Action in the Lackawanna League boys basketball gets off to a fast start with some early marquee matchups.

On Friday night, three games have two ranked teams going head-to-head to start the regular season.

The most intriguing matchup features No. 6 Holy Cross (4-2 overall) at No. 1 Riverside (5-0) in a Division II game between teams that battled four times last season, including one playoff battle that determined the division winner.

Holy Cross is the defending champion. The Crusaders will likely be without junior guard Adam Badyrka, who suffered an injury in the preseason against Pittston Area. He was averaging 20.3 points per game before being sidelined.

CJ Thompson missed several games in the preseason with an injury, as well. He has returned and had an immediate impact, leading Holy Cross to a pair of wins. He is averaging 17.3 points per game. Colin Farrell is contributing 13.2 points per game.

Riverside has the most high-profile player in District 2. Sophomore Nico Antoniacci is averaging 35.6 points and 4.4 3-pointers per game for the Vikings. Junior guard Brayden Rose has elevated his game, scoring 26 points in a win over Wilkes-Barre Area and 12 against Scranton. He is averaging 12.8 points per game.

Also in Division II, No. 3 Dunmore (5-0) and its high-scoring offense visit No. 10 Lakeland (4-2), which is coming off a thrilling overtime win over West Scranton on Wednesday.

Dunmore has scored 60 or more points in all five games this season and has won by an average margin of 39.6 points. Carter Sload is averaging 19.8 points per game, while Brayden Canavan is contributing 12.2, Jimmy Clark is scoring 11.4 and Nate Aviles is at 11 points per game for the Bucks.

Lakeland bounced back from a loss to Pittston Area on Monday to beat West Scranton. Chase Rosenkrans drilled the game-winner, and he leads the team in scoring at 15.5 points per game. David Naniewicz is averaging 12.4 points per game for the Chiefs.

Honesdale (4-2), the Jerry Finan Tournament winners in the preseason, open at No. 8 Old Forge (3-2), and Western Wayne (2-3) is at Mid Valley (2-3) in other Division II games.

In Division I, defending champion and fifth-ranked Scranton Prep (1-2) gets an early test against No. 7 Delaware Valley (4-1) at the Xavier Center in Scranton.

Both teams have high-powered offenses. Scranton Prep averages 70 points per game, while Delaware Valley is averaging 73.4 points per game.

Packy Doherty (20.0 points per game) and Chicky Skoff (19.3) lead Scranton Prep.

Delaware Valley’s Tyler Lombardo is averaging 18.6 points per game, and Trey Newton contributes 13.8. Alex Calvario is averaging 1.8 3-pointers per game for the Warriors.

No. 2 Valley View (5-0) is at West Scranton (3-5), and Scranton (1-3) is at North Pocono (2-3) in other Division I games.

In Division III, No. 9 Lackawanna Trail (4-1) rides a four-game winning streak into its home opener against Carbondale Area (1-5).

Logan Seigle leads Lackawanna Trail at 13.8 points per game.

Susquehanna (2-1) is at rival Montrose (1-3), and Blue Ridge (2-2) is at Mountain View (1-5) in other Division III games.

Susquehanna’s Griffin Fisk leads the division at 25 points per game.