Dallas’ Nate Malarkey (right) breaks up a pass intended for Wilkes-Barre Area’s defensive back brakes up a pass intended for Wilkes-Barre Area’s Treyvon Gembitski during a Week 4 game. Both teams will be hosting playoff games Friday night.
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The Wyoming Valley Conference played 10 weeks to eliminate just two of 12 teams from the postseason.
The District 2 playoffs have become bloated since the PIAA went from four classifications to six in 2016. For example, two winless teams — Wyoming Valley West and West Scranton — were battling for the final Class 5A berth going into the final weekend of the regular season.
Both lost, but Valley West got the spot based on the power ratings. The Spartans are the only winless team that has made a district playoff in the eastern part of the state. (Disclaimer: the western part of the state wasn’t checked).
Then there is the District 2/4 Class 6A playoffs where all four teams finished the regular season at 5-5.
Anyway, 10 WVC teams are vying for district crowns in four classifications. There are no WVC teams in Class A and Class 2A. Holy Redeemer is in Class 2A and failed to make the postseason, but played an independent schedule this year.
Here’s a brief look at how those 10 teams have fared in the district postseason.
BERWICK: Berwick was known as the team of the 1990s with six PIAA championships in that decade.
The Dawgs are in the district playoffs for the 12th time in 13 seasons, only missing during the shortened COVID-19 season in 2020. They made it out of the first round 10 consecutive years until losing 12-7 to Valley View last season.
Berwick also played in the lowest-scoring game in District 2 history when it defeated Abington Heights 3-0 in 2008.
CRESTWOOD: The Comets advanced to the PIAA Class 4A state semifinals in 2022, but were ousted in the first round of districts a year ago with an overtime loss to Nanticoke Area.
Crestwood has exited the playoffs with first-round losses in eight of its last 12 appearances dating back to 2006.
DALLAS: The Mountaineers played for the PIAA Class 4A state championship in 2019 and 2023. They won the Class 2A state title in 1993 when only four teams qualified for the state playoffs.
From 2012-17, Dallas was knocked out in the first round of districts five consecutive times. That’s happened just once since then, with it coming in the 2020 COVID-19 season.
HAZLETON AREA: The Cougars haven’t won two playoff games in a season since capturing the District 2 Class 4A championship in 2007. They lost their first playoff game in three of their last four tries and failed to make the postseason in 2023.
LAKE-LEHMAN: The Black Knights are making their 13th consecutive playoff appearance, although the results haven’t been good. They’ve been booted in the first round the past four seasons and only twice in the program’s history have they won more than one playoff game in a season.
PITTSTON AREA: The Patriots have made the playoffs seven times since 2008, not including this season. All seven times they’ve been one-and-done.
Pittston Area won a pair of games in 2002 in advancing to the PIAA Class 3A quarterfinals.
TUNKHANNOCK: The Tigers are making only their fourth District 2 playoff appearance since 1993, although they were in the Eastern Conference postseason a few times during that span.
Tunkhannock hasn’t advanced out of the first round the previous three times.
WILKES-BARRE AREA: Except for the truncated COVID-19 season in 2020, the Wolfpack made districts in the other five years of their existence. However, they only got past the first round in their inaugural season in 2019.
WYOMING AREA: The Warriors won the PIAA Class 3A championship in 2019 and have been a regular visitor to the District 2 playoffs.
Wyoming Area has moved to the next round 16 of the last 18 times. They’ve won more than one district playoff game seven times.
WYOMING VALLEY WEST: The Spartans played in the 2017 PIAA Class 5A quarterfinals, but since then are 0-3 in their initial playoff game.
Valley West’s 2020 season ended with a playoff forfeit due to a COVID-19 issue on the team. The Spartans were scheduled to play District 10 Erie Cathedral Prep. This is their first playoff game since 2021.