MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montoursville's Brennan Inbro (13) is greeted by fans during introductions before their game against Loyalsock Monday night.

The Heartland Athletic Conference hosted its first Boys Basketball Media Day Sunday night at Shamokin. The following is a look at the the conferences, highlighting the teams who were interviewed at the event.

The Sun-Gazette will unveil its area boys and girls’ basketball previews Friday, and all teams in the coverage area will be featured there.

HAC-I

Jersey Shore enjoyed a massive turnaround a year ago, finishing, 13-10 after winning eight game the three previous seasons combined. The Bulldogs then pushed eventual District 4 Class AAAA champion Danville hard in the district quarterfinals, creating excitement moving forward.

“Getting that playoff atmosphere in a gymnasium is way different than a baseball or football game. Now that we understand what we’re getting into it’s a boost mentally because you’ve been in that position with all those fans,” forward Carson Watkins said. “It’s a phenomenal launching pad for us.”

Watkins is one of several players back from last year’s team. He and fellow HAC-I all-star Landon Lathan averaged close to double figures and Lathan and Jacob Lorson are two of the area’s premier defenders. Jersey Shore must replace HAC-I first team center Ben Dalton and lacks much height but also possesses a lot of speed and played as relentless as any district team a year ago.

“We have to play a lot of team defense. Not so much one-on-one, but a lot of team defense; team rebounding,” Lathan said. “We had Ben last year as our main rebounder, now we’re going to need a bunch of people to get rebounds. We can’t just rely on one person. I think we’re just as good if not better with our depth and bench. We’re very quick and we can push the floor.”

Jersey Shore often went 9 or 10-deep last year and that depth played a major role in the team’s improvement. Just as important, Jersey Shore tasted success. It changed the program’s culture.

The Bulldogs know they can win now because they have done so. Now the goal is to keep elevating and see how far they can climb.

“There are a lot of good teams everywhere, but I think we can compete with all of them,” Lathan said. “We’re just have to bring our best every day.”

“It shows that we can compete,” Watkins said. “We just have to bounce back and try and get farther this year. We can hang in there with anyone.”

Central Mountain has proven that in the past, capturing HAC-I championships and district crowns. The Wildcats have to replace 1,000-point scorer Hunter Hoy, but Blake Walker, Noah Wells and Darius Shade are all coming off quality seasons and the team put together a strong offseason, so it could remain among the league’s top squads.

Milton rounds out the area HAC-I teams and is hoping to bounce back following a 2-21 campaign. Doing so could prove difficult after leading scorer Rylin Scott graduated. The Black Panthers are young, so there could be growing pains but there also could be a bright future for a team coached by former Milton standout Ryan Emery.

Shamokin is the defending league champion and must replace four decorated starters but features an outstanding tradition and likely will again be in the title hunt. Shikellamy has a good group returning and Selinsgrove is lead by one of the league’s best players, Xzavier Jackson.

HAC-II

Montoursville had four new starters a year ago, but went 11-12 and returned to the District 4 Class AAAA playoffs. All those starters return this season, so the Warriors are far ahead of where they were in terms of experience at this time last year. Time will tell how it plays out, but that forms a strong foundation for new coach Mike Mussina who returns after guiding the Warriors to district championships in 2018 and 2020.

“It was a below par season, we thought. It wasn’t where we wanted to be but I think with everyone coming back this year we can achieve some good things,” forward Brennan Imbro said. “We started to become more comfortable last year. Now this year, we’re going into the year just ready to start. We’ve seen the lights, so we can go in and ready to try and win right away.”

“We got a lot of experience last year. We did do some good things last year even though our season didn’t end the way we wanted it to,” center Kingston Fisher said after nearly averaging a double-double last winter. “I think coming back this year we’re ready to fight for something else.”

Guards Shea Ulmer and Elijah Eck joined Fisher in averaging double figures a year ago and Carson Menne provided quality production off the bench. Ulmer and Eck can stretch a defense with their shooting and get to the basket, while Imbro and Fisher can be weapons inside.

Put it together and Montoursville features a nice blend of size, shooting and experience.

“We don’t lack a specific spot. I’d say we’re very well-rounded,” Ulmer said. “We have really good chemistry this year. I think our players are connecting better than they have. Everyone is working together and eager to get the season started.”

Defending champion Mount Carmel which has two starters back, including standout forward Jude Lazicki, swept three games from Montoursville and defeated it on its home court in the district quarterfinals. That game, and so many others, in a fiercely competitive league helped all the returning players grow whether the record said so or not.

The HAC-II again is loaded, all the experiences gained last year help bolster a team which did a lot of growing last year and hopes to do make its move this year.

“Almost every game last year was a challenge. Every game was close,” Eck said after averaging 10.4 points per game as a freshman. “I think it will be similar this year and that’s always fun to be involved in those kinds of games.”

