissa Gegaris and 14 from Lindsay Boone to defeat Hanover 60-43 (Christina Flaherty had 16 for Hanover).  In the championship, Coughlin rolled over Crestwood 70-52.  In the consolation, Lake-Lehman got 21 each from Selana Adamshick and Gaby Olshemski to defeat Hanover 75-53.

 

In the Cardinal Classic played at Pine Grove, Dallas got two treys in overtime from Danielle Krawetz (12 points) to defeat previously undefeated Blue Mountain, 67-64.  Erin Delaney scored 24 and Katherine O’Brien added 12 for the Lady Mounts.  Pine Grove defeated Atholton (Md) in the other semi-final 73-69.  In the championship Dallas got 15 from Erin Delaney to defeat Pine Grove 60-51.  No score was reported in the consolation between Blue Mountain and Atholton (Md).

 

Elsewhere, Wilkes-Barre Meyers competed in the Mustang Holiday Tourney held at Middleburg.  Meyers lost in the semi-finals to Midd-West 49-28.  No score was reported on their consolation game against Shikellamy (Selinsgrove remained undefeated with a 48-36 championship win over Midd-West).  Northwest competed in the Benton Tourney.  The Lady Rangers defeated Sullivan County in the semi-finals 35-34, but lost the championship to Benton 40-32.  West Side Tech took part in the Northeast Bradford Tourney.  They dropped the semi-final to Northeast Bradford (72-21) and also the consolation to Elkland (58-40).  Williamsport competed in the Montoursville Tourney.  The Lady Millionaires dropped their 9^th game in a row with a semi-final loss to Loyalsock (79-40) and the consolation to Montgomery (48-42).  Loyalsock remained undefeated with a championship win over Hughesville 54-43.       

 

 

 

WVC GIRLS NON-LEAGUE ACTION AND IN-THE-CLUTCH CAGERS

With league play barely underway there were lots of exhibition games to review.  Pittston committed 38 turnovers but still managed to edge Nanticoke 53-49 behind Regina Linskey (20 points).  Pittston also defeated Wyoming Area 60-37 as Linskey scored 21.  Hazleton got 15 from Jillian Seamon and defeated Dallas 55-45.  Because the Lady Cougars do not compete in a holiday tourney, they played several interesting inter-district matchups.  First they trailed State College by only 8 after three periods (43-35) but ended up losing by 20 (57-37).  Brianna Dudeck led the Lady Cougars with 16 points (State College was paced by Kelsey Guth with 17).  Hazleton next traveled to play a talented Spring Ford team that was 10-1 and returned 4 starters from their District 1 AAAA runner-up team from last year.  Hazleton only hit 9 of 19 free throws and lost 66-64.  More importantly is that they temporarily lost point guard Alyssa Flanagan with a severe gash and Kayla Mantush (back injury) in the game.  The good news was that are discovering that they have a deep, talented lineup that can play well.  Hazleton then met up with Bensalem (7-2).  Despite no Flanagan or Mantush in the game, the Lady Cougars won the matchup 59-49.  Hazleton has an incredibly deceiving 6-5 record and appears to be getting stronger each game despite their injury setbacks.  Coughlin defeated GAR 61-42 and Wyoming Valley West defeated Northwest 78-43 in interesting WVC cross division matchups.  Coughlin also got a key 51-42 win over Delaware Valley.  Holy Redeemer knows how to effectively use their depth, placing 11 players in the scoring column during a 61-45 win over Wyoming Valley West.  The Lady Royals also picked up a big win over previously unbeaten and state-ranked 1A powerhouse Pottsville Nativity BVM, 60-59 in overtime.  Angela Altemose scored 23 points for the Golden Girls.  West Side Tech picked up their first win since 2003 with a 37-35 win over St. Rose Academy.  Paige Venson scored 20 points and became the all-time girls scorer at Wilkes-Barre GAR with a 57-54 overtime win over Meyers (Lydia Naperkowski netted 23 for GAR).  The Lady Grenadiers also defeated Mt. View 58-48 as Venson had a triple-double (26 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists).  Finally, Venson (24) and Naperkowski (20) teamed up to score 44 of their 54 GAR points in a 6-point win over Montrose.  Nanticoke defeated Meyers 60-40.  Wyoming Area got by Northwest 38-35.  Lake-Lehman picked a pair of wins, 61-16 over MMI Prep (Adamshick 19) and 67-50 over Elk Lake (Olshenski 30 and Adamshick 18).  Spring Ford rolled over Berwick 63-26, but the Lady Dawgs rebounded to get by Nanticoke, 37-30.  Dallas edged Crestwood 50-42.                         

 

 

 

WYOMING VALLEY CONFERENCE GIRLS PLAY NOW UNDERWAY

Only Division 1 began league play so far.  Pittston got 19 points from sophomore forward Lauren Smicherko and 16 from senior center Regina Linskey to defeat Berwick 59-50.  Coughlin (Lauren Taylor 21, Lauren McGinley 19) defeated Crestwood 60-54 (Alyssa Hartranft had 23 for the Lady Comets).  Hazleton also rolled over Tunkhannock 69-32.  This week there are some great matchups.  In Division 1, Hazleton plays at Berwick Wednesday along with Coughlin traveling to Pittston.  On Monday, Hazleton hosts Pittston in a key matchup.  In Division 2, Lake-Lehman plays at Holy Redeemer and Nanticoke goes to Dallas Wednesday.  On Monday Holy Redeemer heads to GAR.  In Division 3, Northwest plays at Meyers Wednesday night.  

