Metro
More than one out of every four District 2 basketball teams are competing in a different classification than a year ago.
Changes caused by the enrollment adjustments the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association makes every two years have led to new divisional opponents and different teams to compete against for playoff positioning for squads from Pittston Area, Wyoming Area and Old Forge.
Here is what is new this winter:
District 2
Class 5A boys, where Pittston Area competes, has been reduced from six to five teams.
West Scranton moves up to 6A; Dallas drops down to 4A; and Nanticoke moves up to 5A.
Wyoming Area is part of the district’s largest classification. Class 4A grows by one to 11 teams. Unlike other classifications, not everyone makes the playoffs. The 11 teams will be chasing eight district berths unless a team or team that finishes lower than eighth in the power ratings has a .500 or better record.
While Dallas comes down from 5A and Nanticoke leaves for 5A, Carbondale joins in after moving up from 3A.
Berwick, Hanover Area, Honesdale, Lake-Lehman, Scranton Prep, Tunkhannock, Valley View and Western Wayne join Wyoming Area, Dallas and Carbondale in the 4A field.
Old Forge moves to Class 2A as part of major changes in the district’s small schools.
The Blue Devils will be joined in the class by Blue Ridge, Forest City, Lackawanna Trail, Mountain View, Susquehanna and Wyoming Seminary. Only three of those seven teams competed in Class 2A a year ago.
In all, 11 boys teams and nine girls teams, out of the 39 schools, changed classifications for the latest cycle.
Pittston Area is now part of a seven-team field in Class 5A girls for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons.
Scranton and West Scranton have moved up to 6A while Honesdale has dropped to 4A. Berwick comes up from Class 4A.
Abington Heights, Crestwood, Dallas, North Pocono and Wallenpaupack remain with Pittston Area and Berwick.
Class 4A girls, where Wyoming Area competes, has gone from seven teams to eight. While Honesdale moves down from 5A, Mid Valley moves up from 3A. Berwick leaves the classification.
Hanover Area, Nanticoke, Scranton Prep, Tunkhannock and Valley View join Wyoming Area, Honesdale and Berwick as the 4A teams.
Old Forge is in Class 2A girls, which expands from six to eight teams, including adding 2024 Class A state finalist Mountain View.
Elk Lake and Wyoming Seminary come down from 3A, but Montrose exits to 3A.
Blue Ridge, Forest City, Holy Cross and Lackawanna Trail remain in 2A from the previous two-year cycle.
Wyoming Valley Conference
Nanticoke’s enrollment increase and decreases at Berwick and Tunkhannock have led to them changing places in Wyoming Valley Conference boys basketball.
Nanticoke moves up to Division 1, which includes Pittston Area, while Berwick and Tunkhannock drop into Division 2, where Wyoming Area is one of the opponents.
The change on the girls side has Tunkhannock jumping from Division 1 to Division 2.
Now, in both cases, Division 1 has seven teams while Division 2 has eight.
Lackawanna League
The Lackawanna League is making the same changes for both its boys and girls leagues, switching from four divisions to three.
That leads to some differences in the league schedule for Old Forge, which moves, along with five other teams, from the old Division 3 to the new Division 2.
Honesdale and Western Wayne will be new divisional opponents while Carbondale has moved to the lower division.
Dunmore, Holy Cross, Lakeland, Mid Valley and Riverside remain as division rivals.
