Pottsville falls to Marple Newtown

POTTSVILLE - For the first eight minutes, Pottsville was able to set the tone in Tuesday night's PIAA Class 5A first-round game.

Unfortunately for the Crimson Tide, visiting Marple Newtown took over for the final 24.

The Tigers, who began the game in an eight-point hole, grabbed the lead in the second quarter and never let it go to win 53-43 at Martz Hall.

"The pace of the game was in their favor," Pottsville coach Jake Wartella said. "They had a lot more fouls called on us and kind of controlled the pace of the game at times. We got outplayed tonight, but that doesn't set the way the pace of the game goes. We had to adjust a bit, they hit shots, our shots didn't fall."

Marple Newtown (17-10), the fifth-place team from District 1, didn't get its first basket until the 4:22 mark of the first quarter. With pinpoint 3-point shooting by Jazce Carabello-Snowell and Chase Fenstermacher, along with five turnovers forced by the Tide defense, things were looking up as they started with an 8-0 lead and were up 11-2 as the Tigers took a timeout at 3:22.

For the rest of the first half, Marple Newtown outscored Pottsville 20-8 to take a 22-19 lead at halftime. Owen Mathes came off the bench to lead the Tigers' charge and he ended up as the team's leading scorer with 13 points.

"We did start the game the way we wanted to," Wartella said. "We were making shots, we were playing with energy. But their team gets better as the game goes on. They did a great job making adjustments to our pressure, they hit shots, they out-hustled us and they made the plays they have to make to win those games."

Still, the Tide (19-8) remained in pursuit in the second half as Marple Newtown couldn't keep the lead in double figures. Buckets from Carabello-Snowell and Fenstermacher had Pottsville down 39-31 at the end of the third quarter.

However, a sequence with 6:37 to go set the tone for the final stretch. Mathes was fouled hard while trying to make a shot and a Tide player was called for a technical foul. The Tigers made 3-of-4 free throws to go up 42-31.

That began a steady trip to the foul line for Marple Newtown, which made 11-of-19 in the quarter. Eric McKee was a perfect 6-for-6 from the stripe and finished with 12 points.

Carabello-Snowell led Pottsville with 19 points and Fenstermacher had 10.

The loss ended the road for a senior class of Carabello-Snowell, Darren Yost, Raeff DiCello, Fenstermacher and Mike Sukeena, who capped their high school careers with Schuylkill League and District 11 Class 5A championships.

"I couldn't be prouder of those five seniors," Wartella said. "Those five will always hold a special place in my heart and a special place in this program. They're champions forever. They won a league and a district title when a lot of people counted them out. This program will be a lot better off with what they've done for it."

Marple Newtown will take on Mastery North from District 12 in Friday's second round.

Crimson Tide Wins District XI Championship

ORWIGSBURG - Pottsville senior Jazce Carabell-Snowell heals quickly.

After the 6-foot-3 forward broke an arm on Feb. 5, the rest of his 2021-22 basketball season appeared in jeopardy.

Instead, he was on the Blue Mountain High School court Friday night in uniform as he and the Crimson Tide defeated East Stroudsburg South 39-38 to capture the District 11 Class 5A championship.

"It feels great. It means a lot," Carabello-Snowell said among the crowd of well-wishers after the Crimson Tide held off the Cavaliers. "My teammates helped us. They got us here with me being out and I just thank them for it."

Carabello-Snowell finished the night with 10 points and a team-best nine rebounds as Pottsville (19-7) won a district title for the first time since 2019.

"I'm just so happy for these kids. All of the hard work they put in, they truly deserve this. Hard work pays off," Pottsville's second-year head coach, Jake Wartella, said.

That included Carabello-Snowell, who received the go-ahead to play Thursday and appeared in sync with his teammates despite the nearly month-long layoff.

"It was a little tiring at first, but then I got the hang of it," he said.

Wartella said, "He's been practicing a little bit, but yesterday was his first full contact practice, and he helps with his size and athleticism. He's been a key part of this team all year."

The Crimson Tide needed all of the effort they could muster as they avenged a 57-50 loss to East Stroudsburg South in last year's district semifinals.

With 3:53 left, South's Jahsan Simms, who tallied 11 points, drained his third 3-pointer of the night to tie the game at 36-36.

Pottsville's Darren Yost, who paced the Tide with 13 points, then missed two free throws with 3:45 left. That began an alarming trend as the Tide missed six of their last seven foul shots down the stretch.

Yet Wartella was not concerned.

"We shot great foul shots all year," he said. "It was just one of those games. Maybe nerves. Maybe the big lights. Who knows? But as always, our kids just find ways to win games down the stretch."

DiCello found a way to put the Tide on top. DiCello grabbed the rebound of Yost's driving miss and converted the putback with 3:10 left for a 38-36 lead.

Pottsville's Raeff DiCello, who had 10 points, sank one of two foul shots with 1:08 remaining to raise the advantage to 39-36. After Carabello-Snowell missed two foul shots with 42.6 seconds left, South's Nathaniel McIntyre took a pass from Simms and scored to pull the Cavaliers within one, 39-38, with 28 seconds left.

The Cavaliers then sent two players at the dribbling Yost on the next possession and got a held ball with 17.3 seconds left to give South the ball. But Simms stepped out of bounds along the baseline while attempting to grab Michael Patterson's pass with 10.1 seconds left.

