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HomeSports ( February 12, 2025 )

Three Elk Lake Teams Assure Themselves Of Finishing No Worse Than Tied For First

By Tom Robinson

Elk Lake remained unbeaten in the Lackawanna League girls' basketball and girls' swimming in each case clinching no worse than a tie for first place and in each case also moving within just one victory of an outright championship.

The Warriors also clinched a first-place tie and moved within one win of a championship in boys' basketball.

The basketball teams got there in Lackawanna Division 3 by winning two games each, including beating Mountain View teams that are their top challengers.

Elk Lake posted the largest margin of victory in Lackawanna League girls' swimming this season when it beat Scranton, 142-9.

The Lady Warriors improved to 8-0, going into Tuesday's scheduled home meet with West Scranton (2-6) where they were positioned to complete the perfect season and the first Lackawanna championship season in program history.

Elk Lake used a balanced team effort to handle second-place Mountain View, 44-29, Feb. 4 and prevent the Lady Eagles from moving into a tie for the lead.

Kylie Shingler scored 11 points. Leah Traver had nine points, 11 rebounds, four steals and three assists. Marissa Horn had eight points, seven rebounds and three steals. Madi Casselbury had six points, six rebounds and five assists while leading the team's defensive effort.

Katie McGlynn had seven rebounds in the first quarter, establishing Elk Lake's control of the boards that finished at 45-32. She finished with nine rebounds.

Cam Greenwood, who came off the bench, joined Shingler and Horn in hitting two 3-pointers each. Elk Lake was 7-for-17 (41.2 percent) from beyond the arc while Mountain View was 2-for-17 (11.8 percent).

Aubrey Sanders led Mountain View with 11 points and three steals. Addison Kilmer had nine points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots. Riley Turner scored five points and grabbed eight rebounds.

Kilmer ran the floor to convert a layup for Mountain View's only lead, 4-3, with 5:21 left in the first quarter.

With Casselbury on defense, that was the only time Kilmer, the 2024 state Class A Player of the Year, touched the ball in the front court in the first 11 minutes.

"Our plan was the face guard Addison in the beginning and whenever she went in to the post, I would have help on the back side and I would front her," said Casselbury, daughter of head coach Meghan Casselbury. "When Leah (Traver) was guarding her later, it also worked."

Horn and Madi Casselbury sandwiched 3-pointers around Traver's back-court steal and layup for an 8-0 run that put Elk Lake ahead to stay, 11-4, late in the first quarter.

Elk Lake held Mountain View scoreless for 3:40 to begin the second quarter and another 3:36 early in the third while building a 31-18 lead.

The lead reached 14 twice in the third quarter and the closest the Lady Eagles got the rest of the way was at 38-29 on a Kilmer reverse layup with 6:33 left.

Mountain View did not score again.

Neither team had a field goal in the last 4:36 but the Lady Warriors went 4-for-6 from the line in the last 2:44. Madi Casselbury hit both her tries to complete the scoring.

Elk Lake clinched the first-place tie Friday with a 54-21 romp at Lackawanna Trail to improve to 12-0 in the division with two games remaining. They went into Monday one win away from its first division title in a quarter century.

"We haven't done it since 2000, so this feels great," Madi Casselbury said after the win over Mountain View.

The Lady Warriors again showed off their balance and perimeter shooting. Casselbury, Horn and Shingler each had two of the team's seven made 3-pointers.

Elk Lake led 12-6 after one quarter, 28-11 at halftime and 48-18 going into the fourth quarter.

Elk Lake's 15-game overall winning streak came to an end Saturday with a 65-34 non-league loss at Hughesville, a District 4 Class 3A team that finished the regular season with a 20-2 record. The Lady Warriors took an 18-2 record into this season.

The Elk Lake boys' basketball team improved to 11-1 and 17-3 by beating second-place Mountain View, 57-43, on the road Feb. 4 and Lackawanna at home, 53-47, Friday.

Logan Ayotte led the way for the Warriors in both wins.

Ayotte had 18 points, Chase Pond 12, Kendal Jones 11 and Brayden Miller 10 against Mountain View.

Jackson Gesford led the Eagles with 16 points.

Ayotte (13), John Heitsman (12) and Noah Gesford (11) scored in double figures when the Warriors avenged their only league loss of the season against the Lions.

Elk Lake broke came out on top after entering the fourth quarter with just a one-point lead.

WEEK IN REVIEW

Susquehanna is turning around its boys' basketball season.

After twice losing six games in a row, the Sabers are on their second three-game winning streak going into the final week of the season.

Susquehanna won Feb. 4 at Lackawanna Trail, 46-33, beating a team that came in with a winning record. The Sabers then ran the streak to three with a rout of Carbonale, 59-24.