“Games like that taught us a lot of things,” Ulmer said. “I think we’re a lot smarter now than we were the last few years because we have this experience. I think we can do a lot of good things.”

Lewisburg is hoping to do so as well. The Green Dragons went 14-9, losing a close 4A quarterfinal against Central Columbia and return most of its players. Like Montoursville, Lewisburg has some excellent shooters led by senior guard Cooper Mowry as well as inside threats like Rebira Jemana and Nazir Meredith.

Sophomore LJ Tucker flourished off the bench in his debut year and freshman point guard Cortland Michaels is expected to play a vital role. It’s a mix of experience and youthful promise for a team which opens its season Friday against Shamokin.

“We’ve had a lot of talent the last couple of years but we’ve just never been able to really use it and come together as a team to propel us into a district championship or state playoffs,” said Mowry, who led the area in 3-pointers last year. “Everybody here has been working really hard since right after last season ended.”

That is what has impressed coach Leon Tucker the most about this team. The Xs and Os and strategy is one thing, but having a group he knows will pay whatever price necessary to lift the program has Tucker feeling really good these days.

“They’ve all put in a lot of work in the fall and the summer. They really got after it,” he said. “We set some realistic goals for ourselves and we want to compete for a district championship this year. We want to be able to make some noise potentially in the state playoffs. I think the work they put in is a credit to them and, hopefully, we can attain those goals.”

LJ Tucker is one of those who has embraced the grind since last season and could take a big step forward following his promising debut season. Like Tucker last year, Michaels is expected to immediately contribute. Combine that with Mowry being a first team all-star last year, Meredith being a three-year starter and Jemana being the reigning conference Defensive Player of the Year and Lewisburg could be poised to take another step forward.

“I feel like the experience last year definitely helped. This last summer and fall it helped having the seniors giving advice and how to handle certain situations,” LJ Tucker said. “They’ve done a good job passing on the experience and how they used it in the past and how it can help us in the future.”

“Throughout the summer, we all played together for a while. I think the chemistry has come together,” Michaels said. “We all know how each other plays, so we all can work together well.”

Defending district champion Danville shared the league crown with Mount Carmel a year ago and Central Columbia returns a good core from a team which is a perennial contender, while Midd-West will try making a move upward after going winless in conference play a year ago.

HAC-III

Hughesville opened its season Saturday and looked strong, defeating Berwick, 55-40. The Spartans went 3-19 last winter, but juniors Gavin Knarr and Alex Schultz both had strong seasons and bolster a young, but exciting roster.

Knarr scored 25 points, grabbed eight rebounds and made five steals against Berwick, while Schultz produced a double-double (13 points, 10 rebounds, 5 steals). Freshman point guard Jonah Heiney played well in his debut, scoring seven points as did forward Evan Mackenzie. Gage Webb was strong inside and Malachi Flowers electric off the bench.

“We kind of had a thing in the offseason of trust each other and that’s what we’ve been playing by,” Knarr said. “We’re taking the younger players under our wing. We want to take it day by day and game by game and just show them what it’s all about.”

Earning a win in the season opener against a team which defeated it last year was a good start. The Spartans put together a super offseason and coach Cameron St. James loves his team’s work ethic. Getting a taste of immediate success helps and Hughesville is eager to work its way back up the standings.

“They learned through the trials and tribulations of last year to be like, ‘We’re not going to do that,'” St. James said. “We have the capacity to bring this to a different level.”

Loyalsock is hoping to reach a new level as well. Yes, the Lancers have been the district’s most consistent winner throughout the 2000s but they went 6-16 last year, suffering their first losing season since 2000.

It’s a completely new look but a familiar one as well this season. The difference is 2001 graduate Ryan Cioffi has replaced legendary coach Ron Insinger but he also has a much more experienced group than a year ago when just one player with significant varsity experience opened the season.

Loyalsock played well in a scrimmage against Milton and, while more experienced, has just one senior in guard Jalil Coates. Isaac Blackwell, Brecken Gusick and Braydon Cioffi are all among those who started last season and Saoj Jones has the potential to be a difference-maker inside.

Warrior Run won a share of its first league championship of the 2000s last winter and reached its first district final since 1999. The Defenders also won their first state tournament game since that year and second team all-state center Aiden McKee returns following a dominant junior campaign.

Point guard James Keifer and forward Landon Polcyn have started and/or contributed for four years. Ethan Balzer played well off the bench a year ago and likely will move into the starting lineup for a team which was a shot and/or play from winning the district championship.

Southern Columbia shared the league title with Warrior Run a year ago and took third in the district. The Tigers again will a title contender, returning all but one starter. Mifflinburg also will be in title mix and be a 4A championship contender, returning explosive guard Jackson Griffith among others. Bloomsburg also returns a good group, so games should be competitive on a nightly basis.