POTTSVILLE BOYS BASKETBALL

2012-2013 Schuylkill League Standings

2012-2013 Schuylkill League Standings

DIVISION 1

W-L

DIVISION 2

W-L

DIVISION 3

W-L

Pottsville

12 - 0

Williams Valley

10 - 3

Mahanoy Area

12 - 1

Blue Mountain

10 - 2

Lourdes

9 - 4

Marian

9 - 4

North Schuylkill

7 - 5

Minersville

5 - 8

Shenandoah Valley

8 - 5

Tamaqua

6 - 6

Schuylkill Haven

3 - 10

Weatherly

5 - 8

Pine Grove

3 - 9

Tri-Valley

0 - 13

Nativity

4 - 9

Panther Valley

3 - 9

        

Jim Thorpe

1 - 11

        
           
           
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 Power pollThrough Feb. 16Team Rec Pv.1. Pottsville 20-4 1 2. Mahanoy Area 18-5 33. Blue Mountain 18-5 24. Williams Valley 17-6 65. North Schuylkill 15-7 56. Lourdes 17-5 77. Marian 17-5 88. Tamaqua 13-9 109. Shenandoah Valley 14-8 410. Upper Dauphin 16-6 NR 

59 Game Win Streak Against Schuylkill League Opponents  
DATEPLACEOPPONENTW/LSTREAK
1/15/2010HOMEJim Thorpe
L
0
1/19/2010AWAY@  Panther ValleyW1
1/22/2010AWAY @  Blue MountainW2
1/26/2010HOMETamaquaW3
1/29/2010AWAY@  Pine GroveW4
2/2/2010AWAY@  Schuylkill HavenW5
2/5/2010HOMENorth SchuylkillW6
2/12/2010HOMEPanther ValleyW7
2/9/2010AWAY@  Jim ThorpeW8
2/17/2010PLAYOFFWilliams Valley-semi finalsW9
2/19/2010PLAYOFFMarian - Sch League-finalsW10
2/27/2010PLAYOFFPanther ValleyW11
3/2/2010PLAYOFFJim ThorpeW12
     
DATEPLACEOPPONENTW/LSTREAK
12/21/10HOMEBlue Mountain  W13
12/23/10HOMEPine GroveW14
12/28/10HOMESchuylkill HavenW15
12/30/10HOMENativity BVM W16
1/4/11AWAYPanther ValleyW17
1/7/11AWAYTamaquaW18
1/11/11HOMEJim ThorpeW19
1/14/11AWAYNorth SchuylkillW20
1/20/11AWAYBlue Mountain  W21
1/24/11AWAYPine GroveW22
1/27/11HOMEPanther ValleyW23
1/31/11HOMETamaquaW24
2/3/11HOMEJim ThorpeW25
2/7/11HOMENorth SchuylkillW26
2/15/11PLAYOFFMarian - PlayoffW27
2/18/11PLAYOFFPine Grove - PlayoffW28
     
12/20/2011AWAYBlue MountainW29
12/23/2011HOMEPine GroveW30
12/27/2011AWAYSchuylkill HavenW31
12/29/2011HOMENativityW32
1/4/2012AWAYPanther ValleyW33
1/6/2012HOMETamaquaW34
1/10/2012AWAYJim ThorpeW35
1/13/2012HOMENorth SchuylkillW36
1/19/2012HOMEBlue MountainW37
1/23/2012AWAYPine GroveW38
1/26/2012HOMEPanther ValleyW39
1/30/2012AWAYTamaquaW40
2/2/2012HOMEJim ThorpeW41
2/6/2012AWAYNorth SchuylkillW42
2/14/2012HOMEMarianW43
2/17/2012HOMEPine GroveW44
12/20/202HOMEPine GroveW45
12/27/2012HOME NativityW46
1/2/2013HOME TamaquaW47
1/4/2013AWAY Blue MountainW48
1/7/2013AWAY North SchuylkillW49
1/10/2013Home Panther ValleyW50
1/14/2013AWAY Jim ThorpeW51
1/22/2013AWAYPine GroveW52
1/25/2013AWAYTamaquaW53
1/29/2013HOMEBlue MountainW54
2/1/2013HOMENorth SchuylkillW55
2/5/2013AWAYPanther ValleyW56
2/7/2013HOMEJim ThorpeW57
2/12/2013HOMEWilliams ValleyW58
2/15/2013HOME Mahanoy AreaW59

