Area teams face steep tasks in openers

We're not in District 4 anymore.

Stepping out of the area brings with it opportunities for our area teams, but a loss at this point is a season ender.

The first round of the PIAA state playoffs begins Friday with Mount Carmel taking on Tamaqua at Pottsville's Martz Hall at 6 p.m.

Saturday brings two more District 11 foes for our area teams with Nativity travelling to Shamokin Area High School to face Lourdes, and Shamokin getting on the bus to Parkland to play Allentown Central Catholic. Both games start at 3 p.m.

And while the records for all three teams, Nativity (19-5), Tamaqua (24-2) and Allentown Central Catholic (25-2), seems daunting, none are unbeatable and may be the best possible matchups for our area teams.

Lourdes - Nativity

For Lourdes, Nativity has been a monkey on the Red Raiders' back for the entire time this group of seniors has been around. In all fairness, Nativity has owned quite a few teams during that time, with the exception of Marian in 2007-08, and the Golden Girls played for the state title last year.

And this year, Nativity did a number on the Raiders, 60-47, after the Golden Girls were able to jump out to a big lead in the first quarter on Lawton's Hill. So what could the good news be?

Tri-Valley has been able to wash away some of the Nativity mystique this year, with a win over over the Golden Girls in the District 11 championship, by using its size.

Lourdes, which has sleepwalked through the District 4 playoffs and yet won every game by double digits, has the size and the depth to contend with the Golden Girls, but the Raiders will need to make their shots early in the game.

If both Corrine and Shannon Kenney and freshman Christina Perles can control the boards, and Jen Kalinowski can get on track early, then the Raiders, on a court which should be like a second home, stand a very good chance at advancing.

A win over Nativity would go a long way in propelling the Raiders onto bigger and better things in these state playoffs.

Prediction: Lourdes 45-42. Free throws down the stretch are the Raiders' saving grace.

Mount Carmel - Tamaqua

Mount Carmel's task isn't an easy one either with Tamaqua.

Five-foot, 11-inch junior forward Amy Zehner paces the Blue Raiders, and is averaging 21.2 points per game.

Both of Tamaqua's losses this season were to Pine Grove, but against everyone else looked as unbeatable as they proved to be. The Blue Raiders ran through Nativity and Tri-Valley on way to the Schuylkill League championship, and found

little resistance from Palmerton and Pen Argyl in the D-11 bracket.

The Blue Raiders also have the added benefit of playing in the state playoffs, and winning a game, last season.

So how does Mount Carmel attack the Blue Raiders?

By using the same gameplan it's had since the middle of the season - by using it's athleticism to run teams down.

If the Raiders have a weakness on paper, it's that they don't have much scoring after their starting five, although wow, can their starting five score.

Mount Carmel has seen its success come by driving to the basket and putting other teams in foul trouble. If the Tornadoes can do that on Friday then they stand a chance at moving on to face the winner of the Friere Charter and Delone Catholic matchup.

Prediction: Tamaqua 67-54. Too much firepower and experience for the Blue Raiders.

Shamokin - ACC

Shamokin has the steepest task of all the teams - ACC.

The Vikings (we refuse to call them something so ridiculous as the Vikettes, as if they were a '60s all-female doo-wop group) have the history, the experience and the talent to make it one and done for the Indians.

They're led by coach Mike Kopp, who in his 30th year with ACC has 744 wins, and point guard Taylor Maldonado, who will be going to Division II Florida Southern next year.

The Vikings are also big with a 5-10 forward in Colleen Nosovitch and a 6-foot forward, Kerry Kinek. Both are averaging in double figures for ACC.

If Shamokin has seen anything this postseason, it's been size, size, size. While the Indians aren't the biggest squad in the field, Summer Reigle and Steph Pancher have been solid underneath against bigger girls. The trick is, can Shamokin's guards create enough pressure on defense that the ACC bigs don't get the ball cleanly in the post?

On offense, the Indians can't spot ACC anything by shooting badly in the first quarter. Against the Vikings, who start four seniors, a lead to end the first quarter will pay big dividends in the confidence department for the young Indians.

Prediction: ACC 50-42. Making the state playoffs three times in four years is still an accomplishment for the Indians, but schools outside the area are just too loaded in Class AAA.