The first season is over and now the second begins. The playoffs are upon us and everyone has gone back to starting 0-0. It’s all about making the second season count the most now, so let the games begin.

The following is a look at the four District 4 girls’ tournaments. Williamsport competes through District 6 in 6A and, though, it came on strong late faces a daunting task as the No. 3 seed, opening against No. 2 State College (15-4). Top-seeded Altoona (20-2) is the champion pick here.

CLASS AAAA

(top three reach states)

This is the district’s deepest field, featuring seven teams who won at least 13 games, as well as three league champions. Central Columbia (21-3) is a four-time defending champion fresh off impressive wins against Hughesville and Loyalsock to capture its first Heartland Conference title. The Blue Jays start three freshman and Quinlan Blake is a dazzling player for a team which should cruise through its quarterfinal against No. 8 Danville (5-17).

Central would then face the winner of No. 5 Selinsgrove at No. 4 Shamokin in the semifinals. Shamokin has reached consecutive district semifinals and 1,000-point scorer Delilah Nazih is an excellent player for a team which gave Central a scare in its most recent meeting. The Indians were a shot away from reaching last year’s final.

No. 3 Jersey Shore (15-8) won that semifinal thriller against Shamokin and has reached two straight finals. The Bulldogs sputtered late but won a share of their third straight HAC-I title and have three starters back from last year’s finalist. Peyton Dincher and Cailyn Schall are four-year starters and Sophia Stover excelled during last year’s playoff run, hitting the go-ahead 3-pointer late against Shamokin.

The Bulldogs host No. 6 Athens (15-7) a team which surged throughout the season’s second half, winning eight of its last 10 games. The Athens-Jersey Shore winner faces either No. 7 Milton (13-9) or No. 2 Lewisburg (who played a riveting quarterfinal a year ago.

Milton sophomore Addison Wenzel is third among area scorers and senior Carrie King is a 1,000-point scorer who had nine rebounds and six assists in a 56-40 win last Friday against Central Mountain. Watch out for Liz Schrock, too. The sophomore had a 26-rebound performance against Shamokin and went for nine points, 14 rebounds, seven assists and seven steals against Central Mountain.

Lewisburg (17-5) is the lone team in the field to defeat Central, sharing the HAC-II with it after slipping the season series and taking the second game, 63-59. Maddy Moyers is one of the district’s top point guards, Teagan Osunde a consistent double-double performer and four starters are back from a team which has reached states the past two seasons.

Tournament sleeper–Selinsgrove: The Seals are a well-coached team with a nice blend of experience and exciting young players, including freshman leading scorer Lissa Kruskie. Selinsgrove won 10 of its last 13 games and split two close ones against Jersey Shore.

Best quarterfinal–Selinsgrove at Shamokin: Both these teams are title contenders and each has come a long way since mid-December when Shamokin won on the road, 34-24. This could come down to the last possession.

Player to watch–Ava Motto, Lewisburg: An excellent defender, Motto has flourished throughout the second half and become a consistent scoring threat. She has height to score inside but also a good outside shooting touch.

Projected semifinals: Central over Selinsgrove; Lewisburg over Jersey Shore. Projected final: Central over Lewisburg; third-place: Selinsgrove over Jersey Shore

CLASS AAA

(top four advance to states)

For the first time, this field receives four state qualifiers, so those who reach the quarterfinals are state tournament bound if they win that game. This also is the lone field which features nine teams and a first-round match-up with No. 8 Line Mountain hosting No. 9 South Williamsport.

The winner of that game will go to Loyalsock and face an angry Lancer team coming off a 40-39 HAC Tournament championship loss against Central Columbia. Loyalsock (22-2) won 14 straight games entering that contest and returns a strong core from last year’s state Final 4 team. Alaina Dadzie and Lacey Kriebel are 1,000-point scorers, Julie Ellis a three-year starter and Jaekairah Harden one of the district’s top defenders. Loyalsock has played in six straight district finals, winning three and losing three, including last year against Hughesville.

