Champs rise to the top in tourney
A champions-only state basketball tournament began Tuesday night and it’s hard to gauge how many, if any, of our local teams will make it through the rest of the week.
It has been 35 years since our last Lehigh Valley boys state champion — Central Catholic in 1986.
That’s so long ago that NFL star Christian McCaffrey’s father, Eddie, was a star himself on the ‘86 Vikings, averaging 21.4 points per game that season and finishing his career with a then-school record 1,637 points. Christian McCaffrey’s uncle Billy, who would go on to score more points than Eddie at CCHS and win an NCAA title at Duke, was a freshman on the area’s last state champion.
Will the drought end this year? Four Lehigh Valley teams have the first requirement — a berth in the tournament. They all played well last week in winning district titles.
But as we’ve learned all so well since 1986, and especially since the Philadelphia Public League and the Philly Catholic League joined the PIAA and charter schools
became so prevalent, any state playoff win is to be savored and treasured as an accomplishment.
Here’s what is likely to be our final top 10 boys basketball team rankings:
East Stroudsburg South Cavaliers
Record: 10-3
Ranking last time: 10th
What’s next: 2021-22 season Comment: The Cavaliers posted an impressive District 11 5A semifinal win over Pottsville and fought hard in the district final against Bangor, but couldn’t do a good enough job against Slaters star CJ Miles, who scored 25 points and banked in a pair of 3-pointers that proved to be the difference. We’ll keep an eye on senior Christian Sapp as he embarks on a football career at Villanova. Sapp was one of the area’s best athletes in recent years and we’ll always remember his buzzer-beating 3-pointer as a sophomore that knocked Freedom out of the 2019 district tournament.
Bethlehem Catholic Golden Hawks
Record: 12-5
Ranking last time: 6th
What’s next: 2021-22 season Comment: While disappointed in losing for the second time in a row to Central Catholic in the 4A final, the Golden Hawks put together a solid season through several obstacles, including the late departure of talented rising junior Isaiah Alexander. The team will have three nice pieces to start next year with — Ryan Glassmacher, Edixon Gomez and Jared Richardson. Richardson returned to the team late after missing most of the year with a major shoulder injury suffered while playing football.
Northampton Konkrete Kids
Record: 8-3
Ranking last time: 4th
What’s next: 2021-22 season Comment: The Konkrete Kids were playing very well and then a COVID-19 problem hit and things were shut down for two weeks. Coach Coy Stampone will never make excuses, especially when his team still got to play in districts and another quality division rival Easton did not. But Northampton was never the same team after the two-week shutdown. Look for cousins Isaac Harris and Lucas Lesko to make the K-Kids a top contender again next year.
Pocono Mountain West Panthers Record: 8-2 Ranking last time: 3rd
What’s next: 2021-22 season Comment: The Panthers were another team that was slowed down by the pandemic and had a shutdown that negated regular-season momentum. The Panthers did get an impressive win in districts, routing Emmaus, but they wanted more. Christian Fermin will be the player to watch when next season rolls around and his college decision looms. West also returns several other talented players and will likely remain the EPC’s premier Monroe County program.
Parkland Trojans
Record: 13-4
Ranking last time: 2nd
What’s next: 2021-22 season
Comment: After showing a lot of grit in hard-fought wins over Nazareth and Northampton, the Trojans were outscored by Allen 13-2 down the stretch in the 6A final and the 58-51 loss had to sting. But with Nick Coval and some other key players back, Parkland figures to remain among the area’s elite next year and beyond.
Notre Dame Crusaders
Record: 14-4
Ranking last time: 5th
What’s next: 2021-22 season Comment: Notre Dame’s season began and ended with losses to Executive Education Academy Charter, but in between Dec. 11 and March 9 there were many great moments for the Crusaders, including Brendan Boyle’s 42-point performance and Logan Rickert’s buzzer-beater from beyond half-court. Notre Dame graduates several key players, including Rickert, but probably ranks as the Colonial League’s team to beat entering next season.
Bangor Slaters
Record: 14-3
Ranking last time: 7th
What’s next play: Play at a District 12 team in Friday’s PIAA Class 5A quarterfinals
Comment: The Slaters are the only team to win both a league and district title this year and won both with well-rounded efforts led by CJ Miles and Gabe Zieba. They will be huge underdogs in their state opener against a Philly power, but they’ve been counted out all season. No matter what happens, it has been a remarkable, unforgettable season for this program.
Allen Canaries
Record: 11-4
Ranking last time: 9th
What’s next: Host District 12 champ (Lincoln or Archbishop Wood) in the PIAA Class 6A quarterfinals Saturday.
Comment: The Canaries capped a special week of basketball at PPL Center with their come-from-behind win over Parkland. It is a team that struggled in close games earlier in the season, but showed against Pocono
Mountain West and Parkland that it has learned how to finish. Darnell Braswell kept a steady hand throughout his first season in charge of the program. Braswell proved he is the right man to replace coaching legend Doug Snyder. Nate Ellis also proved he is one of the most special players in school history with three championships in three seasons.
Central Catholic Vikings
Record: 16-4
Ranking last time: 8th
What’s next: Hosted Pope John Paul II in the first round of the PIAA Class 4A tournament on Tuesday night. With win, will advance to Friday’s quarterfinals against District 12 champ.
Comment: With juniors Tyson Thomas and Liam Joyce leading the way, CCHS is set up for a solid 202122 season. However, there is no time like the present and the Vikings are battle-tested. They worked their way
through a demanding regular-season schedule and went into Tuesday night playing their best basketball of the season.
Executive Education Academy Raptors
Record: 19-4
Ranking last time: 1st
What’s next: Host Dock Mennonite in the first round of the PIAA Class 3A tournament Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Comment: The Raptors have won nine straight since losing to Imhotep 74-66 on Feb. 13 and have the most talented roster in the Lehigh Valley. They are also playing at a high level and have faced all kinds of challenges all season. Will it be good enough to secure the four wins to bring back a state title from Hershey on March 27? They have a shot.