State tournament action kicked off on Friday night with several exciting matchups, and the first round continues today with six more area games on the schedule. Let’s take a closer look at some of the key matchups happening this afternoon and tonight.
In the Girls Class AAAA division, Valley View (13-12) will face off against Jersey Shore (19-7) at 4 p.m. Valley View is making their first state tournament appearance since 2001 and has a balanced lineup with all five starters averaging at least 5.9 points per game. On the other hand, Jersey Shore is looking to win a state tournament game for the second consecutive year, with standout players like Peyton Dincher leading the charge.
In the Girls Class A category, High Point Baptist (15-7) will take on Neumann (22-4) at 7:30 p.m. High Point Baptist is making their second straight state tournament appearance, while Neumann is making their program record third consecutive appearance. Both teams have shown strong performances leading up to the state tournament and will be looking to continue their success on the court.
Moving on to the Boys Class AAA division, Mid-Valley (16-9) will go head-to-head against Loyalsock (26-1) at 4 p.m. Mid-Valley is making their second straight state tournament appearance and will be led by top scorer Demaja Dawson. On the other side, Loyalsock is competing in states for the eighth consecutive season and has a strong lineup with multiple players averaging over nine points per game.
In the Boys Class AA division, Claysburg-Kimmel (15-10) will face off against Muncy (20-6) at 5 p.m. Claysburg-Kimmel is making their first trip to the state tournament and will be led by standout player Brayden Haney. Meanwhile, Muncy, despite graduating four starters, has repeated as district champions and will be looking to continue their success in the state tournament.
Lastly, St. John Neumann (14-11) will take on Lancaster Mennonite (17-8) at 1 p.m. Neumann is competing in states for the 12th time in 13 seasons and has shown strong performances leading up to the tournament. However, they will be without their head coach and assistant coach due to suspensions following an investigation into alleged comments made about officiating.
With these exciting matchups on the schedule, fans can expect a thrilling day of basketball as teams battle it out for a chance to advance in the state tournament. Stay tuned for more updates and results from today’s games.