Here are my L-L League girls’ basketball Section 3 preview capsules - with teams listed alphabetically … 

COCALICO EAGLES
COACH: Richard Kohler (2nd season; 5-17 overall).
CLASSIFICATION: Quad-A.
LAST SEASON: 5-11 Section 3; 5-17 overall.
KEY PLAYERS LOST: G Ashlie Artz, G Shannon Graybill, F Shirah Graybill, G Lisa Michalka, F Samantha Weaver.
KEY PLAYERS RETURNING: G Jess Martin (Jr.), G Bethany Noll (Jr.), G Jordan Page (Jr.), G Katie Rathman (Sr.), F Kayla Weaver (Jr.).
KEY NEWCOMERS: F Kristen Boyer (Fr.), G Megan Caiazzo (So.), F Amber Daub (Jr.), G Jess Ernst (Jr.), G Taylor Esterly (Fr.), F Janelle High (Fr.), F Kathleen Lawver (Fr.), G Jordan Miller (So.), F Danica Schmeck (So.), G Brittany Simmons (So.), G Lauren Waskowicz (So.), G Jenna Wolverton (Jr.).

KEEP AN EYE ON: Pesky junior guard Jordan Page, who could become more of a focal point in the Eagles’ offense now that the Shirah Graybill, Shannon Graybill and Samantha Weaver have moved on. Page can beat you from behind the arc and in transition, and she’s super athletic. Hence her field hockey scholarship to Syracuse, which she inked before her junior year. Impressive. Page averaged 6.1 points per game and hit six 3-pointers last season, and she should team with Katie Rathman to form a pretty solid 1-2 punch in the Eagles’ backcourt. Rathman also hit six triples last season, so Cocalico should be OK in the backcourt department.

OUTLOOK: Tough to get a read on Cocalico, quite frankly. The Eagles were so good for so long, but the last couple of seasons have been kinda funky with a rotating carousel of coaches. This is year No. 2 for Richard Kohler, so hopefully he’s got his ducks in a row and the program in line to get back on track. But just when it looks like Cocalico will turn the corner and move on, more stuff – the Eagles bump up to Section 2 next season, which means an entirely different schedule. Oh well. Page and Rathman are solid in the backcourt, and look for Kayla Weaver to become more of a presence in the paint (replacing her big sister). Just one senior (Rathman) on Kohler’s roster, so this group should gain some serious experience – just in time to bump up a section.

REINHART SAYS: Since Lampeter-Strasburg lost the house, there is not that one, dominant team in Section 3 this season. And I noticed that all five of Cocalico’s victories last season came in section play. If they can recapture that focus, don’t surprised if the Eagles pick off some teams that you’d least suspect.

DONEGAL INDIANS
COACH: Cathy Koenig (7th season; 43-91 overall).
CLASSIFICATION: Triple-A.
LAST SEASON: 6-10 Section 3; 13-11 overall (Lost to Palmyra 48-45 in OT in the first round of the District 3 Triple-A playoffs – after beating Oley Valley 62-51 in a District 3 Triple-A pigtail play-in game).
KEY PLAYERS LOST: G Nicky Hess (L-L All-League Team, L-L League-best 21.6 points per game and 60 3-pointers last season), G Morgan Kibler, F Kaitlyn Houseal, F Taylor Hatt.
KEY PLAYERS RETURNING: G Laura Gebhart (Jr.), F Olivia Leaman (Jr.), G Alecia McNiff (Sr.), G Katie Robinson (Sr.).
KEY NEWCOMERS: G Alyssa Gower (So.), G Emily Green (So.), F Tianna Hatt (Jr.), F Taylor Hoffman (So.), F Jenna Hunter (Sr.), G Mylinh Lam (Jr.), G Mary Lynam (So.).

KEEP AN EYE ON: Senior sniper Alecia McNiff, who was sailing along quite nicely last season until Jan. 20, when she broke her foot and missed the rest of the season. And what a season she was compiling, firmly establishing herself as Donegal’s solid No. 2 go-to scorer behind the school’s all-time leading scorer, Messiah recruit Nicky Hess. McNiff was averaging 11.1 points per game – and had 31-point outburst against Pequea Valley – when she went down with the foot injury. And here’s a telling stat for you: When McNiff got hurt, Donegal was 12-4. With McNiff on the bench, the Indians limped home 1-9. With Hess at Messiah, McNiff should inherit a lot of her shots. She won’t flash you and dash you like Hess, who could create her own shot and step back and drill the 3 with anyone. But McNiff should be a consistent scorer, which Donegal will desperately need.

