With three games left in the regular season, the Lancaster-Lebanon League boys' playoff bracket is starting to snap into focus.
McCaskey and Donegal joined the postseason party on Thursday by clinching their respective section championships. The Red Tornado captured the Section 1 crown with a 72-55 victory over Warwick, while Donegal – the league's only undefeated boys' team – wrapped up the Section 3 title with a 66-31 rout of Manheim Central. They'll join Section 2 champ Elizabethtown in the league playoffs, which get underway Feb. 11.
While three of the eight playoff berths are locked up, there are still plenty of other teams nursing playoff hopes. The top two teams from each of the league's four sections earn playoff berths.
Let's take a look at how those races shape up:
SECTION 1
It's a four-team race to join McCaskey in the league playoffs. Warwick's loss to the Tornado, coupled with wins by surging Cedar Crest (59-54 over Hempfield) and ManheimTownship (46-42 over Penn Manor) forged a three-way tie for second place. All three have 8-5 league records. Hempfield (7-6) is a game behind, but remains mathematically alive.
Warwick still has both Township and Cedar Crest left on the schedule. Crest and Township both have one more game with McCaskey as well.
This race could go down to the wire, and might even require tiebreaking criteria to determine who winds up playing in the postseason.
SECTION 2
It's a two-team race for second place behind section champ E-town, which wrapped up the title Tuesday.
Cocalico (6-7 league, 9-8 overall) and Lebanon (6-7, 8-9) are deadlocked in the standings. Tuesday night, they will square off in Lebanon in a game that could determine the section's second qualifier.
Cocalico also has league games with Ephrata (3-10, 4-14) and Solanco (2-11, 3-14) left on its schedule. Lebanon, which beat Solanco 66-49 on Thursday, has a date with section champ E-town and Ephrata left on its ledger – in addition to Tuesday's showdown with Cocalico.
The Eagles won the first meeting with Lebanon , 52-47, back on Jan. 4. That will be a big factor should Cocalico win the rematch and sweep the season series.
SECTION 3
The race to join section champ Donegal (13-0, 19-0) in the playoffs appears to be coming down to surging Northern Lebanon (9-4, 13-5) and last year's champ Lampeter-Strasburg (9-4, 11-7). Manheim Central (7-6, 11-6) is still mathematically alive, but the Barons' hopes are getting slim.
Northern Lebanon shook off Tuesday's buzzer-beating overtime loss to Central with a 69-60 win over Garden Spot on Thursday. The Vikings, who have won 10 of 12, have games with Elco and Donegal left before a climactic showdown with L-S in the final game of the regular season.
The Pioneers are finished with Donegal – they lost both games to the undefeated Indians – but still have a tough clash with Manheim Central looming Tuesday. L-S will then face Garden Spot (4-9, 7-10) before closing the season at Northern Lebanon.
Look for the race for second place to come down to that final showdown between the Pioneers and the Vikes.
SECTION 4
Lancaster Catholic (10-3, 13-5) remains in the driver's seat, a game up on second-place Lancaster Mennonite (9-4, 13-6). Lebanon Catholic (7-6, 12-6) is still mathematically alive, but the Beavers' playoff hopes took a blow with Thursday night's 52-36 home loss to Lancaster Catholic.
The Crusaders have league games left with PequeaValley (2-11, 6-13) and Columbia (5-8, 8-11) before they host Mennonite in the regular season finale. The Blazers face PV and fellow section cellar dweller Annville-Cleona (2-11, 4-14) before visiting Catholic.
Should the standings stay the same heading into that final game, Mennonite would need to beat Catholic to forge a tie for first place. That would force a one-game playoff to determine the section championship and seeding in the league bracket.
Lebanon Catholic, meanwhile, needs to win its final three league games with Columbia, Annville-Cleona and PV – and then hope Mennonite somehow loses at least twice. Then it would come down to tiebreaking criteria to break the second-place tie.
kschweigert@lnpnews.com
