Boyer’s Bulletin: ‘Master of Martz’ Mullaney returns to Schuylkill League boys’ final
Minersville coach Dave Mullaney and his Miners exit the Martz Hall floor at halftime of Wednesday's Schuylkill League boys' basketball semifinal against Nativity. Mullaney takes a 22-2 record in Schuylkill League playoff games into tonight's championship game against Pottsville (Photo by Kelly Wiley).
Plaques commemorating Pottsville’s 2015 and 2016 championship boys’ basketball teams rest against the whiteboard in the front of Dave Mullaney’s classroom.
As you exit Room 103, a collage of championship team photos adorns the bulletin board on the wall.
Mullaney, a mathematics teacher at Pottsville Area High School, talks proudly of his days as the Crimson Tide’s coach, a 13-year stint from 2007-20 that included 282 wins, the most in school history. He speaks highly of the players and coaches that were part of those teams and the memories they made together.
For the past three seasons, however, Mullaney has coached five miles away at Minersville, rebuilding a Miners’ program that went 2-20 the year before he arrived.
To reach a pinnacle Minersville has never reached before, Mullaney and his squad will have to go through his former program to do so.
Mullaney’s Miners will attempt to win the first Schuylkill League boys’ basketball championship in school history tonight when they face Pottsville at 7:30 p.m., the second game of a championship doubleheader at Martz Hall.
To tip off Championship Night, Schuylkill Haven faces North Schuylkill for the girls’ crown at 6 p.m.
“It’s awkward,” Mullaney said Thursday of facing his former program. “But it’s a good awkward.”
I’ve often called Mullaney the “Master of Martz” and the “Maestro of the Mecca” for his dominance on the Martz Hall floor, especially in February.
Mullaney compiled a 282-75 (.790 winning percentage) overall record while at Pottsville, winning 11 Schuylkill League Division I titles, nine overall league crowns, four District 11 championships and making nine trips to the PIAA playoffs in 13 seasons.
Over his final 11 seasons as the Crimson Tide coach, Pottsville went 257-48 (.843 winning percentage), including an amazing 141-5 record in Schuylkill League Division I contests. Under Mullaney, Pottsville won District 11 titles in 2010 (3A), 2015 (3A), 2016 (3A) and 2019 (5A) and were district runners-up four other times.
His Pottsville teams had 10 seasons with 20 or more wins, including back-to-back 28-1 campaigns in 2014-15 and 2015-16 during which the Tide had a 51-game regular-season win streak.
Where Pottsville was the best under Mullaney was in the Schuylkill League playoffs. The Tide were 20-2 in league playoff games during his tenure, reaching the title game 11 straight times, winning nine.
The only two losses came in 2014 to Mahanoy Area and 2017 to Blue Mountain, games Mullaney (and several of his assistants) immediately blurted out when told of his league playoff record.
Mullaney’s success has continued at Minersville. The Miners were 16-8 and reached the PIAA playoffs his first season (2022-23) and were 15-8 last season.
His teams have been built the same way, with a stellar athlete/basketball player, in this case Dante Carr, being surrounded by several good basketball players who fulfill their roles and play excellent defense.
This year, Minersville excelled despite moving up to Division I, going 12-2 in league play and sharing the Division I championship with Mahanoy Area. The Miners qualified for the league playoffs for the first time since 2016 and notched their first league playoff win since beating Mount Carmel 57-55 in 2002.
The playoff victories over Tri-Valley and Nativity up Mullaney’s all-time Schuylkill League playoff mark to an amazing 22-2 (.917) and his overall career mark to 334-94 (.780).
The Miners take a 21-3 overall record into tonight’s championship game, their third meeting with Pottsville (18-6) this season. Minersville won 44-34 at Martz Hall (of course, right?) on Dec. 12 before Pottsville took the rematch 54-44 at the Thomas Fitzpatrick Gymnasium on Jan. 21.
Here’s a capsule preview of tonight’s game: https://www.t102sportsnow.com/2025/02/14/sl-boys-basketball-playoff-preview-battlin-miners-crimson-tide-face-off-for-title/
The ties between the Mullaney Era and Pottsville’s current squad are plenty.
Current Pottsville head coach Jake Wartella was Mullaney’s freshman coach for nine seasons before taking over as the head coach when Mullaney departed in 2020. Wartella took the Tide to the league finals in 2021 and 2022, winning the ’22 title. They made the league playoffs the last two seasons, but didn’t reach the final.
Wartella’s top assistant, Tom McGeoy was a long-time Mullaney assistant, while current Tide assistants Tyler Heffner and Pat McCord played for Mullaney.
Mullaney’s staff includes long-time Pottsville assistant John Toomey and former Mullaney player Patrick Schenk.
Both Mullaney and Wartella, in talking with them Thursday, were excited for tonight’s game and spoke highly of the other team.
Can Pottsville return to the top of the Schuylkill League boys’ basketball mountain, or will Mullaney’s Martz Hall magic guide Minersville to its first title?
We’ll find out tonight.
