My weekly RANKINGS are at the bottom … keep on reading

Just chill-axing on the day before Christmas, so I thought I’d put together my weekly L-L League girls’ basketball notebook now instead of Sunday, since there are no games over the next several days.

The first go-round of crossover games is in the books, and a handful of teams got through unscathed with 3-0 records … Manheim Township and Penn Manor in Section 1, Solanco in Section 2 and Lancaster Catholic, Lancaster Mennonite and Lebanon Catholic in Section 4.

And at the season’s first major checkpoint, there are just three undefeated teams still standing – Penn Manor (6-0), Lancaster Mennonite (6-0) and Lebanon Catholic (4-0).

On the flipside, there are just two winless teams – Columbia (0-6) and Ephrata (0-7) – as the league hits the holiday break.

Here are some news, notes, notables and other fun factoids as teams prep for the holiday tournaments, which are set for Dec. 28, 29 and 30, before head-to-head section play begins on Tuesday, Jan. 5 …

SECTION 1
Manheim Township (3-0 league, 5-1 overall)
Penn Manor (3-0 league, 6-0 overall)
Cedar Crest (2-1 league, 4-2 overall)
Warwick (2-1 league, 4-2 overall)
Hempfield (1-2 league, 3-2 overall)
McCaskey (1-2 league, 2-3 overall)

SCORING LEADERS
Meghan Phillips, Cedar Crest – 6 games, 134 points – 22.3
Kiersten Green, Manheim Township – 6 games, 88 points – 14.7
Bianca Ygarza, Penn Manor – 6 games, 81 points – 13.5
Julie Falk, Penn Manor – 6 games, 71 points – 11.8
Porscha Hunter, McCaskey – 5 games, 50 points – 10.0
Elle Larsen, Hempfield – 5 games, 50 points – 10.0

3-POINT LEADERS
Meghan Phillips, Cedar Crest – 11
Julie Falk, Penn Manor – 10
Torri Wagner, Cedar Crest – 7
Kendra Beittel, Hempfield – 6
Jordyn Newsome, Hempfield – 6

NOTES – Two-way tie atop the leaderboard with defending champ Manheim Township and undefeated Penn Manor showing the way after the first round of crossover games. Biggest surprise has to be Hempfield, which fell to Solanco and Lebanon in back-to-back games before dropping Garden Spot on Wednesday to finally earn a league win. Black Knights find themselves two games back in the early going. … Cedar Crest senior guard Meghan Phillips became the eighth player in the history of the Falcons’ girls’ program to hit 1,000-career points when she scored 26 points in a 65-56 loss at Solanco last Monday. She followed that up with 20 points in a 71-34 win over Conestoga Valley on Wednesday, and at the holiday break, Phillips is the league’s leading scorer (22.3) and she’s up to 1,042 points. Phillips has scored 20 or more points in five of Cedar Crest’s six games thus far. … Speaking of Cedar Crest, the Falcons are waiting for the return of returning starter Megan McCabe, who has missed the last three games with an unspecified injury (I’ve seen Cedar Crest twice, and I forgot to ask both times. Drrr). … Funky start for Hempfield, which started off 0-2 league play with an 8-point loss to upstart Solanco and a 3-point loss to Lebanon before turning up the D in a 41-26 win over Garden Spot on Wednesday. … Knights’ senior guard Kendra Beittel has four 3-pointers in the last two games, including three treys in the Lebanon game. … Hempfield coach Lenny Groft has 299 career victories, and he’ll go for No. 300 on Monday, when the Knights take on West York in the first round of the Hempfield Holiday Tournament. Hempfield will get Lancaster Catholic or Oxford on Tuesday. … Cleveland State recruit Kiersten Green has scored in double figures in every game for Manheim Township, but she’s definitely found her groove after dropping a season-high 20 points on Conestoga Valley (in a 26-point win) and then 18 points on Ephrata (in a 16-point win). … Green is up to 719 career points. … The Blue Streaks cruised in all three of their crossover wins, outscoring their foes 174-86. … Township’s Lisbet Byler pumped in 17 points in the win over Ephrata; it was her career-high. … After a 2-game winning streak, McCaskey dropped back-to-back crossover games to Elizabethtown (by a point) and streaking Solanco. Freshman guard Porscha Hunter continues to be a bright spot for the Red Tornado, averaging a team-best 10.0 points per game. … McCaskey needs just one win to match last season’s output (3-19). … Penn Manor continues to sizzle early behind guard Julie Falk, who has scored in double-figures in all six games and leads the team with 10 triples, and multi-purpose threat Bianca Ygarza, who has scored 34 points combined in Penn Manor’s last two games. Circle this one: Unbeaten Comets take on unbeaten Lebanon Catholic in the first round of the Lebanon Holiday Tournament on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Lebanon High. Pencil me in for that one. … Warwick had its 4-game winning streak snapped when Elizabethtown topped the Warriors 37-32 on Wednesday. Still, a solid 4-2 start for Warwick, which is breaking in a new backcourt, and playing without forward Casey Mitchell (knee surgery). Speedy guard Macaulay Soto has 24 points and a pair of 3-pointers in the last two games for the Warriors.

