The best way to describe the 2014-15 Schuylkill League boys’ basketball season is uncertainty and plenty of change.

Such is the case at Mahanoy Area. For the first time since 1981, Mickey Holland will not lead the Golden Bears as head coach. The job now belongs to Scott Hudson, who was a sophomore at Mahanoy Area during Holland’s first season 33 years ago and has been involved with the program in some capacity ever since.

Then there is the new addition to the league in Lehighton and how much of an impact the Indians will make in the Division I race.

There is also the question of who will emerge as the front runners for the Division II and III titles. Both races are wide open this season and will bring plenty of intrigue as the year moves on.

There are, however, no such uncertainties and changes at Pottsville. The Crimson Tide’s expectations are always high, and this season is no different.

The Tide are loaded again, and the expectations may be turned up a little bit more.

Not only is Pottsville coming off a 24-6 campaign, but all five starters — seniors Travis Blankenhorn, Eli Nabholz, Ty Painter and Connor Hinchliffe, along with junior Jordan Melochick — are back.

Last season, the Crimson Tide’s drive for a fifth consecutive overall league title ended with a 45-44 loss to Mahanoy Area in the championship game. But 2013-14 could hardly be considered a failure.

Pottsville won its fifth straight division title by beating Blue Mountain 51-42 in a tiebreaker contest Feb. 8. The Crimson Tide also reached their first District 11 Class AAA title game since 2010 and then won their first PIAA playoff game since 1974 with a 58-38 victory over Lower Moreland on March 7. Pottsville proceeded to give eventual state runner-up Susquehanna Township a fight in the second round before losing 52-45 on March 11.

Blankenhorn, a 6-foot-2 guard, stepped into more of a leadership role and responded with the best season of his career, averaging 18.2 points per game, including 61 3-pointers. He was The Republican-Herald Co-Player of the Year with Mahanoy Area’s Dylan Mahmod. Blankenhorn also hit 1,000 points for his career during a 56-30 victory over Williams Valley in the league semifinals Feb. 11.

Nabholz (12.0 ppg), a 6-5 forward, had the best season of his high school career, too, becoming a threat both in and out of the paint. Melochick (9.8 ppg) nearly averaged double figures in scoring, while Connor Hinchliffe (6.1 ppg., 24 3s) was second on the team in 3-pointers and Ty Painter (2.8) became more confident offensively as the season went along.

What could make the Crimson Tide even scarier is that there is depth this season, so much so that last year’s starting five could be different this season.

To that end, coach Dave Mullaney wants Pottsville to be more aggressive on both ends of the floor. He wants the Tide’s man-to-man defense to be even tighter, and his motion offense to run crisper sets.

He knows there is a lot of work to do.

“We are nowhere where we want to be,” he said. “I really want to see us offensive rebound better than we have in the past. I want to see us play defense like we have in the past as well. Last year I don’t think we were a great defensive team. And just continue to build confidence. The talent is there, it is just the job of the coaching staff to kind of put it all together and reach our potential.”

Blankenhorn knows this season could be special, too. Now the Crimson Tide have to go out and get it done.

“We still have to go out and play the game,” he said. “Nothing is guaranteed. We have to keep focused, keep getting better and take nothing for granted.”

Pottsville and the rest of Division I have to deal with Lehighton as it enters from the now defunct Mountain Valley Conference.

The Indians (14-11, 7-7 MVC) might be new to the league, but are familiar with a few of the teams they will play. Lehighton lost to Pottsville in the District 11 Class AAA quarterfinals the past two years, and also have played Tamaqua, Jim Thorpe, Panther Valley and Marian in non-league games in the recent years.

Two of the Indians’ leading scorers return in senior guard Jordan Knappenberger (13.7) and junior forward Tyler Crum (13.0). The rest of Lehighton’s starters will be new.

“It is different basketball in the Schuylkill League compared to where we came from,” Indians coach Rich Oertner said. “The Mountain Valley, the kids were more athletic, but their basketball IQ wasn’t there. I think the basketball IQ in the Schuylkill League is pretty high. The kids and the coaches are fundamentally sound. We were usually the smarter team, but now some of the better teams are smarter than we are. That will be a change.”

