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A team simply does not replace a player like Davion Hill. Still, St. John Neumann felt pretty good coming into the season despite the four-time, first team all-state selection and all-time leading Lycoming County scorer graduating.
And that was because nearly every other player was coming back. Then two projected starters, including the leading returning scorer, left the team. Then exciting sophomore Daiton Thompson tore his ACL. Last Friday against Sullivan County, Neumann was so ravaged by injuries and sickness that only six players dressed.
And yet the Knights are still standing. In fact, they are starting to thrive. Entering Monday's game at Minersville, Neumann (6-5) had won four straight games, while climbing above .500 for the first time. Despite everything which has happened since last March, the Knights also are tied for first with Muncy in the Mid-Penn's Western Division and are building confidence. Neumann took some hits, but it keeps moving forward.
"We're coming together as a team. We're building off everything," Neumann point guard Messiah Baldwin said following Friday's hard-fought 59-51 win against Sullivan. "We're gaining momentum and we're just going to keep going."
"With all the stuff and bumps in the roads, we've been in the trenches the whole year. This, for us, is huge," Neumann coach Louis Roskowski said. "We're definitely coming together."
That says a lot because Neumann has had every excuse to come apart. As the team lost players, it also confronted a demanding non-conference schedule, opening the season against heavyweights Loyalsock and Holy Cross. The Knights also played larger school Lewisburg and Hughesville with their lone loss against a team in the same classification coming against Muncy.
Consecutive losses against Hughesville and Lewisburg dropped Neumann to 2-5, but the tough early-season schedule toughened up a team which has not let adversity throw it off course. The Knights still control their league title destiny and also have moved up to No. 4 in the District 4 Class AA standings, giving themselves a shot at hosting a first round playoff game.
"At the beginning of the year, kids are learning how I coach and different philosophies and we had some attitude issues, but as the year has gone on everyone has matured," Roskowski said. "We're coming together and holding each other accountable. We're definitely jelling as a team. We know what we're doing out there. We know where to be. We're doing what we can and they're rolling with the punches."
They are doing so while carrying a boulder-sized chip upon their collective shoulder. It's been a long time since Neumann could use the underdog label as motivation but it felt that way simply after Hill graduated following last year's memorable campaign which made him the Class AA Player of the Year. Then came all the other issues and injuries.
At that point, nearly everyone outside the locker room wrote Neumann off. But this team still believes. Baldwin (18 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists against Sullivan) and Tyrick Moy (20 points, 16 rebounds) are having big seasons. Players like Andrew Walter and Gino and Angelo Birch have stepped into vital roles and started flourishing.
Neumann is embracing the next man up philosophy and the next man stepping up is a big reason it has put itself back into the league title picture.
"We have the odds against us right now," Moy said after producing his fifth double-double. "A lot of people don't believe in us after Davion left. We have to do what we can to prove them wrong."
That is the rallying cry right now because the four-game winning streak likely will not quiet the doubters. This is a program with a proud tradition but a team which has taken its share of upper cuts this season. Through it all, the Knights are fighting hard and refusing to be knocked out.
Each game is a battle at this point, but this resilient team is showing that it likes a good fight. Carrying extra incentive, Neumann's fight goes on.
"Everyone was saying we don't have Davion, so we won't do anything. That was the first thing," Moy said. "Then we had a couple losses, so we had to turn it around. We have the players to do it."
LEADING THE WAY: Williamsport point guard Mahki Johnson played one of his best games in Saturday's 67-50 loss against 6A state-ranked Cumberland Valley. The senior handled CV's pressure well, scored nine points, dealt eight assists and added two steals. His play was a big reason the Millionaires trailed by just five at halftime and still were within 10 until the game's last 90 seconds.
Thomas Takach continued surging in his return from a torn ACL, scoring a season-high 19 points and Johnson often was setting him up for points in the paint. One of five first-time starters, Johnson is settling in and the Millionaires have made big strides over the last three weeks, showing against CV why they could be a dangerous team come playoff time if the progress continues. Williamsport lost just nine turnovers against CV and Johnson was a big reason why, setting the tone with his determined, yet poised and unselfish mentality.
"He's a great point guard," Takach said. "That's my guy. He's been my teammate since second grade and I love him."
"I was proud of the way he played. He did a better job of being a floor general for us," Williamsport coach Allen Taylor said. "He was looking to make sure the ball got to where it needed to get to and took advantage of his scoring opportunities as well. That's what we need going forward."
PUTBACKS: Montgomery (4-6) is heating up and used a dominant second half to blow past Millville for a 71-46 win last Friday. The Red Raiders start all underclassmen and sophomore Parker Bennett scored a career-high 27 points. Junior Hayden Wilt totaled 19 and freshman Briar Persing 18 as Montgomery won for the third time in four games … Bucktail (6-4) is in the hunt for a first round District 4 Class A playoff game and entered Monday's game at Milton, having won four of its last five games. Braylon Fantaski scored a season-high 26 points and Brody Pentz collected his eighth double-double in a 46-34 win against Austin … Speaking of double-doubles, Hughesville senior Landen King has delivered four straight. He has seven this season and went for 15 points, 14 rebounds and four steals in Saturday's 50-24 win against Bloomsburg. Logan Kiess scored 13 points and made six steals as Hughesville (7-6) surrendered just five second-half points … Lewisburg (5-6) has won four of its last five games and rallied in the second half to defeat Midd-West, 59-47 Saturday. The Dragons outscored Midd-West 22-7 in the fourth quarter as Quin Michaels, Neyshawn Mabry, Tai Britto and Noah Pawling all scored in double figures … Blake Oakley gave it a good go at a quadruple-double in North Penn-Liberty's 60-52 win against Williamson, finishing with 10 points, 12 rebounds, seven steals and seven blocks. Louis Mercantino scored 19 points and Luke Kreger totaled a career-best 17 points with 14 rebounds … Radley Knapp and Caleb Neidig had big games, helping South Williamsport defeat Benton, 56-51. Knapp scored 22 points and pulled down nine boards, while Neidig had 18 points and five rebounds and freshman Chance Quimby added five assists.
