By Tom Robinson, NEPASportsNation.com
FORMAT: There are six teams for a three-round tournament in which the top two teams receive byes. Higher seeds host the quarterfinals and semifinals before the final is played at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza. Only the champion will advance to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association state tournament.
2022 RECAP: Holy Cross defeated Elk Lake, 62-47, in the championship to cap a tournament in which all five games were won by the higher seeds.
HIGHEST SEEDS: 1. Montrose; 2, Lackawanna Trail; 3, Old Forge.
REGULAR-SEASON CHAMPIONS: Montrose won the Lackawanna League Division 4 title.
RANKED TEAMS: Montrose is the No. 4 Small School girls team in the Riverfront Sports Super Six Basketball Power Rankings of District 2 teams.
WINNING RECORDS: Montrose 18-4, Lackawanna Trail 11-10.
BEST OPENER: Blue Ridge will try to use the home-court advantage to get past a Lackawanna League Division 3 team for the second straight year. Last season, the Lady Raiders came in hot with a 7-2 February record and beat Old Forge, giving the program a breakthrough win after having lost by 48, 47 and 49 in its previous three district trips. Holy Cross is 0-3 against Lackawanna Division 4 opponents and Blue Ridge is 1-3 when playing up against teams from Lackawanna Division 3. Unlike last season, however, the Lady Raiders do not bring the same momentum to the postseason. They are 2-9 since starting 6-5 and an all-underclassmen team with hopes of a brighter future could use a repeat of last season’s playoff win.
KEY GAME: Old Forge is another team looking to recapture its early-season success. Barring a huge upset in the quarterfinals, the Lady Devils will head to Lackawanna Trail for a rematch in the semifinals. Before going 2-9 in the second half of the season, Old Forge went 8-3 in the first half, including winning 33-28 in a trip to Lackawanna Trail, which was looking for a 3-0 start at the time.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Mia Snyder, Hayley Pompey and Paley Adams from Montrose; Mackenzie Schirg and Gretchen Rejrat from Lackawanna Trail; Talia Piragas and Jewlya McCullon from Old Forge; Emma Button from Blue Ridge; Giulianna Mazza and Abby Thompson from Holy Cross.
NOTEWORTHY: Montrose is looking for its first trip to Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza. The Lady Meteors spent the first six years of the six-classification format in the PIAA as a Class 3A school. … A reduction in the number of teams in the classification have led to the district losing a representative on the state level after sending both finalists to the PIAA in past seasons. … Despite having to take over point guard duties after Aspen Smith’s injury resulted in season-ending knee surgery, Mia Snyder is averaging three 3-pointers and 18 points in the last 8 games. During that time, she tied a Dallas Ely school record with six in a game, then broke it with seven in the regular-season finale. … Forest City won its opener, but has lost 21 straight since.
QUOTABLE: Mia Snyder on maintaining her scoring since moving to the point guard position: “It’s really just setting up the offense, then allowing it to come to me. It’s really a team thing and the team has stepped up to help me on that. … I’m definitely expanding my range as far as where I shoot, from where on the court, and whether it’s driving or shooting. It’s just what opportunities I’m given and what the team can create out of the offense.”
