POTTSVILLE BOYS BASKETBALL

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2024 - 2025 Pottsville Crimson Tide

 

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2023-2024 Team Trip to See Penn State Basketball

Crimson Tide Seniors  Kole Becker & Chase Oswald

CO-MVP'S For The Tide 

 

Good Luck to Kole & Chase 

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Crimson Tide Season Ends

PHILADELPHIA - The hole was just a bit too deep for Pottsville to dig its way out.

Despite a late push led by seniors Chase Oswald and Kole Becker, the Crimson Tide couldn't overcome a disastrous second-quarter slog as they fell to Carver High School of Engineering & Sciences 51-44 in the opening round of the PIAA Class 4A boys' state basketball playoffs Friday night at Universal Audenried High School.

Trailing by as many as 16 points, Pottsville powered back behind Oswald's 11 second-half points and a pair of fourth-quarter 3-pointers by Becker to cut the deficit to three. But the Engineers held strong in the game's final moments as Sahin Rodriguez scored 15 points and Matthew McField added 11, both knocking down key free throws for Carver E&S.

"Our kids fought all year, and it was a great experience," Tide coach Jake Wartella said. "But we feel like we're good enough to win games like this. I love our kids' effort. They fought until the end, especially our two seniors Chase and Kole."

Pottsville (19-9), the third seed out of District 11, took a 10-9 lead after a slow-moving first quarter, getting early looks around the rim.

That prompted a change from the Engineers (20-6) in the second, switching their defense to a zone. It wasn't quite stifling, but it was effective. The Tide moved the ball and found the open man. But something about that zone kept them from putting the ball in the basket.

"We didn't really see a zone like that all year," Wartella said, "that 1-3-1 with athletic kids. It affected us a little. We had clean looks; we had open shots. We have to make some of them."

Pottsville scored no field goals and just one point in the entire second quarter, while Carver E&S converted its stops into a few transition opportunities. The District 12 runner-up Engineers took a 20-11 lead into the half, with Aaron Williams leading the way with six points.

"The second quarter killed us," Wartella said. "I didn't think we were (taking bad shots); we just weren't making them. We had a lot of good looks, and, for whatever reason, we lost our confidence for a little in the second quarter."

A hot third quarter from Rodriguez allowed Carver E&S to extend its lead to 32-16 with 3:16 to play in the period. That's when the Tide started to respond and begin chipping away.

"I knew I didn't want to lose," Oswald said. "I don't think any of us did."

Letrel Montone scored five points in the third quarter with a pair of tough finishes while the 6-foot-2 forward Oswald added his own timely inside bucket for Pottsville to make it a 33-25 at the end of the third.

Oswald then hit a deep 3-pointer early in the fourth, while sophomore guard Christian Alvarez buried another for three of his 11 points to bring the Tide within seven. Becker canned two triples as Pottsville streaked back, the second of which brought the score to 47-44.

"I think it meant a little more to me and Kole," Oswald said. "We fought hard, and I think the others fueled off that. It helped us all play as hard as we could."

As Pottsville was forced to play the fouling game, the Engineers stepped up on an otherwise poor free-throwing shooting night.

While Carver E&S shot 15-for-26 from the line in the game, Rodriguez went 3-for-4 and McField went a perfect 4-for-4 in the closing minutes to fend off a Tide comeback and set up a second-round matchup Tuesday against District 4 winner Danville, which beat Octorora 63-50.

For Pottsville, the effort was there on the stage of the state playoffs, but its worst stretch of play - that second quarter - proved costly in avoiding elimination.

"I love the way we battled back," Wartella said, "and I still think we had plenty of chances to win. ... (Carver E&S) is a very good team. They made the key plays in the right parts of the game, and that's why they won."

 

Game Summary

PIAA Boys' Basketball

Class 4A First Round

At Universal Audenried HS

POTTSVILLE (44) - Montone 3 1-1 7, Becker 2 0-0 6, Watkins 1 2-2 5, Bainbridge 1 0-0 2, Oswald 3 4-7 11, Alvarez 3 3-6 11, Hughes-Crane 0 0-0 0, Bowers 0 0-0 0, Flucker-White 1 0-0 2. Totals 14 10-16 44.

CARVER E&S (51) - F. Brown 2 2-2 7, Rodriguez 5 4-6 15, McField 3 5-6 11, Lewis 0 0-0 0, Young 2 0-2 4, A. Brown 2 0-0 4, Williams 3 0-0 6, Simpkins 0 4-10 4, Lunon 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 15-26 51.

Potts (19-9);10;1;14;19;-;44

Carver (20-6);9;11;13;18;-;51

3-point FGs: Becker 2, Alvarez 2, Watkins, Oswald, F. Brown, Rodriguez


State Playoffs

Crimson Tide plays Carver E & S, out of Philadelphia on Friday, March 8 at 6:00 pm

Crimson Tide Moves On to State Playoffs 

ORWIGSBURG - Christian Alvarez's big night lifted Pottsville back to the PIAA playoffs.

The sophomore forward scored a game-high 24 points as the Crimson Tide rolled past North Schuylkill 58-44 in the District 11 Class 4A boys' consolation game Friday at Blue Mountain High School.

Pottsville (19-8) will travel to face the District 12 runner up in the first round of the PIAA Class 4A boys' tournament Friday, March 8.

"We knew we needed the win and someone needed to step up," Alvarez said. "Going to states is obviously cool, so it's nice when I have a good game to get us there.

"We played great as a team. I mean, I had a great game shooting-wise, but my teammates set me up. Them and my coaches."

The Tide pushed the pace right out of the gates and outscored North Schuylkill (17-10) in the first quarter 19-11. Alvarez netted two 3-pointers and totaled 10 points through the frame.

The Spartans' Jack Keiter, a senior guard, did his best to match Alvarez early and keep North Schuylkill in the game, along with surpassing a school milestone.

Keiter collected seven points in the first quarter and became the Spartans' all-time leading boys' basketball scorer when he knocked down a 3-pointer with 2:29 remaining in the first half to surpass 2008 graduate Garrett Kelly's previously mark of 1,387 career points. Keiter finished with a team-high 16 points and 1,394 total points in his career.

"It feels great, I worked very hard for it," Keiter said. "It feels great, I did everything to help my team win and put us in the best position to win with my ability.

"It's been the best time of my life."

While Keiter's 13 points by the half points were helpful, Pottsville held North Schuylkill at bay and led 40-25 at halftime. Alvarez added eight more points in the second quarter and increased his total to 18 at the end of the first half.

"Our message was to keep the same energy," Crimson Tide coach Jake Wartella said about his halftime message. "We started cold in the second half, (North Schuylkill) hit some shots, but our kids are resilient. They battled and they found a way."

Chase Oswald finished with 12 points for Pottsville, while Pottsville didn't quite have the same intensity offensively to start the second half as the Tide only got two field goals to fall in the quarter. Alvarez nailed another 3 and Letrel Montone added a layup, while as a team Pottsville netted shot 3-for-6 from the free-throw line in the frame.

Chase Oswald knocked down two free throws and Alvarez added one in four attempts. Oswald went 6-for-6 from the line and chipped in 12 total points.

Keiter added two more 3's and Jude Maziekas got a layup to fall as the Spartans matched the Tide with eight points in the third quarter.

Pottsville went bucket-for-bucket and held North Schuylkill at a comfortable distance, even as North Schuylkill outscored the Crimson Tide 11-10 in the fourth and final quarter. But it was too far, too late, for the Spartans as Pottsville's hot start proved to be the difference.

Zane Zulkowski chipped in 12 points for North Schuylkill.

"We have to play our game," Wartella said on the Tide moving on to the PIAA Tournament. "Play like we did tonight in the first half and good things will happen."

Game Summary

District 11 Boys' Basketball

Class 4A Consolation

At Blue Mountain HS

NORTH SCHUYLKILL (44) - Drum 0 0-0 0, Cuthie 0 0-0 0, Maziekas 3 0-0 7, Miller 0 0-2 0, Keiter 6 0-0 16, Zulkowski 4 2-2 12, Marcinowski 1 0-0 3, Mengel 1 1-2 3, Chambers 0 0-0 0, Zilker 0 0-0 0, Rivera 0 0-0 0, Carl 0 0-0 0, Flail 1 1-2 3. Totals 16 4-8 44.

POTTSVILLE (58) - Hughes-Crane 0 0-0 0, Montone 3 0-2 7, Becker 2 1-1 6, Watkins 1 2-5 4, Bainbridge 0 0-0 0, Oswald 3 6-6 12, Bowers 1 0-0 3, Alvarez 8 4-8 24, Flucker-White 1 0-0 2. Totals 19 13-21 58.

NS (17-10);11;14;8;11;-;44

Potts (19-8);19;21;8;10;-;58

3-point FGs: Maziekas, Keiter 4, Zulkowski 2, Marcinowski, Montone, Becker, Bowers, Alvarez 4

 

Crimson Tide Plays North Schuylkill, This Friday for a Spot in the State Playoffs


Tide Falls To Allentown Central Catholic 

Allentown C.C. 50, Pottsville 38

BETHLEHEM - Letrel Montone led the way with 11 points for third-seeded Pottsville, which dropped a District 11 Class 4A semifinal to second-seeded Allentown Central Catholic at Bethlehem Liberty High School.

Chase Oswald added 10 points for the Crimson Tide, which played ACC to a 9-9 tie after one quarter. The Vikings, though, went on a 13-4 run to lead 22-13 at halftime.

Jahrel Vigo and Lucas Mushrush netted 18 points apiece for Allentown Central Catholic.

Pottsville will play in the consolation game Friday at a site and time to be announced.

District 11 Boys' Basketball

Class 4A Semifinal

POTTSVILLE (38) - Hughes-Crane 0 0-0 0, Montone 5 0-0 11, Becker 0 2-2 2, Watkins 2 2-3 6, Bainbridge 0 0-0 0, Oswald 5 0-0 10, Alvarez 3 2-2 9, Flucker-White 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 6-7 38.

ALLENTOWN CENTRAL CATHOLIC (50) - Cook 1 0-0 2, Fridia 0 0-2 0, Spinosa 3 0-0 8, Jones 0 0-0 0, Davis 0 0-0 0, Vigo 8 2-4 18, Mushrush 7 1-2 18, Ensley 1 1-4 4, Stewart-Smith 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 4-8 50.

Potts (18-8);9;4;9;16;-;38

ACC (19-6);9;13;14;14;-;50

3-point FGs: Montone, Alvarez, Mushrush 3, Spinosa 2, Ensley

Crimson Tide Plays Allentown Central Catholic on Tuesday, February 27, 2024 in District XI AAAA Semi-finals

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Pottsville rallies past Lehighton in District 11 4A quarterfinal

 

 

ORWIGSBURG - How do you overcome an early 10-point deficit in basketball?

Defense.

Pottsville proved that statement correct Friday in its 55-44 victory over Lehighton in a District 11 Class 4A boys' basketball quarterfinal at Blue Mountain High School.

The Crimson Tide (18-7) cranked up the defensive pressure through the middle quarters, forcing 10 first-half turnovers to get back in it.

Chase Oswald scored a game-high 19 points for Pottsville, which advances to face No. 2 Allentown Central Catholic, a 58-29 winner over Tamaqua, in Tuesday's semifinals at 6 p.m. at Bethlehem Liberty High School.

"Everything was happening too easy for them to start the game," Pottsville coach Jake Wartella said. "They came out fired up and they had a good game plan.

"We woke our kids up a little bit. I'm proud of the effort. It was great fighting back. We could have went away and said game over, but our kids fought back. That's a great win."

The Indians (14-10) raced out to a 10-0 lead in the first 2:15 of the game as Joe Roth had five of his 18 points and Cole Dietz drained a 3-pointer from the corner.

Pottsville coach Jake Wartella called timeout. Oswald said it wasn't a happy huddle.

"We were mad. We weren't playing with our best effort," Oswald said. "Some words from teammates, some words from coaches ... we turned it on and were able to play with more fire.

"Every game we always stress defense. Defense is our main thing at Pottsville. We weren't playing very good defense to start the game off. After that timeout, that's what changed everything for our defense and the way we played."

Pottsville turned the game around by pressuring the ball the entire court. Derek Watkins led the charge, picking up the Indians' point guards in the backcourt and forcing Lehighton to extend its offense.

He had a pair of steals that he quickly converted into layups, as Lehighton struggled to get into any type of offensive rhythm.

"The biggest thing about (Pottsville) is their defensive pressure," said Lehighton coach Trevor Miller, whose team committed 10 first-half turnovers. "We handled it well at points. There was a stretch in the second quarter where we didn't, where they went on a run because of our turnovers. I thought that was the difference in the game."

Oswald got the Pottsville offense started by recycling a miss, one of his eight rebounds in the game. He then hit a wide-open 3-pointer from the top of the key that sparked a 12-4 run that tied the game at 18-18.

With the contest tied at 22-22 midway through the second, Pottsville got consecutive 3-pointers from Letrel Montone, Juju Bainbridge and Kole Becker to break things open.

The Tide led 31-24 at the half and never trailed the rest of the way.

"That's a huge 3," Wartella said of Oswald's 3-pointer. "He's a senior leader. We don't win this game without him. Hitting a shot like that calmed everybody down and said, ‘We'll be OK.'"

Pottsville extended its lead to as many as 11 in the third quarter before Lehighton, in its final game as a Schuylkill League member, made a final push. Blake Roberts had four of his 10 points and Roth had four more as the Indians went on a 9-2 run to slice the deficit to 43-38 with 3:40 remaining.

The Tide, however, ran nearly 40 seconds off the clock on their next possession, with Christian Alvarez burying a 3-pointer from the right corner off a feed from Oswald to put Pottsville up 46-38 with 2:56 remaining.

Lehighton didn't get any closer the rest of the way.

"That's a big shot by Alvarez," Wartella said.

Alvarez finished with 11 points and both Montone and Watkins had nine for Pottsville, which shot 15-for-20 from the foul line for the game and 9-of-14 in the fourth quarter.

Led by its defense, Pottsville moves on.

"Our kids found a way. They've been doing it since the offseason," Wartella said. "Every game, it might be close, it might be ugly, but these kids find a way to win games. That's a great quality to have.

"We could have went away tonight and said we're happy with our season. But they didn't want to lose."

 

Game Summary

District 11 Boys' Basketball

Class 4A Quarterfinal

At Blue Mountain HS

LEHIGHTON (44) - Serfass 0 2-2 2, Johnson 2 2-3 6, Roberts 5 0-2 10, Roth 8 2-4 18, Dietz 3 1-2 8, Meek 0 0-0 0, Light 0 0-0 0, Hawk 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 7-13 44.

POTTSVILLE (55) - Montone 4 0-0 9, Becker 1 1-2 4, Watkins 3 2-4 9, Oswald 4 10-12 19, Alvarez 4 2-2 11, Bainbridge 1 0-0 3, Hughes-Crane 0 0-0 0, Flucker-White 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 15-20 55.

Leh (14-9);16;8;5;15;-;44

Potts (18-7);11;20;10;14;-;55

3-point FGs: Dietz, Montone, Becker, Watkins, Oswald, Alvarez, Bainbridge 

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Crimson Tide plays Lehighton at Blue Mountain at 5:00 pm on Friday

Crimson Tide Falls To The Bears

 

POTTSVILLE - Jace Yedsena stole the ball and headed to the rim.

His two-handed slam early in the first quarter gave Mahanoy Area a lead it would never relinquish and set the tone for the Golden Bears' 57-40 victory over Pottsville in a Schuylkill League boys' basketball semifinal Wednesday at Martz Hall.

The Bears jumped out to an early 7-0 run and did not allow a single Crimson Tide field goal until the 4:10 mark in the opening quarter.

The victory advanced Division III champion Mahanoy Area to Friday's league championship game against Blue Mountain, a 66-53 winner over North Schuylkill, at 7:30 p.m. at Martz Hall.

"Usually, we start from behind and were down a lot," Mahanoy Area head coach Ted Styka said. "Today was a good change of pace to actually be ahead and have control throughout the whole game."

Mahanoy Area (23-0) was ultra-aggressive in attacking the basket and getting to the free-throw line in the early going.

Chris Cuff and Tanner Zawada each converted a 3-point play by driving hard to the rim finishing the layup and earning the foul. Zawada finished with a game-high 16 points and Cuff chipped in 12 points on the night.

The aggressive offensive attack of Mahanoy helped put them up 16-3 with 1:48 left in the first quarter.

Going into the second quarter, Cuff knocked down the game's first 3-pointer and then right after Cuff's three, senior guard Colm McGroarty came up with a steal off the inbound and drew a foul. McGroarty's head's up hustle play really gave Mahanoy a huge boost of momentum.

"He's a great senior leader," Styka said of McGroarty. "When you have your sixth man coming off the bench and he's All-State in football, the fastest kid in the high hurdles, it's a great luxury to have."

The free-throw line continued to be a key factor, as Mahanoy Area shot 9-for-10 at the line during the first half, whereas Pottsville was just 1-of-4.

The Bears kept up their same level of aggressiveness on the defensive side as well, but for a period of time Pottsville was able to use Mahanoy's aggressiveness against them.

Pottsville (17-7) found itself down 13 with 5:13 on the clock but were able to draw a second personal foul on Yedsena. Not long after, Christian Alvarez helped spark a 7-0 Tide run with a pair of field goals in the paint, making the score 22-16 with 3:05 remaining in the half.

The run helped Pottsville outscore Mahanoy 11-9 during the second quarter, as they trailed 26-18 at halftime.

During the third quarter, Mahanoy Area got into more foul trouble, as both Yedsena and Brady Alansky picked up their third personal fouls.

Alansky played a key role on the Bears' defense in not allowing Alvarez to get going, but the foul trouble forced him and Yedsena to come out. However, Mahanoy was able to adjust effectively with McGroarty and Ethan Manley coming off the bench in taking on the challenge of guarding Pottsville's biggest offensive threats.

The Bears remained in command for much of the third quarter and Yedsena's re-entry with 11 seconds to go was heavily felt, as the junior attacked the rim converting yet another Mahanoy Area 3-point play in the winding seconds of the third quarter.

With Mahanoy up 41-28 after three quarters of play, Yedsena still was not finished flying high above the rim to start the fourth quarter. The crafty lefty took off for another slam off a pass from Zawada to get the Bears' 16-point fourth quarter started.

