POTTSVILLE BOYS BASKETBALL

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Schuylkill League Champions

District XI AAAAA Champions

3rd Round of States

H.S. BOYS' BASKETBALL: Pottsville falls to Archbishop Wood

LUKE KROPP / PUBLISHED: MARCH 16, 2019

JACQUELINE DORMER / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Pottsville's Kevin Schenk goes to the basket high over Archbishop Wood's Daeshon Shepherd (22) and Rahsool Diggins (3) during Friday's PIAA Class 5A boys' basketball quarterfinal at the Geigle Complex in Reading. Archbishop Wood downed Pottsville 54-43, ending the Crimson Tide's season.
READING - Pottsville's final quarter of basketball Friday night didn't do its season justice.
The Crimson Tide were held to just five points in the fourth period as they watched their season slip away at the hands of Archbishop Wood.
The District 12 champion Vikings seized a 55-43 victory at the Geigle Complex in Reading and halted Pottsville's bid for a spot in the PIAA Class 5A semifinals.
Still, the Crimson Tide had quite a run to get to this point.
"I've been coaching for a long time, and I've always wanted a group that played the way they played because they're just so fun to watch, the way they shared the ball, the way they defend," Pottsville head coach Dave Mullaney said. "It took that selflessness from them to get to this point where we haven't gotten before."
Aiden Stanton hit a 3-pointer off an assist from Mason Barnes to pull Pottsville (25-4) within 45-41 90 seconds into the fourth quarter.
The Crimson Tide wouldn't score again until Kevin Schenk slammed down a transition dunk on another long pass from Barnes with 1:47 left, bringing Pottsville within 49-43.
Two flashy plays that are exciting to watch and energizing to be a part of - indicative of the Crimson Tide's play all year - but they were not enough to extend their 10-game win streak.
"(Stanton) hit a big one, and I think we had some opportunities at the foul line," Mullaney said. "I don't think we shot the ball particularly well from 3, and I know we shot it poorly from the foul line. We worked really hard for it, but we're not going to beat that caliber of a team shooting that way."
Archbishop Wood's (19-8) defense forced Pottsville into some unwanted looks, as the Tide shot 2-for-11 in the fourth quarter. Pottsville also shot 6-for-18 beyond the arc and hit just 5-of-12 from the free-throw line.
Schenk paced the Crimson Tide with 12 points, and Barnes and Trevor Sherakas added 11 apiece.
Schenk and Barnes, the team's top scorers, will be back next season. But the run stops here for Pottsville's seniors, including Sherakas.
It's a tough pill to swallow.
"This has been my favorite group of guys to play basketball with, we just bonded so much," Sherakas said. "We're all pretty much best friends. And what we were able to do this season was something special."
Stanton and JR Hahner added three points in their final game as seniors, and Hahner and Zak Tobin were integral parts of Pottsville's defense keeping Archbishop Wood close.
"We've been playing together since we were very young, playing together all summer, playing with them growing up. It's going to be hard not to," Sherakas said.
The Vikings stood tall over the Crimson Tide, as only one player who saw minutes is listed on their roster under 6 feet. Archbishop Wood used that to its advantage, out-rebounding Pottsville 36-16.
Daeshon Shepherd scored a game-high 16 points for the Vikings, followed by Jaylen Stinson (15) and Rahsool Diggins (14).
The lone senior on Archbishop Wood, 6-foot-5 Julius Phillips, added seven points and eight rebounds. The 6-4 Shepherd grabbed 12 boards.
"They're so gifted," Mullaney said of the Vikings. "I mean that is a really talented team. Every guy they play is probably a scholarship basketball player.
Archbishop Wood, which starts four sophomores, will face defending champion Abington Heights, a team Pottsville beat earlier in the season, in the semifinals Monday.
Meanwhile, Pottsville has a special group of seniors to replaces as it rebuilds for next year.
"The season these seniors had individually and as a group, it's been awesome," Mullaney said. "It's been an honor to watch them play."
Contact the writer: Lkropp@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6010; @luke_kropp on Twitter
Game Summary
PIAA Class 5A Quarterfinal At Geigle Complex, Reading
POTTSVILLE (43) - Schenk 5 2-6 12, Sherakas 4 0-0 11, Barnes 5 0-0 11, R. Stanton 0 0-0 0, Salata 0 0-0 0, A. Stanton 2 0-0 6, Tobin 0 0-1 0, Hahner 0 3-5 3. Totals 16 5-12 43.
ARCHBISHOP WOOD (55) - Phillips 2 2-2 7, Diggins 3 6-10 14, Stinson 5 4-4 15, Kersey 1 0-0 3, Newton 0 0-0 0, Shepherd 6 4-6 16, Jackson 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 16-22 55.
Potts (25-4) 14 7 17 5 - 43 AW (19-8) 14 15 13 13 - 55
3-point FGs: Sherakas 3, Barnes, A. Stanton 2, Phillips, Diggins 2, Stinson, Kersey

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Shout Out to Crimson Tide

Crimson Tide plays Archbishop Wood

Friday, March 15 at 8:00 pm at Reading Geigle Complex

Quarterfinals of the States

WNEP16 Highlights Pottsville - Crestwood

H.S. BOYS' BASKETBALL: Pottsville eliminates Crestwood in PIAA second round

LUKE KROPP / PUBLISHED: MARCH 13, 2019

CHRISTOPHER DOLAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Pottsville's J.R. Hahner, left, and Crestwood's Ryan Petrosky battle for a rebound during Tuesday's PIAA Class 5A boys' basketball second-round game at Hazleton Area High School.
CHRISTOPHER DOLAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Pottsville's Mason Barnes, left, shoots over Crestwood's Mike Palmiero during Tuesday's state playoff game.
Image Gallery for H.S. BOYS' BASKETBALL: Pottsville eliminates Crestwood in PIAA second round
HAZLE TWP. - Pottsville's accomplishments this season keep piling up.
The Crimson Tide won their 10th straight Schuylkill League division title, back-to-back overall league titles and a District 11 championship.
And now, with a 59-46 win over Crestwood in the PIAA Class 5A Tournament, Pottsville has reached the state quarterfinals for the first time under 12th-year head coach Dave Mullaney.
"It's an unbelievable accomplishment," Mullaney said. "We've worked hard all year for this."
Junior guard Mason Barnes scored 18 points for Pottsville (25-3), which will face District 12 champion Archbishop Wood in the quarterfinals Friday.
A 12-6 run midway through the second quarter got the ball rolling for the Crimson Tide, who kept at least a five-point cushion over District 2 runner-up Crestwood (21-8) for the rest of the game. Pottsville seemed comfortable playing at its normal pace, and the Comets, who have played in some low-scoring affairs, needed to keep up.
Camden Boris single-handedly kept it close in the first half.
The senior forward scored 17 of his game-high 20 points for Crestwood in the first two quarters, including back-to-back 3-pointers during that 12-point Crimson Tide burst.
Boris fouled out with Crestwood down seven with just under three minutes left, and the Crimson Tide hit eight of their last 10 free throws to seal the victory.
"(Boris) carried us in the first quarter there," Crestwood head coach Mark Atherton said. "He stepped up big time and made some huge shots for us."
Seniors Sean Murphy and Mike Palmiero took over the scoring opportunities for Crestwood in the second half, posting 10 points apiece.
Pottsville got out to a 14-point lead with 5:34 left in the contest, but the Comets would only get as close as 51-44 on a Murphy putback with 2:58 left.
The season comes to an end for Crestwood, which made its first appearance in the state tournament since 2009, but Atherton commended his team for its balanced attack and ability to contend with bigger opponents.
"They just play well together, they really do," Atherton said. "I think the way you could define this team is they were very unselfish. ... Just a fun group of guys. Undersized all year, but they played their hearts out."
Senior guard Trevor Sherakas, who had his best game of the season in the first round, followed it up with 14 points and four 3-pointers for Pottsville. Junior Kevin Schenk added 14 points and nine rebounds off the bench.
"We really made it a point today to look to (Schenk) in the post, and that was our game plan offensively," Mullaney said of the 6-foot-5 center, who gave the Crimson Tide the obvious height advantage. "Whether he was going to score in there or whether he was going to create help, we thought that could be a real benefit to us, and I think our kids really executed that game plan."
Schenk scored Pottsville's first six points of the final period, hitting a pair of free throws and connecting on two baskets assisted by Barnes. Despite Crestwood winning the points-off-turnovers battle 12-8, Pottsville turned more of the Comets' missed shots into opportunities.
"They had a lot of offensive threats, so when they had those guys getting into the middle of the floor they caused us problems,"Mullaney said. "But our guys hung in there, stuck to our game plan."
The two teams made every second count, as each of the first three quarters ended with buckets with less than seven seconds left.
Contact the writer: Lkropp@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6010; @Luke_Kropp on Twitter
Game Summary
PIAA Class 5A Second Round At Hazleton Area High School
POTTSVILLE (59) - Schenk 5 4-6 14, Sherakas 5 0-0 14, Barnes 6 5-5 18, R. Stanton 0 0-0 0, Salata 0 0-0 0, A. Stanton 1 0-0 3, Tobin 2 2-2 6, Hahner 2 0-1 4. Totals 21 11-14 59.
CRESTWOOD (46) - J. Zaleski 1 2-3 4, Petrosky 0 0-0 0, Vieney 1 0-0 2, Casarella 0 0-0 0, Papura 0 0-0 0, Murphy 3 4-4 10, Boris 7 2-5 20, Palmiero 3 3-3 10. Totals 15 11-15 46.
Potts (25-3) 14 18 13 14 - 59 Crest (21-8) 13 10 11 12 - 46
3-point FGs: Sherakas 4, Barnes, A. Stanton, Boris 4, Palmiero

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Crimson Tide Plays Crestwood - March 12, 2019 at 7:30 in Hazleton

Second Round of State Tournament

H.S. BOYS' BASKETBALL: Crimson Tide runs past Lampeter-Strasburg

ANDY MATSKO / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Pottsville's J.R. Hahner dribbles around Lampeter-Strasburg's Pat-rick Holmes during Friday's PIAA Class 5A boys' first-round game at Blue Mountain High School. The Tide downed the Pioneers 56-51 to advance to Tuesday's second round.
ANDY MATSKO / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERPottsville's Trevor Sherakas defends against Lampeter-Strasburg's Chase Broderick on Friday, March 8, 2019.
Image Gallery for H.S. BOYS' BASKETBALL: Crimson Tide runs past Lampeter-Strasburg
ORWIGSBURG - Pottsville looked like a different team after the first quarter.
The Crimson Tide righted the ship after an ugly start Friday night, stringing together runs en route to a 56-51 victory over Lampeter-Strasburg in the first round of the PIAA Class 5A Tournament at Blue Mountain High School.
Trevor Sherakas scored a season-high 25 points, including seven 3-pointers, and Mason Barnes added 20 points, five rebounds and five assists to lift the Crimson Tide (24-3) to their first state playoff win since 2016.
"We share the ball well, we get inside-outs. It's a matter of time before we make a run, we just had to make sure we got enough stops, and we were able to do that in the second half," Pottsville head coach Dave Mullaney said. "We took care of the ball. I think we had about two turnovers in the second half, and that was a big difference."
Lampeter-Strasburg (23-5), the fifth-place finisher in District 3, raced out to a 14-3 lead with a half-minute left in the first quarter. Seth Beers scored nine of his team-high 18 points for the Pioneers during that run.
Pottsville had shot 1-for-8 to that point, but Aiden Stanton's 3-pointer just before the buzzer provided some hope.
"(Lampeter-Strasburg's) understanding of offensive basketball is really, really good. The way they reacted to the way we defend certain screens, they're just really smart and really well-coached, and they were taking advantage of some of the things we were doing," Mullaney said of the Crimson Tide's slow start. "We just had to adjust there a little bit."
Stanton's triple at the end of the first quarter, plus an energizing 12-2 run that culminated with a 3-pointer from Sherakas at the halftime horn, proved that the Crimson Tide can get down, but they're never out.
Sherakas' buzzer-beater gave Pottsville a 23-22 advantage at the intermission. The teams played just about even in the third period, in which the Crimson Tide defense added a few steals and blocks to their highlight reel.
The dagger in the side of the Pioneers was Pottsville's 8-2 run to open the fourth quarter. Stanton and Sherakas each hit a 3-pointer from the left corner, bookending a backdoor layup from Barnes and giving the Crimson Tide a 46-36 advantage with 6:12 left.
"You don't have to tell our guys stay aggressive, they're always in that mindset," Mullaney said. "We've made runs like that all year. It's kind of a different team than we've had in the past where we kind of grinded through a game and gradually would come away with a win. This team kind of plays even, even, even and then makes a run."
Pat Holmes and Zack Kingsley hit back-to-back 3s for Lampeter-Strasburg inside the final minute, pulling within 54-49 with 31 seconds left.
It was too little too late, as Pottsville did a stellar job passing to avoid the Pioneers' intentional fouls and run down the clock.
"We had it last year. We were down 10 to Archbishop Carroll, and we scored 11 straight, came back and made it to overtime, so we gave them the same message: it's possible," Lampeter-Strasburg head coach Ed Berryman said of a potential fourth-quarter comeback against the Crimson Tide. "They responded, but Pottsville's a good team."
The Crimson Tide earned a second-round matchup Tuesday with Crestwood (21-7), the District 2 runner-up, which defeated Frankford 65-35.
Contact the writer: Lkropp@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6010; @luke_kropp on Twitter

Game Summary
PIAA Class 5A First RoundAt Blue Mountain H.S.
LAMPETER-STRASBURG (51) - Book 3 3-4 9, Beers 7 0-0 18, Kingsley 2 0-3 6, Getchis 0 0-0 0, Broderick 2 0-0 5, Stoltzfus 3 0-0 6, Holmes 2 1-2 7. Totals 19 4-9 51.
POTTSVILLE (56) - Schenk 0 1-2 1, Sherakas 8 2-4 25, Barnes 7 6-9 21, R. Stanton 0 0-0 0, Salata 0 0-0 0, A. Stanton 2 1-2 7, Tobin 1 0-0 2, Hahner 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 10-17 56.
LS (23-5) 14 8 12 17 - 51 Potts (24-3) 6 17 15 18 - 56
3-point FGs: Beers 4, Kingsley 2, Broderick, Holmes 2, Sherakas 7, Barnes, A. Stanton 2

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

H.S. BOYS' BASKETBALL: Third-quarter surge carries Pottsville past Southern Lehigh for District 11 5A crown

ANDY MATSKO / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Pottsville's Mason Barnes dribbles around Southern Lehigh's Kyle Hoff during the District 11 Class 5A boys' championship game Thursday at Blue Mountain. Barnes had 16 points in the Tide's 51-33 victory.

