Jim Thorpe and Tamaqua set to battle again
What does Jim Thorpe (26-2 last season) and its fabulous freshmen do for an encore after winning its first 26 games last season, winning its first Schuylkill League title, reaching its first district title game and playing in its first PIAA tournament in school history?
The Olympians, under 13-year coach Rob Kovac, set an all-time modern era area record by improving by 20 wins over the previous season. Salisbury, under coach Marybeth Bedics, set the record by going from 1-23 to 18-8 in 1997-98
Tamaqua (21-5) also returns its nucleus as well as 1,445-point career scorer Emma Kuczynski and should give Jim Thorpe all it can handle in Schuylkill League Division 1 again. The Olympians only two losses in division play came against Jim Thorpe — 55-49 and 66-58 — before losing by 15 to them in the league semifinals.
Lehighton (8-14) will try to shake off last season’s finish when it lost its last six games and 11 of its final 13 games while Pennridge (8-12), Quakertown (2-21), Lincoln Leadership (4-16) and Notre Dame of East Stroudsburg (1-17) also look to improve.
Executive Education Academy Charter will field a varsity team for the first time this season.
Ramsey Rodriguez, who graduated and is now playing at the University of the Virgin Islands in the NAIA.
Liana Cabeza is the only senior on the roster and versatile enough to help Lincoln anywhere on the court. She will be the main threat on offense while junior Jennel Watkins will be a post presence underneath.
If sophomores Milan Landis and Sienna Lane make advancements and freshmen Destiny Pagan and Adianette Ferrer can add depth, Lincoln could return to the District 11 tournament for the second time in three seasons.