JACQUELINE DORMER / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Pottsville's Mason Barnes attempts a three-point-shot as West Chester East's Kieran Hefferan defends during the PIAA Class 5A basketball game at the Geigle Complex in Reading on Tuesday, March 10, 2020.

Image Gallery for HS BASKETBALL: Tide's Barnes named to Class 5A All-State team

POTTSVILLE - Mason Barnes' senior year has been full of individual and team accolades.

He added one more today.

The Crimson Tide senior point guard was named to the Pennsylvania Sports Writers Class 5A All-State third team for the second straight season after averaging 17.0 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists for the Schuylkill League champions.

A 6-foot-1 point guard, Barnes was The Republican-Herald All-Area Boys' Basketball Player of the Year and finished his career with more than 1,000 points for Pottsville, which finished 22-6 overall and reached the second round of the PIAA Class 5A playoffs before falling to West Chester East on a last-second shot.

"I put my all into the season ... both seasons," said Barnes, also a standout on

the Crimson Tide's district-championship football team. "I was willing to work with my teammates and work with my coaches to do what we needed to do to get where we got to."

Barnes knocked down 50 3-pointers and connected on 77 percent of his foul shots. A slasher on the best scoring defense in the area (43.0 ppg), Barnes also collected 75 steals.

A four-year contributor, Barnes filled a role early in his career as a 3-point shooter, but as he matured grew into the point-guard role. The past two seasons, Barnes has been one of the Tide's go-to players in critical situations.

"I'm just proud of him. He grew a lot over his four years here, and to make All-State in (Class) 5A as a junior and senior is a great accomplishment," Pottsville coach Dave Mullaney said. "He improved greatly over his four years. He was always a really good athlete, but he became a really complete basketball player by the end of his senior year."

Barnes' signature moment came Jan. 31 at Martz Hall, when he scored 43 points in a 69-52 win over rival Blue Mountain that clinched Pottsville's 11th straight Schuylkill League Division I title. He hit on 12-of-15 shots from the field, 5-of-7 from beyond the arc and 14-of-15 from the foul line.

"His overall leadership and his ability to play the point guard position at a high level," said Mullaney when asked what set Barnes apart from other players. "He always played well for us, but he really became a true point guard while still be able to score the ball. That was the biggest difference between his junior and senior years."

The second straight All-State honor caps a senior year that saw Barnes earn Republican-Herald All-Area first-team, Pennsylvania Football Writers and PFN Coaches Select All-State honors in football after excelling as a wide receiver and defensive back.

Barnes caught 50 passes for a school-record 854 yards and 14 touchdowns as a receiver and picked off nine passes as a defensive back as Pottsville won the District 11 Class 5A title and reached the PIAA quarterfinals. He finished his football career with 96 catches for 1,669 yards and 24 touchdowns.

Barnes, who was also Pottsville's football scholar-athlete, decided to continue his academic and athletic careers at DeSales University, where he will play basketball.

"The recruiting process was awesome," Barnes said. "It's amazing when college coaches are showing you love. DeSales was always there for my support, whenever I needed them. Coach (Scott) Coval is a great guy all-around. Assistant coach Darnell Braswell, I played for him in AAU ... he's a great guy, too."

Barnes said picking basketball over football was a tough decision. He selected DeSales over Randolph-Macon on the basketball court, while Lehigh and several Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference schools expressed interest in football.

"I always like basketball a little more than football, but it was a tough thing overall," Barnes said. "I was confused myself what to pick. My gut feeling was basketball, keep my body a little more healthy."

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

PA Sports Writers

5A All-State Team

First Team

Deuce Turner, 6-1 Sr. G, Malvern Prep

Rahsool Diggins, 6-3 Jr. G, Archbishop Wood

Andrew Carr, 6-10 Sr. F, West Chester East

Michael Carmody, 6-6 Sr. F, Mars

Quadir Copeland, 6-5 Jr. F, Gettysburg

Rodney Gallagher, 6-0 Fr. G, Laurel Highlands

Second Team

Jaylen Stinson, 6-0 Jr. G, Archbishop Wood

Daeshon Shepherd, 6-5 Jr. F, Archbishop Wood

Michael Lucarotti, 6-4 Jr. G, Erie Cathedral Prep

Aaron Lemon-Warren, 6-5 Jr. F, Archbishop Ryan

Gediminas Mokseckas, 6-4 Sr. F, Archbishop Ryan

Josh Parra, 6-5 Sr. F, Milton Hershey

Third Team

Mason Barnes, 6-1 Sr. G, Pottsville

Marcus Randolph, 6-4 Jr. F, Archbishop Wood

Logan Shanahan, 6-6 Sr. F, Unionville

Daryl Coleman, 6-4 Jr. F, Southern Lehigh

Seth Beers, 6-0 Sr. G, Lampeter-Strasburg

Elijah Rosenthal, 6-0 Sr. G, Wallenpaupack

Player of the Year: Deuce Turner, Malvern Prep

Coach of the Year: Tyrone Nesby, Muhlenberg

JACQUELINE DORMER / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Player of the Year Mason Barnes, seniorPottsville

LINDSEY SHUEY / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Pottsville's Mason Barnes (2) goes for a basket as Southern Lehigh's Kyle Hoff (24) tries to block him during the District 11 Class 5A boys' basketball championship game at Blue Mountain High School in Schuylkill Haven on Friday, Feb. 28, 2020.

Mason Barnes entered the 2016-17 boys' basketball season just like any other freshman.

He was a wide-eyed newcomer, simply hoping to contribute to Pottsville's success.

After four years of developing and mastering his craft, he became much more than a role-playing spot shooter. The Crimson Tide guard quickly became one of the best players in the Schuylkill League, and by his senior year, Barnes elevated his game to an entirely new level.

The 6-foot-1 senior could do it all, collecting buckets all over the floor and proving himself as one of the area's best defenders. Barnes passed the eye test in every category.

The top player on the Schuylkill League's best team, Barnes is The 2019-20 Republican-Herald All-Area Player of the Year.

Also receiving highest honors are two head coaches who facilitated major accomplishments at their programs for the first time in a while.

Schuylkill Haven's Fran Murphy, who coached the Hurricanes to their first Division II title and PIAA appearance since 2006, is The Republican-Herald All-Area Co-Coach of the Year.

Panther Valley's Patrick Crampsie shares that honor, rallying the Panthers late in the season to their first District 11 championship since 1986 and their first state playoff victory since that same year.

The Schuylkill League still had two boys' teams, Nativity (Class A) and Tamaqua (Class 4A), alive in the PIAA Tournament, each preparing for its respective quarterfinal match before the season was cut short due to a global pandemic.

It's an unfortunate way to end the year, but the Hilltoppers and Raiders certainly deserve recognition for being the only playoff teams in the area to finish the year with a win.

Mason Barnes

Player of the Year

When asked how Mason Barnes stacks up with some of the greats who left their mark on Pottsville boys' basketball in recent years, Crimson Tide head coach Dave Mullaney took a second to reflect.

"He's up there," the 13th-year coach said of Barnes. "I think if you put it to a vote, (Nick) Schlitzer would probably be one and (Travis) Blankenhorn two, but I think Mason is right up there with those guys.

"Nick was just phenomenal at everything and Travis was just such a great athlete, but as far as the way they played as seniors, I think Mason's in that top tier group with those two."

Barnes played the 2019-2020 season with an intensity like no other.

He paced the Tide in just about every statistic, averaging 17.0 points per game, 7.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists. He knocked down 50 3-pointers and connected on 77 percent of his foul shots. A slasher on the best scoring defense in the area (43.0), Barnes also collected 75 steals.

The most effective part of his game was his efficiency, with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.5 and hitting on 43 percent of his 3-point attempts.

Barnes played a major role in securing Pottsville's 11th consecutive Schuylkill League Division I title and third straight overall league crown and in lifting Pottsville to the District 11 Class 5A title game and into the PIAA second round.

"I have to give credit to my teammates and our coaching staff for pushing me and working with me over the last four years," Barnes said of earning Player of the Year honors. "They definitely pushed me to be the best player I could be, and it feels good to win this award."

Pottsville's season got off to a slow start. Barnes and his senior counterpart, 6-6 center Kevin Schenk, didn't have much time to prepare for basketball after the two football standouts helped the Tide reach the state quarterfinals.

