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Playoffs? It's the best time of the year for boys basketball – Williamsport Sun-Gazette

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5 months ago

July 3, 2024

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Feb 21, 2024
MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent South Williamsport’s Marc Molina (4) drives around Muncy’s Ken Hampe (54) in the second quarter.
All the hard work and sacrifice spent over the last few months has produced this reward. It’s playoff time and it’s the best time of the basketball season.
The following is a look at the three remaining District 4 boys’ basketball playoff fields after we analyzed the Class A field yesterday. All four tournaments feature eight-team fields.
Some of the games previewed took place Tuesday night, but ended after press time.
Class AAAA
(top 3 advance to states)
Shamokin has been knocking the door the last two years and the top-seeded Indians will be trying to break through after finishing third the past two seasons. The Indians open against improved No. 8 Midd-West (7-15) and have size, speed, depth, shooters and 1,000-point scoring junior Joe Hile.
The winner of that game will face either No. 5 Central Columbia or No. 4 Mifflinburg, both 13-9.
No. 2 Montoursville (16-6) hosts No. 7 Lewisburg and has made a nine-win improvement this season, while playing outstanding team basketball. All seven players in the main rotation have scored more than or close to 100 points and all seven have multiple double-digit scoring games. The Warriors finished second in the HAC-II and had their best league season since 2020.
The Lewisburg-Montoursville winner will play either No. 3 Danville (17-7) or No. 6 Athens (14-8). After Shamokin erased a 20-point third quarter deficit against it in the HAC semifinals last Thursday, Danville won, 54-53 on two last-second free throws. The Ironmen can shoot, have size and are experienced. Athens closed its season with an 80-point performance against Northeast Bradford and has improved throughout the season.
Tournament sleeper–Lewisburg: Although the record might not show it, Lewisburg (6-16) is a dangerous team and easily could have a winning record. The Green Dragons have lost a lot of close games and played Montoursville tough in two previous meetings. With some size, shooting and hunger, Lewisburg can be a dangerous team.
Best quarterfinal–Central at Mifflinburg: Central has won four straight games and Mifflinburg seven of its last eight. Both are hot at the right time and although Mifflinburg swept the regular-season series this is a true 50-50 game and either team is capable of pushing Shamokin in the semifinals.
Player to watch–Wyatt Fry, Montoursville: He flies under the radar, but the senior forward makes a key impact each game. He might not be the leading scorer but he is part of the senior glue which holds a close-knit team together and combines with Chase Snyder to give Montoursville a nice inside tandem.
Projected semifinals: Shamokin over Mifflinburg; Danville over Montoursville. Projected final: Shamokin over Danville; Third-place game: Mifflinburg over Montoursville.
Class AAA
(Top 3 advance)
Loyalsock players talk about last year being a disappointment despite reaching the state tournament’s second round. That is because, for the first time, since 2018, the Lancers did not win the championship. Most of those players are back and get a second chance, earning the top seed and opening against No. 8 Hughesville.
Loyalsock (23-1) has won 20 straight games and used excellent defense to defeat Selinsgrove and Danville and capture last week’s HAC Tournament championship. Four players average more than nine points per agme as well in this balanced offense.
Hughesville (9-13) has three new starters this season, but seniors Landen King and Jeff Fenstermacher have had outstanding seasons, while Logan Kiess brings constant energy. King has 13 double-doubles and the Spartans played Loyalsock tough throughout the first half in their last game.
The Hughesville-Loyalsock winner plays either No. 5 Warrior Run or No. 4 North Penn-Mansfield. Warrior Run reached last year’s semifinals and returns a strong core including standout sophomore center Aiden McKee. Landon Polcyn, Cooper Wilkins and Ryan Newton also help stretch the floor, as does reserve Chase Beachel for a team which won seven of its last 10 games.
North Penn-Mansfield (17-7) won five straight before Troy defeated it in Saturday’s NTL Showdown Final and returns three starters from last year’s finalist/second round state tournament qualifier with Alex Davis returning from injury two weeks ago. Karson Dominick averages 25 points per game and earned all-state honors last year, while Cooper Shaw has produced multiple double-doubles down the stretch.
On the other side of the bracket, No. 6 Wellsboro faces a tall order against surging Southern Columbia. The Hornets (14-8) have three new starters, but Hayes Campbell is one of the area’s premier big men and they swept two close games from North Penn-Mansfield. They also had four double-digit scorers in a comeback finale win at South Williamsport.