The balanced, fundamental attack of Mahanoy continued to keep it in command of the lead for the entire fourth quarter, as the Bears wrapped up the win and advanced to Friday's final.

Contact the writer: sports@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6026; @repheraldsports on X

 

Game Summary

Schuylkill League Boys' Basketball

League Semifinal

At Martz Hall

POTTSVILLE (40) - Montone 4 3-8 11, Becker 3 0-0 9, Watkins 1 1-2 3, Oswald 1 2-2 4, Alvarez 4 3-4 11, Bainbridge 0 0-0 0, Flucker-White 1 0-0 2, Hughes-Crane 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 9-16 40.

MAHANOY AREA (57) - Yedsena 5 2-5 12, Cuff 4 3-5 12, Zawada 4 7-9 16, Alansky 2 2-2 6, Styka 1 5-8 7, Manley 0 0-0 0, McGroarty 1 2-2 4. Totals 17 21-31 57.

Potts (17-7);7;11;10;12;-;40

Mah (23-0);17;9;15;16;-;57

3-point FGs: Becker 3, Cuff, Zawada


 

Schuylkill League Boys' Basketball Playoff Capsules

Where: Martz Hall

Tickets: Adults/Senior Citizens are $6. Students are $3. All tickets will be sold at the door and are cash only.

Live updates: Follow Republican Herald sports editor Leroy Boyer on X at @pubsportsboss

Radio: Games will be simulcasted on WPPA 1360 AM, WPPA 105.9 FM, WAVT 101.9 FM

Blue Mountain (20-2) vs. North Schuylkill (16-7)

When: Today, 6 p.m.

Up next: Winner advances to Friday's championship game at 7:30 p.m. at Martz Hall.

About the Eagles

Head coach: Dustin Werdt (21st season)

How they got here: Division I co-champs had quarterfinal bye.

Projected starters: Isaac Thomas (sr., C), Tyeirre Meade (soph., G), Tyler Miller (sr., G), Elijah Feisel (sr., F), Aidan Grace (jr., G)

Key reserves: Braiden McGhee (sr.), Merik Brayford (jr.), Max Heim (soph.), Chase Baldwin (jr.)

About the Spartans

Head coach: Will Bracey (4th season)

How they got here: The Division I wild card, Spartans defeated Division II champion Schuylkill Haven 69-55 in Saturday's quarterfinals.

Projected starters: Jack Keiter (sr., G), Zane Zulkowski (sr., G), Luke Miller (soph., G), Jude Maziekas (soph., F), Joey Flail (sr., F)

Key reserves: Tyrone Chambers (sr., F), Fernando Rivera (sr., G), Zack Marcinowski (soph., G), Caden Mengel (soph., G)

Game notes: Rematch of last year's boys' championship game, won by Blue Mountain 57-54 on dramatic 3-pointer by Grace in final seconds. ... Teams met twice in regular season, with Eagles winning both, 80-66 on Dec. 11 in Fountain Springs and 71-63 on Jan. 25 in Orwigsburg. Meade had 25 points and Thomas 21 in first meeting, while Thomas had 26 and Meade 19 in second game. Zulkowski has scored 21 and 24 in the two games vs. Blue Mountain. ... Eagles have won six straight games entering playoffs. ... Keiter scored a game-high 32 points in quarterfinal win over Haven as Spartans used a third-quarter run to take control.

Pottsville (17-6) vs. Mahanoy Area (22-0)

When: Today, 7:30 p.m.

Up next: Winner advances to Friday's championship game at 7:30 p.m at Martz Hall.

About the Crimson Tide

Head coach: Jake Wartella (4th season)

How they got here: Division I co-champs defeated small-school wild card Nativity 61-55 in Saturday's quarterfinals.

Projected starters: Letrel Montone (jr., G), Kole Becker (sr., G), Derek Watkins (jr., G), Christian Alvarez (soph., F), Chase Oswald (sr., F)

Key reserves: Juju Bainbridge (soph.), Gianni Hughes-Crane (jr.), Ryder Bowers (soph.), Tahlil Flucker-White (jr.)

About the Golden Bears

Head coach: Teddy Styka (4th season)

How they got here: Division III champions had quarterfinal bye.

Projected starters: Brady Alansky (sr.), Chris Cuff (sr.), Kadin Styka (sr.), Jace Yedsena (jr.), Tanner Zawada (jr.)

Key reserves: Colm McGroarty (sr.), Ethan Manley (soph.)

Game notes: Tide are in the semifinals for the 15th straight season. Pottsville is looking to get to the finals after not making it last year. ... Golden Bears are in league playoffs for first time since 2019, when they lost 56-13 to Pottsville. Tide and Bears don't play in regular season, but are no strangers when it comes to the league playoffs. Tonight is the 10th meeting since 1980, and fifth since 2013. Tide own a 6-3 advantage, with Mahanoy Area beating Pottsville in the 2014 championship game, 2006 semifinals and 1994 wild-card game. ... Becker had three 3-pointers and a game-high 19 points in quarterfinal win over Nativity, while Alvarez had 16 and Oswald 11.

- Compiled by Leroy Boyer

Crimson Tide Plays Mahanoy Area on Wednesday Night in Schuylkill League Semi-Finals

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Crimson Tide Advances to Semi-Finals With A Victory against Nativity 

POTTSVILLE - When the Pottsville boys' basketball team was looking for someone to step up, it was senior Kole Becker who answered the call.

Becker scored a team-high 19 points and hit a clutch 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer to lead Pottsville to a 61-55 victory over Nativity in a Schuylkill League boys' quarterfinal game Saturday at Martz Hall.

The Crimson Tide (17-6) advances to Wednesday's semifinal round to take on undefeated Mahanoy Area (22-0) at 7:30 p.m. at Martz Hall.

Becker knocked down a clutch 3-pointer to tie the game at 21-21 going into halftime after the Hilltoppers went on an 8-0 scoring run before half.

"It was really good for us to get that spark," Becker said.

Action kicked off with Pottsville's Christian Alvarez knocking down a 3-pointer before both teams were quickly off and running. Alvarez had six points in the first quarter with his other 3 coming from well beyond the arc as time expired to give Pottsville the lead 16-10. Chase Oswald chipped in five points in the first quarter for the Crimson Tide.

Mike Quirk netted the Hilltoppers' first points after adding a pair of free throws, but the second quarter was where Nativity really turned it on. Trey Keating hit his second 3 of the game and added two layups to give himself 10 points at the half. Jack Messina added a steal and Keating got his first layup to fall to push the Hilltoppers ahead 19-18. Keating's four points were part of an 8-0 Nativity scoring run.

"It was back-and-forth all game," Pottsville coach Jake Wartella said. "That's a credit to (Nativity), I mean they wouldn't go away.

"We'd get a little lead and (Nativity) hit big shot, after big shot, after big shot. They really shot well tonight, but I'm really proud of our seniors. I thought Kole, Chase were awesome and that's the reason we won the game."

Keating added another two points to make Nativity's lead 21-18 with the half winding down, but Becker added another buzzer-beating 3 for the Tide that tied the game at 21 at half. Becker had five points in the first half.

In the second half, it was nearly the same script. Nativity led early in the third quarter, but the Tide got right back on the offensive.

It was Becker again who sparked Pottsville with two 3-pointers, a layup and a pair of free throws for 10 points in the third quarter. On the opposite side, Keating matched Becker with 10 points for the Hilltoppers in the quarter. After three quarters of play, Pottsville led 43-38 and neither team was ready to go home.

"As a team, I thought we played really well," Becker said. "Our team defense was slow at first, but we came out and did what we had to to get the win."

In the fourth and final quarter, Pottsville outscored Nativity 18-17 as the Tide matched everything the Hilltoppers threw at them. Keating added nine more points to bring his total to a game-high 27, but it still wasn't enough to send Nativity to the next round.

Alvarez and Derek Watkins each chipped in six points in the final frame to help the Crimson Tide secure the win. Alvarez finished with 16 points, while Watkins collected 12. Oswald totaled 11 for Pottsville.

"We have to clean some things up offensively," Wartella said. "I think we are forcing some things right now. We have to play a near-perfect game Wednesday if we want to beat (Mahanoy Area). They're undefeated for a reason and we know how good they are."

 

Game Summary

Schuylkill League Boys' Quarterfinal

At Martz Hall

NATIVITY (55) - Messina 1 0-0 3, Walborn 0 0-0 0, Borden 3 0-0 8, Dolbin 4 0-0 8, Quirk 1 2-2 5, Smith 0 2-2 2, Keating 9 4-5 27, Adams 1 0-0 2. Totals 20 8-9 55.

POTTSVILLE (61) - Hughes-Crane 0 0-0 0, Montone 1 0-0 2, Becker 6 4-5 19, Watkins 5 1-2 12, Alvarez 6 2-3 16, Oswald 4 2-3 11, Bowers 0 0-0 0, Bainbridge 0 1-2 1, Flucker-White 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 10-15 61.

Nat (13-10);10;11;17;17;-;55

Potts (17-6);16;5;22;18;-;61

3-point FGs: Keating 5, Borden 2, Quirk, Messina, Becker 3, Watkins, Alvarez 2, Oswald

Crimson Tide Takes On Nativity on Saturday Night at 7:00 for Schuylkill League Playoffs

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 Crimson Tide Wins a Wild One

POTTSVILLE - Martz Madness came a couple of days early.

Pottsville and North Schuylkill gave a preview of the upcoming Schuylkill League boys' basketball playoffs Tuesday night, battling through two overtimes in a Division I clash at Martz Hall.

Letrel Montone's 3-pointer from the left wing with 28 seconds left proved to be the game-winner as the Crimson Tide pulled out a 68-65 victory that gave Pottsville a share of the Division I championship.

The Tide (16-6, 13-1 D-I) and Blue Mountain (20-2, 13-1) are declared Division I co-champions, with the Eagles getting the No. 1 seed from Division I and a quarterfinal bye in Saturday's playoffs based on District 11 power rating. Pottsville will be the No. 2 seed from Division I and face small-school wild-card Nativity in the last of four games Saturday night at Martz Hall.

North Schuylkill (15-7, 10-4) is the No. 3 seed from Division I and will face Division II champion Schuylkill Haven in the third game Saturday.

"It was a playoff atmosphere tonight, so was the Blue Mountain game the other night," Pottsville coach Jake Wartella said. "We've been playing playoff games the last couple of games.

"We're excited for Nativity. It's going to be a great tournament. There's six great teams in it and anybody can win it."

Tuesday's game had everything a typical playoff game at Martz Hall would have - intense play on both sides of the court, key shots by team leaders at clutch moments, costly turnovers and missed free throws at critical times.

For Montone, his 3-pointer was retribution after Pottsville failed to convert a game-winning situation at the end of regulation.

After Zane Zulkowski's two free throws tied the game at 54-54 with 1 minute left, Pottsville held for one shot. North Schuylkill played tough defense, but the Tide failed to run a play and ran out of time. The only shot Pottsville was able to get off before the buzzer was an off-balance, long-range 3-pointer by Christian Alvarez that didn't find the mark.

{div}"We have to do a better job executing at the end of the game," Wartella said.{/div}

Zulkowski tied the game with a foul shot with 53.4 left, but Chase Oswald put Pottsville ahead 60-58 with two free throws with 51.4 left. North Schuylkill had a chance to tie the game, but Joey Flail missed two free throws - the Spartans were 2-for-7 from the line in the first OT.

Derek Watkins put Pottsville up 61-58 with a free throw with 10.9, but North Schuylkill had one final chance.

With Pottsville opting not to foul - Wartella said he and his coaches "talked about but we let it play out" - Zulkowski banked in an off-balance 3-pointer from the left wing with 2.2 seconds left to tie the game at 61-61 and force a second extra session.

"It was a great play by (Zulkowski)," North Schuylkill coach Will Bracey said. "Great players make great plays and he does that all the time. I'm blessed to have a good group of guys that work hard, and when you work hard great things happen. He had a phenomenal game."

In the second OT, Flail sandwiched two free throws and a layup around a pair of Chase Oswald free throws to put North Schuylkill up 65-63 with 59 seconds left. Pottsville again held for one shot, but this time Montone created space near the top of the key, moved to his left and drained the shot to put Pottsville up 66-65 with 28 seconds left.

After a North Schuylkill turnover, Watkins sank two foul shots to make it 68-65 with 11.5 left. The Spartans then missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer in the final seconds.

"We played Blue Mountain and I gave up a shot at the end of the game, and I just thought, ‘I can get me one,'" Montone said. "At the end of the game, it didn't work out that way. I had Christian behind me and it didn't work out.

"I'm not really big on catch-and-shoot. Most of my threes are pull-up threes. At the end of the game, I knew I had to hit one. I saw the layup and the three was wide open. I had to get me one."

Montone had 14 of his team-high 23 points in the first half as the Tide led 18-15 after one frame and 30-29 at halftime. Oswald, who finished with 15 points, sparked a 9-0 run midway through the third that put Pottsville up 44-35, but North Schuylkill rallied to tie the game at 48-48 with 6:04 left. A putback by Oswald gave the Tide a 54-52 lead with 1:26 left before Zulkowski's free throws forced overtime.

Zulkowski led all scorers with 25 for the Spartans, while Keiter tallied 15 points, Flail had 11 and Jude Maziekas netted 10.

"North Schuylkill is a great team ... we may see them later in the playoffs. We knew it was going to be a battle coming in," Montone said. "This is a great way to prepare for the playoffs. We have Nativity on Saturday ... this is a great way to prepare for us."

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

Game Summary

NORTH SCHUYLKILL (65) - Maziekas 4 0-0 10, Miller 0 0-0 0, Keiter 6 2-4 15, Zulkowski 8 6-10 25, Flail 4 3-6 11, Marcinowski 0 0-0 0, Rivera 2 0-0 4. Totals 24 11-20.

POTTSVILLE (68) - Montone 9 2-3 23, Becker 3 0-0 8, Watkins 3 3-4 9, Oswald 5 5-5 15, Alvarez 3 0-0 7, Flucker-White 1 0-1 2, Bainbridge 2 0-0 4, Hughes-Crane 0 0-0 0, Bowers 0 0-0 0. Totals 26 10-13 68.

NS (15-7, 10-4);15;14;11;14;7;4;-;65

Po (16-6, 13-1);18;12;16;8;7;7;-;68

3-point FGs: Maziekas 2, Keiter, Zulkowski 3, Montone 3, Becker 2, Alvarez

JV score: North Schuylkill 58-49

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Crimson Tide Falls to the Eagles

  • By Gehrig Hossler Correspondent

ORWIGSBURG - When Pottsville and Blue Mountain get together on the hardwood, it seems right for the game to come down to the wire.

That was the case Friday night when the Tide and Eagles battled in a Schuylkill League Division I first-place showdown.

The Eagles pulled out the victory, 41-38, moving into a first-place tie with Pottsville atop the Division I standings.

"Both teams played extremely aggressive and extremely hard," Blue Mountain head coach Dustin Werdt said. "It certainly showed that it came down to the last minute of the game."

The game was tied at 38-38 with just under a minute remaining in regulation when Tyler Miller made a play. The senior guard chased down a loose ball off a missed shot and kicked the ball out.

The play gave Blue Mountain a second chance and the Eagles capitalized as Isaac Thomas drilled the go-ahead 3-pointer with 41 seconds to go. Thomas' clutch bucket may have been the shot of the game, but Miller's hustle securing the loose ball may have been the play of the game.

"Not everybody recognizes some of the things that Tyler Miller does, but our team recognizes what Tyler Miller does," Werdt said. "He guards people, he gets rebounds, he gets loose balls, the kid never quits on a play."

With 12 seconds remaining, the Eagles needed one more stop. Blue Mountain's defensive ball pressure stepped up as the horn sounded and Pottsville did not even get the shot off leading to a court-storming celebration for the Eagles.

Prior to the wild last minute of play, it looked like the Eagles were going to run away with the win.

Blue Mountain (19-2, 12-1 D-I) came out swinging, going on an 8-0 run to start the game. Pottsville's first bucket did not come until a little over four minutes were left in the first quarter.

Christian Alvarez, who had a game-high 16 points, helped wake up the Tide's offense by earning his team's first points and scoring seven of the Tide's nine total points in the opening quarter.

Despite Pottsville (15-6, 12-1) closing the gap in the early going, Blue Mountain's defense did not let its foot off the gas. The Eagles' defense remained in control for much of the first half, forcing turnovers and not allowing the Crimson Tide to get into a consistent offensive rhythm.

The Eagles held Pottsville to just 13 points in the first half and found themselves with an 11-point lead at the break, 24-13.

Blue Mountain came out fast in the second half, jumping out to its largest lead of the night at 15. However, the Eagles fell into foul trouble and Pottsville's defense stepped up.

Two key players for Blue Mountain, Tyeirre Meade and Eli Feisel, picked up their third fouls midway through the third quarter. The Crimson Tide saw an opportunity to attack, going on a 10-1 run to cut the lead to six and forcing a Blue Mountain timeout with 3:04 on the clock.

The final 24 seconds of the third quarter featured two big momentum swings.

Meade made an immediate impact when he re-entered the game, coming up with a steal that led to an exciting slam dunk that electrified a standing-room crowd. Alvarez then answered for Pottsville, draining a 3-pointer just before time expired, giving Pottsville the momentum going into the fourth quarter down 33-29.

A wild fourth quarter got started with both teams trading buckets. Letrel Montone then took over for the Tide, knocking down a 3-pointer and finishing off a strong drive in the lane with a crafty layup. The five-point burst gave Pottsville its first lead of the evening at 36-35.

Blue Mountain's leading scorer, Thomas, came up big in the clutch.

Following Montone's go-ahead layup, Thomas answered with a strong finish of his own at the rim, making the bucket plus the foul to put the Eagles back in front by two. He finished with 15 points.

Alvarez, who scored a game-high 16 points, then tied it back up at 38-38 with just over four minutes to go.

After three minutes of all-out defensive effort by both teams not allowing either offense to score, Miller's play put Blue Mountain ahead to stay. 

 

Game Summary

POTTSVILLE (38) - Montone 5 2-2 13, Becker 1 0-0 2, Watkins 1 1-2 3, Bainbridge 0 1-2 1, Oswald 1 0-2 3, Alvarez 7 1-2 16, Flucker-White 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 5-10 38.