RankSchoolWLT
1Allentown Central Catholic 20200.806360
2Wilson Area 21100.764711
3Pottsville Area 18400.717796
4Blue Mountain 18400.686786
5Bethlehem Catholic 111000.657159
6Salisbury Township 15700.645545
7Northern Lehigh 14800.589783
8Southern Lehigh 111100.543705
9Lehighton Area 101100.537142
10Tamaqua Area 13900.536738
11Palisades 91200.483734
12Northwestern Lehigh 71500.415789
13Saucon Valley 61500.415527
14Panther Valley 61600.356358
15Jim Thorpe Area 31900.329854
16Palmerton Area 12100.261711

Crimson Tide Hit the Speed Limit

"55"

Pottsville's Schuylkill League winning streak hit 55 games with a win over North Schuylkill last night. The steak includes the regualr season and playoff games. The Tide hope to finish the year with an undefeated regular season with two games left against Panther Valley and Jim Thorpe. This would be the third year in a row undefeated in regular season.

Division III flexes muscles in crossoversPublished: January 28, 2013"Division III squads show their strength in crossover games"- Headline from Page 20 of Republican-Herald, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012As I started writing today's notebook, I wondered if I had done this before.It turned out, I did.The above headline comes from a piece I wrote at almost this same time last season after the Schuylkill League boys' crossovers had finished up with the exception of one game.Outside of a battle between division leaders Thursday when Williams Valley travels to Mahanoy Area, this season's crossovers are now completed. As was the case a year ago, Division III once again ruled. In fact, even though the records are almost identical to what they were last year, I believe Division III's dominance was even more pronounced this season.Division III went 16-9 in the crossovers last year, while Division II was 9-16. So far this season, Division III is 17-7, with Division II at 7-17. So why is Division III so much better?As the accompanying chart shows, four out of the five teams in Division III will finish the crossovers with winning records, regardless of what happens Thursday. Right now, Mahanoy Area (4-0) is the only undefeated team, while Nativity and Shenandoah Valley both went 4-1 and Marian 3-2. Weatherly was also on the cusp of finishing with a winning record, losing to Minersville 50-49 on Jan. 14 as the Miners' Isaac Melochick clinched the game by making two foul shots with 3 seconds left.The Golden Bears, who are on a nine-game winning streak, have rolled through their crossover games, winning by an average margin of 23.3 points per game. That includes victories over Schuylkill Haven (51-22), Lourdes (52-28), Minersville (61-34) and Tri-Valley (56-43). Shenandoah Valley also hammered Williams Valley 71-55 on Jan. 16.Meanwhile, only two Division II teams - Williams Valley (3-1) and Lourdes (3-2) - will finish with winning crossover records, while the other three teams - Minersville (1-4), Schuylkill Haven (0-5) and Tri-Valley (0-5) - went a combined 1-14. The Red Raiders were upset at home by Nativity 71-58 on Jan. 18 but also picked up two big road victories, downing Shenandoah Valley 61-44 on Jan. 14 and beating Marian 49-43 on Jan. 22.Standings wise, nothing really changed because of the crossovers as Williams Valley and Mahanoy Area still lead their respective divisions as they did when the crossovers started. But