DR. MASSE’S TOP 5 RANKINGS
1. Loyalsock (11-1): Make it 24 straight District 4 playoff appearances as Loyalsock secured another berth last week, picking three impressive, double-digit wins against Montoursville, Hughesville and Mount Carmel. A team with five players averaging in double figures has another emerging weapon in Isiah Jennings. The junior sharpshooter scored a career and game-high 18 points in Saturday's 72-56 win at Mount Carmel, draining five 3-pointers. Gage Patterson and Nate Bauman had big games in the 83-47 win at Montoursville, while Jaylen Andrews scored a career-high 30 points two nights later against Hughesville. Ethan Nagy added 16 points in that win and has been a big factor the past two seasons after not playing basketball as a freshman or sophomore. The Lancers have a big league game Wednesday against Southern Columbia, which has won four straight games and is one behind them in the HAC-III standings.
2. Central Mountain (9-3): Shamokin snapped Central Mountain's 10-game HAC-I winning streak, defeating the Wildcats, 60-49 at the Purple Palace. It's an identical situation to last year when Central Mountain lost there only to bounce back and not drop another Heartland Conference game en route to winning both the HAC-I and HAC Tournament championships. Hunter Hoy has helped a Central Mountain team hit hard by graduation remain a championship contender and scored 21 points at Shamokin. He is third among area scorers this season and is one of four Wildcats who has scored at least 17 points in a game.
3. Montoursville (8-4): Montoursville showcased both its grit and balance following the Loyalsock game, rallying for comeback wins against Midd-West and Mifflinburg. Following the Midd-West victory, coach Mark Mussina said he liked how versatile his team is and that it possesses a lot of scoring options. The Warriors proved him right three nights later. Mifflinburg contained the team's top two scorers, but Gavin Cott, Wyatt Fry and Jimmy Mussina all scored in double figures, combining for 43 points in the 59-53 victory. Cott had a big game, going off for a career-high 21 points. He was one of six players who produced at least one double digit performance last week. Montoursville closed strong in both games, outscoring Midd-West and Mifflinburg, 44-31 in the fourth quarter while remaining unbeaten in the HAC-II.
4. Wellsboro (7-3): If ever there was a year it seemed like Wellsboro would take a step back, it was this one. Only two players with significant varsity minutes returned. And yet, the winning continues. The new-look Hornets have won four straight games and remain a threat both in the NTL-I and District 4 Class AAA. Wellsboro has won three of its last four games by 15 points or more and had four players score in double figures in a 72-57 victory against Jersey Shore. Hayes Campbell is one of the league's premier post players and produced 18 points and 11 rebounds in a 58-31 win against Wyalusing. Caden Smith dealt 18 assists in the two wins last week and Luke Rothermel, Ian Hoose and Mitchel Lechler all are coming on strong.
5. North Penn-Mansfield (9-3): Karson Dominick is making a strong all-state repeat case but the Tigers also are receiving contributions throughout their rotation. Cooper Shaw produced a double-double in Saturday's 61-51 win against Athens, Taynton Strange scored a career-high 14 points and Andy Hermansen dealt five assists. Shaw added eight rebounds in a 60-46 victory against Wyalusing and North Penn-Mansfield has won nine of its last 11 games, while remaining in the hunt to host a District 4 Class AAA quarterfinal.
Players of the Week
Karson Dominick, North Penn-Mansfield and Tyrick Moy, Neumann: Dominick has been an all-around force this season, filling up the stat sheet on a regular basis and shredding defenses designed to slow him. The senior guard went off for a career and District 4-high 41 points in that Wyalusing victory before adding 25 more against Athens. He has topped 20 points in nine straight games, but is more than just a score, proving it in the Wyalusing win by adding 10 rebounds and five assists. Moy has turned a strong offseason until a big senior year and added two more double-doubles in Neumann's wins last week, giving him five this season. Moy scored 41 points and grabbed 28 rebounds in hard-fought wins against Millville and Sullivan. He has been especially strong on the offensive glass during Neumann's winning streak, scoring and/or creating second-chance opportunities.
Game of the Week
Hughesville at Warrior Run: This quietly has become one of the area's best rivalries in terms of thrilling games during the last seven years. There have been some memorable comebacks and last-second finishes throughout that time, including a few weeks ago when Landen King's runner with six seconds left lifted Hughesville to a 44-43 win. The Defenders get their shot at revenge Saturday. This will be the fourth time in two years these two have met and the three previous games have been determined by nine combined points.