LebCo Boys Basketball Season Update: January 10

Records are current as of the time of publication, but power rankings may be slightly lagged.  We will fix these as they become available.

To see the rosters of any of the teams mention below, please visit the Season Outlook section and visit any of the teams from there.

Home teams are in italics, Bolded games are wins

     Annville-Cleona Dutchmen 

Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 4

Current Record: 6-7 overall, 0-2 in Section 4 (4th place)

District Power Ranking: #9 AAA (top 6 qualify)

Recent Results:

12/20: Lancaster Mennonite 49, Annville-Cleona 40

12/27: Kutztown 46, Annville-Cleona 32 (neutral site)

12/28: York Tech 51, Annville-Cleona 39

1/3: Annville-Cleona 52, Tulpehocken 41

1/6: Lancaster Country Day 50, Annville-Cleona 38

1/7: Annville-Cleona 58, Susquenita 34

1/9: Annville-Cleona 39, Northern Lebanon 30

Update: The Dutchmen had lost five in a row, but Coach Coletti’s group kept working hard and have seemingly reversed that trend.  Winners in three of their last four, Annville has elevated its play over that stretch. Sophomore Jon Shay continues to lead the offensive attack, averaging 13.5 points per game for the season. During the recent hot streak, the Dutchmen have benefitted from the increased contributions from senior point guard Ricardo Cruz, averaging 10.3 points per game over the past four.  Sophomore Elisha Slabach has been a steady force, chipping in 8 points per game this season.  Another valuable piece of the puzzle has been Gavin Keller, averaging 4.2 rebounds per game.  As the Dutchmen have continued to piece things together, they are no doubt ready to make some noise in Section 4.

     Cedar Crest Falcons 

Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 1

Current Record: 5-5 overall, 2-1 in Section 1 (3rd place)

District Power Ranking: #13 AAAAAA (top 12 qualify)

Recent Results:

12/21: Cedar Crest 63, Penn Manor 51

12/28: Cedar Crest 59, Palmyra 43

12/29: Exeter 69, Cedar Crest 55

1/6: Cedar Crest 65, Lebanon 35

1/7: Lower Dauphin 58, Cedar Crest 56   OT  @ LVC

Update: The Falcons are 5-5 on the season, but two of those losses have come at the hands of a troublesome Exeter squad, with another coming in overtime against Lower Dauphin.  Crest has been playing more consistently as of late and enjoyed a total team win over Lebanon, during which Coach Smith was able to have his team work on some things that will help them during the second half of the season.  Through the first half, this group has been led by the solid play of junior Leo Tirado and Owen Chernich.  In addition, senior Nolan Groff recently returned from injury and has given the Falcons an additional spark.  Additionally, J’Veon Reyes-Vega, Fernando Marquez, and Aiden Schomp, along with Danny Speaks have all led the Falcon offense during at least one game this year.  Simply put, this team has depth and has several players that can score.  Will that be enough? This week will provide a major test beginning tonight at home against Manheim Township, followed by McCaskey, and then Wilson.  Consistent play will be the key if they want to be in contention.

    ELCO Raiders  

Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 3

Current Record: 8-4 overall, 2-1 in Section 3 (2nd place)

District Power Ranking: #5 AAAA (top 10 qualify)

Recent Results:

12/22: ELCO 44, Middletown 41

12/29: Eastern York 60, ELCO 41

12/30: Spring Grove 42, ELCO 33  @ Eastern York

1/3: ELCO 63, Northern Lebanon 46

1/5: ELCO 47, Lancaster Catholic 46

1/6: ELCO 48, Blue Mountain 45

Update: ELCO has provided one of the more exciting basketball seasons of any team you will find.  Winners of their last three, the last two were nailbiters during which the Raiders pulled out victories with very little time remaining on the clock after trailing going into the 4^th quarter.  In Friday’s win against Blue Mountain, it was junior Kody Boyer that hit a 3-pointer with 2.5 seconds remaining.  Over the course of the season, it has been juniors Dallas George and Camden Marquette who have led the offensive attack for the Raiders.  Junior Logan Kless and senior Dominic Thornton have continued to contribute, along with senior Aidon Fritsch who has provided key defensive stops.  The Raiders will need to continue playing at a high level and build upon the unselfish play, as they  hope to be competitive as Section 3 play continues, beginning tonight against Cocalico.

