Eight SOL girls basketball teams will see action this weekend in District One AAAA Tournament play.
By Mary Jane Souder
Maggie Gratz has been there since the beginning.
The lone freshman with the courage to go through the process required back then to try out for the high school team, Gratz has been part of the varsity since Terry Rakowsky was named head coach prior to the 2009-10 season.
“I remember coach Terry coming down in ninth grade to speak with me,” Gratz said. “He said. “We’re coming off a 0-22 season.’ It was a new coach, a new experience. All I really knew was that the season before was not very good, and my job was to help turn it around.
“I definitely expected it to be a challenge. Going into it, I didn’t realize how difficult the whole process would be. I can’t even express the amount of ways I’ve grown not only as a basketball player but as a person throughout the last four years.”
There were early signs that the tide was turning. The first came when the Bucks defeated a district-bound Pennridge 46-39 in January of 2010.
“I tried to follow the same sort of idea I did when I was at Palisades,” Rakowsky said. “Sometimes when you start a program, you have to take little wins.
“Sometimes it’s just simply we’ve been working on a crossover move, and in a game, they do the crossover, maybe miss the layup, miss the shot. Eventually the little wins start making the shots go in, and before you know it, you’re winning games. I think sometimes it’s making sure you focus on the little things, and then eventually, things start to happen for you.”
Things started happening in Rakowsky’s second year at the helm, and the turnaround was official when West defeated archrival Central Bucks South 61-45 on Feb. 11, 2011. It was a win that propelled the Bucks into the district tournament as the 32nd and final seed. They earned an opening round date with top-seeded Council Rock North.
“We were wearing our ‘Believe’ t-shirts playing the number one seed,” Gratz said. “Although it didn’t go our way, and we actually did get blown out, that’s when it started to turn around.
“We made our first showing, and we knew it wasn’t just getting there the next year – it was building on that and exceeding that.”
One year later, the Bucks continued their ascent, finishing third in the Continental Conference standings and earning the 15th seed. They earned a first round win over Garnet Valley before falling to sixth-seeded Upper Dublin in the second round.
This year, the Bucks captured a share of the conference crown along with North Penn and are the eighth-seeded team in districts.
“The key starts off the court in the preseason and over the summer,” Gratz said. “That’s when I really worked my hardest. The full example of we’re a team – we bleed together, we sweat together, and sometimes we even get sick together.
“We worked so hard in our preseason, and that’s where we really grew. It just carries over into the season. By getting up and doing the things other teams aren’t doing, we get a step ahead.”
Fellow senior Kat Bahner pointed to the team’s dedication as key.
“All of us like being at practice, we like being with each other,” she said. “We have really good team chemistry, and you can see that on the court. The determination and the attitude we have really helps us.
“I never really doubted us. I knew we had the athleticism. All of us come to play all the time, and we’re all dedicated.”
The players made a commitment to go to open gyms, and they bought into assistant coach Brittany Remmey’s strength and speed training.
“We owe a lot of credit to coach Brit,” Bahner said. “She knows everything about everything when it comes to fitness. She really gets us in shape and works our right muscle groups.”
Rakowsky credited Gratz, Bahner and the four remaining seniors for their role in the program’s turnaround.
“Maggie is a great kid,” the Bucks’ coach said. “She’s smart, she’s confident, and nothing fazes her. She always has positive things to say.”
Bahner almost opted to walk away from basketball to focus on lacrosse.
“One of the happiest days I had this year was when Kat decided to come out for the team,” Rakowsky said. “She has been a great addition.”
Cait Mautz was discovered playing in a Doylestown Athletic Association intramural tournament.
“She wasn’t even playing high school,” Rakowsky said. “We went to this tournament and she was there. I was like, ‘Who’s that?’ We convinced her to come out for the high school team as a 10th grader, and she’s had a great run with us.”
Senior Calypso Carter, who plans to continue her career at the collegiate level, didn’t need a sales pitch to come out for the team.
“I’ve been around Calypso since she was in fourth grade, and she is the ultimate gym rat,” Rakowsky said. “She was in ninth grade before she would stop wearing basketball shorts to school.”
Valerie Atkinson came out for the team for the first time as a senior while Katie McLaughlin – who is on the injured reserve – has been part of the program for the duration.
