The Valley View Cougars find themselves in new, lofty positions.
Valley View won its first Lackawanna League divisional boys basketball title since 2004 with Friday night’s 50-36, playoff victory over Abington Heights for the Division 1 title.
That victory also helped the Cougars arrive in the No. 1 Big School boys spot in the Riverfront Sports Super Six Basketball Power Rankings of District 2 teams for the first time.
Movement was minimal in the new rankings released Sunday night as teams move from the conclusion of the regular season and league playoffs into the start of District 2 playoffs.
Old Forge and Blue Ridge also moved up.
Blue Ridge was rewarded for an historic accomplishment. The Raiders won the first championship in the school’s 70-year history by taking Lackawanna League Division 4 Thursday and moved up from sixth to fifth among Small Schools.
Old Forge climbed a spot when it knocked Mid Valley out of what had appeared to be an impending playoff for the Lackawanna Division 3 title.
There was no movement in the girls rankings.
Holy Redeemer used its Wyoming Valley Conference Tournament title, over the former Big School No. 1, Dallas, to hold on to the top spot in Small School boys.
Scranton Prep, in Big Schools, and WVC Tournament champion Lake-Lehman, in Small Schools, held on to the top girls spots.
Valley View jumped from third to first in Big School boys.
The Cougars climbed over Abington Heights, first by catching the Comets with a head-to-head victory late in the regular season, then with Friday’s playoff victory.
Dallas and Abington Heights each slipped one spot to second and third following their playoff losses.
Valley View is the top seed in the upcoming District 2 Class 4A playoffs.
Abington Heights and Dallas are seeded first and second in the district Class 5A playoffs.
Hazleton Area, North Pocono and Nanticoke remain fourth, fifth and sixth.
Hazleton Area is the No. 2 seed and the top District 2 team in the District 2-4 Class 6A Subregional.
North Pocono is the Lackawanna Division 2 champion, but just the fifth seed in Class 5A.
Nanticoke lost in the WVC Tournament semifinals.
Holy Redeemer and Holy Cross, which locked up a Lackawanna League Division 2 title during the week, remained 1-2 in Big School boys.
The Royals and Crusaders are the top seeds in Class 3A and 2A.
Old Forge traded places with Mid Valley, moving from fourth to third, even though the Spartans are seeded above the Blue Devils in Class 3A in the second and third spots.
Blue Ridge beat Riverside in a non-league game before winning its division title and swapped spots with the Vikings, climbing from sixth to fifth.
Division 1 champion Scranton Prep completed its sixth straight unbeaten season in the Lackawanna League to land the top seed in the district Class 4A tournament and remain first in Big School boys.
Pittston Area is next, followed by Wallenpaupack, Abington Heights, Dallas and Hazleton Area.
Pittston Area won the WVC Division 1 title, but lost in the conference tournament semifinals. The Patriots are the top seed in Class 5A.
Wallenpaupack won the Lackawanna Division 2 title with consecutive victories over North Pocono. The second came in a division playoff.
The Lady Buckhorns and Abington Heights are seeded second and third behind Pittston Area in Class 5A.
Lake-Lehman is followed in Small School girls by Dunmore, Holy Redeemer, Montrose, Western Wayne and Elk Lake.
Lackawanna Division 3 champion Dunmore is seeded above Lake-Lehman in the district Class 3A tournament.
Holy Redeemer holds down third after losing its second playoff to Lake-Lehman in eight days in Saturday night’s WVC Tournament final. In between, the Lady Royals beat Big School No. 2 Pittston Area in overtime in the tournament semifinals.
Montrose won its third straight Lackawanna Division 4 title and captured the top seed in Class 2A.
Elk Lake closed the regular season on a 10-game winning streak, including two wins over district top seeds, Mountain View and Montrose.
The full rankings, with records and previous rankings:
RIVERFRONT SPORTS SUPER SIX BASKETBALL POWER RANKINGS
BIG SCHOOL BOYS
| Rank | Team | W-L | Last Rank |
| 1 | Valley View | 19-3 | 3 |
| 2 | Dallas | 20-4 | 1 |
| 3 | Abington Heights | 19-4 | 2 |
| 4 | Hazleton Area | 14-8 | 4 |
| 5 | North Pocono | 13-9 | 5 |
| 6 | Nanticoke | 15-8 | 6 |
SMALL SCHOOL BOYS
| Rank | Team | W-L | Last Rank |
| 1 | Holy Redeemer | 22-2 | 1 |
| 2 | Holy Cross | 17-5 | 2 |
| 3 | Old Forge | 16-5 | 4 |
| 4 | Mid Valley | 17-5 | 3 |
| 5 | Blue Ridge | 19-3 | 6 |
| 6 | Riverside | 13-9 | 5 |
BIG SCHOOL GIRLS
| Rank | Team | W-L | Last Rank |
| 1 | Scranton Prep | 19-2 | 1 |
| 2 | Pittston Area | 21-2 | 2 |
| 3 | Wallenpaupack | 17-6 | 3 |
| 4 | Abington Heights | 15-7 | 4 |
| 5 | Dallas | 12-10 | 5 |
| 6 | Hazleton Area | 16-7 | 6 |
SMALL SCHOOL GIRLS
| Rank | Team | W-L | Last Rank |
| 1 | Lake-Lehman | 21-4 | 1 |
| 2 | Dunmore | 19-3 | 2 |
| 3 | Holy Redeemer | 15-10 | 3 |
| 4 | Montrose | 18-4 | 4 |
| 5 | Western Wayne | 9-13 | 5 |
| 6 | Elk Lake | 14-8 | 6 |