ANDY MATSKO / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER The Pottsville boys' basketball team poses with the District 11 championship trophy after defeating Southern Lehigh 51-33 in Thursday's Class 5A title game at Blue Mountain. Team members include, front row, from left: Pat McCord, Aiden Stanton, Trevor Sherakas, Zak Tobin, Mason Barnes, Riley Stanton, Darren Yost and Nicco Heimbaugh; back row, manager Jake Guzick, Jonathan Bellard, Mekhi McCuller, Raeff DiCello, Kevin Schenk, J.R. Hahner, Matt Salata, Nico Boris and John Holobetz.

Image Gallery for H.S. BOYS' BASKETBALL: Third-quarter surge carries Pottsville past Southern Lehigh for District 11 5A crown

ORWIGSBURG - When it was time for Pottsville's boys to accept their first District 11 basketball title trophy since 2016, it naturally fell to the senior who led the way in the game.

Zak Tobin stepped forward - and was quickly swarmed by his teammates - as he claimed the reward.

The 6-foot-1 senior scored 19 points and grabbed a game-best eight rebounds as Pottsville defeated Southern Lehigh 51-33 on Thursday night at Blue Mountain High School.

Mason Barnes added 16 points for the Crimson Tide, who earned the first Class 5A title in school history.

"We knew we had to play hard because we knew they were here for a reason," Tobin, wearing his championship medal, said.

The Spartans, who eliminated Blue Mountain in overtime Tuesday, could not match the Crimson Tide's third-quarter effort. Pottsville outscored the Colonial League champions 19-7 in the period, turning an 18-17 lead into a nearly certain victory.

Tobin provided the impetus. He scored the Tide's first five points on a drive and then a 3-pointer to give Pottsville breathing room.

"When I made the first two 3s, I started feeling good and started feeling confident," said Tobin, who had two treys in the opening half. "The rest of the game, I just had the same energy and teammates kept getting me open."

Tobin's contribution wasn't lost on head coach Dave Mullaney.

"I think a couple shots going for us really gave us momentum," Mullaney said about Tobin's start to the second half. " ... I'm so proud of him because he's been waiting his turn and he took advantage of it tonight."

Aiden Stanton added two 3-pointers in the third for the

Tide (23-3), who put the clamps on a Spartan offense that had scored 72 points in the semifinal win over Blue Mountain.

"They get a five-, seven-point lead and we're trying to claw back into it," Southern Lehigh head coach Ben Tannous said. "It's really difficult to do it against their defense.

"You look at them and they don't have tremendous size. They don't have tremendous size, but what they do have are guys that are really able to get into you and deny the basketball."

The Tide forced six turnovers in the third period as Southern Lehigh finished with 16 in the game.

"Our defense wins games," Tobin said. "We all know we can score at any time, but we know we have to stop them before they can stop us."

Southern Lehigh scored the game's first four points, but Pottsville came right back with a drive by Trevor Sherakas and a 3-pointer from Tobin to take a 5-4 advantage.

Holding a 7-6 lead after the opening quarter, Pottsville then paced most of the second before Southern Lehigh scored four points in a row to lead 17-16. Barnes gave the Tide the 18-17 halftime edge on a baseline drive with 1:04 left in the half.

"One, and this is the old thing, our shots weren't going and we turned it over too much," Mullaney said. "We said, ‘Keep shooting the shots we're getting, but we've got to take care of the ball a little bit better.'

"We knew we had a run (in us). We were really excited to be up a point at halftime with the way we played in the first half."

That run came at the start of the second half. The Tide turned the one-point lead into an 11-point edge in less than four minutes and never trailed by fewer than eight the rest of the game.

Barnes, who scored 22 points in Pottsville's semifinal victory over Bangor, shot 7-for-10 from the field and added four rebounds and four assists.

Southern Lehigh (17-9) was paced by nine points by John Coyle. The Tide limited Chris Andrews, who tallied 24 points against Blue Mountain, to just eight.

Both teams will advance into the PIAA Class 5A tournament next week.

Pottsville will oppose the fifth-place team from District 3, Lampeter-Strasburg, on Friday, March 8, at a District 11 site. Lampeter-Strasburg earned the position with a 54-44 win over Elizabethtown on Thursday night.

"There's no team above everybody else down there. All of those teams can really play," Mullaney said. "We're going to have our hands full."

Mullaney said the Tide's immediate goal will be three straight wins in the state tournament.

"With our run, we've had so many tough games," Mullaney said. " ... I'm hoping this is the year for that."

Contact the writer: ccurley@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6019; @ChuckCurley on Twitter

Game Summary

District 4/11 Class 5A Subregional Championship At Blue Mountain HS

SOUTHERN LEHIGH (33) - Trevis 2 0-2 4, Schmidt 1 0-0 2, Coleman 2 0-0 4, Andrews 3 2-2 8, Gaughan 1 0-0 3, Coyle 3 2-3 9, Smith 0 0-0 0, Hoff 0 3-4 3. Totals 12 7-11 33.

POTTSVILLE (51) - Sherakas 2 3-6 8, Barnes 7 1-2 16, R. Stanton 0 0-0 0, Salata 0 0-0 0, A. Stanton 2 0-0 6, Tobin 7 2-2 19, Hahner 1 0-1 2. Totals 19 6-11 51.

SoLeh (17-9) 6 11 7 9 - 33 Potts (23-3) 7 11 19 14 - 51

3-point FGs: Gaughan, Coyle, Sherakas, Barnes, A. Stanton 2, Tobin 3

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

District 11 5A boys basketball championship preview: Southern Lehigh vs. Pottsville

DISTRICT 11 CLASS 5A CHAMPIONSHIP

Who: No. 3 seed Southern Lehigh (17-8) vs. No. 1 seed Pottsville (22-3).

When/where: 7 p.m. Thursday at Blue Mountain High School.

What's next: Winner will play District 3 No. 5 seed (Elizabethtown or Lampeter-Strasburg); loser will play District 3 No. 4 seed (William Penn of York or Northern) on March 8 in the PIAA 5A tournament.

The coaches: Ben Tannous, Southern Lehigh, 96-52 in six seasons; Dave Mullaney, Pottsville, 257-68 in 12 seasons.

Players to watch: Southern Lehigh: 5-10 Sr. G Trey Trevis (9.2 ppg); F Quinn Schmidt (4.2 ppg); 6-3 So. G Daryl Coleman (11.4 ppg); 5-11 Jr. G Chris Andrews (14.3 ppg); 5-11 Jr. G Kyle Hoff (5.1 ppg); 6-4 Sr. F John Coyle (5.7 ppg). Pottsville: 6-1 Jr. G Mason Barnes (13.5 ppg); 5-9 Sr. G Trevor Sherakas (9.0 ppg); 5-11 Sr. G Aiden Stanton (4.5 ppg); 6-1 Sr. F Jr Hahner (6.0).

Things to know: Southern Lehigh began the season 0-3 and 2-6 but has won 13 of its last 14 games. ... The Spartans defeated Bangor 36-32 in the Colonial League championship game, getting 18 points from Coleman. ... Southern Lehigh beat Blue Mountain 72-65 in overtime in the district semifinals, getting 27 points from Chris Andrews. Andrews was 14 of 15 at the foul line, including 12-for-12 in the OT period. ...Coyle and Coleman added 11 points apiece for the Spartans, who had seven 3-pointers. ... Southern Lehigh is in the district final for the first time since winning the 2009 title with a 48-35 victory over Pottsville in the 3A championship game. ... The Spartans lost in the district finals eight times prior to 2009. ... Pottsville won the Schuylkill League title with a 51-13 win over Mahanoy Area and a 51-35 victory over Blue Mountain. ... Advanced to the finals with a 53-43 win over Bangor, getting 22 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists from Mason Barnes. ... Pottsville has won seven straight since a 56-47 loss to Scranton Prep on Jan. 16. ... The Tide is in the district final for the eighth time since 2009. ... Won district titles in 2010, 2015 and 2016. ... Pottsville lost to Central Catholic 57-41 in last year's semifinals. ... The Tide has won at least 20 games nine times in the last 10 seasons. ... Pottsville has played the last three games without 6-foot-5 junior forward Kevin Schenk, the team's leading scorer at 15.9 points per game, who has been sidelined due to a disciplinary situation.

Keith Groller's prediction: Southern Lehigh has staged an amazing turnaround and remains one of the hottest teams in local basketball. Andrews has emerged as one of the area's most clutch players. The Spartans will compete hard and refuse to back down, but the Tide's defense, as Bangor found out, is as stingy as any District 11 team. Pottsville 50-45.

kgroller@mcall.com

Twitter @KeithGroller

610-820-6740

Photo By John Liddle

D-11 BOYS BASKETBALL: Barnes sparks Pottsville over Bangor

Luke Kropp / Published: February 26, 2019
ORWIGSBURG — When Mason Barnes is on his game, he looks unstoppable.
Monday, he had another one of those nights.
The junior guard posted a game-high 22 points and added seven rebounds and six assists to lead Pottsville to a 53-43 win over Bangor in a District 11 Class 5A semifinal at Blue Mountain.
The victory guarantees the Crimson Tide (22-3) a spot in the PIAA state playoffs after missing the tournament last season.
“(Barnes) is just really good, so we want him to be great all the time because that’s what he can do,” Pottsville head coach Dave Mullaney said. “He’s always really, really productive for us and he showed that today.”
Ben Holland tallied a team-high 21 points for the Slaters (17-9), whose season came to a disappointing end after losing in the Colonial League championship nine days earlier.
Pottsville took the lead with a 6-0 run out of the gate, and Bangor could never establish a lead of its own.
The Slaters did knot the game at 27 apiece midway through the third quarter, but Barnes and the Crimson Tide turned on the jets and scored the next 12 points, taking a 39-27 lead into the final period that proved insurmountable.
“Offensively we just wanted them to play a little bit more and
have a little bit more freedom, but our guys have made runs like that all year,” Mullaney said. “I was really happy with the way we started attacking.”
Barnes assisted on a Riley Stanton 3-pointer and a Zak Tobin bucket before nailing a 3-pointer of his own to spark that third-quarter tear.
Bangor managed to cut the Crimson Tide’s lead to seven after Holland hit two 3s from the right wing and Noah Berger followed with a trey from the left wing at the fourth quarter’s 5:29 mark.
Once again, thanks to Barnes and Pottsville’s relentless offense, the Slaters wouldn’t get closer.
Barnes scored the Crimson Tide’s first six points of the fourth quarter to keep the Slaters from catching up. As Bangor failed to score for almost three minutes, Pottsville extended its lead again to 50-36 with 2:53 left.
“With a lot of stuff going on with us right now I had to step up, get the teammates involved, keep the momentum when we had to,” Barnes said. “It all started at the defensive end, getting stops.”
The win comes amid a hazing investigation involving Pottsville’s leading scorer, Kevin Schenk. The 6-5 center missed the Schuylkill League playoffs and there’s no word on if and when he might return.
Tobin has provided solid play getting the start in his place, scoring 12 hard-earned points in the victory over Bangor.
The senior pulled down eight rebounds and turned several steals into points. After his first steal midway through the first period, Tobin hit a 3-pointer. He then turned an interception into a dunk early in the second quarter and his third steal into a pair of free throws near the end of he third.
Bangor lost 12 turnovers compared to Pottsville’s seven, and shot 14-of-38 from the floor (37 percent) while the Crimson Tide shot 16-of-38 (42 percent).
“I’d like to know how they get them to play defense like that because they play terrific defense,” Bangor head coach Bron Holland said of Pottsville. “It’s phenomenal defense. ... The difference was we just had those two or three mistakes, whether we weren’t moving the ball, jumping the ball, executing, taking a play off, and (Pottsville) didn’t.
“On those two or three mistakes, they capitalized every time, and it goes from a one- or two- point game to a seven-point game. It’s just so hard to score on them because they make you work for everything.”
Pottsville won’t get a chance to play Blue Mountain for the fourth time this season. The Eagles lost their semifinal game to Southern Lehigh 72-65 in overtime Monday.
The Crimson Tide and Spartans will meet for the district championship Thursday at a site and time to be announced.
“It’s a great feeling because of the group of kids that we have and they’re so fun to be around and you just don’t want it to end,” Mullaney said. “Of course we want to win the championship, but just being around them, I know we’ll be around for a couple more weeks, so that’s a great feeling.”

