In a matchup featuring two first-year head coaches, North Schuylkill held off a strong second-half surge from Pine Grove on Monday night, earning a hard-fought 53–50 victory in Schuylkill League Division 1 play.
North Schuylkill head coach Anthony Agosti and Pine Grove’s John Rizzo are no strangers to one another. Rizzo, a North Schuylkill graduate and former Lady Spartans basketball coach, brought his Cardinals into the contest looking to build momentum early in his tenure. Both coaches are navigating their first seasons leading their programs, adding an extra layer of intrigue to the divisional meeting.
North Schuylkill opened strong, taking a 14–9 lead after the first quarter and carrying a 27–19 advantage into halftime. But Pine Grove responded with a dominant third quarter, outscoring the Spartans 22–13 to grab a 41–40 edge entering the final frame.
The fourth quarter swung back the other way, with the Spartans settling in defensively and making timely shots down the stretch to escape with the narrow three-point win.
Scoring Leaders
North Schuylkill
- Xavier McNally — 15
- Julian Nelson — 11
- Cam Kacilowicz — 11 (including two 3-pointers)
- Logan Damiter — 8
- Jude Maziekas — 4
- Caden Mengel — 4
Pine Grove Area
- Dane Hannevig — 16
- Hayden Felty — 14
- Teagan Schneck-Haines — 12
- Terrin Witmer — 5
- Wyatt Snyder — 2
- Braylon Fairell — 1
North Schuylkill improves to 3–1 overall and 2–0 in Schuylkill League Division 1, setting up a marquee early-season matchup on Thursday. The Spartans will travel to Mahanoy Area, which also sits at 2–0 in the division.
Pine Grove drops to 1–3 overall and 0–2 in Division 1. The Cardinals will return home Thursday for another league contest, welcoming Panther Valley.