THE ONE AND ONLY
The Lackawanna League boys basketball season is not even half over, but only one team in any of the league’s four divisions is unbeaten.
That team is Lackawanna Trail.
EARLY RESULTS
A little more than one-third of the league schedule is complete going into tonight’s make-up game that sends Montrose to Elk Lake.
The current Division 4 standings: Lackawanna Trail 5-0, Mountain View 3-1, Elk Lake 2-2, Susquehanna 2-2, Blue Ridge 2-3, Forest City 1-3, Montrose 0-4.
UNRANKED
None of the teams in the division are ranked among the best Small Schools in the Riverfront Sports Super Six Power Rankings of District 2 basketball teams.
THE RACE
Lackawanna Trail is the clear favorite.
The group between the Lions and Montrose, District 2’s only winless team, is fairly evenly balanced. Elk Lake and Mountain View appear to be the top threats from that group.
2018-19 STANDINGS
Susquehanna won last season’s title in a playoff with Mountain View.
The standings: Susquehanna 9-3, Mountain View 9-3, Lackawanna Trail 8-4, Elk Lake 6-6, Forest City 4-8, Blue Ridge 3-9, Montrose 3-9.
OUTSIDE STRUGGLES
Division teams are a combined 9-37 against outside competition, led by Lackawanna Trail’s 4-4 record. They are 3-16 against Lackawanna Division 3 opponents.
ON THE BENCH
Reggie Hawkins is the division’s new coach. He is in his first year at Montrose.
ESTABLISHED STARS
Lackawanna Trail’s Richard Helbing is the only first-team division all-star back from the 2018-19 team, according to NEPABasketball.com.
Mountain View’s Michael Fanelli is the only player back from the second team.
Of the division’s top 11 players last season, 9 graduated.
CLASSIFICATIONS
Lackawanna Trail (9-4 overall) and Elk Lake (7-6) are second and third, behind defending champion Holy Cross, among the nine teams in the race for the eight District 2 Class 2A playoff berths.
Mountain View is 4-8 and in fifth place.
Blue Ridge (4-8), Susquehanna (3-10) and Forest City (2-9) occupy the last three spots, seventh, eighth and ninth, in the standings.
Montrose (0-13) is ninth in District 2 Class 3A where eight teams make the playoffs.
LOOKING AHEAD
If the title does not end up going to Lackawanna Trail, it will be decided in games involving the Lions.
Lackawanna Trail is entering a key stretch. Its next division game is a Wednesday make-up game at defending champion Susquehanna. The Lions then host Elk Lake Friday and travel to second-place Mountain View Jan. 28.
The final game on the division schedule for Lackawanna Trail is Feb. 11 at home against Susquehanna. The Lions have the division’s final bye and will be playing against Mid Valley when the other division teams complete their schedule Feb. 13.
