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Shamokin and Valley View are peaking at the perfect time — in the state playoffs.
However, on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. at Martz Hall in Pottsville, one team’s hot run must come to an end when the Indians and Cougars meet in the PIAA Class 4A quarterfinals.
Shamokin has made an unreal 65 field goals in two PIAA victories, and it seems to have bounced back from a stunning loss in the District 4 championship game to make its first appearance in the state quarterfinals since coach Chris Zimmerman’s senior season of 1999.
Meanwhile in Archbald, Valley View senior Beyon McLean, a 6-foot-3 guard, led the Cougars to their first District 2 championship since 1997, back when 7-footer Billy Celuck patrolled the paint before playing at Syracuse.
The Cougars and the Indians should be familiar with each other — Valley View has ended Shamokin’s season in the state first round each of the last two seasons.
Shamokin (25-4) has found its offensive groove in the playoffs with Jenssyn Shuey triggering the offense from the high post. He has eight assists in each of the first two PIAA games, while scoring 11 and 18 points in those victories.
“I think we’ve done a really good job of controlling the tempo on offense,” Zimmerman said. “We want to play at a good pace, but we got the ball moving early, and got some good shots.”
The Indians are led by their three 1,000-point scorers — Joe Hile (16.4 points per game), Case Lichty (12.1) and Shuey (10.3), but point guard Rylan Price can score as well at 8.3 points per game.
Shamokin’s defense has been just as impressive. The Indians limited Allentown Central Catholic’s two 1,000-point scorers — Jahel Vigo and Lucas Mushrus — to a combined 28 points Tuesday. Mushrus, who finished his career with ACC’s career record for 3-pointers, knocked down just two.
“We just have to play our (kind) of defense,” Lichty said.
That’s probably the most underrated part of Shamokin’s game — its defensive prowess. The Indians never come out of their beloved man-to-man — although a 1-3-1 halfcourt trap with Hile at the top would be scary — and they even borrowed from the district final game plan for their defensive look to shut down the Vikings’ top scorers.
“I think we definitely took a page out of there, but we knew who their threats were,” Hile said. “You could tell some of the other guys weren’t comfortable taking the open shots.”
McLean will provide a challenge for the Shamokin defense. He is averaging 24.7 points in the playoffs for the Cougars, up from his team-leading 13.2 points per game prior to that. The senior scored 21 in the Cougars’ win over the Indians in last year’s first round.
Aidan Smola, a 5-foot-10 guard, is second on the team at 10.3 points per game, and he leads the team with 41 3-pointers. Noah Venno (8.9 ppg., 24 3s) and Noah Symuleski, a 6-3 junior, are also dangerous from the outside. Symuleski has 18 3s and just 11 2s on the season.
The two teams’ only common opponent this season is Abington Heights. The Indians beat the Comets in December, while Valley View split with Abington Heights on the Lackawanna League-Division I season. Shamokin is 5-0 against District 2 opponents this season.
With Cirque du Soleil playing at the Giant Center next weekend, the state finals are delayed a week. The winner of Friday’s game won’t play again until the March 21 semifinals, facing either District 1 champion Bishop Shanahan (18-8) or District 12 champ Devon Prep (19-4).
Continue reading...
However, on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. at Martz Hall in Pottsville, one team’s hot run must come to an end when the Indians and Cougars meet in the PIAA Class 4A quarterfinals.
Shamokin has made an unreal 65 field goals in two PIAA victories, and it seems to have bounced back from a stunning loss in the District 4 championship game to make its first appearance in the state quarterfinals since coach Chris Zimmerman’s senior season of 1999.
Meanwhile in Archbald, Valley View senior Beyon McLean, a 6-foot-3 guard, led the Cougars to their first District 2 championship since 1997, back when 7-footer Billy Celuck patrolled the paint before playing at Syracuse.
The Cougars and the Indians should be familiar with each other — Valley View has ended Shamokin’s season in the state first round each of the last two seasons.
Shamokin (25-4) has found its offensive groove in the playoffs with Jenssyn Shuey triggering the offense from the high post. He has eight assists in each of the first two PIAA games, while scoring 11 and 18 points in those victories.
“I think we’ve done a really good job of controlling the tempo on offense,” Zimmerman said. “We want to play at a good pace, but we got the ball moving early, and got some good shots.”
The Indians are led by their three 1,000-point scorers — Joe Hile (16.4 points per game), Case Lichty (12.1) and Shuey (10.3), but point guard Rylan Price can score as well at 8.3 points per game.
Shamokin’s defense has been just as impressive. The Indians limited Allentown Central Catholic’s two 1,000-point scorers — Jahel Vigo and Lucas Mushrus — to a combined 28 points Tuesday. Mushrus, who finished his career with ACC’s career record for 3-pointers, knocked down just two.
“We just have to play our (kind) of defense,” Lichty said.
That’s probably the most underrated part of Shamokin’s game — its defensive prowess. The Indians never come out of their beloved man-to-man — although a 1-3-1 halfcourt trap with Hile at the top would be scary — and they even borrowed from the district final game plan for their defensive look to shut down the Vikings’ top scorers.
“I think we definitely took a page out of there, but we knew who their threats were,” Hile said. “You could tell some of the other guys weren’t comfortable taking the open shots.”
McLean will provide a challenge for the Shamokin defense. He is averaging 24.7 points in the playoffs for the Cougars, up from his team-leading 13.2 points per game prior to that. The senior scored 21 in the Cougars’ win over the Indians in last year’s first round.
Aidan Smola, a 5-foot-10 guard, is second on the team at 10.3 points per game, and he leads the team with 41 3-pointers. Noah Venno (8.9 ppg., 24 3s) and Noah Symuleski, a 6-3 junior, are also dangerous from the outside. Symuleski has 18 3s and just 11 2s on the season.
The two teams’ only common opponent this season is Abington Heights. The Indians beat the Comets in December, while Valley View split with Abington Heights on the Lackawanna League-Division I season. Shamokin is 5-0 against District 2 opponents this season.
With Cirque du Soleil playing at the Giant Center next weekend, the state finals are delayed a week. The winner of Friday’s game won’t play again until the March 21 semifinals, facing either District 1 champion Bishop Shanahan (18-8) or District 12 champ Devon Prep (19-4).
Continue reading...
