By Quinn Burkitt | qburkitt@republicanherald.com | Republican Herald

PUBLISHED: December 15, 2025 at 10:52 PM EST | UPDATED: December 16, 2025 at 12:21 AM EST

POTTSVILLE - Pottsville checked another milestone off its list against North Schuylkill Monday inside a playoff like atmosphere at Martz Hall.

Crimson Tide (4-2; 4-0) senior Christian Alvarez scored his 1,000th career point just before halftime of a 54-35 Division I home win over the Spartans (4-2; 3-1).

"I had a clue I could do this and it wasn't really on my mind, I just wanted to get wins this year," said Alvarez. "I'm just blessed that I got i

Alvarez's layup gave the Crimson Tide a 21-6 lead with a minute left in the first half of a rocky front court battle. Pottsville forced 13 turnovers, most of them in the first half, while North Schuylkill forced 11 turnovers.

"The early games helped us prepare a little and I thought defensively we were really aggressive early and forced some turnovers," said Pottsville head coach Tyler Heffner. "It helps when he (Alvarez) can get in the flow early in games and go to work."

Alvarez closed out his record-breaking performance with a team-high 18 points while Chris Hobbs and Davey Kunstek each scored eight points.

Kunstek banked in a layup midway through the first quarter for the 5-2 lead. Alvarez then scooped up a steal and went the entire floor for the 9-3 lead at the end of the first.

"It was good to get out to a hot start and we ended up getting the win," said Alvarez. "I just want to be a leader as best as I can for the team."

Chris Hobbs hit a three to put the Crimson Tide ahead 12-3 a minute into the second quarter before Alvarez went in for a layup and hit a three to give Pottsville a 19-6 lead.

Pottsville's defense was strong enough to slow down North Schuylkill to just nine points in the first half, five of them on free throws.

"We believe in our system and what we do and taking guys out of things the kids commit to it," said Heffner. "They're a really determined group and came out and executed tonight."

Alvarez rolled in his career 1,000th point for the 21-6 lead with a minute left in the first half before Pottsville jumped ahead for a 23-9 halftime lead.

"I've coached Christian (Alvarez) for years and he's an incredibly hard working kid and he's the perfect kid to coach," said Heffner. "I couldn't be happier for him and he's a leader for us."

Kunstek turned up for a turnover and full court layup for the 29-9 lead a few minutes into the second half. Alvarez then picked off a pass and went the whole way for the dunk and 35-16 lead.

Alvarez closed out the third quarter with nine points for the 40-20 lead.

"I just want to thank all the players and coaches I've been with throughout my career," said Alvarez. "I love playing at Martz Hall and now we have more confidence in league play."

The Spartans picked up the intensity in the second half and finished with 35 points as Jude Maziekas hit a pair of three's and Raylin Cabral added seven points in the fourth.

Xavier McNally has been a go-to scorer for the Spartans and finished with eight points and a blocked shot defensively.

"He (McNally) makes it tough inside and we knew we couldn't shy away from getting it in there," said Heffner. "It was a focus to get the ball inside and make sure we weren't abandoning that part of the game."

Andrew Allen and Brandon Viars sparked a late Pottsville surge as each poured in four points in the fourth quarter for the 54-35 win.

Xavier McNally led North Schuylkill's offense with eight points, Cabral added seven points and Maziekas scored six points.

North Schuylkill 35 - Cairo 0 0-0 0, Damiter 0 2-4 2, Maziekas 2 0-2 6, Wall 0 0-0 0, Mengel 2 1-2 5, Kacilowicz 1 2-2 4, Kronkowski 0 0-0 0, Bani 0 0-0 0, Nelson 0 0-0 0, McNally 3 2-4 8, Cabral 3 0-2 7, Gallagher 0 1-2 1, Osenbach 0 0-0 0, Hannan 1 0-0 2. 12 8-18 35.

Pottsville 54 - Killian 0 0-0 0, Hobbs 3 1-2 8, McGinley 1 0-0 2, Allen 2 0-0 4, Herndon 0 0-0 0, Bainbridge 0 0-0 0, Leskin 0 0-0 0, Alvarez 8 1-1 18, Bower 0 0-0 0, Eroh 0 0-0 0, Kunstek 4 0-0 8, Clews 2 0-0 4, Kimber 2 0-0 4, Viars 1 2-2 4, Oswald 1 0-0 2, Ibaker 0 0-0 0.