Contact the writer: Lkropp@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6010; @Luke_Kropp on Twitter
Game Summary
District 11 Class 5A Semifinal At Blue Mountain
BANGOR (43) — Colon 0 0-0 0, Farensbach 0 0-0 0, Miles 2 2-4 6, Zieba 1 1-2 3, Berger 4 0-0 10, Taylor 0 0-0 0, Owens 1 0-0 3, Holland 6 5-7 21. Totals 14 8-13 43.
POTTSVILLE (53) — Sherakas 1 1-1 3, Barnes 6 7-8 22, R. Stanton 2 0-0 6, Salata 1 0-0 2, A. Stanton 1 1-5 4, Tobin 4 4-6 12, Hahner 1 2-4 4. Totals 16 15-24 53.
Bangor (17-9) 5 14 8 16 — 43 Potts (22-3) 11 15 13 14 — 53
3-point FGs: Berger 2, Owens, Holland 4, Sherakas, Barnes 3, R. Stanton 2, A. Stanton

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

WNEP 16 Highlights - Pottsville - Bangor

WNEP16 - Schuylkill League Championship

BOYS' BASKETBALL: Crimson Tide claim Schuylkill League title over Eagles

Andy Matsko / Staff PhotographerPottsville's Mason Barnes goes to the basket between Blue Mountain's Blake Lipko, left, and Aidan Carr during the Schuylkill League championship game at Martz hall on Saturday, February 16, 2019.

ANDY MATSKO / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Pottsville players pose with the Schuylkill League championship trophy after they defeated Blue Mountain 51-35 in Saturday's boys' final at Martz Hall. Team members include, front row, from left: Pat McCord, Aiden Stanton, Trevor Sherakas, Mason Barnes and Nicco Heimbaugh; back row, Jonathon Bellard, Mekhi McCuller, Raeff DiCello, Zak Tobin, Riley Stanton, J.R. Hahner, Matt Salata, Nico Boris and Darren Yost.

Image Gallery for BOYS' BASKETBALL: Crimson Tide claim Schuylkill League title over Eagles

POTTSVILLE - Gold isn't part of Pottsville's color combination, but it sure seems like it.

In their third contest against Blue Mountain this season, the Crimson Tide seized a 51-35 victory in the Schuylkill League boys' basketball championship Saturday night.

The league championship is Pottsville's second straight, fourth out of the last five, and eighth out of the last 10.

The credit this time goes to its seniors.

J.R, Hahner and Trevor Sherakas each scored 15 points, while Zak Tobin pulled down nine rebounds to lift the Crimson Tide (21-3).

"We really had seniors step up," Pottsville head coach Dave Mullaney said. "You get a J.R. Hahner and a Zak Tobin going to the boards hard. They're real good athletes and real good basketball players, and that was probably the difference there."

A 14-3 run midway through the second quarter lit a spark in the Crimson Tide, including 10 straight points from Sherakas.

The senior guard hit back-to-back 3s, a floater and a pair of free throws to give Pottsville a 26-15 advantage with 2:36 left in the first half.

Sherakas also hit a 3-pointer to give Pottsville its first lead with 1:17 left in the first quarter, and that lead was never surrendered.

"He has such confidence, and that's one thing we said before coming in here. We don't have many guys in here that are going to shrink on a big stage, they're really confident kids," Mullaney said. "He's the most confident of them all, and he's done that all year. That was a critical time, we were struggling and he pulled us out of it."

Blue Mountain (19-5), which has lost the last two league championships and three of the last four (all to Pottsville),

struggled to find the basket as Pottsville pulled away.

The Eagles bucketed just one field goal in the third quarter as the Crimson Tide took a 38-27 advantage into the final frame.

"You lose in a playoff game, a championship game, obviously it stings," Blue Mountain head coach Dustin Werdt said. "Just looking at the kids in the locker room and how upset they are, it's heartbreaking to see that.

"We have to get over it and move forward for districts."

Gavin Conway was the only double-digit scorer for the Eagles with 11 points, connecting on 6-of-6 foul shots.

Pottsville has beaten Blue Mountain three times this year by an average margin of 15.7 points, and the Crimson Tide did it Saturday without leading scorer Kevin Schenk, a 6-foot-5 center.

Despite both standing 6-1, Tobin and Hahner filled that hole and provided a similar result.

"Starting these last two games in place of Schenk, I had to step up," Tobin said. "The team was behind me the whole time, coaches behind me. ... It didn't really feel like any difference from coming off the bench or starting because, with this team, it's just so fun to play with these guys."

Pottsville led 26-20 at halftime and quickly extended that lead to double-digits on a driving layup by Hahner and a 3-pointer by Mason Barnes.

The Tide led 38-27 after three frames and by as many as 14 points before Blue Mountain made a late push. Nate Nabholz scored consecutive layups to pull within 43-33 at the fourth quarter's 3:50 mark.

But in the final half of the frame, the Crimson Tide hit 10-of-12 free throws, including nine straight to seal the deal.

Hahner stamped the envelope.

The senior forward connected on six straight at the foul line, his final pair lifting Pottsville to 49-35 advantage with 2:13 left.

"I don't know if I ever went 6-for-6 in my life," Hahner said. "I think tonight was just meant to be."

Hahner caused an Eagle turnover almost immediately after.

The tough-nosed Pottsville defense was also on display when Barnes came up with two monster blocks near the end of the third quarter. The junior guard also added 10 points to follow up his 21-point semifinal performance.

Next, Pottsville and Blue Mountain will look to the District 11 Class 5A playoffs, where the two teams may meet for a third time. Pottsville will face Bangor in the semifinals Feb. 25, while Blue Mountain will play Southern Lehigh.

For now, the Crimson Tide can enjoy the view from the Schuylkill League summit.

"I'm so proud of our guys, and when I say our guys, I mean every guy from the beginning of the year who's with us has just played with such energy, selflessness and conducted themselves great on and off the floor," Mullaney said. "I'm proud of all the guys who got us to this point."

Contact the writer: Lkropp@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6010; @Lukekropp

Game Summary

Schuylkill League Championship At Martz Hall

BLUE MOUNTAIN (35) - Grace 2 0-0 5, Conway 2 6-6 11, Ketch 3 0-1 6, Dean 2 1-1 5, Nabholz 2 1-5 5, Lipko 0 3-4 3, Carr 0 0-0 0, Cryts 0 0-0 0. Totals 11 11-17 35.

POTTSVILLE (51) - Sherakas 4 4-5 15, Barnes 3 2-4 10, A. Stanton 2 2-2 7, Tobin 2 0-0 4, Hahner 4 6-6 15, R. Stanton 0 0-0 0, Salata 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 14-17 51.

Blue (19-5) 9 11 7 8 - 35 Potts (21-3) 12 14 12 13 - 51

3-point FGs: Grace, Conway, Sherakas 3, Barnes 2, A. Stanton, Hahner

BOYS' BASKETBALL: Sherakas' big 1st half sparks Tide

leroy boyer / Published: February 17, 2019
Andy Matsko / Staff Photographer Pottsville's Trevor Sherakas goes to the basket against Blue Mountain during the Schuylkill League championship game at Martz hall on Saturday, February 16, 2019.

ANDY MATSKO / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Pottsville's Trevor Sherakas, left, dribbles around Blue Mountain's Jason Dean during Saturday's championship game. Sherakas scored 15 points in the Tide's 51-35 victory.

Image Gallery for BOYS' BASKETBALL: Sherakas' big 1st half sparks Tide

POTTSVILLE - Trevor Sherakas called it a "casual Steph Curry SportsCenter Top 10 highlight."

What it turned out to be was the spark Pottsville needed.

Sherakas hit back-to-back 3-pointers as part of a personal 10-point run midway through the second quarter that propelled the Crimson Tide to a 51-35 win over Blue Mountain in Saturday's Schuylkill League boys' championship game at Martz Hall.

The 5-foot-9 senior guard scored all 15 of his points in the first half, helping break open a tight game and giving Pottsville a cushion it would never relinquish.

"I was feeling it," Sherakas said, describing his first-half outburst. "My teammates got me going, found me open. We got some offensive rebounds that allowed me to get my 3s up.

"I can shoot it from anywhere on the floor. If I'm open, there's a good chance it's going to go in."

Sherakas entered the contest averaging 9.2 points per game, third on the team in scoring behind Kevin Schenk (15.9) and Mason Barnes (9.2). He had

scored 10 points in Pottsville's 63-45 win over Blue Mountain on Jan. 8, and eight points in the Tide's 58-45 victory at Blue Mountain on Feb. 1.

Schenk did not play Saturday due to a school suspension, and Barnes headed to the bench with his second foul with 6:10 remaining in the second quarter.

With the Crimson Tide clinging to a 16-14 lead, Pottsville needed someone to step up offensively. That person turned out to be Sherakas.

"We were struggling to start the game," Pottsville coach Dave Mullaney said. "We were still working through some things, trying to find an identity with a different mix of guys. He absolutely stepped up for us."

Sherakas' first 3-pointer came from the left wing after a pair of offensive rebounds by Zak Tobin, who led all players with nine rebounds.

A minute later, Sherakas took a feed from Aiden Stanton in the corner and buried another 3-pointer, pumping his fist and yelling to the crowd - his Steph Curry highlight - as he headed back up the floor.

"We knew that with Schenk out and now with Barnes out with foul trouble that somebody had to step up," Sherakas said. "I guess I just filled that role."

After a Blue Mountain timeout, Sherakas scored on a drive to the basket with 3:22 left in the frame. Following a free throw by the Eagles' Blake Lipko, Sherakas converted a pair of free throws to give Pottsville a 26-15 lead with 2:36 remaining before halftime.

Blue Mountain sliced the Pottsville lead to 26-20 by halftime, but would get no closer.

In the first half, Sherakas was 4-of-5 from the field, 4-of-5 from the foul line and assisted on another bucket.

"Trevor has done that for us all year. I'm just so proud of him," Mullaney said. "His ability on the offensive end has just been amazing ... his ability to shoot the ball and get to the basket. He's always been great defensively, but he's been consistently for us all year doing that."

Sherakas was able to get open for his jumpers and able to convert on driving attempts through lane because Pottsville ran a spread-type offense full of motion.

Without the 6-5 Schenk in the middle, Pottsville's tallest players were Barnes, Tobin and J.R. Hahner, who all stand 6-1. Blue Mountain, meanwhile, had four players in its top-seven rotation that stand 6-3 or taller.

By spreading things out, running cutters through the lane and setting screens, Pottsville was able to get wide-open looks from the perimeter or lanes to the basket against Blue Mountain's man-to-man defense.

"We tried to open it up a little bit," Mullaney said. "They had a height advantage and were trying to work it inside out. We just tried to spread them out with our open set, open some driving lanes for our guys.

"At times, we had some driving lanes available."

Added Blue Mountain coach Dustin Werdt: "They had kids step up that did a little more than they're accustomed to doing. That started with dribble penetration, and Sherakas made us pay when they did that."

Sherakas was one of four seniors who started Saturday for Pottsville, and he couldn't stop smiling as he cradled the Schuylkill League trophy while talking to the media.

The title is Pottsville's second straight, fourth in five years and eighth in the past 10 years.

"If feels great. This is what we strive to do at the beginning of the year," Sherakas said. "You see that board (pointing to the list of Pottsville's league titles), you know how many times we win this."

Thanks to Sherakas, the Tide can add another year to that list.

Contact the writer: Lboyer@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6026; @pubsportsboss on Twitter

BOYS' BASKETBALL: Pottsville defense suffocates Mahanoy Area
JACQUELINE DORMER / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERPottsville's Mason Barnes goes to the basket over Mahanoy Area's Shane Miller during the Schuylkill League boys' basketball semifinal game at Martz Hall in Pottsville on Friday evening, February 15, 2019. Looking on are Pottsville's Zak Tobin (22) and Mahanoy's Chase Mazalusky (21).

JACQUELINE DORMER / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Pottsville's Mason Barnes, right, collides with Mahanoy Area's Chase Mazalusky on his way to the basket during Friday's Schuylkill League boys' basketball semifinal at Martz Hall. Barnes scored a game-high 21 points in the Tide's 56-13 win.

Image Gallery for BOYS' BASKETBALL: Pottsville defense suffocates Mahanoy Area

POTTSVILLE - Absolute domination.

The display Pottsville put on in the second game of Friday night's Schuylkill League boys' basketball semifinals at Martz Hall exhibited why the Crimson Tide are heading to their 10th straight title game.

Mason Barnes scored 21 points and led a tenacious defensive attack to lift the Crimson Tide to a 56-13 victory over Mahanoy Area.

"He's been doing that all year," Pottsville head coach Dave Mullaney said of the junior guard. "We'll go to the stats and see how many steals he's averaging per game ... we've never really had anybody do that before."

Barnes pumped in 13 of his game-high 21 points in the third quarter as Pottsville (20-3) extended its already harrowing lead to 45-11 heading into the fourth quarter.

The Crimson Tide never allowed more than five points in a quarter as the Golden Bears (12-11) committed 27 turnovers before the teams pulled their starters midway through the final frame.

A fair number of those turnovers were unforced, and Mahanoy Area lost 11 of them in that lopsided third quarter.

"We'd like to think that our man-to-man defense, even if we're not trapping and in our press, that we try to wear teams down, and I think some of those (turnovers) were caused by our pressure," Mullaney said.

That pressure held Mahanoy Area to its lowest point total of the season, and the 43-point gap is Pottsville's largest margin of victory.

Things were relatively even early, however, with the Crimson Tide leading 8-5 after one period. But Pottsville outscored the Golden Bears 13-2 in the second period, including a 7-0 run midway through the frame.

Karl Marcellus scored the quarter's only bucket for Mahanoy Area with 1:17 left, breaking a scoring drought that lasted over eight minutes.

"Defensively, (the Crimson Tide) are just so good pressuring the ball and denying the wings that we really couldn't get into much offense," Mahanoy Area head coach Ethan Eichhorst said.

Noah Atkins paced the Golden Bears with five points while Shane Miller pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds.

Miller, a 6-foot-4 junior, came into the game scoring 17.2 points per outing, but managed just two points on a basket late in the first quarter.

"Miller and (Chase) Mazalusky do a phenomenal job of attacking the glass and securing rebounds," Eichhorst said. "We were trying to look in to them because (Kevin) Schenk wasn't playing."

