Ready ‘to give back,’ Miguel Rivera Jr. taking over Lebanon girls basketball

When Miguel Rivera Jr. references Lebanon basketball, it begins with the coaches who shaped his career.

Ted Thompson in middle school. Jason Coletti in the junior-varsity ranks. Paul Blackburn, who recently resigned his post at Hershey, for Cedars varsity.

Each skipper crafted his own impact on Rivera. It made the latter never want to leave the game.

Rivera’s latest assignment is a tip of the cap to the coaches that fostered his passion. Rivera gained approval as Lebanon’s head girls basketball at the March 16 Lebanon School District School Board meeting. He’ll replace Jaime Walborn, who stepped down last month after 10 seasons of commanding the Cedars.

“At Lebanon, I was blessed as a student,” Rivera said. “I was blessed to have some really good coaches that personally changed the trajectory of my life. And I’m talking about things that didn’t include basketball. They just taught me how to be a man, help me become a better person, I believe. So I wanted to give back.”

Rivera graduated from Lebanon in 2003 and never lost his pull to the hardwood. He helped launch the Sweep the Streets program, a youth event that’s held at Lebanon’s Coleman Memorial Park every summer. He received his first coaching gig with Annville-Cleona JV girls before pivoting to the Cedars the last five years as a JV coach and one of Walborn’s varsity assistants.

Rivera’s appointment fit like glue. He’s been entrenched in the program and understands what it takes to build a winning culture.

“This group of seniors, coming up here, I’ve had them from the beginning,” Rivera said. “So I feel like I have a really strong connection with them. I’ve seen them grow from young girls to young ladies, and I’ve seen them mature and grow to be some pretty awesome people. So I just wanted to be part of that.”

Rivera’s already had his grip on the Cedars’ collective maturation. Lebanon is two seasons removed from three straight PIAA Class 6A tournament berths and its first Lancaster-Lebanon League title since 1979. From 2022 to 2025, the Cedars finished atop their section standings.

While the 2025-26 campaign resulted in an 8-14 finish — in large part to the graduation of 2,000-point scorer Kailah Correa and 1,000-point club member Liliana Harrison — Rivera identifies a firm basis moving forward.

Juniors Tayana Camuy, Natalina Harrison, and Skylar Strickler will return to the starting rotation and are poised for larger roles. Jalyne Mejia, Liz Ortiz, and Jamary Gonzalez will spearhead a list of retained reserves.

“Coach Walborn left us in a really good position,” Rivera said. “So I want to build off of what she laid the foundation for and only continue growing our basketball program. … And from the beginning, I want to get a staff that’s all together. Just being united in that front where we’re going to focus on fundamentals, having strong foundation, and then be able to do different things when the time comes for each individual group. But I really want to have a nice Lebanon basketball family where everyone is part of the program.”

Being part of a family came before basketball in Rivera’s youth. He clutched that dynamic as a wide-eyed player and will do the same in his next coaching venture.

“It’s really just about making a connection with the kids, making them feel comfortable while getting the best out of them,” Rivera said. “Especially when they don’t see it. You want to give them the confidence to be able to make aggressive mistakes and be OK with it.”