“Katie has worked hard,” Rakowsky said. “I wish we had Val longer. She’s gotten so much better, and she’s worked so hard.
“They’re all just great. We are so lucky. We have no issues whatsoever with anything. Our kids just work hard all the time. We have a good mix of upperclassmen with underclassmen.”
As a result of Wednesday’s win over Springfield-Delco, the Bucks have earned their first berth in states since the 1999-2000 season. It’s been quite a journey.
“The process in itself has been unforgettable,” Gratz said. “To finally be here – it’s the perfect example that hard work truly does pay off.
“I’m honored to call myself a Lady Buck. My teammates are wonderful, my coaches are great, and the program has been an absolute success. I’m very fortunate. It’s truly been enjoyable. We all play basketball because we love it. We try and not forget that because the most important thing at the end of the day is to have fun playing a sport we love.”
The Bucks take an 18-5 record into Friday night’s quarterfinal game at Spring-Ford, but this season has been about a whole lot more than wins and losses.
“We’ve had a lot of success this year,” Bahner said. “We’ve also had huge relationships that we’ve built with each other. We’re really a family, and just being there for each other all the time – it helps us get through everything, and then we all get to celebrate together.”
In taking on top-seeded Spring-Ford Friday, the Bucks will face the ultimate test.
“We know they’re gong to come at us with very aggressive defense,” Gratz said. “We’re going to show them that we’re there to play.”
Tip-off is at 7 p.m. at Spring-Ford High School.
#6 NORTH PENN at #3 UPPER DUBLIN (Saturday, Feb. 23, 2:30 p.m.)
Upper Dublin
- 14-0 SOL, 23-1 overall
- SOL American Conference Champions under first-year coach Morgan Funsten
- Only loss was in season opener to Central Dauphin East (56-62) at the Upper Darby Royal Classic
- Highlights of regular season include a convincing non-league win over #31 Bensalem (63-37) and topping 17th-seeded Norristown by double-digits twice
- Take a 23-game winning streak into Saturday’s quarterfinal round.
- Defeated 30th-seeded Ridley 46-32 in the opening round. Crutrena Goff (18 points, four assists), Lauren Rothfeld (11 points, four steals) and Regan Gallagher (seven points, seven rebounds, four assists, four blocks) had big games for the Cards.
- Cards jumped out to a 22-6 lead at the end of one quarter and led 32-11 at halftime on their way to a 58-28 win over 14th-seeded Abington in Wedneday’s second round. Regan Gallagher led the Cardinals with 17 points (7-of-8 from field), 11 rebounds and six blocked shots. Curtrena Goff had 12 points, seven assists and six rebounds, and Brianna Specter had 13 points and six rebounds. Lauren Rothfield had 11 points, which included three three’s.
Players to watch: Curtrena Goff (14.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 4.6 assists, 2.2 steals), Brianna Spector (7.5 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.7 assists), Lauren Rothfeld (6.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 1.6 steals), Regan Gallagher (10.2 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 2.3 steals), Kayla McAneney (6.2 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 1.9 assists, 1.5 steals)
Coach Morgan Funsten says: "North Penn is the biggest team we have played all year, and that will be a challenge for us. They do some really nice things to work the ball inside, but they can also shoot from the outside. They can really frustratrate you defensively because they play great half court defense. Crisler is the real deal, and when she is on, they are tough to beat. We had a great team effort last game, and we are looking to duplicate our performance."
North Penn
- 12-2 SOL, 21-3 overall
- Co-champs of SOL Continental Conference for the first time since 1996
- 2012 District 1 AAAA runner-up to Spring-Ford
- Highlights of the season include winning the championship of their own tournament and a key victory over 8th-seeded CB West to clinch a share of the league title (69-62)
- Opened the season 10-0
- Defeated Upper Merion 47-28 in the opening round. Lauren Crisler led the Maidens with 21 points and 15 rebounds. Vicky Tumasz added 10 points.
- Edged 11th-seeded Souderton 35-34 in Wednesday’s second round. Lauren Crisler (13 points, six rebounds), Erin Maher (11 points, eight rebounds) and Mikaela Giuliani (six points, nine rebounds) led the Maidens.
