District 11 Boys’ Basketball
Class AAA Championship
No. 3 Allentown Central Catholic (17-9)
vs. No. 1 Pottsville (26-0)
8 p.m., today, Blue Mountain High School
About the Vikings
Head coach: Dennis Csensits (3rd season)
How got here: Beat No. 6 Saucon Valley 64-50 in quarterfinals and No. 2 Salisbury 59-48 in semifinals
Previous district titles: 17 (Most recent was 2014 in Class AAA)
Last title game appearance: Beat Pottsville 64-34 for Class AAA title in 2014
Team stats: Offense (55.3 points per game), defense (51.8)
Probable starting lineup: G Zay Jennings (jr., 5-10, 19.8), G-F Ben Pratt (sr., 6-0, 10.6), F Jack Nosovitch (sr., 6-1, 4.3), F Shackyll Dezonie (fr., 6-4, 5.2), G-F Bryce Maley (sr., 6-0, 7.0)
Key reserves: F Kevin Kern (fr., 6-4, 2.0), G Jay Vaughan (fr., 5-9, 3.5), F Alex Friel (jr., 6-3, 2.9)
About the Crimson Tide
Head coach: Dave Mullaney (8th season)
How got here: Beat No. 9 Blue Mountain 60-31 in quarterfinals and No. 4 Tamaqua 50-35 in semifinals
Previous district titles: Five (most recent was 2010 in Class AAA)
Last title game appearance: Lost to Allentown Central Catholic 64-34 in Class AAA tin 2014
Team stats: Offense (60.5), defense (31.8)
Probable starting lineup: G Connor Hinchliffe (sr., 6-1, 4.4), G Ty Painter (sr., 5-7, 3.2), G Travis Blankenhorn (sr., 6-2, 16.5), G Jordan Melochick (jr., 6-2, 9.4), F Eli Nabholz (sr., 6-5, 12.0)
Key reserves: G Derek Shuman (sr., 6-1, 1.0), G Christian Witman (jr., 6-1, 1.9), G Jordan Abdo (soph., 5-10, 6.0), F Ian Renninger (fr., 6-6, 1.4)
Game notes
Jennings had 17 points, including nine in fourth quarter, in Vikings’ semifinal win. Maley added a season-high 16 and Nosovitch had 11. ... Blankenhorn had 20 points in Crimson Tide’s semifinal win, including 14 in first half. ... Vikings lost to Stroudsburg 69-47 in Eastern Pennsylvania Conference quarterfinals. ... Vikings are looking to become first boys’ team in District 11 history to win five straight district titles. This is their sixth consecutive district title game appearance. ... The Crimson Tide’s starting five is the same that started last year’s title game. The Vikings’ starters are all new.
Up next: Winner faces District 2 third-place finisher (Honesdale or Valley View), while the loser takes on District 4 champ (Shamokin or Milton) in first round of PIAA Tournament on Friday, March 6, at site and time to be determined.
