By Tom Robinson, NEPABasketball.com
FORMAT: The five-team subregional includes District 2’s four Class 6A schools and Williamsport, District 4’s only school in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association’s largest enrollment classification. There is one game needed to trim the field to four semifinalists. The quarterfinals and semifinals are played on the home court of the higher seed, then the final moves to Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza. Only the champion advances to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association state tournament.
2021 RECAP: The entire tournament went according to seeds with Scranton defeating Williamsport, 48-39, in the championship game.
HIGHEST SEEDS: 1, Scranton; 2, Hazleton Area.
REGULAR-SEASON CHAMPION: Scranton repeated as Lackawanna League Division 1 champion.
RANKED TEAMS: Scranton is ranked second among Big School boys teams and Hazleton Area is fifth in the My City Mortgage Super Six Power Rankings of District 2 teams.
WINNING RECORDS: Scranton 19-2, Williamsport 17-5, Hazleton Area 19-6.
BEST OPENER: Williamsport and Hazleton Area do not open their tournament until Saturday night’s semifinal at Hazleton Area. Both will be in recovery mode. Williamsport had won eight straight by an average margin of 18.3 before losing the season finale, and along with it the second seed and chance to host this game, to District 11 Class 3A power Executive Education. Hazleton Area lost a pair of playoff games to Class 4A Dallas by 19 and 27 points.
KEY GAME: See above.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Jason Shields, Arvel Chandler and Josh Williams from Scranton; Josian Guerra, Luke Gennaro and Khalid Morrieson from Hazleton Area; Kenon Brown from Williamsport; Nyquan Hollman-Santos from Wilkes-Barre Area; Ryan Doherty from Delaware Valley.
NOTEWORTHY: Shields, last season’s NEPABasketball.com Lackawanna Division 1 Player of the Year and a first-team, all-District 2 selection, has scored more than 1,000 points in his career. … Hazleton Area tied Dallas for first place in the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 regular season, but lost to the Mountaineers by 19 and 27 points in playoffs for the division and WVC Tournament titles. With three losses to Dallas, Hazleton Area is 4-4 in the last eight games after being unbeaten in District 2 and 15-2 overall up to that point. … Guerra, a superior defender on the perimeter, leads Hazleton Area in points (16.0), steals (3.4) and assists (2.3). … Williamsport is 2-2 against District 2 teams, beating Scranton Prep and Crestwood while losing to Holy Redeemer and Dallas, all in games decided by eight points or less. … Wilkes-Barre Area has lost six straight and Delaware Valley has lost four in a row.
COMPLETE PAIRINGS
CLASS 6A BOYS (DISTRICT 2-4 SUBREGIONAL)
Wednesday’s quarterfinal
5, Delaware Valley (7-14) at 4, Wilkes-Barre (10-12), 7 p.m.
Saturday’s semifinals
Delaware Valley/Wilkes-Barre Area winner at 1, Scranton (19-2), 7 p.m.
3, Williamsport (17-5) at 2, Hazleton Area (19-6), 7 p.m.
March 5 final
Semifinal winners at Mohegan Sun Arena, 8 p.m.
