POTTSVILLE BOYS BASKETBALL

2008-2009 Season

12 Wins - 15 Losses

"Comeback Kids" Provide post-season thrills.

  The boys basketball squad became the "Comeback Kids" in February. They started against Jim Thorpe Olympians as they celebrated Senior Night. Although the game was competitive, Jime Thorpe railed for the win 56-53. Junior Josh Whalen lead the team with 18 points, including four three-pointers. "Although we didn't come out with the win, it felt good to be recognized for four dedicated years we put toward this program," Senior Jordan DeAngelo said.

   After sophomore Bobby Schappell sunk the tying basket to make the score 54-54, sophomore Nick Schlitzer was fouled as the buzzer ended the game. The free throw was made and the team triumphed 55-54 earning them a berth into districts.

   Against the odds the squad stunned number one Wilson Area 50-45 in the District XI Class AAA quaterfinal. The defense was led by senior Matcus Toomey, while Josh Whalen scored 20 points. Whalen said "After the third quarter when we held them to zero points, it gave us confidence boost to play good defense though-out the fourth quarter."

   But the cinderella season wasn't over yet. Jim Thorpe was the last obstacle to the team getting into the district final and gaining a berth in PIAA State playoffs. Shooting 18 of 19 free throws in the fourth quarter clinched a 69-53 victory over the Olympians.

   The squad had one game remaining to complete their dream season: the ninth seeded Tide (12-13) took on number three seed Southern Lehigh (20-6) February 27. Nick Schlitzer's half court three pointer at the end of the first half ignited Pottsville's student section whiteout, and brought the Tide within two points of Solehi. But, the Spartans proved to have more firepower as the ended the Tide's run with a 48-35 victory.

   The team will faced Shamokin on March 7 in the first round of state playoffs. The Tide suffer a 59-31 loss which ended the season.

   

Pottsville Crimson Tide   35

Wyomissing   58

Pottsville Crimson Tide   43

Shamokin   45

Pottsville Crimson Tide   37

Muhlenberg   55

Pottsville Crimson Tide   46

Blue Mountain   54

Pottsville Crimson Tide   51

Emmuas   63

Pottsville Crimson Tide   61

NW Lehigh   38

Pottsville Crimson Tide   59

Danville   75

Pottsville Crimson Tide   49

Nativity   44

Pottsville Crimson Tide   46

Whitehall   57

Pottsville Crimson Tide   60

Jim Thorpe   72

Pottsville Crimson Tide   45

Panther Valley   55

Pottsville Crimson Tide   60

Tamaqua   46

Pottsville Crimson Tide   45

North Schuylkill   52

Pottsville Crimson Tide   53

Pine Grove   41

Pottsville Crimson Tide   61

Governor Mifflin   64

Pottsville Crimson Tide   51

Schuylkill Haven   44

Pottsville Crimson Tide   49

Blue Mountain   45

Pottsville Crimson Tide   53

Jim Thorpe   56

Pottsville Crimson Tide   55

Panther Valley   54

Pottsville Crimson Tide   77

Tamaqua   67

Pottsville Crimson Tide   33

North Schuylkill   44

Pottsville Crimson Tide   40

Pine Grove   31

Pottsville Crimson Tide   44*

Blue Mountain   39 

Pottsville Crimson Tide   50*

Wilson   45

Pottsville Crimson Tide   69*

Jim Thorpe   53

Pottsville Crimson Tide   35**

Southern Lehigh   48

Pottsville Crimson Tide   39++

Shamokin   51

Print

* - District XI Playoffs

** - District XI Championship

++ - State Playoffs

 
2008-2009 Coach Mullaney  12 Wins  15 Losses          
Crimson TideNick MarcusJustinJoshBobbyKenCaseyEricJamesTylerSaigeJordanZackAaronTotal Opp.W/L
 SchlitzerToomeyAlvarezWhalenSchappellFossGuersLeymeisterEmersonHeffnerSpeceDeangeloWilliamsSchuettlerScoreScore 
Wyomissing7494710 30    3558L
Shamokin Indians22478200 00    4345L
Muhlenberg Mules128100400 03    3755L
Blue Mountain Eagles12418271  02    4654L
Emmaus2461080  3 0    5163L
N.W. Lehigh131311162203 0 1  6138W
Danville Ironmen2713110019 3 4  5975L
Nativity Green Wave206622 112 0 0  4944W
Whitehall232822009 0    4657L
Jim Thorpe Olympians19811143  3 002  6072L
Panther Valley Panthers11451370 5 000004555L
Tamaqua Blue Raiders16491490 8 0 0  6046W
Blue Mountain Eagles2406140 05      4945W
Pine Grove Cardinals8614124  9 0 0  5341W
Tamaqua Blue Raiders2745263 08 2 2  7767W
North Schuylkill Spartans2104142  4 0    4552L
Pine Grove Cardinals196095  1 0    4031W
Governor Mifflin2829155  1 0 1  6164L
Schuylkill Haven22691130 0 0    5144W
North Schuylkill Spartans1404110  3 1    3333L
Jim Thorpe Olympians7410187  7 0 0  5356L
Panther Valley Panthers25 1382  5 2    5554W
Blue Mountain Eagles1011440  15 0 0  4439W
Wilson Bulldogs1642200  8      5045W
Jim Thorpe Olympians1531787  19 0    6953W
Southern Lehigh180380  6      3548L
Shamokin Indians160940  10      3951L
                  
Totals47610022627683421533130100013461385 
                  
Average17.633.858.3710.223.070.400.226.650.750.570.000.91     
                  
Did Not Play In Game Team Total Points  1346 District XI AAA Quarter-Finals         
Season High Per Game Average  49.85 District XI AAA - Finals         
  Opponents PPG  51.30 District XI AAA Semi-Finals         
       States - 1st. Round         

Season stat totals
PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Toomey, Marcus331533821
Leymeister, Eric5035611350
Emerson, James10031
Schlitzer, Nick1468813247649
Whalen, Josh83243822432
Alvarez, Justin76225318511
Deangelo, Jordan41490
Schappell, Bobby26515627
Guers, Casey02420
Heffner, Tyler536130
Foss, Kenny12440
Williams, Eric00000
Murphy, Devin00000
Schuettler, 00000

NameNumberPositionYear
Foss, Kenny 0Guard 
Murphy, Devin 0  
Schuettler, 0  
Williams, Eric 0  
Alvarez, Justin 0  
Deangelo, Jordan 0Forward 
Toomey, Marcus 0Forward 
Leymeister, Eric 0Forward 
Whalen, Josh 0Guard 
Emerson, James 0GuardSenior
Guers, Casey 0ForwardSenior
Schappell, Bobby 0GuardSenior
Schlitzer, Nick 0GuardSenior
Heffner, Tyler 0GuardJunior

 

Schuylkill County 1 Basketball Standings

State

Pennsylvania

Season

Varsity 08-09

Teams in Conference

7

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Standings Notes

·         * denotes conference data.

School Name

*W-L

*Pct.

