Basketball favorites

[ERAChamp]

With the 2021 local hoops season (hopefully) about to kickoff, who are the favorites on both the boys & girls side in the Westpac, LHAC & Heritage conferences??

[bigtube]

LHAC is most likely Johnstown on the boys side, but Westmont returns 4 starters and should be very tough. They have to find a way to replace Fortson's scoring.

On the girls side, BG and Forest Hills are the favorites.

In the sprint of 13 games, there could be a surprise in there if a team is hot.

[theprophet]

I will list my boys favorites as I am not familiar with the girls side

Boys LHAC
BG
Johnstown
Bedford
Penn Cambria

WestPac
Berlin
Shade
Windber
CT

[Crimson's Ghost]

Johnstown, Bishop Guilfoyle, Bedford, Westmont, Penn Cambria should be the top teams for boys in the LHAC.

-- Johnstown's Joziah Wyatt-Taylor is the best post player in the league. He's a force, and Dre Toney is a good guard.

-- BG loses a lot, but Patrick Haigh and Cameron Khoza is a good place to start.

-- Bedford has Ressler and he's probably the best guard in the league.

-- Westmont's supporting cast around Fortson all got a lot better as the season went on, and they're all 6-3 plus Landon Weeks is a nice guard.

-- Penn Cambria went 12-11 last year but returns virtually everyone.



Forest Hills has a lot back, should be a little more competitive.
Bishop Caroll loses a lot, it'll be a step back for them.
McCort might be a bit better, Nash has a chance to be pretty good.
Somerset has nowhere to go but up.
Cambria Heights can challenge the top 5 teams, they're probably a step below, but a step above most of these teams.
Central Cambria should be middle of the pack.
Richland should be alright, but losing Burke and Bailey hurts, they did a lot for that team last season.
Ridge has Whysong, I'd think they should be a playoff team.


My guess..
1. Johnstown
2. Bishop Guilfoyle
3. Bedford
4. Westmont
5. Penn Cambria
6. Cambria Heights
7. Richland
8. Chesutnut Ridge
9. Bishop McCort
10. Central Cambria
11. Bishop Carroll
12. Forest Hills
13. Somerset

[GoldenRamsFAN]

For the westpac Portage has to be in the top 4, getting literally everyone back from a D6 runner up is a good place to be at.

[theprophet]

For the westpac Portage has to be in the top 4, getting literally everyone back from a D6 runner up is a good place to be at.

Agreed, I forgot about Portage.

For the LHAC I don’t believe in Westmont. They haven’t impressed me for along time and not to be to harsh but if Roman doesn’t have the best team he just doesn’t win. His teams never over achieve and rarely play hard.

[Lionjacket]

My thoughts on the LHAC:

Johnstown: I feel that this is going to be an underrated team this year, as crazy as that sounds. Other that Wyatt-Taylor, they have basically turned over the entire roster from two years ago. However, they have an excellent group of seniors set to play this year, who would have been starting on most any other team (Omar Harris, Isaiah Matilda, Drezyre Toney, and Savion Holiday). They also have some good younger players including JJ Malcom, Jon Updyke, and a couple others). Updyke might even get some action this year, which is rare for a freshman at Johnstown. With Ryan Durham at the helm, they have turned from a decent team to a fantastic PROGRAM.

Bishop Guilfoyle: This is going to be another slightly underestimated team. They lost a lot of talent from last year’s team. However, Chris Drenning has created a culture of winning in Altoona, and has made it an extremely fun place to place, with the system that he has in place. They should have good size and excellent shooting, which is going to be a key in this sprint of a regular season. They should be in the hunt for another district title, and should be right at the top of the league once again.

Bedford: I think the time has finally come for Bedford to potentially win the league. The headliner is obviously the best player in the league, in Steven Ressler, who can shoot, drive, and pass the ball with the best of them. They are also an extremely gritty team, especially with guys like Mercury Swaim and Max Washington on the roster. It seems like they just replace excellent shooter with excellent shooter, and it should be Kevin Ressler and Ethan Weber that fill that role this year. If they can get some production in the post, I can see them replicating their run they had on the gridiron.

Westmont: This is a team that has the chance to be extremely competitive, but also could be quite average. I think that a lot of that depends on how disciplined they are. They return 4 starters, who are all very long, which is always an advantage, but could be even more so in a season that there won’t be a lot of time to prepare for teams. They definitely have to replace the scoring of Ashden Fortson, but they they do those two things (stay disciplined and make up the scoring) they could contend for a D6 title. With all this said, the best is yet to come for them, as they have some EXCELLENT players coming up through the JH ranks.

Penn Cambria: I see this team being very much like Westmont, either very good or quite average. They also return a decent amount of their roster, including arguably the best freshman in the area last year, Garrett Harrold. Last year, their bread and butter was intense defense. If they can continue to improve on that, that can lead to a lot of easy buckets and blowouts vs. the bottom to middle of the league, and keep them competitive vs. the top of the league.