Players to watch: Lauren Crisler (15.3 PPG, 10.5 RPG), Vicky Tumasz (11.5 PPG, 38 three-pointers), Mikaela Giuliani (7.0 PPG), Erin Maher (6.2 PPG), Jenn Halcovage (4.5 PPG)
Coach Maggie deMarteleire says: “Upper Dublin has had an unbelievable season. They are very athletic and have many weapons. We will have to play very good defense and be patient offensively.”
#8 CENTRAL BUCKS WEST at #1 SPRING-FORD (Friday, Feb. 22, 7 p.m.)
Spring-Ford
- 13-0 PAC-10, 23-2 overall
- Undefeated Liberty Division League Champions
- Defending District 1- AAAA Champions
- Highlights of the season include a 15-game winning streak after falling to New York powerhouse St. Anthony’s.
- Only losses came to Notre Dame (58-56) in season opener and St. Anthony’s (NY) (52-39)
- Balanced attack led by Shelby Mueller (10.9 PPG), Sammy Stipa (10.6) and Sarah Payonk (10.4)
- The Rams average 61.5 points per game during regular season
- Defeated 32nd-seeded William Tennent 70-32 in opening round. Sarah Payonk (12 points), Courtney Hinnant (11) and Kristen Landis (10) led the Rams.
- Downed 16th-seeded Downingtown West 52-31 in Wednesday’s second round. Shelby Mueller (15 points) and Sammy Stipa (13 points) led the way.
Central Bucks West
- 12-2 SOL, 18-5 overall
- Co-Champions of SOL Continental Conference for first time since 1999
- Highlights of the season include winning the Abington Lady Ghosts Tournament after defeating 17th -seeded Norristown (49-36) and 14th-seeded Abington (51-43) as well as victories over 6th-seeded North Penn (58-47) and 11th-seeded Souderton (47-44)
- Defeated #25th-seeded Great Valley 62-30 in opening round. Mackenzie Carroll (14 points) and Nicole Munger (13 points) led the offense. Maggie Gratz added eight points and eight rebounds, Cait Mautz had seven points and Corrinne Godshall added six points and 11 rebounds.
- The Bucks were led by Mackenzie Carroll (13 points) and Calypso Carty (11 points) in their come-from-behind 52-45 win over 24th-seeded Springfield (Delco) in the second round.
Players to watch: Seniors: Kat Bahner (4.2 PPG), Calypso Carty (4.5), Maggie Gratz (8.1), Cait Mautz (4.0), Katie McLaughlin (injured reserve), Junior: Taylor Moylan, Sophomores: Corrinne Godshall (6.4), Mackenzie Carroll (11.6), Nicole Munger (11.4), Peyton Traina (6.3)
Coach Terry Rakowsky says: “We have nothing really to lose, but on the other side, we play the same type of game. We both go up and down the floor, so we’re looking at it as a game that’s going to just be a lot of fun, not only to play but to coach and just to watch. I know a bunch of the Spring-Ford kids from AAU basketball. It should be a great experience. Obviously, they’ve been there, and they’re the team you’ve got to knock off. They’ve got the experience, they’ve got the history with it. We’re looking forward to going up there and just playing a great game.”
#20 PENNSBURY at #12 WEST CHESTER RUSTIN (Saturday, Feb. 23, 1:30 p.m.)
Pennsbury
- 8-6 SOL, 14-10 overall
- Finished fourth in National Conference
- Highlights of the regular season include a pair of league wins over 13th-seeded Council Rock South (45-28) and fourth-seeded Neshaminy, handing them one of only two league losses (52-42)
- Won five in a row to start the 2012-2013 season
- Upset 13th-seeded Council Rock South 54-48 in Saturday’s district opener. Junior Sajanna Bethea turned in a stellar 30-point, 19-rebound effort that included four three-pointers, including a trey to knot the score in regulation.
- Pulled off upset of quarterfinals with a 48-41 win over fourth-seeded Neshaminy in Wednesday’s second round. Sajanna Bethea, who surpassed the 1,000-point mark early in the game, led the Falcons with 22 points.
