Joe Berezwick will always cherish his memories of coaching in the Schuylkill League basketball playoffs at Martz Hall.

For basketball lifers in Schuylkill County - and points east and west - it’s easy to see why Martz Hall is referred to as the “Mecca,” and the ideal venue for the league playoffs.

“It was an unbelievable experience, “ recalled Berezwick, now in his sixth season as the Lehighton girls’ coach after previously winning two Schuylkill titles as the girls coach at Tamaqua. “There isn’t any other environment like that one to play a championship game. You can have 4,000 people in a crazy type of setting. This is like the NCAA tournament for high schools.

“For me, it will always be a lifetime memory. As a player, it was a surreal feeling that I will never forget. I am glad that more teams now can have the chance.”

Berezwick’s remark about the increased opportunity in the Schuylkill League playoffs comes in the wake of the league expanding its playoff format this season.

Under the new arrangement, two extra teams have been added in both the boys and girls field. In the past, the league ran a four-team playoff that included the league’s three divisional champions and a wild-card team from Division 1.

This season, a third team will be added from Division 1, while one extra “small school” team that comes out of either Division 2 or Division 3 will also make the postseason tournament. The two extra teams won’t be decided based on league standings, but instead will be determined utilizing District 11 rating points.

Once the six boys and girls teams are selected, the top two teams overall will receive byes into the semifinals. The other four will meet in a quarterfinal round that will ultimately set up the semifinal matchups.

The playoff expansion is something area coaches welcome and feel was long overdue.

Panther Valley boys’ coach Pat Crampsie noted how both the Colonial League and East Penn Conference have six and eight teams respectively in their league playoffs, while the Schuylkill League - despite having 18 teams in the league - had just four make the playoffs (the CL has 13 teams and the EPC has 18).

“I feel like it was definitely time for a change,” said Crampsie, who is in his 21st year at the helm. “I’m happy that it happened.

“It’s something that has been on my mind for a long time. It makes the regular season more interesting, especially in January. There are a lot more schools who can now be in the playoff mix.”

Crampsie, a 1994 Panther Valley grad, recalled his time as a player in the Schuylkill League playoffs during his junior season..

“It really was a great experience,” said Crampsie. “I think sometimes at the moment you don’t appreciate it as much as you should.

“I definitely appreciated it more as the years went on.”

Jim Thorpe head girls’ basketball coach Nadia Gauronsky agreed with Crampsie.

Gauronsky was a part of the EPC playoffs several times during her 11-year stint as Pleasant Valley’s head coach and has been part of the Schuylkill League playoffs as both a player at Panther Valley and as a coach at Jim Thorpe.

“I think It’s great for the kids,” she said. “It gives them a better chance at being part of great experience.

“I was part of the Schuylkill League playoffs twice as a player, and also had the opportunity to coach in them the last couple years, and it’s definitely very special. There isn’t anything that can replicate it. Playing at Martz Hall in the postseason is something every player in the league dreams about and wants to be a part of.”

Marian’s Damian Fritz is another area coach who has been part of the Schuylkill League playoffs as both a player and coach.

Fritz, a 1993 Tamaqua High School graduate, views playing at Martz Hall as the ultimate reward.

“It was something that you worked toward,” said Fritz. “As a kid, that’s where you wanted to be. You wanted to be a part of the playoffs at Martz Hall. There isn’t any better place to play in Pennsylvania. It’s just that special.”

Fritz, who is in his second year as the Fillies head coach after spending the previous four years as an assistant on the Marian boys basketball staff, is also happy with the playoff expansion.

“I think it was a good choice,” he stated. “It adds a little more meaning to some games. A change is sometimes good and needed. More teams in the playoffs can bring more interest to the league.

“It’s a good idea, and there will be benefits from it.”

Tamaqua head boys’ coach Jim Barron echoed the sentiments of his colleagues. Barron’s 2020 Blue Raider team reached the championship game at Martz, and he said it was a great experience.

“We played against Schuylkill Haven in a semifinal game and won a high-scoring game,” remembered Barron. “We then lost to Pottsville in the championship game.

“In both games, the place was electric and packed. It’s hard to put it into words.”

Barron believes the new system will be a more fair assessment of the league’s top teams.

“There were times when we were playing better than some of the teams in the playoffs,” he said. “I’m glad for any team that gets in the playoffs, because it can create lasting memories for both players and coaches.

“Overall, it’s good for the league to open it up. When you have 18 teams, two more teams can make a big difference, especially during the last couple weeks of the season when more teams will be competing for playoff spots.”

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RAINING THREES ... In Monday’s 72-68 Marian victory over Nativity, the two teams were both hitting from long range.

The Colts connected 10 times from three-point range, while the Green Wave drained 12 shots from beyond the arc.

The 22 combined treys are the most in an area boys game this season. The previous high was 20, which happened three different times - including twice in Panther Valley games.

The last time an area boys game had that many three-pointers was March 10, 2021 when Weatherly and Notre Dame-ES also combined for 22.

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FIFTY-SOMETHING ... For area boys teams, 50 seems to be the magic number.

When a TN squad reaches 50 points, their record is a combined 47-14 - a winning percentage of .770. When area teams fail to reach 50 points, the combined mark is 7-53 - a percentage of just .117.

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LEAGUE TOURNEY ... The annual Schuylkill League wrestling tournament will take place this Saturday at Pottsville’s Martz Hall. Action begins with the JV tournament and preliminary matches at 9 a.m. Quarterfinals will take place at 10 a.m., followed by second round consolations are semifinals at 11. Third round consolations will take place at 12 p.m., followed by consolation semifinals at 1:30. The championship and consolation finals will be held at 3:30 p.m. (all times are approximate). A year ago, Tamaqua had two champions, with Michael Steigerwalt capturing the 145-pound title and Cole Eberts winning the 172-pound championship. Jim Thorpe’s Cameron Tinajero won the 160-pound title. In the team standings, Tamaqua posted a fourth-place finish with 127.5 team points, Thorpe accumulated 98.5 points to finish sixth, while a wounded Lehighton contingent down with illness still showed promise with an eighth-place finish and 76 points.

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ON THE HORIZON ... The always competitive – and expanding – Coal Cracker Tournament is set for next weekend. The varsity tournament will be held Friday and Saturday at Lehighton Area High School and Elementary School. Currently, there are 60 teams scheduled for the varsity boys tournament, which will be run as a double elimination event with 64-person brackets. Awards will be given to the top eight wrestlers in each weight class. Trophies will also be awarded to the first and second place teams, and the tournament’s outstanding wrestler as chosen by the officials and tournament directors will also be presented. There are 36 teams that have a girl entered into the girls tournament, with about 250 girls expected to compete. The Coal Cracker Girls Tournament will be held at Jim Thorpe Area High School on Saturday. A trophy will be a awarded to the champion, and medals will be presented to the second-through-sixth place wrestlers in each bracket, and a trophy will be given to the team champion. There will also be a full JV tournament, which should have close to 300 wrestlers. Medals will be awarded to the top five place winners in each bracket.

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ALL GOOD THINGS MUST COME TO AN END ... The Palmerton girls and boys basketball teams both saw their unbeaten seasons come to an end last week. The Bomber girls (11-1) dropped a 39-36 decision to Jim Thorpe, while the Blue Bomber boys fell to Wilson, 57-52.