Matt AlliboneYork Daily Record
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We're nearing the midway point of the high school basketball regular season.
In the YAIAA, there are 11 girls' teams and eight boys' teams with winning records. Two ― one on each side ― that remain undefeated.
There's a clear favorite for the league title while the boys' race remains up in the air.
Regardless, there's plenty of time for things to change. Especially with a number of key matchups taking place over the next week.
Here's our first GameTimePA YAIAA power rankings of the 2023 season.
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Girls
In the hunt
York Suburban (5-2): The top defensive team in YAIAA Division II (32 points allowed per game), Suburban has a balanced offense with three players (Lydia Powers, Janay Rissmiller, Alyssa Dougherty) averaging between 9 and 12 points. The Trojans were upset by Susquehannock but nearly knocked off Manheim Central in a one-point loss. They've yet to play divisional rivals Eastern York and Northeastern so they could easily move into the top five soon.
York Catholic (5-2): The Irish are coming off back-to-back losses to a pair of undefeated teams, Central York and Wyomissing. It has yet to play rival Delone Catholic, and those matchups will show how much York Catholic has improved from last season.
Susquehannock (6-2): The Warriors are two wins away from matching their total from last year. They don't always score much but play good defense (38 allowed per game). Their 38-36 win over Suburban was evidence of a major improvement.
Dallastown (4-5): As expected, the Wildcats offense (34 points per game) is a work in progress but their defense (36 allowed per game) remains stellar. Wins over Red Lion (35-30) and York High (39-29) prove the Wildcats can play with anyone in the YAIAA outside of Central York. Don't be surprised if the Wildcats continue to improve and are a tough out if they can sneak into the playoffs.
York High (7-3): Another team that should continue to get better. York High currently has the 12th and final playoff spot in Class 6A ― which would be the program's first playoff appearance since 2016. The young Bearcats are 0-3 against YAIAA Division I rivals Central York, Red Lion and Dallastown.
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Top five
5. Eastern York (6-1)
Arianna Seitz has gone from one of the league's most promising talents to its most unstoppable scorer. The 5-foot-10 junior is leading the league at 24 points per game and has topped 30 points twice. Eastern York currently has the league's top offense (58 points per game) and is ranked first in District 3 Class 4A. However, Northeastern was able to contain the Knights offense (holding Seitz to 17 points) and hand them a 51-41 defeat on Dec. 16. Eastern has two players (Kendall Felix and Alaina Neal) averaging close to eight points per game but nobody outside of Seitz in double digits, and it'll need balance to beat great teams. Games against York Suburban (Jan. 10, Jan. 31) and a rematch against Northeastern (Jan. 18) will show how good Eastern really is.
4. Red Lion (7-4)
Outside of a blowout defeat to statewide powerhouse Perkiomen Valley in its second game, Red Lion has lost competitive games to three good teams (Central York, Dallastown, Delone Catholic). The Lions gave Central York its most competitive game of the season in a 43-32 Panthers win. Red Lion has an experienced lineup and plays excellent defense (36 points allowed), but it will need to score more against top teams (an average of 35 points per game in its four losses). A matchup with undefeated Cedar Cliff this Saturday will be tough. The Lions are currently 10th out of 12 playoff teams in District 3 Class 6A.
3. Northeastern (7-2)
The surprise team of the season. Yes, Northeastern dropped down from Division I to Division II, but it's taken huge strides under new coach Maurice Coleman after going 9-14 last year. The Bobcats use a fast-paced, movement-based offense that has produced the second-best scoring output (a shade under 50 points per game) in YAIAA Division II. And Northeastern is doing that with five players averaging between seven and 10 points per game (Mikayla Coleman leads the team at 9.7 per game). Their two losses have come by a combined three points to a solid Red Land team and excellent Mechanicsburg squad. They're on pace to post the program's first winning season since 2015. After beating defending division champ Eastern York, Northeastern has another pivotal contest this Friday on the road against York Suburban.
2. Delone Catholic (8-1)
So much for a rebuilding year. Delone Catholic graduated five starters but still looks like a contender for its fourth straight District 3 title. The Squirettes aren't quite as dynamic offensively (46 points per game) as they've been in the past, but remain an excellent defensive squad (31 points allowed per game). And while they don't have a true superstar, Megan Jacoby (12 ppg) and Brielle Baughman (10 ppg) have emerged as scorers. After a 10-point loss to defending Class 6A state champs Plymouth Whitemarsh opening weekend, Delone has earned impressive wins over Trinity, Berks Catholic and Red Lion. It still has yet to be challenged in divisional play with two matchups against both York Catholic and Bermudian Springs coming the second half of this season.