*PF

*PA

W-L

Pct.

PF

PA

Strk

North Schuylkill

8-1

0.889

520

386

14-3

0.824

917

672

1 L

Jim Thorpe

6-2

0.750

508

446

12-5

0.706

1108

1006

1 L

Pottsville

8-5

0.615

688

658

11-12

0.478

1185

1199

1 L

Panther Valley

6-6

0.500

607

563

14-9

0.609

1241

1065

3 L

Blue Mountain

4-5

0.444

401

426

5-8

0.385

593

639

5 L

Pine Grove

1-5

0.167

245

293

4-7

0.364

480

544

2 W

Tamaqua

0-9

0.000

447

644

1-10

0.091

563

759

9

 

PIAA AAA Playoffs

Friday, March 06, 20091234OTFinal
Pottsville109713-39
Shamokin9111318-51

Team statsPlayer stats
Game statisticsPottsSA
3 Point Goals2 6
Field Goals15 20
Free Throws Attempted11 13
Free Throws Made7 5
Total Points39 51

SUNBURY - Scott Marcinek totalled 15 points, including 13 in the second half, and Steve Carsto scored 14 points as Shamokin defeated Pottsville in the first round of the PIAA Class AAA state playoffs. Pottsville's Nick Schlitzer scored 16 to lead all scorers.


Shamokin stats
PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Carsto, Steve614141
Renn, Foster31292
Forbes, Brent30260
Marcinek, Scott602153
Krah, Jon12240
Ciborowski, Sean00000
Scicchitano, Tyler00000
Krah, Justin11130


Pottsville stats
PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Schlitzer, Nick623162
Whalen, Josh12240
Alvarez, Justin41290
Leymeister, Eric424100
Toomey, Marcus00000
Schappell, Bobby00000

 

District 11 AAA Championship

Friday, February 27, 20091234OTFinal
Pottsville47915-35
SoLehigh77326-48

Team statsPlayer stats
Game statisticsPottsSoLehigh
3 Point Goals5 4
Field Goals14 17
Free Throws Attempted3 17
Free Throws Made2 10
Total Points35 48

by kevin keating
staff writer
kkeating@republicanherald.com
NORTHAMPTON — Pottsville’s boys’ basketball team has been on a dream run through the District 11 Class AAA playoffs, upsetting three higher seeds on the way to the championship game.
Nick Schlitzer nearly shot the Crimson Tide’s dreams of their first district title since 1990 into reality.
Like an alarm clock on a Monday morning, Southern Lehigh’s Jimmy Grewal shattered Pottsville’s dreams with his sharpshooting.
Grewal scored 20 points and helped charge up a struggling Southern Lehigh offense in the fourth quarter, giving the Spartans their first ever district championship with a 48-35 victory over the Crimson Tide on Friday night at Northampton High School.
Both the Crimson Tide (12-14) and Spartans (21-7) advance to the PIAA state platoffs, beginning Friday. Pottsville will face longtime Schuylkill League rival and District 4 champion Shamokin in the opening round. Southern Lehigh gets District 4 runner-up Danville.
Trailing 22-14 with under 2 minutes left in the third quarter, Pottsville’s Josh Whalen drilled a 3-pointer from the corner and Schlitzer ignited a raucous Pottsville student section with a halfcourt shot at the buzzer that drew nothing but net to pull the Tide within 22-20.
“I felt very good going into the fourth quarter,” Pottsville coach Dave Mullaney said.
“I told the kids to ‘just find Nick. We’re gonna find him.’ ”
Schlitzer, who finished with 17 points, then nailed another 3 to start the fourth quarter to give Pottsville its first lead since a 4-2 advantage with 3:30 left in the first quarter.
Although the Spartans answered with a bucket by Scott Hoffman on an offensive board, Schlitzer connected on another trifecta to put the Tide head 26-24 with 6:15 left.
With Marcus Toomey holding Southern Lehigh’s Cory Schmidt, who averages 22.8 points per game, to just three field goals, the Spartans were looking for someone else to step up.
Schmidt finished with 11 points, but wasn’t able to make much of an impact because of the defense of Toomey and help from Whalen.
“I didn’t expect him to hold him to two field goals,” Mullaney said. “I was confident he could handle it.  I wouldn’t guess he would have held him to two field goals.”
Grewal finally provided the offense the Spartans had been lacking, especially in the fourth quarter. The senior guard finished with 20 points, including 10 in the final stanza. He made back-to-back buckets to give the Spartans a 28-26 lead with 5:05 left.
“Jimmy Grewal gave us a great fourth quarter,” Southern Lehigh coach Bob Shaffer said.
“We needed somebody. Jimmy Grewal did it for us tonight.”
Schlitzer answered to tie it with a driving bucket, but the Spartans went on a 12-0 run led by Grewal to put it out of reach.
“We couldn’t get that defensive stop that we needed,” Mullaney said.
Grewal followed a Hoffman bucket in the paint with a 3-pointer then added another after Schmidt converted a free throw. Cory Sroka made 1-of-2 free throws and Schmidt added two more for a 41-28 advantage with 1:24 left.
“We knew the Grewal kid was a good player,” Mullaney said. “Whalen’s a very good defender.
“I think Grewal took advantage of” Whalen providing help on Schmidt.
After nine trips to the finals came up empty, including the previous three seasons, Southern Lehigh finally has a district title to call its own.
“Knowing that we had a group that has been here for four straight years, this would have been a tough one to lose,” Shaffer said.
Ninth-seeded Pottsville, which had to sink a free throw with no time remaining on the clock in its regular-season finale to qualify for districts, knocked off No. 8 seed Blue Mountain, No. 1 seed Wilson and No. 4 seed Jim Thorpe just to reach the final.
They’ll look to refocus for next Friday’s showdown with Shamokin.
“I told the kids we could feel sorry for ourselves until we shower,” Mullaney said. “We’ll be very excited to play that.”
NOTES: Pottsville shot 5-for-22 from beyond the arc. ... Three busloads of Pottsville students travelled for the game and had a “white out.” ... Southern Lehigh shot 7-for-12 from the field and 8-of-13 from the line in the fourth quarter.

SoLehigh stats

PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Grewal, 800204
Sroka, 13650
Schmidt, 359110
Boyer, Cole12240
Behmlander, 00000
Reppert, 10020
Hoffman, Clayton30060


Pottsville stats
PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Alvarez, Justin11230
Toomey, Marcus00000
Schappell, Bobby00000
Whalen, Josh30082
Leymeister, Eric30060
Schlitzer, Nick711

District 11 AAA Semi-Finals

Tuesday, February 24, 20091234OTFinal
Pottsville1817925-69
Jim Thorpe1517912-53

Team statsPlayer stats
Game statisticsPottsJT
3 Point Goals3 4
Field Goals22 23
Free Throws Attempted27 15
Free Throws Made22 3
Total Points69 53

Eric Leymeister paced the Crimson Tide with 19 points as Pottsville knocked off Jim Thorpe to advace the Class AAA district XI title against Southern Lehigh on Friday at a site to be determined.

