More than one out of every four District 2 basketball teams are competing in a different classification than a year ago.
Changes caused by the enrollment adjustments the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association makes every two years have led to new divisional opponents and different teams to compete against for playoff positioning for squads from Abington Heights, Lackawanna Trail and Scranton Prep.
Here is what is new this winter:
Class 5A boys, where Abington Heights is the defending champion, has been reduced from six to five teams.
West Scranton moves up to 6A; Dallas drops down to 4A; and Nanticoke moves up to 5A.
Old Forge moves to Class 2A as part of major changes in the district’s small schools.
The Blue Devils will be joined in the class by Blue Ridge, Forest City, Lackawanna Trail, Mountain View, Susquehanna and Wyoming Seminary. Only three of those seven teams competed in Class 2A a year ago.
Scranton Prep is part of the district’s largest classification. Class 4A grows by one to 11 teams. Unlike other classifications, not everyone makes the playoffs. The 11 teams will be chasing eight district berths unless a team or team that finishes lower than eighth in the power ratings has a .500 or better record.
While Dallas comes down from 5A and Nanticoke leaves for 5A, Carbondale joins in after moving up from 3A.
Berwick, Hanover Area, Honesdale, Lake-Lehman, Tunkhannock, Valley View, Western Wayne and Wyoming Area join Carbondale, Dallas and defending champ Scranton Prep in the 4A field.
In all, 11 boys teams and nine girls teams, out of the 39 schools, changed classifications for the latest cycle.
Abington Heights is now part of a seven-team field in Class 5A girls for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons. There were nine teams the previous two seasons.
Scranton and West Scranton have moved up to 6A while Honesdale has dropped to 4A. Berwick comes up from Class 4A.
Crestwood, Dallas, North Pocono, Pittston Area and Wallenpaupack remain with Abington Heights and Berwick.
Lackawanna Trail is in Class 2A girls, which expands from five to seven teams, including adding 2024 Class A state finalist Mountain View.
Elk Lake and Wyoming Seminary come down from 3A, but Montrose exits to 3A.
Blue Ridge, Holy Cross and Old Forge remain in 2A from the previous two-year cycle.
Class 4A girls, where Scranton Prep is the defending district champion and a returning state finalist, has gone from seven teams to eight. While Honesdale moves down from 5A, Mid Valley moves up from 3A. Berwick leaves the classification.
Hanover Area, Nanticoke, Tunkhannock, Valley View and Wyoming Area join Scranton Prep, Honesdale and Mid Valley as the 4A teams.
WRESTLING
The changes are minimal in wrestling where Dallas drops from 3A to 2A and Nanticoke goes the other direction from 2A to 3A.
Abington Heights remains one of 16 teams in Class 3A while Lackawanna Trail and Scranton Prep are among the 12 in Class 2A.
