Holiday wishlists for local hoops teams
The holidays are upon us, so it’s time for a holiday-themed boys hoops blog post. We’re looking at what should be on each team’s holiday wishlist. What should each team ask for this season?
Northeastern Bobcats
What should the Bobcats put on their holiday wishlist? — A challenge.
Other than a 70-64 win over Dover, every other game has been a blowout so far for Northeastern — an 86-43 win over Northern York, 64-37 vs. Red Lion and 73-51 over Eastern York. However, Northeastern does have a Dec. 23 matchup at William Penn and a Dec. 18 game at York Suburban, who the Bobcats' student section poked and taunted on Twitter. Those two games should provide a challenge and entertainment.
West York
Home cooking.
In the first 10 days of the season, West York played five games all on the road. The bad news for West York is a return home won't come until Dec. 28. Luckily for the Bulldogs, the majority of their January slate is scheduled to be played in the friendly confines of West York, and that can't come soon enough. The Bulldogs have lost two straight and struggled in two wins against Dallastown and Kennard-Dale.
York Suburban
A reset button.
Oh, would the Trojans love to have a few of their games back. They've already played seven games in 11 days (3-4) and three of their four losses are by six points or less. In fact, all seven of their games have been decided by 11 points or less. A few plays here or there and the Trojans could be 5-2 or 6-1.
Central York
An easier schedule.
Wow, the Panthers, who have started 6-0, have to be at the top of the charts for strength of schedule. They already played Penn Manor and Spring Grove in the first week of the season, and they'll get Cedar Crest, Carlisle, Bishop McDevitt, William Penn (twice) and West York in the final six weeks of the season. Yikes.
William Penn
Bubble wrap.
Just wrap the Bearcats starting lineup in bubble wrap to keep them from getting hurt before the playoffs. The Bearcats will be there at the end of the season, but they've had trouble with their depth at times so keeping their starting five at 100 percent will be key.
York Catholic
A signature win.
An optimist would point out that the Irish are 4-1. A pessimist would point out that those four wins came against teams with a combined 8-15 record. York Catholic gets Hanover twice and William Penn after the holidays. Those are three opportunities for signature wins.
Dover
New bleachers?...or a gift card for gas.
The wooden bleachers aren't the most comfortable but the more pressing issue for Dover is playing eight out of ten games on the road in January. That's a lot of travelling. But the Eagles have been impressive so far, especially away from home, with three road wins and a 4-2 overall record. Alongside Najah Fink and Jerry O'Neal, freshman Keith Davis has burst onto the scene and Brady Bowman has been red hot from outside.
South Western and New Oxford
For Steph Curry to trade in his NBA jersey for Mustang black or Colonial blue.
Kidding of course but the last two winless teams in the league, South Western and New Oxford have both lost their first six games by an average of more than 15 points each. The good news is one of these teams are guaranteed to get their first win this week when they play each other.