Justin Alvarez (17), and Nick Schlitzer (15) both reached double figures for Pottsville.

Kysheem Lynch led all scorers with 26 points for the Olympians.

Jim Thorpe stats

PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Green, Spencer10020
Mickens, Kareem00000
Busocker, Kyle00000
Lynch, Kysheem1029264
Lux, Sam30160
Epps, Rashid615130
Cinicola, Corey20040
Robinson, Danny10020
Johnson, P.J.00000


Pottsville stats
PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Toomey, Marcus03430
Schappell, Bobby31170
Heffner, Tyler00000
Whalen, Josh24480
Leymeister, Eric756190
Alvarez, Justin712172
Schlitzer, Nick3810151

District 11 AAA Quarter-finals

Friday, February 20, 20091234OTFinal
Pottsville7121219-50
Wilson1016019-45

Team statsPlayer stats
Game statisticsPottsWilson
3 Point Goals4 5
Field Goals18 18
Free Throws Attempted20 9
Free Throws Made10 4
Total Points50 45

BY DUSTIN HALUSKA
STAFF WRITER
dhaluska@republicanherald.com
CATASAUQUA — During halftime, Pottsville coach Dave Mullaney reminded his players of the things they didn’t do well in the opening 16 minutes.
The second half of Friday’s District 11 Class AAA quarterfinal left him speechless.
The Crimson Tide erased a seven-point halftime deficit by tossing a third-quarter shutout that keyed a 50-45 upset over top-seeded Wilson at Catasauqua High School.
“The first half I don’t think we played well and our kids were caught up in the whole atmosphere,” said Mullaney, the Tide’s second-year coach. “We came out and defended in the second half. We did everything well.
Pottsville, which began the season 2-9, is just one victory away from the District 11 Class AAA title game and a berth in the PIAA state playoffs.
The Crimson Tide (11-13) advance to Tuesday’s semifinals to face Jim Thorpe (18-6), a 57-55 winner over Northern Lehigh, at 7 p.m. at Tamaqua High School. The Olympians swept two games from Pottsville in the regular season.
Trailing 26-19 at halftime, Pottsville appeared nervous offensively and surrendered too many open looks to the Warriors (20-5).
Wilson’s Graham Touhey exposed the Tide’s zone defense by netting 13 of his game-high 25 points.
Beside telling his team how poorly they played in the first half, Mullaney also shouldered some of the blame for using a zone to defend the Warriors through the first two quarters.
A man defense led by Marcus Toomey halted Wilson’s offense in the third quarter.
Toomey picked up the defensive assignment on Touhey and denied the Warriors’ top scorer not only open looks, but the basketball as well.
Please see TIDE, Page 17
Continued from Page 15
“Marcus Toomey did a great job and that was a big reason why we were able to hold them scoreless in the third,” Mullaney said.
The Colonial League champions went 0-for-10 from the field and turned the ball over three times during their scoreless third quarter.
A pair of free throws by Nick Schlitzer at the 2:58 mark of the third gave Pottsville its first lead since the opening two minutes of the game.
With every missed shot heaved up by the Warriors, the Tide offense loosened up.
Back-to-back buckets by Toomey to start the fourth quarter extended Pottsville’s lead to 35-26. Toomey stepped up in the clutch despite not having a field goal since a Feb. 3 game against Jim Thorpe.
Thirty seconds later, Josh Whalen drained one of his three 3-pointers to extend the Tide lead to 12 and cap off a 19-0 Pottsville run. Whalen finished the night with 20 points.
“Once we knew that we could stop them, we got loose and took advantage of some holes in their defense,” Mullaney said.
“He (Whalen) is one of those kids that is very offensive minded. He hits big shots and he’s not afraid to take them.”
The Warriors finally snapped a 12:11 scoring drought that went all the way back to the second quarter with a Touhey jumper in the fourth.
“You cannot go (scoreless for) 12 minutes in any basketball game and expect to win. It’s virtually impossible,” Wilson coach Bob Frankenfield said.
Though the Tide held a double-digit lead with under three minutes to play, the Warriors aggressively attacked in the backcourt and finally found enough offense late to make things interesting.
The Warriors scored 17 of their 19 fourth-quarter points in the final 3:10 of the game.
“The last three, four minutes were a nightmare, I never thought it was going to end,” Mullaney said. “We only had one timeout left; I was really trying to save it. We played through some really tough stretches.”
Added Whalen: “It was nerve wracking, but we got a big confidence boost in the third quarter and that was enough to win the game.”

Wilson stats
PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
McCoale, Patrick12351
Touhey, Graham1012254
Kuharik, Connor00200
Parr, Drew11230
Berger, Justin20040
Davidson, Leo00000
Davidson, Anthony40080


Pottsville stats
PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Alvarez, Justin10220
Toomey, Marcus20040
Schappell, Bobby00000
Whalen, Josh656203
Leymeister, Eric32580
Schlitzer, Nick637161

District 11 AAA First Round

Tuesday, February 17, 20091234OTFinal
Pottsville7111313-44
Blue Mountain1010712-39

Team statsPlayer stats
Game statisticsPottsBM
3 Point Goals3 1
Field Goals15 15
Free Throws Attempted21 11
Free Throws Made11 8
Total Points44 39