OUTLOOK: Odd. First and foremost, Donegal didn’t have enough players come out for the team, so the Indians will not dress a JV team this season. So every Donegal varsity game will tip at 7:30 p.m. this season; be sure to note that on your calendars. So depth will be a concern, not to mention the loss of Hess and her 1,425 career points and leadership qualities galore. McNiff should step into the go-to scorer role quite nicely. But she’s going to need mad help. Olivia Leaman is tough on the boards and Laura Gebhart and Katie Robinson – standouts on other Donegal teams – are superb athletes with good instincts. Just a hunch, but I don’t think the Indians will have a repeat of last season’s rip-roaring 10-0 start.

REINHART SAYS: Still can’t believe the Indians won’t have a JV team. Donegal has dominated in girls’ sports around the league here lately (field hockey, soccer), but I guess the basketball well has dried up – for the time being. Indians were a major player in the Section 3 race until the final weeks last season, and made the District 3 playoffs for the first time in an eternity. Could be a tall task for this relatively inexperienced group to get back there. But I think Donegal will keep everyone honest in a wide-open section race.

ELCO RAIDERS
COACH: Dave Meyer (20th season; 332-155 overall).
CLASSIFICATION: Triple-A.
LAST SEASON: 8-8 Section 3; 11-12 overall (Lost to Big Spring 39-33 in a District 3 Triple-A pigtail play-in game).
KEY PLAYERS LOST: G Samantha Conrad, G Melissa Gettle, F Erin Moore, G Erika Smith.
KEY PLAYERS RETURNING: G Brittany Hartman (Sr.), G Heather Kahl (Sr.), G Taylor Shaak (Jr., 23 3-pointers last season), F Lexi Shaffer (Jr.), F Kala Yoders (Sr., 17.2 points per game last season).
KEY NEWCOMERS: F Jasmine Broy (Jr.), G Kathryn Fuhrman (So.), F Rebekah Hartman (So.), F Jehida Heisey (Jr.), F Jessica Knoll (So.), G Carissa Mehaffey (So.), G Halie Parker (Fr.), G Roni Rohrer (Jr.), F Jess Shewmaker (Jr.), G Celeste Shimp (Fr.), F Samantha Shimp (Jr.), G Kady Yoders (Fr.).

KEEP AN EYE ON: Senior low-post kingpin Kala Yoders, who has been crashing the boards, finishing with authority, and playing D in the paint since her freshman season. She will begin her final campaign with the Raiders with 881 career points – third-most among active L-L League players behind Lebanon Catholic’s Hailey Carangelo (1,092) and Cedar Crest’s Meghan Phillips (908). Developed a mid-range jumper last season to go along with her post skills, which are just fine and dandy, thank you. Can run the floor, too. Well-rounded. Multi-functional. Tough. Gritty. Will block your shot and then stick a baseline jumper in your face just for yucks. If Yoders plays big, Elco will be in the race. Book it.

OUTLOOK: I want to say pretty good. Elco hasn’t made any of its patented long playoff runs lately, which is a bit of a head scratcher. But there are some players here who should help the Raiders make some major noise in the wide-open Section 3 race – and maybe beyond. Yoders, as mentioned, is tough on the glass, and is just a royal pain, in general, to cover and contend with. And the trio of returning guards – Brittany Hartman, Heather Kahl and Taylor Shaak – have been through the Section 3 perimeter wars. Shaak is speedy, runs the floor well and can stick the 3. I just got done saying that Elco hasn’t made a playoff run in a while. But it seems like every season for the last several seasons, the Raiders are right there in the end. No reason to believe they won’t be there again this time around, since I think the Section 3 crown is absolutely, positively there for the taking. Keep an eye on Myerstown. Not sure many Section 3 teams are looking forward to that trip – let alone trying to mark Yoders for 32 minutes.

REINHART SAYS: If she plays like an MVP, there’s no reason to believe Yoders can’t help the Raiders be right there in the thick of the chase come the first week of February. I really believe that. I think Lampeter-Strasburg will slip back with the pack a tad this season, leaving the door wide open for someone to seize the top spot. Elco has the weapons to do it.