Luckily the pair of athletes found their basketball legs. After starting 1-2, the Tide won 17 of their next 19, including a 10-game win streak, to finish the regular season 18-4. The Tide also ran the table in Division I for the second year in a row, finishing 14-0 in league play.

In a season of sustained success, one game sticks out as Barnes' most sensational night.

The highest-scoring individual performance by any player in the area this season, Barnes racked up a career-high 43 points to lead Pottsville to a 69-52 win over rival Blue Mountain on Jan. 31 at Martz Hall. The victory keyed by Barnes' absolute domination clinched the Division I title in his last-ever meeting with the Eagles.

"It's definitely one I'll never forget," said Barnes, who connected on 12-of-15 shots from the field, 5-of-7 from beyond the arc and 14-of-15 from the foul line that night.

"I started off the game slowly getting buckets. Coach came in at halftime, set the tone, yelled at us a little bit and got our minds ready. I came out the second half willing to do more and kind of let the game take over from there."

Every Player of the Year needs that signature moment.

His scoring numbers didn't jump out every game, but Barnes was a vocal leader on the court and created opportunities for his teammates to score.

That incredible night against Blue Mountain, however, belonged to him. It was the pinnacle of Barnes' development into the prototypical point guard he is today.

He started out as a role player, creating looks as a 3-point shooter his freshman year. By sophomore year, Barnes started handling the point guard position and gained a lot of trust from Mullaney.

His junior year is when everything clicked.

"Junior year, I turned into more of a driver and loved locking down the other teams' best players," Barnes said. "Senior year, I got stronger since football. Coach (Mullaney) pretty much left the offense up to me, let me dictate the game, let me make calls."

Having his high school career end on a buzzer beater - a 38-35 loss to West Chester East in the PIAA second round - will stick with him, but it's not the end of his basketball-playing days.

Barnes is taking his talents to the next level, recently announcing via Twitter his commitment to play basketball at DeSales University, an NCAA Division III program near Allentown that competes in the MAC Freedom Conference.

"He's a great kid to coach. Complete team player," Mullaney said of Barnes. "A lot of our runs in games go through him and I think there's a part of him as an athlete that's really confident and knows when his team needs him and he's able to put it in that extra gear."

Fran Murphy

Co-Coach of the Year

He didn't have much to work with in terms of numbers.

Luckily for Schuylkill Haven head coach Fran Murphy, the talent cycling through his program was generational, and Murphy put it all together perfectly.

The Hurricanes had suffered through some excruciatingly painful boys' basketball seasons in recent years. The current senior class went 3-19 overall as freshmen.

Slowly but surely, the Hurricanes flipped that record on its head, finishing the most recent season 19-3 overall. Haven also captured its first Schuylkill League Division II title since 2006 and won its first postseason game since that same year en route to a District 11 Class AA silver medal.

Seniors like Albe Evans (20.0 ppg), Mason Carter (14.7) and Damyan Miller (8.1) made that possible, accruing plenty of experience over the years.

"Going back, when our two guards were in junior high, our program at the varsity level didn't have a ton of success ahead of them," Murphy said. "We decided when they (Evans and Miller) were in eighth grade that those two kids would end up playing varsity right away.

"Of course we had our struggles when they were freshmen, but they worked hard in the offseason and we were able to improve year by year. We also added Mason Carter, who had a great deal of potential."

Haven, which had the best scoring offense in the area (66.2) despite 14 total athletes in grades 9-12, nearly reached the Schuylkill League championship this season, falling to Tamaqua 77-71 in the semifinals.

The Hurricanes finally secured a postseason win in the district semifinals, a 65-40 triumph over Mahanoy Area.

Unfortunately, their next two matchups were against state powers, resulting in an 85-66 loss to Executive Education in the district title game and a 97-55 runaway to defending state champion Math, Civics & Sciences in the PIAA first round.

"It was tough for the kids. That game was very difficult to get through. But we knew we were successful," Murphy said. "We had success, we had a good season, we just ran into two teams who were very good."

Murphy helped create a winning culture at Schuylkill Haven, and he said he couldn't have done it without assistant coaches Chip Kulp and Jim Duncan.

The biggest factor, he said, was his players' willingness to put in the work.

"It was a fun year. Most of the success we had is due to our kids," Murphy said. "We had a great group with good chemistry."

Patrick Crampsie

Co-Coach of the Year

Without a doubt, Panther Valley head coach Patrick Crampsie has a way of getting the most out of his team.

Especially when it matters most: the postseason.

The Panthers struggled to navigate their Schuylkill League Division I slate this year, finishing the regular season 11-11 overall and 4-10 in league play.

The program with the smallest enrollment in D-I, Panther Valley found its groove heading into the District 11 Class 3A playoffs. As the No. 4 seed, the Panthers had plenty of time to prepare for top-seeded Palmerton.

"Those two and a half weeks leading up to that game against Palmerton, as a staff we felt so much of it was mental," Crampsie said. "Getting the kids to believe that we had a couple-game run in us. Nothing up to this point matters. We had to forget losing a couple games at the end of the year, forget our overall record.

"None of that mattered. All that matter was looking ahead."

Crampsie rallied his troops from a nearly 20-point deficit to defeat the Blue Bombers 66-59 on Feb. 26. Three days later, the Panthers stunned No. 2 Notre Dame-Green Pond 59-53 to win their first district championship since 1986.

The all-senior starting lineup, including guards Brandon Stilitino (14.4 ppg), Erick Marchorro (11.4), Aaron Gutierrez (11.4), Blake White (9.8) and Collin Eidle (2.9), truly left their mark under Crampsie.

"It might've been the best two weeks of practice that we've had in my 18 years," Crampsie said. "They were very self-motivated, not only our starters but our JV guys were jumping in drills. It really was a total team effort."

Behind a 28-point effort from Stilitino and a second-half run, Panther Valley captured a first-round PIAA Tournament win over Dobbins Tech 61-40. The victory was also the Panthers' first state playoff win in 34 years.

In addition to his team, Crampsie credited the late-season rally to community support, his assistant coaches and other supporters who have been there his entire coaching career.

Crampsie thanked his first staff, including Mark Lazar, Terry Bonner, Ken Miller, Brian Carroll and his dad, James Crampsie. His current staff includes Keith Gogal, Andrew Michalik, Shaun Midas and junior high coaches Ryan Eidle, Dave McAndrew and Matt Engler.

"I've been extremely lucky since I first started with the assistants that I've had," Crampsie said on receiving the honors. "I've been blessed since I started. Obviously we had some rough patches along the way this year but I had a great amount of support from our administration and our players stuck with it and bought in."

The First Team

A handful of athletes stood above the rest of the area, flashing their dominance and leading their teams to championships.

The league will look much different next year, as these five players are all seniors:

• Tyler Fritz, sr., Marian- The 6-3 guard/forward combo did it all. Fritz pumped in an area-leading 28.0 points per game, grabbed 7.8 rebounds and added 2.9 assists while leading the Colts to a Schuylkill League Division III title.

With a season-high of 41 points in a game, Fritz finished with career records in the program for points scored (1,959) most free throws made (464).

• Kevin Schenk, sr., Pottsville- One of the tallest players in the area, Schenk dominated under and around the basket. Schenk averaged 16.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists and could always be found blocking shots in the paint.

Schenk dunked with authority and knocked down 49 3-pointers on the year. One of his best performances was in Pottsville's final game, locking down a 6-10, NCAA Division I-bound center during the first half.

• Albe Evans, sr., Schuylkill Haven- The all-time leading scorer in program history, Evans averaged 20.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.8 steals during Haven's division championship run.

Evans buried 297 career 3-pointers (80 this season) and wasn't afraid to pull up from way beyond the arc. His high motor and efficiency combined with his work ethic made him nearly unstoppable, scoring a season-high 34 points in the league semifinals.

• Lucas Gregoire, sr., Tamaqua- A major factor in clinching Tamaqua's wild-card berth to the Schuylkill League playoffs, Gregoire averaged nearly a double-double with 17.3 points and 9.8 rebounds.

An absolute force inside, the 6-4 power forward posted a season-high 28 points in the Raiders' league semifinal win over Schuylkill Haven. Gregoire helped lead the Raiders into the PIAA Class 4A quarterfinals before the season was cut short.