Players to watch: Starters: Sajanna Bethea (16.6 PPG, 10.1 RPG), Kaitlin Kelly (9.0 PPG, 39 three-pointers), Carly Kovin, Courtney Kruscavage, Alexa Lukas, Key reserves: Taylor Ferguson, Catherine Silvernail, Emily Edwards, Sarah McDonald
Coach Donna Nicholson says: “There were adjustments we had to make offensively and defensively. I think they’re getting comfortable with what we’re doing, and they’re executing it. They’re not having to think so much. They’re relying on their teammates. In practice, they’re working hard against each other in preparation for upcoming games, and it’s showing in our play on the court the last couple of games. We’re just going to keep riding this wave as far as it will take us.”
West Chester Rustin
- 21-5 overall
- Ches-Mont American Conference champion
- Boast an 18-game winning streak
- Defeated Bishop Shanahan 65-47 in opening round
- Upset fifth-seeded Methacton 54-49 in Wednesday’s second round. Junior center Adashia Franklin led the way with 16 points, 14 rebounds and four blocked shots. Casey Warley, Noelle Powell and Anna Steinmetz each added 10 points.
PLAYBACK GAMES
#14 ABINGTON at #11 SOUDERTON (Friday, Feb. 22, 6 p.m.)
Souderton
- 11-3 SOL, 17-7 overall
- Third in the Continental Conference behind co-champs CB West and North Penn
- Defeated CB South twice in regular season (46-45 and 44-39)
- Highlights of the season included a come-from-behind victory over eighth-seeded CB West 44-41 and non-league wins over fourth-seeded Neshaminy (38-31) and 19th-seeded Perk Valley (41-38)
- Won seven of their last eight games
- Downed Central Bucks South 51-37 in an opening round game Friday night. Junior Bianca Picard scored 22 points, which included 14 in the first half. Junior Allison Gallagher added 14 points, six steals and four rebounds.
- Fell to sixth-seeded North Penn 35-34 in Wednesday’s opening round. Libby Wetzler and Katie O’Connor led the Indians with eight points each.
Players to watch: Bianca Picard (11.9 PPG), Allison Gallagher (12.0), Katie O’Connor (6.2), Libby Wetzler (5.8), Sarah Derstein (7.4)
Coach Lynn Carroll says: “We talked at practice today that we’re fortunate we’re still in season. We went over some Abington stuff and did x’s and o’s, but I said to them – in last night’s North Penn game, they were fueled by adrenaline and inspiration, which probably wore off midway through the third quarter. Unfortunately, that’s not going to work a second time. Everybody – coaches and players – we all need to make the decision to find a way to be as normal as possible Friday night and all day Friday because we have this opportunity to continue our season, so we can either go through the motions and not get much joy out of it, or we can be a team and do what a basketball team does, which is prepare for games and then go and play games to the best of our ability. We talked about how it was weird to practice today. We had some fun and did some silly games to keep it a little light, and we spent time focused on Abington, which is a very good team with some talented players. I think it’s a good matchup for us. We’ll put our best foot forward and see what happens.”
Abington
- 11-3 SOL, 16-8 overall
- Finished second to Neshaminy in National Conference
- Highlights of the regular season included league victories over fourth-seeded Neshaminy (50-46) and 13th-seeded Council Rock South (42-37)
- Won six of their last seven games
- The Ghosts defeated 19th-seeded Perk Valley 53-42 in Saturday’s opener. Sophomore Deja Rawls led the way with 26 points, which included four three’s and a 6-for-8 effort at the foul line. She also had six assists. Michael Harris had 13 rebounds and eight points.
- Fell to Upper Dublin 58-28 in Wednesday’s second round. Michael Harris scored a team-high eight points.
Players to watch: Deja Rawls (14.8 PPG), Michael Harris (9.7), Sammy Lochner (8.6)
Coach Dan Marsh says: “Upper Dublin was unbelievable on Wednesday night. The crazy thing was I knew they were going to come with a box-and-one against us, but I wasn’t worried about it because I felt our other four girls would step up, so we prepared more for their 32 trapping defense more than we did for their box-and-one. I thought that would end up being the defense they played more, but we never solved their box-and-one. It was tough. They hit four three-pointers in the first quarter, the crowd is going nuts, our girls got scared, and it was over. It literally was over in the first quarter. They could have won a state championship last night. I even told my girls – even if we had played well, which we didn’t, I don’t think we would have won last night. I don’t think there’s anybody that was going to beat them last night. That’s the difference between a freshman and sophomore team and a senior and junior team. I said to my girls, ‘That’s where you want to be in two years. That’s the 30-point gap you have to make up in the next two years.’ We can be 23-1 in two years as young as we are and as good as we are, but we weren’t ready for it Wednesday night.