Consolation
No. 4 Tamaqua (20-6) vs. No. 2 Salisbury (21-5)
6 p.m., today, Bethlehem Freedom High School
About the Raiders
Head coach: Caszy Kosciolek (4th season)
How got here: Beat No. 5 North Schuylkill 39-33 in quarterfinals, lost to No. 1 Pottsville 50-35 in semifinals
Team stats: Offense (55.2 points per game), defense (42.7)
Probable starting lineup: G Russell Blaker (jr., 6-1, 8.2), G Bo Rottet (sr., 6-0, 16.6), F Nate MacDonald (sr., 6-1, 5.6), F Tyler Skripko (sr., 5-10, 3.2), G-F Brett Kosciolek (sr., 6-7, 16.3)
Key reserves: G Ben Miller (sr., 6-1, 1.3), G Thad Zuber (fr., 5-9, 1.4), G Ernie Shilko (sr., 5-8, 1.6)
About the Falcons
Head coach: Jason Weaver (7th season)
How got here: Beat No. 7 Wilson 61-31 in quarterfinals, lost to No. 3 Allentown Central Catholic 59-48 in semifinals
Team stats: Offense (57.0), defense 46.0)
Probable starting lineup: F Tevon Weber (jr., 6-5, 10.2), G Chad Cooperman (jr., 5-8, 4.4), G Dylan Belletiere (jr., 6-0, 9.3), F Bryce Fairclough (jr., 6-2, 9.4), G Brendan Reichenbach (sr., 5-10, 6.2)
Key reserves: F Ryan Slutsky (sr., 6-3, 3.3), F Derek Brown (jr., 6-1, 2.2), F Charley Rogers (sr., 5-11, 1.4)
Game notes
Belletiere scored 14 and Reichenbach had 12 for Falcons in semifinal loss to Vikings. … Rottet had 17 and Kosciolek had 11 during semifinal loss against Crimson Tide. ... Falcons are playing the district tournament without leading scorer Dasheen Reid, who suffered a torn ACL and meniscus in the Colonial League championship game loss to Bangor. ... Raiders looking to earn first PIAA playoff berth since 1994-95 season.
Up next: Winner faces the District 3 champ (Steel-High or Bishop McDevitt) in the first round of PIAA Tournament on Friday, March 6, at site and time to be determined.
Class A Championship
No. 2 Nativity (15-8)
vs. No. 1 Notre Dame-East Stroudsburg (21-2)
7:30 p.m., today, Pleasant Valley High School
About the Hilltoppers
Head coach: Kevin Kennedy (3rd season)
How got here: Defeated No. 3 Lincoln Leadership Academy 61-60 in semifinals
Previous district titles: One (1996 in Class A)
Last title game appearance: Lost to Notre Dame-East Stroudsburg 46-43 in 2007
Team stats: Offense (56.0 points per game), defense (52.4)
Probable starting lineup: G Jeff Yordy (sr., 6-2, 22.9), G Dominic Piccioni (sr., 5-9, 10.6), G-F Cullen Hoppel (sr., 6-0, 7.9), G-F Ayden Adams (jr., 6-2, 7.2), F Sean Greco (sr., 5-9, 2.0)
Key reserves: C Eric Nelson (jr., 6-2, 3.5), F-C Travis Hunyara (jr., 6-1, 1.4)
About the Spartans
Head coach: Bob Mullen (1st season in current stint, 26th overall at Notre Dame-East Stroudsburg)
How got here: Beat No. 4 Shenandoah Valley 50-46 in semifinals
Previous district titles: Three (most recent was in 2007)
Last title game appearance: Beat Nativity 46-43 in 2007
Team stats: Offense (58.4), defense (37.7)
Players to watch (positions not available, available scoring averages are approximate): Alex Bennett (sr., 6-1, 10.0), Ramon Nedd (sr., 6-4, 16.0), Tyerell Mann (sr., 6-3, 23.0), Sherod Sharif (jr., 6-2), Samuel Brown (jr., 6-8)
Key reserves: Jeremiah Pusey (sr., 6-2), Luis Bermudez (soph., 5-10)
Game notes
Hoppel had 17 points in Hilltoppers’ semifinal win, while Piccioni and Yordy had 15 apiece. Piccioni hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 37.8 seconds left in the game. ... Hilltoppers had 10 3-pointers in semifinals and average 5.9 per game this season. ... Mann led the Spartans with 24 points in their semifinal victory, with Brown scoring 14. ... Hilltoppers are 1-6 in district championship games. Other title appearances were in 1978, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007. ... Spartans’ only previous championship game appearances were their three titles from 2005-07.
Up next: Winner faces District 12 runner-up (Math, Civics & Sciences), while loser takes on District 4 champ (St. John Neumann or Meadowbrook Christian) in first round of PIAA Tournament on Friday, March 6, at site and time to be determined.
— Complied by Mike Carnahan