• Brayden Knoblauch, sr., Tamaqua- The quarterback of Tamaqua's high-powered team, Knoblauch paced the Raiders with 17.6 points and 5.2 assists per game as Gregoire's counterpart.

Knoblauch, who also pulled down 6.4 rebounds per game, posted his season-high 24 points in three different games and nailed 79 3-pointers while shooting 80 percent from the foul line.

Contact the writer: 570-628-6026

2019-20 Republican-Herald All-Area Boys' Basketball Team

Player of the Year - Mason Barnes, Pottsville, senior guard

Co-Coach of the Year - Fran Murphy, Schuylkill Haven

Co-Coach of the Year - Patrick Crampsie, Panther Valley

First Team

Tyler Fritz, Marian, senior guard/forward

Kevin Schenk, Pottsville, senior forward

Albe Evans, Schuylkill Haven, senior guard

Lucas Gregoire, Tamaqua, senior forward

Brayden Knoblauch, Tamaqua, senior forward

Second Team

Kegan Hertz, Nativity, junior forward

Marquis Ratcliff, Nativity, sophomore forward

Brandon Stilitino, Panther Valley, senior guard

Mason Carter, Schuylkill Haven, senior forward

Macklin Ayers, Upper Dauphin, senior forward

Bo Raho, Williams Valley, senior guard

Honorable Mention

Alex Ketch, sr., Blue Mountain

Chase Mazalusky, sr., Mahanoy Area

Shane Miller, sr., Mahanoy Area

Dante Agosti, jr., Marian

Chris Ritsick, sr., Marian

Blake White, sr., Panther Valley

Mason Ulsh, jr., Schuylkill Haven

Owen Kosar, soph., Shenandoah Valley

Chase Deeter, sr., Tri-Valley

Scotty Zoscin, jr., Weatherly

Bryce Herb, jr., Williams Valley

All-Area Teams

Wrestling - Saturday, March 21

Swimming - Saturday, March 28

Girls' Basketball - Sunday, April 12

Boys' Basketball - Sunday, April 19

2020 Senior Charity Bowl All-Stars

The 46th annual edition of the Schuylkill County Senior Charity Bowl all-star basketball classic was scheduled for Friday, March 27, at Martz Hall before being canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event is sponsored by the Lions, Rotary and Kiwanis clubs of Schuylkill County.

Senior players from Mahanoy Area, Marian, Minersville, North Schuylkill, Panther Valley, Shenandoah Valley and Tamaqua represented the North teams, while senior players from Blue Mountain, Nativity, Pine Grove, Pottsville, Schuylkill Haven, Tri-Valley and Williams Valley represented the South stars.

Here's a look at this year's rosters. Congratulations to the seniors who were selected.

NORTH GIRLS

Macy Alansky Marian

Alyssa Buchanan Shenandoah Valley

Abby Conroy Shenandoah Valley

Victoria Donovan Shenandoah Valley

Jordan Karmonick Mahanoy Area

Alex Kroznuskie Minersville

Emma Kuczynski Tamaqua

Emily Lawrence Mahanoy Area

Megan Pascoe Panther Valley

Emily Shaud Marian

Emily Titus Tamaqua

Jamie Zuber Tamaqua

Coaches: Chris Conroy, Ali Semanchik, Kristina Nieddu, Shenandoah Valley

SOUTH GIRLS

Brooke Adams Tri-Valley

Maddy Bordner Williams Valley

Abbie Brown Pine Grove

Alli Butler Pine Grove

Allison Clarke Nativity

Kaile Conrad Pottsville

Madi Dalton Pottsville

Emily Fasnacht Blue Mountain

Tori Hunyara Nativity

Emily Kramer Williams Valley

Rachel Lukacz Blue Mountain

Leah Pishock Blue Mountain

Coaches: Scott Forney, Jay Daubert, Nativity

NORTH BOYS

Tyler Fritz Marian

Lucas Gregoire Tamaqua

Joe Karvois Shenandoah Valley

Brayden Knoblauch Tamaqua

Erick Marchorro Panther Valley

Chase Mazalusky Mahanoy Area

Shane Miller Mahanoy Area

Dominic Pizzico Minersville

Chris Ritsick Marian

Brandon Stilitino Panther Valley

Barron Stauffenberg Tamaqua

Bryce Weikel North Schuylkill

Coaches: Ethan Eichhorst, Mike Backo, Mahanoy Area; Jim Barron, Tamaqua

SOUTH BOYS

Mason Barnes Pottsville

Mason Carter Schuylkill Haven

Jason Dean Blue Mountain

Chase Deeter Tri-Valley

Albe Evans Schuylkill Haven

Alex Ketch Blue Mountain

Blake Lipko Blue Mountain

Damyan Miller Schuylkill Haven

Bo Raho Williams Valley

Matt Salata Pottsville

Kevin Schenk Pottsville

Riley Stanton Pottsville

Coaches: Mike Masser, Bobby Felty, Mike Wasilus, Tri-Valley

JACQUELINE DORMER / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Pottsville's Mason Barnes reacts after a 3-point shot during Friday's victory over Tamaqua in the Schuylkill League boys' basketball championship game at Martz Hall. Barnes finished with 15 points in the Crimson Tide's 58-46 win.

JACQUELINE DORMER / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Pottsville's Mason Barnes, left, and Riley Stanton celebrate after the Crimson Tide defeated Tamaqua in the Schuylkill League boys' basketball championship game Friday at Martz Hall. The Tide won 58-46 to capture their third straight league championship.

Image Gallery for H.S. BOYS' BASKETBALL: Pottsville earns 3rd straight league crown with win over Tamaqua

POTTSVILLE - Mason Barnes crouched down and slammed the Crimson Tide logo at the center of the Martz Hall floor Friday night.

The thrill of a third straight Schuylkill League boys' basketball championship coursed through his veins.

"I was just feeling my last game at the Mecca," the Pottsville senior guard said. "Wanted to go out with a bang. I'm going to miss this place."

Barnes led the Division I champion Crimson Tide with 15 points, nine rebounds and eight assists as Pottsville captured a 58-46 victory over Division I wild-card Tamaqua in the league final.

Barnes and fellow senior Kevin Schenk, who added 10 points and a pair of 3-pointers, were freshmen when Pottsville last lost in the league championship in 2017.

Losing the final meaningful league game of the season

on their home court was something they never wanted to do again.

"I was only a freshman so my career was only getting started, but I didn't like the feeling after that loss my freshman year," Barnes said of Blue Mountain's 47-39 win that year. "We put in the work in the offseason, grinded it out throughout the years and got it done tonight. That's all that matters. Three-peat."

Schenk shared the same sentiment.

"Mason actually was a part of the team, I was on JVs," Schenk said. "But just watching it from the side, seeing them lose to Blue Mountain, we definitely didn't want to lose again."

The rest of the senior class, including starters Matt Salata and Riley Stanton, who posted eight and six points apiece Friday, shared in the glory of the three-peat.

The number "3" appeared everywhere.

Sophomore Raeff DiCello, who wears No. 3 for the Tide (20-4), played a crucial role in Pottsville's playoff wins. He scored 27 points in the semifinal round Wednesday and added another 14 points Friday, scoring nine of those points in an 18-0, second-quarter run that put Pottsville ahead to stay.

The 3-ball also played a big role. It kept the Blue Raiders in the game.

Tamaqua (17-7) connected on nine 3-pointers, hitting five in the third quarter as the Raiders tried to mount a comeback after trailing 31-17 at halftime.

Senior Brayden Knoblauch scored a game-high 20 points and hit six triples. Lucas Gregoire added 11 points, including eight in the first quarter to give the Raiders an early lead.

"We needed Brayden. He's our senior leader. He's been here for four years and he's a great shooter," Tamaqua head coach Jim Barron said. "We kind of felt the pressure that the game started getting away, and he did everything he could to keep us in it. We needed every single one of them."

Tamaqua trimmed the deficit to eight at 51-43 after a 7-0 run midway through the fourth quarter and 54-46 at the 2:45 mark.

Senior Nicko Bolletino, who finished with eight points, hit a left-wing trey with 4:16 left and senior Sean Lavine added a bucket off an assist from Gregoire to make it 51-43.

Pottsville used a timeout to stop the run, and Schenk and Knoblauch exchanged 3-pointers out of that break to make it 54-46. Schenk then added a basket and Barnes hit a pair of free throws while the Tide attempted to run out the clock to victory.

