The night featured the induction of four individuals and one special team into the Lehigh Valley Basketball Hall of Fame.

The individuals inducted were former Emmaus High, University of Pittsburgh and current NBA player Aaron Gray; former Central Catholic and Syracuse standout Sara Antolick; former Phillipsburg Catholic star and longtime college coach and commentator Tom Brennan; and longtime RCN4 broadcaster Gary Laubach.

The team honored was Allen's 1981 state championship girls squad coached by Lou Sabler.

Central Catholic's Muhammad Ali Abdur-Rahkman and Southern Lehigh's Madelene McDonald were recognized as the Via players of the year.

The Via boys Team of the Year featured Central's Jeanlee Baez, Parkland's Justin Zajko, Bangor's Jeremy Ringland, Pocono Mountain West's Joe Wiggins and Emmaus' Nate Feiertag.

The Via girls Team of the Year was composed of Northampton's Leandra Sterner, Bethlehem Catholic's Janelle Robinson, Northwestern's Trista Cunningham, Central Catholic's Emma Redding and Angelica Bertola of Notre Dame-East Stroudsburg.

First team

Guards — Jacob Battle, Sr., Stroudsburg; O'Neil Holder, Sr., ES South; Joe Wiggins, Sr., PM West.

Forwards — Isaiah Battle, Sr., ES North; Danny Cuevas, Jr., Stroudsburg.

Second team

Guards — Andre Jackson, Jr., Edwin Lopez, Jr., Stroudsburg; ES South; Tyerell Mann, Jr., Notre Dame ES; Lance Singh, Fr., PM West.

Forward — Marquis Brown, Sr., Pleasant Valley.

Honorable mention

ES North — Malique John, Sr., G; ES South — Kyle Kelly, Sr., G; Notre Dame ES — Rob Farley, Sr., F; Ramon Nedd, Jr., F; Pleasant Valley — Bryan Sharpe, Jr., G; PM East — Levert Comas, Sr., G; Jake Steckel, Jr., G; PM West — Sean Cooper, Sr., F; Isaiah Wiggins, Fr., G; Stroudsburg — Evan Choy, Sr., G.

Record Sports Writer

March 16, 2014

There's no shortage of star power on the Pocono Record's All-Area boys basketball team.

Stroudsburg's Jacob Battle and Pocono Mountain West's Joe Wiggins, who both went over the 1,000-point milestone this season, and East Stroudsburg South's O'Neil Holder are on the first team for a second straight year. East Stroudsburg North's Isaiah Battle and Stroudsburg's Danny Cuevas join them in the frontcourt.

Here's the first team:Wiggins is the Player of the Year after a 589-point season where he helped the Panthers win their fourth straight Mountain Valley Conference championship. Notre Dame of East Stroudsburg's Lorenzo Sanders is the Coach of the Year after leading the Spartans to the District 11 Class A playoffs for the first time since 2010. Sanders, who was an assistant under long-time coach Bob Mullen, guided Notre Dame to a 16-win season despite losing last year's leading scorer Olsbey Mercer to a knee injury in the preseason.

Guards

East Stroudsburg South senior O'Neil Holder had another outstanding season to cap a fantastic career. A repeat first teamer, Holder led the Cavaliers in scoring with 13.7 points per game. He scored in double figures 15 times, including a season-high 25 points in a victory over Pocono Mountain East on Jan. 16. Holder, who is looking at Arcadia University and Moravian College, also averaged six rebounds and three assists per game.

Stroudsburg senior Jacob Battle is back on the first half after having a huge year in helping the Mounties reach the PIAA tournament for the first time since 1999. A starter since his sophomore year, Battle scored a career-high 29 points to go over 1,000 for his career in Stroudsburg's 67-64 victory over Liberty in the consolation game of the District 11 Class AAAA playoffs. Battle, who has drawn interest from a number of Division II and D-III schools, finished his career with 1,027 points to become the ninth male in school history to reach that mark and the first since 2000. Battle, who made 67 3-pointers this season and 162 for his career, also averaged 5.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game and led the Mounties in steals (71).

Pocono Mountain West needed Joe Wiggins to have a big year and the senior responded in a big way. Wiggins, another repeat first teamer, led Monroe County in scoring at 23.6 ppg and became the first male in school history to score 1,000 career points, while helping the Panthers win a fourth straight MVC title. Wiggins scored in double figures in every game, scored at least 20 points 18 times and had three 30-point games. Wiggins, who has drawn interest from Division I schools Delaware State, Norfolk State and North Carolina Central, finished his career with 1,107 points.

Forwards

East Stroudsburg North's Isaiah Battle established himself as one of District 11's top frontcourt players. The senior was a force on both ends of the court while helping the Timberwolves qualify for the MVC and district playoffs. Battle led ES North in scoring (16.4 ppg) and rebounding (8.3 per game). Battle was also consistent, scoring in double figures 20 out of 24 games. He had seven games where scored at least 20 points.

Stroudsburg's Danny Cuevas had a breakout season in 2013-14. The 6-foot-6 junior averaged 14.5 ppg and 6.8 rebounds per game for the Mounties. Cuevas, who has already drawn interest from several D-II colleges, scored in double figures 22 times in 26 games before a knee injury in the district semifinals ended his season. He also led the Mounties in blocked shots (40).

2/22/2014

BRODHEADSVILLE - After falling behind by as many as 19 points, No.1 West made a furious comeback only to fall short 74-73 to No. 9 Liberty in the District XI quarter-final on Saturday night.

The loss ends a season for the Panthers where they captured the Mountain Valley Conference title for the fourth year in a row and the last championship in the league's existence. The championship run came after being picked in the preseason no better than third-place by any area media outlet.

The Panthers finished the season with a record of  20-5 - making it the eighth straight season the program has tallied at least 20 wins. 

Monday night's Mountain Valley Conference championship win by Pocono Mountain West — a resounding 71-52 rout of rival Stroudsburg — offered a bittersweet moment for Panthers coach and athletic director Brad Pensyl.

While winning the program's fourth straight MVC title and seventh crown overall was satisfying, especially for a team with a lot of question marks before the season, it was the last MVC game to be played.

Pocono Mountain West and five other Monroe County schools will be merging with the Lehigh Valley Conference to form an 18-school league next season and while the six MVC'ers will be in the same division, it won't quite be the same.

"It was a little bit of different emotions because it was a nice league we had," Pensyl said. "It obviously was small, and I will miss that smallness. At the same time, I'm looking forward to the bigger league."

Make no mistake, however, Pensyl and the Panthers won't get swallowed up by the big league.

Pocono Mountain West has become one of the most respected programs in all of District 11 and Pensyl has carved his niche as one of the district's most successful coaches.

In 25 seasons overall, including 12 at West after Pocono Mountain split into two high schools, Pensyl is 466-186. That's an outstanding .715 winning percentage.

Even more impressive is that none of his 25 teams have ever failed to qualify for districts.

True, they've only won one district title — beating Parkland two years ago in the 4A finals — but Pensyl's consistency and success on the court should be admired.

Just as impressive is how he conducts his program.

Remember, these are not your grandfather's Pocono Mountains.

The demographics have changed dramatically in Monroe County, just as they have in the Lehigh Valley, and those changes have provided challenges.

"We've had some really good players come through, but we've also had some issues that we've had to deal with here," Pensyl said. "We've had problems and we took the appropriate steps and disciplined the kids and stayed on top of it. We've done it right.

"For the most part, our kids are fantastic. I don't want to sound negative because they hear enough negatives. When you have kids moving in from New York City and what have you, it's hard to make an adjustment. It's demanding. So, they deserve credit for making that adjustment. They get it."

In a sense, Pensyl is a lot like Allen's Doug Snyder in that his mission is to save lives while winning basketball games.

Using hoops as a carrot stick, Pensyl has been able to guide many kids who would otherwise be lost, on to a path that can lead toward success.

"We spell out the rules and what we expect and I don't deviate from the rules," he said. "I don't care what kid it is or what game it is, I enforce the rules swiftly. That's the way it is. Some people tell me I am old-school or whatever. I just think that's the way it should be done. I don't think kids should be dictating to coaches about how things should be run. Our kids understand that. That's why we're successful."

Pensyl said his methods don't' reach everybody. He said there are many kids in the school who are capable of playing basketball, but chose not to because they can't comply.

It's a very different era than what he encountered while growing up in Bangor and playing for his father, the legendary Bill Pensyl, who was 449-433 in 28 seasons in charge of the Slaters.

