Standout senior basketball players have an opportunity to show off their skills one final time when the Lackawanna Interscholastic Athletic Association hosts the all-star game.
Taking over as the sponsor for the annual game, the LIAA will rotate the host school each season. This season it will be held at Scranton High School on March 24 at 7 p.m. A 3-point contest is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. with other activities expected.
Holy Cross coach Al Callejas will guide the Red Team, while Wallenpaupack coach Jim McGinnis will lead the Blue Team.
Three graduating players from Holy Cross headline the Red Team roster.
Kieran Burrier, Leahy O’Connor and Caleb Callejas, all key figures in three District 2 Class 2A championship seasons, were selected to play.
Lakeland, which had an 18-win season, has three players on the team, including forward Chris Mellon, guard Nick Bertholf and center Tim Prawdzik.
Abington Heights also has three players on the team. Corey Perkins and Mike Malone, who were three-year starters and played on the 2018 PIAA Class 5A championship team, and guard Phil Johnson were chosen for the Red Team.
Valley View’s Connor Kelley and Nick Tomassoni, Scranton Prep’s Rhys Merritt, West Scranton’s Lewin Fernandez, Dunmore’s Thomas Dougherty and Scranton’s Noah Leety complete the Red Team roster.
McGinnis has three players from his Buckhorn team that won the District 2 Class 5A championship in the game.
Elijah Rosenthal, center Gabe Springer and Gerard McGrath represent Wallenpaupack on the Blue Team roster.
Lackawanna Trail also had three players selected including center Richard Helbing, forward Nico Berrios and guard Josh Rzucidlo.
Joey Scarfalloto, who scored more than 1,000 points in his career, and Chris Cespedes represent Honesdale, while Western Wayne’s Zach Rovinsky, who is the program’s all-time scoring leader, were also chosen.
Blue Ridge’s Gavin Rosa and Ben Bleck, Delaware Valley’s Jackson Shafer, North Pocono’s Robert Van Brunt, Mountain View’s Mike Fanelli and Elk Lake’s Brant Marshall fill out the Blue Team.
Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for students.
Joby Fawcett has covered high school sports — including football, girls and boys volleyball, girls and boys tennis, girls and boys swimming, boys basketball, girls and boys track and field, and girls and boys lacrosse — for 22 years. The High School Sports Blog offers deeper insights plus statistical and historical information for fans and features photos, videos and graphics along with Top 5 polls for tennis and volleyball. Contact: jbfawcett@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5367; @sportsTT