There are plenty of familiar names among the individual area boys’ basketball scoring leaders on Page 16 of today’s edition.
Nativity’s Jeff Yordy (23.5 points per game) once again leads the Schuylkill League in scoring average and is second in the area overall. Pine Grove’s Kobe D’Agostino (5th at 18.6 ppg), Tamaqua’s Brett Kosciolek (6th at 17.7 ppg) and Bo Rottet (7th at 17.5 ppg) and Pottsville’s Travis Blankenhorn (8th, 17.2 ppg) are having big seasons again. All five finished in the top 10 in scoring at the end of 2013-14.
The remaining players in the current top 10 aren’t necessarily newcomers. In fact, four of them played last year. Most of them have, however, stepped up their games to replace point production lost to graduation. Four out of the five are underclassmen, too, meaning there will be plenty of offensive talent back next year.
For now, here’s a closer look at those players who have stepped up offensively:
• Matt Miller, Upper Dauphin (1st at 24.7 ppg) — The 6-foot junior guard is unfamiliar to most area basketball fans, but he’s a huge reason Upper Dauphin is headed back to the postseason.
Miller was second on the team in scoring last season at 13.4 points per game. This year’s season high was 41 against Lancaster Country Day on Jan. 13, and he has scored 30 or points in a game four times.
Miller also leads the area in individual 3-point shooting, averaging four a game with 68 total. He set the Upper Dauphin individual-game 3-point record with nine Dec. 22 at Line Mountain.
More on the Trojans later.
• Joel Santana, Shenandoah Valley (3rd at 19.5) — The 5-foot-9 sophomore guard is part of a talented young group of Blue Devil players. Santana is also is a true newcomer to the Schuylkill League after he transferred from the Bronx, New York, before the start of the school year.
Santana is coming off a big week, scoring 29 last Friday in Shenandoah Valley’s 66-53 win at Marian. He had 14 of his 19 points in the second half during a 64-58 win at Williams Valley on Jan. 20. His season high was 38 at Weatherly on Jan. 8.
Santana is strong driving to the basket, has good range and is an excellent passer.
• Nick Rodichok, Williams Valley (4th at 19.4) — This is the third season Rodichok, a 6-1 forward, has played varsity basketball and is the second as a full-time starter. He ranked third on the team in scoring at 10.3 per game in 2013-14.
The Vikings have lost three straight, but Rodichok has continued to perform. He had a season- and career-high 28 points during Williams Valley’s 64-58 loss to Shenandoah Valley on Jan. 20 and followed with 19 during a 65-51 loss to Minersville last Friday.
Rodichok can score from both the inside and the perimeter. He leads Williams Valley in 3-pointers with 26.
• Mark Chelius, Blue Mountain (9th at 16.9) — The 5-8 junior guard was the only returning starter for the Eagles this season and has taken over the scoring reins.
Chelius is also coming off a big weekend, scoring 27 in a 60-50 win over Pine Grove on Friday and 22 during a 63-48 victory against Oley Valley on Saturday. His season high was 28 versus Wyomissing, Chelius’ former school, on Dec. 10.
Chelius is not afraid to take the ball to the basket and has a knack for drawing fouls, going 82-for-118 from the free-throw line this season.
• Jordan Knappenberger, Lehighton (10th at 15.6) — The 6-1 senior guard isn’t new to basketball but is new to the Schuylkill League after the Indians joined the league this season.
He led Lehighton in scoring last year at 13.7 per game and got off to a strong start this year, scoring 40 during a 71-50 victory over Pen Argyl on Dec. 13.
Knappenberger is a sharpshooter and has 38 3-pointers on the season, averaging 2.2 per game.
Trojans headed
to league playoffs
While none of the Schuylkill League playoff spots are set yet, Upper Dauphin (15-3, 9-1) has clinched its spot in the Tri-Valley League playoffs.
The Trojans are tied for first in the East Division with Halifax (12-4, 9-1). The West Division is still undecided, with Juniata (10-6, 6-2), Newport (10-6, 7-5) and Greenwood (8-9, 5-4) in the mix. The league is playing its crossover games to finish the regular season.
Upper Dauphin and Halifax split their regular-season meetings and if the two finish tied for first in the division, there will a tiebreaker game Saturday, Feb. 7. The semifinals are Tuesday, Feb. 10, with higher seeds hosting the games. The East champ faces the West runner-up and West champ takes on the East runner-up.
The championship game is Friday, Feb. 13, at a neutral site.
District 11 playoff update
As of today, seven Schuylkill League teams have qualified for the District 11 playoffs. Pottsville (17-0), Tamaqua (15-2), North Schuylkill (12-4) and Lehighton (11-6) are in Class AAA; Minersville (12-3) and Mahanoy Area (14-2) have qualified in Class AA and Shenandoah Valley (9-8) in Class A thanks to a 7-2 league record.
Both Blue Mountain (Class AAA) and Nativity (Class A) each need one more win to get in, while Schuylkill Haven (9-8) and Williams Valley (9-7) are two wins away.
Just four teams in both Class AA and A currently have winning overall records, and it is likely those two brackets will be made up of four teams.
Upper Dauphin is ranked sixth in Class AA in the most recent District 3 power ranking.
(Carnahan is the boys’ basketball beat writer for The Republican-Herald. Follow him on Twitter @mdcarnahan71 and read his blog at http://blogs.republicanherald.com/ac/)
Power Poll
Through Jan. 24
W-L Pvs
1. Pottsville 17-0 1
2. Tamaqua 15-2 2
3. Mahanoy Area 14-2 3
4. Minersville 12-3 4
5. North Schuylkill 12-4 5
6. Blue Mountain 11-6 6
7. Lehighton 11-6 7
8. Upper Dauphin 15-3 8
9. Williams Valley 9-7 9
10. Nativity 10-7 10
— Complied by Mike Carnahan