one team I felt made a huge move, at least as far as improving its chances of getting into the district playoffs, was Nativity.The Hilltoppers had a seven-game winning streak from Jan. 5 to Jan. 18, finished off with its upset of Lourdes. Nativity certainly went down fighting in its only crossover loss to Williams Valley last Monday as the Vikings used a 31-14 scoring advantage in the fourth quarter to rally from a nine-point deficit and win 79-69. It also ended Nativity's winning streak.More about the Hilltoppers in a moment.Playoffs, playoffsWith two full weeks left in the regular season, here's a look at who's qualified for the District 11 playoffs, with the Schuylkill League teams in bold:Class AAAA - Pocono Mountain West (14-2), Easton (13-4), Parkland (13-3), Liberty (11-5), Freedom (11-6), Bangor (12-4), Emmaus (9-8)Class AAA - Allentown Central Catholic (15-2), Wilson (17-1), Pottsville (13-4), Blue Mountain (13-3), Salisbury (12-6), Northern Lehigh (11-6)Class AA - Notre Dame-Green Pond (11-7), Catasauqua (12-5), North Schuylkill (12-5), Williams Valley (13-4)Class A - Mahanoy Area (14-3), Pius X (12-2), Shenandoah Valley (13-5), Marian (14-5), Lincoln Leadership Academy (11-5), Salem Christian (12-5)In addition, Lourdes (13-4) is in the District 4 Class A field. And, barring a collapse, Upper Dauphin (11-5) should get into the District 3 Class AA field. The Trojans were ranked fifth in the District 3 Power Rankings, which determines playoff qualifiers, as of Jan. 24. The top 10 teams in the class will qualify for the postseason.So who is left?With their non-league wins Saturday, both Tamaqua (10-7) and Nativity (10-8) need one more win to get into the Class AAA and Class A fields, respectively. Weatherly (9-6) is two wins away from getting in in Class A, while Minersville (7-11) is still in the running for a spot in Class AA, thanks to its 41-31 upset of Williams Valley on Thursday.However, the Miners need to win all four of their remaining games.Hilltoppers' Yordy posting big numbersFor the second consecutive week, Nativity's Jeff Yordy leads the area in individual scoring at 17.7 points per game, a full point ahead of Pottsville's Brandon Bridy (16.6) and Marian's Ryan Karnish (16.6).Yordy, a sophomore guard, had another big day Saturday, pouring in 28 during the Hilltoppers' 64-53 victory over Pen Argyl. It was the fourth time this season Yordy has scored 25 or more points in game. He had 27 against Shenandoah Valley on Dec. 20, a season-high 35 at Lourdes on Jan. 18 and followed that with 27 against Williams Valley on Jan. 22.The updated boys' leaders are on Page 16.(Carnahan is the boys' basketball beat writer for The Republican-Herald. Read his blog at blogs.republicanherald.com/ac/) Crossover recordsDivision II W LWilliams Valley 3 1Lourdes 3 2Minersville 1 4Schuylkill Haven 0 5Tri-Valley 0 5Division IIIMahanoy Area 4 0Nativity 4 1Shenandoah Valley 4 1Marian 3 2Weatherly 2 3Note: Williams Valley travels to Mahanoy Area on Thursday.

Power Poll Through Jan. 26
Rec. Pv.1. Pottsville 13-4 12. Blue Mountain 13-3 23. Mahanoy Area 14-3 34. Shenandoah Valley 13-5 65. North Schuylkill 12-5 86. Williams Valley 13-4 47. Lourdes 13-4 98. Marian 14-5 79. Nativity 10-6 NR10. Tamaqua 10-7 5- Complied by Mike Carnahan 

Teams That Qualified For District XI AAA Playoffs

asterisks after rankings are league champs.

