Winter Sports

Palmerton head girls basketball coach Don Delich returns for his seventh season and has to be cautiously optimistic about this year's squad.

Delich returns the offensive firepower of sophomore Kelsey Hay and junior Casey Rinfret, but must replace three key defensive players who graduated last June.

"We lost Erin Parsons, who was a four-year starter at point guard," Delich said. "Alyssa Minnich and Kristen Roberts were two year starters.

Two years ago was ground zero for the Jim Thorpe girls basketball program.

But from the ashes of that disastrous 2-22 season that included suspensions and forfeits, the Lady Olympians have been rebuilt.

Just two players senior Hilary Reis and junior Brittany Holland still remain from that squad. The majority of this year's team is part of a talented sophomore class that comprises nine of the 12 roster spots.

Life has been tough on the Pleasant Valley boys' basketball program as of late.

Head coach Ken Piontkowski and his players have faced their fair share of hardships over the past couple of years, as the Bears have won only four games in each of the last two seasons. Still, with three returning starters, Piontkowski is optimistic about his 2009-10 squad and is expecting better results.

For the first time in years, Marian head coach Paul Brutto was forced to rebuild.

With a roster full of youth, inexperience and unknowns, the Fillies finished last season with a record of 14-9.

It marked the first time in eight years that Marian didn't win 20 games and the first time since the 1992-1993 season that they won 14 games or less.

This season, however, the picture seems to be a little clearer, and according to Brutto, a little more optimistic.