Pottsville then broke South's press, which had brought the Cavaliers back into contention in the second half. Finally, the Tide's Mike Sukeena passed to DiCello, who tossed the ball high into the air to drain away the final seconds.

At one point, Pottsville held a 12-point edge, 31-19, in the third period, but the Cavaliers clawed back to produce the close finish. One of the keys to that was McIntyre, who had 11 points and a game-best 10 rebounds.

"The kids played hard at the end of the game, but you've got to start the game off against a good team like that," East Stroudsburg South head coach Shawn Munford said.

The Tide won Friday night with defense. Pottsville held East Stroudsburg South, the defending district runner-up, to 16-for-43 (37.2%) shooting from the field and the Cavaliers were never able to get the lead.

"We really didn't expect them to press on us, but you know, we were scoring in the half-court game," Yost said. "So they had to go to a full-court press."

Despite that and the free-throw woes down the stretch, Pottsville got the District 11 gold medals and can look ahead to a game against District 1's Marple Newtown in the PIAA Tournament.

Yost appreciated the moment.

"Yeah, I think the last one (gold medal) I got was freshman year, and I really wasn't part of the team then. I was a scout team guy," he said.

He added, "I'm really looking forward to states. I haven't played a state game yet, so to be able to go out there and compete in states, trying to make a run, it's going to be a fun time."

Game Summary

District 11 Class 5A Championship

At Blue Mountain HS

EAST STROUDSBURG SOUTH (38) - Patterson 1 0-0 2, Simms 4 0-0 11, Santos 2 0-0 4, Mileto 2 0-0 5, Garrison 1 0-0 2, Carnegie 0 0-0 0, Moore 1 0-0 3, McIntyre 5 1-3 11. Totals 16 1-3 38.

POTTSVILLE (39) - Carabello-Snowell 4 1-4 10, Matlock 0 1-4 1, Yost 4 4-6 13, DiCello 3 3-4 10, Bainbridge 0 0-0 0, Fenstermacher 2 0-0 5, Sukeena 0 0-0 0, Chivinski 0 0-0 0. Totals 13 9-18 39.

ESS (17-8);7;8;13;10;-;38

Potts (19-7);10;11;12;6;-;39

3-point FGs: Simms 3, Mileto, Moore, Carabello-Snowell, Yost, DiCello, Fenstermacher

 

Crimson Tide edges Blue Mountain 

 

MINERSVILLE - At first, it seemed to be Blue Mountain's night. Then Pottsville was the team that seemed unstoppable.

In the end, Pottsville's guards proved to be the force that gave the Crimson Tide a 60-54 victory in overtime Tuesday night and a berth in Friday's District 11 Class 5A championship game.

Seniors Darren Yost, fighting off foul trouble, and Raeff DiCello combined for 34 points as the Tide outlasted Blue Mountain in a nearly full Thomas Fitzpatrick Gymnasium.

"Yeah, we have senior guards and we have been riding them all year," Pottsville head coach Jake Wartella said. "They made great plays. They make some plays that drive us nuts sometimes, but at the end of the day, they find ways to make plays for us to win games."

Despite three fouls in the opening half, Yost only committed one more foul and scored 16 points in the second half and overtime to boost Pottsville (18-7) into Friday's championship game. The Tide will face East Stroudsburg South, which defeated Southern Lehigh 52-48 in Tuesday's other semifinal at Northampton.

DiCello added 11 second-half points to finish with 15 for Pottsville, which beat the Eagles (14-10) for the third time this season after victories of 71-55 on Dec. 21 and 49-37 on Jan. 25.

But it certainly wasn't easy for the Tide on Tuesday.

"It's like a football game. Whoever had the ball is going to find a way to win. Luckily, we got the lead and we got to hit some foul shots at the end, but it was anybody's game," Wartella said.

Two free throws by Crimson Tide senior Mike Sukeena with 29.9 seconds remaining in regulation tied the game at 49-49. The Eagles had two shot attempts before the buzzer ending regulation, but missed both.

Blue Mountain junior Brogan Campbell, who paced the Eagles with all 16 of his points after halftime, drove to the hoop to put his team up 51-49 to start overtime.

DiCello then drilled a 3-pointer to put the Tide ahead, 52-51, with 2:07 left in the four-minute extra period. Campbell answered with a free throw to tie the game at 52-52.

Pottsville junior Rylen Matlock, whose six rebounds included several key grabs down the stretch, then sank two foul shots with 1:30 left to give the Tide a 54-52 edge that they would never give up. Yost sank a foul shot with 30.9 seconds left. With 26 seconds left, DiCello converted two free throws and Yost added two more with 17.9 seconds remaining for a 59-52 lead.

After the Eagles' Kade Henninger missed a 3-pointer and Matlock grabbed the rebound, Matlock was fouled by the Eagles' Carson Kerstetter with 9.8 seconds left. Matlock made one free throw before a Henninger bucket produced the final score.

For the game, Pottsville sank 14-of-18 foul shots to overcome a 21-20 deficit in field goals to their Schuylkill League Division I rivals.

Blue Mountain led 19-7 during the first period, but Pottsville answered in the second and third period with 18 consecutive points, turning a 25-15 deficit into a 33-25 lead. Sukeena led the charge as he had 11 first-half points en route to 15 for the game.

