SCRANTON – An experienced backcourt and several options in the frontcourt make Abington Heights the favorite to return to the top of Lackawanna League boys basketball this season.
The Comets tied for second last season when Scranton won its second straight division championship.
Abington Heights has missed out on the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Tournament three straight seasons after going 13 straight years, including winning the Class 5A state championship in 2018.
Matt Show and Ryan Nealon are back after all-star performances in which they were the team’s top two scorers and 3-point shooters, averaging a combined 4½ baskets a game from beyond the arc.
Will Marion came on strong as the season progressed and is back to run the offense, offering another backcourt scoring threat while getting the ball to Show and Nealon.
“All we care about is getting the win,” Nealon said during an interview at Coaches vs. Cancer Media Day. “We don’t care about who is getting the scoring.
“All of us are unselfish and we just move the ball around. We’ve been playing well together and hopefully that continues through the season.”
Mason Fedor, a 6-foot-4 junior, is another player who finished strong last season when the Comets developed a deeper rotation and used more bench combinations than in some previous seasons.
Robby Lucas and Patrick Walsh are two more players who gained some varsity experience a year ago.
Nico Bossi, who saw limited playing time as a sophomore in the COVID-shortened season, is back on the team after sitting out last year. The 6-3 senior, who is headed to Holy Cross to play National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I football, provides another inside option.
“We will be up-tempo,” veteran Comets coach Ken Bianchi said. “We are smaller, but have good athletes.”
To run the ball, the Comets need the ball.
“Our defense has to try to force as many turnovers as we can to try to run the ball as much as we’d like to this year,” Show said.
Seniors Roman Cutrufello and Zach Brister, freshman Jordan Shaffer and juniors Lincoln Anderson and Gene Curtin are others trying to work their way into the rotation.
“Competition in the league is tough, but we’re going to speed it up a little this year and see how that works,” Marion said.
