Elk Lake used balanced scoring to win a pair of games and move into a tie for the Lackawanna League Division 4 boys’ basketball lead.

The Warriors matched Montrose, which had just one divisional game during the week, at 4-0 going into their first-half battle that was scheduled for Tuesday night.

Bailey Newhart, Hunter Watkins and Seth Tewksbury scored in double figures in both games for Elk Lake.

Newhart had 14 points to lead a 61-37 victory over Susquehanna Wednesday.

Watkins and Tewksbury added 11 points each and Cole Tyler had 10.

The Warriors needed a second-half rally to get past Lackawanna Trail, 54-42, Friday.

Watkins led the way with 15 points while Newhart had 14 and Tewksbury 11.

After losing a crossover game against Division 3 second-place team Dunmore, 62-46, Montrose came back to rout Susquehanna, 71-32, Friday night.

Austin Smith had 18 points and Mason Peck 15 to lead the Meteors to the win.

Elk Lake ended the week with a 10-3 overall record while Montrose was 9-3.

Blue Ridge pulled away from a tie at the end of three quarters to defeat Mountain View, 48-43, in another Friday Lackawanna Division 4 game.

Austin Harper had seven of his 15 points and Ty Herbert five of his 14 in the fourth quarter for Blue Ridge.

Matt Lavin made four 3-pointers while scoring 18 points for Mountain View. Cody Hollister added 10 points.

WEEK IN REVIEW

Forest City won its only Lackawanna League Division 4 girls basketball game of the week to hold on to first place.

The Lady Foresters, who later lost to pair of Division 3 teams, handled Mountain View, 41-19, Jan. 11.

MacKenzie Hartman had 14 points and Kendra Bendyk had 11 for Forest City, which led 41-10 after three quarters.

In wrestling, Montrose split during a double dual at Lackawanna Trail, suffering its first Lackawanna League Division 2 loss.

Montrose beat Lackawanna Trail, 51-18, but lost to Valley View, 51-24.

In professional hockey, the Binghamton Senators announced an agreement to remain at the Floyd L. Maines (formerly Broome County) Veterans Memorial Arena through the end of the 2018-19 American Hockey League season.

The Senators have played at the arena since the start of the 2002-03 season.

“Our ownership group is dedicated to keeping the AHL and the B-Sens alive and well in the Southern Tier,” Binghamton Senators executive vice president of operations Tom Mitchell said, according to a story on the league website. “Extending our lease, along with the option to extend in even further, is paramount to not only the ownership group, but the entire local community.”

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have the AHL’s second-best overall record at 28-9-0-1 after having a seven-game winning streak broken in Syracuse, 4-2, Saturday night.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton leads the Atlantic Division

Binghamton is last in the North Division at 15-20-3-0.

COLLEGE CORNER

Tanner Reyan, a sophomore from Elk Lake, is a 5-foot-11 guard for the Misericordia University men’s basketball team.

Reyan has appeared in half of the 8-6 team’s games, making one start.

In seven games, Reyan has played a total of 60 minutes. He is averaging 1.9 points, 1.1 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game.

Reyan is 4-for-16 (25.0 percent) from the floor, 3-for-11 (27.3) on 3-pointers and 2-for-4 (50.0) from the line.

THE WEEK AHEAD

The first half of the Lackawanna League basketball season comes to an end this week.

After their scheduled game to break the first-place tie Tuesday night, the Montrose-Elk Lake boys’ winner will try to lock up the Division 4 first-half title Thursday.

Montrose is home against third-place Forest City. Elk Lake is on the road against fourth-place Blue Ridge.

Forest City went into the week needing two wins to finish unbeaten in the half in Division 4 girls’ basketball. The Lady Foresters were scheduled to face third-place Lackawanna Trail Monday and host defending champion Montrose Wednesday.

TOM ROBINSON writes a weekly local sports column for the Susquehanna County Transcript. He can be reached online at RobbyTR@aol.com or followed on Twitter at @tomjrobinson.

STEWART IS LIVING OUT HIS FATE

Tony Stewart at Indianapolis in 1999. He started 24th and finished 9th

Tony Stewart isn’t letting go of racing. He said a few weeks ago that the 2016 season would be his last as a driver in NASCAR. Last week, he announced an update to his plans that calls for him to continue driving sprint cars after he leaves NASCAR.

Throughout his racing career, Stewart has won racing titles in Indy, midget, sprint and USAC Silver Crown cars. He is the only driver in history to win a championship in both IndyCar and NASCAR.