What doomed Tamaqua early was Pottsville's 18-0 run that spanned nearly the entire second quarter. After Knoblauch hit a 3 to give Tamaqua a 15-13 lead 12 seconds in, the Raiders missed their next 10 shots and lost eight turnovers as the Crimson Tide ran out to a 31-15 advantage with a minute left before half.

"For 28 minutes I thought we played amazing. The big difference was that four-minute span in the second quarter," Barron said. "I have no problem with our 28 minutes of play. We would beat every other team in the Schuylkill League. We'd beat a lot of teams playing those 28 minutes."

Tamaqua posted a 77-71 victory over Schuylkill Haven in the semifinals and trailed by as many as six that night, but the pressure of the league final may have hit the Raiders after getting behind big, turning the ball over 16 times.

The Raiders shot 18-of-40 (45 percent) from the field and hit 9-of-19 3-pointers.

Pottsville lost only nine turnovers and its breakaway baskets off steals and defensive rebounds boosted its shooting percentage, finishing 23-of-42 (55 percent) from the floor.

Pottsville head coach Dave Mullaney, who recently became the program's all-time wins leader, said he doesn't dwell on past results. His team is only focused on the task at hand: winning the next game.

That mentality led all the way to the Schuylkill League summit once again.

"We really don't talk about getting into the Schuylkill League playoffs and winning the Schuylkill League as our goals every year coming in," Mullaney said. "We don't talk about it. I'm sure maybe the players do.

"We know if we just continue to get better - it sounds like a cliché - but if you continue to get better every day and have enough talent, that can be the end result."

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

Game Summary

Schuylkill League Boys' BasketballChampionshipAt Martz Hall

TAMAQUA (46) - Knoblauch 7 0-0 20, Bolletino 3 0-0 8, N. Gregoire 0 0-0 0, L. Gregoire 5 1-1 11, Stauffenberg 2 0-0 5, Boyle 0 0-0 0, Lavine 1 0-0 2, Verta 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 1-1 46.

POTTSVILLE (58) - Schenk 4 0-0 10, Barnes 5 3-5 15, DiCello 6 1-2 14, Stanton 2 0-0 6, Salata 4 0-0 8, Heimbaugh 2 0-0 5, Yost 0 0-0 0. Totals 23 4-7 58.

Tam (17-7) 12 5 15 14 - 46 Potts (20-4) 13 18 16 11 - 58

3-point FGs: Knoblauch 6, Bolletino 2, Stauffenberg, Schenk 2, Barnes 2, DiCello, Stanton 2, Heimbaugh

JACQUELINE DORMER / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Pottsville's Mason Barnes drives to the basket as Tamaqua's Lucas Gregoire defends during Schuylkill League boys' basketball championship action Friday night at Martz Hall.

JACQUELINE DORMER / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Pottsville's Raeff DiCello drives to the basket as Tamaqua's Lucas Gregoire defends during Friday night's Schuylkill League boys' basketball championship game at Martz Hall. DiCello had nine of his 14 points in an 18-0, second-quarter run that lifted the Crimson Tide to a 58-46 win over the Blue Raiders and their third straight league championship.

POTTSVILLE - Tamaqua opened Friday's Schuylkill League boys' basketball championship game against Pottsville by hitting its first seven shots.

When Brayden Knoblauch drained a 3-pointer a few seconds into the second quarter, the Blue Raiders held a two-point lead.

Then it happened.

Just like it seems it always does in big games where Pottsville is involved.

The Crimson Tide cranked up their defensive pressure and put together a run that decided the game.

Pottsville dominated the second quarter en route to a 58-46 victory over Tamaqua that gave the Crimson Tide their third straight league crown and ninth over the past 11 years.

The Tide defense forced eight turnovers and limited the Blue Raiders to 1-for-12 shooting over a seven-minute stretch of the second quarter, producing an 18-0 run that put Pottsville ahead to stay.

"It's energy, that's all it is," Pottsville's Mason Barnes said. "Getting out in the passing lanes, pressure defense, getting our hands in their faces."

Barnes was a key player in Pottsville's run, for several reasons.

First, Tide center Kevin Schenk picked up his second foul with 28.1 seconds left in the first quarter and spent the entire second frame on the bench.

In Pottsville's man-to-man defensive alignment, Crimson Tide coach Dave Mullaney had the 6-foot-1 Barnes guard Tamaqua's center, 6-6 Lucas Gregoire, who scored eight points in the first frame.

Barnes, who has lanky arms, held Gregoire scoreless and limited him to just two shots in the frame while cleaning up the glass on the defensive end. Barnes collected five of his team-high nine rebounds during Pottsville's run.

"I just got physical with him. Not letting him getting back door, staying in the passing lanes and making it hard for him," Barnes said. "It's all positioning, too. Have quick feet in the post so he can't catch it, and just pressure the ball when he has it."

Barnes nearly recorded a triple-double, finishing the game with 15 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. He scored only three points in the first half, and just two during the Tide spurt.

"If you check some of his games, he's right around a triple-double a lot of times because he gets a ton of assists and a ton of rebounds," Mullaney said of Barnes. "People always look at the point scoring, but he's a great defender, too. He does everything. He fills the stat sheet for us."

Added Barnes: "Not everything is about scoring. If I'm not scoring or my shots aren't falling, I have to do other things to make the team flow. Get rebounds, making plays for my teammates. They were making their shots, so that's what counts."

Defensively, Pottsville harassed the Tamaqua ballhandlers, forcing eight turnovers in the frame. The Blue Raiders had 13 turnovers in the first half and just three in the second half.

The inability to get settled into a half-court set prevented Tamaqua from stopping Pottsville's run until it was too late.

"Defensively, we were really locked in," Mullaney said. "There were some steals in there that led to some fast-break points. Kevin was out, and we went small, but we were able to spread them out. We had a couple of second cutters in there, and that opened it up for some 3-point shots."

Offensively, Pottsville rode the hot hand of sophomore Raeff DiCello, who scored nine of his 14 points in the outburst.

After Knoblauch's triple gave Tamaqua a 15-13 lead, Matt Salata tied the game on a driving layup. DiCello gave Pottsville the lead on a layup off a feed by Nico Heimbaugh, and Barnes made it 19-15 with a layup.

DiCello then scored the game's next seven points, scoring on a layup off a feed by Salata, getting a steal near midcourt for a layup, then draining a 3-pointer from the left corner.

A layup by Heimbaugh and a 3-pointer by Riley Stanton finished the run, which gave Pottsville a 31-15 lead with a minute left in the first half.

"We just stuck to what we usually do. We just kept running our offense," DiCello said. "I'm trying to fill the role that Trevor Sherakas had last year, aside of Mason and Schenk. Mason and Schenk are going to be taking a lot of attention on themselves, so I have to be ready to shoot.

"It feels great. Just trying to help out the team the best I can."

The Crimson Tide were up 31-17 at halftime, led by as many as 17 twice in the second half, then held off a late Tamaqua charge in the fourth quarter.

Pottsville's second-quarter run gave the Tide enough cushion and dug a hole too deep for the Blue Raiders to get out of.

"They dug in a little bit on defense and turned up the intensity. We killed ourselves with turnovers," Tamaqua coach Jim Barron said. "In that time, we were dribbling the ball off our feet, we were dribbling into two guys, we were being soft with the ball.

"For 28 minutes, we played them even. The big difference was that 4-minute span in the second quarter."

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

on Twitter

The teams that reached the PIAA football championships in 2019 played their final games during the opening weekend of the 2019-20 basketball slate.

For Tamaqua and Pottsville, who face off in tonight's Schuylkill League boys' basketball championship game at 7:30 p.m. at Martz Hall, their football teams nearly made runs to

Hershey that not only would've affected scheduling and fan turnout, but it would've caused a dilemma for key athletes who played both sports.

Tamaqua reached the PIAA Class 3A football semifinals, ultimately losing to eventual state champion Wyoming Area on Nov. 28. One week earlier, Pottsville lost to Jersey Shore in the Class 4A quarterfinal round.

It concluded two of the most successful seasons either school had ever had, but for a few athletes the success was short-lived.

Preseason basketball was already underway.

Pottsville, the Schuylkill League Division I champion, is powered by a pair of seniors - guard Mason Barnes (17.2 ppg) and forward Kevin Schenk (15.5), both two-way starters on the football team. Also in the Crimson Tide starting lineup is sophomore Raeff DiCello (6.9), a trusty kicker in the fall.