Lehighton’s first league game is Monday at home against Panther Valley.

Here are some other items to look for this winter:

• In addition to Blankenhorn, Nativity’s Jeff Yordy (1,191) and Tamaqua’s Brett Kosciolek (1,034) are returning as 1,000-point scorers in the league this season.

• In addition to Hudson, Jim Thorpe’s Jason McElmoyle and Gillingham Charter’s Pete Sanfilippo are also new head coaches.

• The postseason classifications have changed for some schools for the new PIAA two-year cycle.

Class AAA includes Blue Mountain, Jim Thorpe, Lehighton, North Schuylkill, Pottsville and Tamaqua; Mahanoy Area, Marian, Minersville, Panther Valley, Pine Grove, Schuylkill Haven and Williams Valley are Class AA; and Nativity, Shenandoah Valley, Tri-Valley, Weatherly and Gillingham Charter are Class A. Upper Dauphin is still Class AA and Hamburg stays Class AAA in District 3, while Lourdes remains in Class A in District 4.

Here’s a breakdown of the division races:

Division I

Lehighton should be in contention for the division title. So, who else might challenge Pottsville?

A good place to start is Tamaqua.

In addition to Kosciolek, senior Bo Rottet (15.0 ppg, team-leading 346 points, 50 3-pointers) has developed into one of the best point guards in the league. Also returning is junior guard Russell Blaker (5.3 ppg, 24 3s), who averaged 10.7 points per game over Tamaqua’s final six contests.

The Raiders have gone 27-20 the past two seasons, qualifying for the District 11 Class AAA playoffs twice. They have plenty of offensive firepower, but the keys to taking the next step and competing for a league title will be defense and rebounding.

If those areas improve, this could be the year the Raiders qualify for the league playoffs for the first time since 1995.

Blue Mountain and North Schuylkill are always in the mix and this winter will be no different. Both have starters to replace, but if recent history is any guide, they should be just fine.

That is especially true for the Eagles, who have just one starter back in junior guard Mark Chelius (6.9 ppg). Three other letterwinners return in senior Dean Stramara, junior Ian Donovan and sophomore Connor Kerstetter. The three combined to score 86 points last season.

Blue Mountain was in the same position at the start of 2012-13 and ended up going a combined 39-13 over the following two seasons, qualifying for the league playoffs twice.

Two starters are back for the Spartans, including 6-5 forward Tevin Murray (12.5 ppg), The Republican-Herald Rookie of the Year. Also returning is sophomore guard Major Jordan (6.6 ppg).

The Spartans needed to replace four starters at the beginning of last year and finished 16-7. North Schuylkill nearly played for the District 11 Class AA title, but were done in by a bad fourth quarter during a 52-46 loss to Catasauqua in the semifinals.

 

Blue Mountain

Head coach: Dustin Werdt (12th season)

Last year: 21-7 overall, 11-1 D-I. Division wild-card, District 11 Class AAA third-place finisher, PIAA qualifier

Returnees: Dean Stramara (sr., G), Nico Granito (sr., F), Mark Chelius (jr., G), Ian Donovan (jr., G), Christian Puzzi (jr., F), Connor Kerstetter (soph., F-C), Aaron Albertini (soph., G), Brayden Lewis (soph., F),

Newcomers: Jack Barton (sr., F), Spencer Welsh (soph., G), Mason Zerbe (soph., G-F), Jakob Biever (fr., C)

Outlook: The Eagles took a major graduation hit, losing four starters. The guards are versatile, with some who can hit from the perimeter, while others are slashers. The youth is a concern and Werdt is looking for the Eagles to commit to playing defense on every possession. Division playoff contender.

