WILKES-BARRE – Vince Bucciarelli, who produced 26 championships in 32 seasons leading the Abington Heights girls basketball team, is back on the sideline this season as head coach at Dallas.
Bucciarelli’s debut leading the Lady Mountaineers was his 1,000th as a high school girls head coach.
Dallas split games in the Mike Duda Tournament at Wyoming Valley West, losing to Honesdale, 40-38, and beating West Scranton 44-24.
The 1-1 start in the first week of the season made Bucciarelli’s career record 651-350 heading into a Dec. 9 home game against Lackawanna Trail.
After three straight games against teams from the Lackawanna League where he spent the first 38 years of his career, Bucciarelli is about to get into his schedule in a new league. The Dalton resident and retired Abington Heights teacher has games Dec. 16 against Lake-Lehman, Dallas’ Back Mountain rival, then the WVC Division 1 opener Dec. 21 against Wilkes-Barre Area.
“I know a lot of the programs down here because we played against them in exhibitions or districts,” Bucciarelli said during the Wyoming Valley Conference Coaches Press Conference Nov. 27.
After leaving Abington Heights, Bucciarelli spent six seasons, picking up 58 wins, at Mid Valley. Two years ago, he helped his daughter, Kayla, coach seventh- and eighth-graders at Abington Heights before spending last season as an assistant at Lackawanna Division 1 champion Scranton Prep.
“I’m looking forward to getting back into big schools,” Bucciarelli said. “I wanted to get back into the big schools after I left Abington.”
SCRANTON PREP OUTLOOK
The Scranton Prep girls have won five straight titles and 67 straight games in Lackawanna Division 1.
The school’s boys team has gone to eight straight Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association state tournaments.
Early indications are that even with significant graduation losses, the depth in each program makes the Classics and Cavaliers strong threats to continue that tradition of success.
Seniors Gianna Cafarella, a 5-foot-8 guard, and Rita Collins, a 5-11 forward, are the only returning starters for the Classics.
Scranton Prep defeated Berwick, 50-24, before going on the road in its second game to beat defending WVC Division 2 and overall tournament champion Lake-Lehman, 44-38.
Junior forward Jayna McIntyre, sophomore forward Bella Dennebaum and sophomore guards Claire McGrath, Maya Jenkins, Jenna Hillebrand and Ashlyn Moore are the young players keeping the Classics in the hunt.
James Pettinato, who recently committed to play National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III basketball at Penn State Abington, is the boys team’s returning starter.
The Cavaliers are 2-0, overcoming early double-figures deficits in three- and two-point wins over Tunkhannock and Williamsport.
Junior Kellen Casey and sophomore Brycen Martin are in the backcourt with Pettinato. Junior Roman Valvano and Chase Scanlan also have experience along with senior Keith Pritchyk, who gives the team some inside strength.
DIVISION OUTLOOKS
SCRANTON – A sampling of coaches during the Coaches vs. Cancer Media Day at Riverfront Sports gave an indication of what to expect in seven of the eight Lackawanna League races.
Scranton Prep, Dunmore and Montrose are clear favorites to repeat as champions in Divisions 1, 3 and 4. Wallenpaupack is the pick in Division 2.
Abington Heights and Scranton are regarded as the top threats in Division 1. Lakeland got the most attention behind Dunmore in Division 3. Elk Lake was mentioned second to Montrose in Division 4, followed by Blue Ridge and Lackawanna Trail.
Abington Heights, Holy Cross and Blue Ridge were seen as the definite favorites in Divisions 1, 3 and 4 boys. No consensus was obtained on Division 2.