BLUE MOUNTAIN (41) - Meade 3 5-5 12, McGhee 0 0-0 0, Baldwin 0 0-0 0, Brayford 1 0-0 3, Heim 0 0-0 0, Grace 1 0-0 2, Miller 2 0-0 4, Feisel 2 0-0 5, Thomas 5 4-5 15. Totals 14 9-10 41.

Po (15-6, 12-1);9;4;16;9;-;38

BM (19-2, 12-1);13;11;9;8;-;41

3-point FGs: Montone, Oswald, Alvarez, Meade, Brayford, Feisel, Thomas

JV score: Blue Mountain 57-45

Crimson Tide Pounds The Panthers 

 

Pottsville 63, Panther Valley 43

POTTSVILLE - Derek Watkins paced Pottsville and totaled a team-high 12 points as the Crimson Tide rolled past Panther Valley in a Division I game.

Christian Alvarez, Letrel Montone and Kole Becker each scored 11 points for Pottsville, who led 34-15 at the half.

For the Panthers, Chase Weaver netted a game-high 13 points.

PANTHER VALLEY (43) - Kokinda 3 0-0 8, Weaver 4 5-5 13, Fisher 2 3-4 7, Penberth 1 0-0 2, Jones 2 0-0 5, Hood 0 0-0 0, Wehr 0 0-0 0, Krynock 0 0-0 0, Buyce 2 0-0 6, Neziri 0 0-0 0, Black 0 0-0 0, Maynard 0 0-0 0, Goida 1 0-0 2. Totals 15 8-9 43.

POTTSVILLE (63) - Hughes-Crane 1 0-0 3, Montone 4 2-2 11, Becker 5 0-0 11, Sukeena 0 0-0 0, Herndon 0 0-0 0, Watkins 4 4-6 12, Bainbridge 1 0-0 3, Yourey 0 0-0 0, Oswald 3 1-1 7, Bowers 1 0-0 3, McGinley 0 0-0 0, Alvarez 4 3-4 11, Flucker-White 1 0-0 2, Ivy 0 0-0 0. Totals 24 10-13 63.

PV (11-8, 5-7);8;7;16;12;-;43

Potts (15-5, 12-0);17;17;19;10;-;63

3-point FGs: Kokinda 2, Jones, Buyce 2, Hughes-Crane, Montone, Becker, Bainbridge, Bowers

JV score: Pottsville 67-50

Eight In A Row
 
 
Palmyra: Christian Alvarez scored 10 of his game high 16 points through the middle quarters as the Crimson Tide garnered a non-league road win at Palmyra. Letrel Montone added 15 points and Chase Oswald netted 11 points for Pottsville, which overcame an early deficit with a 28-16 run through the middle Frames.
 
Pottsville (58) Hughes-Crane 0 0-0 0, Montone 6 1-2 15, Becker 3 0-0 7, Watkins 0 0-0 0, Bainbridge 0 1-2 1, Oswald 5 1-2 11, Alvarez 7 2-2 16, Flucker-White 0 0- 0 Totals 21 -5-9 50
 
Palmyra (35) Loser 3 0-0 6, Weldon 0 0-0 0, Scott 0 0-0 0, Burgess 6 2-3 15, Moer 1 0-0 2, Somer 0 0-0 0, Weaber 0 0-0 0, Brown 0 0-0 0, Warner 0 0-0 0, Roesch 4 0-0 10, Willard 1 0-0 2 Totals: 15 2-3 35
 
Pottsville (14-5) 11   16   12   11 -- 50
 
Palmyra 12   9   7   7  -- 35
 
 
3-point FG's: Montone 2, Becker, Burgess, Rosech 2 

Tide on a Roll

 

LEHIGHTON - Letrel Montone scored a game-high 18 points to lead Pottsville past Lehighton 58-35 on Friday night in a Schuylkill League Division I boys' basketball game.

Montone had eight points during the Crimson Tide's 24-3, third-quarter run that broke the game open.

Chase Oswald added 11 points and Christian Alvarez chipped in 10 for Pottsville, which maintained its one-game lead over Blue Mountain in the division standings.

Cole Dietz paced Lehighton with 12 points. 

POTTSVILLE (58) - Hughes-Crane 0 0-0 0, Montone 7 1-2 18, Becker 2 0-0 6, Sukeena 0 0-0 0, Watkins 2 1-3 5, Bainbridge 1 0-0 3, Oswald 3 4-4 11, Bowers 1 0-0 3, McGinley 0 0-0 0, Alvarez 4 0-0 10, Allen 0 0-0 0, Flucker-White 0 0-2 0Ivy 1 0-0 2. Totals 21 6-11 58.

LEHIGHTON (35) - Serfass 1 0-2 2, Solt 0 0-0 0, Light 2 0-0 4, Hawk 0 0-0 0, Fairchild 1 0-0 2, Johnson 0 1-2 1, Roberts 2 1-2 6, Meek 0 0-0 0, Roth 2 4-5 8, Dietz 2 6-9 12. Totals 10 12-20 35.

Po (13-5, 11-0);15;14;24;5;-;58

Leh (12-6, 5-6);12;7;3;13;-;35

3-point FGs: Montone 3, Becker 2, Alvarez 2, Bainbridge, Oswald, Bowers, Dietz 2, Roberts 

Crimson Tide Rolls over Jim Thorpe

 

POTTSVILLE - Christian Alvarez scored a game-high 19 points as Pottsville remained unbeaten in Schuylkill League play with a 59-43 victory over Jim Thorpe in a Division I boys' basketball game Wednesday night at Martz Hall.

Alvarez had 13 of his points in the first half as the Division I-leading Crimson Tide (12-5, 10-0 D-I) opened the game on a 25-4 run and led 41-16 at halftime.

Chase Oswald added nine points for Pottsville, which saw 14 players see action.

Pierce Gothard paced Jim Thorpe with 17 points, while Ben Goldberg had 12.

JIM THORPE (43) - Barile 2 0-1 4, Domski 1 0-0 2, Goldberg 5 0-0 12, Curran 0 1-3 1, Zurn 0 2-2 2, Moore 0 0-0 0, Gothard 7 2-3 17, Schrantz 2 0-0 5. Totals 17 5-8 43.

POTTSVILLE (59) - Hughes-Crane 0 0-0 0, Montone 3 0-0 7, Becker 3 0-0 8, Sukeena 0 0-0 0, Herndon 0 0-0 0, Watkins 2 0-0 4, Bainbridge 0 0-0 0, Yourey 0 0-0 0, Oswald 4 1-1 9, Bowers 1 0-0 3, McGinley 2 0-0 5, Alvarez 9 1-1 19, Flucker-White 0 0-0 0, Ivy 2 0-0 4. Totals 26 2-2 59.

JT (1-17, 0-10);4;12;10;17;-;43

Po (12-5, 10-0);25;16;14;14;-;59

3-point FGs: Goldberg 2, Gothard, Schrantz, Montone, Becker 2, Bowers, McGinley

JV score: Pottsville 64-16

Tide Keeps Rolling Along

TAMAQUA - Christian Alvarez paced a balanced attack with 17 points as Pottsville defeated Tamaqua 68-60 in a Schuylkill League Division I boys' basketball game Saturday night.

Pottsville had four players score in double figures, as Kole Becker made three 3-pointers and added 16 points, Latrel Montone had 14 points and Chase Oswald netted 12.

The Tide made eight 3-pointers and shot 16-for-26 from the foul line, outscoring Tamaqua 34-26 in the second half after the game was tied 34-34 at halftime.

Connor Dillon led Tamaqua with a game-high 19 points, while Noah Mateyak had 13 points and Cooper Ansbach collected 12.

POTTSVILLE (68) - Hughes-Crane 0 0-0 0, Montone 4 4-8 14, Becker 5 3-4 16, Watkins 3 1-2 7, Bainbridge 0 0-0 0, Oswald 3 6-6 12, Bowers 0 0-0 0, Alvarez 6 2-6 17, Flucker-White 1 0-0 2. Totals 22 16-26 68.

TAMAQUA (60) - Ansbach 3 5-6 12, McCabe 1 0-0 2, Mateyak 5 0-0 13, Styka 2 2-2 6, Kane 3 2-2 8, Dillon 5 8-8 19. Totals 19 17-18 60.

Potts (11-5, 9-0);15;19;19;15;-;68

Tam (8-9, 3-6);16;18;13;13;-;60

3-point FGs: Becker 3, Alvarez 3, Montone 2, Mateyak 3, Ansbach, Dillon

JV score: Pottsville 67-24

Crimson Tide Clips Cardinals Wings

Pottsville 70, Pine Grove 43

POTTSVILLE - Christian Alvarez paced Pottsville with a game-high 22 points as the Crimson Tide rolled past Pine Grove in a Schuylkill League Division I game at Martz Hall.

Derek Watkins added nine of his 11 points in the third quarter as Pottsville outscored the Cardinals 26-13 in the frame.

For Pine Grove, Chase Sarge and Quinn Brommer tied a team-high 15 points.

PINE GROVE (43) - Sarge 6 1-2 15, Felty 3 0-0 6, O. Hannevig 0 0-0 0, Schneck-Haines 2 0-1 5, D. Hannevig 0 0-0 0, Brommer 6 3-3 15, Etzweiler 0 0-0 0, Lyons 0 0-0 0, Snyder 1 0-0 2, Boyer 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 4-6 43.

POTTSVILLE (70) - Montone 2 0-0 2, Becker 1 2-2 5, Sukeena 1 0-0 3, Herndon 0 0-0 0, Watkins 4 1-2 11, Bainbridge 0 0-0 0, Yourey 0 0-0 0, Oswald 1 2-4 5, Bowers 3 0-0 9, McGinley 2 0-0 5, Alvarez 8 2-3 22, Flucker-White 2 0-0 4, Ivy 2 0-0 4. Totals 25 7-11 70.

PG (2-13, 1-7);6;13;13;11;-;43

Potts (10-5, 8-0);20;12;26;12;-;70

3-point FGs: Sarge 2, Schneck-Haines, Becker, Sukeena, Watkins 2, Oswald, Bowers 3, McGinley 1, Alvarez 4

JV score: No game

Crimson Tide Hold off the Spartans

 

 

FOUNTAIN SPRINGS - Kole Becker scored six of his team-high 12 points in the fourth quarter to help Pottsville hold off North Schuylkill 49-48 on Thursday in a Schuylkill League Division I boys' basketball game at Cesari-Hope Gymnasium.

With the win, the Crimson Tide remain one game up on Blue Mountain in the division standings.

Christian Alvarez added 11 points, while Letrel Montone and Derek Watkins contributed 10 apiece, for Pottsville.

Jack Keiter led North Schuylkill with 18 points. Zane Zulkowski netted 14 and Joey Flail had 12 for the Spartans.

POTTSVILLE (49) -  Hughes-Crane 0 0-0 0, Montone 4 1-1 10, Becker 3 4-8 12, Watkins 5 0-0 10, Bainbridge 0 0-0 0, Oswald 3 0-0 6, Alvarez 5 1-3 11, Flucker-White 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 6-11 49.

NORTH SCHUYLKILL (48) - Keiter 6 5-5 18, Zulkowski 4 5-8 14, Flail 4 3-3 12, Miller 1 0-0 2, Maziekas 0 0-0 0, Rivera 0 0-0 0, Marcinkowski 1 0-0 2, Chambers 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 13-16 48.

Po (9-5, 7-0);13;9;10;17;-;49

NS (9-5, 5-2);6;11;16;15;-;48

3-point FGs: Becker 2, Montone, Keiter, Zulkowski, Flail

JV score: Tie 41-41

Pottsville TV Interview

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Crimson Tide Clips The Eagles Wings

 

POTTSVILLE - Derek Watkins had a breakout game Monday night at Martz Hall.

The Pottsville junior guard scored a career- and game-high 19 points, including a 10-point surge in the third quarter, as the Crimson Tide defeated Blue Mountain 61-51 in a Schuylkill League Division I battle of unbeatens.

The victory left Pottsville (8-5, 6-0 D-I) as the lone unbeaten in the Division I race. The loss was the first of the season for Blue Mountain (11-1, 5-1).

"This was definitely a stepping stone toward the next level," Watkins said. "Beating Blue Mountain, an undefeated team and the league champion, it's a great team win."

With the Tide leading 29-27 at the half, Blue Mountain's Tyler Miller opened the second half with a steal, followed by five points to push Blue Mountain ahead 35-34.

The Eagles' lead didn't last long, as Watkins was heating up.

Watkins netted 10 points in the third quarter to shift the momentum back on Pottsville's side. The Tide took a 42-40 lead into the fourth quarter.

Alvarez opened the fourth with a 3-pointer. After a Tyeirre Meade scored for Blue Mountain, Alvarez converted a layup, Kole Becker hit a free throw and Tahlil Flucker-White took a charge. A lane-slashing layup from Latrel Montone capped the 10-0 run that gave Pottsville a 52-42 lead with 2:56 left.

Aidan Grace connected on a 3-pointer for the Eagles to stop the bleeding. But Pottsville slowed down the pace, a polar opposite of the first half, and bled the clock. The Tide shot 5-for-6 from the free-throw line in the final seconds of the fourth quarter to hand Blue Mountain its first loss of the season.

"We just have to keep moving forward," Watkins said. "We have to prepare for North Schuylkill on Thursday."

The first half was an old-fashioned slugfest.

The first quarter began with each squad exchanging bucket-for-bucket as the game was tied at 8-8 early. Watkins and Chase Oswald each slashed through the lane for a layup as Pottsville pulled ahead 14-10.

Tyeirre Meade and Isaac Thomas answered with buckets for the Eagles to tie the score at 14-14. Oswald went 1-for-2 from the free-throw line to give the Tide the lead 15-14 at the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Pottsville outscored Blue Mountain 14-13 with five different players chipping in points for the Tide. The Eagles briefly took the lead 27-26 after Grace hit a 3-pointer. He had four 3-pointers and totaled 13 points for Blue Mountain. Thomas paced Blue Mountain with 15 points, while Meade had 12.

Pottsville went on a 5-0 scoring run to head to the half with Watkins adding three points and Alvarez netting a layup off a feed from Oswald. Montone tallied 14 points, while Alvarez finished with 13 and Oswald collected 12 points.

"We knew this was going to be a physical game," Pottsville coach Jake Wartella said. "It always is with (Blue Mountain), they're a great team. They were undefeated for a reason.

"We came out aggressive and matched their intensity. That was the goal."

Contact the writer: edoyle@republicanherald; (570) 628-6019; @iamelidoyle on Twitter

Game Summary

BLUE MOUNTAIN (51) - Meade 4 0-0 12, McGhee 0 0-0 0, Baldwin 0 0-0 0, Brayford 0 0-0 0, Heim 1 1-2 4, Grace 4 1-2 13, Miller 3 1-3 7, Feisel 0 0-0 0, Thomas 7 1-1 15. Totals 19 4-8 51.

POTTSVILLE (61) - Hughes-Crane 0 0-0 0, Montone 3 7-8 14, Becker 0 3-4 3, Watkins 8 3-4 19, Bainbridge 0 0-0 0, Oswald 5 1-2 12, Alvarez 5 1-4 13, Flucker-White 0 0-2 0, Ivy 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 15-24 61.

BM (11-1, 5-1);14;13;13;11;-;51

Potts (8-5, 6-0);15;14;13;19;-;61

3-point FGs: Meade 4, Heim, Grace 4, Alvarez 2, Oswald, Montone

JV score: Pottsville 51-46 

 

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Crimson Tide Pounds The Panthers 

 

Pottsville 51, Panther Valley 39

LANSFORD - Christian Alvarez scored 13 of his game-high 18 points in the second half as the Crimson Tide remained unbeaten in Division I play with a comeback victory over the Panthers.

Chase Weaver tallied five of his 16 to give Panther Valley an early 10-6 after one frame, but the Tide used a 15-7 run in the second period to take a 21-17 halftime lead.

In the second half, Alvarez was 6-for-7 from the foul line, scoring seven points in the fourth quarter to help Pottsville pull away.

Chase Oswald added 10 points and Letrel Montone had 9 for Pottsville, while Thomas Buyce hit three 3-pointers and had 12 points for Panther Valley.

POTTSVILLE (51) - Hughes-Crane 0 0-0 0, Montone 3 2-6 9, Becker 3 0-0 8, Watkins 3 0-0 6, Bainbridge 0 0-0 0, Oswald 4 2-3 10, Alvarez 4 9-11 18, Flucker-White 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 13-20 51.

PANTHER VALLEY (39) - Kokinda 1 0-0 3, Weaver 5 4-4 16, Fisher 0 0-0 0, Penberth 0 4-4 4, Jones 0 0-0 0, Breiner 0 0-0 0, Hood 2 0-3 4, Buyce 4 1-2 12, Black 0 0-0 0, Maynard 0 0-0 0, Goida 0 0-0 0. Totals 12 9-14 39.

Potts (7-5, 5-0);6;15;10;20;-;51

PV (5-4, 2-3);10;7;10;12;-;39

3-point FGs: Montone, Becker 2, Alvarez, Kokinda, Weaver 2, Buyce 3

JV score: Pottsville 48-46 


Crimson Tide Falls To Berks Catholic  

Berks Catholic 57, Pottsville 43

POTTSVILLE - Christian Alvarez netted a team-high 12 points as Pottsville fell to Berks Catholic in a non-league game.

Kole Becker and Letrel Montone each chipped in 11 points for the Tide, who led the Saints 23-17 at the half. Berks Catholic used a 19-5, third-quarter run to take control.

BERKS CATHOLIC (57) - Dominguez 0 0-0 0, Nein 6 6-6 20, K. McKoy 4 1-2 10, J. McKoy 6 11-12 24, Altimar 1 0-0 3, Suski 0 0-0 0, Komoro 0 0-0 0, Diaz 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 18-20 57.

POTTSVILLE (43) - Hughes-Crane 0 0-0 0, Montone 4 0-0 11, Becker 4 0-0 11, Watkins 1 1-1 3, Bainbridge 0 0-0 0, Oswald 2 0-0 4, Bowers 0 0-0 0, Alvarez 4 4-5 12, Flucker-White 1 0-0 2. Totals 16 5-6 43.

BC (7-0);6;11;19;21;-;57

Potts (6-5);13;10;5;15;-;43

Tide Falls To Shamokin

 

Shamokin 58, Pottsville 45

SHAMOKIN - Christian Alvarez netted a team-high 14 points as Pottsville fell to Shamokin in a non-league game.