 

DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIPS PLAYING DATES Playing dates will be determined by the number of teams comprising the bracket. All tournament games will be playedbetween Tuesday, February 19, 2013, and Saturday, March 2, 2013. Playing dates of games will be as follows: February 19, 2013 --- "A" and "AAA" Boys Qualifying RoundTuesday "AA" and "AAAA" Girls Qualifying Round February 22, 2013 --- "A" and "AAA" Boys Quarterfinal RoundFriday "AA" and "AAAA" Girls Quarterfinal Round February 26, 2013 --- "A" and "AAA" Boys Semifinal RoundTuesday "AA" and "AAAA" Girls Semifinal Round March 1, 2013 --- "A" and "AAA" Boys ChampionshipsFriday "AA" and "AAAA" Girls Championships GAME LOCATIONSFor the Qualifying Round, all games will be played on the home court of the higher seeded team. Quarterfinal Round gameswill be played on neutral courts in the area of the higher-seeded teams. Neutral courts are defined as not being home courts.In the Semifinal and Championship Rounds, seeding will not play a major role in the determination of the game sites. ENTRY REQUIREMENTSTeams which do not wish to participate in district play-offs must notify Mr. Zimmerman, District Chairman, by registeredmail prior to January 1, 2013.Seeding positions will also be posted on the District XI website. If additional information is required, please contact RayKinder at (570) 985-6474. SEEDING AND BRACKETINGThe procedure of seeding teams will be as follows:A. Only games completed on or before February 15, 2013 will be used for seeding purposes.B. Those teams which are league champions will be seeded at the top of each classification. AllLeague champions must be determined by Friday, February 15, 2013.C. The remaining teams will be seeded after the champions.D. Teams listed on the top line of each bracket are considered the “home team” for uniform purposes only and will wear thewhite uniforms.E. The District XI Power Rating System will be utilizedF. If a tie occurs in seeding for bracketing, the following criteria shall be used to break the tie:1. All games played against each other.2. Record by percentage against common opponents.Exception: If the records differ by just one-half game, because one team went 2-0 or 0-2 against a commonopponent and the other team went 1-0 or 0-1, move to 3.3. Better/best overall record of the teams which are tied.4. Flip of a coin. The winner of the toss will be the higher seed.