BY DUSTIN HALUSKA
STAFF WRITER
dhaluska@republicanherald.com
ORWIGSBURG — Pottsville’s Eric Leymeister gripped the basketball tightly with a winning grin on his face as the final few seconds ran off the clock.
It was the first time the bullish forward smiled during his 32 minutes on the floor.
Most of his time was spent sacrificing his body and enduring collisions for 12 rebounds and a season-high 15 points to propel Pottsville to a 44-39 victory over Blue Mountain in Tuesday’s District 11 Class AAA preliminary round matchup at Blue Mountain High School.
“One of the keys to victory is taking care of the little things. Loose balls all that and it felt awesome to hold the ball as the clock ran out,” Leymeister said.
The Crimson Tide (10-13) advance to the quarterfinal round to take on top-seeded Wilson (20-4) at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at Catasauqua High School.
Advancing in the playoffs isn’t bad for a team that started 2-9 and needed a free throw in the final seconds of their final regular-season game to even make the postseason.
In that game, Pottsville got 25 points from Nick Schlitzer to survive a 55-54 win over Panther Valley.
“It’s been a while since Pottsville has won a playoff game and it was our goal coming into the season,” Pottsville coach Dave Mullaney said.
“We are excited. I don’t think there is a team we can’t beat in this district. I’m not saying we are going in favored on Friday, but our team knows there is a chance we could win that game.”
Tuesday night, Schlitzer only netted 10 points, but was backed by a supporting cast led by Leymeister.
Using his 6-foot-1, 205-pound frame, Leymeister muscled his way to a double-double.
He capped off a 9-0 Tide run to finish the first half with a basket inside with only three seconds left. Leymeister added two free throws during the run that was highlighted by five consecutive points including a 3-pointer by Schlitzer.
Pottsville’s nine unanswered points closed the deficit to just two at halftime.
In the second half, Leymeister continued to make things happen around the basket.
A bucket at the 6:32 mark of the third quarter gave Pottsville a 23-21 lead. Leymeister added a block on the next possession as the Tide got consecutive baskets by Josh Whalen to open a 27-21 lead midway through the third.
For the remainder of the third period Leymeister attacked the offensive glass, tallying three boards which led to four more Tide points.
The biggest highlight of the junior’s night came when he pulled down an offensive board and then made a fadeaway jumper on the baseline while being fouled. After converting the 3-point play, Pottsville owned its largest lead of the game at 30-23 with 3:39 left in the third.
“Eric was unreal tonight. He rebounded so well and scored for us. He has been progressing all year long and he is our leader,” Mullaney said.
In the fourth quarter, Pottsville’s third double-digit scorer on the night, Justin Alvarez provided the spark to hold off the Eagles.
Alvarez netted nine of his 14 points in the fourth quarter. His final flurry included a 3-pointer, some shifty drives to the hoop and a drawing a charge that sealed the victory.
The rubber match of the rivalry was closely contested throughout the fourth quarter. The teams split their two games during the regular season.
Both student sections erupted down the stretch adding even more flavor to the playoff atmosphere.
“Tonight was a unique experience, playing a home playoff game against your rival,” Blue Mountain coach Dustin Werdt said.
“Whenever Blue Mountain and Pottsville play you never know who is going to win and you throw in the fact that the loser goes home it makes for a unique situation.”
Though, Pottsville never trailed, it clung to a one-point lead through several moments of the frame.
Blue Mountain’s John Harding kept the Eagles’ offense in the game, netting a career and game-high 21 points. Harding netted six of those points in the fourth quarter.
“All year we have been worried about the consistency of scoring. It was nice to see John come out in a big game and assert himself the way he did,” Werdt said. “He  just didn’t want to lose the game.”

Blue Mountain stats

PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Maloney, Matthew23570
Cook, Tyler10020
Harding, John934210
Needs, Chris10020
Hollen, Michael12251
Berkheiser, Kevin10020
O'Brien, Benjamin00000


Pottsville stats
PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Toomey, Marcus01410
Schappell, Bobby00000
Heffner, Tyler00000
Whalen, Josh20040
Leymeister, Eric4711150
Alvarez, Justin522142
Schlitzer, Nick414101
Deangelo, Jordan00000

Regular Season

Friday, February 06, 20091234OTFinal
Pottsville6161914-55
Panther Valley1019916-54

Team statsPlayer stats
Game statisticsPottsPV
3 Point Goals0 0
Field Goals0 0
Free Throws Attempted0 0
Free Throws Made0 0
Total Points0 0

Nick Schlitzer pumped in 10 of Pottsville’s 14 fourth-quarter points to help the Crimson Tide (6-6 league) get by Panther Valley and in doing so, clinch a playoff berth.

Schlitzer drained six three-pointers and poured in 25 on the night, including 20 in the second half, as Pottsville came from behind to capture the victory. Justin Alvarez scored 13 points, including nine in the first half to help Pottsville stay close, and Josh Whalen added eight for the Tide.

Ryan Blasko scored 11 of his 16 points in the first half to lead Panther Valley to a seven-point halftime lead. Erick Trabal netted 12 points and Logan Stano followed with 10 for the playoff-bound Panthers.

Pottsville also won the JV contest, 56-39.

Panther Valley stats

PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Blasko, Ryan612163
Walker, Matt00000
Mehmeti, Betjullah40280
Matthewson, Nate21161
Picht, Kyle00000
Lewis, Damian00000
Trabal, Erick500122
Ogozalek, Thad422100
Middleton, Marcus10020


Pottsville stats
PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Schappell, Bobby10020
Heffner, Tyler10020
Whalen, Josh30080
Leymeister, Eric21250
Alvarez, Justin614130
Schlitzer, Nick835256
Deangelo, Jordan00000

Tuesday, February 03, 20091234OTFinal
Jim Thorpe11141417-56
Pottsville13101713-53

Team statsPlayer stats
Game statisticsJTPotts
3 Point Goals4 7
Field Goals22 18
Free Throws Attempted18 16
Free Throws Made8 10
Total Points56 53

BY DUSTIN HALUSKA
STAFF WRITER
dhaluska@republicanherald.com
Kysheem Lynch drained two 3-pointers from well beyond arc in a span of 14 seconds, early in the first quarter.
In the third, the Jim Thorpe senior guard electrified the Martz Hall crowd with a one-handed slam dunk.
It’s hard to believe, but Lynch’s biggest offensive highlight wasn’t included in his 27-point outburst on Tuesday night.
Instead, it was a spectacular over-the-shoulder pass to Rashid Epps, who converted a tie-breaking layup with 27 seconds left in the game, clinching a 56-53 win over Pottsville.
“I don’t know where he came up with that. The guy is just amazing at times and such a gifted athlete,” said Jim Thorpe coach Brian Carroll of Lynch, the Schuylkill League’s leading scorer at 24 ppg.
“Rashid just caught it and put it in. It was so big for our season.”
The victory guarantees the Olympians (16-4, 8-2 D-I) at least a share of the Schuylkill League wild card spot. Currently, they own a two-game lead over Panther Valley for the final league playoff spot.
A win over either Panther Valley or Blue Mountain later this week, or a loss by Panther Valley on Friday night would lock up Jim Thorpe’s first league playoff berth since 1986.
Jim Thorpe’s go-ahead basket was a product of dribble penetration down the center of the lane by Lynch before he spun around and  dumped the ball on the blind to Epps.
That basket gave the Olympians, who trailed by seven points midway through the fourth quarter, a 55-53 lead.
A see-saw battle swung heavily in favor of Pottsville midway through the fourth quarter when a Josh Whalen 3-pointer capped off a 9-0 run.
“It’s a tribute to our kids because there were a couple of times where they could have put us away and we kept battling,” said Carroll, whose clubs only two leagues losses this season have come at the hands of Division-I champion North Schuylkill.
Jim Thorpe’s late rally was fueled by traps that forced five turnovers and sent the athletic Olympians into their bread-and-butter transition game.
The Olympians also applied heavy pressure to Pottsville leading scorer Nick Schlitzer, who was held to single digits for only the third time this season.
The Crimson Tide sophomore, who is averaging more than 17 ppg., was limited to just one field goal during his 7-point effort.
Jim Thorpe’s Sam Lux, used his long wing-span to harrass Schlitzer, while constantly receiving help defensively from his teammates.
“Sam Lux is just an awesome defender, but we practiced that whenever Schlitzer had the ball we got a hand in his face,” Carroll said.
Though, Schlitzer didn’t give his usual point-scoring lift, he was able to free up his teammates for some good looks.
Whalen benefitted by leading the Crimson Tide with 18 points which included four 3-pointers.
“He was able to recognize a lot of the double teams, and he had a lot of assists. Almost every 3-pointer we made tonight was off a Nick Schlitzer pass,” Mullaney said.
While the Olympians put themselves in an ideal position to clinch a league playoff spot, Pottsville is still on the outside looking in from any postseason action.
The Crimson Tide (8-13, 5-6) need a victory over Panther Valley on Friday night to assure themselves a .500 league record and spot in the District 11 Class AAA playoffs.
“They’ve never not come out and played. We have been in every game down the stretch against good teams and I don’t even question the fact that they are going to come and give the same effort. I’m just hoping we get the win,” Mullaney said.

