Mt. View opens regular season with wins

The new year ushered in the winter sports season as local boys’ teams began their Lackawanna League play-action last week.

Mountain View opened league play by picking up two wins and taking momentum of the first half.

On Wednesday, the Eagles traveled to New Milford to take on Blue Ridge. Mountain View jumped out early on the hosts early gaining a 15-8 advantage as Mikey Schermerhorn and Mike Fanelli combined for 13 points.

Blue Ridge gained ground in the third quarter outscoring the Eagles 21-18 to cut the lead to 44-40 entering the fourth.  But the Eagles maintained the lead and were solid on the foul line to ice the game.

Fanelli paced the Eagles with 25 points and 13 rebounds, including a 9-12 performance at the charity stripe. Schermerhorn added 21. 

Kaleb Folk scored 21 points for Blue Ridge. Sam Cosmello chipped in with 14.

Mountain View picked up their second win of the season with a 46-39 win over Lackawanna Trail as the Eagles got out to quick start winning the first stanza, 14-6.

Schermerhorn led the way scoring 20 points including going 8-10 from the line.

“The key to both our wins this week was rebounding,” said Mountain View Coach Joe Gibbons. “Mike Fanelli pulled down 22 rebounds over two nights.”

Susquehanna bounced back from their crossover loss to Holy Cross to garner a win in their rematch with Montrose from the previous week’s Susquehanna County Holiday tournament championship.

Montrose came out in a triangle and two on Susquehanna’s Mason Deakin and Bryce Baldwin CJ Stone and Adam Rockwell foiled those plans knocking down open jump shots and leading the Sabers to a 19-7 lead.

Switching strategies, Montrose climbed back into the game with a 13-7 second quarter to trail 26-20 at halftime.

Baldwin continued to be effective in the third quarter on his way to a game-high 23 points.

In the fourth, Deakin got free for all 9 of his points to help secure the win. In addition to Baldwin and Deakin, Stone chipped in with 13 points and Rockwell finished with 11.

Montrose was led by Andrew Rapisardi and Jacob Weaver who each scored 14. Brennan Gilhool added 11.

Two days prior, Susquehanna opened Lackawanna League play with a 73-39 loss to Holy Cross in a Division III/IV crossover. The Sabers fell behind in the first stanza and the Crusaders took control of the game outscoring Susquehanna in the middle quarters. Baldwin again led the way with 13 points and Stone added 11.

Blue Ridge bounced back from the loss to Mountain View with a 54-39 win at Forest City.

Trailing 22-18 at halftime, the Raiders stormed out of the locker room to outscore the hosts during the final two quarters.

Folk was again the top scorer for Blue Ridge with 20 points and Cosmello added 12.

Wes Burleigh scored 12 for the Foresters and Eric Paulin added 11.

Forest City opened the week with their first win of the year defeating Montrose 56-38 at home behind Burleigh’s 14 points. Tyler Clift chipped in with 12 for the Foresters.

Gilhool led the way for Montrose with 13 points and Rapisardi added 12. 

Elk Lake endured a tough opening to the regular season. The Warriors lost a heartbreaker on the road Wednesday in overtime as Trail’s Zac Cost sealed the win with 2 free throws with 16 seconds lefton the clock.

Joe McAleer led the balanced Warrior attack with 11 points.  Adam Anderson and Hunter Bomboy chipped in with 9.

On Friday, Elk Lake hosted Lakeland in a Division III/IV crossover game. Trailing 10-7 after a sloppy first quarter, Elk Lake’s offense sputtered in the second and the Chiefs held the lead at the half.

The Warriors came back in the final quarters but couldn’t overcome the Lakeland lead to fall 53-36. Nate Preston led the Warriors with 14 points.