"I've been coaching for 32 years and it's hard to coach today," Brad said. "It's a lot more difficult than it was when I first started. You've got so many different things to deal with … the AAU stuff, the social-media stuff, the Internet crap and the unrealistic expectations of parents who think their kids are all going to get full scholarships.

"When I started coaching back in 1982 we didn't have any of these things. We just kind of went out and coached. It's really difficult, especially for young people, to get into the business. There are a lot of hoops to jump through today and I don't coach now the way I did 25 years ago. Actually, I've tightened up rather than loosened up. I've become more strict and more demanding than I was. I've had to."

Pensyl realizes that everybody has different problems.

Some coaches have troubles keeping an excessive number of talented players and their parents happy.

Some don't have enough players in their building to build a program.

Pensyl said his biggest problem is "getting kids [rides] to our practices on weekends and making sure they have rides to games."

Somehow, Pensyl makes it work. And there's little doubt, he'll make it work in the new 18-team super conference.

Certainly, Mike DelGrosso, a former Liberty High standout and Pensyl's longtime assistant, believes in Pensyl.

"He's one of the best coaches in the Valley, if not the Eastern part of the state," DelGrosso said after the 2012 district title win. "He's all about the kids and it's never about just winning. It's about teaching the kids the need to do the right things. It's about being a good person."

For years, Pensyl's teams have been playing East Penn Conference and Lehigh Valley Conference programs, so the talent level in the new league, won't come as a shock.

Plus, West will come armed with some talented young players.

This year's roster features the area's leading scorer in senior Joe Wiggins, but also three talented freshmen in Lance Singh, A.J. Simon and Isaiah Wiggins.

Back in early December, Pensyl said the season's success would depend on the development of the ninth-graders and now those rookies are playing like veterans. That's why West is on a 12-game win streak and the No. 1 seed in the 4A bracket entering Saturday night's quarterfinal against Liberty.

"Everybody's got a shot in the 4A tournament this year, including us," he said. "At the beginning of the year, I didn't think we had a shot, but now I do. You only have to win two to get into the finals. We certainly have an opportunity.

"I don't like to use the cliché that nobody expected us to be here. But this year, more than any other year, no one even mentioned us. I wasn't too sure myself. But we got hot and we're playing OK right now. Parkland probably is the best team, but a lot of teams have a chance. We're one of them."

February 15, 2014

Pocono Mountain West's Jackie Benitez and Joe Wiggins were chosen as the Most Valuable Players by the Mountain Valley Conference basketball coaches.

Benitez and Wiggins, who both helped their teams earn the first seed for this week's MVC playoffs, both went over 1,000 points for their careers this season.

East Stroudsburg South's Cy Lippold and Lisa Steakin joined Benitez on the All-MVC first team, which was also made up of Pleasant Valley's Keri Dekmar and Pocono Mountain East's Alpreshia Paker.

Stroudsburg's Jacob Battle and East Stroudsburg South's O'Neil Holder were repeated choices on the first team. Pocono West freshman Lance Singh and East Stroudsburg North's Isaiah Battle also made the first team.

— Joe Miegoc

All-MVC

Boys

First team

Joe Wiggins, PM West; Lance Singh, PM West; Jacob Battle, Stroudsburg; Isaiah Battle, ES North, O'Neil Holder, ES South.

Second team

Danny Cuevas, Stroudsburg; Marquis Brown, Pleasant Valley; Isaiah Wiggins, PM West; Andre Jackson, ES South; Jake Steckel, PM East.

Honorable mention

Maliqe John, ES North; Anthony Rossino, Lehighton; James Farano, Lehighton; Will Quiles, ES North.

Girls

First team

Jackie Benitez, PM West; Cy Lippold, ES South; Alpreshia Parker, PM East; Lisa Steakin, ES South; Keri Dekmar, Pleasant Valley.

Second team

Cheyanne Ruggiero, PM East; Mackenzie Dorney, Pleasant Valley; Khyasia Caldwell, PM East; Tiffany Thompson, Lehighton; Kaitlyn Poje, ES South; Abby Battle, Stroudsburg.

Honorable mention

Sicole Walters, PM West; Jasmine Murray, PM West.

By Joe Miegoc
Record Sports Writer
February 18, 2014 - 12:00 AM

BRODHEADSVILLE — Pocono Mountain West wasn't sure where it could go when the season started, but the Panthers found themselves in a familiar position when the final Mountain Valley Conference game was played.

Joe Wiggins scored a game-high 28 points and the top-seeded Panthers used a 23-2 run through the third and fourth quarters to run away with their fourth straight MVC title after capturing a 71-52 victory over No. 2 Stroudsburg at Pleasant Valley on Monday.

Pocono West (20-4), who clinched its eighth straight 20-win season, had one of the MVC's top players in Joe Wiggins coming into the season, but there were unknowns in other areas. Sean Cooper was back in the starting lineup, but the Panthers were going to have to depend on several freshmen if they wanted to compete for the final MVC championship before the conference merges with the Lehigh Valley Conference next school year.

"It was so hard at the beginning with so many young kids and we had such a mixture of seniors and freshmen that I really did not think that we would be here in this (championship) game," PM West coach Brad Pensyl said. "But here we are, and we won it again."

The Panthers weren't sure either, but they changed their thinking at the midway point of the season.

Pocono West was 8-4 through 12 games after a 61-58 loss to the Mounties (14-10), but haven't lost since. The Panthers ran off 10 straight victories to end the regular season and thought they could continue that play come playoff time.

"In the beginning of the year, to be honest, we didn't really think we'd get this far," said Wiggins, who went over 20 points for the 17th time this season Monday. "We had some freshmen coming up who had to learn the system, but midway through the season we started clicking and we thought we could make a run and we did."

Neither team had played since last Tuesday's semifinals and were rusty to start.

Both turned the ball over eight times in the opening quarter, but Wiggins' 3-pointer just before the clock ran out put West up 13-10. The Panthers led by as much as seven late in the second quarter, but Stroudsburg scored the final four points of the half to make it 28-25 at the break.

Stroudsburg took its first lead since midway through the first quarter when Danny Cuevas scored from in close with 4:14 left in the third and led 41-40 with 1:21 to go, but it was all West from there on.

Starting with Wiggins' three-point play with 49 seconds to go in the third, the Panthers scored 14 straight points. John Cromartie's layup, Stroudsburg's first field goal in 6:40, stopped the Mounties' scoreless streak, but the Panthers scored nine straight to go up 63-43 with 3:38 left.

"We made some adjustments from the first time we played them and the one thing I thought we did really well was box out," said Pensyl, who has guided West to seven MVC titles in the past 10 seasons. "We got in some passing lanes and took care of the ball a little bit better, but for the most part I thought once Stroudsburg made a run that we were able to answer it."

Sammond Field (13 points and 10 rebounds) and Isaiah Wiggins (15 points, eight rebounds, five assists and four steals) also keyed the Panthers' victory, and Joe Wiggins was outstanding as usual.

Named the Most Valuable Player by the MVC coaches after becoming the first male to score 1,000 career points at PM West, Wiggins was steady throughout the title game. He scored five in the first quarter, six more in the second, nine in the third before finishing the game with eight points in the final eight minutes. A member of four MVC title teams and the 2012 District 11 Class AAAA champions, Wiggins provided the veteran leadership the Panthers needed in the biggest game of the season.

"I'm the guy to get us hyped up," said Wiggins, who also had five rebounds and four steals. "I try to get everybody motivated before the game and try to get everyone's mindset right. We all have roles on this team and my role is to get everyone together and make sure we play together.

"And we all came together as a family (Monday)."

No. 1 PM West 71, No. 2 Stroudsburg 52

STROUDSBURG (52)

Battle 2 0-1 6, Gordon 2 2-6 6, Choy 2 0-0 6, Lopez 2 5-7 11, Cuevas 2 4-7 8, Bermudez 1 0-0 2, Cromartie 3 1-2 7, Thornton 0 0-0 0, Odhiambo 0 0-0 0, Brandt 1 3-3 5. Totals — 15 15-26 52.

PM WEST (71)

Field 3 4-7 10, Cooper 0 0-0 0, I. Wiggins 4 7-8 15, J. Wiggins 9 8-11 28, Singh 2 2-2 6, Simon 1 0-0 2, Brathwaite 1 3-4 6, Hardy 0 0-0 0, Archer 1 0-0 2, Howard 1 0-0 2, Jackson 0 0-0 0, Nurse 0 0-0 0. Totals — 22 24-32 71.