Pottsville stats

PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Toomey, Marcus20040
Schappell, Bobby30071
Heffner, Tyler00000
Whalen, Josh624184
Leymeister, Eric23570
Schlitzer, Nick15770
Deangelo, Jordan00000
Alvarez, Justin400102


Jim Thorpe stats
PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Green, Spencer00000
Busocker, Kyle00000
Lynch, Kysheem1124273
Lux, Sam436121
Epps, Rashid32680
Cinicola, Corey31270
Robinson, Danny10020
Johnson, P.J.00000

Friday, January 30, 20091234OTFinal
Pottsville9888-33
North Schuylkill981116-44

Team statsPlayer stats
Game statisticsPottsNS
3 Point Goals0 0
Field Goals0 0
Free Throws Attempted0 0
Free Throws Made0 0
Total Points0 0

Garrett Kelly scored 18 points as North Schuylkill clinched the Schuylkill League Division I championship with a 44-33 win over Pottsville.

North Schuylkill stats

PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Hogan, Zach00000
Ennis, Steve40091
Anthony, Gerard00000
Howard, Mike00000
Parnell, Zach10020
Kelly, Garrett634183
Hughes, Derek12240
Hughes, Fred434110


Pottsville stats
PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Toomey, Marcus00000
Schappell, Bobby00200
Heffner, Tyler01210
Whalen, Josh500111
Leymeister, Eric11230
Alvarez, Justin20240
Schlitzer, Nick536141
Deangelo, Jordan00000

Friday, January 23, 20091234OTFinal
Pine Grove101074-31
Pottsville1181110-40

Team statsPlayer stats
Game statisticsPGPotts
3 Point Goals2 3
Field Goals14 15
Free Throws Attempted4 14
Free Throws Made1 7
Total Points31 40

Pottsville 40
Pine Grove 31
Nick Schlitzer poured in a game-high 19 points as the Crimson Tide downed the Cardinals in a Division I game at Martz Hall.
Pottsville trailed 20-19 at halftime, but outscored Pine Grove 21-11 in the second half to pull out the win.
Jordan Blankenhorn led Pine Grove with 13 points, scoring all of the Cardinals’ points in the second half.

Pottsville stats
PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Toomey, Marcus22360
Schappell, Bobby12451
Heffner, Tyler00000
Whalen, Josh41290
Leymeister, Eric01210
Alvarez, Justin00000
Schlitzer, Nick813192
Deangelo, Jordan00000


Pine Grove stats
PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Smith, Cody20040
Morgan, Ryan30071
Blankenhorn, Jordan600131
Burke, Kyler11230
Burke, Brady10220
Dimon, Bryan10020

Wednesday, January 21, 20091234OTFinal
North Schuylkill1192012-52
Pottsville12101112-45

Team statsPlayer stats
Game statisticsNSPotts
3 Point Goals3 6
Field Goals19 17
Free Throws Attempted15 7
Free Throws Made11 5
Total Points52 45

Garrett Kelly had 16 points and Steve Ennis 14 in North Schuylkill’s Division I victory at Martz Hall.
Six of Kelly’s points came in the third as the Spartans turned a 22-20 halftime deficit into a 40-33 lead with a 20-11 scoring advantage in the quarter.
Fred Hughes added 11 points for North Schuylkill.
Nick Schlitzer had a game-high 21 points for the Tide while Josh Whalen added 14. Both knocked down three 3-pointers.

Pottsville stats
PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Toomey, Marcus00000
Schappell, Bobby10020
Heffner, Tyler00000
Whalen, Josh511143
Leymeister, Eric20040
Alvarez, Justin20140
Schlitzer, Nick745213
Deangelo, Jordan00000


North Schuylkill stats
PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Hogan, Zach00000
Ennis, Steve613141
Anthony, Gerard00000
Howard, Mike02220
Tenaglia, Phil00000
Parnell, Zach31270
Kelly, Garrett478161
Hughes, Derek10020
Spotts, Nick00000
Hughes, Fred500111

Tuesday, January 20, 20091234OTFinal
Pottsville20132222-77
Tamaqua1791922-67

Team statsPlayer stats
Game statisticsPottsTam
3 Point Goals8 1
Field Goals30 27
Free Throws Attempted18 15
Free Throws Made9 12
Total Points77 67

TAMAQUA ---- Nick Schlitzer poured in a game-high 27 points and Josh Whalen drained four 3-pointers and finished with 26 points as the Crimson Tide ran past the Blue Raiders in a Division I game.

Anthony Bumbulsky tallied 22 points for Tamaqua.

Tamaqua stats

PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Williams, Wayde05650
Taylor, Michael511110
Paisley, Justin00000
Heisler, Jordan00000
Bennett, Spencer00000
Lakitsky, Zachary10031
Streisel, Michael20040
Edmonds, Nick711150
Gurcsik, Michael31170
Bumbulsky, Anthony946220


Pottsville stats
PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Toomey, Marcus20040
Schappell, Bobby10031
Schuettler, 00000
Heffner, Tyler10020
Guers, Casey00000
Williams, Eric00000
Whalen, Josh1101264
Leymeister, Eric24780
Alvarez, Justin21450
Schlitzer, Nick1046273
Deangelo, Jordan10020

Friday, January 16, 20091234OTFinal
Blue Mountain137169-45
Pottsville9141511-49

Team statsPlayer stats
Game statisticsBMPotts
3 Point Goals4 5
Field Goals14 16
Free Throws Attempted24 23
Free Throws Made13 12
Total Points45 49