 

Jim Thorpe

Head coach: Jason McElmoyle (1st season)

Last year: 2-20, 1-11 D-I

Returnees: David Everitt (sr., F), Shane Snisky (sr., F), Brett Luicina (sr., G), Jordan McElmoyle (jr., G), Rayan Green (jr., F), Christopher Micciche (soph., G), Brendan Carroll (soph., G)

Newcomers: Jalil Veney (sr., G), Abraham Johnson (sr., F), Alec Lauer (jr., F), Rocco Twardzick (jr., F), Owen Snisky (soph., G), Matthew Elmore (soph., F)

Outlook: The Olympians will be one of the more experienced teams in the division with four starters back. They have some size, too. McElmoyle likes the chemistry they are developing. How much of an impact the Olympians could make in the division remains to be seen.

 

Lehighton

Head coach: Rich Oertner (4th at Lehighton, 14th overall)

Last year: 14-11, 7-7 Mountain Valley Conference. MVC semifinalist, District 11 Class AAA quarterfinalist

Returnees: Jordan Knappenberger (sr., G), Tyler Crum (jr., F),

Newcomers: Tom Ruzicka (sr., G), Tyler Williams (sr., F), Nick Chambers (jr., C), Tanner Zwetoliz (jr., G-F-C), Ben Cordova (jr., C), Hunter Green (jr., F), Nick Skrincosky (soph., F)

Outlook: The Indians have their two leading scorers back with team speed a strength. The goal is to qualify for districts. Oertner believes doing that depends on how well the football players adapt to basketball. Division playoff contender.

 

North Schuylkill

Head coach: Curt Ziegmont (12th season)

Last year: 16-7, 8-4 D-I. District 11 Class AA semifinalist

Returnees: Ryan Hillbish (sr., G), Jordan Marlow (jr., G), Tevin Murray (jr., F), Major Jordan (soph., G-F),

Newcomers: Justin Heaton (sr., F), John Mercado (sr., G), Chris Karlonis (sr., F), Conor Carney (sr., G), Ryan Mazeika (sr., F), Alex Mazur (jr., G),

Outlook: The Spartans have two of the better younger players in the league in Murray and Jordan and the task is to find three new starters to built around them. Ziegmont likes the athleticism and depth as the Spartans seek to find their identity. They should be in the division mix, too.

 

Panther Valley

Head coach: Patrick Crampsie (13th season)

Last year: 10-12, 4-7 D-I

Returnees: Chad Dubosky (sr., F), Cee Keo (sr., G), Ethan Vermillion (sr., F), Charles Nase (jr., F), Anthony Miholick (soph., G), Matt Hudicka (jr.)

Newcomers: Nate Miller (jr.), Sam Stanko (jr.), Tristian Blasko (fr., F)

Outlook: The Panther lost two of their leading scorers to graduation and the new faces must take over the offensive load. There is more athleticism and length than in previous years and that should help improve the defense.

 

Pine Grove

Head coach: Frank D’Agostino (2nd season)

Last year: 4-18, 1-11 D-I

Returnees: Kobe D’Agostino (sr., G), Mark Weinus (sr., F), Luke Rossi (sr., F),

Newcomers: Austin Fick (sr., F-C), Brett Mars (sr., F), Kyle Fidler (jr., F), David Snedden (soph., G), Jake Leininger (fr., G-F), Collin Griffiths (soph., G-F),

Outlook: D’Agostino has progressed into one of the best guards in the league as the Cardinals look to develop players to build around him. They have a good mix of strength and athleticism as well as some shooters to hit from the perimeter. The program is still rebuilding. Goals are to make districts and have a signature win against a quality opponent.

 

Pottsville

Head coach: Dave Mullaney (8th season)

Last year: 24-6, 11-1 D-I. Division I champion, Schuylkill League runner-up, District 11 Class AAA runner-up, PIAA Class AAA second round

Returnees: Travis Blankenhorn (sr., G), Eli Nabholz (sr., F), Ty Painter (sr., G), Connor Hinchliffe (sr., G), Derek Shuman (sr., G), Jed Dunkel (jr., F), Jordan Melochick (jr., G), Christian Witman (jr., G)

Newcomers: Pat Coyle (sr., G), Muldeen Thomas (jr., G), Pat Schenk (jr., G), Tanner Gerchak (jr., G), Jordan Abdo (soph., G), Ian Renninger (fr., F)

Outlook: The expectations are always high for the Crimson Tide and this season is no different. All five starters return and the newcomers are pushing them for playing time, so there is plenty of depth to back the talent already in place. Division I and overall league favorite.