Stroudsburg 10 15 16 11 — 52

PM West 13 15 17 26 — 71

3-point goals — S 6 (Choy 2, Lopez 2, Battle 2); PMW 3 (J. Wiggins 2, Brathwaite). Rebounds — S 44 (Gordon 7); PMW 43 (Field 12). Assists — S 11 (Lopez 5); PMW 11 (I. Wiggins 5). Steals — S 9 (Cromartie 3); PMW 13 (I. Wiggins, J. Wiggins 4). Blocks — S 3 (Cuevas 3); PMW 2 (Field, Archer). Turnovers — S 19; PMW 17.

Records — Stroudsburg 14-10; PM West 20-4.

The LV West will play the Colonial League and the LV East will play the Mountain Valley:

Lehigh Valley West

Coach: Andy Stephens, Parkland

Name High School Position

Muhammad Ali Abdur‐Rahkman Central Catholic Guard

Jeanlee Baez Central Catholic Forward

Daiyon Barnett William Allen Guard

Jimmy Hahn Parkland Guard

Tyshyn Harmon Dieruff Guard

Nathan Feiretag Emmaus Forward

Aaron Keglovits Whitehall Guard

Joey Nicolini Emmaus Forward

Isaiah Palmer William Allen Forward

Nick Rindock Parkland Guard

Brendan Wagner Central Catholic Center

Justin Zajko Parkland Forward

 Lehigh Valley East

Coach: Ben Childs, Easton

Name High School Position

Jamal Aziz Bethlehem Catholic Guard

Austin Cordero Nazareth Guard

Edward Hudak Bethlehem Catholic Forward

John Kassis Nazareth Guard

Justin Lenzer Bethlehem Catholic Guard

Nigel Long Freedom Guard

Steve Maciejczyk Easton Guard

Erik Oakley Easton Forward

Deshawn Oyeniyi Liberty Forward

Piefka Stonewall Northampton Forward

Tyler Troxell Phillipsburg Guard

David Williams Freedom Center

 Mountain Valley

Coach: Rich Oertner, Lehighton

Name High School Position

Isaiah Battle ES North Forward

Jacob Battle Stroudsburg Guard

Marquis Brown Pleasant Valley Center

Evan Choy Stroudsburg Guard

Sean Cooper PM West Forward

Robert Farley Notre Dame ES Forward

O'Neil Holder ES South Forward

Anthony Holmes Pius X Guard

Mailqe John ES North Guard

Will Quiles ES North Guard

Anthony Rossino Lehighton Guard

Joe Wiggins PM West Guard

Colonial League

Coach: Jason Weaver, Salisbury

Name High School Position

Justin Aungst Salisbury Forward

Matt Egan Northern Lehigh Guard

Vincent Eze Notre Dame Center

Luke Gutekunst Moravian Academy Forward

Josh Landsberger Northern Lehigh Center

Paryss Marshall Catasaqua Forward

Keith Mosher Saucon Valley Guard

Brandon Purrone Catasaqua Guard

Tannor Reed Notre Dame Forward

Jeremy Ringland Bangor Forward

Eddie Sanchez Salisbury Guard

Austin Uhl Salisbury Center

By Michael Blouse, Special to The Morning Call

11:08 p.m. EST, February 11, 2014

No shot in Stroudsburg's 68-57 Mountain Valley Conference playoff victory over East Stroudsburg North on Tuesday night was more important than the 3-pointer Mountaineers senior Jacob Battle made with 4:14 remainin

Those three points stopped the Timberwolves' 6-0 run that sliced Stroudsburg's lead from double digits to 51-45. Those points also propelled the Mounties on a 6-0 spurt of their own, as Evan Choy followed with another 3-pointer, and coach Shawn Thornton's second-seeded Stroudsburg squad quickly regained control.

Stroudsburg (14-9) will meet three-time defending MVC champion Pocono Mountain West (19-4) in Friday night's final at a site to be determined.

Pocono Mountain West exploded in the second half of Tuesday night's second semifinal on the Panthers' home court in Pocono Summit and cruised to an 82-51 rout of Lehighton.

In the opener, Stroudsburg was in desperate need of a basket when the Timberwolves cut a 14-point lead to six.

At the time, Battle, who drained four 3-pointers in the opening half, was thinking in the moment. But Thornton, the Mounties' veteran coach, was thinking big picture.

"I really didn't even think about the circumstances," Battle said. "I was open so I shot. I'm just happy it went in."

He credited teammate Lamar Gordon for a smart pass to set up his shot.

Thornton thought Battle's 3-pointer, and Choy's triple 21 seconds later, were the biggest baskets of the contest.

"They were huge, gutsy shots," said Thornton, who was otherwise disappointed with his club's execution and toughness. "Those two guys showed a level of confidence that's encouraging.

"Jacob Battle was feeling it a little, and any time he's feeling it, he has the green light. And Evan Choy was struggling with his shot in the last week, but he's a good shooter. He picked a good time to hopefully come out of it."

Stroudsburg showed excellent inside-outside balance.

Danny Cuevas, a 6-foot-6 junior, showed off a variety of post moves and was an efficient 7-of-9 from the field for 16 points. He added 10 rebounds. Battle led the Mounties with 18 points and Edwin Lopez scored six of his 16 in the final period.

"Danny was huge," Battle said. "He's really tough when he's in the paint one-on-one, and when they crashed on him, it left us open for 3s."

Senior Isaiah Battle paced coach Kevin Kennedy's Timberwolves with 22 points. East Stroudsburg North (17-6) led 8-6 early, but a 7-0 burst by the Mounties in the second quarter made it a double-digit contest.

Now, Stroudsburg can prepare for a Pocono Mountain West team it defeated 61-58 on Jan. 17. (The teams split two conference matchups.)

Thornton, with an experienced and talented roster, expected to be in position to claim a conference crown.

"I think there's a difference between goals and expectations," he said. "We expected to play for the championship this season, knowing what we had back and what was out there, but it's been our goal to win the title."

To do that, the Mounties will need to knock off the tournament's No. 1 seed that is playing its best basketball of the season.

Coach Brad Pensyl's Pocono Mountain West club captured its 11th consecutive victory with a 31-point triumph over Lehighton. The Panthers have been perfect since that mid-January setback to Stroudsburg.

Their game against Lehighton was a seven-point affair — at 47-40 with 3:41 left in the third quarter — before they used a 13-0 sprint to run away. Five different players scored baskets during that stretch.

Overall, senior forward Sean Cooper led five players in double figures with 14 points. MVC MVP Joe Wiggins, a senior guard, contributed 13 points, as did freshman guard Lance Singh. Sammod Field added 12 and Royce Braithwaite finished with 10.

"Joey's dominated our team in scoring, no question," Pensyl said, "but some of our other guys showed what they're capable of."

Pocono West's pressure defense was the difference. The Panthers forced Lehighton into 23 turnovers and turned many of those into transition points.

"I think we were able to wear them out with our pressure," said Pensyl, who used a 10-player rotation compared with the Indians' six.

Tyler Crum led Lehighton (13-10) with 14 points.

MVC semifinals

STROUDSBURG 68, EAST STROUDSBURG NORTH 57

East Stroudsburg North 10 12 13 22 – 57

Stroudsburg 15 15 17 21 – 68

EAST STROUDSBURG NORTH (57)

Battle 8-17 6-10 22, Mangassoubba 2-3 2-2 6, Drakeford 2-5 0-0 4, W. Quiles 3-8 1-2 7, Kirton 4-10 3-4 11, Turpin 1-2 1-2 3, John 1-6 0-0 2, D. Quiles 1-4 0-0 2, Cox 0-2 0-0 0, Cartegena 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 22-57 13-20 57.

STROUDSBURG (68)

Cuevas 7-9 2-5 16, Lopez 5-14 6-8 16, Battle 6-12 1-5 18, Choy 3-9 0-0 8, Gordon 0-0 2-2 2, Bermudez 0-2 2-2 2, Cromartie 0-0 0-0 0, Thornton 1-2 0-0 2, Odhiambo 2-2 0-0 4. Totals: 24-50 13-22 68.

