The following is a look at the four District 4 fields. Williamsport (12-10) competes through District 2 Class 6A and is the No. 2 seed. It will play Wyoming Valley West (1-20) in the quarterfinals. The Millionaires have championship potential but also have been inconsistent, so it’s hard to gauge them, but the call here is defending champion Hazleton defeating Delaware Valley for the title.

CLASS AAAA

(7 teams, top 3

reach states)

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Warrior Run's James Keifer (3) brings the ball into the paint vs. Montoursville. The Defenders are the top seed in Class AAA.

Lewisburg (19-4) earned the top seed in a strong field and captured its first Heartland Conference championship last weekend, avenging previous defeats against Warrior Run and Southern. All fives starters average more than eight points per game and the Green Dragons have won 14 straight games.

Lewisburg receives a bye into the semifinals and will face either No. 4 Mount Carmel or No. 5 Jersey Shore. The Tornadoes (15-7) feature one of the field’s best players in explosive guard Jude Lazicki who can score in just about every way possible. Jaylen Delaney is a playmaking guard who can fill up the stat sheet and Mount Carmel is a battle-tested team which has wins against No. 3 Montoursville and co-HAC-I champ Selinsgrove.

Speaking of Montoursville, the Warriors (16-6) closed the regular season strong, winning five of their final six games, including against Mount Carmel. Montoursville has held three straight teams to fewer than 40 points and turned a three-point halftime deficit into a 59-38 win against Jersey Shore in its regular-season finale. Four starters average more than nine points per game and sophomore Isaac Erlandson has reached career-highs in each of his last two games.

Montoursville hosts two-time defending champion Danville. The Ironmen (6-16) are a sneaky team which has impressive wins against Mount Carmel and Selinsgrove, so Montoursville has to forget about its regular-season sweep and get ready for a team eager to defend its crown.

The winner of that quarterfinal likely will play No. 2 Shamokin which should have an easy time against No. 7 CMVT in the first round. Shamokin (14-9) shared the HAC-I championship with Selinsgrove and is a well-rounded team which has played in consecutive finals.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Muncy's Dominic Guardini (14) brings the ball past South Williamsport's Neeko Bowen (4) during a Mid-Penn West title game at Millville. Muncy enters the District 4 Class AA playoffs with a 16-7 record and the No. 2 seed.

Tournament sleeper–Jersey Shore: The Bulldogs are a better team than their record indicates and closed regular season with a 76-67 overtime win against St. John Neumann. Four players reached double figures, highlighting how this team features an array of players capable of big games.

Projected semifinals: Lewisburg over Mount Carmel; Shamokin over Montoursville. Projected final: Shamokin over Lewisburg. Consolation game: Mount Carmel over Montoursville.

CLASS AAA

(8 teams, Top 3 advance)

Warrior Run came within a shot or two of capturing its first district championship since 1988 a year ago and is hoping it can take the final step on what has been a four-year climb. The top-seeded Defenders (21-2) should have some extra fire in their bellies after Lewisburg snapped its 14-game winning streak at the HAC Tournament. Aiden McKee and Ethan Balzer are a potent inside tandem and James Keifer is one of the area’s top point guards.

Rivals North Penn-Mansfield (12-10) and Wellsboro collide for the right to play Warrior Run in the quarterfinals. Jason Harer averages a double-double for the No. 8 Tigers and Andy Hermansen is having a big year running the North Penn-Mansfield offense. Colin Fletcher is one of the area’s best shooters and helped Wellsboro (11-11) earn a split against North Penn-Mansfield during the regular season.

Also on this side of the bracket, No. 5 Mifflinburg heads to No. 4 South Williamsport. The Mounties (20-4) have their most wins in a season since 2010 and captured the Mid-Penn championship Saturday, avenging a previous loss against Sullivan County. South has won 15 straight games and has excelled in big-game settings over the last three weeks.

On the other side of the bracket, No. 6 Loyalsock is (13-9) is back in the playoffs after a one-year hiatus and heads to No. 3 Towanda. The Lancers have made a seven-win improvement and played Williamsport tough in its last game. Three starters average more than nine points per game. Towanda (19-4) captured the NTL-I championship and is a hard-working, well-rounded team.