Schenk is Pottsville's leading scorer (15.9) this season, but as Eichhorst mentioned, the 6-5 forward was absent from Friday's semifinal matchup and won't play in the tonight's final against Blue Mountain.

The junior is suspended for disciplinary reasons and left a gap in the Crimson Tide post. Senior Zak Tobin got the start in his place, and he and Matt Salata played Schenk's typical role masterfully.

"They did a great job. With Zak, we always looked at him as another starter for us, he's kind of been like that all year, so we weren't concerned about that," Mullaney said. "We were more concerned with having one less guy in our rotation with how we want our guys to play."

Mahanoy Area will look ahead to the District 11 Class AA playoffs, while Pottsville may feel Schenk's absence a little stronger tonight.

The Crimson Tide have already handed Blue Mountain two losses this season, but the two teams will meet in the league final for the fourth consecutive time. The Eagles won a tightly contested 63-54 matchup over Lourdes in the first semifinal, and with Schenk out tonight, Blue Mountain certainly has the size advantage over Pottsville.

"It's a Schuylkill League championship against a rival, so both teams will be ready to go," Mullaney said.

Contact the writer: Lkropp@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6010; @luke_kropp on Twitter

Game Summary

Schuylkill League Semifinals At Martz Hall

POTTSVILLE (56) - Sherakas 3 1-2 8, Barnes 9 2-3 21, R. Stanton 0 0-0 0, Salata 2 0-0 4, A. Stanton 3 0-0 9, McCord 0 0-0 0, Tobin 2 0-0 4, DiCello 1 0-0 2, Hahner 3 2-2 8. Totals 23 3-5 56.

MAHANOY AREA (13) - Crespo 1 0-0 2, Feliciano 0 0-0 0, K. Marcellus 2 0-0 4, D. Marcellus 0 0-0 0, Ramos 0 0-0 0, Wall 0 0-2 0, Atkins 2 1-2 5, Mazalusky 0 0-0 0, Merchlinsky 0 0-0 0, Miller 1 0-0 2, Bickowski 0 0-0 0, Reed 0 0-0 0, Zilker 0 0-0 0, Napoli 0 0-0 0. Totals 6 1-4 13.

Potts (20-3) 8 13 24 11 - 56 Mah (12-11) 5 2 4 2 - 13

3-point FGs: Sherakas, Barnes, A. Stanton 3

Photo By John Liddle

WNEP 16 - Pottsville - Mahanoy Area

H.S. BOYS' BASKETBALL: Familiar faces in Schuylkill League playoffs

LUKE KROPP / PUBLISHED: FEBRUARY 12, 2019Text RHSPORTS to 74574 for sports news & scores

Andy Matsko / Staff PhotographerBlue Mountain's Jason Dean races down court with Pottsville's Aiden Stanton on Tuesday, January 9, 2019.
Image Gallery for H.S. BOYS' BASKETBALL: Familiar faces in Schuylkill League playoffs
There's not a bad seat in the house at Martz Hall.
It'll be easy for spectators to see all the familiar faces at the Schuylkill League boys' basketball semifinals Wednesday.
Pottsville, Lourdes, Mahanoy Area and Blue Mountain each formulated a season worthy of reaching the annual meeting, and three of those four teams are repeats from last year.
The Golden Bears haven't clinched a league playoff berth since 2015, but that was the tail end of four straight appearances. It's a whole new roster, but Mahanoy Area has been here before, too.
Here's a look at how the semifinalists got here and what to look for Wednesday:
Pottsville
The Crimson Tide (19-3, 14-0) opened their 2018-19 campaign 1-2 but followed that up with a 14-game winning streak and a clean sweep of Division I.
Just another outstanding season for Pottsville, marking its 10th straight D-I title.
Juniors Kevin Schenk and Mason Barnes are the life of the team, combining for 29.1 points per game and typically playing lights-out defense.
Schenk (15.9) is a 6-foot-5 center/forward capable of clapping an opponent's layup to the backboard and dunking or shooting 3s on the offensive end. Barnes (13.2) is a 6-foot-1 guard with a quick release and knack for stealing passes.
Those two juniors, combined with seniors Trevor Sherakas (9.3) and Aiden Stanton (5.0) around the perimeter and senior JR Hahner (6.1) in the paint, make for an almost unstoppable force when the offense is clicking.
The Crimson Tide, like all teams, sometimes have the tendency to make mental mistakes, which other teams will need to take advantage of if Pottsville starts slowly.
Health hasn't been a concern, as not one of Pottsville's starting five has missed a game all season.
The Crimson Tide are primed to make it back-to-back Schuylkill League titles, already having beaten potential championship game foe Blue Mountain twice this season. But first, they have to go through Mahanoy Area.
Mahanoy Area
The Golden Bears (12-10, 8-5) didn't secure their league playoff berth until the final game of the season, a 55-41 win over Weatherly on Saturday.
The Division III champs' five losses came to the top three teams in Division II (Lourdes, Schuylkill Haven and Minersville) and twice to Nativity, which trailed close behind Mahanoy Area in the standings for nearly a month.
This would be a different story if the Hilltoppers beat Marian on Friday night, a game that would've sent them to the league playoffs with a win, but Nativity's misfortune saved the Golden Bears.
Mahanoy Area's season hasn't exactly been consistent with its longest win streaks at just three games at two different points while never losing more than two in a row.
While a relatively low-scoring team (50.7), the Golden Bears' leading point getter is junior Shane Miller (17.2), a 6-foot-4 center who can draw fouls, knock down 3-pointers and stuff opponents' shots.
Senior forward Noah Atkins (8.6) has also had his share of breakout offensive performances, while junior forward Chase Mazalusky (7.6) is a pesky defender head coach Ethan Eichhorst said is typically tasked with guarding the opposition's best player.
An up-and-down season can insinuate inconsistency, but these Golden Bears play physical and passionate basketball, making for an intriguing matchup with Pottsville.
Mahanoy Area's last Schuylkill League title came in a 45-44 win over the Crimson Tide in 2014.
Lourdes
The Red Raiders (19-3, 12-1) haven't lost since the 68-47 stunner in Minersville on Jan. 3, closing their regular season with 10 straight wins.
The last three contests of the regular season saw wins over Schuylkill Haven and Minersville, the two hot teams giving chase to Lourdes in Division II, and Mahanoy Area.
Despite head coach Adam Sandri serving a three-game suspension late in the season, the defending PIAA Class A state runner-up is on quite a tear and will represent D-II in the Schuylkill League playoffs for the third straight season.
The Raiders have a group of spectacular outside shooters, but the anchor of this Lourdes team is senior forward Thomas Schultz (21.7).
Listed on the official Lourdes roster at 6-foot-6, Schultz is the tallest player in this year's tournament and by far the highest scorer. Schultz hasn't recorded a single 3-pointer, but he's pumped in almost a third of his team's points this season.
Surrounding Schultz are guards Ty Klembara (15.5) and Adam Sandri (14.6), who combined for 88 3-pointers. Together, the trio makes for 79 percent of the Raiders' scoring.
Lourdes is an exciting team to watch. The Raiders can play fast and physical while taking advantage of every mistake opportunity the other team gives them.
But, if they want to win, they need to win now. Schultz, Klembara and fellow senior Jacob Rees (1.9) are gone after this season, leaving huge gaps in the 2019-20 starting lineup.
Blue Mountain
After losing twice to Division I champion Pottsville, the Eagles (18-4, 11-3) needed to keep their tight lead over Tamaqua for the wild card spot.
And they did just that until finally shoring up the berth with a 69-56 win over the Blue Raiders on Feb. 7.
It's Blue Mountain's fourth straight league postseason appearance and sixth out of the last seven seasons as the wild card, winning the league as recently as 2017 with a win over the Crimson Tide.
The Eagles rattled off 11 straight victories to open the 2018-19 slate until Pottsville derailed that run at Martz Hall in a 63-45 showing Jan. 8. The only other Schuylkill League team to beat Dustin Werdt's squad was Panther Valley in a 101-91 overtime shootout.
Despite the slipups, the Eagles are hard to beat, and senior Gavin Conway (16.8) has made a name for himself this season.
The senior guard pumped in 21.1 points per game in the last eight games of January, a point in the season when established senior guard Drew Grace (10.3) missed some time nursing a foot injury.
Junior guard Alex Ketch (9.9) leads the team with 49 3-pointers, rounding out Blue Mountain's arsenal of shooters, while senior forward Nate Nabholz (8.5) and junior forward Jason Dean (5.4) comprise what appeared to be the league's most complete team heading into the season.
With all of those players standing at least 6-feet, the Eagles will be a tall task for Lourdes in the first semifinal matchup. It will be a rematch of last year's semifinal, in which Blue Mountain beat the Raiders 78-58.
(Kropp is the boys' basketball beat writer for The Republican-Herald. He can be contacted at lkropp@republicanherald.com

H.S. BOYS' BASKETBALL: Schuylkill League semifinal preview capsules

LUKE KROPP / PUBLISHED: FEBRUARY 12, 2019

Schuylkill League Boys' Basketball Playoff Preview Capsules

First Semifinal

Lourdes (19-3, 12-1) vs. Blue Mountain (18-4, 11-3)

When: Wednesday, 6 p.m.

Where: Martz Hall

About the Red Raiders

How they got here: Only league loss came to Minersville, but the Division II champs won 10 straight games to finish the season.

Last league playoff appearance: Lost to Blue Mountain in the 2018 semifinals.

Team statistics: Offense (65.7 points per game), defense (50.0)

Probable starting lineup: Thomas Schultz (sr., 21.7), Ty Klembara (sr., 15.5, 42 3-pointers), Adam Sandri (jr., 14.6, 46 3-pointers), Garrett Timco (soph., 2.4, 9 3-pointers), Jacob Rees (sr., 1.9)

Key reserves: Hunter Reed (soph.), Gabe Klembara (soph.)

About the Eagles

How they got here: Won the Division I wild card. Only two league losses came against Pottsville twice and Panther Valley.

Last league playoff appearance: Lost to Pottsville in the 2018 championship.

Team statistics: Offense (60.6 points per game), defense (49.4)

Probable starting lineup: Drew Grace (sr., 10.3, 38 3-pointers), Gavin Conway (sr., 16.8, 45 3-pointers), Alex Ketch (jr., 9.9, 49 3-pointers), Jason Dean (jr., 5.4, 1 3-pointer), Nate Nabholz (sr., 8.5, 11 3-pointers)

Key reserves: Blake Lipko (jr.), Keenan Cryts (soph.), Aiden Carr (jr.)

Up next: Winner faces the winner of Pottsville and Mahanoy Area in the league title game at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Martz Hall.

Second Semifinal

Pottsville (19-3, 14-0) vs. Mahanoy Area (12-10, 8-5)

When: Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Martz Hall

About the Crimson Tide

How they got here: Scheduling tough non-league opponents early primed the Crimson Tide to run the table in Division I.

Last league playoff appearance: Defeated Blue Mountain in the 2018 championship game.

Team statistics: Offense (59.6 points per game), defense (39.2)

Probable starting lineup: Kevin Schenk (jr., 15.9, 35 3-pointers), Trevor Sherakas (sr., 9.3, 40 3-pointers), Mason Barnes (jr., 13.2, 34 3-pointers), Aiden Stanton (sr., 5.0, 28 3-pointers), JR Hahner (sr., 6.1, 4 3-pointers)

Key reserves: Riley Stanton (jr.), Matt Salata (jr.), Zak Tobin (sr.)

About the Golden Bears

How they got here: Clinched the Division III title in the final league game of the season. Captured the division by a single game over Nativity and Marian.

Last league playoff appearance: Lost to Pottsville in the 2015 semifinals.

Team statistics: Offense (50.7 points per game), defense (49.2)

Probable starting lineup: Allen Feliciano (jr., 3.9, 21 3-pointers), Shane Miller (jr., 17.2, 28 3-pointers), Noah Atkins (sr., 8.6, 16 3-pointers), Chase Mazalusky (jr., 7.6), Josh Ramos (soph., 2.7, 13 3-pointers)

Key reserves: Marcus Crespo (sr.), Karl Marcellus (jr.), Tony Merchlinsky (jr.)

Up next: Winner faces the winner of Lourdes and Blue Mountain in the league title game at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Martz Hall.

- Compiled by Luke Kropp

On to Schuylkill League Playoffs

Pottsville 60

Lehighton 32

LEHIGHTON - Kevin Schenk led a quartet of Pottsville players in double figures with 15 points, as the Crimson Tide stopped Lehighton in Division I action.

Following Schenk were Aiden Stanton with 11 points, and Trevor Sherakas and JR Hahner with 10 apiece as Pottsville opened the game on a 23-8 run and led 37-15 at intermission.

Stephen Heery paced the Indians with eight points.

POTTSVILLE (60) -Schenk 7 0-0 15, Sherakas 3 2-2 10, Barnes 3 0-0 7, Heimbaugh 0 0-0 0, R. Stanton 1 0-0 2, Salata 0 0-0 0, A. Stanton 4 0-0 11, McCord 1 0-0 3, Tobin 0 0-0 0, DiCello 1 0-0 2, Hahner 5 0-0 10. Totals 25 2-2 60.

LEHIGHTON (32) - Strauss 0 0-0 0, Heery 3 2-4 8, Hunsicker 2 0-0 6, Crum 0 0-0 0, Beers 1 0-0 2, Smith 0 0-0 0, Beatty 0 0-0 0, Schwab 1 0-0 3, Howland 2 0-0 4, Potts 3 0-0 7, Schatz 1 0-0 2. Totals 13 2-4 32.