Cambria Heights: Cambria Heights enters its last year in the LHAC, as arguably the grittiest, team in the league. They have lost several very good players over the last two years, but they have a good returning nucleus. They are a good defensive team, and that will keep them in a lot of games. However, where the offense comes from, is going to be the question. Preston Lamb will be a good start, but they need 1 or 2 other guys to step up.

Bishop McCort: Unfortunately, this might be another tough season for the Crimson Crushers. They lost a lot of seniors from last year’s team, which provided a lot of their offense. It also looks like they will be without multiple year started, Brendon Bair, who doesn’t appear on their roster. This leaves them without much such, in a league with a lot of tall teams. They will definitely be lead by Mason Nash (who had a good sophomore year), Amir Ortega-Andrews, and Trystan Fornari (who for some reason played down on the JH team last year).

Chestnut Ridge: Chestnut Ridge will again be adjusting to a new coaching staff. This will be the 3rd head coach that the seniors will have played for. The previous two both only stayed for 2 or 3 years. Ridge showed flashes of being a very good team last year, but will have the challenge of replacing 3 multi-year starters in Isaac Little, Kam Clapper, and Noah Hillegass. The cupboard is far from bare however, as they return one of the league’s top guards in Matt Whysong, as well as Logan Pfister. Some other guys that saw action last year include: Jonah Hillegass, Lucas Nicodemus, Hayden Little, and Luke Mickle. I see them contending for a D5 title, in a subregion that has 3 Districts in it.

Richland: This is another team that has lost a ton of talented players over the last two years. The big one from last year’s team obviously being Caleb Burke. They do have a lot of other talented players that didn’t get recognized as much, due to Burke doing as much as he did (Charlie Levendar, Sam Penna, Kellan Stahl, and Trent Rozich). If they can find a suitable replacement at point guard, they can definitely contend for another district title, but I can see them taking a step back within the league.

Central Cambria: Central Cambria is a team that will have to replace a lot of offensive firepower from last year’s team, as they lost several good seniors. From what I have seen, they do have some young talent (Hobbs Dill, Nate Wyrwas, Will Westrick, and Kevin Orange), and a very good coach. Unfortunately, I think they are going to have another tough go of it in Ebensburg.

Bishop Carroll: How do you replace a 3-time All-State guard and a 6’6” powerhouse in the post? I guess that Bishop Carroll is going to find out this year. The good news for them is that they still have a couple players with good size coming back, and some guards that can play tenacious D. Cozie always has his players ready to go, and this year will be no different. However, I think that this will finally be the year that they find themselves in the middle of the LHAC pack, but still fighting for a D6 A title.

Forest Hills: This is a team that just might surprise some people this year. Though it might not show in the league standings, they should be able to keep games very close. They were a very young team last year, and return most of their roster. They have a good combination of shooting and driving toughness, with guys like Dylan Pasquerilla, Damon Crawley, Nick Caddy, and Zach Meyers). It also doesn’t hurt to have the biggest player in the league, in 6’7” Carson Burkheimer. The future also looks bright for the Rangers, as they have some very talented players coming up through the ranks.

Somerset: They return the coach that helped bring them so much success several years ago. The question will be, can he do it again? They do have some size and decent young players, but I think that the battle is a little too uphill for the Golden Eagles, at least for this year.

Projected Standings:
1. Bedford
2. Johnstown
3. Bishop Guilfoyle
4. Penn Cambria
5. Westmont
6. Chestnut Ridge
7. Richland
8. Cambria Heights
9. Bishop Carroll
10. Forest Hills
11. Central Cambria
12. Bishop McCort
13. Somerset

[theprophet]

My thoughts on the LHAC:

Johnstown: I feel that this is going to be an underrated team this year, as crazy as that sounds. Other that Wyatt-Taylor, they have basically turned over the entire roster from two years ago. However, they have an excellent group of seniors set to play this year, who would have been starting on most any other team (Omar Harris, Isaiah Matilda, Drezyre Toney, and Savion Holiday). They also have some good younger players including JJ Malcom, Jon Updyke, and a couple others). Updyke might even get some action this year, which is rare for a freshman at Johnstown. With Ryan Durham at the helm, they have turned from a decent team to a fantastic PROGRAM.

Bishop Guilfoyle: This is going to be another slightly underestimated team. They lost a lot of talent from last year’s team. However, Chris Drenning has created a culture of winning in Altoona, and has made it an extremely fun place to place, with the system that he has in place. They should have good size and excellent shooting, which is going to be a key in this sprint of a regular season. They should be in the hunt for another district title, and should be right at the top of the league once again.

Bedford: I think the time has finally come for Bedford to potentially win the league. The headliner is obviously the best player in the league, in Steven Ressler, who can shoot, drive, and pass the ball with the best of them. They are also an extremely gritty team, especially with guys like Mercury Swaim and Max Washington on the roster. It seems like they just replace excellent shooter with excellent shooter, and it should be Kevin Ressler and Ethan Weber that fill that role this year. If they can get some production in the post, I can see them replicating their run they had on the gridiron.