 

Tamaqua

Head coach: Caszy Kosciolek (4th season)

Last year: 13-10, 6-6 D-I. District 11 Class AAA qualifier

Returnees: Brett Kosciolek (sr., G-F), Bo Rottet (sr., G), Tyler Skripko (sr., F), Russell Blaker (jr., G), Ben Miller (sr., G), Nate MacDonald (sr., F)

Newcomer: Thaddaeus Zuber (fr., G)

Outlook: The Raiders have plenty of offensive punch. In order to take the next step and compete for a division title, the defense has to improve. If that happens, the Raiders could find themselves in the running for a spot in the league playoffs.

Division II

This is a wide-open division, with at least four teams having a shot depending how things shake out.

Senior guard Cody Miller (9.0) and junior forward Nick Rodichok (10.3) are back for Williams Valley, the two-time defending division champs. The Vikings don’t have much experience after that, and how quickly the newcomers come around could be the key to the Vikings winning another division title.

Lourdes has the most starters returning with four. However, the Red Raiders are still young with just three seniors and only one, Luke Holleran (4.8 ppg), expected to see any significant playing time.

Lourdes returns its leading scorer in 6-5 sophomore center Larry Czeponis (10.7 ppg), junior forward Jordan Fobia (9.2 ppg) and sophomore guard Kenny Pawelizyk (6.6 ppg). The guards are quick and Red Raiders may press more to take advantage of that.

The two starters returning for Minersville are point guard Collin Hashin (6.8 ppg) and forward Spencer Tobin (7.8 ppg), both seniors. Two of the new starters, juniors Jon McBreen (5.7 ppg) and Chris Leshko (5.0 ppg), saw plenty of playing time last year.

Tri-Valley came up a win short of qualifying for districts last season and return its leading scorer in junior forward Jaden Buchanan (9.5 ppg). Juniors Bryce Yearsley (4.0 ppg) and Bryce McNally (1.7 ppg) both started on and off last year.

The Bulldogs likely won’t be a high-scoring team, so their success could come down to how well they play defense.

 

Lourdes

Head coach: Pete Long (13th season)

Last year: 12-12, 3-10 D-II. District 4 Class AA qualifier

Returnees: Luke Holleran (sr., F), Jordan Fobia (jr., G), Michael Padula (soph., G), Larry Czeponis (soph., C), Kenny Pawelizyk (soph., G), Coby Feese (soph., F)

Newcomers: Billy Allen (sr., F), Vinnie Bucanelli (jr., G)

Outlook: The Red Raiders are young and will be led by a strong sophomore class. Quick guards could lead to more pressure defense. Should be improved and will be in the division-title hunt.

 

Minersville

Head coach: Cliff Woodford (8th season)

Last year: 16-8, 10-3. District 11 Class AA semifinalist

Returnees: Spencer Tobin (sr., F), Collin Hashin (sr., G), Jon McBreen (jr., G), Chris Leshko (jr., G), Dylan Stephen (jr., G)

Newcomers: Storm Fekette (sr., G), Zach Brown (sr., G), Tom Moran (sr., C), Dave Graham (jr., F), Brian Brennan (jr., F), Adam Stoppie (jr., F), Justin Fedornak (jr., C), Israel Martinez (jr., F),

Outlook: The Miners lost their two leading scorers to graduation, but have experience returning. The outside shooting should improve, while a quicker lineup should mean more of the man-to-man defense that Woodford wants to play. Without much height, the key to a successful season could come down to rebounding. A division title contender.

