OPENING NIGHT
The Lackawanna League Division 3 season gets underway Monday night with Old Forge at Holy Cross, Riverside at Carbondale and Dunmore at Mid Valley.
SCHEDULE AND FORMAT
Division 3 teams play a 12-game league schedule, home-and-home against each other team in the division. Games against teams from other divisions are not part of the standings.
The full division schedule can be found at: Girls basketball schedules – Lackawanna League Division 3 – NEPA Sports Nation.
2021-22 STANDINGS
Dunmore 12-0, Riverside 10-2, Holy Cross 8-4, Lakeland 5-7, Mid Valley 5-7, Old Forge 2-10, Carbondale 0-12.
RANKED TEAMS
Dunmore is first and Old Forge is fifth among Small School girls teams in the Riverfront Sports Super Six Basketball Power Rankings of District 2 teams.
Riverside and Holy Cross were ranked earlier in the season.
ON THE BENCH
The top two teams in last season’s standings both underwent coaching changes after winning district titles.
Carrie Toomey replaces Ben O’Brien, who left Dunmore to coach the University of Scranton women. For more on Toomey, see: Carrie Toomey named to lead Dunmore Lady Bucks program – NEPA Sports Nation.
Justin Kearney took over for Jack Mekilo, who retired from Riverside. For more on Kearney, see: Riverside names new girls coach – NEPA Basketball.
CLASSIFICATIONS
Carbondale, Dunmore, Lakeland, Mid Valley and Riverside are all Class 3A teams.
Holy Cross and Old Forge compete in Class 2A.
Dunmore is back in Class 3A after being forced by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association to play two seasons in Class 4A, above its true enrollment, because of its past success.
RETURNING STARS
Ciera Toomey was a repeat first-team, all-state choice in Class 4A as well as NEPABasketball.com’s District 2 Player of the Year for all classifications last season.
The three-time, first-team, all-star from NEPABasketball.com, which is now part of NEPASportsNation.com, will have limited availability. The North Carolina commit has played less than three minutes so far while working her way back from reconstructive knee surgery.
Dunmore’s Sophia Talutto is the only other first-team division all-star returning.
Old Forge’s Talia Piragas was a second-team choice last season.
GETTING STARTED
Dunmore and Old Forge have the only winning records among division teams from December non-league games.
Current non-league records: Dunmore 5-2, Old Forge 5-2, Lakeland 3-5, Riverside 3-5, Mid Valley 2-5, Carbondale 1-5, Holy Cross 1-6.
ANALYZING THE RACE
NEPASportsNation.com editor Tom Robinson breaks down the race as follows:
Dunmore has won nine straight division titles and, even with Ciera Toomey’s limited availability, there is no indication that anyone is ready to prevent the Lady Bucks from winning a 10th.
Old Forge, despite an eight-player roster, may be the best of the rest after being able to defeat only one divisional opponent last season (Carbondale twice).
Projected order of finish: 1, Dunmore; 2, Old Forge; 3, Riverside; 4, Lakeland; 5, Holy Cross; 6, Mid Valley; 7, Carbondale.
LOOKING AHEAD
Old Forge will have two early chances to show how far it has come.
The Lady Devils play at rival Riverside, last season’s second-place team, Jan. 9. They host Dunmore Jan. 19.
COMING SOON
Overviews of each team in the division are on the way. Check back at: Basketball – NEPA Sports Nation in the days ahead.