The Eagles responded. Pottsville led by just two points, 38-36, after three periods and the fourth period featured four ties, including the one that forced overtime.

"We knew what they were going to do. They knew what we were going to do and it's just a matter of coming out and matching their intensity," Blue Mountain head coach Dustin Werdt said.

Sophomore Isaac Thomas provided much of the spark for Blue Mountain as he had 15 points and 11 rebounds. Henninger added 13 points and was one of the three seniors saluted by Werdt after the game that ended Blue Mountain's season.

"Our three seniors we had this year - Kade and Branson Devitt and Gavin Guers - gave us everything every night, every day at practice, and it certainly would have been nice to play Friday with those guys," Werdt said.

Instead, the team that will play for a district title Friday is Pottsville.

"We've got to clean up some things. I don't think we played our best defensively or offensively tonight," Wartella said. "Credit to Blue Mountain for that because they took us out of some things we like to do."

Game Summary

District 11 Class 5A Semifinal

At Minersville

BLUE MOUNTAIN (54) - Campbell 5 5-6 16, Henninger 5 0-0 13, Kerstetter 3 1-2 7, Miller 1 1-3 3, Devitt 0 0-0 0, Caulfield 0 0-0 0, Thomas 7 1-3 15, Guers 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 8-14 54.

POTTSVILLE (60) - Matlock 2 3-4 7, Yost 6 5-8 19, DiCello 5 4-4 15, Allen 0 0-0 0, Bainbridge 0 0-0 0, Fenstermacher 2 0-0 4, Sukeena 5 2-2 15, Chivinski 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 14-18 60.

BM (14-10);19;6;11;13;5-;54

Potts (18-7);11;14;13;11;11-;60

3-point FGs: Campbell, Henninger 3, Yost 2, DiCello, Sukeena 3

Crimson Tide Falls to PMW

POTTSVILLE - VCU recruit Christian Fermin scored nine of his 17 points in a crucial second-quarter run to lead Pocono Mountain West to a 59-36 victory over Pottsville in a non-league boys' basketball game Wednesday at Martz Hall.

Fermin, a 6-foot-10 forward, paced a 19-2 run by the Wolverines after the Crimson Tide led 13-12 after one quarter. Justin Love drained five 3-pointers and also had 17 points for Pocono Mountain West, the second seed in the District 11 Class 6A field.

Chase Fenstermacher scored a team-high 10 points for Pottsville, which is the top seed in the Class 5A field and is off until Tuesday's semifinals.

The game was scheduled since both Pocono Mountain West and Pottsville had a regular-season game canceled due to weather and/or COVID concerns.

POCONO MOUNTAIN WEST (59) - Pagan 5 1-2 11, Love 6 0-0 17, Smith 3 0-0 7, Zubairu 0 0-0 0, Sakwa 0 0-0 0, Silva 0 0-0 0, Stewart 0 0-0 0, Fermin 7 2-5 17, Savage 1 3-3 5, Brito 1 0-0 2, Espinoza 0 0-0 0. Totals 23 6-10 59.

POTTSVILLE (36) - Matlock 0 0-0 0, Yost 2 0-2 5, DiCello 2 0-0 5, Allen 0 1-2 1, Bainbridge 1 0-0 2, Fenstermacher 5 0-1 10, Sukeena 2 0-0 6, Chivinski 2 0-0 4, Montone 1 0-0 3, Shappell 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 1-5 36.

PMW (19-5);12;19;14;14;-;59

Potts (17-7);13;2;11;10;-;36

3-point FGs: Love 5, Smith, Fermin, Yost, DiCello, Sukeena 2, Montone

JV score: No game

Crimson Tide Beats The Blue Raiders 

Pottsville 69, Tamaqua 46

POTTSVILLE - Darren Yost scored a game-high 20 points and Raeff DiCello chipped in 16 as the Crimson Tide rolled past the Blue Raiders in a Division I game.

Mike Sukeena added 12 points and Chase Fenstermacher netted 10 for Pottsville, which broke away from a 25-24 halftime lead with a 20-8 run in the third quarter.

Connor Dillon scored 16 points and Nathan Gregoire tallied 10 for Tamaqua.

TAMAQUA (46) - Ansbach 3 0-0 7, Lewis 2 0-0 4, McLaughlin 1 0-0 3, Styka 0 0-0 0, Vecolitis 0 0-0 0, Milot 1 0-0 3, Kane 0 0-1 0, Fannock 0 0-0 0, Dillon 6 2-2 16, Ligenza 1 0-0 2, Andrews 0 1-3 1, Gregoire 2 4-4 10, Mateyak 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 7-10 46.

POTTSVILLE (69) - Matlock 3 0-0 6, Yost 7 6-8 20, DiCello 6 3-6 16, Allen 1 0-0 2, Bainbridge 0 0-0 0, Fenstermacher 4 2-2 10, Sukeena 5 0-0 12, Chivinski 0 0-0 0, Montone 0 0-0 0, Shappell 1 0-0 3. Totals 27 11-16 69.

