L-L League Section 4 boys basketball notes: Columbia ready to run while Lancaster Mennonite shows off its bling
Brelon Miller’s Columbia teammates kept raising the bar when they were asked what to expect from the senior this season.
“He better be averaging a double-double,” Artie Poindexter said. “At least 15 points a game.”
The number went a little higher when it was Jordan Poole’s turn to speak.
“I want 20 points,” Poole said with a smile.
Miller averaged 14 last season, a little ahead of Poole’s 13.5. Miller didn’t seem bothered by the stats his friends were throwing around.
“That seems doable,” he said.
Columbia’s boys basketball team is expected to contend again in Section Four of the Lancaster-Lebanon League after finishing in a tie for first place with eventual state champ Lancaster Mennonite. Both went 7-1 in league play, splitting their head-to-head meetings.
The Crimson Tide lost two inside players to graduation: Daezjon “Tookie” Giles and Aiden Miller. They lost two more, brothers Dominic and Darius Diaz-Ellis, who transferred to Bishop McDevitt.
A talented backcourt remains. Poindexter and Poole will play fast.
“The biggest part for us is we’ve got to run the floor and use our speed,” Poindexter said. “Rebound the ball as much as we can. We have to knock down open shots when we have them.”
It’ll be the same old story for Columbia. Force turnovers and force opponents outside of their comfort zones. That’s especially true when teams visit Kreiser Gym.
Miller, the son of Solanco great Johnny Miller, was more into football when he was younger. He discovered basketball at age 10 and said it took him a while to learn to shoot.
The senior has been a four-year contributor and will be starting for a third season.
“He brings a lot to our defense,” Poindexter said. “He’ll have to guard some bigs this year since we don’t have a lot of size. He’s going to have to be our rim runner. Make a lot of layups.”
Poindexter is the glue that holds it all together. He runs the point.
If you listen to Miller describe what Poindexter brings to the Tide, it’s a list of everything a team needs to be successful.
“He facilitates the defense,” Miller said. “He knows how to swing the ball and make the right pass. He gets rebounds. He’s a great leader.”
Columbia has posted back-to-back 20-win seasons and won the District Three Class 3A championship when this year’s seniors were sophomores.
Whether it’s 15 points or 20 points doesn’t much matter for Miller. It’s more about keeping the Tide’s winning ways going.
The renovations at Cleona Community Park have indirectly helped out the local high school team. That’s where Annville-Cleona guard Elisha Slabach works on his shooting.
About five days a week during the summer, weather permitting, Slabach makes the short trip. He takes shots up close, then mid-range, then fires away from 3.
“Mostly by myself,” Slabach said. “If I can get my dad or someone to go down, then I’ll have a rebounder.”
The best part about the court? No double rims. Slabach can get a shooter-friendly bounce every once in a while.
“He’s the best shooter in the league in my mind,” teammate Ben Morcom said. “That’s bold. But I’ve seen him drop 20 points in summer league and regular games. He can shoot from anywhere.”
Morcom is Annville-Cleona’s leader. The guard gets the team back on track when things are going wrong and helps them stay on track when things are going well.
Showing off the bling
Lancaster Mennonite’s Jordan Lilly arrived at L-L League media day sporting the ring that was awarded to every member of last year’s PIAA Class 2A championship team.
The ring is impressive. It didn’t look like something designed for a high school. It looked fancier than many rings given to professional teams.
It covered about half of Lilly’s index finger and featured the “LM” logo with state champions etched across the front.
Lilly posed for LNP photographer Chris Knight, who snapped the picture above.
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