3-point goals: East Stroudsburg North (0-12); Stroudsburg (7-16): Battle 5, Choy 2. Rebounds: East Stroudsburg North 36 (Battle 11); Stroudsburg 34 (Cuevas 10). Assists: East Stroudsburg North (W. Quiles 5); Stroudsburg (Lopez 6). Turnovers: East Stroudsburg North 10; Stroudsburg 15.

Officials: Frank D'Angelo, Bud Kohler, Mark Horn.

POCONO MOUNTAIN WEST 82, LEHIGHTON 51

Lehighton 13 17 12 9 – 51

Pocono Mountain West 23 17 22 20 – 82

LEHIGHTON (51)

Crum 5-14 1-2 14, J. Knappenberger 3-12 5-5 12, Mele 5-5 0-0 10, Farano 3-8 2-4 8, Rossino 2-6 2-4 6, Chambers 0-2 1-2 1, K. Knappenberger 0-0 0-0 0, McCandless 0-0 0-0 0, Williams 0-0 0-0 0, Zwetolitz 0-0 0-0 0, Ruzika 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 18-47 11-17 51.

POCONO MOUNTAIN WEST (82)

Singh 5-15 0-0 13, Field 5-5 2-2 12, J. Wiggins 5-11 2-2 13, I. Wiggins 3-7 0-0 7, Cooper 6-12 0-1 14, Brathwaite 3-7 2-2 10, Howard 1-1 0-0 3, Simon 2-2 0-0 4, Hardy 0-1 0-0 0, Archer 3-3 0-0 6. Totals: 33-64 6-7 82.

3-point goals: Lehighton (4-20): Crum 3, J. Knappenberger; Pocono Mountain West (10-20): Singh 3, J. Wiggins, I. Wiggins, Cooper 2, Brathwaite 2, Howard. Rebounds: Lehighton 28 (Farano 6); Pocono Mountain West 32 (Singh, Field 6). Assists: Lehighton 10 (Rossino 5); Pocono Mountain West 18 (J. Wiggins 6). Turnovers: Lehighton 23; Pocono Mountain West 10.

Officials: Kevin Boylan, Jim Barker, Ron Singer.

February 08, 2014

Swiftwater — Lance Singh scored 27 points on seven three-pointers, breaking '13 alum Eric Vick's former record of six, in Pocono Mountain West's 88-40 victory over Pocono Mountain East in Mountain Valley Conference boys basketball Friday night.

Joe Wiggins scored 20 points to become the first ever PM West boy to score 1,000 career points.

With the win, and Pleasant Valley beating Stroudsburg, the Panthers clinched the No. 1 seed in the Mountain Valley Conference playoffs. 

The Panthers will now host the semis this Tuesday night at 7pm where they will take on the four-seed Lehighton.

PM West 88, PM East 40

PM WEST (88)

I. Wiggins 4 0-0 8, Archer 0 0-0 0, Cooper 0 2-2 2, Brathwaite 3 1-2 9, Howard 0 0-0 0, Simon 6 0-0 12, J. Wiggins 6 7-8 20, Singh 9 2-2 27, Field 3 0-0 6, Hardy 1 0-0 2, Nurse 0 0-0 0, Jackson 1 0-0 2. Totals — 33 12-14 88.

PM EAST (40)

Sarajian 0 0-0 0, Yarosh 2 3-5 8, Carter 1 1-2 3, Leonard 1 0-0 3, Steckel 2 0-1 4, Woody 0 0-0 0, Hudson 2 1-3 5, Comas 1 0-2 2, Burgos 2 1-2 5, D. Wiggins 0 0-0 0, Lake 1 0-0 2, Malcolm 1 0-0 3, Lamar 1 0-0 2, Forbes 1 1-2 3. Totals — 15 7-17 40.

PM West 20 32 25 11 ­— 88

PM East 11 14 8 7 — 40

3-point goals — PMW 10 (Singh 7, Brathwaite 2, J. Wiggins); PME 3 (Malcolm, Leonard, Yarosh).

Records — PMW 17-4, 10-2 MVC; PME 1-19, 0-12.

By: Joe Miegoc of The Pocono Record

February 07, 2014

BUSHKILL — Pocono Mountain West is playing some of its best basketball at the right time and Brad Pensyl thinks the Panthers can play better.

Joe Wiggins scored 27 points and Pocono West's defense was in control throughout of its 79-57 victory over East Stroudsburg North in Mountain Valley Conference boys basketball Thursday.

The victory keeps alive the chance that the Panthers (16-4, 9-2 MVC) could still be the top seed in next week's conference playoffs. Stroudsburg would have to lose at Pleasant Valley and West would have to win at Pocono Mountain East — both games are at 7 p.m. tonight — for that to happen.

What really matters most is the blistering run the Panthers are currently on.

PM West has won eight games in a row and been dominant at both ends of the floor. The Panthers are averaging 72.8 points per game over that stretch and allowing just 52 ppg. On Thursday, Pocono West had only seven turnovers, went 13-for-16 at the free throw line and registered assists on 14 of its 30 baskets, and Pensyl thinks the Panthers can still play better.

"Do I think we can play better than we did (Thursday)? Yes, I do," said Pensyl, who is in his 12th year at PM West after spending the first 13 years of his coaching career at Pocono Mountain. "I think we can do a lot of things better, but that doesn't mean we're going to win the next game by 23 points or 24. There are still some things we don't do real well right now if we want to win championships."

The Panthers have done plenty of that over the past nine years.

West has won three straight MVC titles and six of the past nine. The Panthers captured their first District 11 Class AAAA championship in 2012-13, which put them in the PIAA playoffs for a second time since 2008. That's where the Panthers aspire to be again this season.

"We want to go into districts and not get whacked out early and we want to advance and hopefully go to the state playoffs," Pensyl said.

More performances like the one they had against the Timberwolves (16-5, 8-3), who won the season's first match 59-57 in overtime at West on Dec. 19, will certainly help.

The Panthers were in control from the opening minute, running out to a 21-12 lead after one quarter and 49-30 lead by halftime. Joe Wiggins, Monroe County's leading scorer coming into the game, scored 19 of his 27 points in the opening 16 minutes.

"I think we came out and played really hard," said Wiggins, who is now just 18 points short of becoming the first male to score 1,000 career points since West opened in 2002. "That was our objective. We felt like we owed them one from the last time and I think we did a good job coming out strong."

The strong start was helped by Lance Singh's 3-point shooting.

Just a freshman, Singh hit three of his five 3s in the game in the first half. Singh, who finished with 17 points, has scored in double figures and has hit 20 of his 42 3s on the season in West's last seven games.

"He's a piece we needed," Pensyl said. "I needed a guy who could extend defenses a little bit and back off of Joey (Wiggins). Lance is a very good shooter and he's only going to get better. He's getting good looks and when he has his feet set he's a really good shooter."

ES North never got closer than 15 points in the second half.

Samar Drakeford and Will Quiles scored from in close to cut the deficit to 49-34 in the opening minute of the third quarter, but West scored eight of the next 11 points to push the lead to 20 with 5:02 left.

The Panthers maintained that lead over the final 13 minutes thanks in large part to how well they took care of the basketball. Only two of West's seven turnovers came in the final 16 minutes and the Panthers committed none in the fourth quarter.

"What we're doing well right now is not turning the ball over a lot," Pensyl said. "In the last four or five games we've really taken care of the ball and that's a testament to our guards. I have a point guard (Isaiah Wiggins) who is a freshman and Royce Brathwaite has done a nice job for us off the bench.

"When you're not throwing the ball away a whole lot you can win games, but when you're throwing it all over the gym and not rebounding you're not going to win."

PM West 79, ES North 57

PM WEST (79)

Cooper 6 0-0 12, I. Wiggins 2 2-2 6, J. Wiggins 11 5-6 27, Singh 6 0-0 17, Field 1 1-2 3, Acher 1 0-0 2, Brathwaite 2 5-6 9, Howard 0 0-0 0, Hardy 0 0-0 0, Simon 1 0-0 2. Totals — 30 13-16 79.

ES NORTH (57)

D. Quiles 1 2-3 5, W. Quiles 1 1-2 3, Battle 5 4-8 14, Drakeford 4 1-2 10, Mangassoubba 3 3-4 9, Kirton 4 2-3 10, Cartenga 1 0-1 2, Turpin 0 0-0 0, Graham 1 0-1 2, Kussiappoah 0 0-0 0. Totals — 20 13-24 57.