H.S. BOYS' BASKETBALL: Area statistical leaders

Published: January 22, 2013

Area boys' basketball leaders

Through Jan. 19

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

Player, Team GP TP PPG

Jeff Yordy, Nat 15 250 16.7

Brandon Bridy, Pot 15 237 15.8

Ryan Karnish, Mar 15 227 15.1

Brett Kosciolek, Tam 14 210 15.0

Travis Blankenhorn, Pot 9 129 14.3

Jake Szczecina, PV 16 225 14.1

Will Bornstein, BM 14 194 13.9

Nick Merva, SV 15 201 13.4

Zack Oquendo, Lou 15 193 12.9

Brett Stallone, Wea 13 167 12.8

Ian Buffington, UD 15 190 12.7

Anthony Pennypacker, Lou 15 189 12.6

Austin A. Weaver, UD 15 188 12.5

Steven Romanchik, PV 16 196 12.3

Chris Palubinsky, SV 15 183 12.2

Justin Alvarez, SV 15 181 12.1

Daniel Preston, Ham 16 194 12.1

Larry McNeil, Mah 15 181 12.1

Peter Harding, BM 14 167 11.9

Isaac Melochick, Min 16 191 11.9

Jake Damiter, NS 15 174 11.6

Tyler Cavenas, Mah 15 169 11.3

Kyle Slane, BM BM 14 158 11.3

Joey Haganey, Wea 13 145 11.2

Matt Savitski, Lou 15 167 11.1

Stephen Sedesse, WV 15 165 11.0

Owen Daniel, WV 15 163 10.9

Pat Walsh, NS 15 159 10.6

Mike Bubeck, SH 14 147 10.5

Colin Harrison, WV 15 158 10.5

Bo Rottet, Tam 14 147 10.5

Devin Masser, TV 14 146 10.4

Kobe D'Agostino, PG 15 154 10.3

Alden Whah, Mar 16 160 10.0

INDIVIDUAL 3-POINT SHOOTING

Player, Team GP TOT 3/PG

Nick Merva, SV 15 52 3.5

Travis Blankenhorn, Pot 9 29 3.2

Jake Szczecina, PV 16 47 2.9

Peter Harding, BM 14 38 2.7

Ryan Karnish, Mar 15 37 2.5

Larry McNeil, Mah 14 35 2.5

Devin Masser, TV 14 29 2.1

Kyle Kaledas, Nat 15 27 1.8

Damon Meyer, NS 15 26 1.7

Dennis Jansen, WV 15 25 1.7

Jeff Yordy, Nat 15 24 1.6

Josh Kisha, Ham 16 24 1.5

Kobe D'Agostino, PG 15 23 1.5

Brett Stallone, Wea 13 19 1.5

Bo Rottet, Tam 14 18 1.3

Vinnie Fanelli, SH 15 20 1.3

Stephen Sedesse, WV 15 20 1.3

Dylan Mahmod, Mah 15 19 1.3

Nick Kweder, Mar 15 20 1.3

Shane Grapsy, BM 14 17 1.2

Zach Wagula, Tam 14 17 1.2

Luke Stano, PV 16 18 1.1

Michael Harleston, JT 15 16 1.1

Kyle Slane, BM 14 16 1.1

Isaac Melochick, Min 16 17 1.1

Brett Kosciolek, Tam 14 16 1.1

Matt Savitski, Lou 15 16 1.1

Josh Reiner, Wea 13 13 1.0

TEAM OFFENSE

Team GP PF PPG

Williams Valley 15 933 62.2

Blue Mountain 14 863 61.6

Upper Dauphin 15 814 54.3

Mahanoy Area 15 813 54.2

Shenandoah Valley 15 810 54.0

Lourdes 15 806 53.7

Tamaqua 14 748 53.4

North Schuylkill 15 800 53.3

Weatherly 13 685 52.7

Marian 16 829 51.8

Pottsville 15 772 51.5

Nativity 15 742 49.5

Panther Valley 16 745 46.6

Hamburg 16 673 42.1

Minersville 16 663 41.4

Jim Thorpe 16 626 39.1

Pine Grove 16 623 38.9

Schuylkill Haven 15 478 31.9

Tri-Valley 14 417 29.8

TEAM DEFENSE

Team GP PA PPG

Pottsville 15 533 35.5

Mahanoy Area 15 557 37.1

Marian 16 619 38.7

North Schuylkill 15 655 43.7

Lourdes 15 672 44.8

Blue Mountain 14 635 45.4

Upper Dauphin 15 690 46.0

Minersville 16 747 46.7

Tri-Valley 14 658 47.0

Schuylkill Haven 15 714 47.6

Williams Valley 15 716 47.7

Shenandoah Valley 15 722 48.1

Weatherly 13 650 50.0

Tamaqua 14 702 50.1

Nativity 15 755 50.3

Panther Valley 16 888 55.5

Pine Grove 16 916 57.3

Jim Thorpe 16 918 57.4

Hamburg 16 959 59.9

TEAM 3-POINT SHOOTING

Team GP 3s 3/GP

Panther Valley 16 115 7.2

Mahanoy Area 15 89 5.9

Blue Mountain 14 81 5.8

Shenandoah Valley 15 86 5.7

Williams Valley 15 83 5.5

Pottsville 15 76 5.1

Marian 16 71 4.4

Tamaqua 14 59 4.2

Nativity 15 62 4.1

Weatherly 13 52 4.0

Hamburg 16 58 3.6

North Schuylkill 15 53 3.5

Tri-Valley 14 49 3.5

Schuylkill Haven 15 43 2.9

Minersville 16 45 2.8

Pine Grove 16 44 2.8

Jim Thorpe 16 41 2.6

Lourdes 15 38 2.5

Upper Dauphin 15 37 2.5

TEAM FOUL SHOOTING

Team FTM FTA Pct.