 

Schuylkill Haven

Head coach: Fran Murphy (3rd season)

Last year: 0-22, 0-13 D-II

Returnees: Zavier Webb (sr., F), Danny Blugis (sr., G), Mike Ulsh (sr., F), Brad Fryer (sr., C), J.T. Hughes (jr., G), Austin Charles (jr., F-C), Ethan Conage (jr., G)

Newcomers: None

Outlook: The Hurricanes have only one place to go that is up. They’re working hard to improve and have another year of experience, with Blugis and Webb three-year starters. There isn’t much size, so rebounding will be important. The goals are be competitive in every game and grab a more few wins.

 

Tri-Valley

Head coach: Mike Masser (4th season)

Last year: 10-12, 6-7 D-II

Returnees: Jericho Zemencik (sr., C), Jaden Buchanan (jr., G-F), Bryce McNally (jr., G), Bryce Yearsley (jr., G), Dan Opozda (jr., F)

Newcomers: Justin Ziegmont (soph., G), Ashton Buchanan (fr., G), Logan Yoder (fr., F)

Outlook: The Bulldogs lost three starters to graduation and have only one senior starting. The guards are more experienced and that should help cut down on the turnovers that have hurt in recent years. The key to the season could be how well the Bulldogs play defense. Should be in the division title mix.

 

Williams Valley

Head coach: Denny Kasper (20th season)

Last year: 19-5, 11-2 D-II. Division II champ, District 11 Class AA qualifier

Returnees: Cody Miller (sr., G), Nick Rodichok (jr., F)

Newcomers: Peppe Mini (jr., G), Siul Sepulveda (jr., G), Garrett Zimmerman (jr., F), Landon Bordner (jr., C)

Outlook: Two solid scorers return for the Vikings, who lost four key players to graduation, including three starters. Kasper likes the work ethic and attitude. The concerns are the lack of experience and playing consistently as a team. Some new faces will have to step up for the recent success to continue. If that happens, the Vikings will be in the division race, too.

Division III

Mahanoy Area went out in style last season during Holland’s final year.

The Golden Bears won their first overall league title since 2006. They also won their second consecutive District 11 Class A title and reached the second round of the PIAA playoffs.

Not only is Hudson new, so is the entire starting lineup.

The only starter expected to return was senior point guard Jason Richmond (5.8 ppg), but he tore his ACL early during football season and likely won’t play at all this winter.

Two of the new starters are senior forward Brian Miller (5.9 ppg) and junior guard-forward Matt Yedsena (4.0 ppg). Miller has had some spot starts in the past, while Yedsena’s playing time increased as last season went along.

Hudson is stressing fundamentals, and like Holland, defense and patience on offense.

Marian is the deepest team in the division and will use it to its full advantage. Among the key people returning are senior forwards Mike Vercusky (8.0 ppg), Nick Wesner (3.0) and Chris Weber along with senior guard Matt Karnish (2.8) and sophomore guard Ethan Kuczynski (5.5).

Nativity is coming off its best season since 2007. Other than Yordy, however, the only other returning starters are senior Dominic Piccioni (3.2 ppg) and senior guard-forward Cullen Hoppel (4.7 ppg). Piccioni took over for Hoppel when he went down with serious concussion suffered against Tri-Valley on Jan. 10. Hoppel has fully recovered and will be back in the lineup.

The Hilltoppers want to run an up-tempo offense. They aren’t very deep, however, and their starters will see a ton of minutes.

 

Mahanoy Area

Head coach: Scott Hudson (1st season)

Last year: 25-3, 13-0 D-III. Division III champion, Schuylkill League champion, District 11 Class A champion, PIAA Class A second round

Returnees: Brian Miller (sr., F-C), Jason Richmond (sr., G, injured) Matt Yedsena (jr., G-F)

Newcomers: Peter Luddy (sr., F), Cody Price (sr., F), Mike Wronski (jr., G), Marcus Styka (jr., F), Mike Joseph (soph., G), Randy Derr (soph., F)

Outlook: Not only is Hudson replacing a legend, he also has to replace all five starters. This group of players has had success at the junior varsity level and if that translates to the varsity level, the Golden Bears will be in the division-title hunt again.