Jenssyn Shuey scored a game-high 17 points for the Indians, who led 24-21 at the half. Case Lichty added 10 of his 14 points in the third quarter as the Indians went onto outscore the Tide 34-24 in the second half.

POTTSVILLE (45) - Hughes-Crane 0 0-0 0, Montone 2 2-4 6, Becker 0 0-0 0, Watkins 3 0-0 6, Bainbridge 1 4-4 7, Oswald 2 1-2 5, Bowers 1 0-0 3, Alvarez 4 3-4 14, Flucker-White 1 0-1 2, Ivy 1 0-0 2. Totals 15 10-15 45.

SHAMOKIN (58) - Price 1 0-0 2, Hile 4 1-3 10, Schroyer 1 1-2 3, Steinhart 1 0-0 3, Lichty 7 0-0 14, Leffler 2 1-1 6, Renn 1 0-0 3, Shuey 6 5-5 17. Totals 23 8-12 58.

Potts (6-4);6;15;11;13;-;45

Sham (7-4);15;9;18;16;-;58

3-point FGs: Bainbridge, Bowers, Alvarez 3, Hile, Steinhart, Leffler, Renn

JV score: Pottsville 45-36

Tide Wins Over Williamsport

 

WILLIAMSPORT - Another mark in the win column for the Pottsville boys' basketball team.

Christian Alvarez netted a team-high 11 points as Pottsville defeated Williamsport 43-37 on Wednesday in a non-league boys' basketball game at the Magic Dome.

The Crimson Tide trailed the Millionaires 25-21 at the half, but Pottsville found a second-half offensive surge and outscored Williamsport 12-8 in the third quarter and again 10-4 in the fourth.

Letrel Montone and JuJu Bainbridge sparked Pottsville's offense to begin the second half as each knocked down a 3-pointer.

Montone finished with nine points for the Tide, while Kole Becker added two triples and totaled eight points.

POTTSVILLE (43) - Hughes-Crane 0 0-0 0, Montone 2 3-4 9, Becker 3 0-0 8, Watkins 3 0-0 6, Bainbridge 1 0-0 3, Oswald 2 2-2 6, Bowers 0 0-0 0, Alvarez 5 0-0 11, Flucker-White 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 5-6 43.

WILLIAMSPORT (37) - Moses-Clark 1 3-3 5, Lowe 3 0-0 8, Aolt 5 0-0 13, Johnson 1 2-2 4, Diggs 0 0-0 0, Rice 1 1-1 3, Washington 2 0-0 4. Totals 13 6-6 37.

Potts (6-3);14;7;12;10;-;43

Will (1-5);11;14;8;4;-;37

3-point FGs: Montone 2, Becker 2, Bainbridge, Alvarez, Lowe 2, Aolt 3

JV score: Pottsville 42-33

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Photo By Reed Frazier

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Crimson Tide Rolls Over Lehighton 

 

POTTSVILLE - Letrel Montone paced a balanced attack with 15 points as Pottsville remained unbeaten in Schuylkill League Division I boys' basketball play with a 68-47 victory over Lehighton on Monday at Martz Hall.

Christian Alvarez added 13 for Pottsville (5-3, 4-0 D-I), scoring 10 of his points in the first half as the Crimson Tide built a 43-18 halftime lead. Derek Watkins added 10 points for Pottsville, hitting two of the Tide's 11 3-pointers.

Blake Roberts paced Lehighton with 17 points.

LEHIGHTON (47) - Serfass 1 1-1 3, Solt 0 0-0 0, Light 2 0-0 5, Hawk 2 0-0 5, Fairchild 2 0-0 4, Johnson 1 1-1 3, Roberts 7 0-0 17, Meek 0 0-0 0, Roth 0 0-2 0, Dietz 2 1-2 6, Acosta-Rodriguez 2 0-0 4. Totals 19 3-6 47.

POTTSVILLE (68) - Hughes-Crane 1 0-0 2, Montone 5 2-2 15, Becker 3 2-2 8, Sukeena 1 0-0 3, Herndon 1 0-0 2, Watkins 3 4-4 10, Bainbridge 0 0-0 0, Yourey 1 0-0 3, Oswald 0 0-0 0, Bowers 3 0-0 6, McGinley 1 0-0 2, Alvarez 6 1-2 13, Flucker-White 0 0-0 0, Ivy 2 0-0 4. Totals 24 9-10 68.

Leh (4-3, 1-3);7;11;16;13;-;47

Potts (5-3, 4-0);20;23;13;12;-;68

3-point FGs: Light, Hawk, Roberts 3, Dietz, Montone 3, Becker 2, Sukeena, Watkins 2, Yourey, Bowers 2

JV score: Pottsville 46-40

 

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Tide Nipped in Overtime

 

 

NW Lehigh 64, Pottsville 59, OT

POTTSVILLE - Christian Alvarez netted a team-high 17 points as Pottsville fell to Northwestern Lehigh in a non-league game.

The Crimson Tide jumped ahead 18-9 at the end of the first quarter and led 23-14 at the half. The Tigers turned up their aggressiveness and forced overtime with both teams tied at the end of regulation at 50.

Gavin Nelson shot 8-for-8 from the free-throw line in overtime as Northwestern outscored the Tide 14-9. Nelson and Del Tyler each scored a game-high 21 points for the Tigers.

For Pottsville, Letrel Montone collected 15 points and Kole Becker added 12.

NW LEHIGH (64) - Bollinger 2 0-2 5, Zimmerman 2 4-5 8, Wambold 1 0-0 2, Krimmel 0 0-0 0, Kozlowski 2 0-0 4, Nelson 5 10-10 21, Marth 1 0-0 3, Tyler 10 1-1 21. Totals 23 15-18 64.

POTTSVILLE (59) - Montone 5 4-4 15, Becker 5 0-2 12, Watkins 2 2-3 7, Bainbridge 0 0-0 0, Oswald 1 3-3 5, Bowers 1 1-3 3, Alvarez 7 2-3 17, Flucker-White 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 12-18 59.

NWL (2-0);9;5;18;18;14;-;64

Potts (4-3) 18,5, 11, 16, 9 ; 59 


Crimson Tide Rolls Over Jim Thorpe 

 

Pottsville 63, Jim Thorpe 37

JIM THORPE - Christian Alvarez led a balanced attack with 12 points as Pottsville cruised past Jim Thorpe in a Division I game.

Kole Becker added 11 points and Chase Oswald netted 10 for the Crimson Tide, who led 37-21 at halftime.

Matt Domski led the Olympians with eight points.

POTTSVILLE (63) - Hughes-Crane 2 0-0 4, Montone 3 0-0 6, Becker 4 0-0 11, Sukeena 1 0-0 2, Herndon 0 0-0 0, Watkins 4 1-2 9, Bainbridge 0 0-0 0, Oswald 5 0-0 10, Bowers 1 0-0 3, McGinley 0 0-0 0, Alvarez 6 0-0 12, Flucker-White 0 1-2 1, Ivy 2 0-0 4, Yourey 0 1-2 1. Totals 28 3-6 63.

JIM THORPE (37) - J. Spruill 2 0-0 4, Domski 3 0-0 8, Goldberg 2 1-2 6, Curran 2 1-3 5, Zurn 1 0-0 2, Z. Spruill 0 0-0 0, Moore 1 0-0 2, Gothard 1 1-1 3, Schrantz 2 2-2 7. Totals 14 5-8 37.

Po (4-2, 3-0);20;17;17;9;-;63

JT (0-6, 0-3);7;14;3;13;-;37

3-point FGs: Becker 3, Bowers, Domski 2, Goldberg, Schrantz

JV score: Pottsville 68-26

Tide Rolls over Tamaqua

 

Pottsville 74, Tamaqua 47

POTTSVILLE - Christian Alvarez scored 15 of his game-high 26 points in the first quarter, leading Pottsville to a Division I win over Tamaqua at Martz Hall.

Derek Watkins added 10 points for the Crimson Tide, who led 41-27 at halftime. Cooper Ansbach tallied 19 and Connor Dillon netted 10 for the Blue Raiders. Each team made eight 3-pointers.

TAMAQUA (47) - Ansbach 7 2-3 19, McCabe 0 0-0 0, Mateyak 3 0-0 9, Vecolitis 0 0-0 0, Styka 1 0-0 2, Kane 3 0-0 6, Frohnheiser 0 0-2 0, Dillon 3 3-5 11, Kamant 0 0-0 0, Davis 0 0-0 0, Tamagini 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 5-10 47.

POTTSVILLE (74) - Hughes-Crane 2 0-0 5, Montone 3 0-0 7, Sukeena 1 0-0 2, Herndon 0 0-0 0, Watkins 4 2-2 10, Bainbridge 1 0-0 2, Oswald 2 1-4 6, Bowers 3 0-0 7, McGinley 1 0-0 3, Alvarez 10 3-3 26, Flucker-White 3 0-3 6, Ivy 0 0-0 0, Yourey 0 0-0 0. Totals 30 6-12 74.

Tam (2-3, 0-2);17;10;11;9;-;47

Potts (3-2, 2-0);25;16;15;18;-;74

3-point FGs: Ansbach 3, Mateyak 3, Dillon 2, Hughes-Crane, Montone, Oswald, Bowers, McGinley, Alvarez 3

JV score: Pottsville 69-15

 

Crimson Tide fall to Hazleton

 

POTTSVILLE - Hazleton Area survived an aggressive offensive surge by Pottsville in second half in a game that went wire-to-wire.

Luis Guzman netted a game-high 20 points and grabbed some key offensive rebounds as the Cougars thwarted the Crimson Tide 54-47 in a main event matchup Saturday evening at Martz Hall.

"Luis played a great game," Hazleton Area coach Pat Brogan said. "He's very talented offensively and defensively.

"Most of our guys are upperclassmen, so they've been through this. We wanted to play each possession one at a time and value each possession."

Hazleton Area (2-1) led 29-18 at halftime after a first half that saw the Cougars execute a master class on second-chance scoring opportunities.

Guzman grabbed four of Hazleton Area's seven first-half offensive boards. He scored six putbacks and Joey Marshall added one as the Cougars collected eight early points on second chances.

"Offensive rebounds killed us and we weren't making shots," Pottsville coach Jake Wartella said. "We ended up being down at half, but the kids responded pretty well.

"The kids bought in to everything we said, they played hard and we're happy with the effort."

Things changed in the second half for the Crimson Tide (2-2).

Letrel Montone led Pottsville's 7-0 scoring run to start the third quarter. Montone netted two quick buckets and Christian Alvarez hit a 3-pointer as the Crimson Tide started rolling. Suddenly the Cougars lead had shrunk to 29-25.

Thalil Flucker-White took a charge to stop a Hazleton Area fast break, but on its next possession Dylan Stish netted a 3-pointer to end the Cougars' scoring drought.

Pottsville maintained its intensity as the game went back and forth from there. Hazleton Area had a counter for everything Pottsville threw at it.

Montone drew an offensive foul, Derek Watkins added two free throws and Alvarez chipped in a steal followed by a successful three-point play to narrow Hazleton's lead to 43-41.

Bryant Diaz countered with a three for the Cougars, before Chase Oswald netted a layup off an inbound play for the Tide as Hazleton Area remained ahead 46-43.

Flucker-White took another charge for Pottsville and Montone barreled through the lane for two points to bring the Crimson Tide within one.

Guzman nailed Hazleton's seventh 3-point field goal with 1:48 remaining to push the Cougars lead to 49-45.

Watkins added two more points for the Tide, who desperately needed a stop and momentum swirling bucket.

Pottsville's defense trapped Hazleton Area's Luke Gennaro and forced a Cougar timeout. After a missed field goal from Hazleton and a defensive rebound by Alvarez, the Tide had their opportunity as the clock ticked under a minute.

Alvarez and Montone each missed on shots from beyond the arc and the Tide had to intentionally foul.

Diaz and Guzman each went 2-for-2 in bonus free throws as Hazleton successfully thwarted a game Tide squad.

"We were a little rusty at times," Brogan said. "We kind of let up a little bit, but it was a good game for us and a good win. Pottsville's a good team and very well coached."

Marshall finished with 13 points and Diaz added eight for the Cougars. For the Tide, Montone scored a team-high 13 points, Alvarez added 12 and Watkins and Oswald each added nine.

Pottsville was without senior starting guard Kole Becker, leading to Flucker-White getting the start. Flucker-White he did not score, but did provide two key stops and provided quality defense down the stretch against Hazleton's Marshall and Guzman.

"I told our kids 'You can't hang your head after a loss like that,' " Wartella said. We're proud of the effort and the way we played. It showed us that we can compete with anyone on our schedule. It's going to go along way.

"We have a fun group, the kids respond. We're far from perfect, but we'll compete with anybody and play hard at all times."

 

 

Game Summary

HAZLETON AREA (54) - Gennaro 2 2-4 7, Coste 0 0-2 0, Stish 3 0-0 6, S. Guzman 0 0-0 0, Saladin 0 0-0 0, Diaz 2 2-2 8, L. Guzman 8 2-2 20, Marshall 5 3-5 13, Reimold 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 9-15 54.

POTTSVILLE (47) - Hughes-Crane 1 0-0 2, Montone 6 0-2 13, Watkins 3 2-2 9, Bainbridge 0 0-0 0, Oswald 3 3-4 9, Bowers 0 0-0 0, Alvarez 4 3-5 12, FLucker-White 0 0-0 0, Ivy 1 0-0 2. Totals 18 8-13 47.

Haz (2-1);15;14;14;11;-;54

Potts (2-2);10;8;16;13;-;47

3-point FGs: Gennaro, Stish 2, Diaz 2, L. Guzman 2, Montone, Watkins, Alvarez

Crimson Tide Clips The Cardinals

Pottsville 65, Pine Grove 37

PINE GROVE - Christian Alvarez scored a game-high 16 points as Pottsville rolled past Pine Grove in a Division I game.

Derek Watkins had 12 points and Kole Becker added 11 for the Crimson Tide, which jumped out to a 19-1 lead after the first quarter.

Chase Sarge paced the Cardinals with nine points.

POTTSVILLE (65) - Crane 0 0-0 0, Montone 2 0-0 5, Becker 5 0-0 11, Sukeena 1 0-0 3, Herndon 0 0-2 0, Watkins 5 1-2 12, Bainbridge 0 0-0 0, Oswald 2 0-0 4, Bowers 1 0-0 3, McGinley 2 0-0 5, Alvarez 5 5-6 16, White 1 0-0 2, Ivy 2 0-0 4. Totals 25 6-10 65.

PINE GROVE (37) - Sarge 4 0-0 9, O. Hannevig 3 1-1 7, Banonis 0 0-0 0, Schneck-Haines 0 0-0 0, D. Hannevig 2 3-4 7, Yeagley 0 0-0 0, Brommer 3 2-7 8, Etzweiler 0 0-0 0, Lyons 0 0-0 0, Snyder 3 0-0 6, Boyer 0 0-2 0. Totals 15 6-14 37.

Potts (2-1, 1-0);19;11;18;17;-;65

PG (0-3, 0-1);1;10;11;15;-;37 

3-point FGs: Becker 3, Montone, Sukeena, Watkins, Bowers, McGinley, Alvarez, Sarge

JV score: Pottsville 59-31

Crimson Tide Beats ELCO
 
Christian Alvarez scored 13 of his team high 19 points in the second half as the Crimson Tide topped the Raiders for their first victory of the season.  Letrel Montone added 12 points for Pottsville, which used a 17-12 run in the third quarter to take control.
 
Pottsville (50) -- Montone 4 3-4 12, Becker 1 1-2 4, Watkins 4 1-3 9, Bainbridge 0 0-0 0, Oswald 2 0-2 4, Alvarez 7 5-6 19, Flucker-White 1 0-0 2 Totals 19 10-18
 
ELCO (45) Kiess 0 0-0 0, Schultz 2 1-2 7, Marquette 3 1-1 7, James 1 0-0 2, Hayes 0 0-0 0, Boyer 3 0-0 7, Leonard 1 0-0 2, Gray 6 4-4 19 Total: 16 6-7 45
 
Pottsville (1-1)   14   7   17   12 -- 50
ELCO: (0-1)       12   12   12  9  -- 45
 
3-point FG's: Montone, Becker, Schultz James Boyer Gray 3
 
JV Score: Pottsville 55-42 


Crimson Tide Falls To Wilson 

 

Wilson 59, Pottsville 35

ALLENTOWN - Christian Alvarez collected a team-high 11 points as Pottsville fell to Wilson in a non-league game.

Letrel Montone and Derek Watkins each added eight points for the Crimson Tide.

POTTSVILLE (35) - Montone 3 1-1 8, Becker 0 0-0 0, Bowers 1 0-0 3, Sukeena 0 0-0 0, Watkins 2 3-3 8, Bainbridge 1 0-0 3, Alvarez 4 2-3 11, Flucker-White 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 6-7 35.

WISLON (59) - Wright 0 2-2 2, Gruber 4 4-4 12, T. Hunsucker 2 0-0 2, Rullinger 2 0-0 2, Etim 7 1-2 11, Woods 0 0-2 0, Twinford 5 0-0 11, Green 1 0-0 3, Akings 2 1-2 7, C. Hunsucker 3 0-0 6, Glover 1 0-0 2. Totals 33 8-12 59.

Potts (0-1);11;3;12;9;-;35

Wil (1-0);16;12;14;17;-;59

3-point FGs: Montone, Watkins, Bainbridge, Alvarez, Bowers

 3

Nick Sukeena

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 Senior

13 (9)

1.44

13

 11

Ronald Yourey

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 Senior

4 (6)

0.66

4

 13

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Chase Oswald

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 Senior

222 (28)

7.92

250

 2

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Photo By Reed Frazier

Kole Becker

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 Senior

197 (26)

7.57

227

 42

 

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 30

Austin Oswald

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 Sophmore

0

0.00

0

Cory Pogash

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 Senior

0

0.00

0

 20

Tsirell Curry

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 Junior

0

0.00

0

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Photo By Linsey Shuey - Pottsville Republican

0

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Photo By John Liddle

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Congrats To our Senior Players

Rylen, Amaree, TJ, Nick and Tyler 

Crimson Tide Falls to the Eagles

 

FOUNTAIN SPRINGS - Isaac Thomas couldn't believe his luck.

With 5:39 left in Friday's District 11 Class 4A boys' consolation game at North Schuylkill High School, Thomas has just committed his fourth foul.