Pottsville 138 202 .683

Upper Dauphin 155 239 .649

Tamaqua 121 187 .647

Weatherly I99 153 .647

Blue Mountain 172 271 .635

Williams Valley 176 283 .622

North Schuylkill 165 268 .616

Panther Valley 138 224 .616

Minersville 118 193 .611

Lourdes 160 264 .606

Marian 146 254 .575

Nativity 146 254 .575

Pine Grove 123 217 .567

Hamburg 87 161 .540

Mahanoy Area 128 238 .538

Shenandoah Valley 116 217 .535

Schuylkill Haven 71 138 .514

Jim Thorpe 73 145 .503

Tri-Valley 58 135 .430

Time to analyze season to this point

Published: January 14, 2013

We've passed the midway point of the Schuylkill League boys' basketball regular season.

Every team except one has at least half of its games in. There is still one more game in the first round of contests in Division I, while there are three crossovers remaining for the teams in Divisions II and III, plus, of course, another round in each division.

So this is a good time to take a moment and analyze the season so far.

Tamaqua's Brett Kosciolek (15.9 points per game) leads the league in overall scoring, while Shenandoah Valley Nick Merva (3.3 per game, 40 total) is the top 3-point shooter. Team wise, Blue Mountain (62.3 ppg) has the league's best offense, Pottsville (34.8 ppg) is the best defensive and foul shooting team (117-for-174, 67.2 percent), while Panther Valley (82 total, 6.8 per game) is the best from 3-point land.

The Crimson Tide (9-4 overall, 5-0 D-I) have the top spot in Division I, with Williams Valley (11-2, 6-0 D-II) and Mahanoy Area (10-3, 6-0 D-III) leading their respective divisions.

So far, only Williams Valley (District 11 Class AA) has qualified for the postseason, but several others are on the brink and could get in this week.

Pottsville needs one more league win to qualify for the District 11 Class AAA field, while Blue Mountain (9-3), needs two overall wins and Tamaqua (8-4) three. North Schuylkill (8-4) is three overall victories away from joining the Vikings in the Class AA playoffs.

In District 11 Class A, Mahanoy Area and Marian (10-3) each need one more victory to qualify, while Shenandoah Valley (9-3) needs two. In District 4 Class A, Lourdes (9-3) is two wins away from qualifying.

Here's a quick glance at each of the teams in the league so far. Who do you think will win the three Schuylkill League divisions and overall league title Feb. 15 at Martz Hall and why? Go to my blog at blogs.republicanherald.com/ac/, look for this story and share your thoughts.

Division I

Blue Mountain (9-3 overall, 4-1 D-I)

Team rankings: Offense (62.3 points per game, 1st), defense (46.4 ppg., 10th)

Leading scorers: Will Bornstein (14.8 ppg.), Peter Harding (12.1 ppg.)

Review/outlook: Only Pottsville has been able to stop the Eagles' offense so far, as they are averaging nearly 15 points a game more than last season. Aggressive guards have led the way. In running for first trip to league playoffs since 2007.

Jim Thorpe (2-11, 0-5 D-I)

Team rankings: Offense (38.6 ppg., 14th), defense (56.5 ppg., 17th)

Leading scorers: Jaquan Brown (9.5 ppg.), Khadir Lindsey (7.6 ppg)

Review/outlook: Have struggled on both ends of the floor. Showed some fight in last Thursday's 53-48 loss to Tamaqua as Olympians look to improve over second half of season.

North Schuylkill (8-4, 3-2 D-I)

Team rankings: Offense (53.1 ppg., 8th), defense (42.7 ppg., 5th)

Leading scorers: Jake Damiter (11.2 ppg.), Pat Walsh (10.2 ppg.)

Review/outlook: Started 6-1 but have hit a rough patch, going 2-3 in last five games. Spartans have had trouble finishing opportunities but still have plenty of time to turn it around.