 

Marian

Head coach: John Patton (5th season)

Last year: 9-14, 7-6 D-III. District 11 Class A quarterfinalist

Returnees: Mike Vercusky (sr., F), Matt Karnish (sr., G), Chris Weber (sr., F), Nick Wesner (sr., F), Ethan Kuczynski (soph., G)

Newcomers: Chris Carmona (sr., F), Adam Cortes (jr., G), Aaron DeAngelo (jr., F), Hunter Puza (jr., G), John Woitko (jr., G), Ryan Karchner (soph., G-F), Brandon Mohammed (soph., F), Ian Myers (soph., F), Kyle Plesh (soph., F)

Outlook: The Colts have a ton of depth with 16 players on the varsity roster. All 16 could play. They don’t have a go-to scorer yet and plan on mixing and matching lineups each game. The record should improve. Division title contender.

 

Nativity

Head coach: Kevin Kennedy (3rd season)

Last year: 17-7, 10-3 D-III. District 11 Class A semifinalist

Returnees: Jeff Yordy (sr., G), Dominic Piccioni (sr., G), Cullen Hoppel (sr., G-F), Sean Greco (sr., F), Travis Hunyara (jr., F-C)

Newcomers: Ayden Adams (jr., G-F), Eric Nelson (jr., C), Simon Petzel (jr., G), Andrew Belding (jr., F)

Outlook: Yordy will lead the Hilltoppers, and the challenge will finding new faces to step into the starting lineup and contribute. Defense and rebounding will be a key, while the lack of depth might be a concern. Should be in the division running, too.

 

Shenandoah Valley

Head coach: Robbie Miller (5th season)

Last year: 5-17, 4-9 D-III

Returnees: Ian McCole (jr., G-F), Noah Allegretta (soph., G)

Newcomers: Josh White (jr., F), Julio Cabrera (jr., F), Ricardo Chagolla-Rojas (jr.), Joel Santana (soph., G), Isaiah Alvarez (soph., F), Bobby Ryan (soph.), Matt Creasy (soph.), Jermaine McNeil (soph.), Noah Raisner (soph.)

Outlook: The Blue Devils are deep and athletic at the guard position. They put a ton of work in during the offseason and Miller believes it is starting to show. Should be improved, but how many more wins it leads to remains to be seen.

 

Weatherly

Head coach: Ron Cann (8th season)

Last year: 5-17, 1-12 D-III

Returnees: Luke Reiner (sr., G), Brett Kelly (sr., G), Nick Miller (sr., G), Luke Figas (jr., G), Dillon Bizarre (jr., C)

Newcomers: Gary Buck (jr., F), Zach Moon (fr., G), Zach Peiser (soph., C)

Outlook: The Wreckers return two double-digit scorers in Reiner (11.0 ppg, 30 3-pointers) and Figas (10.3). There is experience among the starters, but there isn’t off the bench. The first five will see plenty of minutes. Could make some noise in the division.

Tri-Valley League

Upper Dauphin

The Trojans finished third in the league last season and reached the District 3 Class A quarterfinals for the second consecutive year.

Upper Dauphin didn’t have much trouble scoring points (56.8 ppg last year) and will be led this season by junior guard Matthew Miller, the Trojans’ second-leading scorer at 13.4 points per game, including a team-leading 41 3-pointers.

Also back are seniors Joseph Trently (5.3 ppg, 33 3-pointers), Dakotah Wiest and Ted Calnon, along with junior Alex Uhler (5.9 ppg).

 

Upper Dauphin

Head coach: Anthony Weaver (5th season)

Last year: 13-11, 9-7 TVL. District 3 Class AA quarterfinalist

Returnees: Joseph Trently (sr., G), Dakotah Wiest (sr., C), Ted Calnon (sr., G), Matthew Miller (jr., G), Alex Uhler (jr., F), Jordan Gessner (jr., G)

Newcomers: Maxwell Snyder (jr., G), Kolby Bond (jr., G), Drake Lenker (jr., G), Travis Deitrich (jr., G), Calen Reigner (jr., F), Andrew Norris (jr., F)

Outlook: The Trojans should be able to put the ball in the hoop, with experienced offensive threats back. There is plenty of depth, too. Size is lacking, so rebounding will be a key. A return trip to the district playoffs is a strong possibility.