SECTION 2
Solanco (3-0 league, 5-1 overall)
Elizabethtown (2-1 league, 4-1 overall)
Lebanon (1-2 league, 3-3 overall)
Conestoga Valley (0-3 league, 1-6 overall)
Ephrata (0-3 league, 0-7 overall)
Garden Spot (0-3 league, 2-4 overall)

SCORING LEADERS
Sarah Fairbanks, Elizabethtown – 5 games, 72 points – 14.4
Taylor Kreider, Solanco – 6 games, 83 points – 13.8
Emily Allport, Solanco – 6 games, 75 points – 12.5
Mel Andrew, Ephrata – 7 games, 85 points – 12.1
Janelle Frey, Conestoga Valley – 7 games, 79 points – 11.3
Jess Martin, Conestoga Valley – 7 games, 78 points – 11.1
Julia O’Brien, Garden Spot – 6 games, 66 points – 11.0
Lauren Taylor, Garden Spot – 6 games, 61 points – 10.2

3-POINT LEADERS
Janelle Frey, Conestoga Valley – 12
Emily Allport, Solanco – 7
Brittany Padillas, Lebanon – 7
Lauren Taylor, Garden Spot – 6
Jess Rivera, Lebanon – 5

NOTES – Raise your hand if you had Solanco at 3-0 at the holiday break. Fabulous start for the Golden Mares, who I picked to win Section 2 – but I didn’t even see this start coming, with three wins over Section 1 teams, including favorites Hempfield and Cedar Crest. FYI – Solanco @ Penn Manor is Jan. 22; Manheim Township @ Solanco is Jan. 26. … Conestoga Valley has dropped three in a row after winning its lone game, a 17-point win over reigning Triple-A state runner-up Lampeter-Strasburg. Lefty gunslinger Janelle Frey continues to be a major sharpshooter for the Buckskins (11.3 points, section-best 12 3-pointers). Against Section 1 heavyweights Manheim Township and Cedar Crest last week, Frey had 27 points and six treys. CV will need her; post Jess Martin has an ankle sprain and was limited to 2 points against Cedar Crest – a 37-point setback. … Break up the Bears – Elizabethtown is alone in second place, a game behind Solanco, with a 2-1 league mark. After falling to unbeaten Penn Manor in the league opener (by 9), the Bears have beaten McCaskey and Warwick back-to-back and are on Solanco’s heels. The crossover games are crucial to Section 2 teams, and Solanco and E-town are certainly sitting pretty after the first go-round; first time since 2004-05 I can recall two Section 2 teams with winning records against Section 1 teams – and that’s just the first three games. … Soph standout Sarah Fairbanks has scored in double-digits in all five games for E-town, including a season-high 18-point outburst in the five-point win over Warwick, snapping the Warriors’ 4-game winning streak. … E-town has zero 3-pointers in five games, and the Bears are the only team in the L-L League without a trey thus far (next lowest is Manheim Township, with two 3-pointers). … Ephrata just can’t seem to get anything going. The Mountaineers have cracked 40 points just once – in a 52-49 loss to Owen J. Roberts in the Daniel Boone Tip-Off Tournament consolation game – and have failed to reach 30 points in a game two times, including the 44-28 loss to Manheim Township on Wednesday. … Garden Spot is riding a 3-game losing streak. … Lebanon has 21 3-pointers in six games, and the Cedars got some good news when 6-1 leaper Malia Harris (knee) returned to the lineup Wednesday against Penn Manor. … Solanco has a tricky first-round matchup in the Central York Holiday Tournament – three-time running state Double-A finalist York Catholic. … Solanco’s Taylor Kreider scored a season-high 19 points in the win over McCaskey, raising her career total to 906 points. … Freshman forward starter Gillian Glackin has scored in double-digits three times, including a career-best 15 points against McCaskey on Wednesday. Keep an eye on her, won’t you. … In her last four games, soph sniper Emily Allport is averaging 15.5 points with five treys for Solanco.