Tam (7-15, 4-10);13;11;8;14;-;46

Potts (15-6, 13-1);11;14;20;24;-;69

3-point FGs: Ansbach, McLaughlin, Milot, Dillon 2, Gregoire 2, DiCello, Sukeena 2, Shappell

JV score: Pottsville 35-28

Crimson Tide Rolls over Lehighton

POTTSVILLE - Mike Sukeena scored all 18 of his points in the first half as Pottsville rolled to a 65-19 Schuylkill League Division I win over Lehighton on Saturday at Martz Hall.

Jazce Carabello-Snowell added 16 points for Pottsville, which led 36-17 at halftime and kept Lehighton scoreless in the fourth quarter. During the game Jazce Carabello-Snowell was injured on a layup and is out for the rest of the season. Snowell was Crimson Tide's leading scorer and rebound leader, 

LEHIGHTON (19) - Hawk 0 0-0 0, Lorenz 3 0-0 6, Blauch 1 0-0 2, Johnson 0 0-0 0, Lutz 1 0-0 2, Rehrig 0 0-0 0, Smith 0 0-0 0, Costenbader 0 0-0 0, Roth 2 0-0 4, Schatz 0 0-0 0, Serfoss 2 0-0 5, Hoke 0 0-2 0. Totals 9 0-2 19.

POTTSVILLE (65) - Carabello-Snowell 7 1-1 16, Matlock 3 0-0 6, Yost 1 2-2 4, DiCello 1 1-2 3, Allen 0 0-0 0, Bainbridge 2 0-0 4, Fenstermacher 1 0-0 2, Sukeena 7 0-0 18, Chivinski 2 2-2 6, Montone 2 0-0 6, Shappell 0 0-0 0. Totals 26 6-7 65.

Leh (4-16, 1-11);8;9;2;0;-;19

Potts (14-5, 12-0);14;22;15;14;-;65

3-point FGs: Serfoss, Carabello-Snowell, Sukeena 4, Montone 2

JV score: Pottsville 56-21

Crimson Tide Clips The Panthers

Pottsville 60, Panther Valley 34

POTTSVILLE - Jazce Carabello-Snowell scored a game-high 15 points as the Crimson Tide stayed unbeaten in Division I play with a rout of the Panthers at Martz Hall.

Carabello-Snowell had 11 points in the first half as Pottsville built a 30-10 halftime cushion. Mike Sukeena added 11 for Pottsville, while Mike Pascoe paced PV with 11 points. 

PANTHER VALLEY (34) - Kokinda 2 0-0 5, Weaver 2 0-0 4, Orsulak 0 0-0 0, B. Hood 1 0-0 3, Jones 0 0-0 0, Pascoe 4 3-3 11, Hadley 3 0-1 6, Buyce 1 0-0 3, McAndrew 0 0-0 0, Turner 1 0-0 2, Goida 0 0-0 0, Gardiner 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 3-4 34.

POTTSVILLE (60) - Carabello-Snowell 7 1-3 15, Matlock 1 2-2 ,4 Yost 1 0-0 3, DiCello 3 1-1 8, Allen 2 3-4 7, Bainbridge 1 2-3 4, Fenstermacher 3 0-0 6, Sukeena 4 1-1 11, Chivinski 0 0-0 0, Montone 1 0-0 2, Shappell 0 0-0 0. Totals 23 10-14 60.

PV (10-7, 4-6);5;5;12;12;-;34

Potts (11-5, 10-0);14;16;15;15;-;60

3-point FGs: Kokinda, B. Hood, Buyce

JV score: Pottsville 56-16

BOYS' BASKETBALL: Team effort lifts Pottsville past Blue Mountain

• By Leroy Boyer Sports Editor
 
• Jan 25, 2022 Updated 18 hrs ago

ORWIGSBURG - When it comes to Pottsville basketball, it's all about the team.

That team-first mentally is a big reason why the Crimson Tide are on the doorstep of a 13th straight Schuylkill League Division I crown.

Getting key contributions from all five starters, Pottsville remained unbeaten in league play with a 49-37 victory Tuesday night over Blue Mountain.

The win keeps the Crimson Tide (10-5, 9-0 D-I) three games ahead of North Schuylkill (9-7, 6-3) in the division standings with five league games remaining.

"Our message the last couple of games has been if we don't play team basketball on both ends we're not going to succeed," Pottsville coach Jake Wartella said. "We had some tough losses recently where we were playing selfish basketball. We're preaching team effort.

"We don't care who scores. We don't care who gets the glory. We're all in it. Whoever is on the court, five guys playing hard, playing as a team."

Pottsville's team-first approach was on display throughout Tuesday's contest, as each of the five starters stepped up at different points of the game.

Early on, it was the play of guards Raeff DiCello and Chase Fenstermacher.

After a rough-shooting first quarter by both teams, Pottsville closed the second quarter on a 15-2 run to forge a 25-11 halftime lead. DiCello and Fenstermacher each had five points in the spurt, with Fenstermacher scoring on a pair of drives to the basket and DiCello hitting a 3-pointer from the top of the key and scoring on a drive to the basket moments later.

The duo also shined on the defensive end, shutting down Blue Mountain's top scorers, Kade Henninger and Carson Kerstetter. Both averaging double figures, Henninger and Kerstetter were held to a combined 0-for-11 from the field in the first half, with Henninger converting three free throws and Kerstetter going scoreless.

In the first half, Blue Mountain shot 4-for-20 from the field and committed 10 turnovers.