1. Central York (10-0)
The runaway favorite for the league title. The Panthers are beating opponents by an average score of 58-31. They have a 1,000-point scorer in Bella Chimienti, two athletic forwards in Mackenzie Wright-Rawls and Marley Bond, a shooter in Emily Crouthamel and a dynamic freshman in Alivia McCaskell. It's possible Central York could go undefeated in league play ― something that rarely happens in YAIAA Division I. Still, it will be interesting to see how much noise the Panthers can make against the best teams in District 3 and the state. Currently ranked No. 1 in District 3 Class 6A, Central York has a huge matchup against powerhouse Cumberland Valley (5-1) at home Saturday.
Boys
In the hunt
Susquehannock (6-2): A well-coached Warriors squad has remained competitive following the graduation of all-time leading scorer Jalen Franklin. His brother, Josh Franklin, is one of the league's top scorers at around 20 points per game. They have a challenging second-half of the season with two games against Eastern York among their remaining contests.
York Catholic (6-3): The defending YAIAA Division III champs have beaten local rival Delone Catholic but lost to three non-league teams (Columbia, Executive Education, Wyomissing). The Irish have been without star player Luke Forjan most of the season.
Littlestown (8-3): The Bolts entered the season as a dark horse contender for the league title with five returning starters and a ton of height. But they've had some hiccups, including losses to Susquehannock and West York. They host York Catholic next week in the first matchup between Division III contenders.
Top five
5. Dallastown (3-4)
Don't let the record fool you. Dallastown's first three losses came from a combined seven points with all three coming in overtime. And those three games came against three teams, York High, Central York and Warwick, that are playoff contenders in Class 5A or 6A. The Wildcats will need some bounces to go their way in order to reach the District 3 playoffs (currently ranked No. 16 with the top 12 qualifying) but they will likely be a team nobody wants to face. Seniors D.J. Smith (15 ppg) and Conner Barto (13 ppg) lead a deep lineup averaging 63 points per game. They lost a tough game to J.P. McCaskey, 62-56, Wednesday.
4. West York (7-3)
The reigning league champs have reloaded despite graduating four starters. West York shook off early losses to excellent Mechanicsburg and Hempfield teams to go 6-1 its past seven contests. That included an impressive 51-49 win over Littlestown Tuesday night. Just like last season, West York has an excellent defense (a league-best 42 points allowed per game) and strong offense (54 points per game) despite not having one dominant scorer. Braedyn Detz (12 ppg) and David McGladrie (10 ppg) are both scoring in double digits. The Bulldogs have a huge challenge against Eastern York at home Friday.
3. York High (7-2)
The Bearcats play tough and fast and can beat teams with shooting or size. They're currently scoring more points than any team in the league at 68 per game. Guards Daveyon Lydner (18 ppg), Jacere Vega (15 ppg) and Juelz Tucker can all explode on any given night and 6-foot-6 Omarion Newson (eight points, 10 rebounds per game) is a double-double threat. They earned an overtime win over J.P. McCaskey last week but face tough non-league opponents Dieruff, Coatesville and Hempfield this week. They gave Central York everything they could handle in a 68-65 loss two weeks ago and could certainly knock off the Panthers at home on Jan. 20.
2. Eastern York (7-0)
The Knights have lived up to the hype so far. They're undefeated and have beaten opponents by an average score of 66-46. 6-foot-4 senior Austin Bausman (18 ppg) reached 1,000 career points last week and is complemented in the post by 6-foot-6 sophom*ore Carter Wamsley (14 ppg). Eastern also has a bunch of shooters around those two stars. The only reason the Knights aren't ranked No. 1 is they've yet to play one of the top teams in YAIAA Division I, but they should contend for both league and District 3 Class 4A titles. A road matchup with West York Friday will be another big test for the Knights.
1. Central York (6-4)
The Panthers have faced enormous and almost impossible expectations this season with a stunning amount of young talent but also a brutally tough schedule. Central has weathered the storm so far with tight victories over most of their YAIAA Division I rivals and some tough losses. Defending District 3 Class 6A champs Reading outclassed them, 87-68, on opening night but the Panthers hung with Philadelphia-based Father Judge (60-59) and fellow District 3 powerhouse Wilson (60-51) in their next defeats. They lost another challenging contest against District 3 Class 6A playoff contender Carlisle, 70-64, Wednesday night. The road won't necessarily get easier as Central will be without senior captain Ethan Dodson (broken wrist) until sometime in the postseason. With three sophom*ores and a freshman in the starting lineup, Central will have to deal with a lot of growing pains. Still, the inside-outside front court duo of 6-foot-8 Ben Rill (18 ppg) and 6-foot-7 Greg Guidinger (16) give the Panthers a combination no local team can match. Throw in talented sophom*ore guard Ben Natal (14 ppg) and the Panthers remain the favorite for the league title even though they might have to claw their way there.
Matt Allibone is a sports reporter for GameTimePA. He can be reached at 717-881-8221, mallibone@ydr.com or on Twitter at @bad2theallibone.