Who knew at the time that the 6-foot-5 junior center would not only stay in the game, but lead the Eagles past a determined Pottsville team 62-57 in overtime?

"My dad emphasized discipline as much as he could tell me," Thomas said. "Keep my hands straight up. Don't jump. Don't swipe at the ball."

Thomas survived disqualification not only in regulation, but also in overtime as Blue Mountain defeated the Crimson Tide.

While the loss ended the Tide's campaign at 12-15, Blue Mountain (21-6), the top seed entering districts, finished third and earned a spot in the PIAA Class 4A Tournament. The Eagles will oppose District 12 runner-up Overbrook on Friday, March 10, at a time and site to be announced.

It might take the week for Blue Mountain head coach Dustin Werdt to relax after Friday's nail-biter against the Crimson Tide, a team the Eagles had defeated twice earlier this season.

"It's a playoff basketball game," Werdt said. "We talked about it before the game that somebody's season is over tonight. Both teams played not wanting that to happen. You know, you've got to give credit to Pottsville and how hard they played."

Yet the Crimson Tide were never able to grab the lead in overtime.

Thomas, who finished with 18 points and 19 rebounds, broke the 52-52 tie with an inside bucket with 3:27 left in overtime. Pottsville got no closer than one point, 55-54 and then 57-56, after that.

Blue Mountain's Carson Kerstetter, who had 18 points and nine rebounds, pulled the Eagles away from their 57-56 lead with two foul shots and then an old-fashioned three-point play for a 60-56 edge.

The Tide's Letrel Montone, who had 19 points, sank his first of two free throws with 11.3 seconds left. Kerstetter grabbed the rebound of Montone's second foul shot and was fouled. He sank two free throws for the final score.

"It's tough to say right now," Pottsville head coach Jake Wartella said about the difference. "But probably the little things. Missed some foul shots, didn't get some rebounds and loose balls. They found a way to do the little things near the end, and we didn't."

That included the disciplined effort of Thomas, who scored 12 second-half points while avoiding the dreaded fifth personal foul.

"He played smart when he had his fourth foul," Werdt said. "He didn't make any of his reaches (at opponents) that he does from time to time. He stayed vertical on everything."

Thomas scored two points during the Eagles' 12-1 run to start the game, but Pottsville rallied after a timeout and led both at halftime and through the third quarter.

"We were honestly worried that they might run us out of the gym, and we said those exact words to the kids. We said we've got to wake up and play a little harder," Wartella said. "And the kids responded."

Pottsvillle's Rylen Matlock, who had 12 points, converted a steal with 17 seconds left to knot the score at 52-52 at the end of regulation.

While disappointed, Wartella was heartened by an effort that bodes well for the Crimson Tide's future despite a losing season.

"We have some great young kids coming up and and these seniors just did a great job laying the framework," he said.

For the Eagles, Friday's win means at least one more game, this time against one of Philadelphia basketball's storied names in Overbrook,.

"We're going to have to take care of the ball," Werdt said. "We turned the ball over way too much (against Pottsville) and Overbrook's probably going to come out and full-court press us exponentially from what we saw tonight."

 

Game Summary

District 11 Class 4A Consolation

At North Schuylkill

POTTSVILLE (57) - Matlock 5 1-2 12, Mentone 6 5-10 19, Bainbridge 1 2-2 4, Allen 0 0-0 0, Chivinski 6 1-2 16, Oswald 0 0-0 0, Alvarez 2 2-2 6, Shappell 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 11-18 57.

BLUE MOUNTAIN (62) - Walasavage 0 0-0 0, Campbell 3 2-6 9, Kerstetter 4 10-14 18, A. Grace 0 0-0 0, Miller 4 4-4 13, R. Grace 0 0-0 0, Caulfield 1 1-2 4, Thomas 8 2-4 18. Totals 20 19-30 62.

Potts (12-15);8;20;14;10;5;-;57

BM (21-6);14;13;13;12;10;-;62

3-point FGs: Matlock, Mentone 2, Chivinski 3, Campbell, Miller, Caulfield.

 

Crimson Tide Plays Blue Mountain Eagles on Friday for State Playoff Berth at North Schuylkill Gym at 7:00

Crimson Tide Falls to Allentown Central Catholic

 

WHITEHALL - Rylen Matlock and Christian Alvarez scored 10 points apiece for sixth-seeded Pottsville, but No. 2 seed Allentown Central Catholic defeated the Crimson Tide 58-33 on Tuesday in a District 11 Class 4A boys' basketball semifinal at Whitehall High School.

The Vikings dominated from the start, leading 21-2 after the first quarter and 42-6 at halftime.

NaSean Davis and Anthony Jones netted 12 points apiece to lead the Vikings.

Pottsville's season will continue Friday in the consolation game.

Allentown Central Catholic advances to Friday's championship game.

District 11 Class 4A Semifinal

At Whitehall

POTTSVILLE (33) - Matlock 3 3-6 10, Montone 1 0-0 2, Bainbridge 1 1-4 4, Chivinski 0 1-2 1, Alvarez 4 1-3 10, Allen 0 0-0 0, Shappell 0 0-0 0, Oswald 0 0-0 0, Curry 0 0-0 0, Watakins 1 0-0 3, Hughes-Crane 1 0-0 2, Flucker-White 0 0-0 0. Totals 11 6-13 33.

ALLENTOWN CENTRAL CATHOLIC (58) - Cook 0 0-0 0, Fridia 2 1-2 5, Spinosa 0 0-0 0, Puleri 2 0-0 5, Davis 5 0-0 12, Jones 4 0-0 12, Patridge 0 0-0 0, Vigo 5 0-0 11, Mushrush 3 0-0 8, Ensley 0 0-0 0, H. Stewart-Smith 1 0-0 2, A. Stewart-Smith 1 0-0 3. Totals 23 1-2 58.

Potts (12-14);2;4;11;16;-;33

ACC (19-8);21;21;9;7;-;58

3-point FGs: Matlock, Bainbridge, Alvarez, Watkins, Hughes-Crane, Jones 4, Mushrush 2, Davis 2, Vigo, Puleri, A. Stewart-Smith

 

Crimson Tide plays Allentown Central Catholic on Tuesday, February 28th at 7:00 pm.

Crimson Tide Rolls Over The Spartans

 

ORWIGSBURG - The fourth time proved to be the charm for Pottsville.

With a 57-41 District 11 Class 4A boys' basketball quarterfinal victory over Schuylkill League Division I rival North Schuylkill on Friday night at Blue Mountain, Pottsville advanced to the semifinal round while the season for the Spartans comes to a close.

Pottsville will meet No. 2 seed Allentown Central Catholic, a 76-47 winner over Northwestern Lehigh, in Tuesday's semifinals with a berth in the District 11 final on the line.

It was the Tide's first victory this season over North Schuylkill after falling twice to the Spartans during the regular season and again in the league semifinals at Martz Hall.

And, as much as the fourth time proved to be the charm, so too did the third quarter.

Leading by two points at the halftime break, 25-23, the Crimson Tide (12-13) cut loose in the third quarter. Opening with an 11-0 run, Pottsville outscored the Spartans 23-10 in the third, expanding the lead to 48-33 and taking complete control of the game.

North Schuylkill (20-5) never got closer the rest of the night.

"We played these guys three times this year, and each time they owned the third quarter on us," Pottsville coach Jake Wartella said. "That was our message to them at the half.

"We had to come out strong. The kids bought in. They stepped up and made plays."

The three-point arc proved to be a comfortable home for the Tide, hitting eight triples for the game. Pottsville knocked down three of those during the third-quarter run that put them in command.

Freshman Christian Alvarez, who matched senior Nick Chivinski for team scoring honors with 15 points, started the run by burying one from the top of the key to open the second half.

Later, after North Schuylkill cut the deficit to 38-29, Chivinski and Tyler Shappell each hit one from long range as the quarter closed.

With the solid lead, the Tide defense never allowed the Spartans to threaten over the final eight minutes.

While the Pottsville offense found its stride in the third quarter, North Schuylkill's never got on track. The Spartans' biggest output came with 13 points in the first quarter, but they never scored more than 10 in any period after that.

Shappell and Amaree Bainbridge followed the Tide's two scoring leaders with eight and seven points, respectively.

A pair of juniors, Jack Keiter and Zane Zulkowski, led North Schuylkill with 14 and 12 points, respectively. Joey Flail followed with nine.

Pottsville also dominated the game on the boards. Chivinski and Alvarez pulled down six rebounds apiece to lead the Tide to a 28-19 advantage in that department.

Game Summary

District 11 Class 4A Quarterfinal

At Blue Mountain

POTTSVILLE (57) - Matlock 2 0-0 4, Montone 2 1-2 5, Bainbridge 3 0-0 7, Chivinski 5 2-2 15, Oswald 1 0-0 3, Alvarez 7 0-0 15, Watkins 0 0-0 0, Shappell 3 0-0 8. Totals 23 3-4 57.

NORTH SCHUYLKILL (41) - D. Miller 1 0-0 2, Maziekas 0 0-0 0, L. Miller 0 0-0 0, Keiter 6 0-0 14, Zulkowski 4 3-5 12, Dean 2 0-0 4, Flail 3 3-4 9. Totals 16 6-9 41.

Potts (12-13);14;11;23;7;-;57

NS (20-5);13;10;10;8;-;41

3-point FGs: Chivinski 3, Shappell 2, Bainbridge, Oswald, Alvarez, Keiter 2, Zulkowski

Crimson Tide Plays North Schuylkill at 7:45 at Blue Mountain for First Round of District XI Basketball

Crimson Tide Falls to North Schuykill

 

POTTSVILLE - Pottsville's reign as Schuylkill League boys' basketball champion has come to an end.

With a big second half, North Schuylkill defeated Pottsville 63-49 in the first semifinal Wednesday night at Martz Hall.

The Spartans (20-3) returned to the boys' championship game for the first time since winning the title with a 42-25 victory over Williams Valley in 2009. They will take on Blue Mountain, a 64-46 winner over Marian in the second semifinal, at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Martz Hall.

Both North Schuylkill basketball teams reached the Schuylkill League finals, with the Spartans girls taking on Marian at 6 p.m. Friday at Martz Hall.

Jack Keiter knocked down five 3-pointers and totaled a game-high 27 points to help the North Schuylkill boys rally from a 32-25 halftime deficit to punch a ticket to the final.

"This is what we practiced for all summer," Keiter said.

The Spartans entered the fourth quarter with a 40-38 lead after outscoring the Crimson Tide 15-6 in the third quarter. North Schuylkill's offense exploded when Keiter hit a triple from deep 3-point range. On the next Spartan possession, Keiter added another three as the crowd at Martz Hall erupted.

The Crimson Tide (11-13) added one point on a free throw from Rylen Matlock before North Schuylkill added another 3-pointer on the following possession. This time it was Zane Zulkowski with the long field goal, pushing the Spartans' lead to 50-41.

Pottsville coach Jake Wartella used a timeout to regroup with North Schuylkill surging.

"I had the confidence to shoot it and I had the green light," Keiter said. "I was feeling hot."

North Schuylkill wasn't done yet.

Zulkowski added six more points, Keiter added four points and Joey Flail grabbed an offensive rebound and got the put-back to fall as the Spartans built a double-digit lead. The Spartans also got the job done on the defensive end, holding the Crimson Tide to nine points in the final quarter.

Game Summary

Schuylkill League Boys' Semifinal

At Martz Hall

POTTSVILLE (49) - Matlock 5 2-6 14, Montone 2 2-2 7, Allen 0 0-2 0, Bainbridge 5 3-4 15, Chivinski 3 0-1 8, Alvarez 1 0-0 2, Oswald 0 0-0 0, Shappell 1 0-0 3. Totals 17 7-15 49.

NORTH SCHUYLKILL (63) - Keiter 9 4-5 27, Zulkowski 9 2-2 22, D. Miller 1 1-2 3, Dean 1 2-2 4, Flail 2 3-4 7, Zilker 0 0-0 0, Maziekas 0 0-0 0, L. Miller 0 0-0 0, Cuthie 0 0-0 0, Mengel 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 12-15 63.

Potts (11-13);11;21;6;11;-;49

NS (20-3);15;10;15;23;-;63

3-point FGs: Matlock 2, Bainbridge 2, Chivinski 2, Montone, Shappell, Keiter 5, Zulkowski 2

Crimson Tide Clips the Canes

 

POTTSVILLE - Pottsville set out to prove they belonged in the Schuylkill League boys' basketball playoffs Saturday night.

That's exactly what the Crimson Tide did.

Relying on fundamental defense and second-chance opportunities, the defending champions used a big second half to defeat Schuylkill Haven 59-49 in a quarterfinal contest at Martz Hall.

Amaree Bainbridge scored a game-high 16 points for Pottsville (11-12), which advances to play Division I champion North Schuylkill in Wednesday's semifinals at 6 p.m. at Martz Hall.

We aren't using the term ‘underdog'," Pottsville coach Jake Wartella said. "We know we could have won some games we lost this year and we've tried to clean up our mistakes, but we're preaching ‘new-life.' One game at a time, survive and advance and every other cliché you could think of. Our kids played hard out there."  

Schuylkill Haven (18-5) controlled things early, leading 12-9 after one quarter and 26-21 at halftime.

Midway through the third quarter, Pottsville tied the game at 26-26 with a layup from Letrel Montone. On the following Crimson Tide possession, the sophomore guard added three more points on a layup and free throw to give Pottsville its first lead since the opening minutes of the game.

The Crimson Tide defense went on to hold Schuylkill Haven to just eight points in the third quarter and take a 36-34 lead heading to the fourth. 

Travis Richie grabbed an offensive rebound and scored on a baseline layup to open the final quarter of play for Haven to tie the game again. Pottsville guard Nick Chivinski answered, knocking down the first of two 3-pointers in the quarter. The game was tied at 40-40 before Pottsville took control.

The Crimson Tide went on three separate scoring runs in the fourth quarter and capitalized on free-throw attempts to keep the game at two possessions. Both teams were in the bonus by the final minutes. Pottsville made 10-of-14 free throws in the fourth quarter and put the game out of reach in the final minute of the game.

For the Hurricanes, Leyden Hertz and Richie each scored a team-high 14 points.

Another key to Pottsville's success was second-chance opportunities, something the Crimson Tide didn't capitalize on very often through the regular season. Pottsville grabbed 10 offensive rebounds and added 15 points off those second chances. 

"That's something we've stressed at practice the last couple days because we don't score so much," Wartella said. "We don't have the biggest kids in the world, we think we could steal some extra buckets off offensive rebounds."  

The victory sets up a third meeting this season between the Tide and Spartans, who won the first two meetings.

"We've got something to play for and they (North Schuylkill) have something to play for," Bainbridge said on facing the Spartans for a third time. "Let's play some gritty basketball." 

Game Summary

Schuylkill League Quarterfinal

At Martz Hall

POTTSVILLE (59) - Matlock 5 2-5 12, Bainbridge 5 5-5 16, Allen 0 0-0 0, Chivinski 2 3-6 9, Montone 3 7-10 13, Alvarez 1 2-4 4, Shappell 1 3-3 5. Totals 17 22-33 59.

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN (49) - Kuzanga 3 1-1 8, Richie 5 1-5 13, Jenan 1 1-2 3, Hertz 5 4-6 14, Sanders 1 0-0 3, Carl 2 2-3 7, Seven 0 0-0 0, Buletza 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 9-17 48. 

SLehigh1920/2023PottsvilleSeniors.jpg
Photo By John Liddle

Schuylkill League Basketball TournamentTips Off This Saturday

Martz Madness begins this weekend with the start of the Schuylkill League Basketball Tournament.
The Schuylkill League has announced the following schedule for the boys' and girls' basketball teams that will be competing for the League Championship at Martz Hall in Pottsville. 
For the Quarterfinal and Semi Final Round all tickets will be sold at the door with the following prices:
  •  Adults $6 (No Senior Citizen Price)
  • Students $3
For the Finals, participating schools will sell advance tickets with the following prices: 
  •  Adults $6 (No Senior Citizen Price)
  • Students $3
All tickets at the door will be $6.

Saturday, February 11th, 2023 - Quarterfinals

 

  • 2:30pm - GIRLS - Pine Grove vs. Minersville
  • 4:00pm - GIRLS - Blue Mountain vs. Tri-Valley
  • 5:30pm - BOYS - Blue Mountain vs. Tri-Valley or Mahanoy Area
  • 7:00pm - BOYS - Pottsville Area vs. Schuylkill Haven

Tuesday, February 14th, 2023 - Semifinals

  • 6:00pm - GIRLS - North Schuylkill vs. Winner of Pine Grove/Minersville
  • 7:30pm - GIRLS - Marian Catholic vs. Winner of Blue Mountain/Tri-Valley

Wednesday, February 15th, 2023 - Semifinals

  • 6:00pm - BOYS - North Schuylkill vs. Winner of Pottsville Area/Schuylkill Haven
  • 7:30pm - BOYS - Marian Catholic vs. Winner of Blue Mountain vs. Tri-Valley/MahanoyArea

Friday, February 17th, 2023 - Championship Night

  • 6:00pm - Girls Schuylkill League Championship
  • 7:30pm - Boys Schuylkill League Championship


Crimson Tide Falls To North Schuylkill

FOUNTAIN SPRINGS - Zane Zulkowski and Jack Dean both scored in double figures as North Schuylkill clinched the Schuylkill League Division I title with a 51-46 victory over Pottsville on Tuesday night.

Zulkowski finished the night with a game-high 21 points. Dean scored six of his 11 in the fourth quarter when the Spartans held off a Crimson Tide rally.

Amaree Bainbridge paced Pottsville with 12 points, followed by Nick Chivinski with 10.

POTTSVILLE (46) - Matlock 1 6-7 8, Montone 1 0-0 2, Allen 0 1-2 1, Bainbridge 5 1-3 12, Chivinski 4 0-0 10, Oswald 0 0-0 0, Alvarez  3 1-2 8, Shappell 2 0-1 5. Totals 16 9-15 46.

NORTH SCHUYLKILL (51) - Zulkowski 6 8-13 21,Dean 3 4-8 11, Flail 3 2-6 8, Miller 2 0-0 4, Maziekas 2 0-1 5, Mengel 1 0-0 2. Totals 17 14-28 51.