"Raeff and Chase really dug down on defense. Give them a lot of credit," said Pottsville guard Darren Yost, who led the Crimson Tide in scoring with 12 points. "Henninger and Kerstetter killed us last game with 18 and 17 so we knew we needed to try to let other guys score. They did a great job defensively."

Blue Mountain (9-6, 5-4) shot the ball much better in the second half and made a run late in the third quarter, slicing the deficit to 36-31 with 6:42 remaining on back-to-back 3-pointers by Brogan Campbell and Henninger, who finished with 12 points.

Wartella called timeout at that point to calm his troops. Off the inbounds, Yost found Mike Sukeena alone on the wing and he buried a 3-pointer to spark a quick 7-0 run.

Yost scored on a drive to the basket and Jazce Carabello-Snowell connected on a short jumper after an offensive rebound by Sukeena kept a possession alive.

In a span of two minutes, Pottsville's lead was back up to double digits at 43-31.

"We called a play but they improvised," Wartella said of Sukeena's 3-pointer. "They took away our first option and our kids were good enough to find the second option.

"Mike is our best shooter. He hit a huge shot at a huge time in the game. Credit to our kids."

Carabello-Snowell and Sukeena each finished with 10 points and nine rebounds for Pottsville, while sophomore center Isaac Thomas had a strong game for Blue Mountain with 10 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks.

The Eagles got to within seven points on a follow by Kerstetter with 2:55 left, but didn't score again. Yost and Carabello-Snowell combined for the game's final five points to ice it.

"We've been preaching team effort the last couple of games," Yost said. "We lost a few tough ones, but we want to dig in and stay together.

"We play team-first (basketball) on offense and defense. It's great to have a bunch of guys who can score and play defense at will."

Game Summary

POTTSVILLE (49) - Carabello-Snowell 5 0-0 10, Yost 5 2-5  12, DiCello 3 0-0 7, Fenstermacher 2 2-3 6, Sukeena 3 3-3 10, Chivinski 1 0-0 2, Allen 0 0-0 0, Matlock 1 0-0 2. Totals 20 7-11 49.

BLUE MOUNTAIN (37) - Campbell 3 0-0 7, Henninger 3 4-5 12, Kerstetter 2 0-0 4, Devitt 0 0-1 0, Thomas 3 4-4 10, Caulfield 0 0-0 0, Guers 2 0-0 4, Miller 0 0-0 0, Walasavage 0 0-0 0. Totals 13 8-10 37.

Potts (10-5, 9-0);8;17;9;15;-;49

Blue (9-6, 5-4);7;4;14;12;-;37

3-point FGs: DiCello, Sukeena, Campbell, Henninger 2

JV score: Pottsville 49-40 

Crimson Tide Defeats the Spartans

POTTSVILLE - Jazce Carabello-Snowell and Raeff DiCello had big nights as Pottsville scored an important Schuylkill League Division I boys' basketball victory over North Schuylkill on Friday night at Martz Hall.

With Pottsville trailing by seven points, 27-20, at the half, it was DiCello who scored 15 in the third quarter as the Tide rallied for 28 points and a 48-33 lead it carried into the final eight minutes.

In the fourth quarter, Carabello-Snowell scored 10 as Pottsville held off a Spartans' rally. Carabello-Snowell finished with 22 points, while DiCello tallied 21.

Jack Keiter knocked down six triples and scored a game-high 29 points for North Schuylkill. Adam Scott added a dozen. 

NORTH SCHUYLKILL (57) - Wallace 0 0-0 0, Keiter 11 1-1 29, Zulkowski 2 1-3 6, Miller 1 0-0 2, Dean 0 1-2 1, Scott 5 2-5 12, Fisher 3 1-2 7. Totals 22 6-13 57.

POTTSVILLE (63) - Carabello-Snowell 8 6-8 22, Yost 1 1-2 4, DiCello 8 3-4 21, Allen 1 0-0 2, Fenstermacher 1 0-0 3, Sukeena 2 3-7 8, Chivinski 1 0-0 3, Matlock 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 13-21 63.

NS (7-7, 5-3);12;15;6;24;-;57

Potts (9-4, 8-0);9;11;28;15;-;63

3-point FGs: Keiter 6, Zulkowski, DiCello 2, Yost, Fenstermacher, Sukeena, Chivinski

JV score: Pottsville 42-7

Crimson Tide Rolls over Blue Raiders 

Pottsville 70, Tamaqua 58

TAMAQUA - Jazce Carabello-Snowell paced a quartet of double-digit scorers with a game-high 21 points as the Crimson Tide downed the Blue Raiders in a Division I game.

Mike Sukeena drained four 3-pointers and finished with 16 points for Pottsville, while Raeff DiCello added 15 and Darren Yost tallied 11.

Connor Dillon paced Tamaqua with 18 points, while Steven Hoffman had 12 and Nate Gregoire canned 11.

POTTSVILLE (70) - Carabello-Snowell 8 4-5 21, Matlock 1 0-0 3, Yost 4 2-4 11, DiCello 7-11 15, Allen 0 0-0 0, Bainbridge 0 0-0 0, Fenstermacher 1 2-2 4, Sukeena 6 0-0 16, Chivinski 0 0-0 0. Totals 27 9-14 70.