Po (19-3, 14-0) 23 14 16 7 - 60 Leh (6-15, 4-10) 8 7 7 10 - 32

3-point FGs: A. Stanton 3, Sherakas 2, McCord, Barnes, Schenk, Hunsicker 2, Schwab, Potts

JV score: Pottsville 58-36

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Pottsville 66

North Schuylkill 30

POTTSVILLE - Mason Barnes and Kevin Schenk led Pottsville to a 38-15 halftime lead, and the Crimson Tide cruised to a Division I victory.

Both had big first halves, with Barnes scoring 12 of his 15 points before intermission, and Schenk netting nine of his game-high 16.

NORTH SCHUYLKILL (30) - Stokes 4 0-0 8, Stavinski 1 2-2 5, Weikel 0 2-2 2, White 0 0-0 0, Grigas 0 0-0 0, Flynn 1 0-0 3, Burke 1 0-0 3, Groody 1 0-0 3, Scott 2 0-0 4, Felty 0 0-0 0, Kempsey 1 0-0 2. Totals 11 4-4 30.

POTTSVILLE (66) - Schenk 5 6-7 16, Sherakas 1 1-4 3, Barnes 7 0-0 15, Heimbaugh 0 0-0 0, R. Stanton 0 0-0 0, Salata 4 0-2 8, A. Stanton 3 0-0 8, McCord 1 2-2 5, Tobin 1 0-0 2, DiCello 1 0-0 2, Hahner 3 1-2 7. Totals 26 10-17 66.

NS (5-16, 2-11) 7 8 8 7 - 30 Po (18-3, 13-0) 23 15 19 9 - 66

3-point FGs: Stavinski, Flynn, Burke, Groody, A. Stanton 2, Barnes, McCord

JV score: Pottsville 84-47

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Pottsville 77

Panther Valley 51

POTTSVILLE - Kevin Schenk scored 13 of his team-high 25 points in the first quarter as the Crimson Tide rolled out to a 21-13 lead and never looked back in recording the Division I victory over the Panthers.

JR Hahner and Trevor Sherakas added 14 and 13 points, respectively, for the Crimson Tide (17-3, 12-0), which remained unbeaten in league play.

Rene Figueroa scored a game-high 32 points to pace Panther Valley (13-6, 6-6).

PANTHER VALLEY (51) - Marchorro 3 0-0 6, Stilitino 1 0-0 3, Buzzard 2 0-0 4, T. Turner 0 0-0 0, Figueroa 13 5-5 32, White 2 0-0 4, Brettle 0 0-0 0, Krapf 0 0-0 0, Eidle 0 0-0 0, Hoben 0 0-0 0, Miller 0 0-0 0, Berk 1 0-0 2, G. Turner 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 5-5 51.

POTTSVILLE (77) - Schenk 9 2-2 25, Sherakas 4 2-3 13, Barnes 3 0-1 8, Hahner 7 0-0 14, Dicello 0 0-0 0, Heimbaugh 0 0-0 0, R. Stanton 2 0-0 5, Salata 3 0-0 7, A. Stanton 0 0-0 0, Tobin 2 0-0 4, McCord 0 1-2 1. Totals 30 8-12 77.

PV (13-6, 6-6) 13 9 12 17 - 51 Potts (17-3, 12-0) 21 21 15 20 - 77

3-point FGs: Stilitino, Figueroa, Schenk 5, Sherakas 3, Barnes 2, R. Stanton, Salata

JV score: Pottsville 62-35

TIDE Clinch Title

H.S BOYS' BASKETBALL: Pottsville beats Blue Mountain for 10th straight division title

JACQUELINE DORMER / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERPottsville's JR Hahner goes to the basket between Blue Mountain defenders Blake Lipko (15) and Gavin Conway (21) in the Schuylkill League Division I boys' basketball game in Orwigsburg on Friday evening, February 1, 2019. Blue Mountain's Alex Ketch is seen in foreground (22).
JACQUELINE DORMER / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Pottsville's Mason Barnes drives to the basket while Blue Mountain's Jason Dean (24), Gavin Conway (21) and Aidan Carr (33) defend during Friday's Schuylkill League Division I boys' basketball clash in Orwigsburg. Barnes scored a game-high 20 points in the Tide's 58-45 win.
Image Gallery for H.S BOYS' BASKETBALL: Pottsville beats Blue Mountain for 10th straight division title
ORWIGSBURG - Part two of the season series is in the books, and it may not be the last.
Not only did Pottsville capture its second win over rival Blue Mountain this year, but the Crimson Tide clinched the Schuylkill League Division I boys' basketball title in a 58-45 victory Friday night.
This marks Pottsville's 10th straight Division I championship.
"The overall Schuylkill Leagues and the district titles, that's all stuff we want to do, but that really tells you about a team, what they've accomplished throughout a season," Pottsville head coach Dave Mullaney said of his team's success. "We're really proud of that. We know how hard it's been, all the games over the years, to do that."
The Eagles aren't that far behind. With Blue Mountain in wild-card position, the two programs could meet again in the league playoffs or District 11 Class 5A playoffs, or both.
The Crimson Tide have earned bragging rights for now.
Friday, Mason Barnes scored 15 of his game-high 20 points in the second half as Pottsville (16-3, 11-0 D-I) surged to the victory.
The junior guard connected on a tough layup and sunk his "and one" with 6:08 left in the fourth quarter to spark a 13-0 tear that turned a 37-34 game into a late 16-point lead.
"Mason is just a really unique athlete who can score a variety of ways," Mullaney said. "A lot of times he gets us going with his defense, getting a steal, but he gets to the basket very well. He's often in the middle of those runs when we have them."
Blue Mountain (15-4, 8-3) had a tough time stopping the Crimson Tide's late scoring run with several players in foul trouble.
Gavin Conway paced the Eagles with 14 points, but the senior guard caught his fourth foul sending Barnes to the line for that three-point play.
Blake Lipko earned his fourth foul as Kevin Schenk muscled in for a bucket and went to the line with 5:06 left.
Schenk added 13 points for Pottsville and assisted on the next possession, handing the ball to Barnes, who buried a 3-pointer from the left wing to put the Crimson Tide ahead 45-34 with 4:35 to play.
Following a timeout, Nate Nabholz fouled out of the game as Schenk converted on a pair of free throws with 3:57 left.
Nabholz is a key piece on both ends of the floor for Blue Mountain, and losing him threw a wrench in the Eagles' late comeback effort.
"You want your starters on the floor when the game is on the line," Blue Mountain head coach Dustin Werdt said. "I believe there was about five possessions in a row where we had empty possessions where we either turned it over or took a quick shot, and then from there they hit a few 3s in that same span."
After the Eagles missed their sixth shot in a row, Trevor Sherakas scored the final points of the Crimson Tide's run with a 3-pointer from the left corner, extending the lead to 50-34 at the 3:35 mark.
Drew Grace, who injured his foot earlier this season, fell to the floor late in the third quarter and limped off the court. But, with his ankle taped after the scary moment, the senior guard returned with 39 seconds left in the period.
The Eagles will need all their starters ready and healthy moving forward if they want to secure a league playoff berth.
Blue Mountain's loss, coupled with Tamaqua's 61-43 win over North Schuylkill, leaves the Eagles and Blue Raiders tied for the Division I wild card with 8-3 marks with three games left to play. Blue Mountain beat Tamaqua 57-49 in the first meeting Jan. 3 in Orwigsburg.
"We said to the kids if you go 3-0 the last three games of the year, you're in the league playoffs," Werdt said. "To take care of business we've got to take one game at a time."
Blue Mountain, which lost three of its last four, has road contests at Jim Thorpe and Tamaqua before closing the season with Pine Grove.
The Crimson Tide also extended their lead over Blue Mountain in the district playoff race, another bracket where the teams could meet again.
Pottsville finishes its regular season with home games against Panther Valley and North Schuylkill before heading to Lehighton.
Contact the writer: Lkropp@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6010; @luke_kropp on Twitter
Game Summary
POTTSVILLE (58) - Schenk 4 5-6 13, Sherakas 2 2-2 8, Barnes 6 7-5 20, R. Stanton 0 0-1 0, Salata 0 0-0 0, A. Stanton 1 2-4 5, Tobin 2 1-2 6, Hahner 2 2-4 6. Totals 17 17-26 58.
BLUE MOUNTAIN (45) - Grace 0 2-2 2, Cryts 0 0-0 0, Lipko 0 1-2 1, Conway 5 2-2 14, Ketch 5 0-0 12, Dean 1 6-9 8, Nabholz 2 2-2 6, Carr 1 0-1 2. Totals 14 13-18 45.
Pot (16-3, 11-0) 10 15 12 21 - 58 BM (15-4, 8-3) 12 6 14 13 - 45
3-point FGs: Sherakas 2, Barnes 3, A. Stanton, Tobin, Conway 2, Ketch 2
JV Score: Pottsville 59-31

Scranton Prep halts Pottsville comeback

JACQUELINE DORMER / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Pottsville's Kevin Schenk splits Scranton Prep defenders Brian Boland (2) and Rhys Merritt during Saturday's non-league game. Looking on is Scranton Prep's Leo O'Boyle (14).

JACQUELINE DORMER / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERScranton Prep's Brian Boland is defended by Pottsville's Trevor Sherakas in the non-league boys' basketball game at Martz Hall in Pottsville on Saturday afternoon, January 26, 2019.

Image Gallery for H.S. BOYS' BASKETBALL: Scranton Prep halts Pottsville comeback

POTTSVILLE - Scranton Prep's visit to Martz Hall provided a playoff atmosphere.

Pottsville's second-half surge brought the excitement.

The Crimson Tide cut a 20-point halftime deficit to two early in the fourth quarter, but the Cavaliers escaped with a 56-47 victory in a heated non-league contest Saturday afternoon.

According to the Sunbury Daily Item's state basketball rankings through Jan. 20, Pottsville entered the week at No. 5 in Class 5A, while Scranton Prep was ranked sixth in 4A.

The matchup lived up to the hype.

Kevin Schenk pumped in a game-high 17 points and Mason Barnes added 15 as the juniors sparked Pottsville's second-half rally.

"I loved our guys' energy and the way we attacked in the second half, and I really felt at one point we were going to win the game," Pottsville head coach Dave Mullaney said. "But, they switched some things up defensively, which I think turned it a little bit at the end."

Before the Crimson Tide (15-3) could rally, however, the Cavaliers jumped ahead by outscoring Pottsville 25-3 in the second quarter.

Brian Boland paced four double-digit scorers for Scranton Prep (14-2) with 16 points, followed by Rhys Merritt's 13.

The Cavaliers spread the ball around and put on a shooting clinic during second-quarter runs of 18-2 and 6-0 as they burst to a 37-17 halftime lead.

Boland opened the quarter with two 3-pointers at 7:41 and 6:00 that bookended a 3-point play from Merritt and a jumper by Michael Skoff.

"The second quarter we had some really bad defensive breakdowns," Mullaney said. "There was about three or four of them, and (Scranton Prep) made us pay every time. We messed up some

switch calls, and they are that good, I think they scored all four possessions."

Right off a Pottsville timeout, Merritt and Boland recorded back-to-back buckets and Leo O'Boyle nailed a 3-pointer to take a 30-16 lead with 4:09 left in the half.

Scranton Prep shot 10-for-12 from the field in the period as Pottsville shot 1-for-9. A quick layup each from Merritt and Nick Genco inside 2½ minutes and a right-corner trey from O'Boyle at the 1:07 mark closed out the Cavaliers' scoring outburst.

"That won us the game," Scranton Prep head coach Andrew Kettel said. "A well-coached team like (Pottsville) is not going to not have a run. We talked about it at halftime. We made our run, but we knew we had to weather the storm because we knew they were going to come out here strong, and they did."

Merritt muscled in another basket to give Scranton Prep its biggest lead of the night at 39-17 a minute into the third quarter.

But, despite the Crimson Tide missing 10 straight field goals, Kettel was right. Pottsville kept shooting and driving, and the shots started to fall.

Schenk drove in a layup at the 6:40 mark before Trevor Sherakas scored the Crimson Tide's next six points to pull within 41-25 with 5:40 left in the third quarter.

As Merritt's last bucket of the game gave the Cavaliers a 45-26 lead at 3:40, Scranton Prep didn't score the rest of the period.

The scoring drought allowed Pottsville to make it interesting.

Barnes tallied nine of the quarter's final 13 points as Scranton Prep carried a 45-39 advantage into the fourth period.

Pottsville carried the momentum.

Barnes connected on a pair of free throws 32 seconds into the quarter and Schenk scored a transition layup at 6:36 to cut the Cavalier lead to 45-43.

O'Boyle stuffed the Tide's momentum, however, drawing a foul on two straight 3-pointers and hitting four of his six foul shots.

Pottsville didn't make another shot until the 42-second mark with the game out of reach.

"We've been facing adversity all year, and my senior group is resilient," Kettel said. "We've had some injuries and a double-overtime game last night. For us to drive an hour and a half and beat a state-ranked Pottsville team is terrific. I'm really proud of this crew."

Mario Rotell and O'Boyle, a Lafeyette commit nursing a foot injury, rounded out Scranton Prep's double-figure scorers with 11 and 10, respectively.

JR Hahner, who split time defending O'Boyle with Schenk, added eight points.

"I'm not disappointed with our guys' effort, but you've got to play 32 minutes to beat a team like Scranton Prep," Mullaney said. "We played about 16."

Contact the writer: Lkropp@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6010; @luke_kropp on Twitter

Game Summary

SCRANTON PREP (56) - Shermerhorn 1 0-0 2, Boland 5 4-5 16, Rotell 5 0-0 11, Genco 1 0-1 2, Skoff 1 0-0 2, O'Boyle 2 4-6 10, Merritt 6 1-2 13. Totals 21 9-14 56.

POTTSVILLE (47) - Schenk 7 2-3 17, Sherakas 2 2-2 6, Barnes 3 7-8 15, R. Stanton 0 0-0 0, Salata 0 0-0 0, A. Stanton 0 0-0 0, Tobin 0 1-2 1, Hahner 4 0-0 8. Totals 16 12-15 47.