by dustin haluska
staff writer
dhaluska@republicanherald.com
Consistency isn’t a word that could be used in the same sentence as words like Blue Mountain or Pottsville this season.
The losing records owned by both teams reflect the growing pains they have experienced since early December.
The closest thing to consistency Friday night was Pottsville’s Nick Schlitzer whose critical free throws in the fourth quarter lifted the Crimson Tide to a 49-45 Schuylkill League Division I win over the Eagles at Martz Hall.
For the first time this season Pottsville (4-9, 2-3 D-I) has won back-to-back games. The loss drops Blue Mountain out of a three-way tie for the Division I lead with Jim Thorpe and North Schuylkill.
“It’s a rival near the top of our division. It proves that if we do some little things we are capable of beating teams like that,” Pottsville coach Dave Mullaney said. “Hopefully it carries over.”
Friday night little things were defined as free throws and offensive rebounds.
With less than two minutes to play in the game, Blue Mountain owned a 43-42 lead over Pottsville.
Schlitzer changed that on what turned out to be a very unconvential offensive possesion for the Crimson Tide.
It began with two missed free throws in which Schlitzer attacked the offensive glass and drew a foul to get the Tide another opportunity to tie or take the lead from the charity stripe.
“We haven’t rebounded well this season and I thought for one of the first times this season we rebounded consistently. Especially on the offensive end,” Mullaney said.
The first of Schlitzer’s six free throws in the final two minutes tied the game.
Blue Mountain never regained the lead in the final 1:38 of the contest.
Schlitzer’s second free-throw attempt rattled out, but the sophomore followed his shot and was able to regain possession before being fouled again.
This time, Pottsville’s leading scorer drained both free throws to put his team ahead 45-43.
Previous to Schlitzer’s free throws, Pottsville was 0-for-5 from the line in the fourth quarter.
“We were struggling. At the end, we got a guy on the line that we were confident could knock them down,” Mullaney said.
With both teams trading free throws in the final 33 seconds of the game, Schlitzer prevailed in the battle by sinking three more free throws to cap a 6-of-8 performance in the final 1:38 alone.
“I just wanted to put them in. I was disappointed that I missed some free throws,” said Schlitzer, who finished 11-of-14 from the line in a game that saw both squads combine for a 25-for-47 outing from the line.
Schlitzer’s work from the line proved to be the difference in a game that wasn’t separated by more than three points during the final 10 minutes.
The excitement was jumpstarted down the stretch by a Matt Maloney runner in the paint that gave Blue Mountain a 36-35 lead with 1:11 remaining in the third.
Maloney, who netted 10 of his 11 points in the third, gave his team their first lead since the midway mark of the second quarter.
Schlitzer answered Maloney’s big third-quarter surge in style with a running 3-point jumper that just beat the buzzer as the Tide regained the lead at 38-36.
Fittingly, it was one of the last buckets in the game as the fourth quarter was decided on the free throw line.
In the first half, Blue Mountain opened up the largest lead of the game when Chris Needs knocked down a triple to his squad a 16-9 advantage early in the second quarter. Needs netted 10 of his team-high 16 points in the first half.
Pottsville didn’t gain its first lead of the game until the 4:34 mark of the second quarter when point guard Josh Whalen connected on a 3-pointer.
Whalen joined Schlitzer as the only Tide players to reach double figures with 14 points of his own, including four 3-pointers.
“Josh works hard for us all the time. He’s never been a point guard in his life, but it was nice to see him have a good game,” Mullaney said.
After winning its first four league games of the season, Blue Mountain loses its second straight.
“Pottsville made some plays, but we turned the ball over too much and forced some bad shots down the stretch,” Blue Mountain coach Dustin Werdt said.


Pottsville stats
PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Toomey, Marcus00200
Schappell, Bobby00000
Guers, Casey00000
Whalen, Josh501144
Leymeister, Eric21350
Alvarez, Justin30360
Schlitzer, Nick61114241
Deangelo, Jordan00000


Blue Mountain stats
PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Maloney, Matthew412112
Bedway III, Paul00200
O'Brien, Kyle11230
Harding, John31370
Needs, Chris3811162
Hartranft, Tyler00000
Hollen, Michael10020
Berkheiser, Kevin02220
O'Brien, Benjamin20240
Grube, Sean00000

Tuesday, January 13, 20091234OTFinal
Panther Valley20111212-55
Pottsville10111113-45

Team statsPlayer stats
Game statisticsPVPotts
3 Point Goals4 4
Field Goals23 17
Free Throws Attempted9 16
Free Throws Made5 8
Total Points55 45

 — Panther Valley used a 20 point first quarter to take down Pottsville in a divison I contest.
Logan Stano and Bejtullah Mehmeti led the way for the Panthers with 15 points a piece.  Ryan Blasko knocked down 14 points including 3 three-pointers.
Josh Whalen poured in a team-high 13 for the Crimson Tide.

Pottsville stats
PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Toomey, Marcus12440
Schappell, Bobby40171
Heffner, Tyler00000
Alvarez, Justin21450
Williams, Eric00000
Whalen, Josh433132
Leymeister, Eric21250
Foss, Kenny00000
Schlitzer, Nick412111
Deangelo, Jordan00000
Murphy, Devin00000


Panther Valley stats
PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Blasko, Ryan512143
Mehmeti, Betjullah714150
Matthewson, Nate02220
Picht, Kyle10020
Trabal, Erick30071
Ahrner, B.J.00000
Ogozalek, Thad711150
Mitchell, Brock00000

Friday, January 09, 20091234OTFinal
Pottsville20181111-60
Jim Thorpe15201522-72

Team statsPlayer stats
Game statisticsPottsJT
3 Point Goals5 3
Field Goals24 24
Free Throws Attempted11 27
Free Throws Made7 21
Total Points60 72

JIM THORPE — The Olympians converted 21 free throws as Jim Thorpe shot past Pottsville in a Divison I contest.
Kysheem Lynch led all scorers with 23 points including 3 three-pointers.
Rashid Epps tallied 20 points for Jim Thorpe.
Nick Schlitzer led the way for Pottsville with 19.

Jim Thorpe stats
PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Busocker, Kyle00000
Lynch, Kysheem845233
Lux, Sam345100
Epps, Rashid848200
Cinicola, Corey499170
Robinson, Danny10020
Johnson, P.J.00000


Pottsville stats
PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Toomey, Marcus32480
Schappell, Bobby10031
Heffner, Tyler00000
Alvarez, Justin512110
Whalen, Josh600142
Leymeister, Eric11130
Schlitzer, Nick734192
Deangelo, Jordan10020

JIM THORPE — The Olympians converted 21 free th

Saturday, January 03, 20091234OTFinal
Whitehall1715718-57
Pottsville6101515-46

Team statsPlayer stats
Game statisticsWHPotts
3 Point Goals0 6
Field Goals0 18
Free Throws Attempted0 6
Free Throws Made0 4
Total Points0 46

Nick Schlitzer paced the Crimson Tide with six 3s and a game-high 23 points, but it wasn’t enough as the sophomore was the lone Pottsville player to reach double figures in scoring.

Eric Leymeister added nine points in the loss at the Pottsville Basketball Showcase.

Pottsville stats
PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Toomey, Marcus10020
Schappell, Bobby10020
Heffner, Tyler00000
Alvarez, Justin40080
Guers, Casey00000
Whalen, Josh02220
Leymeister, Eric41290
Foss, Kenny00000
Schlitzer, Nick812236


Whitehall stats
No results found.

Nick Schlitzer paced the Crimson Tide with six 3s and a game-high 23 points, but it wasn’t enough as the sophomore was the lone Pottsville player to reach double figures in scoring.

Eric Leymeister added nine points in the loss at the Pottsville Basketball Showcase.

