JEFFREY REINHART jreinhart@LNPnews.com

ANNVILLE-CLEONA

COACH – Fred Siebecker (1st season).

LAST SEASON – 3-13 Section 4 (5th place), 5-19 overall.

SO LONG – F Samantha Longenecker (5.9 points a game last season), G Liz Smith (3.3) and coach Ed Geyer, who went 16-33 in three seasons with the Little Dutchmen.

WELCOME BACK – G Chelsea Bressler (Sr., 6.2), F Lindsey Hilbert (Sr., 7.0, 18 3-pointers last season), G Caitlin Light (Sr., 3.0), G Erika McKinney (Sr., 2.4).

OUTLOOK: Puzzling. There is a good nucleus here – Bressler and Hilbert have been through plenty of Section 4 wars and are primed for solid senior seasons – but the coaching situation is a real head-scratcher. Geyer’s contract was not renewed, and he left literally as preseason practice was starting. Former Northern Lebanon coach Tony Lowe filled in on an interim basis, before Siebecker was hired full-time three days into preseason practice. So the Dutchmen might take a little while to get acclimated.

COLUMBIA

COACH – Lisa Tomsheck (2nd season; 6-18).

LAST SEASON – 4-12 Section 4 (4th place), 6-18 overall (lost to Schuylkill Valley in a District 3 Double-A first-round game).

SO LONG – F Tara Anspach (8.7), G Katie Shelley (3.3).

WELCOME BACK – F Gen Afari (Jr., 2.9), G Tori Aston (Sr., 11.3, 13 3-pointers, Section 4 All-Star), G Erica Gilbert (Jr., 4.0), G Jamie Kuhn (Sr., 4.1, 25 3-pointers), F Kenyetta Simms (Sr., 3.4).

OUTLOOK: Getting brighter. The Crimson Tide slowly but surely picked up speed in Tomsheck’s first season. Shelley, the point guard, and Anspach, the low-post threat, have moved on, but Columbia’s cupboard is hardly bare, especially with veterans Aston and Kuhn back in the mix. Aston is a silky smooth lefty who thrives in transition, and Kuhn can step back and hit the 3-pointer. Gilbert is an athletic guard who can run the floor. If Afari and Simms can hold their own in the paint, the Tide could make some waves.

LANCASTER CATHOLIC

COACH – Lamar Kauffman (26th season; 602-137).

LAST SEASON – 16-0 Section 4 (champs), 25-5 overall (lost to Eastern York in the District 3 Triple-A title game, lost to Muhlenberg in the PIAA Triple-A Eastern quarterfinals).

SO LONG – G Dani Artman (Jr., 9.3, 21 3-pointers, transferred back to Manheim Central), G Jaclyn O’Grady (5.7, 22 3-pointers), G Mackenzie O’Grady (9.4, 31 3-pointers), G Amy Pickard (14.0, 23 3-pointers, New Era All-Star, Section 4 All-Star), F Jen Stengel (5.5).

WELCOME BACK – F Monica Barnett (Sr., 2.8), G Molly Holt (Sr., 2.4), F Brittany Ryder (Sr., 10.7), F Maggie Sweeney (Sr., 3.7), G Emily Weaver (So., 2.7).

OUTLOOK: Might have said outstanding until Artman packed her bags and transferred back to Manheim Central. She’s a super two-way player. But she’s back with the Barons. Crusaders are covered in the paint with holdovers Ryder, Sweeney and Barnett; look out for Ryder, who will be one of the top forwards in the league. But Catholic lost a ton of perimeter firepower, and without experienced guards, Crusaders’ press schemes could take a while to fire on all cylinders. Don’t expect another 16-0 romp, but Catholic will find a way to be there in the end. What else is new? Honorable Mention pick in Triple-A in the Harrisburg Patriot-News preseason state rankings.

LANCASTER MENNONITE

COACH – Sherri Gorman (3rd season; 31-19).

LAST SEASON – 9-7 Section 4 (3rd place), 15-9 overall (lost to Delone Catholic in a District 3 Triple-A play-in game).

SO LONG – G Theresa Siegrist (2.8, 15 3-pointers), F Morgan Umble (8.4).

WELCOME BACK – G Eileen Darby (Jr., 3.0), G Kelsey Gorman (Sr., 11.1, Section 4 All-Star), G Katelyn Kreider (Sr., 5.2), F Mary Poole (Sr., 6.3), G Steph Rheinheimer (So., 1.2), G Melissa Sauder (Sr., 4.8), F Kami Skoloda (Jr., 0.3), G Katelyn Vanderhoff (Jr., 13.3, 19 3-pointers, Section 4 All-Star), G Danielle Zeamer (Sr., transfer from Manheim Central, 7.5 with Barons last season).

OUTLOOK: Very, very interesting. Gorman and Vanderhoff should form one of the top 1-2 punches in the league, with Gorman running the floor and distributing and Vanderhoff slashing to the bucket, while stepping back and draining the occasional 3-pointer. Those two should be a matchup nightmare. The addition of Zeamer, a transfer from Manheim Central, should also help. She’s a deft lefty with good range and passing skills. If Poole can crash the boards with authority, Mennonite will be tricky as all get out. The pieces are here. Lancaster Catholic is rebuilding a bit. The time is now for the Blazers.

LEBANON CATHOLIC

COACH – Patti Hower (30th season; 551-260).

LAST SEASON – 10-6 Section 4 (2nd place), 15-15 overall (District 3 Single-A champs, defeated Lancaster Country Day in title game; lost to Marian Catholic in PIAA Single-A Eastern quarterfinals).

SO LONG – G Taylor Barry (4.2), G Hillary Schrum (4.0).

WELCOME BACK – G Hailey Carangelo (So., 8.2, 15 3-pointers), G Samantha Carangelo (Sr., 10.1, 30 3-pointers, Section 4 All-Star), F Meghan Orr (Sr., 4.4), G Anna Wengert (Sr., 8.0, 15 3-pointers).

OUTLOOK: Bull’s-eye alert: With the sharp-shooting Carangelo sisters back in the fold, Lebanon Catholic, the reigning District 3 Single-A champ, is the team to beat in Section 4 – for now. The Beavers certainly get the edge in the backcourt department – that’s where Lancaster Catholic will struggle early – and if the Beavers can maneuver through a rugged non-league stretch, they’re going to be battle-tested and tough to beat when the Section 4 wars commence. Head-to-head battles with the Crusaders could be epic – just like the old days. Don’t miss those. Ranked No. 9 in Single-A in the Harrisburg Patriot-News preseason state rankings.

PEQUEA VALLEY

COACH – Melissa Mabry (2nd season; 5-18).

LAST SEASON – 2-14 Section 4 (6th place), 5-18 overall.

SO LONG – G Megan Echoff (5.2, 28 3-pointers), G Tracy Fields (6.0), F Katie Sauder (6.0).

WELCOME BACK – G Rayna Carney (Jr., 1.3), G Joanna Esbenshade (Sr., 6.3), G Ashley Marshall (Sr., 9.2), G Brianna Reed (Sr., 3.6), G Tiffani Williams (Sr., 1.6).

OUTLOOK: The Braves took some more baby steps last season in Mabry’s first year on the job, but did lose three steady scorers in Echoff, Fields and Sauder. And Echoff was a major 3-point threat. So finding a go-to scorer is the first priority.