 

 

 

LL GIRLS NON-LEAGUE ACTION AND IN-THE-CLUTCH CAGERS

Abington Heights got two players with double-doubles (Becky Burke 23 points, 10 rebounds and Jamie Halloran 11 points, 12 rebounds) to edge a very good East Stroudsburg South team 55-47 (Kelsey Gallagher had 16 for ES-South). 

 

 

 

LACKAWANNA LEAGUE FIRST HALF GIRLS ACTION CONTINUES

In Division 1, Abington Heights remained undefeated with wins over Delaware Valley (Beck Burke 25) and North Pocono (Burke 31).  Scranton and Scranton Prep also kept pace.  Scranton got by Honesdale 52-18 and Delaware Valley (Nashira Turner 27 points) 63-21.  Prep got by West Scranton as Sarah Walsh scored 22 for the Classics.  Prep also defeated Wallenpaupack 36-20.  This week Scranton hosts Scranton Prep on Wednesday and travels to North Pocono Monday.  Abington Heights has a terrific exhibition game this Saturday at home against perennial national powerhouse Christ the King (NY).  Get to that one early if you want to get inside the gym.      

 

In Division 2, there is a 4-way tie at the top.  Dunmore got by Holy Cross 46-28 and Mid Valley 53-12.  Old Forge rolled over Western Wayne (Kim Kaville 21) and edged Lakeland 47-43.  Riverside got 16 from Holly Morgan, 15 from Angela Dente, and 19 from Nicole Borowsky in a 62-45 win over Lakeland.  The Lady Vikes also defeated Holy Cross 53-44 (Dente 16).  Valley View defeated Mid Valley 65-45 and Western Wayne 45-28.  This week Valley View plays at Old Forge Wednesday and hosts Riverside on Monday.

 

In Division 3, Carbondale and Montrose at both at 2-0.  Carbondale got by Susquehanna 54-27 (Rosanne Clister 18 and Cassie Cantanzaro 15) and Elk Lake 66-39.  Montrose defeated Blue Ridge 40-26 and Lackawanna Trail 48-25.  Several teams remain 1 game back.  Blue Ridge defeated Mountain View 46-28.  This week, Carbondale travels to Mountain View on Monday.       

 

 

 

LLHOOPS NORTHEAST BEAT GIRLS PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Erin Delaney (senior) Dallas guided her Lady Mountaineer team to a championship in the Cardinal Classic held in Pine Grove.  Erin scored 24 in their upset overtime win over previously undefeated Blue Mountain 67-64.  She then added 15 more in their 60-51 championship win over the Lady Cardinals. 

 

Nashira Turner (5-10 senior) Scranton led her Lady Knights to a championship win in the Taylor Lions Holiday Tourney.  Nashira scored 12 points and pulled down 21 rebounds in a semi-final win over Riverside.  She netted 16 in the title win over Nanticoke.  In previous league play, she scored 27 points in a key division win over Delaware Valley.   

 

 

 

DISTRICT 2 GIRLS BASKETBALL STANDINGS

 

WYOMING VALLEY CONFERENCE

 

DIVISION 1 (first half league record, overall season record)

Pittston (1-0, 9-3)

Wilkes-Barre Coughlin (1-0, 8-3)

Hazleton (1-0, 6-5)

Wyoming Valley West (0-0, 4-6)

Berwick (0-1, 4-6)

Tunkhannock (0-1, 2-7)

Crestwood (0-1, 2-9)

 

DIVISION 2

Lake-Lehman (0-0, 9-2)

Dallas (0-0, 9-3)

Wilkes-Barre GAR (0-0, 8-3)

Holy Redeemer (0-0, 6-3)

Nanticoke (0-0, 5-6)

Wyoming Area (0-0, 4-8)

 

DIVISION 3

Northwest (0-0, 5-7)

Wilkes-Barre Meyers (0-0, 3-7)

Wyoming Seminary (0-0, 2-6)

West Side Tech (0-0, 1-8)

MMI Prep (0-0, 1-9)

Hanover (0-0, 0-9)

 

 

LACKAWANNA LEAGUE

 

DIVISION 1 (first half league record, overall season record)

Abington Heights (2-0, 10-0)

Scranton (2-0, 9-3)

Scranton Prep (2-0, 8-3)

North Pocono (1-1, 7-3)

Honesdale (1-1, 5-6)

Wallenpaupack (0-2, 4-5)

Delaware Valley (0-2, 4-6)

West Scranton (0-2, 3-9)

 

DIVISION 2

Dunmore (2-0, 11-1)

Old Forge (2-0, 9-1)

Valley View (2-0, 8-4)

Riverside (2-0, 5-3)

Holy Cross (0-2, 6-4)

Lakeland (0-2, 4-8)

Mid Valley (0-2, 3-8)

Western Wayne (0-2, 2-10)

 

DIVISION 3

Carbondale (2-0, 8-1)

Montrose (2-0, 3-6)

Blue Ridge (1-1, 5-4)

Elk Lake (1-1, 3-5)

Mountain View (1-1, 4-7)

Susquehanna (1-1, 3-7)

Lackawanna Trail (0-2, 2-8)

Forest City (0-2, 1-8)

 

 

 

That’s it for this week.

 

See you in the bleachers.

 

Jon K.