“The ironic part is it doesn’t get any easier because I think Souderton and Upper Dublin are kind of similar. They have five good players, and they don’t really have a weakness. We have to come play. It will be another hostile crowd. We just have to go play and have fun. I told them, ‘All of you started playing basketball at a young age because it was fun. You have to get back to just having fun. No pressure.’ We’re not supposed to win this game, so we just want to go in there and give our best effort. We know we’re running into a tough team that’s emotional with their loss. It’s not going to be easy. It could be another very difficult situation for us, but hopefully, we will play well enough that we give them a game. I think our teams are very similar.”
#18 CENTRAL BUCKS EAST at #10 GARNET VALLEY (Saturday, Feb. 23, 5:30 p.m.)
Central Bucks East
- 8-5 SOL, 16-8 overall
- Finished fourth in the Continental Conference after winning title for the past six seasons
- Highlights of the season include beating 6th-seeded North Penn (44-37) and 10-seeded Garnet Valley (32-30) in East’s season opener
- Defeated 18th-seeded Conestoga 52-40 in an opening round game Saturday. Senior Morgan Kelly had the hot hand for the Patriots, scoring a game-high 20 points, which included five three-pointers. Courtney Webster added 13 points and 10 rebounds while Karoline White added 10 points. Freshman Kyra Scaliti had nine rebounds.
- In the second round, East got off to a slow start against second-seeded Mount St. Joseph but battled back, proving they could play with the Magic but falling 49-44. Karoline White led the Patriots with 14 points while Courtney Webster added 13.
Garnet Valley
- 17-7 overall
- Top-seeded team out of Central League
- Highlights of regular season include wins over Conestoga (44-38) and Springfield-Delco (44-30).
- Winners of eight of last 10 games.
- Defeated 23rd-seeded Downingtown East 50-48 in opening round game. Coley Ricci, the Jaguars 1,000-point scorer, led the way with 21 points.
- Fell to seventh-seeded Boyertown in second round 47-38. Ricci scored 15 points, which included three three’s.
#5 METHACTON at #4 NESHAMINY (Saturday, Feb. 23, 1:30 p.m.)
Neshaminy
- 12-2 SOL, 19-4 overall
- SOL National Conference champion
- Highlights of regular season include defeating 14th-seeded Abington (46-45) for the first time in nine years to break a tie for first and claim the title outright and a victory over 8th-seeded CB West (58-53) in the Redskins’ season opener
- Boast a seven-game winning streak
- Defeated 29th-seeded Penn Wood 60-47 in Saturday’s opening round. Leading the Redskins were Lori Paulitz (19 points), McKenna Mullin (16 points, six steals), Sarah Oliveira (11 points) and Megan Schafer (10 points, six steals).
- Upset by archrival Pennsbury, the tournament’s 20th seed, in Wednesday’s second round. McKenna Mullin led the way with 12 points while Lori Paulits added nine and Madison Murray, seven points.
Methacton
- 10-3 Pac-10, 17-8 overall
- Highlights of regular season include edging Boyertown in a 61-58 one-game playoff for the Liberty Division’s second seed, and leading the PAC-10 in foul shooting with a 64.6% average
- Boast PAC-10’s top scorer in senior forward Kelsey Watson (17.6 PPG). Other weapons include Jenna Carroll (12.2) and Kelly Glatthorn (9.0).
- Won 12 of their last 14 outings
- Defeated Council Rock North 46-38 in an opening round game. Jenna Carroll, a 6-1 junior forward, scored 19 points and pulled down 12 rebounds while Kelsey Watson had 15 points and 14 rebounds.
- Upset by 12th-seeded West Chester Rustin 54-49 in second round. Sarah Sherman led the Warriors with 14 points while Watson had 10 and Carroll, nine points and 11 rebounds.
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