SECTION 3
Donegal (2-1 league, 3-3 overall)
Elco (2-1 league, 3-3 overall)
Manheim Central (2-1 league, 3-2 overall)
Lampeter-Strasburg (1-2 league, 2-5 overall)
Northern Lebanon (1-2 league, 1-5 overall)
Cocalico (0-3 league, 2-4 overall)

SCORING LEADERS
Kala Yoders, Elco – 6 games, 112 points – 18.7
Carly Leitzel, Manheim Central – 5 games, 70 points – 14.0
Kelsey Souders, Lampeter-Strasburg – 7 games, 87 points – 12.4
Alecia McNiff, Donegal – 6 games, 72 points – 12.0
Renee Wiegand, Manheim Central – 5 games, 51 points – 10.2
Lexie Lantz, Lampeter-Strasburg – 7 games, 71 points – 10.1

3-POINT LEADERS
Taylor Shaak, Elco – 9
Jordan Page, Cocalico – 6
Bethany Noll, Cocalico – 5
Leah Wilhelm, Northern Lebanon – 5

NOTES – Figured Section 3 would look a lot different this season with a retooling Lampeter-Strasburg team, and so far, that’s been the case. Donegal – which isn’t dressing a JV team this season and is breaking in some new players after the loss of scoring champ Nicky Hess – preseason pick Elco and Manheim Central share the top spot at 2-1 at the first checkpoint of the season. This race is so wide open, it’s silly; and I’m not counting out L-S, despite the Pioneers’ early-season struggles. … Cocalico is on a 3-game losing skid on the heels of a 2-game winning streak. … Thought Donegal might struggle a tad with Hess gone, but the Indians are in the thick of things, tied for first place and 3-3 overall. No JV team and not a ton of depth, but Donegal has been pesky behind the trio of Alecia McNiff, Katie Robinson – who hit three 3-pointers and scored a career-high 17 points in the loss to Pequea Valley on Wednesday – and Olivia Leaman, who will battle you on the blocks. … What a week for Elco senior forward Kala Yoders, who scored 24 points in a win over Annville-Cleona and then dumped 26 on Columbia in the Raiders’ 49-point win on Wednesday. Yoders is sitting on 993 career points, and she’ll need just 7 points in Elco’s first-round game against Fleetwood in the Hamburg Holiday Tournament on Tuesday to join the 1,000-career-point club. … L-S has been held to less than 20 points in a game twice already this season, and both of the Pioneers’ wins have come against winless Columbia – in a non-league game and in a crossover game. … Carly Leitzel has scored in double-digits every game out for Manheim Central, which is right in the thick of things riding a 2-game winning streak. … Tough schedule for Northern Lebanon out of the gate: Lancaster Catholic and Lebanon Catholic – both losses – to wrap up the first go-round of crossovers. Crusaders and Beavers are both 3-0 in crossovers at the holiday break.

SECTION 4
Lancaster Catholic (3-0 league, 3-2 overall)
Lancaster Mennonite (3-0 league, 6-0 overall)
Lebanon Catholic (3-0 league, 4-0 overall)
Pequea Valley (1-2 league, 3-4 overall)
Annville-Cleona (0-3 league, 1-6 overall)
Columbia (0-3 league, 0-6 overall)

SCORING LEADERS
Hailey Carangelo, Lebanon Catholic – 4 games, 86 points – 21.5
Amber Stoltzfus, Pequea Valley – 7 games, 108 points – 15.4
Jen Roehm, Lancaster Catholic – 5 games, 72 points – 14.4
Vicky Siebecker, Annville-Cleona – 7 games, 98 points – 14.0
Erin LaVenice, Lancaster Mennonite – 6 games, 77 points – 12.8
Reina Hill, Lancaster Catholic – 5 games, 62 points – 12.4
Steph Rheinheimer, Lancaster Mennonite – 6 games, 70 points – 11.7
Marissa Ferris, Pequea Valley – 7 games, 76 points – 10.9

