Boys' playoff preview

Here are some tidbits on the upcoming L-L boys' playoff teams:
Section One
McCaskey Red Tornado
Section One champs
League Record: 16-0
Overall Record: 19-4
Key Losses: Norristown, 78-70: Chester, 71-55; Reading, 101-78 and York 64-60.
Common opponents with Columbia: Ephrata, win, 76-55.
Coach: Steve Powell, recently won 300th game.
Key Players: Lamar Patterson, junior, verbal committment to Pitt; senior Jaren Harris.
Leading scorers (league games): Patterson, 20.3; Harris, 14.7.
Top Foul Shooters: Leontae Turner, 82 percent; Jamaal Parker, 78 percent; Javonne King, 70 percent.
Three-pointers: Patterson, 14 and Turner 13.
Hempfield Black Knights
Section One runners-up.
League Record: 13-3
Overall Record: 17-6
Key Losses: McCaskey, twice, once in OT and another at the buzzer; Lebanon inovertime; Red Lion, Sherwood and Cedar Crest in three OT.
Coach: Warren Goodling, 23 years, closing in on 400 wins.
Key Players: Senior Jordon Stewart and senior Mark Kreider.
Leading scorers (league games): Stewart 14.9; Kreider, 10.9.
Top Foul Shooters: Eddie Gailor, 82 percent; Kreider, 69 percent; Chris Walck, 69 percent.
Three-pointers: Gailor, 16 and Stewart 10.
Common opponents with Columbia: Tulpehocken, 78-51 in; Lebanon, 56-53 overtime loss; Ephrata, 69-62 win and Lancaster Mennonite, 50-33 win.
Conestoga Valley Buckskins
Section Two champs
League Record: 10-6
Overall Record: 14-8
Key Losses: Reading, 96-46; Lancaster Catholic, Hempfield and McCaskey.
Coach: Brad Herr, first year.
Key Players: Senior Joe Fuller; senior Dan Kreider; junior Jeremy Skloloda.
Leading scorers (league games): Kreider, 14.0; Skoloda, 13.8.
Top Foul Shooters: Skoloda,77 percent; Kreider, 76 percent; Ross Hall, 74 percent.
Three-pointers: Skoloda and Fuller 15.
Common opponents with Columbia: Lancaster Mennonite, 61-58 win; L-S, 66-53 win; Ephrata, 59-53 and 65-63 OT win; Lancaster, loss.
Elizabethtown Bears
Section Two runners-up
League Record: 9-7
Overall Record: 14-9
Key Losses: Hershey, 57-47; McCaskey, Cedar Crest, Hempfield and Red Land
Coach: Kevin Dolan, first year.
Key Players: Senior Nathan Koach; junior Quinn Cozzens, junior Chad Styer.
Leading scorers (league games): Koach, 13.2 and Cozzens, 13.1
Top Foul Shooters: Styer, 79 percent.
Three-pointers: Styer 17 and Cozzens 15.
Common opponents with Columbia: Lancaster Mennonite, 59-50 win; Donegal, 69-27 loss; Ephrata, 73-48 and 55-43 wins.
Lebanon Cedars
Section Three champs
League Record: 12-4
Overall Record: 15-7
Key Losses: Columbia, 72-58
Coach: Craig Colletti, first year at Lebanon. Have lost three of last five.
Common opponents with Columbia: All of Section 4 – they were 4-2 crossover games, plus all of Section 3.
Manheim Central Barons
Section Three runners-up
League Record: 11-5.
Overall record: 15-8.
Coach: Chris Sherwood, second year.
Key Losses: Columbia, 63-51.
Common opponents: All of Section Four – they were 3-3 in crossover games, plus all of Section 3 and Ephrata, who they lost to 57-45.

We all know about the two teams from Section 4, along with the key players from Lebanon and Manheim Central.

50 years ago

While this looks like it quite possibly could be an historic season for the Columbia boys' basketball team, I was just at a luncheon and when I was reminded that this season is the 50th anniversary of Columbia's first team ever to play in a state championship game.

The 1957-58 team ended its season with a 25-3 record, winning its section in the old Lancaster County League, the county league with a 58-51 over Warwick and won the Class B District Three championship by beating Camp Hill, 56-48.

The team ended up losing in the state finals to Wampum that year 82-64.

The other losses were to Harrisburg/William Penn and Penn Manor. Oh by the way, that one league loss was to Penn Manor early in the season. The second time around, the Tide beat the Comets to force a playoff, which they won.

Sound a little familar?

Oh by the way, the season opener that year was against Lancaster Catholic.

Elmer Kreiser coached that team. "Skip" Marcello was the assistant coach.

Hi Fitzgerald was the captain. Other team members were Hal Smoker, Danny Monk, Eugene Makle, Hal Murry, Cy Young, Barry Fry, Ernie Gerfin, John Mountz and Pete Weimer.