Potts (10-12, 7-7);9;16;5;16;-;46

NS (18-3, 13-1);8;13;20;10;-;51

3-point FGs: Chivinski 2, Bainbridge, Alvarez, Shappell

JV score: Pottsville 48-25


Eagles Clip The Crimson Tide

 

POTTSVILLE - Blue Mountain attacked the rim and pounded the paint as the Eagles completed a season sweep over Pottsville on Friday night at Martz Hall.

Isaac Thomas scored a game-high 24 points as Blue Mountain started strong and rolled past Pottsville 65-50. North Schuylkill defeated Jim Thorpe 56-33 on Friday night to stay one game ahead of Blue Mountain in the Division I standings. Both teams have qualified for the Schuylkill League playoffs, but the division title has not yet been decided.

"I was feeling good out there," Thomas said.

"I wanted the ball inside, that's where I work."

With the win, Blue Mountain made it two in row over the Crimson Tide. The Eagles took the first matchup this season 45-33 at Blue Mountain High School.

"Whenever you get a chance to sweep your rival it's a big deal," Blue Mountain coach Dustin Werdt said.

The Eagles controlled the game from the start, going on a 12-0 run after the Crimson Tide's Rylen Matlock scored the opening points, giving Blue Mountain an early 12-2 lead.

Blue Mountain outscored Pottsville 18-7, with Thomas adding 11 of his 24 points in the first quarter.

The Eagles stuck to their game plan and relentlessly attacked the paint, resulting in the Crimson Tide finding themselves in foul trouble midway through the second quarter.

"I've been working on my free throws a lot lately," Thomas said. That's one thing Coach has been emphasizing at practice and I wanted to get my percentage up."

Thomas shot 4-for-6 from the free-throw line in the first half, while teammate Carson Kerstetter shot 3-for-3. With the free throws adding to its lead, Blue Mountain led at the half 33-17.

The second half saw a different Crimson Tide approach.

Pottsville attempted to match Blue Mountain's aggressiveness in the paint and get out in front of fast-breaks in an attempt to catch up.

"I'm proud of the way our kids fought back in the second half," Pottsville coach Jake Wartella said. We dug too deep of a hole early, and we can't do that against a good team like this."

Trailing by 16 points, the Crimson Tide's offense slowly gained life as Christian Alvarez, Tyler Shappell and Nick Chivinski added 3-point field goals in the third quarter.

While Pottsville's offense was just heating up, Blue Mountain maintained the same aggressive presence thoughout the quarter and outscored the Crimson Tide 17-15.

With the Eagles leading 50-32 going into the fourth quarter, the Crimson Tide kept playing to the bitter end with Alvarez adding two more 3-pointers and Letrel Montone scoring six of his 11 points in the fourth quarter. Pottsville outscored the Eagles 18-15, but Blue Mountain was never threatened.

Chivinski added 10 points for the Crimson Tide.

For the Eagles, Carson Kerstetter scored 20 points and Brogan Campbell added 10 points.

 

Game Summary

BLUE MOUNTAIN (65) - Walasavage 0 0-0 0, Campbell 2 5-6 10, Brayford 0 0-0 0, Kerstetter 7 6-8 20, A. Grace 0 0-0 0, Miller 2 3-4 7, R. Grace 1 0-0 2, Caulfield 1 0-0 2, Thomas 8 8-12 24. Totals 21 22-30 65.

POTTSVILLE (50) - Matlock 2 4-6 8, Allen 0 0-0 0, Bainbridge 1 3-4 5, Chivinski 3 1-2 10, Shappell 1 0-0 3, Becker 1 0-0 3, Oswald 0 1-2 1, Montone 5 1-2 11, Alvarez 3 0-0 9, Watkins 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 10-16 50.

BM (16-5, 11-2);18;15;17;15;-;65

Potts (10-11, 7-6);7;10;15;18;-;50

3-point FGs: Campbell, Chivinski 3, Alvarez 3, Shappell, Becker

JV score: Pottsville 50-37 

Crimson Tide Loses To The Panthers

Panther Valley 50, Pottsville 37

LASFORD - Drew Kokinda and Chase Weaver scored 11 points each, leading the Panthers past the Crimson Tide in a Division I matchup and clinching a berth in the District 11 Class 3A playoffs.

Michael Pascoe chipped in with nine points for Panther Valley.

Amaree Bainbridge paced Pottsville with 11 points. Rylen Matlock added eight.

POTTSVILLE (37) - Matlock 3 2-2 8, Becker 0 0-0 0, Montone 0 0-0 0, Allen 1 0-0 2, Bainbridge 2 6-8 11, Chivinski 2 1-1 6, Oswald 0 1-2 1, Alvarez 2 0-0 4, Watkins 0 0-0 0, Shappell 1 0-0 3, Flucker-White 1 0-0 2. Totals 12 10-13 37.

PANTHER VALLEY (50) - B. Hood 1 0-0 3, Pascoe 4 1-2 9, S. Hood 2 2-2 6, Kokinda 3 2-2 11, Weaver 4 3-4 11, Hadley 0 0-0 0, Fisher 0 0-0 0, Goida 1 0-0 2, Jones 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 8-11 50.

Potts (10-10, 7-5);6;11;9;11;-;37

PV (11-8, 4-8);5;18;14;13;-;50

3-point FGs: Bainbridge, Chivinski, Shappell, Kokinda 3, Buyce 2

JV score: Pottsville 60-43

Crimson Tide Falls To Palmyra

 

Palmyra 53, Pottsville 39

POTTSVILLE - Nick Chivinski scored a team-high 10 points as Pottsville dropped a non-league matchup to Palmyra at Martz Hall.

The Crimson Tide and Cougars were tied at 26 at halftime, but Palmyra pulled ahead, outscoring Pottsville 27-13 in the second half.

PALMYRA (53) - Petrino 0 0-0 0, Burgess 1 2-2 4, Mayes 0 0-0 0, Sammen 2 0-0 6, Weaber 0 0-0 0, Dorty 5 3-3 14, Roesch 6 0-0 15, Beckes 6 2-3 14. Totals 20 7-8 53.

POTTSVILLE (39) - Matlock 4 0-0 9, Allen 2 1-1 5, Bainbridge 0 0-4 0, Chivinski 4 0-0 10, Becker 1 0-0 3, Oswald 0 0-0 0, Alvarez 2 1-2 5, Shappell 3 1-2 7. Totals 16 3-9 39.

Palm (10-9);16;10;6;7;-;39

Potts (10-9);9;17;18;9;-;53

3-point FGs: Sammen 2, Dorty, Roesch 3, Matlock, Chivinski 2, Becker

JV score: Pottsville 55-42


Crimson Tide Rolls To Victory

POTTSVILLE - Rylen Matlock scored 14 points, and Nick Chivinski added 13 as the Crimson Tide rolled past the Indians in a Division I contest.

Owen Serfoss scored seven points to lead Lehighton. 

LEHIGHTON (29) - Hawk 0 0-0 0, Light 2 0-0 5, Serfoss 1 5-6 7, Johnson 1 0-0 2, Roth 3 0-0 6, Dietz 2 0-0 6, Blauch 0 1-2 1, Smith 0 0-0 0, Acosta 0 0-0 0, Roberts 1 0-0 2. Totals 10 6-8.

POTTSVILLE (56) - Matlock 6 1-2 14, Allen 1 1-1 3, Bainbridge 2 0-0 5, Chivinski 4 2-2 13, Becker 1 0-0 3, Oswald 0 2-2 2, Alvarez 2 0-0 4, Shappell 3 2-3 8, Watkins 1 0-0 2, Pogash 0 0-0 0, Curry 0 0-0 0, Hughes-Crane 0 0-0 0, Flucker-White 0 2-2 2. Totals 20 10-12 56.

Leh (8-11, 3-8);6;8;10;5;-;29

Potts (10-8, 7-4);11;16;15;14;-;56

3-point FGs: Dietz 2, Light, Chivinski 3, Matlock, Bainbridge, Becker

JV score: Pottsville 49-24

 

 

 

Crimson Tide Wins Big Game

 

POTTSVILLE - Pottsville started off the game slow and hesitant.

The Crimson Tide changed that tune in the second half, producing a key victory to keep its Schuylkill League playoff hopes alive.

Christian Alvarez stepped up off the bench and scored a team-high 13 points as Pottsville defeated Jim Thorpe 49-42 in a Schuylkill League boys' basketball Division I matchup Tuesday night at Martz Hall.

The victory gives the Crimson Tide (9-8, 6-4 D-I) a two-game lead over Jim Thorpe (8-10, 4-6) - and a season sweep over the Olympians - in the race for the third and final league playoff spot from Division I.

"We were upset about our start," Pottsville coach Jake Wartella said. "It was a horrible first quarter on both ends of the ball."

Jim Thorpe outscored the Crimson Tide 13-5 in the first quarter with Andrew Warner knocking down an early 3-pointer and totaling seven of his game-high 18 points.

Frustrations were evident early for the Crimson Tide as Rylen Matlock received a technical foul. Warner tallied five points off a 3-pointer and an and-one layup off a screen from Noah Rosahac, quickly giving Jim Thorpe a 7-3 lead.

"It killed me knowing this was one of the biggest games," Matlock said of his technical foul.

Coming into the second quarter trailing the Olympians 13-5, Nick Chivinski found Kole Becker cutting through the lane for a layup to give the Crimson Tide's offense some life. Warner immediately answered on the following possession with another 3-pointer for the Olympians. The fouls began pouring in on both sides and free-throw shooting became increasingly important to Pottsville's chances of evening the score.

"When I go to practice I shoot free throws everyday," said Pottsville's Amaree Bainbridge, who was 4-for-7 from the line and finished with 10 points.

After an offensive rebound and put-back layup from Alvarez, the momentum started swinging in the Crimson Tide's direction. Pottsville shot 4-of-5 at the free throw line and ended the second quarter outscoring the Olympians 13-8, slicing Jim Thorpe's lead to 21-18 at halftime.

Pottsville opened the second half on a 7-0 run, all by Matlock, to take a 25-21 lead. Benjamin Goldberg then found Noah Rosahac weaving through the lane to get the Olympians on the board for the first time in the second half.

The Crimson Tide's depth proved to be a difference-maker as Chase Oswald found Alvarez all alone in the paint for an easy layup before adding two points of his own on the next Pottsville possession. Alvarez added seven of his 13 points in the third quarter and the Crimson Tide forged a 39-28 lead after three periods.

"Our kids had to attack the rim. Once we saw the ball go in the hoop a few times I think it sparked us," Wartella said.

The Olympians were in deep foul trouble, racking up eight fouls by the beginning of the fourth quarter. Pottsville took advantage by making eight trips to the line, tallying eight points off 12 attempts. Goldberg knocked down two 3-pointers and Warner added six points in the final minutes to get Jim Thorpe close, but the Crimson Tide played keep-away and rode the clock all the way to zero.

"We played hard," Jim Thorpe coach Jason McElmoyle said. "We've been in this position before, we're motivated, so we just got to keep staying with the game plan."

Jim Thorpe and Pottsville were both missing key players due to injury. The Crimson Tide was down their primary ball-handler, Letrel Montone, with a hand injury, while the Olympians were without their leading scorer from a season ago, Kaiden Herron, who is out with a knee injury.

Game Summary

JIM THORPE (42) - Spruill 2 1-2 5, Warner 7 2-4 18, Goldberg 3 0-0 8, DiSanto 0 0-0 0, McHugh 0 0-0 0, Barile 0 2-2 2, Rosahac 3 3-3 9. Totals 25 8-11 42.

POTTSVILLE (49) - Matlock 3 2-2 9, Allen 2 0-2 4, Bainbridge 3 4-7 10, Chivinski 1 4-6 7, Becker 1 0-0 2, Oswald 1 0-0 2, Alvarez 3 6-8 13, Shappell 0 2-2 2, Watkins 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 18-27 49.

JT (8-10, 4-6);13;8;7;14;-;42

Potts (9-8, 6-4);5;13;21;10;-;49

3-point FGs: Warner 2, Goldberg 2, Matlock, Chivinski, Alvarez

JV score: Pottsville 43-28

Crimson Tide Falls To Tamaqua

 

Tamaqua 51, Pottsville 46

POTTSVILLE - Connor Dillon drained six 3-pointers and scored a game-high 18 points as Tamaqua knocked off Pottsville in a Division I contest at Martz Hall.

The loss dropped Pottsville (8-8, 5-4) just one game ahead of Jim Thorpe (7-9, 4-5) for the third and final playoff berth in Division I. The Tide and Olympians meet Tuesday at Martz Hall.

Dillon scored all of his points in the first half as Tamaqua (7-9, 3-6) built a 29-22 halftime advantage. Noah Mateyak then hit a pair of 3-pointers and two key free throws in the fourth quarter as the Blue Raiders held off a Crimson Tide rally.

Mateyak finished with 13 points for Tamaqua. Rylen Matlock scored 15 points and Nick Chivinski added 10 for Pottsville.

TAMAQUA (51) - Ansbach 1 0-0 2, Lewis 1 0-2 2, Mateyak 4 2-2 13, Klein 0 0-0 0, Milot 2 2-2 6, Kane 1 1-2 3, Dillon 6 0-0 18, Ligenza 3 1-6 7, Andrews 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 6-14 51.

POTTSVILLE (46) - Matlock 6 2-4 15, Montone 1 4-4 6, Allen 1 0-1 2, Bainbridge 2 1-2 6, Chivinski 4 0-0 10, Becker 0 0-0 0, Oswald 0 0-0 0, Alvarez 3 0-0 7. Totals 17 7-11 46.

Tam (7-9, 3-6);10;19;7;15;-;51

Potts (8-8, 5-4);13;9;11;13;-;46

3-point FGs: Dillon 6, Mateyak 3, Matlock, Bainbridge, Chivinski 2, Alvarez

JV score: Pottsville 50-33

Crimson Tide Loses In Overtime

 

Pine Grove 47, Pottsville 41, OT

PINE GROVE - Tied at 36-36 at the end of regulation, the Cards outscored the Tide 11-5 in the extra period to record the Division I victory.

Garrett Brandt poured in 23 points to lead Pine Grove, with Josh Tobin following with 10. Tobin scored four in the overtime period.

For Pottsville, Letrel Montone led the way with 14 points. Rylen Matlock contributed 10.

POTTSVILLE (41) - Matlock 4 2-3 10, Becker 2 1-2 7, Montone 4 5-9 14, Allen 0 0-1 0, Bainbridge 1 0-0 3, Chivinski 1 0-0 3, Oswald 0 0-0 0, Alvarez 2 0-0 4. Totals 14 8-15 41.

PINE GROVE (47) - Tobin 4 2-2 10, Brandt 9 3-4 23, Unger 4 0-0 8, Skocik 1 2-5 4, Kohr 0 1-2 1, Sarge 0 1-3 1, Brommer 0 0-0 0, Snyder 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 9-16 47.

Potts (8-7, 5-3);11;4;13;8;5;-;41

PG (4-11, 2-6);12;8;8;8;11;-;47

3-point FGs: Becker 2, Montone, Bainbridge, Chivinski, Brandt 2

Crimson Tide Wins a Thriller In Triple Overtime

 

JIM THORPE - Amaree Bainbridge turned in a big performance after regulation ended to lead Pottsville to a 55-53, triple-overtime Schuylkill League Division I boys' basketball victory over Jim Thorpe on Saturday.

Bainbridge scored 12 of his 16 points in the extra periods to spark the Tide, which maintained its spot in third place in the Division I standings, one game behind co-leaders Blue Mountain and North Schuylkill. Nick Chivinski added 15 points and Letrel Montone tallied 10 for Pottsville, which connected on 12 3-pointers.

Andrew Warner and Noah Rosahac scored 16 points apiece and Ben Goldberg netted 11 for Jim Thorpe, which led 25-22 after three quarters.

POTTSVILLE (55) - Matlock 0 2-4 2, Montone 4 0-1 10, Allen 1 2-2 4, Bainbridge 4 5-10 16, Chivinski 5 0-0 15, Becker 2 0-0 6, Oswald 1 0-2 2, Shappell 0 0-1 0. Totals 17 9-20 55.

JIM THORPE (53) - Spruill 0 7-9 7, Warner 3 9-10 16, Goldberg 5 1-2 11, DiSanto 0 0-0 0, McHugh 0 0-0 0, Barile 1 0-0 3, Selby 0 0-0 0, Rosahac 6 4-6 16. Totals 15 21-27 53.

Potts (8-6, 5-2);6;11;5;14;6;5;8;-;55

JT (5-9, 2-5);8;11;6;11;6;5;6-;53

3-point FGs: Montone 2, Bainbridge 3, Chivinski 5, Becker 2, Barile, Warner, 

 


 

Spartans Slip By Crimson Tide 

North Schuylkill 52, Pottsville 49

POTTSVILLE - Zane Zulkowski scored a game-high 20 points as North Schuylkill edged Pottsville in a Division I contest.

Jack Keiter and Joey Flail both totaled 13 points for the Spartans in the win.

For the Crimson Tide, Letrel Montone scored a team-high 13 points, Rylen Matlock added 12 points and Nick Chivinski finished with 10 points.

NORTH SCHUYLKILL (52) - Keiter 4 4-6 13, Zulkowski 6 8-11 20, D. Miller 1 2-2 4, Dean 0 2-4 2, Flail 5 3-5 13, L. Miller 0 0-0 0, Maziekas 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 19-28 52.

POTTSVILLE (49) - Matlock 3 5-8 12, Montone 3 6-9 13, Allen 2 0-0 4, Bainbridge 1 3-9 5, Chivinski 4 1-1 10, Becker 0 0-0 0, Oswald 1 1-2 3, Shappell 1 0-0 2. Totals 15 16-27 49.

NS (9-2, 6-1);10;13;10;18;-;52

Potts (8-3, 4-2);8;14;19;8;-;49

3-point FGs: Keiter, Matlock, Montone, Chivinski

JV score: Pottsville 52-31

 

Crimson Tide Loses To Eagles 

 

ORWIGSBURG - Blue Mountain made a difference at the foul line and it paid off in the end.

The Eagles capitalized on free-throw opportunities, hitting 13-of-17 attempts, to drop Pottsville 45-33 in a Schuylkill League Division I boys' basketball clash Monday night.

Carson Kerstetter scored a game-high 21 points for the Eagles, who dealt the Tide their first league setback. Blue Mountain (10-3, 5-1 D-I) and North Schuylkill (8-2, 5-1), a 59-28 winner over Jim Thorpe, both sit at 5-1 atop the Division I standings with Pottsville (7-5, 4-1) one game back.