Tuesday, December 30, 20081234OTFinal
Nativity1151315-44
Pottsville8111317-49

Team statsPlayer stats
Game statisticsNatPotts
3 Point Goals1 1
Field Goals17 17
Free Throws Attempted20 25
Free Throws Made9 14
Total Points44 49

Pottsville stats

PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Toomey, Marcus30060
Schappell, Bobby10020
Heffner, Tyler00000
Alvarez, Justin22460
Guers, Casey01210
Whalen, Josh10520
Leymeister, Eric524120
Schlitzer, Nick5910201
Deangelo, Jordan00000


Nativity stats
PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Boyer, Ryan20040
Villarreal, Carlos33690
Fetterolf, xx00000
Halcovage, Chris141271
Sborz, Matt40080
Baker, David10020
Navitsky, Zach00000
Grube, Chris622140

Monday, December 29, 20081234OTFinal
Pottsville12111422-59
Danville18161427-75

Team statsPlayer stats
Game statisticsPottsDanville
3 Point Goals4 2
Field Goals20 27
Free Throws Attempted19 27
Free Throws Made15 19
Total Points59 75

DANVILLE — Nick Schlitzer poured in 27 points, including three 3-pointers, but Pottsville couldn’t overcome an even hotter Curtis Klein in the Tide’s non-league loss to Danville.
Klein had 31 points on the night for the Ironmen, who remained undefeated on the season. Michael Owens-Wright added 16 points for Danville.
Josh Whalen had 11 points for Pottsville while Eric Leymeister added nine.

 

Danville stats

PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Clark, Aaron31170
Kline, Curtis11811311
Owens-Wright, Michael723160
Richard, Ryan422111
Richardson, Ryan22260
Roody, Michael02220
Shoop, 02620


Pottsville stats
PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Toomey, Marcus01210
Schappell, Bobby00000
Heffner, Tyler11230
Guers, Casey01210
Whalen, Josh344111
Leymeister, Eric41190
Foss, Kenny00000
Schlitzer, Nick1044273
Deangelo, Jordan20040
Alvarez, Justin03430

Monday, December 22, 20081234OTFinal
Pottsville2410189-61
Northwestern Lehigh71939-38

Team statsPlayer stats
Game statisticsPottsNWL
3 Point Goals4 2
Field Goals27 13
Free Throws Attempted8 14
Free Throws Made3 10
Total Points61 38

NEW TRIPOLI -- Josh Whalen had a game-high 16 points as Pottsville raced out to a big early lead and hammered Northwestern Lehigh in a non-league contest for its first victory of the season.
The Tide led 24-7 after the first quarter and 34-26 at halftime. Pottsville put it away with an 18-3 scoring advantage in the third.
Marcus Toomey and Nick Schlitzer had 13 points apiece for the Tide while Justin Alvarez added 11.

Northwestern Lehigh stats
PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Roth, 00000
Nagel, 30082
Rivera, 00000
Schoffstall, 10020
Lerner, 11230
Leinert, 10020
Oxley, 15670
German, 32480
Stelmack, 20040
Butterweck, Jason12240
Betz, 00000


Pottsville stats
PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Toomey, Marcus612130
Schappell, Bobby10020
Heffner, Tyler00000
Alvarez, Justin500111
Guers, Casey00000
Whalen, Josh700162
Leymeister, Eric11230
Foss, Kenny10020
Schlitzer, Nick600131
Deangelo, Jordan01410

NEW TRIPOLI -- Josh Whalen had a game-high 16 points as Pottsville raced out to a big early lead and hammered Northwestern Lehigh in a non-league contest for its first victory of the season

Saturday, December 20, 20081234OTFinal
Emmaus12161817-63
Pottsville8121615-51

Team statsPlayer stats
Game statisticsEmmausPotts
3 Point Goals0 8
Field Goals0 19
Free Throws Attempted0 12
Free Throws Made0 5
Total Points0 51

Nick Schlitzer knocked down five 3-pointers and scored a game-high 24 for the Crimson Tide, which fell to Emmaus.

Pottsville stats

PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Toomey, Marcus21361
Schappell, Bobby00000
Heffner, Tyler00100
Alvarez, Justin424100
Whalen, Josh30082
Leymeister, Eric11230
Schlitzer, Nick912245


Emmaus stats
No results found.

Friday, December 12, 20081234OTFinal
Pottsville1310716-46
Blue Mountain12161214-54

Team statsPlayer stats
Game statisticsPottsBM
3 Point Goals4 3
Field Goals18 19
Free Throws Attempted13 22
Free Throws Made6 13
Total Points46 54

by dustin haluska
staff writer
dhaluska@republicanherald.com
ORWIGSBURG — There may not be a player on Blue Mountain’s roster who could replace former standout Pat Killian or his 20 points per game.
Friday night, the Eagles took the first step in finding a possible solution to the scoring void.
Mike Hollen, John Harding and Chris Needs took turns scoring, each finishing in double figures as the Eagles downed Pottsville 54-46 in a Schuylkill League Division I battle of winless teams.
“We really needed to get this win. This game will go a long way in boosting morale,” Blue Mountain coach Dustin Werdt said.
Lack of confidence between both winless clubs showed all evening, with plenty of turnovers disrupting the flow of the game.
What made the Eagles’ triple scoring threat most effective in the backyard rivalry is that each player stepped up at a different portion of the game.
Blue Mountain (1-2, 1-0 D-I) built a 28-23 halftime lead thanks to the play of Harding.
The senior forward netted seven of the Eagles’ first 10 points. Harding’s efforts helped Blue Mountain build a 21-13 lead with 6:11 left in the first half.
Pottsville (0-4, 0-1) answered Harding and the Eagles with a 10-2 run that tied the game at 23 with two minutes left in the first half. Nick Schlitzer connected on a 3-pointer and bucket inside, while baskets by Josh Whalen and Justin Alvarez rounded out the Tide flurry.
Finishing what he started earlier in the half, Harding stopped the bleeding for the Eagles by hitting a 3-pointer to regain a 26-23 lead. That would be the last time Harding would score as he ended the night with 14 points.
“Harding had a good practice Thursday night,” Werdt said. “I told him he was going to have a big game today.”
Harding passed the Eagles’ scoring torch to Mike Hollen in the third quarter.
Blue Mountain opened up the period 0-for-5 from the field and briefly fell behind 30-28 when Bobby Schappell drained a 3-pointer.
Hollen tied the game with a putback, and then ripped off seven straight Eagles’ points, including a 3-pointer. His nine unanswered points gave Blue Mountain a 37-30 advantage with two minutes to play in the third quarter.
Hollen, who finished with a team-high 16 points, then passed the scoring baton to Chris Needs.
Needs, who only had three points through the first 22 minutes of the game, connected on a 3-pointer with 1:30 left in the third to give the Eagles their largest lead at the time of 10 points.
“Chris has the potential and in the second half he went to the basket,” Werdt said.
In the fourth quarter, Needs continued to be the hot hand, netting eight points in the quarter to finish with 14.
“It’s nice to see three kids score in double digits,” said Werdt, who only had two double-digit scoring performances through two games.
A third double-digit scorer would have put Pottsville in a better position down the stretch.
Outside of the 30 points combined scored by Alvarez (18) and Schlitzer (12), the Tide scrambled for good looks.
Each time Pottsville had a chance to counter an Eagles’ mistake, it would either force a poor shot or turn the ball over.
The closest the Crimson Tide got to the Eagles in the fourth quarter came with 29 seconds remaining when Alvarez cut the lead to five with a 3-pointer.
“We did have some opportunities, but we just made too many mental mistakes,” Pottsville coach Dave Mullaney said.
“We need some leaders to step up and be vocal on the court. Right now we have to coach every single movement that they make out on the court and you just can’t win games like that.”