PM West 21 28 16 14 ­— 79

ES North 12 18 17 10 — 57

3-point goals — PMW 5 (Singh 5); ESN 2 (D. Quiles, Drakeford). Rebounds — PMW 34 (Archer 10); ESN 32 (Mangassoubba 9). Assists — PMW 14 (Singh 4); ESN 5 (W. Quiles 3). Steals — PMW 14 (J. Wiggins 4); ESN 3 (D. Quiles, W. Quiles, Drakeford). Blocks — PMW 0; ESN 3 (Battle 2). Turnovers — PMW 7; ESN 17.

Records — PM West 16-4, 9-2 MVC; ES North 16-5, 8-3.

JV score — PM West, 84-48.

POCONO SUMMIT — Joe Wiggins scored 25 points and Lance Singh added 18 as Pocono Mountain West beat Lehighton 85-48 on Tuesday night in MVC boys basketball.

PM West 85, Lehighton 48

LEHIGHTON (48)

Rossino 5 1-2 12, James 1 0-0 2, Crum 2 0-0 5, Williams 0 0-0 0, McCandless 1 3-6 5, Cordova 0 0-0 0, Ruzikou 0 0-0 0, Knappenberger 3 0-0 8, Mele 5 2-2 12. Totals — 19 6-10 48.

PM WEST (85)

Wiggins 3 0-0 7, Archer 1 0-0 2, Cooper 5 1-4 11, Brathwaite 3 1-2 9, Howard 1 0-0 2, Simon 1 1-4 3, J. Wiggins 11 0-0 25, Singh 7 0-0 18, Hardy 2 0-0 4. Totals — 35 5-12 85.

Lehighton 12 13 14 9 ­— 48

PM West 21 20 23 21 — 85

3-point goals — LEH 4 (Knappenberger 2, Rossino, Crum); PMW 10 (I. Wiggins, Brathwaite 2, J. Wiggins 3, Singh 4).

February 02, 2014

POCONO SUMMIT — Joe Wiggins (19 points), Lance Singh (14) and Sean Cooper (10) all scored in double figures to help Pocono Mountain West pick up a 63-53 victory over Whitehall in non-conference boys basketball Saturday.

PM West 63, Whitehall 53

WHITEHALL (53)

Rissmiller 1 0-0 2, Mitchell 1 2-3 4, Rex 6 0-0 12, Keglovits 6 0-0 12, Radocha 3 0-0 7, Myers 4 3-4 11, Buskirk 2 2-2 7, Melosky 4 0-0 8, Burkley 0 0-0 0, McGinley 1 0-0 2, Esquilin 0 0-0 0, Diokmedjian 0 0-0 0. Totals — 22 7-9 53.

PM WEST (63)

I. Wiggins 2 0-0 4, Archer 1 0-0 3, Cooper 4 1-2 10, Brathwaite 2 1-2 7, Simon 0 0-0 0, J. Wiggins 8 2-3 19, Lance Singh 5 2-2 14, Field 3 0-0 6. Totals — 25 6-9 63.

Whitehall 14 11 14 14 ­— 53

PM West 16 12 21 14 — 63

3-point goals — W 2 (Myers, Radocha); PMW 7 (J. Wiggins, Brathwaite 2, Archer, Cooper, Singh 2).

Records — Whitehall 12-9; PM West 14-4.

BETHLEHEM - For the second game straight the Panthers displayed the balanced scoring they will need to make a post season run. Senior guard Joe Wiggins scored a game-high 23 points while freshman Lance Singh had 12 points while starting his second consecutive game. Also chipping in for West were seniors Sean Cooper and Sammod Field, each with 11 points.

The Panthers are now 12-4 (6-2 MVC) with six games left to play.

The remaining schedule includes:

Friday 1/31 @ Pleasant Valley (MVC)

Saturday 2/1  home vs. Whitehall

Tuesday 2/4 home vs. Lehighton (MVC)

Wednesday 2/5 @ East Stroudsburg North (MVC)

Friday 2/7 @ PM East (MVC)

Saturday 2/8 home vs. Liberty 

POCONO SUMMIT - West put four players in double-figures as they ran past Dieruff tonight by the score of 82-50. Senior Joe Wiggins, the Lehigh Valley area's top scorer, scored a game-high 29 pts for the Panthers in the win. Following Joe was his little brother, freshman Isaiah Wiggins adding 15 points. Fellow freshman Lance Singh chipped in 13 points and senior Sean Cooper had 12 points.

The Panthers play their first road game in five games when they travel to Bethlehem on Wednesday to take on Freedom High School.

POCONO SUMMIT - Freshman Lance Singh scored a game-high 19 points and fellow frosh Isaiah Wiggins added 14 points of his own to help pace the Panthers past the Cavaliers in Mountain Valley Conference play on Friday night by the score of 75-36.

West is now 10-4 (6-2 MVC) heading into a busy week where they will play 4 games in 6 days. 

POCONO SUMMIT — Joe Wiggins scored a game-high 26 points and Isaiah Wiggins added 16 points as Pocono Mountain West turned a one-point lead at halftime into a 73-59 victory over Northampton in non-conference action Saturday.

PM West 73, Northampton 59

NORTHAMPTON (59)

Nicholas 1 0-0 3, Basem 1 2-2 5, Tyler 0 0-0 0, Garrett 2 1-2 5, Piefka 8 5-10 21, Hunsberger 1 0-0 3, Schaefeer 0 0-0 0, Cook 0 5-6 5, Hudock 2 5-6 9, McNeal 4 0-0 8. Totals — 19 18-26 59.

PM WEST (73)

I. Wiggins 6 2-2 16, Archer 0 0-0 0, Cooper 6 2-2 14, Brathwaite 1 0-2 2, Simon 0 0-0 0, J. Wiggins 10 5-6 26, Singh 2 1-2 6, Field 1 3-8 5, Hardy 1 1-2 4. Totals — 27 14-24 73.

Northampton 17 9 12 21 ­— 59

PM West 16 11 21 25 — 73

3-point goals — N 3 (Nicholas, Basem, Hunsberger); PMW 5 (I. Wiggins 2, J. Wiggins, Singh, Hardy).

Records — PM West 9-4.

By: Joe Miegoc of The Pocono Record

POCONO SUMMIT — John Cromartie showed why every minute every Stroudsburg player plays is of vital importance if the Mounties want to win on a nightly basis.

Cromartie came up with two huge steals in the final minute, the first leading to Lamar Gordon's three-point play that gave Stroudsburg the lead, and Dan Cuevas had a double-double and four blocked shots in the Mounties' 61-58 victory over Pocono Mountain West in Mountain Valley Conference boys basketball Friday.

The Panthers (8-4, 5-2 MVC), who had just taken their first lead of the night at 58-57 when Royce Brathwaite went 1-for-2 at the foul line, had the ball with under a minute to go. That's when Cromartie made his first steal, swiping the ball from a Pocono West player along the sideline with 46 seconds left that eventually led to Gordon's layup and free throw.

Cromartie wasn't done with his defensive heroics, getting another steal that forced the Panthers to foul him. The senior sank the first free throw and missed the second, but Joe Wiggins' 3-pointer was long and the Mounties had the victory.

"Honestly, it's just effort," Cromartie said. "Every time I get off the bench or my teammates come in off the bench you want to go out there and play with full effort, do what we have to do on the court and contribute to help the team win."

The Mounties (6-6, 4-1) have been doing a lot of winning lately.

Stroudsburg struggled out of the gate, dropping its first three games and four of its first five, but more consistent performances throughout the lineup has helped get the Mounties back on track. Friday's victory over the three-time defending MVC champion Panthers was Stroudsburg's fifth in seven games as it goes into today's game at first-place East Stroudsburg North.

A big reason why is that every player — from leading scorer Cuevas (18 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks Friday), to third-year starter Jacob Battle (16 points, six rebounds and three steals) to Cromartie — has given veteran coach Shawn Thornton just what he needs in the minutes they're on the court.

"That's really important for us," said Thornton, who just picked up his 300th career coaching victory against Pleasant Valley on Tuesday. "We've had games where we've played 10 or 11 guys and we do that because we believe in them. We believe that each of them can give us big contributions."

Cuevas gave another consistent performance like he's done all season for the Mounties.

The 6-foot-6 junior, who has only been at Stroudsburg since November 2012, had eight points in the first half as Stroudsburg owned a 32-29 lead at the break. Cuevas netted 10 points in the second half as the Mounties held off several charges from the Panthers.