"We made that a point at practice to emphasize free-throw shooting," Kerstetter said.

Free-throw shooting was imperative for both the Crimson Tide and the Eagles as they both found themselves in foul trouble throughout the game.

In the first half Blue Mountain committed 11 fouls, while Pottsville was whistled for nine.

Brogan Campbell made the most of his opportunities early, shooting a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line before halftime. Kerstetter cashed in on two free throws to make the Eagles a perfect 6-for-6 in the first two quarters of play.

 

The Crimson Tide couldn't match Blue Mountain's lights-out shooting from the charity stripe, only knocking down 4-of-6 free throws with Latrel Montone collecting all four made free throws for Pottsville.

Blue Mountain (10-3, 5-1 D-I) flipped the script in the second half, only committing seven fouls, while Pottsville (7-5, 4-1 D-I) was called for 11. Blue Mountain pounced on the opportunity to pour it on Pottsville.

In the second half the Eagles made 7-of-11 free throw opportunities, with Campbell making 4-of-5 and Kerstetter splitting 3-of-6. The Crimson Tide shot a combined 3-for-4 in the second half from the free-throw line.

Campbell finished with 18 points for Blue Mountain, with eight of his points coming from free throws.

"A big problem with our team has been our free-throw shooting," Campbell said. "For me, Carson and the rest of the team to put them down tonight was a big deal."

The Eagles took a 10-7 lead at the end of the first quarter, but the second quarter is when Blue Mountain thrived. Campbell weaved through Pottsville's defense on multiple possessions and scored six points, Kerstetter added four points on two jumpers and Issac Thomas totaled four points in the second quarter for the Eagles. After outscoring the Tide 16-9 in the second quarter, Blue Mountain pushed its lead to 26-16 at halftime.

The Eagles controlled the pace of the second half, drawing fouls and scoring on second-chance opportunities. Pottsville played aggressive, forcing nine Blue Mountain turnovers in the second half, but couldn't capitalize.

"We created turnovers, but we have to find a way to turn them into points on the other end," Pottsville coach Jake Wartella said. "Hats off to Blue Mountain, they played really hard tonight."

Blue Mountain snaps a three-game losing skid and reclaims the top spot in Division I with its win over Pottsville.

"You can't take any team for granted in this league," Blue Mountain coach Dustin Werdt said. "It's the next team approach for us, you need to be ready for the next team."

Game Summary

POTTSVILLE (33) - Matlock 4 0-0 8, Becker 0 0-1 0, Montone 3 4-4 11, Allen 0 0-0 0, Bainbridge 2 1-4 6, Chivinski 2 2-2 8, Oswald 0 0-0 0, Shappell 0 0-0 0. Totals 11 7-11 33.

BLUE MOUNTAIN (45) - Walasavage 0 0-0 0, Campbell 5 8-9 18, Brayford 0 0-0 0, Kerstetter 8 5-8 21, A. Grace 0 0-0 0, Miller 0 0-0 0, R. Grace 1 0-0 2, Caulfield 0 0-0 0, Thomas 2 0-0 4. Totals 16 13-17 45.

Potts (7-5, 4-1);7;9;8;9;-;33

BM (10-3, 5-1);10;16;8;11;-;45

3-point FGs: Montone, Bainbridge, Chivinski 2

JV score: Pottsville 44-33 

 Pottsville defeats Panther Valley

POTTSVILLE - Rylen Matlock paced a trio of Pottsville players in double figures as the Crimson Tide rolled to a 65-50 Schuylkill League Division I victory over Panther Valley at Martz Hall.

Matlock closed with 16 points for the Tide which rolled out to a 21-7 lead after a quarter and never looked back. Letrel Montone followed with 15 points, and Tyler Shappell added 14.

For Panther Valley, Chase Weaver led the scoring with 10 points. Brad Hood followed with nine.

PANTHER VALLEY (50) - B. Hood 3 0-0 9, Pascoe 2 2-4 6, S. Hood 2 3-4 7, Kokinda 2 1-2 7, Weaver 3 3-3 10, Hadley 0 5-6 5, Orsulak 0 0-0 0, Goida 2 0-1 4, Fisher 1 0-0 2, Jones 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 14-20 50.

POTTSVILLE (65) - Matlock 5 3-6 16,Montone 5 4-5 15, Allen 2 0-0 4, Bainbridge 1 2-2 4, Chivinski 3 0-0 9, Oswald 1 0-0 2, Shappell 5 3-4 14. Totals 22 12-17 65.

PV (7-3, 2-3);7;14;14;15;-;50

Potts (7-4, 4-0);21;16;13;15;-;65

3-point FGs: B. Hood 3, Kokinda 2, Weaver, Montone 3, Chivinski 3, Matlock 2, Shappell

JV score: Pottsville 57-40


Tide Loses to Berks Catholic

Berks Catholic 70, Pottsville 35

READING - Amaree Bainbridge and Christian Alvarez scored six points apiece for Pottsville in a non-league loss to unbeaten Berks Catholic.

Ryan Koch had 19 points for the Saints, who opened the game with a 19-2 run.

POTTSVILLE (35) - Matlock 1 2-2 5, Montone 1 0-0 2, Allen 0 0-0 0, Bainbridge 1 3-6 6, Chivinski 1 2-4 5, Becker 1 0-0 3, Pogash 0 0-0 0, Oswald 1 0-0 2, Alvarez 3 0-0 6, Watkins 0 0-0 0, Shappell 1 0-0 3, Hughes-Crane 1 0-0 3. Totals 11 7-12 35.

BERKS CATHOLIC (70) - Dominguez 2 0-0 4, Nein 1 0-0 3, Gaffney 0 0-0 0, Geddio 0 0-0 0, Jordon 2 0-0 4, Koch 7 1-2 19, Miller 3 0-0 8, Lawlor 0 2-2 2, Komoro 1 0-0 2, J. McKoy 3 0-0 7, K. McKoy 3 0-0 7, Altimar 1 0-0 3, Diaz 3 0-0 6. Totals 28 3-4 70.

Potts (6-4);2;10;12;11;-;35

BC (9-0);19;15;21;15;-;70

3-point FGs: Matlock, Bainbridge, Chivinski, Becker, Shappell, Hughes-Crane, Koch 4, Miller 2, K. McKoy 2, Nein, J. McKoy, Altimar

JV score: Berks Catholic 39-33



Crimson Tide Wins Thriller

Pottsville 32, Shamokin 31

POTTSVILLE - Nick Chivinski scored a team-high 10 points as Pottsville narrowly slipped past Shamokin in a non-league game at Martz Hall.

Rylen Matlock and Latrel Montone both added nine points for the Crimson Tide, but it was Tejay Allen who scored his only basket when the Tide needed it most. Allen hit the go-ahead layup with five seconds remaining in the game to give Pottsville the win.

The Crimson Tide defense didn't allow a single point in the fourth quarter, opening the door for the 11-0 scoring run. Pottsville secured the comeback win after trailing 31-21 after the third quarter.

SHAMOKIN (31) - Price 3 0-1 7, Hile 3 0-0 7, Mattern 1 0-0 2, Delbaugh 0 0-0 0, Annis 0 0-0 0, Litchy 2 0-3 4, Shuey 5 1-1 11, Leiby 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 1-5 31.

POTTSVILLE (32) - Matlock 4 0-0 9, Becker 0 0-0 0, Montone 3 2-2 9, Allen 1 0-0 2, Chivinski 4 0-2 10, Bainbridge 0 0-0 0, Oswald 1 0-0 2, Shappell 0 0-0 0. Totals 13 2-4 32.

Sham ;11;11;9;0;-;31

Potts (6-3);4;6;11;11;-;32

3-point FGs: Price, Hile, Matlock, Montone, Chivinski 2

JV score: Pottsville 52-41

Crimson Tide Falls To Williamsport

Rylen Matlock led the Tide with 10 points as Pottsville dropped a non-league mathup to Williamsport. Thomas Tokach paced the Millionaires with 17 points. Caleb Fausnaught added 12 points for Williamsport.

Williamsport (65) Harden 3 0-0 7, Lake 3 0-0 8, Holt 1 0-0 2, Kline 2 1-1 5, Whaley 3 1-1 7, Fausnaught 5 2-2 12, Johnson 1 0-0 2, Tokack 5 5-7 17, White 1 0-0 3, Bradshaw 1 2-2 4, Lowe 0 0-0 0 Totals: 25 11-13 65

Pottsville (24) Matlock 4 2-3 10, Montone 0 0-0 0, Allen 1 1-2 3, Bainbridge 0 1-2 1, Chivinski 1 0-0 2, Becker 0 0-0 0, Oswald 0 0-0 0, Alvarez 0 0-0 0, Watkins 1 0-0 3, Shappell 1 2-2 5 Totals 8 6-9 24

 

Williamsport (5-1)   12   15   26   12 -- 65

Pottsville (5-3)         4     4     9     7 -- 24

 3-point FGs - Harden, Lake 2, White, Watkins, Shappell

JV Score Williamsport 66 - 64 OT 

Crimson Tide Clips The Indians

 

Pottsville 45, Lehighton 38

LEHIGHTON - Rylen Matlock led a trio of Pottsville players in double figures, scoring 13 in the Division I victory over the Indians.

Also for Pottsville, Nick Chivinski added 11 points and Amaree Bainbridge had 10.

For Lehighton, Joe Roth scored 13, with Brayden Johnson contributing 10.

POTTSVILLE (45) - Mtlock 2 9-15 13, Becker 0 0-0 0, Montone 1 1-2 3,  Allen 2 0-0 4, Bainbridge 3 2-4 10, Chivinski 3 3-3 11, Oswald 0 0-0 0, Shappell 2 0-0 4. Totals 13 15-24 45.

LEHIGHTON (38) - Light 1 0-0 2, Serfass 0 2-3 2, Johnson 4 1-2 10, Smith 1 0-0 3, Roth 6 1-4 13, Dietz 3 1-2 8. Totals 15 5-11 38.

Potts (5-2, 3-0);12;13;6;14;-;45

Leh (3-5, 1-3);6;13;8;11;-;38

3-point FGs: Chivinski 2, Bainbridge, Johnson, Smith, Dietz.

 

Crimson Tide Deafeats NW Lehigh

 

Rylen Matlock scored 21 points and Amaree Bainbridge followed with 15 points as the Crimson Tide scored a non-league vidtory over the Tigers at Martz Hall

 

NW Lehigh (48) - Fitch 4 3-4 12, Zimmerman 2 0-0 6, Bollinger 2 2-4 6, Kozlowski 0 0-0 0, Nelson 6 8-9 22, Warbold 0 2-2 2 Totals: 14 15-19 48

Pottsville (55) - Matlock 9 0-1 21, Becker 0 0-0 0, Montone 0 3-5 3, Allen 1 1-3 3, Bainbridge 5 2-2 15, Chivinski 1 0-0 3, Shappell 3 0-2 6, Oswald 2 0-0 4  Totals: 21 5-13 55

 

NWL (3-4)   5   7   21   15 -- 48

Pottsville (4-2)  17  11  12  15 -- 55

3-point FGs - Nelson 2, Bollinger 2, Fitch, Matlock 3, Bainbridge 3, Chivinski

 

JV Score - Pottsville 52 - 36 


Crimson Tide Defeats The Blue Raiders 

 

Pottsville 50, Tamaqua 42

TAMAQUA - Nick Chivinski paced a trio of double-digit scorers with 14 points as the Tide rallied past the Blue Raiders in a Division I contest.

Tejay Allen added 13 points and Rylen Matlock tallied 11 for Pottsville, which outscored Tamaqua 32-18 in the second half to grab the win.

Noah Mateyak hit four 3-pointers and scored 12 points, and Connor Dillon netted 10 points for the Blue Raiders, who used an 11-4 run in the second quarter to build a 24-18 halftime lead. 

POTTSVILLE (50) - Palko 1 2-2 4, Matlock 5 1-3 11, Montone 1 0-0 2, Allen 5 3-4 13, Bainbridge 2 0-1 4, Chivinski 5 3-3 14, Shappell 1 0-2 2. Totals 20 9-15 50.

TAMAQUA (42) - Ansbach 0 0-0 0, Lewis 1 1-2 3, Mateyak 4 0-0 12, Klein 0 0-0 0, Milot 3 1-3 7, Kane 1 0-0 3, Dillon 4 2-2 10, Ligenza 3 1-1 7, Andrews 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 5-8 42.

Potts (3-2, 2-0);14;4;14;18;-;50

Tam (0-4, 0-2);13;11;6;12;-;42

3-point FGs: Chivinski, Mateyak 4, Kane

JV score: Pottsville 52-32

 

Hazleton Downs The Tide 52 - 30

 

 

Amree Bainbridge scored eight points as Pottsville was defeated by Hazleton Area in a non-league matchup. Also for the Crimson Tide, Tejay Allen scored seven points and Nick Chivinski scored five points.

 

Pottsville (30) -- Matlock 1 0-0 2, Becker 0 0-0 0, Montone 1 0-0 2, Allen 3 1-1 7, Bainbridge 3 0-1 8, Chivinski 2 0-0 5, Oswald 1 0-0 2, Alvarez 0 0-0 0, Watkins 0 0-0 0, Shappell 0 0-0 0, Totals: 13 1-2 30

Hazleton Area (52) -- Catrone 3 0-0 7, Generro 6 0-0 14, Marshall 3 0-0 7, Guzman 3 0-0 7, Caste 3 0-2 7, Santiago 1 0-0 2, Rossi 2 2-3 6, Headley 0 0-0 0, Melaciano 1 0-0 2, Totals 22 3-5 52

 

Pottsville (2-2)   8   9   9   4 -- 30

Hazleton (2-1)   10  9  17  17 -- 52

 

3-point FG's Bainbridge 2, Chiviniski

JV Score Pottsville 35-32 OT 

   

Crimson Tide Clips The Cardinals

 

 

POTTSVILLE - The Pottsville boys' basketball team has a lot of depth.

That proved to be a game-changer in the Crimson Tide's Schuylkill League Division I opener Thursday night at Martz Hall.

Rylen Matlock scored 14 points and Tyler Shappell added nine points off the bench as Pottsville surged past Pine Grove 58-31.

The Crimson Tide's Joey Palko won the opening tip, but after a quick turnover and a 10-foot jumper from Brandon Unger it was quickly 2-0 Pine Grove. Matlock saved Pottsville from another turnover on their next possession. The senior guard made a highlight-reel play diving out of bounds as he found Nick Chivinski all alone under the hoop for an easy two points.

The quick scoring fizzled out even faster than it began until three Cardinals possessions later when Unger nailed his first 3-pointer of the night.

Pottsville gave it right back as Matlock knocked down a triple of his own, but Unger immediately answered back with another long three, giving the Cardinals a 10-8 lead.

"Every game this year we came out with effort," Pine Grove coach Jordan Lehman said about his squad. "We might be 0-3, but as far as effort, I can't complain about our team at all."

With the Pine Grove answering the call early, Pottsville coach Jake Wartella was instructing junior Letrel Montone to turn up the intensity.

Montone went to work running the offense as he found Matlock all alone at the top of the key for another triple. On the following Cardinal possession, Montone and Chivinski successfully forced a turnover, but Pottsville couldn't find points as Killian Skocik blocked the Crimson Tide's attempt

 

Game Summary

PINE GROVE (31) - Tobin 1 0-0 2, Brandt 1 1-2 3, Unger 7 1-2 17, Skocik 0 0-0 0, Sarge 2 0-0 6, Brommer 0 0-2 0, Felty 1 0-0 3. Totals 13 2-6 31.

POTTSVILLE (58) - Palko 2 0-1 4, Matlock 5 1-3 14, Becker 1 1-2 3, Montone 1 2-2 5, Allen 1 1-2 3, Baibridge 1 1-2 3, Pogash 0 0-0 0, Chivinski 3 0-2 7, Oswald 1 0-0 2, Alvarez 1 0-0 2, Watkins 2 1-1 6, Shappell 4 0-1 9, Hughes-Crane 0 0-0 0, Flicker-White 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 7-16 58.

PG (0-3, 0-1);16;3;5;7;-;31

Potts (2-1, 1-0);11;12;16;19;-;58

3-point FGs: Unger, Sarge 2, Felty, Matlock 3, Montone, Chivinski, Watkins, Shappell 

Pottsville seeking 13th straight league championship

Could there be a shake-up in the Schuylkill League boys' basketball hierarchy or will the favorites stand tall?

For the last 13 seasons, Pottsville has held a stranglehold on the Schuylkill League Division I title, reaching the league final in every one of those seasons. The Crimson Tide have won 10 overall league titles in that span, including last year's crown with a 52-38 victory over Jim Thorpe.

Heavy graduation losses, however, leave Jake Wartella's squad looking for younger players to step up and continue the Tide's winning tradition.

Pottsville's Division I title streak is one of several boys' basketball storylines this season in the Schuylkill League, which will expand its playoffs to more than four teams for the first time since 1996.

Let's take a look at the three division races and other hot topics heading into league play, which started Wednesday night with a pair of games and continues tonight with a full slate of games.

Division I

Could this be the year for change atop the Division I standings?

Jim Thorpe, Blue Mountain, North Schuylkill and Panther Valley certainly believe that is possible.

What do all these teams have in common? Experienced rosters that return dynamic scorers.

Let's start with Jim Thorpe, which made a late run to earn the Division I wild card and qualify for the league playoffs for the first time since 2010. The Olympians then knocked off Division III champion Shenandoah Valley in the semifinals before falling to Pottsville in the finals.

Senior guard Kaiden Herron (15.0 ppg) leads the way and is joined by a pair of 6-foot-6 big men in senior Bryson Heydt and junior Noah Rosahac. Look for the Olympians to take advantage of height mismatches, while allowing Herron to be the playmaker in the offense. Other key returning players for Jim Thorpe include senior guards Jasper DiSanto and Andrew Warner.

"Our size and experience will be our strengths this season," Olympians coach Jason McElmoyle said. "We need to continue to focus on the fundamentals and build off of each practice."

Blue Mountain is no stranger to the league playoffs, and the Eagles have a senior-laden roster hungry to make another postseason appearance.

Sharpshooting guard Kade Henninger graduated, but senior guards Carson Kerstetter (12.8 ppg) and Brogan Campbell and junior forward Isaac Thomas lead a veteran and athletic squad that also includes returning seniors Matt Caulfield and Derek Walasavage and junior Tyler Miller.

