Four area teams in District 11 semifinal basketball action

Three area boys teams and one girls team will be in action tonight in District 11 basketball playoffs.

CLASS 4A BOYS

SEMIFINALS

No. 3 Tamaqua (17-6) vs.

No. 2 Lower Moreland (19-7)

TIP-OFF – Tuesday, Feb. 27 at Lower Moreland, 7 p.m.

COACHES – Tamaqua: Jim Barron; Lower Moreland: Seth Baron.

LEADING SCORERS – Tamaqua: Thad Zuber (Sr., 14.35 ppg.), Lucas Gregoire (So., 12.87), Brayden Knoblauch (So., 9.59), Gabe Gregoire (Sr., 6.30); Lower Moreland: Dan Shimon (Sr.), Shane Cohen (Jr.), Forrest Keys (Jr.), Jake Himmlestein (Jr.), Bryce Horn (Jr.).

GAME NOTES – Tamaqua has qualified for the district playoffs five out of last six years (2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018). Head coach Jim Barron has guided the Blue Raiders to the postseason in two of his three years at the helm, only missing out his first year with the program … The Blue Raiders posted a 57-40 quarterfinal win over Jim Thorpe. With four teams qualifying for states in Class 4A, the win over the Olympians clinched a state playoff berth for Tamaqua. The last time the Blue Raiders were in the PIAA playoffs before this season was 2015 ... The Lions defeated Northwestern 60-43 in the quarterfinals ... The Lions are known for their full-court pressure on defense, which was key to holding the Tigers in check Saturday ... Barron said handling that pressure will be a key. “We are going to have to take care of the ball and execute on offense,” he said … In the Lions’ game against Northwestern, Cohen and Horn supplied the 1-2 punch with Cohen finishing with a team-high 16 points and Horn adding 13.

QUOTEABLE – “We’re really excited to be in th situation. We’ve had high expectations coming into the year and are right where we want to be. We need to control the ball and not give up any easy buckets in order to be successful.” — Tamaqua coach Jim Barron.

CLASS 2A BOYS

SEMIFINALS

No. Marian Catholic (12-9) vs.

No. 2 Panther Valley (15-8)

TIP-OFF – Tuesday, Feb. 27 at Martz Hall, 7:30 p.m.

COACHES – Marian: John Patton; Panther Valley: Pat Crampsie.

LEADING SCORERS – Marian: Tyler Fritz (So., 24.38 ppg), Chris Ritsick (So., 11.86), Noah Stauffer (Sr., 10.00), Jarred Maylath (Sr., 9.62), Dante Agosti (Fr., 5.58); Panther Valley: Rene Figueroa (Jr., 19.22), Tristan Blasko (Sr., 14.00).

GAME NOTES – Panther Valley and Marian played less than two weeks ago in both teams’ Schuylkill League regular season finale. The Panthers rolled to a 90-65 win in that game to clinch the Division 3 championship and a berth in the league playoffs. The Panthers dropped a 76-36 decision to Schuylkill League Division 1 power Pottsville in the league semifinals ... The Colts and Panthers played twice this season. The first meeting was much tighter with Panther Valley posting a 68-63 win on Jan. 9 in a game where the Panthers scored five points in the game’s final :04 seconds to snap a 63-63 tie … In their last meeting, the Panthers’ Figueroa had the hot hand as he scored 23 first-quarter points and finished with a 44-point performance ... Panther Valley is returning to the district playoffs for the first time since 2012, and the fourth time in Crampsie’s 15 years with the program. The Panthers made it in 2009, 2010 and 2012 under Crampsie … Marian returns for its 13th straight appearance in districts. The Colts look to defend last year’s 2A championship … The winner of this matchup also earns a spot in the PIAA State playoffs. While Marian looks to make it two straight trips to states and its third state appearance in Patton’s eight seasons at the helm, Panther Valley looks for its first trip to the PIAA Tournament since 1990.

QUOTEABLE – “Throw the first two meetings out the window. This is a new season and it’s one and done, so we know we are going to get Marian’s best effort. Marian’s offense is scary, they’ve got shooters and score in bunches.. We have to be prepared for a 32-minute battle, that’s what we expect,” Panther Valley coach Pat Crampsie.

“Of the 90 points we gave up in the last game against Panther Valley, 32 were off turnovers. So, we have to limit that. Panther Valley is a very good team with a lot of offensive weapons. We can’t afford to turn the ball over and give them easy baskets in transition.” Marian coach John Patton.

CLASS A GIRLS

SEMIFINAL

No. 6 Forest City Regional (8-13)

vs. No. 2 Weatherly (14-8)

TIP-OFF – Tuesday, Feb. 27 at Northern Lehigh, 7 p.m.

COACHES – Forest City: John Duffy; Weatherly: Kevin Kringe.

LEADING SCORERS – Forest City Regional: MacKenzie Hartman (Sr., 11.2 ppg.), Skylar Fortuner (Sr., 6.8), Maggie Kowalewski (Jr., 6.0), Erin Urban (Sr., 3.6); Weatherly: Emily Zoscin (Jr., 18.41 ppg), Megan Peifer (Jr., 9.52), Lindsey Hoffman (Jr., 8.27), Ashley James (Fr., 6.68).

GAME NOTES – Weatherly returns to the district playoffs for the third straight year. Last year, the Wreckers bowed out early with a 58-38 setback to Nativity in their opening game.... It’s been over two decades since Weatherly last won a district game. The Wreckers’ last D-11 victory was in 1996 when they beat Pius X in the opening round … This class is one of several that includes teams from multiple districts. The Class 1A girls playoffs are actually a District 11/2 subregional ... Forest City, which competes in District 2, knocked off No. 3 seed Salem Christian, 41-25, on Friday. Hartman led the Foresters with a game-high 11-point performance, while Urban hit double figures with 10 points. … The Foresters are led by senior guard Hartman, who reached the 1,000-point plateau this season. Hartman leads the Foresters with 300 points this season … The winner of this matchup will face the winner of Susquehanna Community and Nativity for the Class A championship … If Weatherly wins tonight, it will also make it to the state playoffs for the first time since 1986.

QUOTEABLE – “We are ready to make a run. We want to make a name for ourselves and take that next step in our program and be special. This is the first time in school history that our girls team have qualified for the D11 playoffs three years in a row, and we are looking to make more history. We are making our history as we go.” Weatherly coach Kevin Kringe.