SP (14-2) 12 25 8 11 - 56 Potts (15-3) 14 3 22 8 - 47

3-point FGs: Boland 2, Rotell, O'Boyle 2, Schenk, Barnes 2

JV Score: Scranton Prep 55-32

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Coach Mullaney's 250th Win

Pottsville 47

Pine Grove 29

PINE GROVE - Mason Barnes paced a balanced attack with 12 points as the Crimson Tide stifled the Cardinals in a Division I game.

Barnes had eight of his points in the first half as Pottsville built a 22-14 lead. Kevin Schenk then tallied seven of his 11 points in the final two frames as Pottsville pulled away.

Jordan Pena paced Pine Grove with eight points.

POTTSVILLE (47) - Schenk 3 4-4 11, Sherakas 3 0-0 9, Barnes 4 4-4 12, Heimbaugh 0 0-0 0, R. Stanton 0 0-0 0, Salata 0 0-0 0, A. Stanton 1 0-0 3, McCord 0 0-0 0, Tobin 2 0-0 5, DiCello 1 0-0 3, Hahner 1 2-2 4. Totals 15 10-10 47.

PINE GROVE (29) - Lengle 0 0-0 0, Leininger 3 0-0 6, C. Griffiths 0 0-0 0, Boyer 1 0-0 2, Culbert 1 5-7 7, Pena 3 2-2 8, A. Griffiths 1 0-0 2, C. Ibarra 0 0-2 0, D. Geesey 0 0-0 0, Hlavaty 1 0-0 2, K. Geesey 1 0-0 2. Totals 11 7-11 29.

Po (15-2, 10-0) 13 9 14 11 - 47 PG (7-10, 1-9) 10 4 9 6 - 29

3-point FGs: Schenk, Sherakas 3, A. Stanton, Tobin, DiCello

JV score: Pottsville 58-41

Pottsville 80

Tamaqua 41

TAMAQUA - Kevin Schenk led the Crimson Tide with 18 points followed by Mason Barnes (17) and JR Hahner (15) to win a Division I blowout over the Blue Raiders.

Lucas Gregoire paced Tamaqua with 15 points and Michael Bonetsky added 11.

POTTSVILLE (80) - Schenk 6 3-3 18, Sherakas 3 0-0 8, Barnes 6 2-3 17, Heimbaugh 1 0-0 3, R. Stanton 2 0-0 6, Salata 2 1-2 5, A Stanton 1 0-0 3, McCord 1 0-0 3, Tobin 1 0-0 2, DiCello 0 0-0 0, Hahner 7 1-1 15. Totals 29 7-9 80.

TAMAQUA (41) - Bonetsky 4 0-0 11, Stianche 0 2-2 2, Griffin 1 0-0 2, Mateyak 0 0-0 0, Knoblauch 2 0-0 5, Bolletino 0 0-0 0, Zehner 0 0-0 0, Gutierrez 0 0-0 0, Agosti 0 0-0 0, N. Gregoire 1 0-0 2, L. Gregoire 6 4-5 15, Stauffenberg 1 1-2 3. Totals 15 7-9 41.

Pot (14-2, 9-0) 22 17 24 17 - 80 Tam (11-5, 6-3) 17 8 7 9 - 41

3-point FGs: Schenk 3, Barnes 3, Sherakas 2, R. Stanton 2, Heimbaugh, A. Stanton, McCord, Bonetsky 3, Knoblauch

JV score: Pottsville 56-54

Pottsville 63

Jim Thorpe 27

JIM THORPE - Kevin Schenk scored 16 points, including four 3-pointers, in Pottsville's 20-point third period that lifted the Crimson Tide past Jim Thorpe in a Division I game.

The Tide held a 34-20 halftime lead before outscoring the Olympians 20-2 in the third period to pull away.

Aiden Stanton had 11 points and Riley Stanton added 10 for Pottsville.

POTTSVILLE (63) - Schenk 6 2-2 20, Sherakas 2 0-0 6, Barnes 2 1-2 6, R. Stanton 3 0-0 8, Salata 1 0-0 2, A. Stanton 4 0-0 11, McCord 1 0-2 2, Tobin 1 0-0 2, Hahner 2 2-4 6. Totals 24 5-10 63.

JIM THORPE (27) - Searfoss 3 0-0 8, Burak 1 0-0 3, Santiago 1 0-0 2, Cannariato 1 0-0 2, Condly 1 0-0 2, Fikentscher 0 0-2 0, Adames 1 1-2 3, Lauer 1 1-2 3, Rosahac 2 0-0 4. Totals 11 2-6 27.

Po (13-2, 8-0) 13 21 20 9 - 63 JT (7-9, 2-6) 8 12 2 5 - 27

3-point FGs: Schenk 4, Barnes, R. Stanton 2, A. Stanton 3, Searfoss 2, Burak

JV score: Pottsville 45-36

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Pottsville 68

Lehighton 33

POTTSVILLE — Kevin Schenk scored 14 of his game-high 16 points in the firtst half as the Crimson Tide rolled to a 41-15 advantage at the break en route to the Division I victory over the Indians.

In addition to Schenk, Mason Barnes scored nine of his 14 before the break and Trevor Sherakas, who finished with 11 points, knocked down a trio of triples in the first two quarters.

Zach Hunsicker paced the Indians with six points.

LEHIGHTON (33) — Strauss 0 0-0 0, Heery 0 0-0 0, Acosta 1 0-0 3, Hunsicker 2 1-2 6, Crum 1 0-0 3, Beers 0 1-2 1, Smith 0 0-0 0, Beatty 0 0-0 0, Haydt 2 0-0 4, Schwab 1 0-0 2, Howland 2 0-0 5, Yturrino 0 0-0 0, Lutz 0 0-0 0, Potts 2 1-1 5, Schatz 2 0-0 4. Totals 13 3-5 33.

POTTSVILLE (68) — Schenk 7 1-1 16, Sherakas 4 0-0 11, Barnes 5 2-2 14, Heimbaugh 0 0-0 0, R. Stanton 1 1-2 4, Salata 1 0-0 2, A. Stanton 2 0-0 5, McCord 1 2-4 5, Tobin 1 3-4 5, Dicello 2 0-0 4, Hahner 1 0-0 2. Totals 25 9-13 68.

Leh (4-10, 2-5) 7 8 5 13 — 33 Pott (12-2, 7-0) 19 22 15 12 — 68

3-point FGs: Acosta, Hunsicker, Crum, Howland, Sherakas 3, Barnes 2, Schenk, R. Stanton, A. Stanton, McCord

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Boys' basketball

Pottsville 62

Shamokin 49

POTTSVILLE - Mason Barnes and Kevin Schenk keyed a big second-quarter run as the Crimson Tide scored the non-league victory over the Indians.

Barnes scored 10 of his game-high 25 and Schenk had six of his 23 as Pottsville took control with an 18-7 second-quarter run.

SHAMOKIN (49) - Masser 4 0-0 9, Braggs 0 0-0 0, Bowers 5 5-6 16, West 3 2-2 9, Scicchitano 2 3-4 7, Filarski 3 0-0 6, Paul 1 0-1 2. Totals 18 10-13 49.

POTTSVILLE (62) - Schenk 9 2-3 23, Sherakas 2 1-4 6, Barnes 8 7-12 25, R. Stanton 1 0-0 3, Salada 0 0-0 0, A. Stanton 0 3-5 3, Tobin 0 0-0 0, Hahner 1 0-1 2. Totals 21 13-25 62.

Sham 13 7 13 6 - 49 Potts (11-2) 16 18 12 16 - 62

3-point FGs: Masser, Bowers, West, Schenk 3, Barnes 2, Sherakas, R. Stanton

JV score: Pottsville 66-54

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Crimson Tide Rolls Along

STAFF REPORT / PUBLISHED: JANUARY 10, 2019

ASHLAND The Crimson Tide displayed their balanced scoring attack and stingy defense once again.

Three players reached double digits as Pottsville defeated North Schuylkill 65-30 in a Schuylkill League Division I game Thursday.

Mason Barnes (12), Trevor Sherakas (12) and Kevin Schenk (10) led the Crimson Tide in scoring while holding the Spartans to single-digit efforts in the final three quarters.

Seven Pottsville players hit at least one 3-pointer as the Crimson Tide stayed perfect in Division I.

Nate Burke led North Schuylkill's offense with 10 points followed by Zack Stoke's nine.

POTTSVILLE (65) - Schenk 3 3-3 10, Sherakas 5 0-0 12, Barnes 4 3-3 12, Heimbaugh 0 2-2 2, R. Stanton 2 0-0 6, Salata 2 0-2 5, A. Stanton 2 0-0 5, McCord 0 0-0 0, Tobin 2 0-0 4, DiCello 0 0-0 0, Hahner 2 2-2 7. Totals 22 10-12 65.

NORTH SCHUYLKILL (30) - Stokes 3 2-2 9, Stavinski 3 0-0 7, Flynn 0 0-0 0, Burke 4 1-2 10, Kempsey 1 0-0 2, White 0 0-0 0, Weikel 0 2-4 2, Groody 0 0-0 0, Felty 0 0-0 0. Totals 11 5-8 30.

Pot (10-2, 6-0) 15 16 12 19 - 65 NS (4-8, 1-5) 10 6 8 6 - 30

3-point FGs: Schenk, Sherakas 2, Barnes, R. Stanton 2, Salata, A. Stanton, Hahner, Stokes, Stavinski, Burke

JV score: Pottsville 54-41

WNEP 16 Highlights - Pottsville - North Schuylkill

Pottsville - WNEP 16 Highlights

Stingy defense lifts Pottsville over Blue Mountain

LUKE KROPP / PUBLISHED: JANUARY 9, 2019
ANDY MATSKO / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Pottsville's Kevin Schenk goes to the basket as Blue Mountain's Drew Grace defends during Tuesday's Schuylkill League Division I game at Martz Hall. Schenk scored 20 points in the Crimson Tide's 63-45 win.
Andy Matsko / Staff PhotographerPottsville's Kevin Schenk shoots with Blue Mountain's Drew Grace defending on Tuesday, January 9, 2019.

POTTSVILLE - It wasn't the type of game Dave Mullaney expected.
Blue Mountain rattled off 11 straight wins to start the season before heading into Martz Hall on Tuesday night while Pottsville was riding a seven-game streak of its own.
The stage was set for a premier Schuylkill League Division I matchup, but Mason Barnes and the Crimson Tide's aggressive defense disrupted the Eagles' ball movement and lifted Pottsville to a 63-45 victory.
"We always come out and play with a lot of energy against Blue Mountain," Mullaney said. "I was really happy with our defensive effort. I think we made things tough on them. Even when they hit some shots early, I think we maintained a focus defensively throughout the game."
Barnes collected five steals and scored 12 of his 14 points in the first half to spark the home squad's rally and carry a 37-21 lead into halftime.
Pottsville (9-2, 5-0 D-I) came out swinging as Kevin Schenk blocked the Eagles' first shot of the game, and Barnes forced the first turnover 40 seconds in by tipping a pass and making an acrobatic save that landed in Schenk's hands.
Schenk, a 6-foot-5 junior, led all scorers with 20 points, hitting three 3-pointers.
Blue Mountain (11-1, 4-1) also came out aggressively, hitting contested jumpers around the arc, but its 14 first-half turnovers made it difficult to keep up.
"That's how we always want to play," Mullaney said. "There's times we have letdowns, but I think our guys were just really focused for this game, and we did it for 32 minutes."
Pottsville scored the first eight points of the game before Gavin Conway broke the shutout with a deep 3-pointer 4½ minutes in.
The Eagles' sharp shooters, senior guards Conway and Drew Grace, each hit three 3s in the first half pulling within four points of the Crimson Tide with 3:14 left in the second quarter.
But Barnes responded with a trey of his own before Pottsville took off on a 9-0 burst in the final 1:20 of the half.
"Barnes' energy defensively and him doing true point guard things along with being the great athlete that he is, I thought he really helped us to win," Mullaney said.
Schenk knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the key to start the tear, then received a stolen pass for a transition bucket at 1:06.
Barnes followed with a steal and fired the ball to Matt Salata, who was fouled in the paint and sank a pair of free throws with 40 seconds left.
Barnes then caught his fifth steal and fired in a reverse layup with 20 seconds left to give Pottsville the 37-21 lead at the break.
"When you turn the ball over as much as we did and play the kind of defense we did, that's the kind of result you're going to get," Blue Mountain head coach Dustin Werdt said. "It's certainly a learning experience for some of our guys even though a lot of them have been here and played in big games before.
"We're going to have to go back to the drawing board and learn from tonight."
Conway paced the Eagles with 15 points, while Grace and Alex Ketch followed with nine apiece.
But, Blue Mountain gave up 19 turnovers by the time Pottsville extended its lead to 31 points in the early fourth quarter.
Barnes finished his night by hitting a pair of free throws with 6:35 left in the final period as Pottsville took a 60-29 advantage, and the Eagles could not recover.
Blue Mountain gets a rematch at home Feb. 1 as the season winds down and the Schuylkill League playoff picture takes shape.
"Blue Mountain's a really good program that's really well-coached," Mullaney said. "This is an abnormal score differential in this series, so they'll be ready to go the next time they play us."
Contact the writer: Lkropp@republicanherald.com, (570) 628-6010, @luke_kropp on Twitter
Game Summary
BLUE MOUNTAIN (45) - Grace 3 0-0 9, Cryts 2 0-0 5, Lipko 0 0-0 0, Conway 4 4-7 15, Ketch 2 4-4 9, DiLorenzo 0 0-0 0, Dean 1 0-2 2, Nabholz 0 0-0 0, Heffner 0 0-0 0, Carr 0 0-0 0, Caulfield 0 0-0 0, Tidmore 1 0-0 2, Henninger 1 0-0 3. Totals 14 8-13 45.
POTTSVILLE (63) - Schenk 8 1-2 20, Sherakas 4 1-3 10, Barnes 5 3-4 14, Heimbaugh 0 0-0 0, R. Stanton 0 0-0 0, Salata 1 2-2 4, A. Stanton 2 0-1 5, McCord 0 0-0 0, Tobin 3 1-2 8, DiCello 0 0-0 0, Hahner 1 0-0 2. Totals 24 8-14 63.
BM (11-1, 4-1) 6 15 7 17 - 45 Pott (9-2, 5-0) 12 25 21 5 - 63
3-point FGs: Grace 3, Cryts, Conway 3, Ketch, Henninger, Schenk 3, Sherakas, Barnes, A. Stanton, Tobin
JV score: Pottsville 57-45

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

WNEP 16 - Crimson Tide Start

Pottsville 54

Williamsport 50

POTTSVILLE - Kevin Schenk posted 21 points as the Crimson Tide held off the Millionaires in a tight non-league game.

