Scranton Knights

When the nets start snapping early and often, confidence follows. And on this night at Scranton High, the Lady Knights turned a semifinal into a shooting clinic, raining threes and sending a clear message: they’re not done yet.

When the nets start snapping early and often, confidence follows. And on this night at Scranton High, the Lady Knights turned a semifinal into a shooting clinic, raining threes and sending a clear message: they’re not done yet.

Hazleton Area opened the District 2 Class 6A boys basketball playoffs with authority Wednesday night, defeating Scranton 58-40 behind a balanced offensive effort and a dominant third-quarter surge.

Valley View closed the regular season with a statement win Thursday night, outlasting Scranton 50 to 47 behind balanced scoring and clutch fourth quarter execution. Sadie Cardoni and Cora Castellani each scored 14 points as the Cougars secured their 17th win of the season.

“I’ve played basketball since I’m out the womb,” Battaglia said with a laugh. “When I was little, I played baseball too, but it felt too slow to me. Basketball was straight action 24/7, and I just fell in love with it and wanted to get better and better.”

Alers buried a clutch three pointer with 10 seconds remaining while her team trailed by two, flipping the score and sealing a dramatic comeback victory in a tightly contested finish.

Friday night at Mid Valley was about more than a final score. With both teams and coaching staffs wearing green shirts carrying messages of support, the gym became a place of awareness, unity, and conversation. Scranton left with its first win of the season, but the lasting impact came from two programs standing together, reminding every student and athlete in the building that mental health matters and that no one has to carry the weight alone.

Homecoming night turned historic in Clarks Summit as Abington Heights senior Gavin Anders became the all-time leader in receiving yards. Behind strong efforts from Noah Kayal and Jayden Anglin, the Comets stormed past Scranton 49–13 to improve to 7–2 on the season.

Fog rolled over Bloomsburg University as the NEPA Invitational 2025 opened with the girls’ and boys’ junior high 3200-meter races. Shikellamy’s Carly Ross dominated the girls’ field in 11:10, while Danville claimed the team title with 91 points. On the boys’ side, Holy Redeemer’s Frank Pacelli edged Lewisburg’s Taylor Gulden-Luthi in a dramatic finish, clocking 10:00 to 10:01. District 2 runners shined with six top-12 finishes, led by Riverside’s Conner Moore in fifth. Lewisburg’s depth secured the boys’ team crown, while Crestwood placed second and Mid Valley edged Riverside by one point for fifth.

Valley View leaned on timely deep shots, a physical ground game, and a defense that refused to budge to shut out Scranton 28 to 0 at John Henzes Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Nick Burak scored twice, including a first-half free kick, as Valley View earned a 4-2 Division I win over Scranton in Peckville. Noah Symuleski and Jagger Roe also scored for the Cougars, while Ahmani Wilonja netted both goals for the Knights.

Scranton left no doubt in this year’s Bell Game, storming past West Scranton 51-6 for a seventh straight rivalry win. Behind Brody Coyle’s dual-threat performance and a ground game that racked up over 220 yards, the Knights kept the Bell shining bright on their sideline.

Pocono Mountain East flipped the script on last year’s loss, storming past Scranton 45-0 behind big-play strikes from Justin Williams, Amari Green’s explosive runs, and a defense that never let the Knights get going. The Cardinals are 3-0 and rolling into next week with all the momentum.

The fairways of Pine Hills turned green Thursday afternoon, not just for golf, but for a greater cause. Scranton golfers joined forces with the John Malvizzi Foundation to promote mental health awareness, wearing ribbons and carrying towels with messages like “You Matter” and “Be Kind to Your Mind.” While Riverside claimed the match victory, the evening’s true impact came from the message that student well-being extends far beyond the scorecard.

Ethan Namlick and Braden Loff scored in the opening five minutes to give Valley View an early cushion, and the Cougars rode that momentum to a 3-0 shutout win over Scranton.