NTL rivals Wyalusing and Towanda collide with the winner of that game facing either Loyalsock or the South-Line Mountain winner. No. 5 Wyalusing (13-9) features a well-rounded offense and No. 4 Towanda (14-8) is one of the field’s hottest teams, winning 11 of its last 12 games. Towanda also swept the season series, winning two close games.

Defending champion Hughesville (20-3) is the No. 2 seed for a second straight season and also is coming off a HAC Tournament loss against Central which could help it lock in like it did a year ago when it captured the title and reached the state’s Elite 8. Four starters are back from that team, Hughesville features a strong eight-player rotation and a good inside-outside game while loading up its non-conference schedule to prepare for the postseason.

Hughesville opens against rival Bloomsburg. The No. 7 Panthers (10-12) get a third crack at Hughesville after the Spartans swept the season series and their familiarity could provide a boost.

The Bloomsburg-Hughesville winner faces either No. 6 Mount Carmel (10-12) or No. 3 Troy. Mount Carmel has been up and down at times, but is a battle-tested, athletic group.

Tournament sleeper–Troy: Yes, the Trojans are a No. 3 seed but many have focused on Loyalsock and Hughesville this season. They do so at their own peril because Troy (20-4) is an experienced, quick well-rounded team which has won 14 straight games and returns nearly every player from a squad that gave Hughesville a battle in last year’s semifinals. Troy also dropped a one-point heartbreaker late against Central and defeated Jersey Shore.

Best quarterfinal–Wyalusing at Towanda: Towanda won the two regular-season games by 14 combined points, including one in overtime, so this feels like a coin flip.

Player to watch–Ava Snyder, Hughesville: A four-year starter, Snyder has played a major role in Hughesville’s rise and can be a factor in seemingly every area. She has the ability to score off the dribble, outside or down low and also is an excellent defender who helps set the tone.

Projected semifinals: Loyalsock over Towanda; Hughesville over Troy. Projected final: Loyalsock over Hughesville; third-place: Troy over Towanda

CLASS AA

(top three advance to states)

Like Loyalsock and Hughesville a year ago, Muncy put together a memorable postseason run, capturing its first district championship since 2001 and reaching the state’s Elite 8. The Indians return three starters from that team and enter as the No. 2 seed. Muncy also enters hungry after Northwest rallied to beat it for the Mid-Penn Conference championship last Friday.

Muncy (17-5) hosts No. 7 Williamson (7-14) in the quarterfinals and features a stifling defense which leads the area in points allowed, hovering around 25 per game. Addi Eyer is a steady four-year starting point guard, Ava Eyer fills up the stat sheet and Addi Gresh can be a difference-maker inside.

Williamson returns three starters from last year’s 19-win squad and has won three of its last five games. Olivia Meisner and Kenna Thomas both average in double figures.

The Williamson-Muncy winner faces either No. 3 Northwest or No. 6 Cowanesque Valley. Northwest (19-4) won 12 straight games before Southern Columbia defeated it in its regular season finale. The Rangers, who have three starters back from a year ago as well as an exciting young foundation, avenged a 17-point loss against Muncy last Friday, erasing an eight-point second quarter deficit and allowing just 14 points over the final three quarters.

Cowanesque Valley (8-13) has made nice strides this season and also has a good mix of seniors and potential. Ella Churchill and Ashley Woodring are among the area’s top 15 leading scorers and Starr Ordway is a player to watch.

Top-seeded Northeast Bradford (18-6) lost a last-second thriller against Muncy in last year’s final but also won a dramatic 42-41 contest at Muncy last month. Most of those players also are back and the Panthers feature good balance and can fly up and down the court. The Panthers likely will cruise into the semifinals after hosting No. 8 East Juniata (6-16).

That winner faces either No. 4 Canton or No. 5 Southern Columbia in the semifinals. Canton (15-8) is having its best season in 25 years, handed NEB its first NTL-II loss in five years and features a 1,000-point scorer in Kendall Kithen. Cailyn Van Noy is an exciting sophomore who also has had some big games.

Tournament sleeper–Southern: The Tigers (11-11) have a deceiving record, playing in the HAC-III and also loading up their non-conference schedule. Southern looks strong now and for the future with an excellent freshmen class in place. Freshman Kailee Helwig has explosive scoring potential as well.

