District 4 forecast: Intrigue

Early this season the Hughesville boys basketball team played three games in four nights. Because the off-day was a Sunday, it was unable to practice before any of those contests. Even the day prior to that stretch's first game against perennial state power Prep Charter the Spartans could not practice due to weather.

Fast forward to last Friday and the Spartans were playing annual rival Lewisburg. It was just the second time in 17 days Hughesville played anyone but itself. When the Spartans wanted practice time, they could not get it and now that they want a consistent game schedule they cannot get it.

Join the club and welcome to District 4 basketball in the 2008-2009 season.

Inclement weather and a foolish PIAA move have combined to make it hard for teams across the district to establish a sense of continuity this season. Almost every week has featured one or more nights of games being wiped out by snow, sleet or ice. Last week it happened Tuesday and Saturday. On top of that, the PIAA already started the season a week later than usual after reducing the schedule from 24 to 22 games.

It was a move not made in the players' best interests back then and it looks like an even worse decision now as many teams will have trouble simply completing their schedules after losing what should have been that first week. As it stands now, the majority of District 4 teams will be playing four times a week, if not more, down the stretch trying to finish their schedulesand that's assuming the weather improves and postponements are mimimal from here on out. Practice time will be limited and fatigue could become a problem.

From a fans perspective, the stretch run could be twice as exciting as usual since there will be a steady of stream of big games every night. But this is far from an ideal situation. Just ask the coaches trying to cope with it.

CHAMPS RETURN: Saturday will be a special night at Williamsport High School. The Millionaires will be welcoming back their Class AAAA state championship teams from 1984 and 1999 which are celebrating their 25th and 10th year anniversaries, respectively. Both champions will be honored at halftime of the Williamsport-Central Dauphin game and following the game there will be a community reception in the cafeteria for the former players, coaches and fans.

The 1984 team laid claim to being one of the best in state history, dominating almost every opponent it played while going 30-0 and capturing the program's first state title. The tradition continued 15 years later when a deep and explosive Millionaire squad, led by future Pittsburgh standout Chevon Troutman, won its last 27 games, finished 29-2 and pounded Erie McDowell in the state final.

Expect a packed house Saturday as Millionaire fans salute their former heroeswhile hoping to see the latest Millionaires take another step toward possibly following in their footsteps.

UP FOR GRABS: The name has changed but the Heartland-II Conference is much like the former CSC-II most of its members came from. Much like the CSC-II, which produced the last 11 District 4 Class AA champions, the HAC-II is proving to be one of central Pennsylvania's premier leagues. Hughesville, Southern Columbia and Mount Carmel all are unbeaten in league play while Loyalsock is just one game behind, its lone loss being a four-pointer to Southern on the road. Hughesville, Southern, Mount Carmel and Loyalsock have lost just seven combined overall games and the Spartans, Tigers and Lancers have combined to win the last eight district championships.

MOVING ON UP: Coach Aaron Yungwirth is starting something good at Galeton. The Tigers are one of the area's most improved teams and already have matched last season's win total. Galeton (9-3) is tied for first in the competitive NTL-West that has produced four straight District 4 Class A champions. It's been a strong start for a team that won just three games two years ago and that has not reached the postseason since 2004. Three players are scoring in double figures and the Tigers are just two wins from clinching a playoff berth.

Dr. Masse's Top Five in Boys Basketball

1. Williamsport (8-2): Early on it appears the Millionaires have a good shot at earning one of the top two seeds for the District 2-4 Class AAAA playoffs. The Millionaires, who rescheduled last Saturday's Loyalsock game for Feb. 2, and Hazleton are both 8-2, but the field's remaining four teams all are below .500 and have six or more losses. The top two finishers advance to states and the top two seeds receive first-round byes while host semifinal games.

2. Hughesville (9-1): Imagine how good the Spartans might look if they had been playing more than just their second game in 17 nights Friday. Hughesville went to Lewisburg, rallied from a first-quarter deficit and pounded the always-tough Green Dragons, 60-38. The Spartans have held seven teams to fewer than 50 points and as the offensive continuity develops they could become even more dangerous.

3. Loyalsock (8-1): The Lancers were playing their best basketball of the season but the weather cooled them off last week and they will be playing for the first time in nine nights Monday at Hughesville. Coach Ron Insinger is one win from reaching 700 and his team has topped 70 points six times while outscoring its last two opponents by 48 points.

4. St. John Neumann (9-2): The Knights are starting to roll, winning four straight games and remaining tied for first in the Heartland-III with undefeated Millville. Neumann was expected to feature a solid offense entering the season, but the defense has been a solid area of improvement and the Knights have allowed just 50 points per game during their winning streak.

5. Sullivan County (8-1): Always known for their quickness, Sullivan has done its best to add some muscle the last few years. The results of that effort were evident Friday when the Griffins held Montgomery scoreless in the fourth quarter of a 54-30 win.