Pottsville hit nine 3-pointers to keep its close lead throughout, and Mason Barnes hit a pair of free throws to seal the victory.

Marcus Simmons scored nine of his team-high 12 points in the first half for Williamsport.

WILLIAMSPORT (50) - Ellzy 1 5-6 7, Jones 4 3-4 11, Nyman 0 0-0 0, Simmons 3 4-4 12, Ritter 2 0-1 4, Williams 3 4-5 10, Brown 3 0-2 6, Johnson 0 0-0 0, Evans-McQuay 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 16-22 50.

POTTSVILLE (54) - Schenk 8 2-4 21, Sherakas 4 0-1 10, Barnes 2 2-3 7, R. Stanton 1 0-0 3, A. Stanton 1 0-0 3, Tobin 1 1-2 4, Hahner 3 0-0 6, Salata 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 5-10 54.

Williamsport 6 17 14 13 - 50 Potts (8-2) 16 14 11 13 - 54

3-point FGs: Simmons 2, Schenk 3, Sherakas 2, Barnes, R. Stanton, A. Stanton, Tobin

JV score: Williamsport 60-50

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Crimson Tide Pounds the Panthers

STAFF REPORTS / PUBLISHED: JANUARY 4, 2019

Andy Matsko / Staff Photographer Pottsville's Kevin Schenk shoots at Panther Valley on Thursday, January 3, 2019.
Andy Matsko / Staff Photographer Pottsville's Mason Barnes grabs a rebound in front of Panther Valley's Blake White on Thursday, January 3, 2019.

LANSFORD - Panther Valley's up-tempo, high-powered offense was no match for Pottsville's physical defense Thursday night.
The Crimson Tide used a balanced scoring attack and a strong defensive effort to remain unbeaten in Schuylkill League Division I play with a 75-52 victory over the Panthers.
Kevin Schenk paced four players in double figures with 15 points for Pottsville, which stormed out to a 38-26 lead and then closed the game on a 20-8 run. J.R. Hahner and Aiden Stanton each added 16 points, while Riley Stanton tallied 12.
Aiden and Riley Stanton each hit four 3-pointers as the Crimson Tide connected 11 times from beyond the arc.
Rene Figueroa paced Panther Valley with 19 points, while Trey Turner had 13.

POTTSVILLE (75) - Schenk 7 0-0 15, Sherakas 1 0-0 3, Barnes 4 0-1 8, Hahner 8 0-1 16, DiCello 0 0-0 0, Heimbaugh 1 0-0 3, R. Stanton 4 0-0 12, Salata 0 0-0 0, A. Stanton 6 0-0 16, Tobin 0 2-2 2. Totals 30 4-6 75.
PANTHER VALLEY (52) - Marchorro 2 0-0 4, Stilitino 2 0-0 6, Buzzard 1 0-0 2, Turner 5 0-0 13, Figueroa 7 2-5 19, White 3 0-0 6, Brettle 1 0-0 2, Krapf 0 0-0 0, Eidle 0 0-0 0, Miller 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 2-5 52.
Potts (7-2, 4-0) 19 19 17 20 - 75 PV (8-2, 2-2) 10 16 18 8 - 52
3-point FGs: R. Stanton 4, A. Stanton 4, Schenk, Sherakas, Heimbaugh, Turner 3, Figueroa 3, Stilitino 2.
JV score: Pottsville 80-20

Pottsville - Panther Valley Highlights

Crimson Tide Rolls over the Raiders

Luke Kropp / Published: December 30, 2018

JACQUELINE DORMER / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Pottsville's Mason Barnes goes above the rim to score during Saturday's Schuylkill League Division I game against Tamaqua.

JACQUELINE DORMER / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Pottsville's Kevin Schenk dunks the ball as Tamaqua's Lucas Gregoire looks on during the Holiday Hoops at the Hall on Saturday at Martz Hall. The event was presented by the Pottsville Lions Club and Leo Club with all money raised going to local charities.

POTTSVILLE - Nothing outside 20 feet was falling for Pottsville.

The Crimson Tide were 1-for-13 from 3-point range in the first half as Tamaqua kept it close.

Pottsville came out shooting again in the third quarter, and this time the shots connected, as the Tide surged to a 54-36 win over the Blue Raiders in a Schuylkill League Division I game to close out Holiday Hoops at the Hall on Saturday at Martz Hall.

"Nothing changed," Pottsville head coach Dave Mullaney said after his team shot 6-for-12 beyond the arc in the second half. "We were really happy with the looks we got. We told our guys if we just keep shooting the ball, those are going to fall for us because they have all year."

Pottsville (6-2, 3-0 D-I) took a 21-19 lead into halftime as Mason Barnes hit the Crimson Tide's first 3-pointer from the left corner with 56 seconds left until the break.

But, the home squad found its range in the right corner as Barnes, who posted a game-high 17 points, broke open the scoring in the second half with a corner trey 18 seconds in.

Trevor Sherakas drilled a 3-pointer from the same spot a minute later to take a 27-21 advantage.

Tamaqua's leading scorer Brayden Knoblauch (11) sank a fadeaway jumper to pull the Blue Raiders (7-2, 2-1) within 29-25 at the 4:16 mark, but the Crimson Tide's shooters were relentless.

Zak Tobin kicked off an 11-2 run with a 3-pointer from that popular right corner in front of the Pottsville bench with 3:37 left in the third, followed by Barnes' Eurostep and contested bucket.

Aiden Stanton then burried his first of two 3s at 1:51 before Kevin Schenk was fouled on a tough shot and completed the three-point play to take a 40-27 lead heading into to fourth quarter.

"We got a little tired, they made a couple shots and it was kind of a combination of the two," Tamaqua head coach Jim Barron said of Pottsville's second-half scoring burst. "We hung in the first half as they missed some shots, but they hit a couple in the second half that allowed them to open it up."

Tamaqua was held to fewer than 10 points in the last three quarters, facing its biggest deficit when Stanton hit a 3-pointer from - you guessed it - the right corner to extend Pottsville's lead to 48-29 with 5:38 left in the game.

"It was nothing planned, just kind of who ended up with the ball," Mullaney said of the Crimson Tide's hot spot. "I did think we shared the ball really well, and all four quarters I think we were getting good looks from the perimeter."

Knoblauch scored the only 3-pointer for Tamaqua, but Michael Bonetsky and Lucas Gregiore were hard to defend inside the paint.

Bonetsky posted 10 for the Blue Raiders, heading to the free-throw line seven times. Gregiore followed with nine, including two tough putback layups and a highlight-reel-worthy and-one.

The Blue Raiders' seven-game win streak came to an end, however, as the Crimson Tide extended theirs to five and remained unbeaten in Division I.

"We've looked really good at times," Mullaney said. "Then there's other times there's just little details that our guys aren't always buying into, and I'm really hoping that they do because they're correctable mistakes. It's not a talent thing, they're correctable mistakes, and we've just got to keep working every day to get a little bit better."

Not all of Pottsville's points came from downtown. JR Hahner stole an errant pass and fired the ball down court to Schenk, and the 6-foot-5 junior threw down a two-handed dunk late in the first quarter. Schenk finished with 15 points.

Barnes followed with a steal and one-handed slam of his own midway through the second.

Contact the writer: Lkropp@republicanherald.com, (570) 628-6010, @luke_kropp on Twitter

Game Summary

TAMAQUA (36) - Bonetsky 3 4-7 10, Stianche 0 0-0 0, Griffin 0 0-0 0, Mateyak 0 0-0 0, Knoblauch 3 4-4 11, Bolletino 0 0-0 0, Zehner 2 2-2 6, Gutierrez 0 0-0 0, Agosti 0 0-0 0, N. Gregoire 0 0-0 0, L. Gregoire 4 1-1 9, Stauffenberg 0 0-1 0. Totals 12 11-15 36.

POTTSVILLE (54) - Schenk 6 3-6 15, Sherakas 2 2-2 8, Barnes 7 1-1 17, R. Stanton 0 0-0 0, Salata 0 0-0 0, A. Stanton 2 0-1 6, McCord 0 0-0 0, Tobin 2 0-0 5, DiCello 0 0-0 0, Hahner 1 1-2 3. Totals 20 7-12 54.

Tam (7-2, 2-1) 11 8 8 9 - 36 Pott (6-2, 3-0) 12 9 19 14 - 54

3-point FGs: Knoblauch, Sherakas 2, Barnes 2, A. Stanton 2, Tobin

JV score: Pottsville 59-44

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Crimson Tide Stuffs Northwestern Lehigh

Pottsville 72

NW Lehigh 39

POTTSVILLE - Kevin Schenk paced a trio of Pottsville players in double figures, leading the way with 22 points in the non-league victory over the Tigers.

Also for the Tide, Mason Barnes scored 16 and Trevor Sherakas added 13.

NORTHWESTERN LEHIGH (39) - Hebelka 0 1-2 1, Seyfried 2 1-2 5, Yadush 4 2-2 11, Hagadus 0 1-2 1, Bollinger 2 0-0 5, McCann 2 0-0 6, Rebert 0 1-2 1, Snyder 1 0-0 2, Thomas 1 2-2 4, Holmes 1 1-2 3. Totals 13 9-14 39.

POTTSVILLE (72) - Schenk 10 2-2 22, Sherakas 5 0-0 13, Barnes 5 2-2 16, Yost 0 0-0 0, R. Stanton 0 0-0 0, Salata 0 0-0 0, A. Stanton 3 0-1 8, McCord 0 0-0 0, Tobin 3 0-0 7, Dicello 1 0-0 2, Hahner 2 0-0 4. Totals 29 4-5 72.

NWL 8 4 15 12 - 39 Potts (5-2) 18 23 17 14 - 72

3-point FGs: McCann 2, Bollinger, Yadush, Barnes 4, Sherakas 3, A. Stanton 2, Tobin

JV score: No game

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Crimson Tide Clips the Cardinals
POTTSVILLE - The Crimson Tide played their best basketball when they needed to.

After starting slowly out of the gate, Kevin Schenk scored 14 of his 17 points in the second half and Mason Barnes came through in the clutch at the free-throw line as time was winding down.

Once the smoke cleared, Pottsville earned a tough 46-42 victory over Pine Grove in a Schuylkill League Division I contest Friday night at Martz Hall.

The Cardinals hit 10-of-12 from the free-throw line and Dawson Ibarra led a balanced scoring effort with 11 points, but it wasn't enough to catch the Crimson Tide.

Trevor Sherakas matched Schenk's 17 points, hitting two 3-pointers in the fourth quarter for Pottsville.

PINE GROVE (42) - Culbert 3 0-2 8, Pena 3 2-2 9, A. Griffiths 3 2-2 8, D. Ibarra 3 4-4 11, Hlavaty 2 2-2 6, Leininger 0 0-0 0, Geesey 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 10-12 42.

POTTSVILLE (46) - Schenk 8 0-1 17, Sherakas 7 0-0 17, Barnes 1 6-6 8, A. Stanton 0 0-1 0, Hahner 1 2-2 4, Tobin 0 0-0 0, Salata 0 0-0 0, R. Stanton 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 8-10 46.