After defeating Division III winner Marian in Wednesday's semifinals, the Tide (19-4) are looking for their third straight league title and fifth in the last six years.

Division I wild card Tamaqua (17-6) runs through its quarterback, point guard Brayden Knoblauch (17.0), and its tight end, 6-foot-6 power forward Lucas Gregoire (17.7).

Republican-Herald All-Area Football Offensive Co-Player of the Year Nate Boyle (5.7) and one of his top linemen, senior classmate Sean Lavine (0.9), provide a spark of energy off the bench for the Blue Raiders, who captured a 77-71 victory over Division II champion Schuylkill Haven to reach the championship.

The overlap of football and basketball goes deep throughout each team's roster with several others appearing on both the gridiron and hardwood.

These teams are familiar with each other on both surfaces.

This is the pair's third meeting of the basketball season, as the Crimson Tide defeated Tamaqua 45-40 on Dec. 30 at Martz Hall and 68-32 on Jan. 21 in Tamaqua.

Back on Sept. 27, Pottsville's football team beat Tamaqua 34-17.

The Blue Raiders, with a high volume of football players fighting for a basketball championship, would love to triumph over the Tide at least once this year.

Last time these teams met in the league final, they almost did.

Tamaqua played a slow-tempo style of basketball against Pottsville in the 2015 championship, limiting the Tide's possessions. The strategy nearly worked, sending the game to overtime, but Pottsville eventually won 33-28.

Will Raiders head coach Jim Barron employ that game plan again tonight?

In search of Tamaqua's first league crown since 1994, can Knoblauch and his offense control the tempo and grind out the clock like the running back Boyle and his O-line did so well during football season?

Or will they need to keep up with Pottsville's quick-strike ability that it has displayed over and over in both sports? Barnes can intercept a pass and take it the distance at any moment. Simply tossing the ball into the 6-6 Schenk in the paint is almost a guaranteed score, such were his goal-line fade routes.

A case can be made for either team to win tonight.

A case can also be made for each student section to jaunt about its football team. The Tide beat Tamaqua as previously mentioned, but the Raiders later defeated Wyomissing, a team that downed Pottsville and two other Schuylkill League squads earlier in the season, in the state quarterfinals.

Pottsville's students will chant "Let's play football!" and Tamaqua's will jab back with "Wyomissing!"

Both have fair points, and it just goes to show how intertwined the 2019-20 football and basketball seasons have been for these two schools.

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

Schuylkill League Boys' Basketball Championship

Preview Capsule

Pottsville (19-4) vs. Tamaqua (17-6)

When: Today, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Martz Hall

Tickets: Advance tickets are available at both schools for $5 adults and $3 for students/senior citizens. All tickets will be $5 at the door.

Radio: WPPA 1360 AM, 105.9 FM; WAVT 101.9 FM, Pottsville

Live Updates: Follow Leroy Boyer @pubsportsboss and Luke Kropp @LukeKropp on Twitter

About the Blue Raiders

How they got here: Division I wild card outsized Schuylkill Haven to take a 77-71 victory in Wednesday's semifinal.

Last league championship: Defeated Marian 59-52 in 1994.

Team statistics: Offense (60.9 points per game), Defense (50.3)

Probable starting lineup: Nicko Bolletino (sr., 3.7 ppg., 16 3-pointers), Lucas Gregoire (sr., 17.7, 16 3-pointers), Nathan Gregoire (soph., 6.6, 11 3-pointers), Brayden Knoblauch (sr., 17.0, 60 3-pointers), Barron Stauffenberg (sr., 7.7, 23 3-pointers)

Key reserve: Nate Boyle (sr., 5.7, 15 3-pointers), Sean Lavine (sr., 0.9, 2 3-pointers)

Notes: Lost to Pottsville twice this season. The first meeting, at Martz Hall, was a close battle that ended 45-40. ... Lucas Gregoire towered over Schuylkill Haven's entire team Wednesday, collecting 18 rebounds and scoring 28 points. Knoblauch added four triples and 22 points. ... Raiders hit 14-of-14 foul shots in the fourth quarter to hold off Haven. ... Tamaqua has hit 145 3-pointers this season.

About the Crimson Tide

How they got here: Defensive pressure and sharp shooting led to the Division I champs' 72-50 win over Marian in Wednesday's semifinal.

Last league championship: Beat Blue Mountain 51-35 last season.

Team statistics: Offense (61.7 points per game), Defense (42.4)

Probable starting lineup: Mason Barnes (sr., 17.2 ppg., 41 3-pointers), Raeff DiCello (soph., 6.9, 13 3-pointers), Matt Salata (sr., 4.7, 8 3-pointers), Kevin Schenk (sr., 15.5, 38 3-pointers), Riley Stanton (sr., 5.0, 24 3-pointers)

Key reserves: Nico Boris (jr., 1.3, 3 3-pointers), Nicco Heimbaugh (jr., 4.8, 28 3-pointers), Darren Yost (soph., 1.6, 4 3-pointers)

Notes: Pottsville's winning streak in league play, including playoffs, is now at 43. ... DiCello had a career game Wednesday with 27 points, including five 3-pointers. ... Tide defense swarmed Marian's high-powered offense. It was just the second game all season the league's leading scorer, Tyler Fritz (28.5), was not his team's leading scorer. Chris Ritsick led with 18 points while Fritz had 17. ... Pottsville has hit 181 3-pointers this season. ... Sophomore Mike Sukeena hit four 3s to lift the Tide to a 68-32 win over Tamaqua in their last meeting Jan. 21.

- Compiled by Luke Kropp

LINDSEY SHUEY / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Pottsville head coach Dave Mullaney coaches the Crimson Tide during the Schuylkill League boys' basketball semifinal against Marian on Wednesday at Martz Hall in Pottsville.

LINDSEY SHUEY / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Marian's Dante Agosti (4) and Pottsville's Matt Salata (24) fight for control of the ball during Wednesday's Schuylkill League boys' basketball semifinal at Martz Hall in Pottsville. Pottsville returns to the finals after a 72-50 win over the Colts.

POTTSVILLE - Marian needed to start fast if it wanted a chance to beat Pottsville.

If the Colts could steal an early lead in their Schuylkill League boys' basketball semifinal against the Tide, they could slug it out until the end.

Pottsville had other ideas.

The Crimson Tide defense put the clamps on Marian's prolific offense, racing ahead on an early run and never slowing down for a 72-50 victory over the Colts on Wednesday at Martz Hall.

The Division I champion Tide (19-4) jumped out on a 15-0 run that spanned the first 6½ minutes of play, forcing six turnovers during that tear.

"We pride ourselves on that," Pottsville head coach Dave Mullaney said of the Tide defense, which moved with a tenacity that erupts come playoff time. "I thought in the first half we really did a good job. I thought in the second half we kind of let up a little bit. The offensive rebounds we gave up were a little frustrating, but overall our guys were locked in."

The Crimson Tide forced 15 turnovers and lost just six of their own. Meanwhile, sophomore Raeff DiCello was putting on a show.

DiCello paced the Tide with a career highs of 27 points and five 3-pointers, including a left-corner buzzer-beater to give Pottsville a 38-19 lead at halftime.

Senior Chris Ritsick posted 18 points, hitting four triples, and senior Tyler Fritz followed with 17 for Division III champion Marian (19-5).

The night got off to an odd start that allowed Marian to take the first lead of the night. A Pottsville player dunked during pre-game warmups, which led to a technical foul and a pair of free-throw opportunities for Fritz without an opening tip.

Fritz sunk both of his foul shots to give the Colts a 2-0 lead and the ball before a second came off the clock, but Pottsville's defense went into action immediately.

"Their (defensive) help, their switching, their rotations are there, and they make you pay," Marian head coach John Patton said. "Offensively they make you pay but defensively is where we really got hurt because we couldn't get into anything early on."

Senior Kevin Schenk, who posted 11 points and five rebounds, blocked three shots within the first two minutes and threw down a dunk to extend the Tide's lead to 11-2 at the 4:31 mark of the first.

Seniors Mason Barnes had a well-rounded night, tallying 10 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and three steals. Classmate Matt Salata, who was manned up on Fritz, added six points and grabbed a game-high four steals for the Tide, who shot 23-of-43 (53 percent) from the floor.