The winner of that game faces either No. 2 Southern Columbia (18-6) or No. 7 Troy. Southern is a well-rounded, tough team which rallied from nine down to beat Shamokin at the HAC Tournament before taking a fourth quarter lead following a 13-point deficit against Lewisburg. Nate Gallagher scored his 1,000th point against Shamokin. Troy is the defending champion and has played in three consecutive finals.

Tournament sleeper–Mifflinburg: The Wildcats have stormed into the postseason, winning eight of their last nine games. They were the only HAC-III team besides Warrior Run to beat Southern and feature two of the field’s premier players in Jackson Griffith and Chad Martin. Mifflinburg is quite familiar with Warrior Run, so a third game between the two would be interesting.

Projected semifinals: Warrior Run over Mifflinburg; Southern over Towanda. Projected final: Southern over Warrior Run. Consolation game: Mifflinburg over Towanda.

CLASS AA

(Top 3 advance)

Muncy (16-7) has played in four consecutive championships, winning in 2023-24. The Indians are the No. 2 seed for a fourth straight year and open against No. 7 Cowanesque Valley. Six of the team’s losses are against larger school teams and the Indians have developed some quality depth throughout the season. Playing South Williamsport in a Mid-Penn West Division championship last Monday also gave the team’s younger players a taste of playoff action which provides a boost.

CV (8-14) has made nice strides this season, doubling its win total from a year ago. Levi Stahli and Ashtyn Burdick average more than nine points per game and Josh Teague has had some big games.

The winner of that game faces either No. 3 Line Mountain or No. 6 Montgomery. Line Mountain (16-8) reached the Tri-Valley League championship and won a hard-fought 64-56 contest against Montgomery 10 days ago. Tall and athletic, the Eagles feature several players from a district championship football team, including Bryce Smeltz who averages 13.7 points per game.

Montgomery (8-14) won its last two games and Parker Bennett became the program’s all-time leading scorer two weeks ago. James Godley has reached career-highs three times in the last few weeks, scoring 20 last Friday against Bucktail and four players reached double figures there.

Top-seeded Northeast Bradford (19-3) won 12 straight games before Athens defeated it in the NTL Showcase. The Panthers took Muncy to overtime in last year’s semifinals, feature a potent offense and return most of that group.

Either No. 4 Neumann (11-11) or No. 5 East Juniata (8-14) will likely face NEB in the semifinals as the Panthers should cruise by No. 8 Sayre. The Knights won eight straight games at one point and have dropped five straight heartbreakers by single-digit margins, including two in overtime. Daiton Thompson and Legend Dillard are having strong seasons and Kane Meixel can be a game-changer.

Tournament sleeper–East Juniata: The Tigers feature a dangerous offense. Wrett Smith averages 17.4 points for EJ and Sam Kopacki 12.1

Projected semifinals: NEB over EJ; Line Mountain over Muncy. Projected final: NEB over Line Mountain. Consolation game: Muncy over EJ.

CLASS A

(8 teams, top 3 advance)

Top-seeded Sullivan County reached last year’s semifinals and returns most of those players after winning the Mid-Penn’s East Division title. The Griffins (19-4) are deep, well-coached and play tough defense. Three players average more than nine points per game and Tucker Blasi is one of the area’s premier defenders.

If Sullivan gets by No. 8 Galeton (7-15), it likely will face No. 4 Lourdes in the semifinals. Don’t be fooled by the Red Raiders’ 10-12 record because they play the field’s most demanding field, defeated Sullivan in overtime on the road and return most of last year’s players from a district finalist. No. 5 Bucktail (7-14) has its work cut out but also a bright future with players like Gavin Pick and Corbin Pentz returning next season after having strong campaigns.

Defending champion North Penn-Liberty is the No. 2 seed and also is a battle-tested team with all its losses against larger school teams. The Mounties, who host No. 7 Benton, have a 26-point win against NEB and pushed South to the limit on the road. Three players are consistent double-double threats.

Tournament sleeper–Meadowbrook Christian: The No. 3 Lions (13-9) face No. 6 Millville (7-13) in the quarterfinals and enter playoff on a four-game winning streak. They are hoping for a rematch against NPL which defeated it last December.

Projected semifinals: Lourdes over Sullivan; NPL over Meadowbrook. Projected final: Lourdes oer NPL. Consolation game: Sullivan over Meadowbrook

Dr. Masse’s Top Five

1. Lewisburg (19-4); 2. Warrior Run (21-2); 3. Montoursville (16-6); 4. South Williamsport (20-4); 5. Sullivan County (19-4).