Stewart owns and drives the No. 14 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for his own team, Stewart-Haas Racing. While driving for car owner Joe Gibbs, Stewart won two Cup Series championships in 2002 and 2005. In 2011, he became the first owner-driver since Alan Kulwicki to win the Cup Series championship.

He is the only driver to win the Cup Series championship under the old points system and the Chase playoff format. He also has a Sprint Cup Championship as an owner, when the No. 4 car driven by Kevin Harvick won the Cup title in 2014.

It’s been a great ride, but it hasn’t been without a lot of bumps and grinds. Before he won the 2002 championship, he often got cross-ways with NASCAR officials. During 2001, there was talk that he might be suspended. During an interview prior to the 2001 Martinsville race, he said, “It’s NASCAR’s way or no way, and you know how I am. So, I might be hitting the highway.”

But after attending anger management classes during the off season, Stewart seemed to work through some of his emotions and demons, and the 2002 season was one of his best.

He has many fans that love to see him race, but the man has never overcome his negative emotions. The least little thing can set him off on a name-calling tirade. He’s unable to handle the blackness when it boils up.

During a sprint car race on August 5, 2013 in Iowa, Stewart broke both bones in his right leg due to a crash and missed the remainder of the NASCAR season.

But the most tragic event came in August 2014, when his sprint car hit and killed young racer Kevin Ward Jr. at Canandaigua (New York) Motorsports Park.

Ward's family alleges that Stewart lost his temper and caused the tragedy. They think he tried to intimidate their son. After swerving toward him, Stewart ended up accidentally striking Ward, who had walked on to the track while the drivers were doing laps under caution.

Stewart says he didn't know Ward was on the track until just before his car struck Ward. He also said he didn't know it was Ward he had hit and that Ward is responsible for his death by walking on to the racing surface, trying to make contact with Stewart's car and also being under the influence of marijuana.

He still faces a wrongful death civil lawsuit over the incident.

After a sprint car race in Australia in 2011, he was questioned but not charged by Australian police after an altercation at a Sydney track.

He also was fined $25,000 by NASCAR in October 2014 for backing into Brad Keselowski's car on pit road in retaliation for his car being hit by Keselowski's after the race.

The latest incident occurred last week prior to a race at the Chili Bowl Nationals in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Stewart was on the track helping to prepare the racing surface when a fan started heckling him and calling him names.

“Enough is enough,” said Stewart.

The two exchanged words and the fan appeared to push Stewart, who continued to yell at the fan for a few more seconds until another man moved the fan back into his seat.

If he never wins another race, he will have had a great career.

He grew up racing go karts and was successful very early, winning a World Karting Association championship in 1987. He moved up to the United Midget Racing Association where he raced three quarter midgets until 1991, when he again moved up this time to the United States Auto Club Series. Stewart was the USAC Rookie of the Year in 1991, USAC National Midget Series Champion in 1994 and 1995 and USAC Silver Crown Series champion in 1995.

In 1995, Stewart became the first driver to win USAC's version of the Triple Crown, earning championships in all three of USAC's major divisions, National Midget, Sprint, and Silver Crown. His winning the Hut Hundred and 4-Crown Nationals were the highlights of the year.

When he was not racing IndyCars, he raced stock cars. In 1996, Stewart made his NASCAR Busch Series debut, driving for car owner Harry Rainer. In nine races, he had a best finish of 16th place. He had more success in a one-time ride in the Craftsman Truck Series with Mueller Brothers racing, where he finished 10th.

Stewart was poised to improve his Indy Racing League standing in 1997 but at times he struggled to finish. He failed to finish the first three races of a ten race schedule, but recovered to come in second at Phoenix. He finally got his first career win at Pikes Peak, where he led all but seven laps of a 200-lap race.

He became the leading contender for the series' championship after a bad slump knocked points leader Davey Hamilton out of first place. Despite an average end to his season, Stewart had just enough points to beat Hamilton for the IRL title. He also raced in a few midget events, finishing thirteenth and eleventh in the 1997 and 1998 USAC national points, and winning the Copper Classic. Between his time in USAC and the IRL, Stewart earned the nickname of "Smoke", first for slipping the right rear tire during dirt races and then for blowing his engine often during his 1997 championship run.

As he had done the previous year, he raced a handful of Busch Series races in 1998. This time, he was racing for Joe Gibbs Racing, who was having major success with Bobby Labonte in the Winston Cup Series. He finished in the top-10, and had a 3rd-place finish at Charlotte. Stewart so impressed Gibbs that he was signed to drive the majority of the Busch schedule in 1998 to go along with a full-time IRL schedule.