TAMAQUA (58) - Ansbach 3 0-0 7, Lewis 0 0-0 0, Hoffman 4 2-3 12, McLaughlin 1 0-0 2, Milot 0 2-2 2, Kane 1 2-2 4, Dillon 7 1-3 18, Ligenza 0 0-0 0, Andrews 0 0-0 0, Gregoire 5 0-0 11, P. Coleman 1 0-0 2. Totals 22 7-10 58.

Potts (8-4, 7-0);16;19;19;16;-;70

Tam (5-8, 3-4);10;11;12;25;-;58

3-point FGs: Carabello-Snowell, Matlock, Yost, Sukeena 4, Dillon 3, Hoffman 2, Ansbach, Gregoire

JV score: Pottsville 39-33 

Tide Gets Beat at the Buzzer

Williamsport 53, Pottsville 50

WILLIAMSPORT - J.J. Beagle hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to lift Williamsport to a non-league win over the Crimson Tide.

Jazce Carabello-Snowell paced a trio of double-digit scorers for Pottsville with 19 points. Darren Yost added 13 and Mike Sukeena had 12.

POTTSVILLE (50) - Carabello-Snowell 7 3-3 19, Matlock 0 0-0 0, Yost 3 6-6 13, DiCello 1 2-2 4, Allen 0 0-0 0, Fenstermacher 1 0-0 2, Sukeena 5 0-0 12, Chivinski 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 11-11 50.

WILLIAMSPORT (53) - Brown 8 3-4 20, Kline 0 0-0 0, Whaley 3 0-0 7, Lake 0 0-0 0, Connelly-Ali 1 2-2 4, Frierson 2 1-1 6, Beagle 6 0-0 13, Fausnaught 0 0-0 0, MacDonald 1 0-0 3, White 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 6-7 53.

Potts (7-4);13;11;12;14;-;50

Will (7-2);14;11;12;16;-;53

3-point FGs: Carabello-Snowell 2, Yost, Su

Tide Tops Jim Thorpe

Jazce Carabello-Snowell had a big night offensively as Pottsville remained unbeaten in Schuylkill League Division 1 play, defeating Jim Thorpe 55-44 on Thursday night at Martz Hall. Carabello-Snowell scored a game-high 22 points, while Darren Yost added 14 forthe Crimson Tide. 

For Jim Thorpe, Derryl Fisher was the only player to finish in double figures with 16

Jim Thorpe (44) Herron 1 7-10 9, Richards 1 0-0 3, Warner 0 0-0 0, McHugh 4 0-0 9, Fisher 6 3-5 16, Disanto 0 1-2 1, Heydt 3 0-0 6 Totals 15 11-17 44

Pottsville (55) Carabello-Snowell 7 7-9 22, Matlock 1 0-1 2, Yost 2 9-14 14, Dicello 2 1-2 5, Allen 0 0-0 0, Bainbridge 0 0-0 0, Fenstermacher 1 1-2 3, Sukeena 3 0-0 7, Chivinski 1 0-0 2  Totals 17 18-28 55

Jim Thorpe (6-5, 3-3)   8   14   5   17 -- 44

Pottsville (7-3, 6-0)       14   10   11   11 -- 55

3-P0int FG's: Richards, McHugh, Fisher, Carabello-Snowell, Yost, Sukeena

JV Score: Pottsville 50-26 

Crimson Tide Rolls over Lehighton 

Pottsville 67

Lehighton 25

LEHIGHTON - Darren Yost scored all 13 of his points in a 27-7, second-quarter outburst that propelled Pottsville past Lehighton in a Division I game.

Jazce Carabello-Snowell scored a game-high 19 points for the Crimson Tide, who led 43-12 at halftime. Jack Lorenz and Joe Roth each had seven for the Indians. 

POTTSVILLE (67) - Carabello-Snowell 7 3-4 19, Matlock 3 0-0 6, Yost 5 1-1 13, DiCello 3 1-2 7, Allen 1 0-0 3, Bainbridge 1 0-2 2, Fenstermacher 3 0-0 7, Sukeena 3 0-0 8, Chivinski 0 0-0 0, Schappell 1 0-0 2, Montone 0 0-0 0. Totals 27 5-9 67.

LEHIGHTON (25) - Hawk 1 0-0 3, Porambo 0 0-0 0, Lorenz 3 0-0 7, Blauch 0 0-0 0, Costenbader 1 2-4 4, Lutz 1 0-0 2, Bastone 0 0-0 0, Roth 3 1-3 7, Schatz 0 0-0 0, Serfass 0 0-0 0, Hoke 1 0-0 2. Totals 10 3-7 25.

Potts (6-3, 5-0);16;27;13;11;-;67

Leh (2-10, 0-5);5;7;6;7;-;25

3-point FGs: Carabello-Snowell 2, Yost 2, Allen, Fenstermacher, Sukeena 2, Hawk, Lorenz

JV score: Pottsville 59-25

Crimson Tide clips the Cardinals Wings

POTTSVILLE - The marquee outside Martz Hall read "Boys' basketball vs. Pine Grove."

It easily could have read "The Jazce Carabello-Snowell Show."

The Pottsville senior center was the feature attraction Thursday night, scoring a career-high 31 points and pulling down eight rebounds as the Crimson Tide downed the Cardinals 69-36 in a Schuylkill League Division I contest.

