Key Highlights
- They are the defending league champions and with just one senior on their roster this fall, will return much of the same team next season. RELATED: Pottsville and Minersville set to duke it out for Schuylkill League titleMeanwhile, Lourdes is looking for its first-ever league championship, and will have the opportunity to win even more this postseason as the Red Raiders continue to put together a storybook season. The last time the two programs met was in February of last year, in the Schuylkill League quarterfinals, a 45-28 win for the Hurricanes. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHead CoachesLourdes – Michael Klembara: A pillar of high school basketball in Northeastern Pennsylvania, Michael Klembara is in his 41st season as the coach of the Red Raiders, and has compiled over 841 career wins.
- In an era of athletics where coaches come and go, Klembara is one of the few remaining members of a dying breed of coaches.
- Klembara led Lourdes to a state championship in 1994, an achievement that this year’s team may be good enough to earn next month. Schuylkill Haven – Tony Sanders: Sanders is now in his seventh season at the helm of the Schuylkill Haven program, and is looking to lead his team to a second-straight Schuylkill League title after capturing its first last season.
- When Sanders took over the Hurricanes , they were struggling to find success.
- However, since an 8-14 record in 2022-23, the Hurricanes have now won 20, 24, and 18 games over the last three seasons, including a state tournament appearance last year. How they got hereAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Red Raiders and Hurricanes have embarked on similar paths to Friday’s league championship game. Lourdes has been incredible all season, posting a 22-1 record, including 14-0 in league play during the regular season.