Lackawanna League keeping hoops format

BY JOBY FAWCETT

Times-Shamrock Writer

Tradition won out in high school boys and girls basketball.

At the principal’s business meeting of the Lackawanna Interscholastic Athletic Association on Wednesday, members voted, 12-12, to keep the regular-season schedule in the Lackawanna League as two separate and equal halves.

There had been a motion on the agenda to discuss changing to a straight 14-game schedule.

“The body voted to remain status quo. If there are issues that may come up at the end of the season, we could revisit this next April,” said Jeff Gregory, vice president of the LIAA.

There will be a meeting May 11 to discuss the winter sports schedules for the 2011-12 season.

As it is now, the regular-season schedule will continue to begin before the Christmas holiday for the 2011-2012 season. Each half will be played with seven games and any ties at the conclusion of each half will be broken with playoff games.

The LIAA also voted to have two officials for all varsity boys and girls soccer games, and passed a motion that “if a third official is needed that would be up to the discretion of the home school,” president Jim Tallarico said.

Also discussed was the possibility of scheduling an emergency principal’s meeting at the end of the school year or in the summer to address financial concerns with scheduling, transportation and junior high programs based upon the Pennsylvania budget.

The LIAA is going to work with schools that may be impacted by the cuts in spending, Tallarico indicated.

“Some schools won’t know where they are or where they will stand until the end of the school year,” he said. “We want to make it workable for everybody.

“And ultimately, we want to do what is best for the kids. That is who we are here for.”

Tennis changes

Mike Ognosky, chairman of the District 2 boys’ tennis tournament, has made adjustments to the postseason schedule.

In a change, the semifinals and finals of the team tournament has been moved from May 9 to May 10 at Kirby Park.

Also, the first three rounds of the doubles championships will be held May 18 with the semifinals and finals moved to May 19 beginning at 1 p.m.

“The Monday date (May 9) is the same as the advanced placement United States history exams,” Ognosky said. “I know that we have a number of players who would be taking those exams, so we made a change. I had to move the doubles up a day, because the PIAA team tennis second round is in Hershey on the 20th and we could have teams involved there.”