LAMPETER-STRASBURG PIONEERS
COACH: Matt Wieand (4th season; 73-21 overall).
CLASSIFICATION: Triple-A.
LAST SEASON: 16-0 Section 3 (outright champs); 29-4 overall (Lost to eventual runner-up Manheim Township 43-35 in the L-L League semifinals; Lost to Trinity 46-34 in the District 3 Triple-A championship game; lost to Archbishop Carroll 68-45 in the PIAA Triple-A state championship game).
KEY PLAYERS LOST: A bunch. Get comfy – G Katie Andrews (transferred to Lancaster Mennonite), G Nicole Beddow, G Lisa Boyer (L-L All-League Team, Associated Press Third-Team Triple-A All-State pick, 16.3 points per game last season), F Renee Fritz (13.2 points per game last season), F Katie Lynch, F Jess Manchak, G Kim Martin, G Danielle Rittenhouse (13.1 points per game last season).
KEY PLAYERS RETURNING: G Kelsey Souders (Jr.).
KEY NEWCOMERS: G Robyn Beddow (So.), G Nicole Blantz (Jr.), G Taylor Bradley (Jr.), G Ashley Braungard (Fr.), G Savannah Burton (Fr.), G Julie Dostal (So.), G Kaitlyn Esh (Fr.), G Emilie Good (So.), G Riley Habowski (Fr.), F Lexi Lantz (Fr.), G Brianna Miranda (Fr.), G Joani Riley (Fr.), G Erika Smoker (Fr.), G Kim Snyder (Jr.), F Lindsey Stoltzfus (So.), F Leah Weigel (Fr.).

KEEP AN EYE ON: Junior guard Kelsey Souders – the lone holdover from last season’s state-championship runner-up team. Souders, who played major minutes as a freshman two season’s ago, had an injury-riddled sophomore season. She missed four games with an ankle injury (including the L-L League playoff opener), and then she missed a pair of state-playoff games with another ankle injury. After scoring 212 points in her freshman season, Souders popped in 169 points last season. And she’ll be – by far – the Pioneers’ most experienced player when L-S hits the floor. Scrappy. Gritty. Determined – will attack the glass despite point-guard-ish size. Can also handle, although she’s played off-guard, too. More than likely will be called upon to pilot the ship, while Wieand breaks in an almost entirely new cast of characters – except for Souders, who will be the captain and the big sister for this new-look bunch.

OUTLOOK: Wow – what in the world can the Pioneers possibly do for an encore after reaching the state championship game last March? Win it all, of course. But with wholesale losses to graduation – and a key transfer loss – L-S will be going back to the drawing board – at least early on. Thumbing through the roster, the first thing I notice is that L-S has zero seniors on board. So even if the Pioneers take some payback lumps this time around, it sure looks like L-S is building up for another run in the very near future. And with Souders back, the Pioneers have a sturdy rudder. Lindsey Stoltzfus, who appeared in five games last season, including the state-title game, should be a good target in the post. But absolutely everyone else has appeared in a grand total of (here it comes) zero varsity basketball games. Oy.

REINHART SAYS: A lot of people would probably count the Pioneers out. And why not? L-S lost the house to graduation, and then Katie Andrews, a key cog on both ends of the court and the Pioneers’ lock-down defender in crunch time late last season, up and transferred – with her little sister, another basketball player – to Lancaster Mennonite. So instead of having a great starting point of a backcourt of mucho experienced Souders and Andrews, the Pioneers are starting with just Souders. Not saying I’m picking L-S to repeat as Section 3 champ, but I don’t think the Pioneers are going 0-22. Maybe somewhere in the middle. After all the pain these guys inflicted on Section 3 (and Section 4 in crossovers) the last couple of years, they could be on the wrong end of some payback punches. But I still say L-S will compete and win some games – not 29, like last season. But last season was last season. And last season, for L-S, was unforgettable. So they’ll always have that. Now we’ll see if the Pioneers can do it again – over the next couple of years – with a completely new cast.

MANHEIM CENTRAL BARONS
COACH: Jason Coletti (5th season; 61-36 overall).
CLASSIFICATION: Triple-A.
LAST SEASON: 8-8 Section 3; 12-11 overall (Lost to West Perry 50-44 in a District 3 Triple-A pigtail play-in game).
KEY PLAYERS LOST: G Dani Artman (18.4 points per game and 28 3-pointers last season), G Jana Martin.
KEY PLAYERS RETURNING: F Breanna Barber (So.), F Carly Leitzel (Sr.), G Beth Mellinger (Sr.), G Maddy Novak (So.), G Taylor Stoltz (So.), F Renee Wiegand (So.).
KEY NEWCOMERS: F Skye Charleston (So.), G Meghan Erb (So.), F Danielle Fagan (Jr.), F Lindsay Fink (So.), F Melinda Frey (Sr.), G Morgan Mummau (So.), F Logan Newcomer (Fr.), G Caroline Novak (Fr.), G Kristen Robeson (Fr.), F Rachelle Wiegand (Sr.).

