December 26, 2019

Abington Heights and Lackawanna Trail each won their second straight Lackawanna League wrestling matches to share the early divisional leads with their likely top competition.

Abington Heights and Delaware Valley, the teams that finished tied for first last season, share the Division 1 lead at 2-0.

There are also two 2-0 teams, Lackawanna Trail and defending champion Blue Ridge, at the top of Division 2.

The Comets and Lions went virtually untested by a pair of short-handed teams.

Abington Heights 72, Valley View 10

Abington Heights rolled over host Valley View with the help of six forfeits.

The match started with four of those forfeits and the only one by Abington Heights to put the Comets in front, 24-6, before wrestling began.

After Valley View won at 120 pounds to cut the deficit to 24-10, Abington Heights rolled through six straight pins in a total of 7:55 before receiving its final two forfeits.

Sam Stevens and Ty Wilmot got it started with 32- and 25-second pins at 126 and 132.

Hutch Lynott (138), James Brown (152) and Jacob Gilmore (160) also had first-period pins. Sal Schaivone won in the second period at 145.

The match was the only one of the week for the Comets, who are 5-2 overall. They host Delaware Valley in the league finale Jan. 22.

Lackawanna Trail 78, Mountain View 0

The Lions started with three forfeits and ended with six more at Mountain View.

In between, they swept all five bouts on the mat, led by first-period pins from Seth Ross and Tyler Rozanski at 152 and 170.

Michael Bluhm added a pin at 138.

Dalton Klinges pulled out a 4-3 decision over Nathan Ofalt at 145 and Kody Cresswell also won a decision at 160.

BOYS BASKETBALL

Abington Heights lost twice in three days in games that matched multi-year defending division and district champions against each other.

The Comets, from Lackawanna League Division 1 and District 2 Class 5A, played Wyoming Seminary, the defending Wyoming Valley Conference overall and District 2 Class 3A champion, Wednesday, then took on Hazleton Area, the reigning WVC Division 1 and District 2-4 Class 6A Subregional champion, Friday in a pair of home games.

Hazleton Area 45, Abington Heights 42

Scotty Campbells 3-pointer from the left corner with 1.9 seconds left lifted Hazleton Area to the victory after Abington Heights had rallied from eight points behind in the fourth quarter.

The Comets tied the game in the final minute on a Corey Perkins basket in the lane.

Perkins finished with 14 points.

Phil Johnson, who had 10 of his 12 points in the second half, and Kyle Nealon each hit 3-pointers during the fourth-quarter comeback.

Harry Johnson added eight points.

Perkins had seven of his points in the first quarter to give Abington Heights a 14-12 lead.

The Comets slipped to 3-3.

Lackawanna Trail 53, Old Forge 44

Richard Helbing scored 20 points and Josh Rzucidlo added 17 to lead Lackawanna Trail past visiting Old Forge Thursday.

Nico Berrios hit a 3-pointer in each of the first three quarters, then went 5-for-5 from the line to add 14 points for the Lions.

While the teams it will play against in Lackawanna League Division 4 are a combined 1-24 against outside competition during non-league play, the Lions are off to a 4-2 start.

Wyoming Seminary 53, Abington Heights 46

Jeremy Callahan scored 21 points Dec. 18 to lead Wyoming Seminary to the victory.

Kyle Nealon drained five 3-pointers while scoring 17 points for Abington Heights. Corey Perkins added 10 points in the loss.

Lackawanna Trail 45, Towanda 30

Richard Helbing scored 10 of his 20 points to key a 16-7 second quarter that put Lackawanna Trail ahead in the Dec. 16 road game.

Nico Berrios added 13 points and Josh Rzucidlo had 10.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Abington Heights split two games to end the week with a 5-2 record.

Holy Cross 52, Abington Heights 48

Abbey Lentowski scored 19 points Saturday night as host Holy Cross won a showdown between defending District 2 champions.

The Class 2A Lady Crusaders also got 16 points from Kaci Kranson to improve to 4-1 and beat the Class 5A Lady Comets.

Rachel McDonald made three 3-pointers and led Abington Heights with 17 points.

Abington Heights 69, Mountain View 25

Clair Marion scored nine points in the first quarter and Allison Dammer had eight in the second as Abington Heights piled up 39 first-half points at Mountain View Friday night.

Marion finished with 15 points, Rachel McDonald had 11 and Dammer had 10. Sadie Henzes made three 3-pointers while adding nine.

The win was the fifth straight for the Lady Comets.

Tunkhannock 46, Lackawanna Trail 30

Megan Gatto scored 11 points Friday when Lackawanna Trail (0-5) produced its highest-scoring game of the season while falling to 0-5 with the home loss.

Northwest 43, Lackawanna Trail 23

Megan Gatto had eight points for Lackawanna Trail during the Dec. 18 road loss.

Abington Heights Corey Perkins gets blocked by Williamsports Nassir Jones (2) during a game earlier this month.

See original here:

Lady Comets win tourney in Pottsville - The Abington Journal