Mason Keyes made four 3-pointers to account for his 12 points and also blocked four shots at Lackawanna Trail.

Jaxon Downton added three 3-pointers.

Griffin Fisk and Rykin Hobart each chipped in eight points while making other contributions. Fisk had seven assists and six rebounds. Hobart grabbed eight rebounds.

Susquehanna held Carbondale to 12 points through three quarters Friday.

Keyes led the way with 16 points and nine rebounds while Fisk had 14 points and six rebounds.

Downton led the team in rebounds with 12 and assists with five while also scoring six points.

Hudson Stengel scored nine points and dished out four assists.

The Sabers (4-8 in the division and 7-13 overall) were the only Lackawanna Division 3 team other than the Elk Lake teams to win twice during the week.

The Mountain View, Montrose, Blue Ridge and Forest City boys each went 1-1.

Mountain View (9-3, 13-7) bounced back from the loss to Elk Lake to end Montrose's four-game winning streak, 37-36.

Jackson Gesford made one of two free throws with 1.5 seconds left to lift the Eagles to the win.

Gesford and Bain scored 13 points each.

Lucas Cokely led Montrose with 12 points.

Montrose had defeated host Blue Ridge, 71-65, Feb. 4.

Jack Russell scored 21 points and Cokely added 16 to lead the Meteors.

Brendan Marvin led Blue Ridge with 16 points.

Blue Ridge then rolled over host Forest City, 75-45, Friday.

Gehrig Dibble scored 20 points and dished out 10 assists while Paxton Pingarelli had 14 points and 10 rebounds. Marvin added 12 points.

Johnathan Conlogue had 17 points for Forest City while Jacob Woodbridge and T.J. Collins added 11 each.

The Foresters won at Carbondale, 59-45, Feb. 4.

The Mountain View, Montrose, Blue Ridge and Forest City girls' basketball team each went 1-1 during the week.

Addison Kilmer posted a career-high of 34 points, along with 12 rebounds and six blocks when Mountain View defeated Montrose, 59-35, Saturday.

Addison Kilmer had 10 points in the first quarter, 12 in the second and 10 in the third before adding her final two points in the fourth quarter. Ryleigh Kilmer made three 3-pointers in the second half and finished with 13 points.

The Lady Eagles led 34-9 at halftime.

Sadie Jones led Montrose with nine points.

Jones also was the team's leading scorer with 13 points in a 48-35 win over Blue Ridge Feb. 3.

Abi Gelinger had 28 of Blue Ridge's 35 points.

Blue Ridge scored 20 points in the first quarter Friday on the way to a 54-19 romp over Forest City.

Lynndee Barbour scored 14 points and Gelinger 11 in the win.

Forest City ended a 13-game losing streak with a 43-41 win over Carbondale Feb 3.

COLLEGE CORNER

Cousins and Blue Ridge graduates Kendall Farthing and Ella Robinson went head-to-head for the second time this season when Broome Community College hosted Finger Lakes Community College in women's basketball Wednesday.

Farthing came off the bench less than four minutes into the game and remained on the court the rest of the way, sharing Broome's scoring lead of five points in the 69-27 loss to visiting Finger Lakes.

Robinson started for Finger Lakes and was credited with six points while tying for the team lead with seven rebounds, all defensive.

Farthing, a 5-foot-5 freshman guard, is averaging 4.1 points and 0.9 assists while making more than 30 percent of her 3-point attempts for Broome (3-17).

Robinson, a 5-3 freshman guard, averages 8.6 points and 4.5 rebounds while starting every game for Finger Lakes (9-11).

THE WEEK AHEAD

The Lackawanna League winter regular season is scheduled to conclude Wednesday in girls' basketball and Thursday in boys' basketball and boys' and girls' swimming.

The District 2 Class 2A and 3A girls' basketball quarterfinals are scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 18.

The pairings for those games to open the postseason will be determined following this week's results.

In Class 2A, the matchups are likely to be eighth-seeded Forest City at top-seeded Elk Lake, seventh-seeded Lackawanna Trail at second-seeded Mountain View and sixth-seeded Blue Ridge and third-seeded Wyoming Seminary.

As of the start of this week, Montrose was headed for a fifth seed and a game at fourth-seeded Riverside in Class 3A. If the Lady Meteors slip to sixth, they are likely to play at third-seeded Holy Redeemer.

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.

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Saber Cheerleading Going To Orlando

Submitted By Christina Deakin

The talented Sabers cheerleading squad from Susquehanna Community High School, is thrilled to announce that they have received an exclusive invitation to compete at the Ameri Cheer Internationals. This invitation marks a significant achievement for the team, demonstrating their unwavering commitment, talent and teamwork.

