The regular season is coming to a close, and many high school hoops teams are now gearing up for playoffs. I am out of the loop in some regards, but I have been able to see a few games. This is a great time of year, folks. It brings back so many great memories. 2022 was fantastic, as my guys made me look good. They took us all the way to the State Championship. What a magical run. Although we came up a tad short. I absolutely love watching the clips and reading the articles from last March. It was grand. Maybe another local squad will experience the same?
The Williamsport Millionaires are peaking at the right time. Perhaps Coach Alan Taylor’s group is starting to figure things out. Port has a nice mixture of speed and height. They are playing extremely well together, and they will be a tough bounce. The Millionaires knocked off a savvy Central Mountain team this week. George Whaley scored a game-high 22 points. Williamsport is currently 17-4. Jakiha Kline, Caden Holt, Caleb Fausnaught, Thomas Takach, Chris White and my man Zach Lake are a fun bunch. I wish my alma mater the very best in the coming weeks. It all depends on match-ups, but I think the Millionaires will be just fine. Go Port.
Central Mountain took a loss, but that might help them soon. The Wildcats are now 20-2. Senior guard Jack Hanna and versatile Hayden Pardoe are a solid duo. Both players can score in bunches from anywhere on the court. Coach Tyler Bardo is a good dude. He has the boys playing tough. Essex Taylor is a scrappy kid. He might be the X-factor as Central Mountain heads to the postseason.
My young friends at St. John Neumann Regional are really playing well. They got bumped to AA, but the Knights are still the top dogs. Neumann is led by All-Stater Davion Hill. He has had an incredible senior campaign. My man makes it look so easy. Hill is averaging 33 points per game. First-year coach Lou Roskowski is doing great. He is mixing up the defenses and pushing the right buttons. Junior swingman Joe Savage is progressing nicely. The 6’4 sniper is another match-up problem. Joe has scored 20 plus a few times down the stretch. Neumann needs to get healthy, but they will do well. They might lack some big-game experience, but with Davion, anything is possible. I may be biased, but the Knights are one of my favorites. I will be rooting for them.
Muncy is hard to figure out. I like their squad an awful lot. Seniors Ross and Branson Eyer have been around for a long time. Both have 1,000 career points. My man Mikey Fry can also light it up. The Indians have the talent and made it to the District Final last year. The AA field is loaded, but Muncy could be the one. It all depends on if they are hitting their shots.
I have a feeling that South Williamsport will make some noise. Joe Simon’s team is loaded. Injuries have caught the Mounties off guard. But if they put things together, they will be fine. South has some serious length. Lee Habalar and Marquan Harris are legit. Both can score, and they can defend. Ben Manning is a tough guard who can help his team win. I won’t be surprised if the Mounties turn some heads.
Yes. It is a great time of year. Enjoy the games. Everyone now has a clean slate. Hopefully, a few teams will bring home some District gold. Perhaps a few will do well in the States. I will be in the stands cheering them on — best of luck to all of my chums. Cheers.