Berks League

Hamburg

The Hawks lost two of their most productive offensive players to graduation and will look to three returnees — seniors Dan Fink (1.8 ppg) and Nick Schlottman (6.7) and junior Logan Adams (22 points) — to pick up the slack.

Hamburg has some size inside in 6-6 Jared Lesher (22 points) and 6-7 Quinn Nabozny, and their development could lead to an improvement for an offense that averaged 38.4 points per game last season.

The defense (61.1 points allowed per game), must improve, too.

Berks Catholic, which lost in the league championship game last season to Wilson 43-41, is one of the Section II favorites again. Conrad Weiser and Fleetwood should be in the mix, too.

 

Hamburg

Head coach: Ryan McGinley (2nd season)

Last year: 3-19, 0-10 Berks II

Returnees: Dan Fink (sr., G), Nick Schlottman (sr., G-F), Logan Adams (jr., G)

Newcomers: Jared Lesher (jr., F), Lucas Hauck (jr., F), Quinn Nabozny (soph., F)

Outlook: McGinley continues his quest to rebuild the Hawks’ program. New scorers need to step up, while the team needs to continue to improve in all facets of the game. If that happens, the Hawks could be more competitive and earn a few more victories.

Independent

Gillingham Charter

The Wolf Pack, who will once again play their home games at the Simon Kramer Institute in New Philadelphia, are in their third season as a program and still searching for their first victory.

Not only does Gillingham Charter have a new head coach, the Wolf Pack are also playing a 21-game regular-season schedule. They have also doubled the number of players from seven last year to 14 this winter.

Since the program is still fairly new and a good many of the players are still gaining experience, it was rough most nights last season. Guard-forward Storm Hutchinson is the only senior, while juniors Isaiah Thompson, Nate Woodling, Blake Broadhurst and Lake Miller each bring two years of varsity experience.

 

Gillingham Charter

Head coach: Pete Sanfilippo (1st season)

Last year: 0-11

Returnees: Storm Hutchinson (sr., G-F), Isaiah Thompson (jr., G), Nate Woodling (jr., F), Blake Broadhurst (jr., G), Lake Miller (jr., F)

Newcomers: Damy Cintron (jr., G), Enoch Holbert (fr., F), Jetsiel Rivera (fr., F), Jadiel Rivera (fr., G)

Outlook: The Wolf Pack are a young team with only one senior, but do have experience returning. The program has more players than its ever had and will play a full schedule of games. The hope is to continue to become more competitive, see the program continue to grow and finally get a win.

Schuylkill League

Boys’ Basketball

2013-14 Standings

DIVISION I

Leag. Over.

*Pottsville 11-1 24-6

#Blue Mountain 11-1 21-7

North Schuylkill 8-4 16-7

Tamaqua 6-6 13-10

Panther Valley 4-8 10-12

Jim Thorpe 1-11 2-20

Pine Grove 1-11 4-18

DIVISION II

*Williams Valley 11-2 19-5

Minersville 10-3 16-8

Tri-Valley 6-7 10-12

Lourdes 3-10 12-12

Schuylkill Haven 0-13 0-22

DIVISION III

*Mahanoy Area 13-0 25-3

Nativity 10-3 17-7

Marian 7-6 9-14

Shenandoah Valley 4-9 5-17

Weatherly 1-12 5-17

 

Division I tiebreaker

Pottsville 51, Blue Mountain 42

League semifinals

Mahanoy Area 49, Blue Mountain 35

Pottsville 56, Williams Valley 30

Championship

Mahanoy Area 45, Pottsville 44

District champions

Mahanoy Area (District 11 Class A)

State qualifiers

Class AAA — Blue Mountain, Pottsville (reached second round); Class A — Mahanoy Area (reached second round)

All games start at 7:30 p.m.