Jordan Vitelli became just the second female in Central Bucks South history to surpass the 1,000-point plateau when she reached the historic milestone in the Titans’ win over Upper Dublin on Friday night.
Jordan Vitelli couldn’t have written a much better script.
The Central Bucks South senior – needing just two points to reach the 1,000-point mark - turned a pass from teammate Taylor Dunn into a layup midway through the third quarter of Friday night’s District One AAAA third place game at Upper Dublin. Vitelli landed on the court, but her smile told the story.
“After that shot went in, it was like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders,” she said. “I was very relieved to finally get it over with so everyone could just relax and I could relax and the game could go on.”
If Vitelli was relieved, her teammates were ecstatic. Senior Courtney Dietzel was the first to leap into Vitelli’s arms, and her teammates followed suit, celebrating with a dog pile under the Titans’ basket.
“We were talking about it, and I said, ‘Right when you do it, you jump into my arms, and I’ll jump into your arms,’” Dietzel said. “We were all so excited.
“I’m just so proud of her. She works so hard every day in practice. She puts in all the extra hours at the gym when she’ll go shoot by herself or she’ll come in early or stay late. She really does deserve it more than anyone, and I’m so happy for her.”
For Vitelli, sharing the moment with her teammates added to the enjoyment of a special night.
“I love my team, and watching the video, it makes me so happy to see how excited they were for me,” the senior captain said. “They have my back on and off the court.
“They all wanted me hitting that milestone as much as I wanted to.”
Vitelli is just the second female in South program history to accomplish that feat, joining Colleen Christian (’07).
“Jordan will be the first to tell you she doesn’t do this without a good team around her,” coach Beth Mattern said. “She’s got people who support her and want her to score and have this accomplishment, and she’s the one who gets the name on the banner, but she also sets the tone for the work ethic on the court.
“She is the first to dive on the floor for the ball. She makes all kinds of athletic, almost heroic saves, and that’s contagious. When you see someone who puts everything they have on the line for the team and making these great accomplishments, they should be excited for her because she deserves it.”
Vitelli entered Friday’s game aware she needed just 10 points, and although most of the South fans who filled the visitor’s stands were focused on the poster counting down the points, the senior captain was unconcerned.
“I think I got my first shot off the end of the first quarter,” said Vitelli, who had just two points on two fouls shots in the opening quarter. “I went over to the bench, and everyone was like, ‘Don’t worry about it, you got it,’ but I wasn’t really worried. To me, I knew we had one more game, and the only thing on my mind was making sure we came out with a ‘W’ that night, so it didn’t really matter if I reached it that night or not.”
Vitelli’s journey to the magical milestone has been a remarkable one. She entered her final high school season 401 points shy of the 1,000-point mark and needed her team to make history if she entertained any thoughts of reaching it.
“I was told in the beginning of the season I needed 401 points, and it honestly took me aback because in my head I didn’t really think that it was possible,” said Vitelli, who is regularly the focal point of opposing defenses. “I didn’t want to think about it because I just wanted to go out and play and not worry about it.
“Being on the court, I didn’t think about it at all, but being asked here and there, ‘How close are you to a thousand?’ – it put a little pressure on my shoulders, but I knew whether I reached it or not, it would have been okay.”
The Titans made history when they earned the program’s first ever trip to the state tournament, extending their season long enough for Vitelli to reach the milestone.
“I think she’s played with a lot of pressure on her this year,” Mattern said. “Knowing she had to score, knowing it’s her senior year and everyone knows she’s a great scorer and great shooter.
“Needing 400 points to reach a thousand seemed overwhelming in the beginning. We obviously needed to win some games and prolong the season in order for that to happen, and the reason we did is because she just went out and played hard every day, and the team went out and played hard every day.”
Vitelli – a member of Montgomery Fusion AAU - got her start playing for the Warrington-Warwick fourth grade travel team when her family moved to the area. John Calderaio remembers the first day she set foot in the gym for tryouts.
“You’ve never seen any of these kids before,” he said. “The kids are trying out, and we decided to scrimmage, which we don’t normally do with such young kids because it can be real havoc, but I like to do it just to see who knows the game.
“Jordan was zipping in and out of these kids, making 12 and 15-foot jump shots and layups. It was amazing. She was a phenom right from the beginning.”
Vitelli scored 215 points for a team that rolled through the season without a loss, and according to Calderaio – one of several former coaches in attendance Friday night – she surpassed the 1,000-point milestone in five years with that organization as well.
Vitelli reached that milestone without any fanfare, but on Friday night, the senior captain – who scored a game-high 16 points and buried four three-pointers - was the center of attention.
“It was special,” Mattern said. “The way she played – the team was genuinely super excited for her, and that reaction was so genuine.
“They have wanted to see someone else added to the banner. Even Upper Dublin – they were so gracious as hosts, allowing us to stop the game and to have that celebration, and that helped make it special for everyone.”
Vitelli’s plans – although not finalized – include attending Penn State University and trying out for the club team.
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