The 6-foot-3 standout netted 13 of his points in a 25-6, third-quarter run that helped Pottsville (5-3, 4-0 D-I) stay unbeaten in league play.

"Jazce was great tonight," Pottsville coach Jake Wartella said. "We always say he's probably the best athlete on the court and tonight he played like it.

"The kids thrived off it, and he provided energy all night."

Carabello-Snowell announced his presence early, scoring eight points in the first quarter as the Crimson Tide forged a 14-13 lead. He was aggressive and physical in the paint, snatching seven of his rebounds in the first half, most of which were on the offensive end.

He tallied 14 of his points in the first half, helping Pottsville to a 28-20 lead.

"I felt like I was unstoppable tonight," Carabello-Snowell said. "I kept my hustle up all four quarters. I kept pushing. I felt I could do anything."

Despite Carabello-Snowell's play, however, the Crimson Tide couldn't create separation from the pesky Cardinals (5-5, 2-2).

Pine Grove used five points by Garrett Brandt, who finished with 18, and triples by Killian Skocik and Grant Culbert to grab a 13-8 lead with 2:22 left in the first period.

Pottsville answered with a 14-0 run as the Crimson Tide defense started to flex its muscles, holding the Cardinals without a field goal for nearly six minutes. The Tide lead 27-15 before a 3-pointer by Brandt and a layup by Geesey helped Pine Grove cut the deficit to eight at intermission.

"We weren't a happy group at halftime. We thought we could have played better, especially on defense," Wartella said. "There wasn't too many Xs and Os going on up here. It's usually a mindset with our guys. They came out, played their butts off in the third quarter and I couldn't be more proud of them."

The halftime talk proved successful when Pottsville opened the second half on a 16-0 run. Carabello-Snowell had 10 of those points and Raeff DiCello added the other six as Pottsville took complete control.

Carabello-Snowell scored 13 points in the third quarter and added four more in the fourth as Pottsville outscored Pine Grove 41-16 in the second half.

"We were just playing all together. It was just flowing for us," Carabello-Snowell said. "When I got my looks, they were going in. We played really well as a team tonight."

Carabello-Snowell had six of his points in the key run off steals as the Tide held Pine Grove to just two shots in the frame and forced nine turnovers. Over the middle quarters, Pine Grove shot just 4-for-7 from the field and committed 16 turnovers. The Cardinals finished the game with 28 giveaways.

"We had a bad third quarter (in a loss Monday at Jim Thorpe) and our third quarter was awful tonight," Pine Grove coach Frank D'Agostino said. "We have to come out with a little more energy, little more effort. We were only down eight at the half. We have to want it more.

"We're learning, we're growing. No excuses, we have to be better."

Pottsville had an 11-day break before Monday's win against Panther Valley and is averaging 66.25 points in its four league games. The way Carabello-Snowell and the Crimson Tide defense played Thursday, they're going to be tough to beat in the Division I race.

"We had over a week off after a shutdown and had a game canceled and I feel we figured some things out about our team," Wartella said. "We're starting to click a little bit. Some young guys are stepping up, our seniors are being leaders and we're playing as a team. It's fun to watch."

Game Summary

PINE GROVE (36) - Brandt 6 3-5 18, Unger 0 1-2 1, Skocik 1 0-0 3, Culbert 1 0-0 3, Geesey 3 0-0 7, Tobin 0 0-0 0, Sarge 1 0-0 2, O. Hannevig 1 0-0 2, Cooper 0 0-0 0, E. Hannevig 0 0-0 0. Totals 13 4-7 36.

POTTSVILLE (69) - Carabello-Snowell 12 6-10 31, Yost 1 0-0 2, DiCello 3 4-6 10, Fenstermacher 0 2-2 2, Sukeena 1 0-0 2, Matlock 4 0-0 9, Chivinski 2 0-0 6, Montone 1 0-0 2, Allen 0 1-3 1, Bainbridge 1 1-2 4. Totals 25 14-23 69.

PG (5-5, 2-2);13;7;6;10;-;36

Potts (5-3, 4-0);14;14;25;16;-;69

3-point FGs: Brandt 3, Skocik, Culbert, Geesey, Carabello-Snowell, Matlock, Chivinski 2, Bainbridge

Crimson Tide Pounds The Panthers

Pottsville 71

Panther Valley 37

LANSFORD - Darren Yost scored 12 points and Nick Chivinski scored 11 points as Pottsville downed Panther Valley in a Schuylkill League Division I game.

Jazce Carabello-Snowell and Raeff DiCello each added 10 points for Crimson Tide.

Stephen Hood paced Panther Valley with 11 points.

POTTSVILLE (71) - Carabello-Snowell 4 2-2 10, Matlock 4 0-0 9, Yost 5 1-2 12, DiCello 4 1-2 10, Allen 0 0-0 0, Bainbridge 0 0-0 0, Fenstermacher 2 1-2 6, Sukeena 2 0-0 5, Chivinski 4 0-0 11, Montone 3 0-0 8. Totals 28 5-8 71.

