The PIAA State Playoffs kick off this weekend, and several District 2 boys basketball teams are ready to battle in the first round. With games scheduled for Friday, March 7, and Saturday, March 8, teams across multiple classifications will look to advance. Notable matchups include Abington Heights hosting Upper Moreland, Scranton Prep traveling to Northwestern Lehigh, and Hazleton Area facing Northampton on the road. With high stakes and championship dreams on the line, District 2 teams are prepared to compete. Stay tuned for game results and updates as the playoffs unfold.

District 2 girls basketball teams are set to tip off in the first round of the PIAA State Playoffs this weekend, with matchups scheduled for Friday, March 7, and Saturday, March 8. Key games include Scranton Prep hosting Delone Catholic, Dallas facing Villa Maria Academy at Wissahickon High School, and Hazleton Area taking on Cheltenham at home. With strong competition ahead, District 2 teams will look to advance to the next round. Stay tuned for updates and results as the postseason action unfolds.

Dunmore head coach Carrie Toomey knew coming into Saturday afternoon’s District 2 3A Championship game with Holy Redeemer that it was going to be a battle. “It was going to be a mental toughness battle. I thought that our team really stepped up. We never stopped believing. No matter if we were down by six, down by three, up by one.” Said Toomey. Sophia Talluto had a game high 24 points and Amanda Dempsey and Michelle Nidoh each added nine points for Dunmore.

From the opening tipoff to the final buzzer, Old Forge made a statement. From the opening dunk by Logan Fanning to the final buzzer. Old Forge defeated Lackawanna Trail 54-32 on Saturday afternoon to win the District 2 2A Title. Fanning had a game high 20 points and DJ Fox added 11.

For years, Scranton Prep has always been an obstacle for Valley View in achieving their goal for a District 2 Championship. Beyon McLean had a game high 26 points and Noah Veno added 13 points as Valley View took the District 2 4A Crown as they defeated Scranton Prep 66-53. “This is a great feeling. I’m just happy for our guys. It’s been a long coming. We’ve been runner-up the last two years. To finally break through, it’s something special.” Said Cougars head coach Mike Kurpis.

Late in the first quarter, momentum was shifting towards Crestwood. The Lady Comets had a team effort on both offense and defense as they took their first District 2 title with a 54-31 victory over Dallas. Cameron Vieney had a game high 12 points and Jackie Gallagher added 10 points. “It’s a surreal feeling. I really can’t put it into words. It’s the most incredible feeling.” Said Crestwood head coach Mary Mushock-Namey.

With the game tied just before halftime. Tony Battaglia found Jayden Burrell in the corner and Burrell hit the three at the buzzer. “It was momentum building going into half.” Said Scranton head coach Tony Battaglia. The Knights used that momentum to propel them to their fifth straight District 2 6A Championship 44-35 over Hazleton Area. Tony Battaglia had a game high 15 points and Jayden Burrell added nine.

The PTFCA Indoor State Championships saw some outstanding performances from District 2 athletes, as they made their mark against Pennsylvania’s best. With multiple top-10 finishes and personal bests, the championship meet proved that District 2 talent is ready to make noise as the outdoor season approaches.

Elk Lake has been a problem for Mountain View this season. Defeating them twice in the regular season. Mountain View played one of their best games on defense all season as they held Elk Lake to 17 points as the Eagles took the District 2 2A Championship 34-17 over Elk Lake. Brooklyn Anderson had a game high ten points and Addison Kilmer had all nine points in the fourth quarter. “I thought our defense was great. To get this type of effort, I could not have imagined a better effort.” Said Mountain View Head Coach Corey Gesford.

Late in the fourth quarter, Scranton pushed Hazleton Area’s lead down to six. The Lady Cougars ended up pulling away to win the District 2 6A Girls Basketball Championship 62-47 over Scranton. Kaitlyn Bindas had a team high 18 points and Sophia Benyo added 14. “We took the press off with 5 minutes to go and we did very good.” Said Hazleton Area head coach Joe Gavio of the change he made on defense.

Abington Heights trailed for most of the game. When it mattered the most, the Comets came up big. Billy Johnson got a basket to give them the lead and Jordan Shaffer had a big three point play with 2:21 left to make it a four point game as Abington Height won it’s third straight District 2 5A Title 53-48 over Pittston Area. It was the first District title for Head Coach JC Show, who replaced Ken Bianchi. “I said to the team before the game, we’ve endured some storms on the basketball court and we’ve gone underwater but we got here and we’re competing for a Championship.”

After MMI took the lead on a buzzer beating three pointer, Susquehanna head coach Jeff Baldwin sat his team down. “I told them you gotta really work hard, you gotta work this next quarter to win this, they aren’t going away.” The Lady Sabers got six straight points from Lauren Huyck to build a five point lead and held on to defeat MMI Prep to win the District 2 Single-A Championship 37-34. Huyck scored a game high 17 points and Kiera Burke added 10 for the District Champions.

Scranton Prep wins 4A Girls District 2 Championship in Convincing Fashion When Valley View cut the lead down to eight in the third quarter, Scranton Prep needed to right the ship. Maya Jenkins got a three point play to stop the run and Jenna Hillebrand got a basket before the end of the quarter and pulled away in the fourth quarter to take a 62-36 victory over Valley View to win another District 2 4A Championship. Jenna Hillebrand had a game high 21 points and Maya Jenkins added 15 points. Even though the game was close in the third Classics head coach Bob Beviglia knew his team wouldn’t be denied. “I thought when we are able to get out and run. That’s when we are at our best. When we were able to get out in transition and outnumbered situations. That was the difference in the game.”

This was the fourth time that Riverside and Holy Cross played this season. Both split their regular season matchups and the Crusaders winning the Division Title. “I think we provided Northeast Pennsylvania basketball community with a great season of basketball.” Said Vikings head coach Josh Aniska. Riverside took the District 2 3A Title for the second straight year with a 61-50 victory over Holy Cross. Gerry Rose had a game high 21 points and Brayden Rose added 14 points for Riverside.

In the land of five mountains, nestled in the heart of Shickshinny, a small town with a big heart, the Northwest Rangers etched their names in history by capturing the District 4 2A Boys Basketball Championship, a title they hadn’t won since 1992. The road to the championship was not an easy one, but the Rangers overcame every challenge in their path, culminating in a 58-34 victory over the Muncy Indians in the District final.