Tide girls are in

The Columbia girls basketball team clinched a District 3 playoff spot with their win over A-C last night.

With the final deadline tomorrow for teams to qualify or move up in the power ratings, the girls are right now, the 9th seed, meaning they would play the eighth-seed, Camp Hill, if the playoffs were to start today.

Anyone remember what happened the last time the Tide and Camp Hill played a playoff game?

Official brackets will be released on Sunday.

Playoff sites are set

Here is the skinny on the Tide and L-L Playoffs

Section 4 playoff game: As already announced, 1 p.m., Saturday at Penn Manor.

L-L Quarter-Finals
If Columbia plays E-town, Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Conestoga Valley
If Columbia plays Conestoga Valley, Tuesday at 7 p.m., at Garden Spot

L-L Semi-Finals, if Columbia wins
If Columbia plays McCaskey (assuming they win first round game), 7 p.m., at L-S
If Columbia plays the winner of Lebanon/Hempfield, it will be at Warwick at 7 p.m.

League Finals
Saturday, 2 p.m., at Township.

Tickets will be sold at door only -- $5 for adults and $3 for students.
No L-L League passes will be accepted. Best advice, get there early.

All games are single games.

Saturday at PM

Playoff game is Satuday at 1 p.m. at Penn Manor. More details later.

Last night

Was talking to someone last night during halftime of the J.V. game when a small group of Annville-Cleona students entered the Elm.

Some didn't have their shirts on and many had their chests painted A-C colors. Well, guess they didn't understand the L-L League sportsmanship policy. A potential bad situtation was quickly taken care of by the CHS administration and the security.

I wasn't going to make a comment on sportsmanship after reading yesterday's Intell, which ran a story on the lack of sportsmanship across the L-L League on page 1. It upset many when they first saw the story with a picture of the Columbia fans at Monday's game, the reaction was "what did Columbia do now." You had to read the story to find out it was pretty good for Columbia.

I said it 100 times before, there is a sportsmanship policy for the league, district and state. At least at the league level, there is selective enforcement. Until there is a no tolerance policy at ALL games and everyone enforces the rule to the "T," there is no policy.

It's not just the students that can be brutal either. There are some great student sections throughout the L-L League and District 3. I can remember last year being at a game at a Lebanon County School, complaining to a security officer about that school's student section. The officer said go see the principal. Well folks, the principal was near the student section and failed to do anything.
There are two schools in Section 4 that Columbia plays that also has selective enforcement.

So my question why do we read or state the sportsmanship policy before the game? I saw two examples of what I would term marginal sportsmanship within the last 24 hours. One was on TV last night, in another "important" Section 4 game and another was a picture in the paper this morning, that in the one corner, it showed students standing during the game. If there are 24 schools in the L-L League, there are 24 different ways that the rules are enforced.

If we talking about sportsmanship, there should be one policy and one way of enforcing it, not 24.

Sorry for the rant.

Updated power ratings

Here are the updated power rankings through last night:
CLASS AA Record PIAA Pts
1. Columbia 21-2 21-2 7.30
2. Delone Catholic 20-2 20-2 7.27
3. Milton Hershey 17-5 17-5 6.64
4. York Catholic 17-6 17-6 6.57
5. Schuylkill Valley 16-5 16-5 6.52
6. Trinity 13-8 13-8 6.38
7. Wyomissing 15-5 15-5 6.00
8. Upper Dauphin 17-4 16-4 5.80
9. Pequea Valley 13-10 13-10 5.52
10. Halifax 16-7 16-6 5.36
11. Newport 13-6 13-6 5.21
12. Kutztown 8-14 8-14 4.14
13. Fairfield 6-17 6-17 3.96
14. Annville-Cleona 6-16 6-16 3.86
14. Biglerville 6-16 6-16 3.86
16. Hanover 5-18 5-18 3.61
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Tulpehocken 5-16 5-16 3.52
Juniata 6-14 6-14 3.20

CODE: Overall record; record vs. PIAA teams and power ratings.

Oh what a night

The Columbia boys' basketball team showed no ill affects of its loss Monday night to Lancaster Catholic as they plastered Annville-Cleona, 75-37 last night.

Since Catholic won, not that easily over Pequea Valley, a one game played to decide the Section 4 title, is being scheduled. Check back shortly for a time and site.

A-C scored the first 2 points of the game and the Tide ran off 20 of the next 22 points and led 20-4 after one quarter. Even 4 TO's by A-C coach Mike Gaffey in the first 10 minutes of the game didn't help.

It was Senior Night on the hill. Eight seniors played their final game -- Eric, Corey, Donny, Adam, Mike, Ryan, Ben and Colby Tuell. All have contributed in their own ways to the success of the team this season. Thanks guys.

There's still plenty of basketball left and more memories for the "Elite 8" to be made.