PANTHER VALLEY (37) - Kokinda 1 0-0 3, Weaver 1 0-0 3, Orsulak 0 0-0 0, B. Hood 0 0-0 0, Jones 0 0-0 0, Kindt 3 0-0 6, Pascoe 4 1-3 9, S. Hood 5 0-0 11, Hazzard 0 0-0 0, McAndrew 0 0-0 0, Turner 1 0-0 2, Gardinez 0 0-0 0, Buyce 1 0-0 3, Maynard 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 1-3 37.

Potts (4-3);22;13;22;14;-;71

PV (3-4);11;4;8;14;-;37

3-point FGs: Matlock 2, Yost, DiCello, Fenstermacher, Sukeena, Chivinski 2, Montone 2, Kokinda, Weaver,  S. Hood, Buyce

JV score: Pottsville 41-25

Crimson Tide Rips Spartans

Pottsvile 54

North Schuylkill 37

FOUNTAIN SPRINGS - Raeff DiCello scored 21 points as Pottsville downed North Schuylkill in a Schuylkill League Division I game.

DiCello scored 17 points in the first half as the Crimson Tide jumped out to a 29-17 lead. Jazce Carabello-Snowell added 12 points for Pottsville.

Jack Keiter paced North Schuylkill with 9 points.  

POTTSVILLE (54) - Yost 3 2-2 9, DiCello 9 2-2 21, Fenstermaster 1 0-0 2, Sukeena 3 0-0 7, Chivinski 0 0-0 0, Carabello-Snowell 4 4-6 12, Matlock 1 0-0 3, Allen 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 8-10 54.

NORTH SCHUYLKILL (37) - Miller 1 0-0 2, Keiter 3 1-2 9, Scott 3 0-1 6, Fisher 1 0-0 2, Conti 3 2-2 10, Wallace 0 0-0 0, Beleck 0 0-0 0, Zulkowski 1 0-0 2, Dean 0 2-2 2, Brown 2 0-0 4. Totals 14 5-7 37.

Potts (1-2, 1-0);14;15;15;10;-;54

NS (0-1, 0-1);10;7;9;11;-;37

 3-point FGs: Yost, DiCello, Sukeena, Matlock, Keiter 2, Conti 2

Crimson Tide Loses To Berks Catholic 

POTTSVILLE - There was a playoff atmosphere Monday night at Martz Hall, and the game lived up to it.

Aidan Sands hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 14.9 seconds left to lift Berks Catholic to a 49-46 victory over Pottsville in a non-league boys' basketball game.

Sands finished with a game-high 17 points, while Josiah Jordan added 14 as the Saints overcame a 27-22 halftime deficit and used a 15-9, fourth-quarter run to win it.

Jazce Carabello-Snowell paced the Crimson Tide with 16 points, while Darren Yost added 11 and Raeff DiCello netted 10.

BERKS CATHOLIC (49) - Sands 6 1-2 17, Reinhart 0 0-0 0, Jordan 6 2-7 14, Koch 2 4-4 9, Geddio 0 0-0 0, Miller 1 0-0 3, Gaffney 0 0-0 0, Givens 1 2-2 4, Doyle 0 0-0 0, Lawlor 1 0-0 2, Diaz 0 0-0 0, Neiw 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 9-15 49.

 POTTSVILLE (46) - Carabello-Snowell 6 0-0 16, Matlock 0 0-0 0, Yost 4 2-3 11, DiCello 3 2-2 10, Fenstermacher 1 0-0 2, Sukeena 2 0-0 4, Chivinski 1 0-0 3, Fermaintt 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 4-5 46.

Berks (3-0);13;9;12;15;-;49

Potts (0-2);17;10;10;9;-;46

3-point FGs: Sands 4, Koch, Miller, Carabello-Snowell 4, Yost, DiCello 2, Chivinski

JV score: Pottsville 53-37

Crimson Tide Loses Opener To Wilson 

Wilson West Lawn 45 

Pottsville 23 

WEST LAWN - Jazce Carabello-Snowell reached double figures with a team-high 12 points but the Crimson Tide fell behind early and never recovered in a non-league loss to the Bulldogs. 

Wilson drained three 3-pointers in the first quarter en route to a 19-4 lead and then led 30-13 at intermission. Cam Jones and Foddy Sillah each had 10 points to pace Wilson's balanced attack. 

POTTSVILLE (23) - Carabello-Snowell 5 1-6 12, Matlock 0 0-1 0, Yost 2 0-0 5, DiCello 0 0-0 0, Allen 0 0-0 0, Bainbridge 1 2-2 4, Fenstermacher 0 0-0 0, Sukeena 1 0-0 2, Chivinski 0 0-0 0, Davis 0 0-0 0, Fermaintt 0 0-0 0. Totals 9 3-9 23. 

WILSON WEST LAWN (45) - Jones 4 1-1 10, Coldren 1 0-0 3, Harding 2 0-0 6, Melogrand 3 0-0 8, Odidle 4 0-0 8, Breslin 0 0-0 0, Wright 0 0-0 0, Cieniewicz 0 0-0 0, Sekulski 0 0-0 0, Gruber 0 0-0 0, Crocona 0 0-0 0, Rigdon 0 0-0 0, Sillah 5 0-2 10. Totals 19 1-3 45. 

Potts (0-1);4;9;3;7;-;23 

Wilson (1-0);19;11;12;3;-;45 

3-point FGs: Carabello-Snowell, Yost, Jones, Coldren, Harding 2, Melogrand 2 

JV score: Wilson 49-36