Raise your hand if you thought the top two teams in District 11’s Class 6A would not only be from the Poconos but just moved up after being in 5A last season. You’d be lying if you did, but the start has been impressive for Pocono Mountain East and Pocono Mountain West boys basketball.
The Panthers are the clear favorite in the division and probably the EPC, with two of its last three wins against Parkland and Liberty. Adrian Brito is stuffing the stat sheet, and KJ Coles can catch fire at any moment. Jon Mateo and Eryan Silva continue to deliver as veteran players. The only knocks on West are a) the rebounding must improve and b) they must find a backup for Brito. Tru Godwin allows Williams to shuffle his guards around, but someone has to step up and get Brito a breather.
East going 9-1 through its first 10 games has been a pleasant surprise. Rayshawn Harris has continued to shine, but now sophomore Aiden Pierre is finding his rhythm after a quiet start. The Cardinals continue to have multiple double-digit scorers as a part of a balanced output. The only argument against the Cardinals’ start is that most of their wins have come against teams with losing records.
Mark Dudley’s squad will have a chance to prove it isn’t just a weak schedule, as its next three games will be against teams with winning records – Delaware Valley, Whitehall and Pocono Mountain West.
Outside of that, the rest of the mountain has had a rough start. After defeating Stroudsburg in a non-EPC game, East Stroudsburg North lost seven straight; Stroudsburg, Pleasant Valley, and South only won one. Notre Dame – East Stroudsburg, the Poconos’ 1A program and reigning district champs, got its second win with a young group.
Barring a dramatic second-half adjustment, the two Pocono Mountain School District programs are the clear favorites from up north. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t talented players elsewhere. Pleasant Valley center Zach Prator has continued to win the matchup over Adrian Brito; North’s Ozias Washington has had some nice scoring performances; and Notre Dame’s Marc Jackett is playing up to his potential as the Spartans’ anchor.
On the girls’ side, Stroudsburg senior McKayla Strunk is as good as advertised, slowly getting closer to 1,000 career points after an 18-point performance against Northampton. However, the Mounties lack the supportive firepower to be a more significant threat to the EPC, as shown by a 49-36 loss to Northampton.
Pocono Mountain West is still in the fight with a 3-5 record after a loss to Liberty. Emma Campusano has been a pleasant surprise for the Panthers, but putting this team together has been a slow grind.
After that, the rest of the mountain has combined for three wins, a clear indication of a rebuilding year for most teams. A little grace is warranted, as three of those schools have new head coaches. And with more divisional games coming up, there may be a chance to get some wins to boost the spirits.
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