Best quarterfinal–Southern at Canton: On paper, there doesn’t look to appear a lot of drama in the quarterfinals … except here. Canton has surged at the perfect time and Southern is better than its record shows, so this should be a battle.

Player to watch–Rosie Zalonis, Muncy: The sophomore plays like a younger Addi Eyer and does a bit of everything to help Muncy. Zalonis is third on the team in scoring, can be a defensive menace and ferociously competes.

Projected semifinals: Southern over NEB; Northwest over Muncy. Projected final: Southern over Northwest; third-place: NEB over Muncy

CLASS A

(top three advance to states)

Defending champion St. John Neumann has made history the past three seasons, reaching states each time, going to the state quarterfinals twice and capturing their first title a year ago. In some ways, what this 2025 done is just as impressive. The Knights (13-9) have put together a fourth straight winning season despite having just six players.

Neumann is the No. 5 seed and heads to Meadowbrook Christian for the quarterfinals. The Knights won their last three games with Niyah Tutler scoring her 1,000th point last Friday. She, Bre Nixon and Sophie Reid started on last year’s record-setting 23-win squad and Kallee Johnson, Savana Smith and Haylee Meixel all have played well to keep a team that dressed just five players multiple times going strong.

No. 4 Meadowbrook (14-8) have reached states the past two seasons and possess one of the field’s top players in junior Maddy Fasnacht who averages 17.5 points and a whopping eight steals per game.

The winner of that game is all but certain to face top-seeded Lourdes (17-5) which should steamroll Northumberland Christian (4-12) in the quarterfinals. Lourdes reached the 2023 state final and has double-digit wins against the Nos.2-4 seeds. The Red Raiders also highlighted their season with an impressive 44-33 win against 4A Lewisburg.

On the other side of the bracket, No. 2 Millville (13-8) moved up from the fourth spot with a late surge and hosts No. 7 Bucktail. Senior guard Larissa Evans is a force and averages 22.7 points, 8.6 rebounds and 6.3 steals per game. She also has scored 1,006 points over the last two seasons.

Bucktail (8-13) is hot at the right time, winning four straight games and played Millville tough in a 49-40 loss earlier this season. Juniors Kendall Wagner and Eva Sockman each already have topped 500 career rebounds and Matti Mason averages close to 11 points per game.

The Bucktail-Millville winner plays either No. 3 Benton or No. 6 North Penn-Liberty. Benton (12-10) was in the hunt for a Mid-Penn East Division title until the last week of the regular season and swept the season series from Millville.

Tournament sleeper–North Penn-Liberty: The Mounties (9-13) reached the semifinals two years ago and has a resume building late season win against Meadowbrook. Junior Haley Litzelman has an area-high 14 double-doubles, averaging 16.6 points, 12 rebounds, 4.1 assists and four steals per game. Kaylee Graham and Kendall Graham also average more than eight points per game and Olivia Smith grabbed 22 rebounds in a win against Sayre last week.

Best quarterfinal–Neumann at Meadowbrook Christian: Neumann and Meadowbrook are facing off for a fourth straight season in districts. They played in the last two championships, each team winning one, so this is an easy call. Expect another hard-fought, close game in Round 4.

Player to watch–Kallee Johnson, Neumann: The junior forward played really well down the stretch and gives Neumann an inside threat. Johnson played well off the bench a year ago and 7.4 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.

Projected semifinals: Lourdes over Meadowbrook; Millville over Benton. Projected final: Lourdes over Millville; third-place: Meadowbrook over Benton

Dr. Masse’s Top Five: 1. Loyalsock (22-2); 2. Hughesville (20-3); 3. Lewisburg (17-5); 4. Jersey Shore (15-8); 5. Milton (13-9)

Players of the Week–Niyah Tutler, Neumann and Nadirah Tutler, Williamsport: It’s a cousin act this week as both seniors closed their regular seasons strong. Niyah averaged 20.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and four assists while helping Neumann go 3-0. Nadirah helped Williamsport go 2-1, averaging 20.7 points per game. In the lone loss, Tutler stood out, going for 25 points and 13 rebounds.