The ‘trash talking’ has been going on for a little while now. All in good fun, of course.
It goes something like this.
“I’ll send a text message and say, ‘Oh, you know, we’re playing against this terrible team called Abington on Friday,’” Council Rock senior Sarah Kiely said.
Abington’s Emily Leer has an immediate response.
“I said, ‘Oh really? I heard they were undefeated, and they plan on staying that way,’” the Ghosts’ senior captain said.
The good-natured fun will end on Friday night when Kiely and Leer – teammates on their Fencor AAU team –line up opposite each other in a battle of the National Conference’s top squads.
“This is going to be awesome,” Leer said. “It’s going to be difficult for both of us because we both know each other’s tendencies and habits, and I’m worried I’ll be thinking too much, trying to figure out what her next move is going to be because I’m so used to playing against her (at Fencor practices).
“Unlike Fencor, we’ll actually be competing against each other. I don’t think we’ll be that friendly on the court.”
Both teams take identical 5-0 conference records into the game, and while the Kiely and Leer subplot promises to be an interesting one, this game just might be decided by the other four players on the court.
For Council Rock North, the ‘X’ factor could well be senior co-captain Kelly Scull, a player who has quietly and without fanfare emerged as a legitimate go-to player. The senior forward is the Indians’ leading scorer, averaging 14 points and 5.5 rebounds.
“That’s been big,” Rock South coach Lou Palkovics said. “Sarah can’t really be double teamed in the post because not only has Kelly proven she can play inside, she can step 15-20 feet away from the basket and has been deadly.
“Since our first game in Florida, Kelly has been in a zone. We have always told her she could do it, and she’s a lot more consistent. The biggest thing she has given us is a lot more toughness under the basket, and it’s definitely freed up Sarah a lot in the post.”
Kiely, who has added the three-point shot to her repertoire, is averaging 13.3 points and 8.5 rebounds a game.
“Sarah has added another dimension to her game, and that’s why it’s going to be such a good match-up with Emily,” Palkovics said of his American University-bound senior. “They both can play as guards if they have to.
“Sarah had to work on that part of her game more than Emily, but she’s stepping out and shooting the ball, and she’s looking forward to this matchup.”
In addition to Kiely and Scull, guards Lauren and Devin Gold are both contributing around nine points a game for the Indians.
“Lauren has options,” Kiely said of the Indians’ sophomore point guard. “She has players who can score, and a lot of times we have three or four players who score 10 or more points.
“We have talented players, and Kelly is definitely one of them. She’s been working a lot on her shot, her dribbling and her defense, and it shows this year because she’s coming into her own and is making big contributions to our team.”
On the subject of big contributions – the sweet-shooting Leer is averaging close to 20 points a game for the Ghosts.
“I get a lot of press for our team, but a team isn’t one player,” the Villanova-bound senior said. “I can’t win a game by myself.
“Some coaches underestimate the other talent on our team. Let them underestimate it because we know they’ll come through in the end.”
Sophomore Aiyannah Peal has been outstanding in a supporting role, averaging close to 12 points, five rebounds and four steals a game. The Ghosts’ remaining three starters – Jess Schmidt, Jamie Shectman and Chynna West – are all averaging around four points a game.
“Obviously, Emily is Emily, and she’s been great,” Abington coach Dan Marsh said. “A girl like Jess Schmidt is not going to get a lot of write-ups, but she’ll get her four points and five rebounds, and she’s going to set up a lot of screens, she’s going to jam cutters and do a lot of things only coaches will see, and it’s so important to our success.”
That kind of selfless attitude is one of the defining characteristics of a team whose defense is its strong suit.
“If you look at our team last year, and you look at our team this year – even I would tell you I thought we were more talented last year, but we have a group of girls that are all committed to winning and playing hard, and we didn’t have that last year,” Marsh said. “We didn’t have that kind of chemistry, we didn’t have that kind of work ethic, and that’s important.
“We’re talking one through 12 at practice – they’re going after each other, trying to make each other better because they all have the same goals, and everybody is accepting their roles.”
So far, the season has bordered on magical for the Ghosts, who bring a 10-0 record into Friday night’s game. Last Friday, they made a statement with their 57-44 win over Council Rock South.
“We were very focused,” Marsh said. “They were a little fired up that everybody was talking about South and how this was going to be a way to push them into the elite.
“I think our kids took that a little personally. We had two really good days of practice to get ready for them and then performed. It’s kind of the same thing this time around, but this time we’re the underdog, which is a nice change.”
The Indians wear the mantel of favorite even though they have lost three games – one to Downingtown East in the season’s opening weekend and two in the prestigious Naples Holiday tournament.
“Three of our four games in Florida were against state-ranked teams,” Palkovics said. “This program sets itself up for games like this, and I want the girls to enjoy it.