     Lebanon Cedars

Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 1

Current Record: 0-11 overall, 0-3 in Section 1 (6th place)

District Power Ranking: #26 AAAAAA (top 12 qualify)

Recent Results:

12/21: JP McCaskey 62, Lebanon 46

12/28: Exeter 77, Lebanon 32  @Cedar Crest

12/29: Palmyra 42, Lebanon 35  @Cedar Crest

1/4: York Suburban 47, Lebanon 32

1/6: Cedar Crest 65, Lebanon 35

1/7: Palmyra 56, Lebanon 31  @LVC

Update: First year head coach Kris Uffner was not counting on injuries to his top players, which has made finding points much more difficult for the Cedars.  In fact, they have fielded eight different starting lineups in their first eleven games.  However, there is a silver lining to all of this in that several underclassmen are beginning to see significant minutes, which will help in the future.  Of the six underclassmen, three are freshman, so growing pains are expected, but the goal of this Lebanon team is to improve every day, together.  Over the past couple of weeks, it has been junior Braylon Beaver, sophomore Ben DiScuillo, and freshman Jonnathan Rodriguez (who had been on the JV squad) stepping up in order to help their team.  In addition to those three, freshman Malachi Briddell has showed an increased tenacity and leadership, as he is becoming a key member of this young unit.  While they will not win many games, the focus will remain on developing skills, along with the culture that will hopefully bring this program stronger in the near future.

New Covenant Flames

Commonwealth Christian Athletic Conference

Current Record: 7-2

District Power Ranking: #3 A (top 10 qualify)

Recent Results:

12/16: New Covenant 73, Harrisburg Christian 36

12/19: New Covenant 85, Harrisburg Academy 22

12/20: West Shore Christian 52, New Covenant 43

1/6: Mount Cavalry 70, New Covenant 52

1/9: New Covenant 65, Harrisburg Academy 22

Update: New Covenant was riding a 6-0 start, but then lost two straight before picking up a win last night.  They will look to find an offensive rhythm over the next few games, as their strength of schedule will intensify down the stretch.  So far this season, the Flames have been led by senior Ben Hartman, scoring 19 points per game.  Aiding the efforts has been the improved play of junior Colson Hess, who has grown on the court since last season. If they are able to find some consistent shooting and continue to gel as a unit, they will be able to weather the challenges ahead.

     Northern Lebanon Vikings

Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 3

Current Record: 0-12 overall, 0-4 in Section 3 (6th place)

District Power Ranking: #23 AAAA (top 10 qualify)

Recent Results:

12/21: Williams Valley 45, Northern Lebanon 36

12/27: Tulpehocken 61, Northern Lebanon 45

12/28: Ephrata 47, Northern Lebanon 27

1/3: ELCO 63, Northern Lebanon 46

1/5: Donegal 57, Northern Lebanon 24

1/7: Upper Dauphin 68, Northern Lebanon 60

1/9: Annville-Cleona 39, Northern Lebanon 30

Update: While sporting a winless record is never ideal, the Vikings knew coming into this season that there would be bumps in the road as a result of having to rely on their youth.  They are continuing to work hard every game and have been competitive in some games as of late.  Through the first eleven games, it has been junior Riley Clinger leading the team in points with 9.5 per game.  Senior James Voight is not far behind in the points category and also leads the team in steals and assists.  Beyond the two upperclassmen, Coach Chris George has been counting on several freshman, including 6’4” center Brady Krall, who has been taking on a larger role in the offense as of late.  If they can accelerate the development, they may push some teams during the second half of the season as they prepare for the future.

   Palmyra Cougars

Mid-Penn Conference – Keystone Division

Current Record: 7-4 overall, 3-2 in Keystone

District Power Ranking: #9 AAAAA (top 14 qualify)

Recent Results: 

12/20: Red Land 51, Palmyra 39

12/28: Cedar Crest 59, Palmyra 43

12/29: Palmyra 42, Lebanon 35  @Cedar Crest

1/3: Palmyra 49, Cedar Cliff 47

1/6: Palmyra 50, Lower Dauphin 34

1/7: Palmyra 56, Lebanon 31  @LVC

Update: Palmyra seems to have something going, winning their last four games, including an impressive win over Cedar Cliff.  Through the first ten games, Senior Eli Becker averaged 14.8 points per game, along with 7.1 rebounds and 1.9 blocks.  During the Cedar Crest Holiday Tournament, Becker led all scorers with 39 points over the course of the two games.  Sophomore Alex Dorta offers another solid offensive option, as he has averaged 10.4 points, to go with 2.3 assists and 2.0 steals per game.  Also contributing to the solid play of the Cougars have been sophomores Tyler Burgess, Hank Roesch, and Braeden Sommer, who have provided solid defense, high energy, and the ability to score when needed.  If Palmyra can continue to develop their younger players at this rapid rate, they will be dangerous for any team who plays them.

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