"In addition to being our most consistent player, he's also our most improved player," Thornton said. "He's a guy who has truly bought in and believes and he's flourished. He believes in his teammates and he believes in us. He has worked incredibly hard and we're seeing the fruits of that hard work."

Pocono West worked plenty hard to stay within striking distance all game.

The Panthers trailed by nine points on three different occasions in the third quarter, but scored eight straight points before Evan Choy's 3 at the buzzer gave Stroudsburg a 49-45 lead with one quarter left.

PM West tied the game three different times in the fourth, but every time Stroudsburg was able to answer with a basket to retake the lead. That changed on Brathwaite's free throw, but Cromartie's steals and the three-point play by Gordon, who finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks, sealed another victory for the Mounties.

"We just stayed confident," Cuevas said. "Sometimes you might fall behind, but part of being a good team is being behind and being able to come back. That's what we did at the end."

Stroudsburg 61, PM West 58

STROUDSBURG (61)

Gordon 6 1-1 13, E. Choy 2 0-0 6, Lopez 3 1-2 7, Battle 6 3-5 16, Cuevas 8 2-3 18, Cromartie 0 1-2 1, Bermudez 0 0-0 0, Odhiambo 0 0-0 0. Totals — 25 8-13 61.

PM WEST (58)

Archer 1 0-0 2, I. Wiggins 5 2-3 12, Cooper 3 0-0 7, J. Wiggins 7 3-5 17, Hardy 2 0-0 5, Brathwaite 2 4-5 8, Singh 1 1-1 3, Simon 1 1-2 4, Field 0 0-0 0. Totals — 22 11-16 58.

Stroudsburg 18 14 17 12 — 61

PM West 13 16 16 13 — 58

3-point goals — S 3 (E. Choy 2, Battle); PMW 3 (Cooper, Hardy, Singh). Rebounds — S 38 (Cuevas 12); PMW 41 (J. Wiggins 9). Assists — S 15 (Lopez 6); PMW 10 (Brathwaite 4). Steals — S 6 (Battle 3); PMW 11 (Archer 3). Blocks — S 7 (Cuevas 4); PMW 3 (Archer, J. Wiggins, Singh). Turnovers — S 16; PMW 11.

Records — Stroudsburg 6-6, 4-1 MVC; PM West 8-4, 5-2.

JV score — PM West, 55-38.

Pocono Summit — Joe Wiggins scored a game-high 27 points in Pocono Mountain West's 68-51 win over Pocono Mountain East in MVC boys basketball Tuesday.

The Panthers now hold an 18-11 edge all-time vs. the Cardinals.

PM West 68, PM East 51

PM EAST (51)

Hardman 5 1-1 11, Sarijian 0 0-0 0, Yarosh 1 0-0 3, Carter 3 1-2 7, N. Wiggins 2 0-0 4, Steckel 4 2-6 12, Imoan 0 0-0 0, J. Wiggins 2 2-3 6, Comas 3 0-2 8. Totals — 20 6-15 51.

PM WEST (68)

I. Wiggins 4 2-4 11, Archer 0 0-0 0, Cooper 5 1-2 11, Brathwaite 2 1-2 5, J. Wiggins 8 10-11 27, Singh 3 0-0 7, Field 0 0-2 0, Hardy 2 2-2 7. Totals — 24 16-23 68.

PM East 17 6 13 15 ­— 51

PM West 11 15 23 19 — 68

3-point goals — PME 5 (Comas 2, Woody 2, Yarosh); PMW 4 (Hardy, Singh, J. Wiggins, I. Wiggins).

Records — PMW 8-3, 5-1; PME 1-9, 0-3

Pocono Mountain West used their man-to-man pressure and uptempo game to run past East Stroudsburg South last night by the score of 79-47. Five players scored in double-figures for the Panthers - senior guard Joe Wiggins scored a game-high 21 points, freshman guard Lance Singh dropped 14 points, senior guard Jordan Hardy chipped in 11 points, while freshman guard Isaiah Wiggins and senior forward Sean Cooper both added 10 points.

With the win the Panthers bump their overall record to 6-2 (3-1 MVC).

West will travel to Lehighton on Friday for their next MVC match up. 

POCONO SUMMIT — Joe Wiggins scored 18 points and Lance Singh added 13 to lead the Panthers to a 54-48 victory over Pleasant Valley in MVC boys basketball on Saturday.

PM West 54, Pleasant Valley 48

PV (48)

Brown 3 1-2 7, Mikulski 1 1-2 3, Nevarez 2 0-0 5, Robinson 2 0-0 5, Hosier 0 0-0 0, Wisser 0 0-0 0, Deegan 0 0-0 0, Pazienza 3 4-5 10, Sharpe 5 2-4 13, Raughley 0 0-0 0, Neubert 2 1-4 5. Totals — 18 9-18 48.

PM WEST (54)

Wiggins 0 0-0 0, Cooper 3 0-0 6, Brathweite 0 4-5 4, Howard 0 0-0 0, Simon 0 1-2 1, Mayo 1 0-2 2, J. Wiggins 4 9-10 18, Singh 5 0-0 13, Hardy 2 5-8 10. Totals — 15 19-27 54.

PV 10 10 14 14 ­— 48

PM West 15 11 14 14 — 54

3-point goals — PV 3 (Nevarez, Robinson, Sharpe; PMW 5 (Singh 3, J. Wiggins, Hardy.

Records — Pleasant Valley 2-3; PM West 4-2.

Pocono Mountain West lost two of its first three games this season in overtime, but have rebounded nicely.

The Panthers (5-2) gave head coach Brad Pensyl his 450th victory when they beat North Pocono 87-69 to win the North Pocono Christmas tournament. West beat Simon Gratz 69-66 in overtime in the semifinals.

Joe Wiggins has been outstanding, averaging 22.9 ppg. Wiggins, who came into the season with 522 points, had a career-high 28 points against North Pocono. Jordan Hardy (10 ppg), North Pocono MVP Lance Singh (9.3 ppg) and Isaiah Wiggins (8.6 ppg) have played well, too.

MOSCOW — Freshman Lance Singh hit four of Pocono West's 11 3-pointers as the Panthers beat Simon Gratz 69-66 in overtime Friday night in boys basketball.

Singh finished with a team-high 18 points, while Joe Wiggins had 16 and Jordan Hardy scored 13.

PM West 69, Simon Gratz 66

PM WEST (69)

Wiggins 2 0-0 4, Archer 1 0-1 2, Cooper 2 0-1 6, Brathwaite 2 5-6 10, Howard 0 0-2 0, Simon 0 0-2 0, Moyo 0 0-0 0, J. Wiggins 4 7-10 16, Singh 7 0-0 18, Hardy 4 2-4 13. Totals — 22 14-26 69.

SIMON GRATZ (66)

Tyndale 3 4-6 10, Dinkins 1 0-0 2, Tahiv 3 1-5 8, Leon 2 1-2 5, Pecer 0 0-0 0, Williams 3 3-5 11, White 7 2-4 14, Barnet 1 1-2 3, Moore 4 3-4 11. Totals — 24 15-28 66.

PM West 13 18 12 17-9 ­— 69

Simon Gratz 16 17 13 14-6 — 66

3-point goals — PMW 11 (Cooper 2, Brathwaite, Wiggins, Singh 4, Hardy 3); SG 3 (Whatson, Pecer 2).

Records — PM West 3-2.

12/21/2013 - After a disappointing loss on Thursday which saw West struggle offensively, the Panthers made some adjustments for an 80-72 win over Nazareth on Saturday afternoon.

Senior Joe Wiggins led the way in the scoring department again with a game-high 22 points. Freshman Isaiah Wiggins added 14 point of his own and fellow freshman Lance Singh chipped in with 9 points including a big 3-pointer down the stretch.

The Panthers' next game is against Simon Gratz out of Philadelphia in the North Pocono X-mas Tournament at 3:30 on Friday.

12/19/2013 - For the first time since Pocono Mountain West opened it's doors in 2002, East Stroudsburg North defeated the Panthers in MVC action. Senior Joe Wiggins scored a game-high 25 point but the Panthers were unable to get another scorer into double digits and struggled offensively.

Isaiah Battle scored a team-high 19 points for the Timberwolves.

West's next game is Saturday against the LVC's Nazareth Blue Eagles. Game time is 2pm.

