Hazleton Area has won the last three District 2 Class 6A boys basketball championships. Abington Heights has done the same at the Class 5A level. And Wyoming Seminary won consecutive Class 3A titles.
None of those teams will be playing at Mohegan Sun Area this weekend as new champions will be crowned in at least three of the five classifications.
Only Scranton Prep in 4A and Holy Cross in 2A have a chance to repeat as champions over the next three days. There is no D2-A championship game since the district’s only team, MMI Prep, was in a subregional tournament with five District 11 teams.
Here’s a look at the three championship games involving Wyoming Valley Conference schools.
District 2 Class 3A Championship
Holy Redeemer (17-6) vs. Riverside (16-8)
8 p.m. Thursday, Mohegan Sun Arena
Riverside has accomplished something that Holy Redeemer failed to do in two attempts. The Vikings defeated Wyoming Seminary, eliminating the two-time defending champion in the semifinals.
“That says there’s something special about their team for sure,” Redeemer coach Paul Guido said. “That list isn’t very long of teams that beat Sem, so that’s a big W and a feather in their cap. It gets our attention.”
Fourth-seeded Riverside also ended Seminary’s 20-game winning streak and wrecked what many thought would be Round 3 between Redeemer and the Blue Knights. Cardinal O’Hara and Dallas were the other teams to defeat Seminary.
While the victory was clearly the biggest upset of the tournament, the Vikings have been a hot team down the stretch. They shot 10-of-13 in the second quarter in the 77-69 win over Seminary. They’ve won 10 of their last 12 games, with four other losses coming before the calendar flipped to 2020.
Junior guard Mike Rickert, a 1,000-point scorer and 3-point ace, leads Riverside. Brandon Reed and Collin Kneiss have also been tough from behind the arc. Kneiss is the tallest guy in the lineup at 6-foot-3, but a size disadvantage didn’t matter against Seminary. The Vikings worked for good shots to clinch their first state appearance since 2012. Riverside’s last district title came in 2011 in Class 2A. It also won the 1987 2A championship.
Redeemer is making its fourth consecutive appearance in the championship game, having lost to Seminary the past two seasons and edging Mid Valley 38-36 for the program’s second crown. The Royals defeated Lakeland 70-46 in the semifinals, but Guido cautioned the game was close until his squad pulled away in the second half.
Both teams will play in the PIAA 3A state playoffs on March 7. The winner plays the D12 fourth-place team and the loser plays the D4 runner-up.
District 2 Class 5A Championship
Dallas (19-6) vs. Wallenpaupack (22-2)
8 p.m. Friday, Mohegan Sun Arena
It’s been a long time since Dallas won a district championship in boys basketball. The last came in 1984 and the only other in 1967. As for Wallenpaupack, it’s never reached that pinnacle.
Dallas booted three-time defending champion Abington Heights 49-39 in the semifinals, sending the Comets into a third-place game with Pittston Area on Tuesday night where their season ended with a 37-35 loss. Center Jack Farrell had 15 points and guard Austin Finarelli added 13, although Dallas has received production from throughout the lineup this season.
The Mountaineers are the third seed, but could have been atop the standings if not for two three-point losses and a one-point loss. The only head-scratcher was a 82-54 loss to Crestwood in the WVC Division 1 semifinals, a game that didn’t count toward seedings.
Wallenpaupack showed signs of a breakthrough last season by qualifying for the state playoffs for the first time in 16 years as the district’s third seed. The Buckhorns’ only losses were by one point to Abington Heights and by six to Scranton Prep.
However, Wallenpaupack barely made it to the arena as it survived a 53-48 overtime semifinal scare from Pittston Area, which won Tuesday’s in the third-place game for the final state spot. Elijah Rosenthal saved the Buckhorns with 25 points that included eight 3-pointers. He and Gerald McGrath are the perimeter threats. Gabe Springer, who started his career at Meyers, does the damage inside.
Both teams along with Pittston Area winner advance to the state playoffs on March 6. The winner gets the D1 fourth seed. The loser plays the D12 third seed. Pittston Area plays the D1 third-place team.
District 2 Class 6A Championship
Wilkes-Barre Area (15-10) vs. Scranton (11-13)
8 p.m. Saturday, Mohegan Sun Arena
Wilkes-Barre Area threw out the result of an early victory prior to playing Williamsport in the semifinals. Now the Wolfpack will throw out the outcome of their previous meeting with Scranton, a 64-49 loss on Dec. 12.
“Just like I threw out the 18-point win against Williamsport, I’m throwing out the 18-point loss to Scranton,” said WBA coach Pat Toole, whose team edged Williamsport 60-58 in the semifinals.
Toole’s math in the Scranton loss was off a bit, but no matter. WBA isn’t the same team which lost to Scranton as part of a 1-4 start.
No team arrives at the arena with more interesting path. WBA is in its first season as city schools Coughlin, GAR and Meyers merged their athletic programs in anticipation of uniting under one roof in the near future.
“This was a goal to get here,” Toole said. “We talked about it in the summertime before we even picked the dressed team.”
The coaches sifted through a large group of hopefuls to form a starting lineup that has two guys from Coughlin (Matt Edigio and Brandon Hall), two more from Meyers (Cole Walker and Blake Masker) and a Wyoming Valley West transfer (Saquan Portee). The two main reserves are from Meyers — Jordan Diggs and Jack Gilgallon.
Scranton ended Hazleton Area’s three-year reign with a 51-50 semifinal victory. The Knights also stopped Abington Heights’ 23-game Lackawanna League winning streak on Jan. 3. Kevin Lazdowsky stepped to the forefront in both games. He and Jason Shields have been the main threats on offense, with Shields the top 3-point shooter.
The Knights entered the playoffs with no momentum, having lost three in a row and six of their last seven. However, they knocked off Delaware Valley and Hazleton Area. The caveat is Scranton hasn’t won three in a row all season.
This is an elimination game as only the winner will play in the state playoffs. The D2-6A champion gets the D1 seventh seed on March 7.
