Representing the Abington Heights boys basketball team at Coaches vs. Cancer Media Day were, left to right, Andrew Kettel, Jordan Shaffer, Chris Begley, Finn Goldberg, and Ben Reese.
Tom Robinson | For Abington Journal
SCRANTON — Abington Heights returns seven of its top eight players, as J.C. Show gets set to embark on his second season as boys basketball head coach.
Jordan Shaffer, Andrew Kettel, Finn Goldberg, and Billy Johnson all return from the starting lineup that produced a District 2 Class 5A championship. Chris Begley is back after also starting earlier last season. Carter Plantz and Ben Reese return after filling significant roles in the frontcourt rotation a year ago.
“It’s an experienced group of players who have been playing together since their youth days,” Show said. “We have the potential to have some good depth.”
The Comets do have to replace Robby Lucas, their top scorer and a strong leader.
“The biggest thing for us will be finding an identity as a team,” Show said, “locking into a group that plays well together. The things that Robby brought — scoring, passing, rebounding, leadership – we’re going to have to do by committee this year.
“We’re going to lean on Jordan heavily.”
Shaffer is one of the top returning scoring threats in the Lackawanna League, and Kettel, the point guard, emerged last season as a double-figures scorer, who Show said has continued that steady improvement through the offseason.
Johnson is coming off an outstanding run as the goalie on the state championship soccer team. The junior center joins six seniors in the experienced group of returnees.
Brady Comstock, a 6-foot-4 junior, adds yet another option up front.
Show said it is “a matter of time” before some talented younger players are able to contribute as well.
“We have a lot of kids who are going to get opportunities,” he said.
Abington Heights finished 10-4 for third in the eight-team Lackawanna League Division 1, which produced all three District 2 big school champions, and went 14-11 overall with a first-round exit in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association state tournament.