Blue Mountain stats

PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Maloney, Matthew23570
Cook, Tyler10020
Harding, John934210
Needs, Chris10020
Hollen, Michael12251
Berkheiser, Kevin10020
O'Brien, Benjamin00000


Pottsville stats
PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Toomey, Marcus01410
Schappell, Bobby00000
Heffner, Tyler00000
Whalen, Josh20040
Leymeister, Eric4711150
Alvarez, Justin522142
Schlitzer, Nick414101
Deangelo, Jordan00000

Wednesday, December 10, 20081234OTFinal
Muhlenberg1322119-55
Pottsville513109-37

Team statsPlayer stats
Game statisticsMuhlPotts
3 Point Goals0 5
Field Goals0 12
Free Throws Attempted0 13
Free Throws Made0 8
Total Points0 37

Pottsville stats

PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Heffner, Tyler11130
Emerson, James00000
Toomey, Marcus40180
Schappell, Bobby12540
Alvarez, Justin312103
Guers, Casey00000
Whalen, Josh00000
Foss, Kenny00000
Schlitzer, Nick344122


Muhlenberg stats
No results found

Monday, December 08, 20081234OTFinal
Shamokin1412109-45
Pottsville691315-43

Team statsPlayer stats
Game statisticsSAPotts
3 Point Goals2 4
Field Goals19 19
Free Throws Attempted9 6
Free Throws Made5 1
Total Points45 43

Monday’s battle between Pottsville and Shamokin was just supposed to be a non-league game.

The fourth quarter sure felt like the “old days.”

A see-saw battle in the final frame was decided when Brent Forbes converted a fast-break layup with 1.5 seconds left to lead Shamokin to a 45-43 victory over Pottsville at Martz Hall.

For the first time in decades, the win won’t count toward the Schuylkill League division standings since Shamokin is now a member of the Heartland Conference.

“It’s kind of a weird feeling tonight. It’s just a non-league game and we’ve been coming down here for years and battling it out for the division,” Shamokin coach Joe Klebon said.

After trailing by double digits throughout the contest, Pottsville (0-2) began to chip away at Shamokin’s lead toward the end of the third quarter.

Struggling for most of the game from beyond the arc, Pottsville’s Josh Whalen finally found his stroke when he drained a 3-pointer with 41 seconds left in the third to cut the lead to eight. Whalen also added a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter to keep Pottsville in the hunt.

Five unanswered Tide points followed to start the fourth quarter. Nick Schlitzer was responsible for two of the buckets with his ability to penetrate Shamokin’s strong interior.

“We told our guys to just keep fighting, stay in the game, we’ll go quarter-by-quarter and see where we were at,” Pottsville coach Dave Mullaney said.

Marcus Toomey was the only senior in a Pottsville starting lineup that included Schlitzer, a sophomore, and freshman Tyler Heffner.

“As the game progressed and we were still in it, some of our guys that had never been on that stage before gained confidence and started hitting some big shots,” Mullaney said.

At the 1:30 mark of the fourth quarter, Schlitzer showed off his outside range by connecting on a 3-pointer that handed Pottsville its first lead of the game at 43-41.

The remainder of the scoring was done by Forbes, the Indians’ 6-foot-3, 245-pound forward.

First, Forbes grabbed an offensive rebound and converted a putback, despite being fouled, that tied the game with 1:03 remaining.

Forbes, who finished with a team-high 16 points, missed the free throw, allowing Pottsville a chance to break the tie.

The ball went in the hands of Schlitzer, who netted 22 of Pottsville’s 43 points.

Schlitzer made an attempt to drive down the lane, but lost control of the basketball. Shamokin scooped it up and started a fast break.

Shamokin’s Scott Marcinek quickly dribbled down the floor before he found an open Forbes underneath the hoop for the game-winner.

“We just made a good defensive play. That’s a good pressure shot to pretty much win the game,” Klebon said.

Jubilation on the Shamokin (3-0) bench didn’t echo a somber feeling on the Pottsville side after a potential comeback win fell short.

“I told him (Schlitzer) before the game that I really wanted him to be aggressive. Even if that meant taking a couple bad shots, we would live with that,” Mullaney said. “He hit a huge one toward the end. At the end of the game we had the ball in our best player’s hand and it just didn’t work out.

“A game like that shows an ability to play with very good teams and hopefully that will be a stepping stone for us.”

The furious finish looked nothing like the first half.

Shamokin made things look easy at times, scoring on a variety of easy looks under the basket.

An undersized Pottsville squad was unable to play its traditional man-to-man defense. As a result the Crimson Tide got caught on some switches, which resulted in leaving players alone underneath the basket.

Steve Carsto, who battled foul trouble, scored five of his 10 points in the final 1:35 of the first half. The surge gave the Indians a 26-15 halftime lead.

“I think our guys could learn a lot from this game. We aren’t where we need to be,” Klebon said.

Pottsville stats

PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Emerson, James00000
Toomey, Marcus20040
Schappell, Bobby10020
Heffner, Tyler00000
Alvarez, Justin31370
Whalen, Josh30082
Schlitzer, Nick1003222


Shamokin stats
PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Scicchitano, Tyler00000
Ciborowski, Sean10031
Marcinek, Scott12240
Renn, Foster20051
Krah, Jon30060
Carsto, Steve424100
Krah, Justin01210
Forbes, Brent801160

Saturday, December 06, 20081234OTFinal
Pottsville94148-35
Wyomissing20111512-58

Team statsPlayer stats
Game statisticsPottsWyo
3 Point Goals2 3
Field Goals14 24
Free Throws Attempted10 13
Free Throws Made5 7
Total Points35 58

Shawn Krause scored 15 points and Clayton Bodden added 10 as Wyomissing used a big first half to down the Crimson Tide at Martz Hall.

Justin Alvarez scored nine points to lead Pottsville, which trailed 31-13 at halftime and never recovered.

Wyomissing stats
No results found.



Pottsville stats
PlayerField GoalsFree Throws MadeFree Throws AttemptedTotal Points3 Point Goals
Schlitzer, Nick31270
Toomey, Marcus12340
Alvarez, Justin41290
Whalen, Josh20040
Schappell, Bobby30171
Foss, Kenny01210
Guers, Casey00000
Emerson, James10031
Heffner, Tyler00000

2008 - 2009 Season    12 - 14