Defending champion Troy is undefeated (24-0) and has most of last year’s players back. The Trojans swarm defensively and play each game as it its their last, showing it again in Saturday’s 56-38 defeat of North Penn-Mansfield. They also have good balance, speed, chemistry and multiple ways to attack teams.
No. 7 Mount Carmel (10-12) gets the first crack at Troy. The Tornadoes look like a team of the future with exciting freshmen Jude Lazicki and Jaylen Delaney having strong seasons, among others.
Tournament sleeper–Southern: The Tigers (16-6) did not start playing until around Christmas because many of the football players were on their way to winning another state championship. Senior Brian Britton is a four-year starter and 1,000-point scorer, and part of an athletic, battle-tested group. Southern has won 14 of its last 17 games and a showdown against Troy would be quite a battle.
Best quarterfinal–Warrior Run at North Penn-Mansfield: These teams both have playoff experience and each has one of the district’s top players at its disposal. Warrior Run won at Wellsboro on a buzzer-beater in last year’s quarterfinals and this one could also come down to a last shot.
Player to watch–Nate Bauman: One of Loyalsock’s three players averaging at least 13 points per game, Bauman also sees the court well and consistently sets up teammates as well. A tough defender, Bauman did an excellent job guarding dynamic Selinsgrove guard Ries Naugle in the HAC semifinals.
Projected semifinals: Loyalsock over North Penn-Mansfield; Troy over Southern. Projected final: Troy over Loyalsock. Third-place game: Southern over North Penn-Mansfield.
Class AA
(Top 3 advance)
Muncy captured last year’s championship and many thought it would take a step back, but the Indians (17-6) actually won more regular season games than last year and earned the No. 2 seed. Top-seeded Northwest defeated Muncy in Saturday’s Mid-Penn championship, but the Indians could have leading scorer/rebounder Noah Confer back for the playoffs. As in years past, Muncy plays excellent as a unit, features several players who can carry a scoring load and gets after it hard on both ends.
No. 7 South Williamsport (7-15) gets a third shot at Muncy after the Indians swept two regular season games. South is a young team with five new starters and gaining playoff experience should help it a lot going forward. Radley Knapp had a big game in a playoff-clinching win against Milton, going for a career-high 27 points, 15 rebounds and five assists. Jordan Baier, Caleb Neidig and Levi Butler are among the team’s other threats. The Mounties showed their progress in a finale loss against Wellsboro, leading by six in the fourth quarter after being mercy ruled there last December.
The South-Muncy winner plays either No. 6 Line Mountain or No. 3 Northeast Bradford. NEB (16-7) captured the NTL-II championship. A well-coached and well-rounded team, NEB opened the season 15-2 and has several players who can attack and/or shoot from the outside.
Top-seeded Northwest (21-2) has won 20 straight games after taking third last in last year’s tournament. The Rangers swept two games from Muncy, with Brady Shea coming up huge in the second half Saturday. Josh and Ryan Miner are two of the field’s top players and can seemingly shoot from anywhere, while Tucker Crawford had 10 rebounds in the Mid-Penn final.
No. 8 Canton (8-14) is opening at Northwest for a second straight season. Ben Fitch is the lone starter back from last year’s team and has had a big season, producing 10 double-doubles. Talin Williams erupted for 26 points and 10 rebounds in a playoff-clinching win against Montgomery in the season finale.
The Canton-Northwest winner plays either No. 5 Sayre or No. 4 St. John Neumann. Sayre has some explosiveness and played well down the stretch, winning six of its last eight games. Neumann (12-10) has been hard to figure out at times, but has the potential to make a run if it puts everything together. Messiah Baldwin, Tyrick Moy and Joe Savage all average in double figures and the team has built some quality depth late in the season. How Neumann plays defense will be critical to how its postseason goes.
Tournament sleeper–Line Mountain: The Eagles (10-12) won six straight games at one point after starting 0-4 and gave 4A Mifflinburg a battle in a 67-63 loss. Nick Snyder, Aidan Tressler and Bryce Smeltz all average in double figures.
Best quarterfinal–Sayre at Neumann: This is a toss-up with Line Mountain-NEB, but the similarities both teams possess gives it the edge.
Player to watch–Nate Rogers, Muncy: The freshman has put together an excellent debut season and helps Muncy in all areas. Rogers played poised as well and that is a great trait to have at this stage.
Projected semifinals: Northwest over Sayre; Line Mountain over Muncy. Projected final: Northwest over Line Mountain; Third-place: Muncy over Sayre.
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