12/13/13 - Three players scored in double-figures for the Panthers as they upset preseason MVC favorite Stroudsburg, 83-74, Friday night. Senior Joe Wiggins scored a career and game-high 27 points, freshman Isaiah Wiggins added 19 points, and senior Jordan Hardy chipped in 16 points in the victory. Hardy also took on the task of guarding Stroudsburg's best player, Jacob Battle, limiting him offensively.

Next up for the Panthers is O'Neil Holder and the East Stroudsburg South Cavaliers. The MVC matchup is at South on Tuesday night.

12/11/13 - After West built a ten-point lead in the second quarter, Easton closed out the half on an 8-0 run and was down 31-29 at halftime. The two teams traded leads through the third  quarter and  at the end of the fourth quarter found themselves tied 55-55 with 8 ticks left. The Panthers had possession but quickly turned the ball over and Easton called a time out to draw up a play for the potential game-winner. On the inbounds Easton's point guard penetrated to the bucket only to have the game-winning lay-up rim out.

In overtime, there was a lid on the basket for the Panthers. Easton outscored West 11-6 in the final stanza and won the game 66-61.

For the Panthers senior Joe Wiggins scored a game-high 24 points, pulled down 6 boards, and had 3 steals. Senior Royce Braithwaite added 13 points.

For the Rovers Shane Simpson scored a team-high 13 points.

The loss was the Panthers first on the season (0-1) and was Easton's first win (1-1).

West will open MVC play this Friday when the travel to Stroudsburg High School. 

December 06, 2013

Pocono Record

"Never. This is a first. I need these kids."

That was veteran Pocono Mountain West boys basketball coach Brad Pensyl's email response when asked about the last time he had to depend on freshmen to play a key role on one of his teams.

Never is over.

If West hopes to win a seventh Mountain Valley Conference title since 2005, and the final one before the conference merges with the Lehigh Valley Conference next school year, freshmen guards Lance Singh and Isaiah Wiggins and forward A.J. Simon will be right in the middle of it. Pocono West's middle school teams have been very good and the future is now for the Panthers, who usually have their younger players gain experience on the jayvee level before exposing them to the rigors and pressures of the varsity.

The Panthers won't be scraping to get by, though. Far from it actually.

All-MVC and Pocono Record All-Area first-team guard Joe Wiggins is back and so is starter Jordan Hardy. Wiggins might be the most dynamic player in the MVC, a slashing guard who can score from the perimeter, too. Hardy is a fantastic athlete who holds the single-season school records for receiving yards and touchdowns. Defense is always a staple of Pensyl's teams and this season will be no different.

There will be plenty of challengers for PM West's throne.

Stroudsburg will be at the head of the list. The Mounties return senior guard Jacob Battle, the best perimeter shooter in the MVC and one of the tops in District 11. Battle uses his silky smooth jumper perfectly, forcing defenders to play up on him so he can use his quickness to get to the goal where he is a very good finisher. Stroudsburg must replace David Clowney, perhaps the MVC's best athlete last season, but junior center Danny Cuevas showed good promise last year and would form a terrific inside-outside duo with Battle.

Senior center Marquis Brown is back to give Pleasant Valley the best interior player in the conference. Not only is Brown big, but he has soft hands and good athleticism that allows him to finish strong around the basket. Junior guard Bryan Sharpe also returns and Pleasant Valley will need him to step up his game to take the pressure off Brown.

O'Neil Holder is the toughest matchup by far in the MVC. Play him up close and the East Stroudsburg South senior will blow by a defender. Give him room and he'll rise up and knock down the 3. He also has the size and strength to rebound. This year will be a challenge for Holder, though, after the Cavs lost four starters. Teams will come in focused on slowing down Holder, so South will need someone to step up and ease the burden on the talented wing.

East Stroudsburg North always has fantastic athletes and this season is no different. The Timberwolves had a tough season last year, but appear ready to turn that around with the likes of senior guard Will Quiles returning. North has gotten off to show starts in the past, so starting fast will be imperative for the T-Wolves.

No team should be happier to turn the page than Pocono Mountain East. After a long stretch of success, the Cardinals went just 1-20 in 2012-13. Junior guard Jake Steckel, one of the top young players in the MVC, returns and second-year coach Pete Dyson listed depth of available scorers as one of East's strengths.

This might be the year Notre Dame of East Stroudsburg returns to the district playoffs. The Spartans haven't qualified for the postseason since 2010, but the return of junior forward Olsbey Mercer has Notre Dame primed to make a playoff push. Mercer, Monroe County's leading scorer at 16.7 points per game last season, can score inside and out (he hit 23 3s last year) for the Spartans, who also get senior forward Robert Farley (8.8 ppg) and sophomore guard Mike Steptuk (8.3 ppg) back.

So who wins the final MVC championship?

If you ask me now, I like Stroudsburg. Battle is such a tough player to defend because if you take away the 3 he can put the ball on the floor. Cuevas showed flashes last year, and if he takes a step or two forward this year, the Mounties are going to be tough.

I like PV, but the Bears need someone to take the pressure off Brown.

North doesn't have a dominant player — not that one is needed to win a conference title but it sure helps.

Holder is a fantastic talent, but I know nothing about the Cavs around him.

And West, well all the Panthers have done is win six MVC titles since 2005 and captured the District 11 Class AAAA championship in 2012, but freshmen are freshmen for a reason. I'll never count out West and Pensyl, though, and neither should you.

By: Keith Groller of The Morning Call

Pocono Mountain West has established itself as the Mountain Valley Conference's premier boys basketball program over the past nine years with six championships in that span, including the last three in a row.

But as the MVC is set to begin its final season before merging with the Lehigh Valley Conference, the Panthers' dominance over the past three years when they were 34-2 in league play may be at an end.

"Our league is going to be pretty balanced," Pocono West coach Brad Pensyl said. "East Stroudsburg North has everybody back, Stroudsburg has a lot back and so does Lehighton. Pleasant Valley has two good starters returning and East Stroudsburg South probably has the best player in the league back in O'Neil Holder. I mean that kid can play.

"Our league has been pretty competitive, but there were a few years there where you could take a couple of nights off. That's not the case this year."

Pensyl has a talented player returning with Joe Wiggins, and the Panthers always impress with their relentless style and athleticism.

However, the talent gap has disappated and West will be relying on three incoming freshmen in its bid for a four-peat.

"I really don't know where we fit because there are teams that are a lot more experienced than we are," Pensyl said. "We're going to rely on our freshmen. It's a very talented group coming in."

Looking at the end of the MVC era, Pensyl said he is going to miss the "smallness" of the seven-team league.

"For the most part, we've gotten along pretty well and have had few problems," he said.

On the other hand, he's also looking forward to the new, 18-team league which will combine the remaining six MVC teams (after the departure of Lehighton) with the 12 LVC teams.

"We play a lot of those teams anyway," Pensyl said. "So there won't be much difference. It's going to be good."

In fact, this year Pocono West will play eight LVC members on its nonleague schedule. Next year, when it will be in the same league with the LVC, there will only be six Lehigh Valley teams on the Panthers' schedule because Pocono West will remain in the same division with its Monroe County colleagues and play six cross-division games with other current LVC members.

Here's a look at this year's MVC:

EAST STROUDSBURG NORTH

• Coach: Kevin Kennedy (10th season, 87-125)

• Last year: 7-15, 5-7 MVC (fifth)

• Key losses: Malik Mills.

• Returnees: G Will Quiles (5-9 Sr. G) 8 ppg; Malique John (6-0 Sr. G/F) 8 ppg; Isaiah Battle (6-2 Sr. F) 11 ppg; Will Thompson (6-3 Sr. F); Shaimell Byrd (5-8 Sr. G); Samar Drakeford (5-10 Sr. G); David Quiles (5-10 Jr. G), Seiku Mangasoubba (6-4 Sr. C)

• Newcomers: Melquan Kirton (5-10 Jr. G) Justin Kussiahpoh (6-3 Jr. F)

• Outlook: The Timberwolves won four of their last five games last season and just missed qualifying for districts. Kennedy said the team gained experience a year ago. With all of its starters back, North figures to be much more competitive and make a run at the league and district playoffs.

EAST STROUDSBURG SOUTH

• Coach: Shawn Munford (second season).

• Last year: 11-13, 7-5 MVC (tied for third).

• Postseason: Lost to Pocono Mountain West 56-44 in MVC semis and lost to Parkland 56-42 in the Dist. 11 4A tournament pigtail round.