3-POINT LEADERS
Marissa Ferris, Pequea Valley – 12
Jenna Plastino, Columbia – 12
Hailey Carangelo, Lebanon – 6
Alisha Wengert, Annville-Cleona – 6
Molly Westwood, Lancaster Catholic – 6
Emily Nobile, Columbia – 5
Steph Rheinheimer, Lancaster Mennonite – 5

NOTES – Not a huge shocker here that the Section 4 race is ultra tight, with Lancaster Catholic, Lancaster Mennonite and Lebanon Catholic all at 3-0, and the Crusaders, Blazers and Beavers are a combined 13-2 overall – Lancaster Mennonite and Lebanon Catholic are both undefeated, and Lancaster Catholic’s lone losses are to state-ranked Trinity and York Catholic. What a race this should be. … Annville-Cleona continues to go at it with nine varsity players and no JV team. Little Dutchmen have lost four games in a row, but soph sniper Vicky Siebecker has been a major positive, averaging 14.0 points per game in a section loaded with scorers. … As mentioned, Columbia is the only winless team in the L-L League, and the Crimson Tide is averaging just 25.3 points per game. Positive note – Jenna Plastino is averaging 9.3 points per game, has 12 3-pointers and has hit at least one trey in all six games. … Jen Roehm has been lights out for Lancaster Catholic. In her last three games – all wins – she’s averaging 19.0 points per game, including a career-best 25 points in a 40-point win over Northern Lebanon. Reina Hill has also been hot in the post for the Crusaders, averaging 17.3 points per game in her last three games, including a career-high 21 points in a 25-point win over Section 3 tri-leader Elco. … No signs of slowing down for the reigning L-L League champ, Lancaster Mennonite, which is 6-0 and hasn’t really been challenged; closest game to date was a 48-30 win over Manheim Central. Yeah, 18 points – that’s been the Blazers’ closest game. After scoring a season-high 18 points in a 45-point win over L-S on Wednesday, senior Erin LaVenice has 776 career points – so she’ll join the 800-career-point club in the very near future. … Depending on the first-round outcomes, Lancaster Mennonite could get Trinity in the title game or consolation game of the York Suburban Holiday Tournament next Wednesday. … Hot start for Lebanon Catholic, which is unbeaten and tied for first in Section 4. And there’s a big game on the horizon for the Beavers, who take on unbeaten Penn Manor in the first round of the Lebanon Holiday Tournament at Lebanon High on Tuesday. St. Francis recruit Hailey Carangelo has taken no prisoners thus far. She’s got at least one 3-pointer in every game (she said she spent the off-season working on shooting drills; so far so good) and she has a 26-point outing and a 23-point outing for the Beavers. … Lebanon Catholic has a makeup game against reigning Single-A state runner-up Pottsville Nativity on Feb. 6. … Wicked hot start for Pequea Valley forward Amber Stoltzfus, who has scored 21 or more points three times already for the Braves, including 21 in a win over Donegal on Wednesday – knocking the Indians out of sole possession of first place in Section 3 in the process.

900 AND COUNTING – Just a quick refresher, in case you weren’t paying attention.

Two L-L League players now have more than 900 career points, and will join the 1,000-career-point club in the very near future.

Elco senior forward Kala Yoders has 993 career points.

Solanco senior guard Taylor Kreider has 906 career points.

You can find the L-L League 1,000-career-point club list here.

The L-L League’s career active leaders are Lebanon Catholic senior Hailey Carangelo (1,178 points) and Cedar Crest senior Meghan Phillips (1,042).

Watch my video of Phillips scoring her 1,000th-career-point here.

TOURNEY TIME – The holiday tournaments will run Monday and Tuesday and Tuesday and Wednesday next week, and then L-L League teams will have a little while to catch their breath, because league play won’t open until the following Tuesday, Jan. 5. So some teams will have as many as six days off between games. … Every L-L League team is participating in a holiday tournament, although Warwick and Columbia will play a pair of non-league games since the Warwick Holiday Tournament was preempted when a team bailed out late. So the Crimson Tide and the host Warriors will play a round-robin with Palmyra – Columbia vs. Palmyra on Dec. 29; Warwick vs. Palmyra on Dec. 30; Warwick vs. Columbia on Jan. 2. … So Warwick and Columbia won’t get as long a break as everyone else – or Hempfield, which will take on State College in a non-league game, also Jan. 2, in Landisville. Might stick my head in on that one if I’m in the neighborhood.