"These guys have been in the weight room for the last year and a half trying to improve their physical strength because that's always been one of our weaknesses," coach Glen Vaughn said. "But now our quickness and our physical strength has gotten us a lot better and when we put our minds to it on the defensive end of the floor we can make things miserable for the other team."

Player of the Week

Zach Lancaster, Galeton: One of the main reasons Galeton has emerged as a NTL-West title contender, Lancaster was at his best last week, averaging 17 points and 17 rebounds in two wins. Lancaster scored 23 points and grabbed 21 rebounds in a 67-55 win over Elkland.

Game of the Week

Loyalsock at Hughesville: Junior varsity players will likely be playing in front of a packed house as fans arrive early for Monday's showdown. Both teams have league and district championship aspirations so expect an intense and entertaining game from start to finish.

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Two years ago the Cowanesque Valley girls basketball team lost its games by an average of 45 points. Two years later many of those same players have made dramatic improvement and are showing District 4 Class A playoff potential.

Former Elkland boys basketball coach Chris Tibbits took over last season, inheriting a team that went 2-21. The Indians won four games last year and have made a huge leap forward this season, starting 5-5 and already eclipsing last season's win total. Even better for the Indians, four of those defeats have come to teams with fewer than five combined losses.

Tibbits built two district champions and three state playoff qualifiers at Elkland around stifling defense and he is doing the same at Cowanesque as the Indians have let just one team top 50 points. Cowanesque also gave Wyalusing (8-2) a tough game early this season, allowing only 35 points to a team that thus far has been running roughshod over the rest of the NTL.

The Indians are only one game out of first place in the NTL-West and appear to be gaining confidence with every game. Several players are back next season so if Cowanesque can receive some playoff experience, this could be the start of something big.

COMEBACK KIDS: Wellsboro (5-5) is making a case as being the area's most resilient team. The Green Hornets are making a habit of winning games via big comebacks and continued that trend Friday at Mansfield when they erased a 16-point third-quarter deficit and defeated the Tigers, 51-46.

Wellsboro outscored Mansfield 21-8 in the fourth quarter and dominated the final eight minutes the way it did earlier this season when it rallied from down 11 in the fourth and defeated Sayre, 58-54 in overtime. Wellsboro is the only team to beat Sayre and also owns a win over Troy (8-4). As long as there is time on the clock, Wellsboro thinks it can win and that makes the Hornets a dangerous team.

NTL SCRAMBLE: Wellsboro and Mansfield have dominated the NTL-West over the last six seasons with at least one of those two capturing the title each time. Wellsboro, the defending champion, is tied for first again but the quest for league supremacy appears more up in the air than at any point since 2002.

North Penn has rallied from an 0-4 start to win five of its last six and is tied for first with Wellsboro at 3-0. Cowanesque is just one game behind and Mansfield is 1-2 but still dangerous as evidenced by the Wellsboro contest. Williamson upset the Tigers last week and also could be a sleeper.

Dr. Masse's Top Five in Girls Basketball

1. South Williamsport (7-1): The Mounties have won six straight games, generating momentum for a tough stretch of games that starts Tuesday against Class AAA Central Columbia (9-2). One night later, South travels to St. John Neumann (5-3) then ends its week with games against improving CMVT (6-3), which upset Lourdes, and Millville which features one of the district's best players in Amber Ortman. South also hosts Loyalsock next Monday so this gauntlet of challenging games is a good test for a team with District 4 Class AA title aspirations.

2. Milton (6-4): Melissa Balliet and Amanda Reich is one of the area's best duos and are averaging a combined 31.8 points per game.

3. Montoursville (6-4): The well-rested Warriors have not played in nine nights and will try building off a big win over Midd-West tonight at Mifflinburg. Montoursville already has won two more games than last year and is five wins away from clinching its first playoff berth since 2003. Tesa McKibben is averaging 18.2 points per game, but it's the improvement of several other starters and reserves that has keyed the Warriors resurgence.

4. Loyalsock (6-3): After a shaky start, the Lancers are starting to build some confidence, winning three straight games in convincing fashion. Three-year starter Keely Henninger had no offseason after undergoing shoulder surgery but is starting to show why she is one of the area's premier players. The junior forward is averaging 15 points per game during the winning streak and also is one of the team's top rebounders.

5. Williamsport (6-6): Injuries have thwarted the early-season momentum but the Millionaires will receive a lift soon when Frances Payton returns to the lineup. Payton, a solid all-around player who ignites Williamsport's offense, will miss one more game due to a concussion but her return later in the week should help a team seeking its first playoff berth since 2006.

Player of the Week

Brianna Bubacz, North Penn: A vital part of North Penn's turnaround, Bubacz hit her first two shots Friday against Elkland and took off from there. Bubacz drained six 3-pointers and scored a career-high 21 points while helping the Panthers cruise to their third straight win.

Game of the Week

Milton at Montoursville: The Warriors asserted themselves in the rugged Heartland-I when they upset Midd-West. Saturday they try taking another big step forward against the experienced 2008 District 4 Class AAA semifinalists.

Masse may be reached at cmasse@sungazette.com