• Key losses: Dominique Quick, Khalil Wickham, Kingsley Amoakohene.

• Returnees: O'Neil Holder (6-4 Sr. F) 15.6 ppg; Kyle Kelly (6-2 Sr. G), Phillip Stewart (6-0 Jr. F), Wayne Davy (6-5 So. C), Zee Roberson (6-0 Sr. G), Benjamin Nieves (5-7 Sr. G).

• Newcomers: Andre Jackson (6-0 Jr. G).

• Outlook: The Cavaliers graduated seven from last year's team, including four starters, so this qualifies as a rebuiding year. Munford feels he has one of the better players in the area returning in Holder, but the supporting cast will be new. "We'll try to overcome our inexperience and continue to improve throughout the year by playing hard, smart, and together," Munford said. He admits "with so many new players at the varsity level, we really don't know what we have yet, so it should be an interesting journey throughout the season."

LEHIGHTON

• Coach: Rich Oertner (third season, 15-31; 176-130 including 10 seasons at Northern Lehigh).

• Last year: 12-12, 4-8 MVC (sixth).

• Postseason: Beat Southern Lehigh 50-46 in the first round of the District 11 3A tournament, lost to Pottsville 59-30 in quarterfinals.

• Key losses: Jacen Nalesnik.

• Returnees: Anthony Rossino (5-10 Sr. G) 8.6 ppg; James Farano (6-3, Sr. F) 8.6 ppg; Vince Mele (6-4, Sr. C) 5.4 ppg; Max McCandless (6-1 Sr. G) 1.6 ppg; Kris Knappenberger (6-2, Sr. F); Jordan Knappenberger (6-1, Jr. F) 8.3 ppg; Tyler Crum (6-1, Jr. G) 13.9 ppg; Tyler Williams (5-10, Jr. G); Tanner Zwetolitz (6-1, So. F).

• Newcomers: Tom Ruzicka (5-8, Jr. G).

• Outlook: After winning just five games over the previous four seasons, the Indians broke through last year with a 11-11 regular season and qualified for districts for the first time since 2007. Now, the challenge is to keep the momentum going. Oertner has four starters back, but injuries to Mele and Crum have slowed progress in the preseason. When healthy, the Indians figure to have enough scoring punch, but Oertner is concerned about the defense and the ability to close out games. As uplifting as last season was for the Indians, they still lost six games by 12 points or less and need to do a better job of finishing games.

PLEASANT VALLEY

• Coach: Ken Piontkowski (19th season, 220-231).

• Last year: 13-12, 7-5 (tied for third).

• Postseason: Defeated Stroudsburg 47-45, lost to Pocono Mountain West 50-45 in MVC tourney. Lost to Emmaus 55-45 in the first round of the District 11 4A tournament.

• Key losses: Devon Howard, Sekou Jones, Dan Hrbek.

• Returnees: Bryan Sharpe (6-1 Jr. G) 5.1 ppg; Marquis Brown (6-5 Sr. F) 12.3 ppg; Jarius Hosier (5-10 Sr. G); Lance Robinson (5-10 Sr. G); Dakota Neubert (6-3 Sr. F), Zach Deegan (5-10 Sr. G).

• Newcomers: Shai-Quan Aulder (5-11 Sr. G); Eric Mikulski (6-0 Jr. G), Pierce Roden (6-3 Sr. F); Nyeim Nevarez (5-11 Jr. G).

• Outlook: The Bears have 10 players that figure to contribute, so depth is a strength. They also have multiple players with playoff experience and return one of the MVC's top big men in Marquis Brown. However, for this to become more than a .500 team, PV will have to cut down on turnovers and shoot better than it did last year. Guards Mikulski and Sharpe need to shoot well from the outside to open things up inside for Brown, who needs to stay healthy for this team to thrive.

POCONO MOUNTAIN EAST

• Coach: Peter Dyson (second season).

• Last year: 1-20, 0-12 MVC (seventh).

• Key losses: Steven Randazzo, Elijah Tyndall, Brian Gonzalez.

• Returnees: Levert Comas (6-1 Sr. G); R.J. Sarajian (6-1 Sr. G); Jay Wiggins (6-2 Sr. G); V.J. Hardmon (5-9 Sr. G); Jake Steckel (6-2, Jr. G); Andrew Yarosh (5-8, Jr. G); G Stephen Carter (5-10, Jr. G).

• Newcomers: Nick Wiggins (6-1 Jr. G); Imoan Hudson (5-8 Jr. G); Mike Burgos (6-3, Jr. F); Isaiah Woody (6-3 Jr. F); Isaiah Moses (6-2 Sr. F), Sean Leonard (6-3, Jr. G)

• Outlook: It was a tough initial season for Dyson, but he has kept a very positive attitude as the Cardinals continue to rebuild their program with young talent. Consistency in effort, attitude and execution is key for this group. Dyson said: "If we limit our turnovers and hit open shots then we could surprise some teams considering our athleticism. We lack size and need everyone to play tough and large."

POCONO MOUNTAIN WEST

• Coach: Brad Pensyl (12th season at West, 25th season overall, 446-182)

• Last year: 20-5, 12-0 MVC (first).

• Postseason: Beat ES South 56-44 and Pleasant Valley 50-45 to win MVC title. Lost to Stroudsburg 69-59 in the District 11 4A quarterfinals.

• Key losses: Eric Vick 15.8, Darren Dixon; Leon Baptiste.

• Returnees: Joe Wiggins (5-9 Sr. G) 14.5 ppg; Jordan Hardy (6-0 Sr. G) 7.3 ppg; Sean Cooper (6-3 Sr. F); Jaran Mayo (6-5, Jr. C); Malachi Howard (6-2 Sr. F).

• Newcomers: Isaiah Wiggins (6-0 Fr. G); Lance Singh (6-0 Fr. F); A.J. Simon (6-1 Fr. G/F).

• Outlook: Wiggins and Hardy are returning starters, but Pensyl said he be relying heavily on the three freshman newcomers. "We're going to play the same way we've always played — uptempo on offense and man-to-man defense," Pensyl said. "If my freshmen kids are playing like juniors in the middle of January we're going to be fine. If they're still playing like freshmen in mid-January, then we're going to be in trouble." It's hard to imagine this proud program not being in the league tournament mix and also not qualifying for districts. In 24 years as a coach, Pensyl's team has never missed districts.

STROUDSBURG

• Coach: Shawn Thornton (22nd season, 295-249)

• Last year: 14-13, 8-4 MVC (second).

• Postseason: Lost to Pleasant Valley in MVC semis. Beat Whitehall and Pocono Mountain West in District 11 4A tournament before losing to Freedom in semis and Liberty in the consolation game.

• Key losses: Cliff Bragg, Skyler Brandt, David Clowney, Kenny Alston, Chris Cayo.

• Returnees: Jacob Battle (6-0 Sr. G) 13.8 ppg; Danny Cuevas (6-5 Jr. C); Edwin Lopez (5-11 Jr. G); Chris Bermudez (5-9 Sr. G); Evan Choy (6-0 Sr, G); Lamar Gordon (6-1 Sr. F); Brian Thornton (6-1 Sr. F).

• Newcomers: John Cromartie (5-11 Sr. G/F); Ryan Brandt (6-2 Jr. F); Terrence Odhiambo (6-1 Jr. F); Freddie Ruiz (5-9 Jr. G).

• Outlook: Battle, who figures to be one of the league's and area's top players, leads a contingent that Thornton calls "One of the most talented teams I've had in several years." Thornton likes his team's depth and speed and says he has lots of interchangeable parts. He also believes that the kids are a little more together at the start of the season than they've been. The key may be rebounding and defense. Expect the Mounties to be in the league and district mix.

KEITH GROLLER'S PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH

1., Stroudsburg

2., E.S. North

3., Pocono Mountain West

4., Pleasant Valley

5., E.S. South

6., Lehighton

7., Pocono Mountain East

LAST 11 MVC CHAMPS

(Since it became a 7-team league)

2002-03 -- Pleasant Valley

2003-04 -- Pocono Mt. East

2004-05 -- Pocono Mt. West

2005-06 -- Pocono Mt. East

2006-07 -- Pocono Mt. West

2007-08 -- Pocono Mt. West

2008-09 -- Stroudsburg

2009-10 -- Pocono Mt. East

2010-11 -- Pocono Mt. West

2011-12 -- Pocono Mt. West

2012-13 – Pocono Mt. West

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