By: Brad Loff | SportzWire | February 9, 2026
Abington Heights came into Monday night at Valley View with the finish line in sight, and the Comets made sure there was no drama in the final minutes. Behind a balanced scoring effort and an 18 to 9 fourth quarter, Abington Heights pulled away for a 61 to 43 victory over the Cougars to lock up the Lackawanna League Division I boys basketball title.
The Comets set the tone early with crisp ball movement and clean looks from the perimeter, building a 15 to 9 lead after one quarter. They kept their foot on the gas in the second, stretching the advantage to 31 to 20 at the half as they continued to get production from multiple spots on the floor.
Valley View showed life coming out of halftime, winning the third quarter 14 to 12 and giving the home crowd a spark as the Cougars tried to claw back into it. But every time the gap looked like it might shrink into single digits for good, Abington Heights answered with a timely bucket or a trip to the foul line.
That composure showed up loudest in the fourth. The Comets closed the game with their sharpest stretch of the night, outscoring Valley View 18 to 9 over the final eight minutes to turn a competitive three quarter game into a convincing championship clincher.
Jordan Shaffer led the way with 13 points, including three three pointers, while Finn Goldberg added 12 and delivered at the line, going 6 for 7 on free throws. Andrew Kettel scored 11 and Cooper Manning chipped in 10 as Abington Heights had four players reach double figures in a steady, team driven win.
Valley View was paced by Michael Muto with 14 points, highlighted by three threes. Noah Symuleski scored 11, while Jagger Roe and Aiden Plotkin finished with nine apiece, but the Cougars could not match the Comets down the stretch as Abington Heights controlled the tempo and the finish.
Top 5 scorers and other stats
Abington Heights
1 Jordan Shaffer 13 points, 3 threes, 2 for 2 free throws
2 Finn Goldberg 12 points, 6 for 7 free throws
3 Andrew Kettel 11 points, 1 three
4 Cooper Manning 10 points, 1 three
5 Thomas Reese 6 points, 2 threes
Valley View
1 Michael Muto 14 points, 3 threes
2 Noah Symuleski 11 points, 1 three, 2 for 2 free throws
3 Jagger Roe 9 points, 7 for 10 free throws
4 Aiden Plotkin 9 points, 2 threes