Panther Valley (2-11, 1-4 D-I)

Team rankings: Offense (44.9 ppg., 12th), defense (55.4 ppg., 15th)

Leading scorers: Jake Szczecina (12.0 ppg.), Steven Romanchik (11.6 ppg.)

Review/outlook: A dangerous team from beyond the arc, but Panthers have dropped eight in a row. Really haven't been able to stop anybody defensively, allowing a season-high 79 points to Lehighton on Saturday. Looking for a strong finish.

Pine Grove (4-10, 2-4 D-I)

Team rankings: Offense (39.4 ppg., 15th), defense (56.3 ppg., 16th)

Leading scorers: Kobe D'Agostino (10.9 ppg.), Jake Wolfe (10.3 ppg.)

Review/outlook: After 1-7 start, Cardinals have played better of late. Effort is there but experience isn't. Despite tough loss to Schuylkill Haven on Saturday, should continue to improve.

Pottsville (9-4, 5-0 D-I)

Team rankings: Offense (50.4 ppg., 9th), defense (34.8 ppg. 1st)

Leading scorers: Brandon Bridy (15.7 ppg.), Travis Blankenhorn (13.1 ppg. in seven games)

Review/outlook: Despite injuries, division-leading Crimson Tide roll on with smothering defense, efficient offense and contributions from everybody. Oh, they might have the league's most complete player in Bridy.

Tamaqua (8-4, 3-2 D-I)

Team rankings: Offense (53.1 ppg., 6th), defense (48.7 ppg., 12th)

Leading scorers: Brett Kosciolek (15.9 ppg.), Bo Rottet (10.8 ppg.)

Review/outlook: Raiders are one of league's most improved teams and are developing scorers around Kosciolek. Still learning how to win, and defense needs to improve in order to take next step. Should qualify for districts for first time since 2004.

Division II Lourdes (9-3, 4-2 D-II)

Team rankings: Offense (51.7 ppg., 7th), defense (42.4 ppg., 4th)

Leading scorers: Zack Oquendo (13.1 ppg.), Anthony Pennypacker (12.8 ppg.)

Review/outlook: Solid inside play leads the offense, while the defense has been solid. Needs to develop some perimeter scoring. Experienced team should be able to bounce back from couple of tough losses recently.

Minersville (5-8, 2-4 D-II)

Team rankings: Offense (42.0 ppg., 13th), defense (44.5 ppg., 6th)

Leading scorers: Isaac Melochick (12.0 ppg.), Spencer Tobin (6.4 ppg. in nine games)

Review/outlook: Young Miners had three-game losing streak before dropping two consecutive this past week. Defense has been solid but needs to develop more scoring threats around Melochick. Should continue to get better.

Schuylkill Haven (3-9, 1-5 D-II)

Team rankings: Offense (31.3 ppg., 16th), defense (46.3 ppg., 9th)

Leading scorers: Mike Bubeck (8.9 ppg.), Vinnie Fanelli (7.2 ppg.)

Review/outlook: Defense has been decent, but Hurricanes lack firepower. Still, they are making positive strides under first-year coach Fran Murphy, and Saturday's victory at Pine Grove might be the biggest of season. Already have more wins than last year and a few more should be in order.

Tri-Valley (3-9, 0-6 D-II)

Team rankings: Offense (29.9 ppg., 17th), defense (44.8 ppg., 7th)

Leading scorers: Devin Masser (10.7 ppg.), Cale Bruso (6.2 ppg.)

Review/outlook: Defense has kept Bulldogs in games, but turnovers have hurt offense. Haven't scored more than 30 a game during current four-game losing streak. If young guards improve and cut down on mistakes, team should get better.

Williams Valley (11-2, 6-0 D-II)

Team rankings: Offense (62.2 ppg., 2nd), defense (45.8 ppg., 8th)

Leading scorers: Owen Daniel (11.2 ppg.), Stephen Sedesse (10.8 ppg.)