The 2025-26 basketball season is now more than three weeks old, and while plenty of games remain, several teams in both boys and girls basketball have already emerged as potential contenders in the Schuylkill League.

Boys Basketball

Schuylkill Haven (6-0, 3-0)

Last season, Schuylkill Haven was 10-13 overall and 6-8 in conference play. But just six games into their 2025-26 season, the Hurricanes are already past the halfway mark to matching their win total from last year and are halfway to matching their league wins from a season ago as well. Through the first few weeks of the season, Fran Murphy's team has been a strong, fundamentally sound team. They've picked up wins over District III's Northern Lebanon 64-57, Nativity BVM 73-62, District IV's Upper Dauphin 67-40, Weatherly 60-58, and Marian Catholic 54-47. Their next test may be their biggest of the season so far, as they'll face a very strong Williams Valley team that enters the game with a 3-1 record of their own.

North Schuylkill (4-1, 3-0)

North Schuylkill won just four games last season, but under first-year coach Anthony Agosti, the Spartans have already matched last year's win total.  The Spartans have picked up wins in the early season over District II opponent Hanover Area 54-18, and have also defeated Panther Valley 60-47, Pine Grove 53-50, and Mahanoy Area 53-11. Their lone loss of the season came on December 6 against District IV opponent Lewisburg, 51-43. The season is still young, but this year's Spartans' team looks much different than the team that struggled so mightily just a year ago, a testament to Agosti's coaching thus far. If the Spartans can continue their success, he'll be among the favorites to be Coach of the Year.

Pottsville (3-1, 3-0)

Another program under a first-year coach in Tyler Heffner, the Crimson Tide is off to a 3-1 start this season, including 3-0 in league play. Heffner notably did inherit a Crimson Tide team that was 21-7 a season ago, but that doesn't take away from the strong start for the Tide this season. After starting their season with a 48-45 win over Blue Mountain, the Tide picked up a big win a few days later over Tamaqua, 53-34, and most recently an 11-point victory over a quality Minersville squad, 62-51. Their lone loss of the campaign so far was a close 63-58 loss to District II's Hazleton, a Class 6A program that will be among the favorites to win District II's Class 6A championship and will be a state playoff contender. The Crimson Tide are going to be very tough to knock off this season and will be among the favorites all season long to win the Schuylkill League.

Tri-Valley (4-0, 3-0)

Schuylkill League Division II was considered a toss-up coming into the season, but Tri-Valley is making a strong statement as potentially the team to beat this season, alongside Schuylkill Haven. Mike Masser's squad this season has been nothing short of dominant through four games. After opening the season with an 81-68 win over District III opponent Schuylkill Valley, the Bulldogs defeated Williams Valley 66-56, Lourdes 81-57, and Shenandoah Valley most recently 79-61. Helping their cause is one of the Schuylkill League's top scorers, Braeden Doyle, who is averaging a tremendous 24.7 points per game this season.

MINERSVILLE - The stage was set at Minersville Thursday for a rematch of last year's Schuylkill League Championship.

A Pottsville (3-1; 3-0) 22-10 scoring burst in the fourth quarter at Minersville (3-1; 3-1) gave the Crimson Tide a 62-52 win for their third Division I league win in the last week.

"It's been two difficult places to play and two fantastic teams, it really challenged our mental toughness and we figured out how to finish a game," said Pottsville head coach Tyler Heffner.

SEE FULL PHOTO GALLERY: Pottsville boys basketball defeats Minersville

The Crimson Tide went on a 23-9 scoring run in the second quarter for a six-point halftime lead before outscoring Minersville by 12 points in the fourth quarter for the double-figure win.

Ryder Bowers hit a trio of three's to spark Pottsville's 20-0 scoring run for the 27-15 lead with a minute left in the first half.

"Our defense turned into offense easily tonight and if I get in there I'm going to score," said Pottsville's David Kunstek. "We're an aggressive team so we're going to run the floor."