The Eagles just missed the league playoffs a year ago, then took Pottsville to overtime in the District 11 Class 5A semifinals before falling 60-54.

North Schuylkill is hungry for more after coming within a bucket of making the state playoffs with a 44-42 loss to Wilson in the District 11 Class 4A semifinals.

Junior guard Jack Keiter (14.7 ppg), senior guard Drew Miller and junior Zane Zulkowski (7.2 ppg) will man the backcourt, while forwards Jack Dean and Tyrone Chambers will bring physicality and grit to the paint. Junior Joey Flail, a key newcomer, brings athleticism and speed to the Spartans after sitting out last season.

"We expect to be competitive and work hard," said William Bracey, entering his third season as the Spartans' head coach.

Panther Valley is another team in Division I hungry for success.

Led by Patrick Crampsie in his 21st year at the helm, the Panthers return their top six players from last season's 12-11 squad. Junior forward Stephen Hood (14.8 ppg) and senior forward Bradley Hood combined for 71 3-pointers, while junior point guard Chase Weaver averaged 11.7 points per game and sophomore shooter Drew Kokinda drained 32 3-pointers. Senior forwards Michael Pascoe and Austin Hadley add physicality and toughness inside and on the boards.

With scoring coming from all angles, Panther Valley expects to be competing for a Division I title and be a factor in the District 11 Class 3A playoffs.

"We're very excited about where our program is right now," Crampsie said. "We want to raise the bar from consistently making the playoffs to consistently competing for championships."

Of course, those four squads still have to beat Pottsville, which will be no easy feat.

Wartella returns for his third season at the helm looking to replace most of his offensive production from last year's squad that went 19-8 and won the Schuylkill League and District 11 Class 5A titles before falling to Marple-Newtown in the first round of the state playoffs.

All-Area selections Jazce Carabello-Snowell (16.2 ppg), Darren Yost (10.0 ppg) and Raeff DiCello (10.0 ppg) all graduated, as did 3-point sharpshooter Mike Sukeena and guard Chase Fenstermacher.

Seniors Nick Chivinski, Rylen Matlock, Amaree Bainbridge and Tejay Allen return, as does 6-3 forward Joey Palko, who missed last season due to injury and should give Pottsville a presence in the paint. How quickly those players fall into their roles will determine the Tide's success.

Until somebody beats the Tide, they're still the favorite to win Division I.

Pine Grove, Tamaqua and Lehighton are a level below the other five teams in the Division I race, but each is capable of surprising any of the title contenders on a given night.

The Cardinals will be guided by new head coach Jordan Lehman, who coached the Tri-Valley baseball team to District 11 titles the past two springs. Tamaqua will be led by standout scorer Connor Dillon (12.6 ppg), while Lehighton possess a group of young players ready to turn the Indians into contenders.

New look playoffs

The Schuylkill League will roll out a new playoff format this season.

Instead of the traditional four qualifiers - three division champions and a wild-card team from Division I - the new playoff look will have two more teams in the league postseason contention.

The traditional champions from Division I, II and III, along with the Division I wild card will still be there. Additionally, though, there will be an opportunity for two more teams to make the playoffs, making it a six-team tournament.

Using District 11 rating points, one more team from Division I and one more from Divisions II and III will make the post-season tournament.

The top two teams overall will receive byes into the semifinals. The other four will meet in a quarterfinal round that will ultimately set up the semifinal matchups.

An exciting opportunity for more competition in what should be a very competitive season for all three divisions.

Contact the writer: edoyle@republicanherald; (570) 628-6019; @iamelidoyle on Twitter

 

BOYS' BASKETBALL: 2022-23 preview capsules

SCHUYLKILL LEAGUE ��

Boys' Hoops at a glance

2021-22 Recap

Schuylkill League

Division I champion - Pottsville

Division II champion - Tri-Valley

Division III champion - Shenandoah Valley

Division I wild card - Jim Thorpe

Overall champion - Pottsville

District champions

Class 5A - Pottsville

Class AA - Shenandoah Valley

Class A - Nativity

2022-23 Key Dates

Feb. 14-15 - League semifinals

Feb. 17 - League finals

Week of Feb. 20 - District playoffs begin

New coaches

Pine Grove - Jordan Lehman

Minersville - Dave Mullaney

Marian - Scott Murphy

Hamburg - Kevin McFarland

 

Crimson Tide Gets 1st Win

Pottsville 51, ELCO 37

POTTSVILLE - Nick Chivinski was the only Crimson Tide player in double figures, scoring a game-high 16 points in the non-league victory over ELCO at Martz Hall.

Pottsville used a 25-8, second-quarter run to break the game open. Rylen Matlock followed Chivinski with nine points.

ELCO (37) - Kless 3 0-0 9, Wentzel 0 0-0 0, Marquette 6 0-0 12, Kreide 1 0-0 2, George 0 0-0 0, James 0 0-0 0, Rodriguez 0 0-0 0, Boyer 3 0-0 7, Grey 1 0-0 2, Fritsch 0 0-0 0, Thornton 2 0-0 5. Totals 16 0-0 37.

POTTSVILLE (51) - Palko 2 0-0 4, Matlock 3 1-1 9, Montone 2 4-4 8, Allen 3 0-0 6, Bainbridge 1 2-2 4, Chivinski 7 1-1 16, Oswald 0 0-0 0, Shappell 2 0-0 4. Totals 20 8-13 51.

Tide Falls To Wilson

 

Wilson 46, Pottsville 34

POTTSVILLE - Rylen Matlock scored eight points as Pottsville fell to Wilson West Lawn in a non-league game Friday night at Martz Hall.

Letrel Montone and Tyler Shappell each added six points for the Crimson Tide.

WILSON (46) - Melogrdwa 5 3-4 17, Gruber 3 3-4 9, Harding 4 1-2 9, Correll 3 0-1 8, McFadden 1 0-0 2, Odiale 0 1-2 1. Totals 16 8-13 46.

POTTSVILLE (34) - Matlock 3 2-3 8, Montone 2 2-4 6, Shappell 2 0-1 6, Chivinski 2 0-0 5, Allen 2 0-0 4, Palko 1 1-2 3, Bainbridge 1 0-0 2. Totals 13 5-10 34.

Wil (1-0);11;13;9;13;-;46

Potts (0-1);3;13;9;9;-;34

Joey Palko

SLehigh1920/IMG_3691.JPG

Senior

15

3.75

35

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0

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Photo By Pottsville Republican

Jazce Carabello-Snowell

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Senior

338 

16.09 (21)

 

649

 2

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Darren Yost

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 Senior

273

10.11 (27)

481

 3

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Raeff Dicello

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 Senior

262

9.70 (27)

572

11

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Senior

246

9.11 (27)

438

10

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Chase Fenstermacher

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Senior

126

4.66 (27)

152

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Athlete of the Week: Mike Sukeena, Pottsville boys' basketball

     
  • Feb 21, 2022 Updated 12 hrs ago
  •   

The 6-foot-4 Pottsville senior recorded a double-double in both games of the Schuylkill League boys' basketball playoffs, combining to score 33 points and collect 23 rebounds and help the Tide win the league title.

Athlete of the Week: Mike Sukeena

Grade: Senior

Age: 17

Residence: Pottsville

Family: Father, Mike Sukeena; mother, Dana Sukeena; Brother, Nick Sukeena; Sister, Virginia Johnson

Sport: Boys' Basketball

Position: Forward

Other sports you play: Baseball

Favorite professional athlete: Kevin Durant

Favorite professional sports team: New York Giants

Favorite college sports teams: Michigan

Favorite school subject: Math

Favorite food: Steak

Favorite movie: Inception

Favorite TV show: The Office

Favorite musical artist: J Cole

Favorite color: Blue

Hobbies: Playing sports, hanging out with friends

Plans after high school: Attend college and major in computer science

How does it feel to win the Schuylkill League championship as a senior, especially after losing in last year's final?

It feels great to win a Schuylkill League championship. Our loss in the championship last year really sucked especially since we felt like we had a good chance to win it. We've been working really hard all season to get to this point.

You went scoreless in the first half. Near the end of the first half, your coach took you out and said you were going to have a big second half. How does that feel to have your coach have that much confidence in you?

It's really nice to have a coach that trusts me as much as Coach Wartella does. No matter how bad I'd be playing in a game, he would always back me 100% and tell me not to stop shooting and playing my game.

Back-to-back double-doubles in the Schuylkill League playoffs. How satisfying does that feel?

It's very satisfying. I definitely did not expect myself to pull down as many rebounds as I did, but with me being one of the only big men we have now, I had to step up.

You went against a pair of centers taller than you vs. Jim Thorpe, yet still pulled down 12 rebounds. What was the key?

I tried to time my jumps and use my length to my advantage. Boxing out and having better position than your opponent is also very important when you're going against taller players.

Q: Did you feel you had to step up after Jazce Carabello-Snowell was injured and lost for the season? In what ways?

A: Yea, Jazce was one of our best players and it really hurt us to lose him. I had to try and fill his position in playing center which I have never really played before. It was definitely something I had to get used to, but after a few games I felt a lot more comfortable in the position.

Q: How much pride does your team take in playing defense?

A: We take a lot of pride in our defense. At some points this year we kind of got away from the way we play defense. Throughout the league playoffs we got back to playing real hard defense and that really helped us win.

Q: How did it feel to hit five 3-pointers in semifinal win over Tri-Valley? How key was that to your team's victory?

A: Hitting those 3-pointers felt great for me, especially since I haven't shot the ball as well as I would've liked to this year. Our team as a whole shot the ball at a very high percentage. The 3-point shot was very big for our team in that game.


BASKETBALL POTTSVILLE HAZLETON

BASKETBALL POTTSVILLE HAZLETON

BASKETBALL POTTSVILLE HAZLETON

BASKETBALL POTTSVILLE HAZLETON

BASKETBALL POTTSVILLE HAZLETON

BASKETBALL POTTSVILLE HAZLETON

BASKETBALL POTTSVILLE HAZLETON

BASKETBALL POTTSVILLE HAZLETON

BASKETBALL POTTSVILLE HAZLETON

BASKETBALL POTTSVILLE HAZLETON

BASKETBALL POTTSVILLE HAZLETON

BASKETBALL POTTSVILLE HAZLETON

BASKETBALL POTTSVILLE HAZLETON

 1

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Photo By Pottsville Republican

Nicco Heimbaugh

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 Senior

163

 8.15

274

13

SLehigh1920/148976110_1098221754014725_8651110967307542842_n.jpg

 Nicco Boris

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 Senior

96

4.80

115

 5

SLehigh1920/148976110_1098221754014725_8651110967307542842_n.jpg

Mekki McCuller

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 Senior

31

1.63

73

 4

SLehigh1920/148976110_1098221754014725_8651110967307542842_n.jpg

Jonathan Bellard

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 Senior

8

1.00

8

 42

Keith King

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 Sophomore

0

0.00

0

PV1920/IMG_9157.jpg
Photo By John Liddle

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Photo By John Liddle

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Photo By John Liddle

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Photo By John Liddle

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Photo By John Liddle

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Photo By John Liddle

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Photo By John Liddle

Team1920/IMG_7975.jpg
Photo By John Liddle

Team1920/IMG_7975.jpg
Photo By John Liddle

Team1920/IMG_7975.jpg
Photo By John Liddle

Team1920/IMG_7975.jpg
Photo By John Liddle

Team1920/IMG_7975.jpg
Photo By John Liddle

Team1920/IMG_7975.jpg
Photo By John Liddle

Team1920/IMG_7975.jpg
Photo By John Liddle

Team1920/IMG_7975.jpg
Photo By John Liddle

Team1920/IMG_7975.jpg
Photo By John Liddle

Team1920/IMG_7975.jpg
Photo By John Liddle

* As We Verified the points Totals, the correct number will be added.

Career 3 Pointers 

Player

Year

 Number of 3's

Tony Gomez

 

217

 Travis Blankenhorn

 

 209

 Nick Schlitzer

 

 181

 Jake Wartella

 

 120

 Eric Hampford

 

 116

     
     

 
 PlayerSeasonPoints3 PointersTotal Player Points 
1Nick Schlitzer2010-201158944 10/2/2017
 Nick Schlitzer2009-201057046  
 Nick Schlitzer2008-200947656  
 Nick Schlitzer2007-2008245351880 
2Travis Blankenhorn2014-201548246  
 Travis Blankenhorn2013-201454760  
 Travis Blankenhorn2012-201328754  
 Travis Blankenhorn2011-2012272 1588 
3Chris Nabholz1983-19851496 1496 
4Patrick Flannery1972-19761357 1357 
5Tony Gomez2001-200242565  
 Tony Gomez2000-200151295  
 Tony Gomez1999-200021336  
 Tony Gomez1998-199998211248 
6John Plachko1990-19931210 1210 
7John Waters1964-19671209 1209 
8Talton Alston1961-1962385   
 Talton Alston1962-1963449   
 Talton Alston1963-1964372 1206 
9Jake Wartella2005-200628833  
 Jake Wartella2004-200544240  
 Jake Wartella2003-200433131  
 Jake Wartella2002-2003143161204 
10Kris Armson1989-19921179 1179 
11Keith Armson1985-19891157 1157 
12Ralph Thomas1979-19811142 1142 
13Tim Mattas1985-19881073 1073 
14Derrick McFarland1999-20004114  
 Derrick McFarland1998-1999381   
 Derrick McFarland1997-19982091  
 Derrick McFarland1996-199754 1055 
15James Berrang1967-19701040 1040 
16Jordan Melochick2015-2016372   
 Jordan Melochick2014-2015272   
 Jordan Melochick2013-201429219  
 Jordan Melochick2012-2013101 1037 
17Jordan Abdo 2016-2017 490   
 Jordan Abdo
 2015-2016 366   
 Jordan Abdo
 2014-2015 160 1016 
18Ron Morris1963-1964647   
 Ron Morris1962-1963279   
 Ron Morris1961-196289 1015 
19Mason Barnes
2019-2020 94   
 Mason Barnes
2018-2019 409   
 Mason Barnes
2017-2018 251   
 Mason Barnes
2016-2017 112  866 
20
Brandon Bridy2012-201342815  
 Brandon Bridy2011-2012301   
 Brandon Bridy2010-2011194   
 Brandon Bridy2009-201021 944 
 Mark Chiccni1999-200033834  
20Mark Chiccini1998-199922610  
 Mark Chiccini1997-199825216  
 Mark Chiccini1996-1997677883 
 Eli Nabholz2014-2015346   
21Eli Nabholz2013-201434823  
 Eli Nabholz2012-2013408  
 Eli Nabholz2011-201273 807 
22Eric Hampford2005-200639064  
 Eric Hampford2004-200520936  
 Eric Hampford2003-2004548  
 Eric Hampford2002-2003468699 
23Dave Wilson2003-200448725  
 Dave Wilson2002-200320810695 
24Tom McGeoy1999-2000336   
 Tom McGeoy1998-19991313  
 Tom McGeoy1997-19982095676 
25Davon Slaton2006-200738539  
 Davon Slaton2005-200627318658 
26Josh Whalen2009-2010350   
 Josh Whalen2008-200927640  
 Josh Whalen2007-2008102636 
27Corey Buletza2006-200726913  
 Corey Buletza2005-200628312  
 Corey Buletza2004-2005475599 
 Ian Renninnger 2017-2018 269   
   2016-2017 281   
   2015-2016 208   
   2014-2015 23  781 
28Bobby Schappell2010-2011272   
 Bobby Schappell2009-2010138   
 Bobby Schappell2008-20098311493 
29Dan Quirk2004-200524015  
 Dan Quirk2003-200415315  
 Dan Quirk2002-200384 477 
30Ian Renninnger2017-2018    
 Ian Renninnger2016-2017281   
 Ian Renninnger2015-2016208   
 Ian Renninnger2014-201523 512 
31Luke McMurtrie2000-20012546  
 Luke McMurtrie1999-20001367  
 Luke McMurtrie1998-1999392429 
32Ryan McGinley1995-199640358403 
33Dan Pfeil1995-19963851385 
34Jon Berdanier1998-19991961  
 Jon Berdanier1997-1998183   
 Jon Berdanier1996-19971 380 
35Ryan Coyle2012-201321127  
 Ryan Coyle2011-2012159   
 Ryan Coyle2010-20116 376 
36Tim McFarland2003-2004150   
 Tim McFarland2002-20031637  
 Tim McFarland2001-2002581371 
37Willie White1996-1997159   
 Willie White1995-19962061365 
38Anthony Mehling2001-200227310  
 Anthony Mehling2000-2001842357 
39Mike Land2007-2008302   
 Mike Land2006-200745   
 Mike Land2005-20062 349 
40Connor Hinchliffe2014-2015127   
 Connor Hinchliffe2013-201418124  
 Connor Hinchliffe2012-2013226330 
41Muldeen Thomas2015-2016273   
 Muldeen Thomas2014-201553 326 
42Pat Boran1997-19982381  
 Pat Boran1996-1997886326 
43Chris Schlitzer1999-200019333  
 Chris Schlitzer1998-199911018  
 Chris Schlitzer1997-1998141317 
44Brandon McFarland2007-2008186   
 Brandon McFarland2006-2007114   
 Brandon McFarland2005-20067 307 
45Eric Leymeister2009-2010146   
 Eric Leymeister2008-2009153   
 Eric Leymeister2007-20086 305 
46Jamell Boyd2000-2001216   
 Jamell Boyd1999-200067   
 Jamell Boyd1998-199921 304 
47Mike Yaworsky1996-19972383  
 Mike Yaworsky1995-1996651303 
48Brad Woznisky2003-20042006  
 Brad Woznisky2002-2003891289 
49Eric Lurwick2006-200718616  
 Eric Lurwick2005-2006684  
 Eric Lurwick2004-2005173271 
50Andy Runkle2002-20031585  
 Andy Runkle2001-2002101 259 
51Shavinskin Thomas2011-2012207   
 Shavinskin Thomas2010-201151 258 
52Cory Brown2005-20061421  
 Cory Brown2004-20051037  
 Cory Brown2003-20046 251 
53Tyler Heffner2011-201279   
54Tyler Heffner2010-201165   
 Tyler Heffner2009-201084   
55Tyler Heffner2008-200913 241 
 Brian Cerrullo1995-1996241 241