Review/outlook: With four players averaging nine or more points a game, division-leading Vikings might have most balanced offensive team in the league. Bench, although not deep in numbers, has provided quality minutes. Currently riding six-game winning streak and in control to make first trip to league playoffs since 2010.

Division III Mahanoy Area (10-3, 6-0 D-III)

Team rankings: Offense (54.2 ppg., 4th), defense (37.9 ppg., 2nd)

Leading scorers: Tyler Cavenas (11.7 ppg.), Larry McNeil (11.6 ppg.)

Review/outlook: After some tough early season losses, division-leading Golden Bears currently on five-game winning streak, winning by an average of 24 points per game. Defense has allowed 30.2 points per game during current stretch. Young guards have grown up quickly and need to continue to improve for second round of games in league's toughest overall division.

Marian (10-3, 3-3 D-III)

Team rankings: Offense (49.0 ppg., 10th), defense (40.8 ppg., 3rd)

Leading scorers: Ryan Karnish (15.1 ppg.), Alden Whah (9.9 ppg.)

Review/outlook: Defense has been strong, while Karnish and Whah give Colts solid inside-outside combination on offense. Experienced team has won some tight road games (Pius X, Moravian Academy without Karnish) but all three losses have come to Division II's and III's best teams. Should qualify for the postseason and will make some noise in division in second half.

Nativity (6-6, 2-4 D-III)

Team rankings: Offense (47.4 ppg., 11th), defense (52.2 ppg., 13th)

Leading scorers: Jeff Yordy (15.8 ppg.), Kyle Kaledas (10.6 ppg.)

Review/outlook: Yordy and Kaledas have been one of the league's better offensive guard combinations as Hilltoppers are currently on four-game winning streak. Making a push for first district playoff appearance since 2007 and won't be an easy out during the second half of league play.

Shenandoah Valley (9-3, 5-1 D-III)

Team rankings: Offense (53.1 ppg., 5th), defense (11th, 47.8 ppg.)

Leading scorers: Nick Merva (13.1 ppg.), Justin Alvarez (11.5 ppg.)

Review/outlook: After iffy start, Blue Devils have won 7-of-8 and are starting to come together. Merva and Chris Palubinsky are turning into complete two-way players, while the newcomers to the team, such as Alvarez, are starting to mesh as a unit. In line for third consecutive trip to district playoffs. Division title is still in reach.

Weatherly (5-5, 1-5 D-III)

Team rankings: Offense (55.0 ppg., 3rd), defense (53.2 ppg., 14th)

Leading scorers: Brett Stallone (13.3 ppg.), Joey Haganey (11.5 ppg.)

Review/outlook: After encouraging 4-0 start, Wreckers have found going tough in league play and have lost 5-of-6 overall. Have some scorers, but defense has struggled. Need to quickly improve in league play or trip to district playoffs is out of the question.

(Carnahan is the boys' basketball beat writer for the Republican-Herald. Check out his blog at blogs.republicanherald.com/ac/) Power Poll

Through Jan. 12

Rec. Pv.

1. Pottsville 9-4 1 2. Blue Mountain 9-3 3

3. Mahanoy Area 10-3 7

4. Williams Valley 11-2 9

5. Tamaqua 8-4 6

6. Shenandoah Valley 9-3 NR

7. Marian 10-3 4

8. North Schuylkill 8-4 2

9. Lourdes 9-3 5

10. Upper Dauphin 8-4 8

- Complied by Mike Carnahan

Through Dec. 30

W-L Pv.

1. Pottsville 4-3 1

2. North Schuylkill 6-2 2

3. Blue Mountain 6-1 8

4. Marian 6-1 4

5. Lourdes 7-1 5

6. Tamaqua 6-1 10

7. Mahanoy Area 5-3 6

8. Upper Dauphin 6-3 NR

9. Williams Valley 5-2 3

10. Weatherly 5-1 NR

- Complied by Mike Carnahan

2012-2013 Schuylkill League Standings