Kunstek led Pottsville's offense with 19 points, Bowers contributed another 14 points and Chris Hobbs added another 11 points.

Minersville jumped out to a 7-0 lead after a Nolan Plesnarski three just three minutes into the game. A Shazier Bethea steal and full court layup put the Battlin' Miners ahead 13-7 with a minute left in the first.

Chase Zimerofsky banked in one of four layups for the Battlin' Miners 15-7 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Crimson Tide went on a 7-0 run through the first minute of the second quarter for the 15-14 deficit before Bowers hit a three for the 17-15 lead.

"The first quarter their press got to us and in the second quarter it opened up a little and we were able to get in the lane and make passes out," said Heffner. "As a team the grittiness was incredible."

Another Bowers three put Pottsville ahead 22-15 midway through the second quarter before a 20-0 scoring run gave the Crimson Tide a 27-15 lead with a minute left in the first half.

"My teammates finding me and the chemistry that we have, they couldn't really guard me there," said Kunstek. "This gives us confidence because we've beaten two good teams at their place."

Kunstek scored eight points in the second quarter and Pottsville led 30-24 at halftime after another Bethea layup for Minersville brought it within a six-point difference.

Jordan Bowers and Bethea layups capped a 10-4 scoring run to start the second half for a 36-34 deficit with three minutes left in the third. Bowers added 10 points in the third quarter for the 41-40 lead heading to the fourth.

Chris Hobbs knocked down a pair of three's for Pottsville in the fourth quarter for the 52-47 lead with three minutes left in the game.

"Our guards have really committed to our rebounding and when we get out for fast breaks it helps a lot," said Heffner. "It's incredibly mentally tough to keep hitting shots in the fourth quarter."

Christian Alvarez went for six points and Bowers hit four free throws to lead Pottsville to the 62-51 win.

Minersville's offense was led by Bowers' 16 points, Zimerofsky's 15 points and Bethea's 12 points.

Minersville 51 - Adams 0 0-0 0, Rogers 0 0-0 0, Zimerofsky 6 2-4 15, Fessler 2 0-0 5, Bethea 5 2-3 12, Pepin 0 0-0 0, Toth 0 0-0 0, Bowers 8 0-2 16, Mealey 0 0-0 0, Plesnarski 1 0-0 3, McGrath 0 0-0 0, Seddon 0 0-0 0. 22 4-9 51.

Pottsville 62 - Killian 0 0-0 0, Hobbs 3 3-4 11, McGinley 1 0-0 3, Allen 0 0-0 0, Herndon 0 0-0 0, Bainbridge 0 0-0 0, Leskin 0 0-0 0, Alvarez 4 0-2 8, Bowers 3 5-7 14, Eroh 0 0-0 0, Kunstek 9 1-1 19, Clews 0 0-0 0, Kimber 2 2-4 7, Viars 0 0-0 0, Oswald 0 0-0 0, Baker 0 0-0 0.

Junior guard Colin McGinley came off the bench to score 10 points in the first half, while senior Brody Herndon knocked down two pressure free throws with 1:10 left in the third quarter to put the Tide ahead 36-32.

The Tide also received steady scoring from seniors Christian Alvarez (14) and Ryder Bowers (13), who combined for five of Pottsville's eight 3-pointers.

But Blue Mountain refused to go away.

Junior forward Cohen Werner scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half to keep the Eagles within a possession for much of the fourth quarter. Their aggressive man-to-man defense nearly stole the game late, holding Pottsville scoreless from the 5:50 mark until Bowers hit two double-bonus free throws with 53.2 seconds left.

Pottsville also received timely late contributions from its starting unit.

Seniors Josh Kimber and Davey Kunstek each scored their first field goals of the night in the fourth quarter, and junior Chris Hobbs drilled a pivotal corner 3-pointer that helped the Tide maintain their narrow advantage.

"I can't be more proud about the way they worked in the offseason," Heffner said about his upperclassmen. "They're such incredible kids. They have a little bit more experience and we look for them to lead. And they did a really good job today. This was a real mental challenge for us and our seniors did a very good job. We had contributions from everybody."