“They’re not overwhelmed by games like this, and that’s why I try to expose them to as many big games as possible.”
Palkovics points to winning a league title as his team’s number one goal, and in a game that could go a long way toward determining a conference champion, containing Leer will be the top priority.
“She can beat guards off the dribble,” Palkovics said of Leer. “She’s really added some weapons to her game, and we’ll do some special things for her, but sometimes you have to say - she might get her points, but how well we do against everybody else will determine the outcome.”
According to Marsh, the key for the Ghosts will be slowing down Rock North’s transition game.
“They so good in transition and in the open court, and if you get into a running match with them, they’re going to beat you pretty good,” the Ghosts’ coach said. “We have to play straight-up, good team defense where everybody is in help and just forces them to make tough shots. If they make them, they make them.”
All eyes pointed to this game since the schedule was released, and Leer has been waiting for Friday’s showdown since the moment the final buzzer sounded on Abington’s win over Rock South.
“I was just really excited because we played so well,” she said. “We played as a team, and our guards did great handling the pressure. It was exciting to see we could play to our potential.
“Right after that game, it was ‘Bring on North. We’re ready for them too.’”
The Indians are echoing a similar refrain.
“You always want to play that one team that is a real challenge,” Kiely said. “They have a lot of good players, and we have a lot of good players, and I think it’s really a good match-up.”
Tip-off for the eagerly-awaited showdown is 7 p.m. at Council Rock North.
Just the Facts
Last year’s record: Abington 20-7, Council Rock North 22-6
This year’s record: Abington 5-0 SOL (10-0 overall); Council Rock 5-0 SOL (8-3 overall)
Last meeting: Feburary 3, 2009 - Council Rock North 60, Abington 38 (CR North: Sarah Kiely – 24 points, Kelly Scull – 11 points; Abington: Jen Kelly – 10 points, Liz Layton – 10 points, Emily Leer sidelined with an injury)
Last game: Abington 53, Harry S. Truman 20 (Emily Leer – 18 points; Aiyannah Peal – 10 points; Chynna West – 9 points; Lovelle Faison – 4 points; Sheila Longo – 4 points; Jamie Shectman – 2 points; Carli Fitzgerald – 2 points; Lauren Peretti – 2 points; Sarah Listenbee – 2 points)
Council Rock North 69, Bensalem 29 (Kelly Scull – 18 points; Sarah Kiely – 14 points; Lauren Gold – 10 points; Jodi Marrazzo – 8 points; Devin Gold – 8 points; Alyssa Dumont – 6 points; Steph Brennan – 3 points; Emily Grundman – 2 points)
Abington
Projected starters and season averages:
#5 – Jamie Shectman (5-10, Jr., F) 4 PPG, 3.8 rebounds
#22 – Chynna West (5-7, Jr., G) 4.8 PPG, 4.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.9 steals
#33 – Jess Schmidt (5-11, Jr., F) 4 PPG, 5.7 rebounds
#34 – Aiyannah Peal (5-10, Soph., G) 11.8 PPG, 4.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 3.8 steals
#55 – Emily Leer (6-2, Sr., F) 19.6 PPG, 11.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.6 steals, 3 blocks
The rest of the Ghosts:
#1 – Emily Willard (5-3, Soph., G)
#2 – Sheila Longo (5-4, Jr., G)
#11 – Francesca Monterosso (5-4, Soph., G)
#12 – Carli Fitzgerald (5-8, Jr., G)
#14 – Lauren Perretti (5-4, Sr., G)
#42 – Lovell Faison (5-10, Sr., F)
#44 – Sarah Listenbee (6-0, Soph., F)
Council Rock North
Projected starters and season averages:
#4 – Jodi Marrazzo (5-10, Sr., F) 2.7 PPG, 2 rebounds
#5 – Devin Gold (5-7, Jr., G) 9.1 PPG, 3 assists, 2.7 steals
#12 – Lauren Gold (5-7, Soph., G) 9.5 PPG, 4 assists, 3 steals
#15 – Kelly Scull (5-10, Sr., F) 14.0 PPG, 5.5 rebounds
#23 – Sarah Kiely (6-0, Sr., C/F) 13.3 PPG, 8.5 rebounds
The rest of the Indians:
#3 – Rebecca Houser (5-10, Sr., F)
#10 – Steph Brennan (5-7, Sr., G)
#21 Emily Grundman (6-2, Soph., C/F)
#22 – Helena Gemmell (5-10, Soph., F)
#30 – Ally Mangogna (5-10, Jr., F)
#34 – Alyssa Dumont (5-11, Soph., F/G)
#35 – Megan Cunningham (5-9, Soph., G/F)
#41 – Molly Doyle (5-8, Soph., G)
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