THE FINAL WORD: THOUGHTS ON THE WINTER SEASON — PART II (2019-12-20)
The 2019-20 high school basketball season looks like it will be quite an interesting one.
There are no dominant teams in the Valley, and there may only be only divisional title team, but I believe the majority of Valley teams will qualify for the postseason.
The Athens girls may have been the most unlikely of teams to expect a division title from, but a big win over North Penn-Mansfield puts them at the forefront of title picture to start the season.
It's very early, but senior point guard Avery Priester is playing with a lot more confidence, and appears to be one of the most improved players in the area.
Junior Kayleigh Miller and sophomore Caydence Macik are as good a 1-2 punch as there is in the league, and senior Haley Barry is cementing herself as a consistent third scorer, which will make the Lady Wildcats very dangerous.
There's a long way to go. Athens has yet to play Towanda, Wyalusing, or Wellsboro, but I'd say they're in the title hunt for the long haul.
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The Lady Wolverines are 3-1 in divisional play, with the loss coming at home to unbeaten Newark Valley.
Waverly entered the season with a mix of youth and experience, and is improving with each game.
Junior Sidney Tomasso and freshman Kennedy Westbrook have emerged as consistent scorers, and senior Morgan Adams is showing signs of scoring in the low post, something that concerned coach Bob Kelly entering the season.
The question is, can Waverly avenge their loss with a win at Newark Valley in the second half of the season. That will be a tall task, winning at NV is never easy, and the Lady Cardinals are very good this season.
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The Sayre girls notched their first win of the season Thursday, knocking off winless Troy.
Junior Gabbi Randall is a very good all-around player, and senior Emily Sutryk has excelled all over the floor as well this season.
The Lady Redskins have seen some improved play from senior Maddie Lamanna, and solid contributions from freshman Gabby Shaw in the early going.
There's little chance this Sayre team will qualify for the postseason, but it could win four or five games.
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The Lady Tigers are 2-2 in their first trip through divisional play. Newfield and O-M are clearly the best two teams in the division, but Tioga is a good bet to win its eight games and qualify for the postseason.
Junior Olivia Ayres and junior Eve Wood have been the main scorers, but senior Chloe Bellis, who had 14 points and 16 rebounds in a win over S-VE Wednesday, and sophomore Julia Bellis have also shown the ability to score. Senior Giovanna Rossi has been a force on the boards.
This is a very athletic Tioga team. On nights when they are shooting the ball well, they will presents problems for any team.
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Scott Woodring is back for the Waverly boys, and while he doesn't appear to be quite 100 percent, he's averaging about 26 points and 13 rebounds per game.
No one has stepped up as a consistent second or third scorer for the Wolverines, but junior Aidan Westbrook and sophomore Caden Hollywood have both had big games in wins, and 8th-grader Joey Tomasso and junior Ryan Lambert have been a good combo at point guard.
The Wolverines are athletic and deep, and should only get better as the season wears on.
Watkins Glen was preseason favorite in the Large School Division. Waverly may have caught a break Saturday when its first match-up against the Senecas was postponed. They should be a much better team when they finally match-up in late January.
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The Wildcats are a nice mix of youth and experience, but took a big hit with the loss of senior forward Keegan Rude, who is out indefinitely.
They have a strong sophomore class, a group that has just scratched the tip of the iceberg in terms of their talent and potential and freshman Mason Lister is already contributing as well.
Senior Aaron Lane is a proven scorer, and senior Damian Hudson has done a nice job at the point, but this team will go as far as the youngsters will carry them.
With the loss of Rude, sophomores Troy Pritchard and J.J. Babcock will be looked to for more rebounds and scoring in the low post.
While I think Troy may be the team to beat, the NTL Large School appears to be wide open, and Athens could make a run at a division title.
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The Sayre boys have dropped two in a row after a 3-0 start, and have struggled to score in their losses.
They now face a very tough stretch of games - with back-to-back contests against Athens, the second in the Valley Christmas Tournament, then a game against Towanda or Waverly, and contests against Wellsboro and Troy to start the New Year - before they play the bulk of their divisional games.
The Redskins have just one senior in Corbin Brown, so the future is bright. I think they are a year away, but they could make some waves in the Small School Division, and should gain some valuable experience in the postseason.
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The Tioga boys are young, and inexperienced, and will take some lumps this season, but the future is bright with a trio of sophomores in Gavin Godfrey, Casey Stoughton, and Isaac Peterson, and 8th-grader Ethan Perry.
The Tioga 8th-grade team went unbeaten this season without Perry, so a Tioga basketball renaissance could be on its way.
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The Waverly boys swim team is 6-0, and has lost just two events this season. They are riding a 36-meet win streak.
Senior Mike Atanasoff, in his first swim of the season, qualified for States in both the 50- and 100-yard freestyle sprints. He is on pace to graduate as one of the top swimmers in the history of the storied Wolverine program, and could become just the second Waverly swimmer to reach the championship finals podium at States.
Juniors Collin Keefer and Ryan Bennett, and sophomore Kaden Wheeler have consistently won three or four events per meet, and could challenge for a trip to States as well, but it will be difficult with Waverly's move up to Class B this season.
Junior Gage Streeter is likely Waverly's best bet to join Atanasoff at States.
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The Waverly boys and girls bowling teams are in the thick of things in the IAC Large School Division, but both suffered big 4-0 losses at Union Springs / Port Byron.
Both teams are improved from last year. The Lady Wolverines have had four strong bowlers in senior Mackenzie Plouse, freshmen Victoria Houseknecht and Shantilly Decker, and 8th-grader Rachel Houseknecht.
The Waverly boys are led by freshman Zach Vanderpool and senior Derrick Canfield, while junior Matt Mauersberg, sophomore Cody Blackwell, and freshman Ashton Pritchard have all rolled 600 series in the early going.
The Tioga boys swept Groton Thursday to move into first place. Returning state qualifier junior Kiloton Pond hasn't bowled up to his abilities this season, but sophomores Rocco Fariello and Dylan Slater have both bowled very well, and sophomore Jarrett Myers has been a pleasant surprise.
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The Final Word returns next week.