Blue Mountain made one final push in the closing minute as Evan Setlock banked in a runner to bring the Eagles within a bucket, but Pottsville held firm as the Tide secured a win that may prove significant in a crowded Division I race.

Werner finished with a team-high 14 points for Blue Mountain, while Meade followed with 12.

Heffner's first win carried added meaning for the program. A Pottsville basketball alum who worked his way up the coaching ranks starting at the junior high level, he now begins his varsity tenure leading the same Crimson Tide tradition he once played for.

Game Summary

Pottsville 48, Blue Mountain 45

POTTSVILLE (48) - Hobbs 1 0-0 3, McGinley 4 0-0 10, Allen 0 0-0 0, Herndon 0 2-2 2, Alvarez 5 2-4 14, Bowers 4 2-2 13, Kunstek 1 0-0 2, Clews 0 0-0 0, Kimber 1 0-1 2, Viars 1 0-0 2. Totals 17 6-9 48.

BLUE MOUNTAIN (45) - Meade 6 0-0 12, Setlock 2 0-0 4, Kirby 2 3-7 7, Werner 6 1-1 14, Henninger 2 0-0 4, Wargo 0 0-0 0, Gaddy 2 0-0 4. Totals 20 4-8 45.

3-point FGs: Bowers 3, Alvarez 2, McGinley 2, Hobbs, Werner

Officials: Melewsky, Phillips, Towle

JV Score: Pottsville 38-32

ORWIGSBURG - The Pottsville Crimson Tide started off their 2025-26 season on Thursday night with a 48-45 win over rival Blue Mountain.

The victory also marked the first for new Crimson Tide coach Tyler Heffner, who took over this offseason as the leader of the Crimson Tide after Jake Wartella's resignation this offseason.

Wartella led the program for five seasons, which included a 2024-25 Schuylkill League title, five Schuylkill League playoff appearances, and three PIAA playoff appearances.

The Crimson Tide had three scorers end with double-digit evenings, led by Christian Alvarez with 14 points. Ryder Bowers contributed 13 of his own, while Colin McGinley had 10 points.

Bowers was especially efficient in the win, with nine of his 13 points coming from three-point range while also going 2-for-2 at the free throw line.

The Eagles were led offensively by Cohen Werner with 14 points, while Tyeierre Meade recorded 12 points.

After finding themselves trailing 11-9 following the opening quarter of play, the Crimson Tide took a 13-11 lead early in the second quarter and never relinquished the lead.

Pottsville would outscore Blue Mountain 15-10 in the second quarter, with five points from both McGlinley and Bowers in the process.

Coming out of halftime, the Crimson Tide found success from deep with three three-pointers, including a pair from Bowers, as well as taking advantage of two Blue Mountain shooting fouls, making three of four attempts.

Despite the offensive success from Pottsville, Blue Mountain would keep pace with the Crimson Tide throughout the second half.

In the fourth quarter, the Eagles appeared to be on the verge of flipping momentum their way late in the game following a Cohen Werner make and free throw, cutting Pottsville's lead to 38-37.

But Pottsville quickly stopped any momentum as the Crimson Tide answered immediately with a three-pointer from Chris Hobbs that jump-started a 7-0 run, growing the Pottsville lead back out to 45-37.

Blue Mountain mounted one final push to tie the game or win it in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, playing smothering defense and forcing several Pottsville miscues, but the comeback effort fell just short.

"A really tough one to start," Heffner said after his team's win. "We knew obviously it's going to be really difficult coming here. We knew they were going to get their best efforts. Really good team."

The first year coach liked how his team was able to settle down after a slower start to the evening.

"I think we had some jittereas early, we were forcing a lot of things. I thought we settled in. I thoguht some of our seniors settled us down a little bit."

Most importantly, the Crimson Tide showed their depth on Thursday night with eight different Tide players finding their way onto the board.

"We had some contriutions from guys off the bench there that really helped us a lot in the second quarter there. It think it was a great team win."

Pottsville (1-0) returns to action next Monday, December 8, against the Tamaqua Blue Raiders, while Blue Mountain (0-2) will look to stop their two-game skid to open the season on Saturday against Schuylkill Valley in Leesport. The Eagles' next league contest is Monday night when they host the Minersville Battlin' Miners.