Scranton Prep players celebrate at halftime Tuesday, March 10, 2026, during a game against Salisbury in the second round of the PIAA 4A boys basketball tournament at Pleasant Valley High School. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Salisbury’s Drew Petrie is defended by Scranton Prep’s Max McGrath on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, during a game against Scranton Prep in the second round of the PIAA 4A boys basketball tournament at Pleasant Valley High School. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Scranton Prep’s Packy Doherty shoots the ball Tuesday, March 10, 2026, during a game against Salisbury in the second round of the PIAA 4A boys basketball tournament at Pleasant Valley High School. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Salisbury’s Drew Petrie drives down the court Tuesday, March 10, 2026, during a game against Scranton Prep in the second round of the PIAA 4A boys basketball tournament at Pleasant Valley High School. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Salisbury’s AJ Croom shoots the ball Tuesday, March 10, 2026, during a game against Scranton Prep in the second round of the PIAA 4A boys basketball tournament at Pleasant Valley High School. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Salisbury’s Steven Lozada drives down the court during a game against Scranton Prep in the second round of the PIAA 4A boys basketball tournament at Pleasant Valley High School. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Scranton Prep’s Max McGrath shoots the ball Tuesday, March 10, 2026, during a game against Salisbury in the second round of the PIAA 4A boys basketball tournament at Pleasant Valley High School. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Scranton Prep’s Chicky Skiff drives down the court Tuesday, March 10, 2026, during a game against Salisbury in the second round of the PIAA 4A boys basketball tournament at Pleasant Valley High School. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Salisbury’s Drew Petrie drives while Scranton Prep’s Jimmy Doherty defends Tuesday, March 10, 2026, during a game against Scranton Prep in the second round of the PIAA 4A boys basketball tournament at Pleasant Valley High School. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Salisbury’s Drew Petrie drives past Brody Martin on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, during a game against Scranton Prep in the second round of the PIAA 4A boys basketball tournament at Pleasant Valley High School. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Salisbury’s Steven Lozada shoots the ball Tuesday, March 10, 2026, during a game against Scranton Prep in the second round of the PIAA 4A boys basketball tournament at Pleasant Valley High School. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Salisbury’s Bryan Gonzalez shoots over Scranton Prep’s Liam Haggerty on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, during a game against Scranton Prep in the second round of the PIAA 4A boys basketball tournament at Pleasant Valley High School. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Salisbury’s Steven Lozada shoots the ball Tuesday, March 10, 2026, during a game against Scranton Prep in the second round of the PIAA 4A boys basketball tournament at Pleasant Valley High School. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Salisbury’s Steven Lozada shoots the ball Tuesday, March 10, 2026, during a game against Scranton Prep in the second round of the PIAA 4A boys basketball tournament at Pleasant Valley High School. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Scranton Prep’s Charlie Skoff defends Steven Lozada on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, during a game against Scranton Prep in the second round of the PIAA 4A boys basketball tournament at Pleasant Valley High School. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Salisbury’s Steven Lozada drives down the court Tuesday, March 10, 2026, during a game against Scranton Prep in the second round of the PIAA 4A boys basketball tournament at Pleasant Valley High School. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Scranton Prep’s Packy Doherty drives down the court Tuesday, March 10, 2026, during a game against Salisbury in the second round of the PIAA 4A boys basketball tournament at Pleasant Valley High School. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Salisbury’s Garrett Leiner drives down the court Tuesday, March 10, 2026, during a game against Scranton Prep in the second round of the PIAA 4A boys basketball tournament at Pleasant Valley High School. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Scranton Prep’s Brody Martin drives down the court Tuesday, March 10, 2026, during a game against Salisbury in the second round of the PIAA 4A boys basketball tournament at Pleasant Valley High School. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
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Scranton Prep players celebrate at halftime Tuesday, March 10, 2026, during a game against Salisbury in the second round of the PIAA 4A boys basketball tournament at Pleasant Valley High School. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
BRODHEADSVILLE – Scranton Prep has a reputation for a fast-paced, up-tempo offensive attack that, for the most part, fuels its victories.
In the state playoffs and in many of its toughest battles in the Lackawanna League and District 2, the Cavaliers have turned to their defense to kick their attack into gear.
That happened again Tuesday night.
Chicky Skoff scored 20 points, and Packy Doherty had 18 for Scranton Prep. But it was a fierce defensive approach that took over the game in the second and third quarters, leading to a 57-42 win over Salisbury, the third-place team from District 11, in a PIAA Class 4A boys basketball quarterfinal at Pleasant Valley High School.
Scranton Prep (22-5) advances to Friday’s quarterfinals and a rematch with defending state champion Devon Prep (7-18), which defeated Valley View, 61-41. The Cavaliers defeated Devon Prep, 73-58, in the second game of this season.
“We knew that they were a really good team and played a similar style to us,” said Scranton Prep senior Brody Martin, who had three steals and helped force 15 turnovers. “So we had to pick up the intensity defensively. Every loose ball had to be ours.
“We always want to control the pace and tempo. I think in the first quarter, it was more the pace they wanted, and then in the second and toward the second half, we started to trap and turned it into our tempo.”
In the days leading up to Tuesday’s game, and even moments before the game, the buzz was that the Scranton Prep matchup against Salisbury had the potential to bust out lights on the scoreboard.
The game got off to a lethargic start. Scranton Prep started to trap and create havoc at the defensive end. Packy Doherty and his cousin Jimmy Doherty combined for a quick 7-0 surge that helped the Cavaliers seize a 17-12 lead at the end of the first quarter.
After Salisbury (24-5) strung together four points to start the second, the Cavaliers again pushed the pace and closed on an 11-1 run. Chicky Skoff, who scored 28 points in the District 2 Class 4A final win over Dallas, scored seven points during the run that pushed the advantage to 28-17.
“My coaches, Packy and Brody, are putting trust in me,” Chicky Skoff, a sophomore, said. “When they do that, I feel on top of the world. My teammates are getting me the ball, and I have made some open shots.”
Scranton Prep was relentless on defense and carried the momentum into the third. Max McGrath, who controlled the glass with eight rebounds in the game, ignited a 9-0 run that put the Cavaliers in charge, 37-17.
Salisbury’s Garrett Leiner and Julian Makhoul scored on back-to-back possessions, but that only slowed Scranton Prep for a moment. Chicky Skoff, Packy Doherty, and Jimmy Doherty went on another 9-0 run that gave the Cavaliers an imposing 46-21 lead.
Scranton Prep outscored the Falcons, 29-12, in the middle 16 minutes.
“Our big thing was just to stay solid,” Packy Doherty said. “They cut well, and they move off the ball well. We had to keep guys in front, and that would lead to success. We came out firing on offense in the second quarter, and that was big too.”
Salisbury fought to the end, with Steven Lozada scoring six of his 12 points in the fourth, but the Cavaliers had too big a cushion, and were able to execute enough to close out the win.
Charlie Skoff contributed six rebounds, and Martin, Packy Doherty, and Jimmy Doherty each had two assists for Scranton Prep, which won its seventh straight game.