After months of rigorous training, dedication and determination, the team's hard work has paid off. Their impressive performance at the Empire State Championships earned them a spot among the elite squads who will compete at the International Championships in Orlando in March of 2025.

"We are beyond proud of what our athletes have accomplished. They've pushed themselves to the limit to showcase their skills and passion for cheerleading. This invitation is a testament to their talent and the incredible support of our coaching staff, families and the community," said parent Christina Deakin.

The International Championships bring together the best cheerleaders from across the globe, providing an extraordinary platform to showcase skill, athleticism and creativity. The team is excited for the opportunity to represent Susquehanna, PA on the international stage.

"We're ready to give it our all and show the world what we've got. I am so proud of these girls and the hard work and dedication that they have put forth to earn this huge award" said Gina Felice, Head Coach.

In preparation for the upcoming competition, the fifteen cheerleaders will continue intense training, working on perfecting their routines and bringing their best to the international stage. Support from local businesses, sponsors and fans will be crucial in helping the team achieve their goals.

Team Captain Meghan Perry says, "Being a cheerleader for half my life, never thinking anything beyond our small town made me realize that the opportunity we have been presented with is once in a lifetime. This team of 15 and our two coaches showed up daily to learn and create the routine that eventually got us right where we needed to be, which led us to earn an In-Bid to get us to internationals in Orlando, Florida. We've all worked so hard, and we truly saw that we all wanted the same thing in the end, to win. Seeing the passion and dedication in every one of us had proved that we were like no other. We showed up with our heads high proving that we could come from something that wasn't much. We've all had our days of defeat and feeling like it wasn't worth it, but in the long run, it was worth much more than what we had at first thought. We hope this dream can become a reality and with our town behind us we don't have a doubt. I'm so proud and fortunate to be a part of such an amazing team and we will continue to do great things with the support of our community, friends and family. #SmallTownBigDreams"

"Our cheer team is all about hard work, dedication and determination, always supporting each other and celebrating every success together. We're not just a team; we're a family," said Captain Gianna Creamer.

The team and coaching staff would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to everyone who has supported them along the way and look forward to representing their community with pride. For more information or to support the team, please contact Head Coach Gina Felice at 570-396-6586 or Assistant Coach Madison Baker at 570-396-3921. Donations can be made to our account: Sabers Competition Cheer, through Peoples Security Bank and Trust; or Venmo is available at Sabers-competitioncheer25.

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Athlete of the Month

By Tom Robinson

There was a different feel Jan. 8 as the Elk Lake girls' swimming team waited to start its meet against Scranton Prep, a team that had won 73 straight Lackawanna League dual meets through eight straight championship seasons.

"Going into it, we knew it would be super hard and very challenging," Hannah Howell said of Elk Lake's 88-74 victory that is one of the biggest reasons the Lady Warriors are on the brink of their first championship. "I feel like in the moment, you could tell, just being on the deck before the meet, you could just tell it was different. The whole meet, the whole vibe, everything was different.

"You could tell that everybody was there to just try their absolute best. … We had so many to do our absolute best for. It was probably the most people that ever came to our dual meet. People don't find swim meets very fun. They're not basketball games."

Elk Lake changed things that day with Howell winning the 200- and 500-yard freestyles and swimming a leg of the closing 400 freestyle relay victory.

That performance was the highlight as Elk Lake became the last Lackawanna League team with a perfect record. Along with contributions to a later win over Abington Heights in a meet between the last two unbeatens and a relay gold medal in the Ernie Shartle Invitational at Tunkhannock, it made Howell the latest Susquehanna County Transcript Athlete of the Month for January.

The Scranton Prep meet was the breakthrough set in a festive atmosphere.

"We were all singing and dancing," Howell said. "We were all super excited for the meet, no matter what the outcome was. Thankfully, we did come out on top, but our coaches are amazing at pushing us and making sure we are always confident."

Howell started swimming competitively in the youth program at Elk Lake in third grade. She occasionally mixes in other events, but she is primarily a freestyle swimmer with the endurance to handle the sport's distance event, the 500.

The success at Elk Lake has led to Howell's commitment to swim on an athletic scholarship on the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II level at Lock Haven University. She plans to have a dual major in early childhood and physical and health education.

Howell also knows what it is like to be a prominent part of a team that regularly wins championships. She has started in the outfield for Elk Lake's softball team since her freshman year and was among the team's top hitters the past two seasons.

Hannah is the daughter of Stephen and Marybeth Howell of Springville. She also has been a starting defender on the soccer team the past two falls after running cross country from seventh through 10th grades.

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