Pottsville's defensive pressure led to transition buckets, especially in the direction of DiCello.

"He's had a couple big nights earlier in the year. He's a very good player, but it's a product of how Marian was playing us, too," Mullaney said. "Other guys were getting opportunities and they took advantage of it."

The Colts can pride themselves for playing the Tide so well in during the middle frames. Pottsville only outscored Marian 34-33 over the second and third quarters, when Ritsick scored all of his 18 points, hitting a trio of 3s in the third.

But the Colts, who shot 17-of-45 (37 percent) from the field, could never close the gap entirely, as their largest hole during those frames was 30-8 midway through the second.

A right-wing 3-pointer by Ritsick and a bucket by Zack Hnat cut the deficit to as little as 52-39 with half a minute left in the third quarter, but Pottsville's 7-0 run midway through the fourth sealed the win.

"We got behind big early, we mounted a little bit of a comeback, but we just ran out of horses," said Patton, whose team will now prepare for the District 11 Class AA Tournament. "I don't think there were jitters, I think it was just getting used to playing at this pace."

Pottsville has one last test before hitting the District 11 Class 5A Tournament, and it's against a familiar foe.

The Tide will play Division I wild card Tamaqua (17-6) in the championship at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Martz Hall. Tamaqua defeated Schuylkill Haven 77-71 in the first semifinal, but the Blue Raiders have already suffered two losses to Pottsville this season.

Pottsville will look to earn its third consecutive league title in its 11th straight championship game appearance.

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

Game Summary

Schuylkill League Boys' Semifinal At Martz Hall

MARIAN (50) - T. Fritz 5 7-8 17, Ritsick 7 0-0 18, Agosti 2 2-2 6, L. Fritz 0 2-2 2, Malarkey 0 1-2 1, Goff 0 0-0 0, Cerullo 0 0-0 0, Eroh 0 0-0 0, Cervasio 0 0-0 0, Chambers 0 0-0 0, Hnat 3 0-0 6, Gibson 0 0-0 0, Nyer 0 0-0 0, Pan 0 0-0 0, Wargo 0 0-0 0, Gibson 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 12-14, 50.

POTTSVILLE (72) - Schenk 3 5-6 11, Heimbaugh 3 0-0 8, Barnes 2 6-6 10, DiCello 9 4-6 27, Yost 2 0-0 5, McCuller 1 1-2 3, Boris 0 0-0 0, Stanton 1 0-0 2, Snowell 0 0-0 0, Salata 2 1-2 6. Totals 23 17-22 72.

Marian (19-5) 6 13 20 11 - 50 Potts (19-4) 20 18 16 18 - 72

3-point FGs: Heimbaugh 2, DiCello 5, Yost, Salata, Ritsick 4

It's Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018.

The Philadelphia Eagles still haven't won a Super Bowl. Ed Sheeran's "Perfect" is the hottest song in America. Marvel Studios is in the editing stage of "Avengers: Infinity War."

Mike Carnahan is The Republican-Herald's boys' basketball beat writer; I'm still in college.

That's the last time Pottsville lost a Schuylkill League game - regular season or playoff - more than two years ago.

On that league night 764 days ago, Blue Mountain junior Drew Grace dropped 35 points to lead the Eagles to a 55-47 win at Martz Hall. Since then, the Crimson Tide have won 42 league games in a row, 38 in the regular season and four in the last two playoffs.

Tonight, in the Schuylkill League boys' basketball semifinals, they'll look to make it 43.

Pottsville ended up winning the Schuylkill League championship in 2018 and earned another title last season. Now the Tide (18-4, 14-0 D-I) are striving for a three-peat as the tournament's only team returning from last year.

Of the three other schools, Pottsville's semifinal opponent, Division III champion Marian (19-4, 10-3), was here most recently, in 2017.

Division I wild card Tamaqua (16-6, 11-3) hadn't reached the league playoffs since 2015, while Division II champion Schuylkill Haven (19-3, 12-1) ended a 13-year drought, its last appearance in 2006.

In recent years, Lourdes dominated D-II and Blue Mountain controlled the wild card berth. Marian's current seniors were freshmen the last time they were here.

With three out of four participants being relatively new to this stage this year, we'll get to take a breath of fresh air and watch some interesting matchups unfold.

We'll also learn quickly how these newcomers can adjust to the big stage and if anyone can challenge the constant contenders in crimson atop the Schuylkill League summit.

Schuylkill Haven

vs. Tamaqua

Schuylkill Haven and Tamaqua face off in the first semifinal at 6 tonight.

The Hurricanes made a complete 180 from the 2016-2017 season, when the current seniors were freshmen.

Haven finished that year 3-19 overall and 1-12 in D-II, but the senior class set a goal, and they clawed and climbed their way to the top.

The Blue Raiders had been knocking on the wild-card door for quite some time and finally reached the threshold, splitting their season series with Blue Mountain but getting help in the standings with North Schuylkill's and Pine Grove's upset wins over the Eagles.

So, how do they match up?

Judging by their first meeting, relatively evenly.

Haven defeated the Raiders in Tamaqua 56-55 on Dec. 27, pulling out to an early lead and finishing them off with a balanced scoring attack.

The Hurricanes have the speed advantage. They go coast-to-coast as if breakaways and transition buckets comprise most of their offensive playbook.

As far as height, Haven and Tamaqua are pretty even across the board, except at center. The Raiders are blessed with 6-foot-4 senior Lucas Gregoire (17.2 ppg) plugging up the post.

He'll be a mountain of his own for the Hurricanes to defend, but it's not an obstacle they haven't dealt with before. Haven forward Mason Carter (14.7) stands around 6-1 and may be their best chance to guard Gregoire should the Hurricanes play man defense.

Seniors Albe Evans (20.0) and Damyan Miller (8.5) and junior Mason Ulsh (15.0) lead the charge for Haven at guard, combining for 121 of the team's 132 3-pointers.

Senior Brayden Knoblauch (16.8) is Tamaqua's primary ballhandler around the perimeter, hitting 56 of the Raiders' 137 triples.

Expect a high-scoring game of runs.

Pottsville vs. Marian

The Crimson Tide host Marian in the nightcap at 7:30 p.m.

Marian played four D-I schools in non-league games this season and won all four - twice against Jim Thorpe and once each against Panther Valley and Lehighton.

That's a great accomplishment for a Class AA team and boosts its District 11 power ranking. Kudos to the Colts.

But, looking ahead to tonight's battle against Pottsville, consider their margins of victory against those like opponents.

Marian beat Lehighton by 17 in early December. The average margin of victory in the other three matchups? Just three points.

The Crimson Tide played two league games apiece against Jim Thorpe, Lehighton and Panther Valley, winning by an astounding 31.9 points per game and by no fewer than 20.

So, on paper, that doesn't sound promising for Marian. Oddsmakers in Las Vegas might tab Pottsville as an overwhelming favorite on that criterion alone, but, to make matters worse, the semifinals are held at Martz Hall, where Crimson Tide haven't lost since their season opener against Philadelphia power Math, Civics & Sciences.

Pottsville hasn't lost in the league semifinals in the last 10 seasons it's won Division I. The last small school to beat the Tide was Mahanoy Area in the 2014 title game.

Now, things can change in an instant in the playoffs. Anything can happen on any given night. But those are the just the facts.

Needless to say, the Colts have their work cut out for them.

They'll need their trusted seniors to rise to the occasion. That includes the league's top scorer, Tyler Fritz (29.0), and classmate Chris Ritsick (11.9).

Fritz, Ritsick and junior Dante Agosti (10.9) combined for 158 of the Colts' 194 3-pointers this season. Junior John Malarkey (3.3) has also been a key player on defense and rebounding.

It'll be tough to slow down the Tide's attack with seniors Mason Barnes (17.5) and 6-foot-6 forward Kevin Schenk (15.7). Size is a strength of Pottsville, especially in this matchup.

Plus, the Tide have a stingy defense, spearheaded by Barnes who has a natural ability to create turnovers and turn steals into buckets on the other end.

Martz Hall is going to be packed with Pottsville students and fans, and they expect their team to win it all once again.

No one is unbeatable, though. Marian would need to start fast and grind out its best performance of the season.

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

Schuylkill League Boys' Basketball Playoffs

Preview Capsules

First Semifinal

Schuylkill Haven (19-3, 12-1) vs. Tamaqua (16-6, 11-3)

When: Today, 6 p.m.

