Division 1 of Lackawanna League boys basketball underwent a youth movement in the 2019-20 season.
The division’s top 6 six players and 9 of its top 11 were seniors last season, but this time around, 9 of the top 11 are underclassmen.
West Scranton junior Cayden Merrifield leads the way as NEPABasketball.com’s selection as the division’s Player of the Year. He was one of the underclassmen honored a year ago as a second-team pick.
The two seniors are both on the first team.
Corey Perkins from division champion Abington Heights makes the first team after two previous selections to the second team.
Rhys Merritt from Scranton Prep is the other senior.
The remaining all-stars are all newcomers to the postseason list and all underclassmen.
Included among those are a freshman on the first team, Adam Howanitz of Valley View, and two sophomores on the second team, Jason Shields from Scranton and Robert Rossi from Scranton Prep.
The Coach of the Year award also went to a relative newcomer, Valley View’s Mike Kurpis is in his sixth season, the shortest tenure of the division’s five head coaches. The Cougars exceeded expectations with an 8-5 record in the division, including wins over the two teams above them, Abington Heights and Scranton Prep.
The full all-star team list:
LACKAWANNA LEAGUE DIVISION 1
Coach of the Year
Mike Kurpis, Valley View
Player of the Year
Cayden Merrifield, West Scranton junior
First Team
Adam Howanitz, Valley View freshman
Zack Kovalchik, Valley View junior
Kevin Lazdowsky, Scranton junior
Rhys Merritt, Scranton Prep senior
Corey Perkins, Abington Heights senior
Second Team
Gavin Bednarz, Scranton Prep junior
Harry Johnson, Abington Heights junior
Robert Rossi, Scranton Prep sophomore
Jason Shields, Scranton sophomore
Michael Skoff, Scranton Prep junior
MORE ALL-STARS
Lackawanna League Division 2 boys: https://nepabasketball.prestosports.com/2019-20/Articles/AllStarsLackawannaDivision2.
Lackawanna League Division 3 boys: https://nepabasketball.prestosports.com/2019-20/Articles/AllStarsLackawanna3Boys.
Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2 boys: https://nepabasketball.prestosports.com/2019-20/Articles/AllStarsWVCDivision2Boys.
Lackawanna League Division 4 boys: https://nepabasketball.prestosports.com/2019-20/Articles/AllStarsLackDiv4Boys.
Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 girls: https://nepabasketball.prestosports.com/2019-20/Articles/AllStarsWVCDivision1Girls.
Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2 girls: https://www.nepabasketball.com/2019-20/Articles/AllStarsWVCDivision2Girls.
Lackawanna League Division 2 girls: https://nepabasketball.prestosports.com/2019-20/Articles/AllStarsLackawanna2Girls.