KEEP AN EYE ON: Senior small forward Carly Leitzel, who firmly established herself as a go-to player and the Barons’ solid No. 2 scorer last season behind sharpshooter Dani Artman, who finished her prep career with 1,029 points. Leitzel chipped in with 10.8 points per game and hit 19 3-pointers last season for Manheim Central, which was in a battle for second place in Section 3 right down to the bitter end, and went to the District 3 Triple-A playoffs. Leitzel will very likely squeeze the trigger a little more often this season, for a team that is young – but is ready to challenge.

OUTLOOK: Good days ahead here in Baron Country. There will be a domino effect from Lampeter-Strasburg going through some rebuilding pains, so look for Manheim Central to be with the lead pack come late January. And the Barons got some good news when Rachelle Wiegand – a standout volleyball player for Manheim Central – returned to the basketball team. She played a bunch of minutes as a freshman, but left the team to concentrate on volleyball the last two years. She’s back now, and should be a major factor on the boards with her leaping ability. She’ll team with her little sister, Renee, to patrol the middle for the Barons. And in Leitzel, Manheim Central has a scorer.

REINHART SAYS: I like Manheim Central’s chances here. Not saying the Barons will win the section – and I’m not putting the bull’s-eye on them as favorites – but I really, honestly believe that Manheim Central will be in this race, which could get quite interesting, now that Lampeter-Strasburg is retooling a tad. Don’t be surprised if the Barons are banging on the door come early February. But the youngsters (six sophs on the varsity roster) are going to have to step up; Leitzel will have to score, despite the oncoming double-teams; and Rachelle Wiegand will have to get back into basketball mode and make her presence felt in the paint. Do all that, and a postseason ticket just might be in the cards for the Barons.

NORTHERN LEBANON VIKINGS
COACH: Ken Battistelli (3rd season; 20-27 overall).
CLASSIFICATION: Triple-A.
LAST SEASON: 10-6 Section 3; 13-11 overall (Lost to Ephrata 33-29 in the L-L League quarterfinals; lost to Boiling Springs 46-32 in a District 3 Triple-A pigtail play-in game).
KEY PLAYERS LOST: G Shelly Erb, G Brittany Funck, G Nichole Heister (23 3-pointers last season), F Alexis Wilhelm.
KEY PLAYERS RETURNING: G Lisa Clay (Sr.), F Mikayla DiAngelis (So.), G Liz Houser (Sr.), G Leah Wilhelm (Sr.).
KEY NEWCOMERS: G Taylor Albert (So.), G Alicia Anspok (So.), G Chelsea Arnold (Jr.), G Kelsey Battistelli (So.), G Emily Brandt (Fr.), G Taylor Gingrich (Jr.), G Courtney Hess (Sr.), G Morgan Hollis (Fr.), F Kristen Lessing (Fr.), F Jae Mason (Jr.), F Taylor Smith (Fr.), F Breann Spangler (Jr.), F Paige Stuppy (Fr.).

KEEP AN EYE ON: Speedy senior point guard Liz Houser, who can chase you down from behind on defense, and kick-start the Vikings’ offense off an outlet pass in transition. Cat-quick and always moving, and can step back and shoot it (8 3-pointers last season), but truly excels in transition. Head is always up. Good in traffic. Can and will pick your pocket. Pound for pound, perhaps the best all-around point guard in Section 3. And after helping the Vikings get out of the basement the last couple of seasons, she’ll be called upon to be the catalyst and keep Northern Lebanon moving forward.

OUTLOOK: Happy days in Fredericksburg, where last season the Vikings finished second in the Section 3 race, made the L-L League playoffs and got a bid to the District 3 Triple-A playoffs. Northern Lebanon didn’t win either of those postseason games. But after a couple of otherwise forgettable seasons, it was neat to see the Vikings in a race and back in the postseason. Northern Lebanon did lose a very rock-steady trio of Shelly Erb (steady-as-she-goes guard), Nichole Heister (mad-bomber who hit 26 3-pointers last season and 50 the season before that) and Alexis Wilhelm (solid on the boards). But the cupboard is hardly bare, especially with Houser back to pilot the troops and Leah Wilhelm back to man the wing and crash.

REINHART SAYS: It wasn’t all that long ago that the Vikings went 0-23. Those days appear to be ancient history, now that Ken Battistelli has implemented his up-tempo, go-get-‘em-on-defense scheme. Northern Lebanon won’t wow you with size, but should have a nice speed game, especially with Houser out front, along with Wilhelm and Lisa Clay. No way the Vikes are sneaking up on anybody this time around. I know they lost their top sniper in Heister, who was nearly automatic when she got her feet squared up. But there are really good vibes flowing around this program at the moment, and I don’t suspect that’s going to end anytime soon. Back-to-back playoff trips for Northern Lebanon? I wouldn’t bet against it.