OUT AND ABOUT – Trying to figure out where I’m heading next week. Looks like Monday I’m off to Hempfield to watch the Black Knights and Lancaster Catholic for the first time this season. Tuesday I’ll likely head to Lebanon for the battle of early-season unbeatens: Penn Manor vs. Lebanon Catholic in the first round of the Lebanon Holiday Tournament. Wednesday? Didn’t get that far yet. Will have to check for the most intriguing matchups. If the Lancaster Mennonite vs. Trinity matchup materializes, I might head to York Suburban. And then … several glorious days off. Still coming down from the 16-week football season.

RANKINGS

Alrighty … another top 5 for you.

After making the list and checking it twice, here are my L-L League girls’ basketball rankings heading into the holiday tournaments …

1 – Lancaster Mennonite (3-0 league, 6-0 overall; last week – 1st) – Blazers remain No. 1 for the third week in a row, and why not? Lancaster Mennonite is the reigning league champ and is one of just three unbeaten teams in the league after the first go-round of crossover games. Monster game for senior forward Erin LaVenice in a 63-18 win over Lampeter-Strasburg on Wednesday – 18 points, 10 rebounds and seven blocked shots. Superb starting five and bench – while not overly deep – has been gritty. Secretly hoping the Blazers get Trinity in the York Suburban Holiday Tournament finale. Could be a classic – you know, for December. NEXT: York Suburban in the first round of the York Suburban Holiday Tournament on Tuesday.

2 – Penn Manor (3-0 league, 6-0 overall; last week – 2nd) – Kept the Comets in the No. 2 slot after two more wins – by 6 over Ephrata and 19 over Lebanon – and a perfect start. Picked Penn Manor fourth, and part of me is regretting that selection, especially with Section 2 picking up some crossover wins. The Julie Falk-Bianca Ygarza combo has been quite good, and there is plenty to like here. Yeah, the Comets. NEXT: In a battle of unbeatens against Lebanon Catholic in the first round of the Lebanon Holiday Tournament on Tuesday.

3 – Solanco (3-0 league, 5-1 overall; last week – 3rd) – Break up the Golden Mares, who continue to shine with five wins in a row, including victories over perennial Section 1 heavyweights Hempfield, Cedar Crest and McCaskey. No joke. No fluke. Solanco, my Section 2 pick, has arrived, and the Mares have everyone’s attention. Freshman post Gillian Glackin is making waves, and backcourt trio of Taylor Kreider, Emily Allport and Mackenzie Keys are as tough as nails. All eyes firmly on Quarryville. When’s the last time I typed that? NEXT: Super matchup against York Catholic in the first round of the Central York Holiday Tournament on Tuesday.

4 – Lebanon Catholic (3-0 league, 4-0 overall; last week – 4th) – Beavers remain in the No. 4 spot after two blowout wins – by 30 over reigning state Triple-A runner-up Lampeter-Strasburg and by 23 over backyard foe Northern Lebanon. Hailey Carangelo’s line through four games – 18, 26, 23, 19 and six 3-pointers. And Lebanon Catholic has outscored its foes 244-145. Zoinks. I feel kinda weird typing this on Dec. 24, but Lebanon Catholic is your District 3 Single-A favorite. Period. NEXT: In a battle of undefeated teams, Lebanon Catholic will take on Penn Manor in the first round of the Lebanon Holiday Tournament on Tuesday. See you there.

5 – Manheim Township (3-0 league, 5-1 overall; last week – not ranked) – The Blue Streaks are in my top 5 this week after relatively easy wins over Conestoga Valley and Ephrata, keeping Manheim Township tied atop the Section 1 hunt with Penn Manor at the holiday break. Not a ton of pub yet for the Streaks, but here they are, back on top, a game clear of Cedar Crest and two games clear of archrival Hempfield. And junior stud Kiersten Green is just starting to heat up. Watch out. NEXT: Intriguing matchup against 7-0 Oley Valley in the first round of the Tulpehocken Holiday Tournament on Tuesday. Oley Valley was the preseason pick to win it all in Berks County. Not an easy draw for the Streaks, who got into this tournament kinda late.

Happy holidays. Merry Christmas. Happy New Year.

I think that about covers it …