The double duty did not affect his performance in either series. In the IRL, he won twice and finished 3rd in the championship. His season was a disappointment as he finished last in the Indy 500 because of an engine failure.

While Busch Series racing, he finished in the top-five five times in 22 starts. He came close to winning his first Busch Series race at Rockingham, but was beaten on a last lap pass by Matt Kenseth. Stewart finished second in two starts, and had an average finish that was comparable to some of the series' top finishers. Gibbs had enough confidence in Stewart that he was moved up to a Sprint Cup ride for the 1999 season. With that move, Stewart ended his three-year career as a full-time IRL driver.

Tony Stewart loves racing. It’s his life. He doesn’t chase a lot of women, and I haven’t heard many stories about him getting drunk. He lives to race. That’s his passion. Sprint car racing has caused Stewart a lot of health problems, but I think his brain blocks out those painful memories. I expect he will continue. If he were to do otherwise, he wouldn’t be living a life that's right for Tony Stewart.

DRIVE FOR DIVERSITY INCLUDES 11 WOMEN

Watch out men, NASCAR is going after women fans.

The 2016 NASCAR Drive For Diversity Program includes 11 women drivers, nearly half of the 23-driver field.

The 2016 class was formally introduced to the industry as part of the Charlotte Motor Speedway NASCAR Media Tour on Jan. 19.

“NASCAR remains steadfast in its mission to develop multicultural and female athletes and we believe this class has the potential to compete at the highest levels of our sport,” said Jim Cassidy, NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations. “The talent pool from which these drivers were selected was unprecedented for NASCAR Drive for Diversity – a testament to the program’s growth and success.”

Racing Trivia Question: Who won the first Daytona 500?

Last Week’s Question: What is the date of this year’s Daytona 500? Answer. Sunday, February 21.

You may contact the Racing Reporter by e-mail at: hodges@race500.com.

Austin Smith

Montrose senior Austin Smith ranked among the best athletes in the Lackawanna League and District 2 in two sports during 2015.

Smith began and ended the calendar year with honors on the basketball court. He was selected Lackawanna League Division 4 Player of the Year by division coaches after leading the Meteors to an unbeaten season, then earned Most Valuable Player honors in December’s Susquehanna County Christmas Tournament.

On the golf course, Smith produced the second-best finish by a District 2 golfer at the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Championships.

For those combined efforts, Smith has been selected as the Susquehanna County Transcript Athlete of the Year.

Smith edged another golfer who excelled elsewhere, Forest City’s Dylan O’Dell, for the award. Two Elk Lake girls’ distance runners, Justine Johns and Katie Bennett, also received consideration.

O’Dell earned a state individual medal in golf and helped the Foresters tie for fifth in the state as a team. He was a key part of the district finalist in baseball and also plays basketball.

Bennett and Johns each earned their third state cross country medals and were part of a state medal-winning relay team in track season. Johns then earned Athlete of the Month honors for her play on the basketball court where she won the Most Valuable Player award at the Denise Reddon Memorial Tournament.

Smith hopes to continue golf into college where he has been accepted at California University of Pennsylvania, Marywood University, Penn State-Hazleton and SUNY Delhi and is likely to make his choice from among those schools.

The golf season got off to a strong start for Smith when he finished tied for second overall, then eagled the first playoff hole to win the low senior award at the Jackman Memorial Tournament. He went on to finish second in District 2, third in the PIAA East Regional and 15th in the state in Class AA for his second straight top-20 finish.

Smith showed his versatility on the basketball court.

After playing both guard positions as a sophomore, he served as point guard and led the team with more than 13 points per game as Montrose won the division title in 2014-15.

In the current basketball season, Smith has moved to shooting guard and continues to lead the Meteors with more than 16 points per game while attracting more attention from opposing defenses.

Smith helped Montrose close the year with the Susquehanna County Christmas Tournament title by hitting a 30-footer at the overtime buzzer, capping a 32-point night, to knock off Elk Lake in the semifinals.

“This (season), I’m definitely defended hard,” Smith said. “I’m more often face-guarded, facing box-and-ones. They focus their defense on me so I have to work harder on offense to get shots off, get good shots and help my team win.”

Smith still has his point guard instincts and ball-handling to help set up teammates when the shots just are not there.

“We’re playing strong basketball,” Smith said. “We’re playing as a team, sharing the ball and getting good shots.”

Smith also won his fourth Montrose County Club junior club championship during 2015.

Austin, the son of John Smith and Kathryn Pierce, lives in Montrose.