Where: Martz Hall

Tickets: Advance tickets are available at both schools for $5 adults and $3 for students/senior citizens. All tickets will be $5 at the door.

Radio: WPPA 1360 AM, 105.9 FM; WAVT 101.9 FM, Pottsville

Live Updates: Follow Leroy Boyer on Twitter @pubsportsboss

About the Hurricanes

How they got here: Senior class turned their 3-19 record as freshmen right-side up, the Hurricanes blowing through Division II and suffering their only league loss to D-III champion Marian.

Last league playoff appearance: Lost to Mahanoy Area in 2006 title game.

Team statistics: Offense (66.6 points per game), defense (46.8)

Probable starting lineup: Mason Carter (sr., 14.7, 9 3-pointers), Albe Evans (sr., 20.0 ppg, 64 3-pointers), Jack Higgins (jr., 6.1), Damyan Miller (sr., 8.5, 23 3-pointers) Mason Ulsh (jr., 15.0, 34 3-pointers)

Key reserve: Jacob Houtz (jr., 2.1)

Notes: Defeated Tamaqua 56-55 in a non-league game Dec. 27. ... Hurricanes' only road loss was that Division II-III crossover game at Marian, 75-63, on Jan. 16. They won two neutral-site games to capture the Trojan Tournament at Upper Dauphin to kick off the season ... Haven has hit 132 3-pointers this season. ... Hurricanes tend to rotate just six players. They won't kill you with their size, but they're fast and can pull up from all over the floor.

About the Blue Raiders

How they got here: Punched their ticket to the big dance on the final league day after battling neck-and-neck with Blue Mountain throughout the season for the Division I wild card spot.

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

Team statistics: Offense (60.1 points per game), defense (49.4)

Probable starting lineup: Nicko Bolletino (sr., 3.7, 15 3-pointers), Lucas Gregoire (sr., 17.2, 15 3-pointers), Nathan Gregoire (soph., 6.7, 10 3-pointers), Brayden Knoblauch (sr., 16.8, 56 3-pointers), Barron Stauffenberg (sr., 8.0, 23 3-pointers)

Key reserve: Nate Boyle (sr., 5.4, 14 3-pointers)

Notes: Three league losses came to Pottsville twice and Blue Mountain. ... Knoblauch and Lucas Gregoire account for 56.5 percent of Tamaqua's points. ... Last league championship came in 1994 when the Raiders beat Marian. ... Tamaqua has hit 137 3-pointers this season.

Up next: Winner faces the winner of Pottsville and Marian in the title game Friday night.

●

Second Semifinal

Pottsville (18-4, 14-0) vs. Marian (19-4, 10-3)

When: Today, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Martz Hall

Tickets: Advance tickets are available at both schools for $5 adults and $3 for students/senior citizens. All tickets will be $5 at the door.

Radio: WPPA 1360 AM, 105.9 FM; WAVT 101.9 FM, Pottsville

Live Updates: Follow Luke Kropp on Twitter @LukeKropp

About the Crimson Tide

How they got here: Completed their second straight undefeated season in league play to capture their 11th straight division title.

Last league playoff appearance: Beat Blue Mountain in the 2019 title game.

Team statistics: Offense (61.3 points per game), defense (42.0)

Probable starting lineup: Mason Barnes (sr., 17.5, 41 3-pointers), Raeff DiCello (soph., 5.8, 8 3-pointers), Matt Salata (sr., 4.7, 7 3-pointers), Kevin Schenk (sr., 15.7, 38 3-pointers), Riley Stanton (sr., 5.2, 24 3-pointers)

Key reserves: Nico Heimbaugh (jr., 4.6, 26 3-pointers), Mike Sukeena (soph., 5.0, 20 3-pointers)

Notes: Pottsville boasts a 38-game win streak in regular-season division games. Counting the league playoffs, the Tide have won 42 straight league contests, as they seek their third overall title in a row. ... Only home loss this season was in opener against Philadelphia power Math, Civics & Sciences. ... Pottsville has hit 172 3-pointers this season. ... Leading scorer Barnes' season high is 43. ... Last time the Tide missed the league playoffs was 2009, when North Schuylkill defeated Williams Valley in the final.

About the Colts

How they got here: After starting 11-0 overall and 5-0 in D-III, the division came down to the Colts' final suffocation of Nativity in a division tiebreaker as both finished with a 10-3 league record.

Last league playoff appearance: Lost to Blue Mountain in 2017 semifinals.

Team statistics: Offense (66.4 points per game), defense (55.0)

Probable starting lineup: Dante Agosti (jr., 10.9, 51 3-pointers), Logan Fritz (soph., 4.9, 23 3-pointers), Tyler Fritz (sr., 29.0, 57 3-pointers), John Malarkey (jr., 3.3), Chris Ritsick (sr., 11.9, 56 3-pointers)

Key reserves: Julian Cerullo (jr., 1.2), Nick Goff (sr., 1.1), Zack Hnat (sr., 2.9, 3 3-pointers)

Notes: Marian's senior class won the D-III title as freshmen but lost in a rout to Blue Mountain in the 2017 semifinals. ... Colts were the last remaining undefeated team across the entire District 11 at 11-0 after more than a month of play. ... Marian has hit 194 3-pointers this season. ... Leading scorer Tyler Fritz's season high is 41 points.

Up next: Winner faces the winner of Schuylkill Haven and Tamaqua in the league title game at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Martz Hall.

- Compiled by Luke Kropp

Schuylkill League Boys' Basketball Playoffs

Preview Capsules

First Semifinal

Schuylkill Haven (19-3, 12-1) vs. Tamaqua (16-6, 11-3)

When: Today, 6 p.m.

Where: Martz Hall

Tickets: Advance tickets are available at both schools for $5 adults and $3 for students/senior citizens. All tickets will be $5 at the door.

Radio: WPPA 1360 AM, 105.9 FM; WAVT 101.9 FM, Pottsville

Live Updates: Follow Leroy Boyer on Twitter @pubsportsboss

About the Hurricanes

How they got here: Senior class turned their 3-19 record as freshmen right-side up, the Hurricanes blowing through Division II and suffering their only league loss to D-III champion Marian.

Last league playoff appearance: Lost to Mahanoy Area in 2006 title game.

Team statistics: Offense (66.6 points per game), defense (46.8)

Probable starting lineup: Mason Carter (sr., 14.7, 9 3-pointers), Albe Evans (sr., 20.0 ppg, 64 3-pointers), Jack Higgins (jr., 6.1), Damyan Miller (sr., 8.5, 23 3-pointers) Mason Ulsh (jr., 15.0, 34 3-pointers)

Key reserve: Jacob Houtz (jr., 2.1)

Notes: Defeated Tamaqua 56-55 in a non-league game Dec. 27. ... Hurricanes' only road loss was that Division II-III crossover game at Marian, 75-63, on Jan. 16. They won two neutral-site games to capture the Trojan Tournament at Upper Dauphin to kick off the season ... Haven has hit 132 3-pointers this season. ... Hurricanes tend to rotate just six players. They won't kill you with their size, but they're fast and can pull up from all over the floor.

About the Blue Raiders

How they got here: Punched their ticket to the big dance on the final league day after battling neck-and-neck with Blue Mountain throughout the season for the Division I wild card spot.

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

Team statistics: Offense (60.1 points per game), defense (49.4)

Probable starting lineup: Nicko Bolletino (sr., 3.7, 15 3-pointers), Lucas Gregoire (sr., 17.2, 15 3-pointers), Nathan Gregoire (soph., 6.7, 10 3-pointers), Brayden Knoblauch (sr., 16.8, 56 3-pointers), Barron Stauffenberg (sr., 8.0, 23 3-pointers)

Key reserve: Nate Boyle (sr., 5.4, 14 3-pointers)

Notes: Three league losses came to Pottsville twice and Blue Mountain. ... Knoblauch and Lucas Gregoire account for 56.5 percent of Tamaqua's points. ... Last league championship came in 1994 when the Raiders beat Marian. ... Tamaqua has hit 137 3-pointers this season.

Up next: Winner faces the winner of Pottsville and Marian in the title game Friday night.

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Second Semifinal

Pottsville (18-4, 14-0) vs. Marian (19-4, 10-3)

When: Today, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Martz Hall

Tickets: Advance tickets are available at both schools for $5 adults and $3 for students/senior citizens. All tickets will be $5 at the door.

