Golf was the first sport to get started in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association this season and, accordingly, it is the first to be moving toward a conclusion in the Wyoming Valley Conference and Lackawanna League.
Crestwood can be the first team to clinch at least a tie for first place when the Comets (11-0) play host Pittston Area (6-5) Wednesday afternoon in a Wyoming Valley Conference Class 3A Division golf match at Fox Hill Country Club.
The Comets moved into the No. 1 spot among Big Schools in the Riverfront Sports Super Golf Power Rankings of District 2 teams early in the season.
To the north, the Lackawanna League girls golfers took to the course at Elmhurst Country Club Wednesday morning in their qualifying event to reach the District 2 individual tournament in Class 2A and the District 2-4 Subregional in Class 3A.
While golfers are already aiming at the postseason, more than half of the WVC is still looking to make its debut in cross country.
The cluster meet format and last week’s postponements add up to make this not only the first day for much of the conference, but potentially an important one in the big picture of deciding a title.
The boys and girls teams from Pittston Area, Wyoming Area, Wyoming Valley West and Wilkes-Barre Area will all be scored on the first 6 of their 16 WVC meets when they run at Kirby Park against each other in a make-up of last week’s postponement and against the combination of Hazleton Area, Crestwood and MMI Prep.
Crestwood is the WVC’s top-ranked program with the girls team starting out at No. 1 and the boys at No. 2 in the Century Dental Associates Cross Country Power Rankings of District 2 teams.
If Crestwood is not the conference’s top team in either title race, that team could emerge from the day’s top meet, which is being hosted by Wyoming Seminary. Dallas, Lake-Lehman and Tunkhannock all open their season by competing against the combination of Wyoming Seminary, Holy Redeemer, Nanticoke and Hanover Area.
Both Holy Redeemer teams are off to 3-0 starts, heading into meets against two ranked opponents.
Holy Redeemer is sixth, Dallas eighth and Lake-Lehman ninth in the boys rankings. Dallas is fourth, Lake-Lehman seventh and Holy Redeemer eighth in the girls rankings.
Berwick, the fifth-ranked boys team, opens in a make-up of its meet with cluster partners Columbia-Montour Vo-Tech and Northwest.
Western Wayne hosts the only meet left on the Week Two schedule in the Lackawanna League.
In girls tennis, four of the top five Lackawanna League teams are involved in important matches in a schedule that has three cases where winning teams go against each other.
Scranton Prep (6-0) is at Valley View (7-1 league, 9-1 overall) while West Scranton (6-1) is at Wallenpaupack (5-0, 6-1).
Likely District 2 Class 3A tournament teams meet when Delaware Valley (4-2) plays at Scranton (5-2).
The field hockey schedule includes No. 6 Lackawanna Trail (0-1, 2-1) at No. 4 Lake-Lehman (2-0, 5-1) in a Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 meeting of teams in the Golden Dome Abstract Super Six Field Hockey Rankings of District 2 teams.
The girls volleyball schedule is highlighted by Holy Redeemer (4-0) going to Pittston Area (3-1, 5-1) in a Wyoming Valley Conference match. Holy Redeemer has not lost a set this season.
In boys soccer, Wallenpaupack (1-1, 4-1) is at Scranton (1-0-1) in a Lackawanna League Division 1 game.
There is also a light schedule in girls soccer.