Westmont: This is a team that has the chance to be extremely competitive, but also could be quite average. I think that a lot of that depends on how disciplined they are. They return 4 starters, who are all very long, which is always an advantage, but could be even more so in a season that there won’t be a lot of time to prepare for teams. They definitely have to replace the scoring of Ashden Fortson, but they they do those two things (stay disciplined and make up the scoring) they could contend for a D6 title. With all this said, the best is yet to come for them, as they have some EXCELLENT players coming up through the JH ranks.

Penn Cambria: I see this team being very much like Westmont, either very good or quite average. They also return a decent amount of their roster, including arguably the best freshman in the area last year, Garrett Harrold. Last year, their bread and butter was intense defense. If they can continue to improve on that, that can lead to a lot of easy buckets and blowouts vs. the bottom to middle of the league, and keep them competitive vs. the top of the league.

Cambria Heights: Cambria Heights enters its last year in the LHAC, as arguably the grittiest, team in the league. They have lost several very good players over the last two years, but they have a good returning nucleus. They are a good defensive team, and that will keep them in a lot of games. However, where the offense comes from, is going to be the question. Preston Lamb will be a good start, but they need 1 or 2 other guys to step up.

Bishop McCort: Unfortunately, this might be another tough season for the Crimson Crushers. They lost a lot of seniors from last year’s team, which provided a lot of their offense. It also looks like they will be without multiple year started, Brendon Bair, who doesn’t appear on their roster. This leaves them without much such, in a league with a lot of tall teams. They will definitely be lead by Mason Nash (who had a good sophomore year), Amir Ortega-Andrews, and Trystan Fornari (who for some reason played down on the JH team last year).

Chestnut Ridge: Chestnut Ridge will again be adjusting to a new coaching staff. This will be the 3rd head coach that the seniors will have played for. The previous two both only stayed for 2 or 3 years. Ridge showed flashes of being a very good team last year, but will have the challenge of replacing 3 multi-year starters in Isaac Little, Kam Clapper, and Noah Hillegass. The cupboard is far from bare however, as they return one of the league’s top guards in Matt Whysong, as well as Logan Pfister. Some other guys that saw action last year include: Jonah Hillegass, Lucas Nicodemus, Hayden Little, and Luke Mickle. I see them contending for a D5 title, in a subregion that has 3 Districts in it.

Richland: This is another team that has lost a ton of talented players over the last two years. The big one from last year’s team obviously being Caleb Burke. They do have a lot of other talented players that didn’t get recognized as much, due to Burke doing as much as he did (Charlie Levendar, Sam Penna, Kellan Stahl, and Trent Rozich). If they can find a suitable replacement at point guard, they can definitely contend for another district title, but I can see them taking a step back within the league.

Central Cambria: Central Cambria is a team that will have to replace a lot of offensive firepower from last year’s team, as they lost several good seniors. From what I have seen, they do have some young talent (Dill Hobbs, Nate Wyrwas, Will Westrick, and Kevin Orange), and a very good coach. Unfortunately, I think they are going to have another tough go of it in Ebensburg.

Bishop Carroll: How do you replace a 3-time All-State guard and a 6’6” powerhouse in the post? I guess that Bishop Carroll is going to find out this year. The good news for them is that they still have a couple players with good size coming back, and some guards that can play tenacious D. Cozie always has his players ready to go, and this year will be no different. However, I think that this will finally be the year that they find themselves in the middle of the LHAC pack, but still fighting for a D6 A title.

Forest Hills: This is a team that just might surprise some people this year. Though it might not show in the league standings, they should be able to keep games very close. They were a very young team last year, and return most of their roster. They have a good combination of shooting and driving toughness, with guys like Dylan Pasquerilla, Damon Crawley, Nick Caddy, and Mitchell Chunta). It also doesn’t hurt to have the biggest player in the league, in 6’7” Carson Burkheimer. The future also looks bright for the Rangers, as they have some very talented players coming up through the ranks.

Somerset: They return the coach that helped bring them so much success several years ago. The question will be, can he do it again? They do have some size and decent young players, but I think that the battle is a little too uphill for the Golden Eagles, at least for this year.

Projected Standings:
1. Bedford
2. Johnstown
3. Bishop Guilfoyle
4. Penn Cambria
5. Westmont
6. Chestnut Ridge
7. Richland
8. Cambria Heights
9. Bishop Carroll
10. Forest Hills
11. Central Cambria
12. Bishop McCort
13. Somerset

This was pretty’s dang on good, appreciate you for taking the time out to put this together. Can you do Westpac?

[Manfred]

Hobbs Dill, not Dill Hobbs. For FH, Mitch Chunta graduated with Adam Cecere. Julia Chunta is a future good player for the lady Rangers. Everyone knows this is Zach Myers' team though. Good synopsis anyway.

[Crimson's Ghost]

Good writeup, LionJacket.

Yea, I'm not entirely sure what to make of McCort. I think they might be better off in some regards with an overhaul of the roster. Fornari could have helped them last year, but they kept the JH group together with him on there and they went like 21-1. They had 6 pretty good players from that JH team, 4 of them are on the roster it looks like, one I'm not seeing so I don't know what happened, and the one is only in 8th grade. He'll be McCort's starting point guard for four years once he gets to high school.

But yea, they still seem like a year away from really competing.