Radio: WPPA 1360 AM, 105.9 FM; WAVT 101.9 FM, Pottsville

Live Updates: Follow Luke Kropp on Twitter @LukeKropp

About the Crimson Tide

How they got here: Completed their second straight undefeated season in league play to capture their 11th straight division title.

Last league playoff appearance: Beat Blue Mountain in the 2019 title game.

Team statistics: Offense (61.3 points per game), defense (42.0)

Probable starting lineup: Mason Barnes (sr., 17.5, 41 3-pointers), Raeff DiCello (soph., 5.8, 8 3-pointers), Matt Salata (sr., 4.7, 7 3-pointers), Kevin Schenk (sr., 15.7, 38 3-pointers), Riley Stanton (sr., 5.2, 24 3-pointers)

Key reserves: Nico Heimbaugh (jr., 4.6, 26 3-pointers), Mike Sukeena (soph., 5.0, 20 3-pointers)

Notes: Pottsville boasts a 38-game win streak in regular-season division games. Counting the league playoffs, the Tide have won 42 straight league contests, as they seek their third overall title in a row. ... Only home loss this season was in opener against Philadelphia power Math, Civics & Sciences. ... Pottsville has hit 172 3-pointers this season. ... Leading scorer Barnes' season high is 43. ... Last time the Tide missed the league playoffs was 2009, when North Schuylkill defeated Williams Valley in the final.

About the Colts

How they got here: After starting 11-0 overall and 5-0 in D-III, the division came down to the Colts' final suffocation of Nativity in a division tiebreaker as both finished with a 10-3 league record.

Last league playoff appearance: Lost to Blue Mountain in 2017 semifinals.

Team statistics: Offense (66.4 points per game), defense (55.0)

Probable starting lineup: Dante Agosti (jr., 10.9, 51 3-pointers), Logan Fritz (soph., 4.9, 23 3-pointers), Tyler Fritz (sr., 29.0, 57 3-pointers), John Malarkey (jr., 3.3), Chris Ritsick (sr., 11.9, 56 3-pointers)

Key reserves: Julian Cerullo (jr., 1.2), Nick Goff (sr., 1.1), Zack Hnat (sr., 2.9, 3 3-pointers)

Notes: Marian's senior class won the D-III title as freshmen but lost in a rout to Blue Mountain in the 2017 semifinals. ... Colts were the last remaining undefeated team across the entire District 11 at 11-0 after more than a month of play. ... Marian has hit 194 3-pointers this season. ... Leading scorer Tyler Fritz's season high is 41 points.

Up next: Winner faces the winner of Schuylkill Haven and Tamaqua in the league title game at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Martz Hall.

- Compiled by Luke Kropp

Lehighton 34

POTTSVILLE - Pottsville head coach Dave Mullaney set the school's all-time coaching victory record as Mason Barnes' 25 points led the Crimson Tide past Lehighton in a Division I game.

In his 13th season, Mullaney improved his record to 278-70 while the former victory leader, Jim Steidle, was 277-143.

Barnes scored 14 of Pottsville's 21 first-period points and he finished the first half with 21. Kevin Schenk added 11 points for the Crimson Tide.

LEHIGHTON (34) - Hunsicker 4 0-0 11, Lorenz 1 0-0 2, Wolverton 4 2-2 10, Smith 0 0-2 0, Costenbader 1 1-2 3, Yturrino 2 1-5 5, Schatz 1 0-0 3, Beatty 0 0-0 0, E. Lutz 0 0-0 0. Totals 13 4-11 34.

POTTSVILLE (72) - Schenk 5 0-0 11, Heimbaugh 1 0-0 3, Barnes 8 6-6 25, Yost 4 0-0 9, McCuller 4 0-0 8, Boris 2 0-0 5, Stanton 1 0-0 3, Snowell 4 0-0 8, Salata 0 0-0 0, DiCello 0 0-0 0. Totals 29 6-6 72.

Leh (8-14, 4-10) 8 5 11 10 - 34 Po (18-4, 14-0) 21 26 13 12 - 72

3-point FGs: Hunsicker 3, Schatz, Schenk, Heimbaugh, Barnes 3, Yost, Boris, Stanton

JV score: Pottsville 74-29

JANUARY 29, 2020

LANSFORD - For the 11th straight year, Pottsville's boys' basketball team has made the Schuylkill League playoffs.

The Crimson Tide clinched their tournament berth Tuesday night as Kevin Schenk tallied 16 points in a 56-36 win over Panther Valley in Division I play.

The Tide (15-4, 11-0 D-I) drained 10 3-pointers in the game while attempting just two foul shots.

Mason Barnes added 15 points for Pottsville.

Erick Marchorro paced Panther Valley with 19 points, including four treys.

POTTSVILLE (56) - Schenk 7 0-0 16, Heimbaugh 3 0-0 9, Barnes 6 0-2 15, DiCello 1 0-0 2, Sukeena 2 0-0 5, Stanton 2 0-0 5, Salata 2 0-0 4. Totals 23 0-2 56.

PANTHER VALLEY (36) - Marchorro 7 1-2 19, Stilitino 2 1-2 5, Eidle 3 0-1 6, Hoben 1 0-0 2, White 2 0-0 4, Krapf 0 0-0 0, Turner 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 2-5 36.

Po (15-4, 11-0) 16 17 10 13 - 56 PV (11-8, 4-7) 4 13 7 12 - 36

3-point FGs: Schenk 2, Heimbaugh 3, Barnes 3, Sukeena, Stanton, Marchorro 4

JV score: Pottsville 76-36

North Schuylkill 38

POTTSVILLE - The Tide placed three players in double figures in rolling to the Division I win over the Spartans at Martz Hall.

Mason Barnes led the way with 16 points, followed by Kevin Schenk with 14 and Nicco Heimbaugh with 11.

For North Schuylkill, Jack Flynn was the leading scorer with a game-high 18 points.

NORTH SCHUYLKILL (38) - Brown 1 0-0 2, Weikel 3 2-7 9, Flynn 6 4-5 18, Groody 1 0-0 3, Scott 3 0-0 6, Burgos 0 0-0 0, Conti 0 0-0 0, Fisher 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 6-12 38.

POTTSVILLE (70) - Schenk 5 3-6 14, Heimbaugh 2 5-5 11, Barnes 4 7-9 16, DiCello 1 3-4 5, Yost 0 1-2 1, Sukeena 2 2-2 7, Stanton 2 0-0 6, Snowell 2 0-0 5, Salata 2 0-0 5, McCuller, Boris 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 21-28 70.

NS (2-10, 0-6) 12 8 10 8 - 38 Potts (9-3, 5-0) 19 19 13 19 - 70

3-point FGs: Flynn 2, Groody, Weikel, Heimbaugh 2, Stanton 2, Schenk, Barnes, Sukeena, Snowell, Salata

JV score: Pottsville 64-34

WILLIAMSPORT - It took a week or two for Pottsville to find its basketball legs after an extended football season

The Crimson Tide appear to have hit their stride.

Kevin Schenk and Mason Barnes combined for seven 3-pointers and 43 points as Pottsville scored an impressive 67-51 win over Williamsport in a non-league game Saturday at the Magic Dome.

The victory was the sixth in seven games for the Crimson Tide, who drained 10 3-pointers and used a third-quarter run to pull away.

Schenk finished with four 3-pointers and 22 points, scoring 14 of those in the first half. Barnes added a trio of 3-pointers and collected 21 points.

POTTSVILLE (67) - Schenk 8 2-2 22, Heimbaugh 0 0-0 0, Barnes 8 2-2 21, DiCello 4 0-0 9, Sukeena 1 0-0 2, Stanton 3 1-1 9, Salata 2 0-0 4. Totals 26 5-5 67.

WILLIAMSPORT (51) - Ellzy 3 1-1 7, Jones 3 3-4 9, Evans-Mcquay 5 1 1-2 14, Jason 2 0-0 4, Brown 1 0-0 3, Fausnaught 1 0-0 2, Johnson 3 2 0-0 12. Totals 17 4 5-7 51.

Potts (7-3) 16 19 18 14 - 67 Will (3-8) 12 14 17 8 - 51

3-point FGs: Schenk 4, Barnes 3, DiCello, Stanton 2

JV score: Pottsville 58-48