PG (3-3, 1-2) 9 7 11 15 - 42 Pott (4-2, 2-0) 4 16 10 16 - 46

3-point FGs: Culbert 2, Pena, Ibarra, Schenk, Sherakas 3

JV score: Pottsville 55-30

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Pottsville runs past Olympians

LUKE KROPP / PUBLISHED: DECEMBER 18, 2018

Andy Matsko / Staff PhotographerJim Thorpe's Nate Rosahac and Pottsville's J.R. Hahner battle for a rebound on Monday, December 17, 2018.
ANDY MATSKO / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Pottsville's Mason Barnes passes the ball over Jim Thorpe's Tyler Burak during Monday's game.
Image Gallery for BOYS' BASKETBALL: Pottsville runs past Olympians
POTTSVILLE - The follow-up performance to Saturday's win over one of the state's top teams started slowly for the Crimson Tide.
Pottsville handed District 2 powerhouse Abington Heights its first loss over the weekend, but Monday night's Crimson Tide looked different as Jim Thorpe raced out to an early double-digit lead.
Then Pottsville flipped the script, leading a balanced scoring attack and an aggressive defensive effort to defeat the Olympians 62-27 in a Schuylkill League Division I game at Martz Hall.
Trevor Sherakas paced the Crimson Tide (3-2, 1-0 D-I) with 13 points and was trailed closely by Mason Barnes (11), Kevin Schenk (9) and Matt Salata (9).
"I thought our press generated some opportunities for us," Pottsville head coach Dave Mullaney said. "There were times within the game that our motion struggled and we were stagnant, but for the most part everybody we played I thought committed to really sharing the basketball."
Jim Thorpe (3-2, 0-1) was clicking and held a 12-2 lead five minutes in, but Pottsville's 14-0 run to close the first quarter completely changed the course of the game.
Sherakas scored the first two buckets of the run, dribbing into the lane for layup at the 2:40 mark and hitting a floater on the next possession with 2:10 left in the quarter.
JR Hahner then scored the next six, drawing a foul and completing a three-point play with 1:46 left and hitting a 3-pointer 16 seconds later to tie the game at 12.
Aiden Stanton dropped in a fastbreak layup with 45 seconds left, and the Olympians' turnover woes began.
After a Sherakas steal, Barnes threw a great pass to Zak Tobin, who hit the final basket of the quarter with 24 seconds left, giving the Crimson Tide a 16-12 lead.
And the Crimson Tide never let up.
Jim Thorpe never recovered.
"We didn't handle their pressure very well," Jim Thorpe head coach Jason McElmoyle said. "They pushed us out of some spots we wanted to be, and we have to do a better job of handling that."
Nate Rosahac led the Olympians with nine points, followed by Zach Searfoss's eight.
Jim Thorpe felt the pressure all night as Pottsville played a full-court press most of the game. Holding the Olympians to just three points in the second quarter, the Crimson Tide were cruising with a 28-15 lead at halftime.
Tyler Burak floated in a shot 30 seconds into the period, but Jim Thorpe didn't score again until Rosahac hit a free throw with 25 seconds left.
"We really challenged our kids not to have a letdown today after our win on Saturday, Mullaney said. "But I think we did come out and play hard. I thought Jim Thorpe played really well to start the game and they made some shots. I thought with the effort we were playing with we'd be able to wear them down eventually."
Pottsville held the Oylmpians to just four points in the third quarter, which was highlighted by two blocks that rocked the Crimson Tide student section.
The 6-foot-1 guard Barnes batted a Burak layup with 4:15 left. A few possessions later, after subbing in the big men, the 6-foot-5 forward Schenk stuffed Rosahac under the basket.
But, Rosahac recovered and scored the first points of the third quarter for Jim Thorpe with three minutes left on a tough layup.
The Crimson Tide continued to dominate on defense, rolling out to a 45-19 lead heading into the fourth.
"It's tough to turn that switch on to league play, but we know in Division I we can't afford to have too many losses," Mullaney said. "Every game is that important, and we know how competitive it's going to be, so it's great to get off to a good start."
Contact the writer: Lkropp@republicanherald.com, (570) 628-6010, @luke_kropp

Game Summary
JIM THORPE (27) - Searfoss 3 0-0 8, Burak 1 0-0 2, Davis 0 0-1 0, Hurley 0 0-0 0, Condly 1 0-0 2, Fikentscher 0 0-0 0, Adames 3 0-0 6, Lauer 0 0-2 0, Rosahac 4 1-2 9. Totals 12 1-5 27.
POTTSVILLE (62) - Schenk 3 2-3 9, Sherakas 6 0-0 13, Barnes 4 3-4 11, R. Stanton 0 0-0 0, Salata 3 2-2 9, A. Stanton 1 0-0 2, McCord 0 0-0 0, Tobin 2 0-0 4, DiCello 1 1-1 3, Hahner 4 1-1 11. Totals 24 9-11 62.
JT (3-2, 0-1) 12 3 4 8 - 27 Potts (3-2, 1-0) 16 12 17 17 - 62
3-point FGs: Searfoss 2, Schenk, Sherakas, Salata, Hahner 2
JV score: Pottsville 49-35

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Photo By John Liddle

Pottsville surges past Abington Heights (Number 1 Team in the State Last Year)

STAFF / PUBLISHED: DECEMBER 16, 2018
POTTSVILLE - Abington Heights made a late run.
Pottsville took control in the fourth quarter.
Kevin Schenk and Trevor Sherakas paced a game-closing run as Pottsville downed Abington Heights 57-46 in a non-league boys' basketball game Saturday afternoon at Martz Hall.
The Crimson Tide lost a 31-23 halftime lead, but Schenk and Sherakas led the late charge, each scoring seven fourth-quarter points.
Schenk finished with a game-high 21 points while Sherakas ended with 14 to move Pottsville to 2-2 before Schuylkill League play begins Monday.

ABINGTON HEIGHTS (46) - Tinsley 4 2-2 10, Perkins 2 1-1 5, D. Nealon 1 1-2 4, J. Nealon 5 0-0 12, Koehler 5 2-7 15. Totals 17 6-12 46.
POTTSVILLE (57) - Schenk 8 0-0 21, Sherakas 5 1-2 14, Barnes 3 4-4 10, R. Stanton 0 0-0 0, Salata 0 0-0 0, A. Stanton 0 1-2 1, Tobin 1 0-0 3, Hahner 3 1-2 8. Totals 20 7-10 57.
Ab. Heights 7 16 14 9 - 46 Potts (2-2) 17 14 9 17 - 57
3-point FGs: D. Nealon, J. Nealon 2, Kochler 3, Schenk 5, Sherakas 3, Tobin, Hahner
JV score: Pottsville 52-40

Photo By John Liddle

Crimson Tide Falls To Wilson

POTTSVILLE - Déja vu struck the Crimson Tide.

Pottsville found itself digging out of holes all night, attempting to close the gap again and again.

After cutting the deficit to one with just over a minute left, Pottsville couldn't quite complete a comeback as Wilson West Lawn defeated the Crimson Tide 51-47 at Martz Hall on Thursday night.

"Obviously our guys fought back, which is good," Pottsville head coach Dave Mullaney said. "But we're not playing our type of basketball right now. I think we had around 20 turnovers and we've never been like that."

Wilson forced back-to-back turnovers and broke out to an 11-point lead, tied for its biggest lead of the night, with 6:45 left in the fourth quarter.

The Crimson Tide (1-2) then mounted their final charge at a victory, as junior Mason Barnes hit a 3-pointer with 5:30 remaining. Junior Kevin Schenk scored a contested layup while falling to the floor, drawing a foul and making his free throw to pull within 43-38 at the five-minute mark.

Barnes led Pottsville with 15 points, all of which came in the second half, and went a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line.

Wilson's sophomore guard Stevie Mitchell completed a three-point play on the other end, followed by Barnes sinking two free throws to make it a 46-40 game with 4:42 left.

Mitchell scored a game-high 20 points for the Bulldogs.

"He's a division I kid, he's really good," Mullaney said. "Offensively he's good, but he actually really hurt us on the defensive end. He had a bunch of steals that he converted to layups on the other end, and we knew we weren't going to be able to hold him down the whole game."

After exchanging turnovers, Barnes hit a 3-pointer from the right wing and turned a steal into an easy bucket, slicing the deficit to 46-45 with 2:50 left.

Wilson responded immediately as senior Bryce Calloway hit a jump shot to go ahead 48-45 with just over two minutes to play.

Pottsville pulled within one as Schenk powered his way through the lane for a bucket to make it 48-47 with 1:14 left.

That was as close at the Crimson Tide would get, never regaining the lead after going ahead 17-15 midway through the second quarter.

The Bulldogs missed a pair of free throws as time wound down under a minute, but senior Aiden Stanton missed the go-ahead three with 18 seconds left.

Avanti Lockhart was fouled on the defensive rebound and hit both free throws this time, putting Wilson ahead 50-47.

Schenk then missed a game-tying three of his own, and as the ball came down a Bulldog knocked it out of bounds, giving Pottsville one last chance with 5.5 seconds left.

A jump ball was called as the inbound pass lobbed its way from under the basket to near halfcourt where Barnes and Mitchell fought for it, and possession resided with the Bulldogs.

And Mitchell's final free throw put the game away.

"I think (Mitchell) is only scratching the surface of how good he can be," Wilson head coach Matt Coldren said. "It was a good maturation game for him. He had to fight through some tough situations because Pottsville plays great team defense."

The Crimson Tide climbed back from early six-point deficit to pull even at 10 at the end of the first quarter.

But after surrendering a five-point lead two minutes into the second, Pottsville was playing from behind the rest of the night.

"Wilson's runs were frustrating," Mullaney said. "I was proud of our guys, and I did think there were times - and I'm sure I'll watch the film and feel a little bit better - that we executed some things on the offensive end. We just don't get enough shots because we turn it over too many times."

Senior Trevor Sherakas was the only other double-digit scorer for Pottsville, following Barnes with 13 points.

Contact the writer: Lkropp@republicanherald.com, (570) 628-6210, @luke_kropp

Game Summary

WILSON (51) - Koroma 1 0-0 2, Mitchell 9 1-4 20, Lockhart 3 2-3 8, Calloway 4 0-0 9, Doyle 0 0-0 0, Huffman 0 1-2 1, Kramer 0 0-0 0, Timochenko 5 0-0 11. Totals 21 4-9 51.

POTTSVILLE (47) - Schenk 4 1-1 9, Sherakas 5 0-0 13, Barnes 5 4-4 15, R. Stanton 0 0-0 0, Salata 0 0-0 0, A. Stanton 1 0-0 3, Tobin 2 3-4 7, Hahner 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 8-9 47.

Wilson () 10 11 18 12 - 51 Pottsville (1-2) 10 7 13 17 - 47

3-point FGs: Mitchell, Calloway, Timochenko, Sherakas 3, Barnes, A. Stanton

JV score: Wilson 44-30

Fouls Shots - Berks Catholic - 23 Pottsville - 0

Berks Catholic 34

Pottsville 30

READING - Mason Barnes knocked down for 3-pointers and led the Tide with 14 points as they hung tough with the Saints despite the fact that Berks Catholic shot 23 free throws compared to none for Pottsville.

Louis Garcia scored a game-high 15 points for the Saints.

POTTSVILLE (30) - Schenk 1 0-0 2, Sherakas 1 0-0 3, Barnes 5 0-0 14, A. Stanton 1 0-0 3, Tobin 2 0-0 6, Hahner 1 0-0 2, R. Stanton 0 0-0 0, Salata 0 0-0 0. Totals 11 0-0 30.

BERKS CATHOLIC (34) - Garcia 4 6-8 15, Derr 0 1-2 1, Painton 3 0-2 6, Mitchell 3 1-4 8, Jack 1 2-5 4, George 0 0-2 0. Totals 11 10-23 34.

Pottsville (1-1) 11 3 8 8 - 30 Berks Catholic 7 5 13 9 - 34

3-point FGs: Barnes 4, Tobin 2, Sherakas, A. Stanton

JV score: Pottsville 45-34

Pottsville routs Glen Mills in opener

STAFF / PUBLISHED: DECEMBER 8, 2018

CONCORDVILLE - Pottsville opened the boys' basketball season with a decisive win Friday night.

Three players scored in double digits as the Crimson Tide took a 59-27, non-league contest at Glen Mills.

Mason Barnes led the charge for Pottsville with 17 points, followed by Kevin Schenk (16) and Aiden Stanton (11).

After a 23-19 lead at half, the Tide pulled away over the Battling Bulls, holding them to eight points in the second half.

POTTSVILLE (59) - Schenk 6 3-4 16, Sherakas 2 0-0 4, Barnes 6 2-4 17, Yost 0 0-0 0, R. Stanton 2 0-0 5, Salata 0 0-0 0, A. Stanton 4 0-2 11, McCord 0 0-1 0, Tobin 2 0-0 5, DiCello 1 1-1 3, Hahner 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 6-12 59.

GLEN MILLS (27) - Hogan 1 0-1 2, Thompson 3 0-0 6, Guinyard 3 0-3 6, Askew 0 4-4 4, Johnson 1 3-3 5, Arroyo 1 0-0 2, Marten 0 0-0 0, Wright 1 0-0 2, Wallace 0 0-0 0, Lyle 0 0-1 0. Totals 10 7-12 27.

Pottsville (1-0) 10 13 17 19 - 59 Glen Mills (0-1) 10 9 4 4 - 27

3-point FGs: Schenk, Banres 3, R.Stanton, A.Stanton 3, Tobin.

2018 - 2019 Crimson Tide Basketball Seniors

DATE

Class

W/L

12/7/2018

Pottsville Crimson Tide

Glen Mills

5A

12/11/2018

Pottsville Crimson Tide

Berks Catholic

4A

12/13/2018

Pottsville Crimson Tide

Wilson Bulldogs

4A

12/15/2018

Pottsville Crimson Tide

Abington Heights

5A

12/17/2018

Pottsville Crimson Tide

Jim Thorpe Olympians

4A

12/21/2018

Pottsville Crimson Tide

Pine Grove Cardinals

3A

12/22/2018

Pottsville Crimson Tide

Northwestern Lehigh

4A

1/29/2018

Pottsville Crimson Tide

Tamaqua Blue Raiders

4A

1/3/2019

Pottsville Crimson Tide

Panther Valley Panthers

3A

1/5/2019

Pottsville Crimson Tide

Williamsport Millionaires

6A

1/8/2019

Pottsville Crimson Tide

Blue Mountain Eagles

5A

1/10/2019

Pottsville Crimson Tide

North Schuylkill Spartans

4A

1/14/2019

Pottsville Crimson Tide

Shamokin Indians

3A

1/15/2019

Pottsville Crimson Tide

Lehighton Indians

3A

1/19/2018

Pottsville Crimson Tide

Jim Thorpe Olympians

4A

1/22/2019

Pottsville Crimson Tide

Tamaqua Blue Raiders

4A

1/25/2019

Pottsville Crimson Tide

Pine Grove Cardinals

4A

1/26/2019

Pottsville Crimson Tide

Scranton Prep.

4A

1/29/2019

Pottsville Crimson Tide

Panther Valley Panthers

6A

2/1/2019

Pottsville Crimson Tide

Blue Mountain Eagles

5A

2/5/2019

Pottsville Crimson Tide

North Schuylkill Spartans

4A

2/8/2019

Pottsville Crimson Tide

Lehighton Indians

4A

2019 Home Page