Upper Dublin senior Jackie Vargas became the 11th player in Upper Dublin girls’ basketball history to reach the 1,000-point milestone in Friday’s 63-23 win over Hatboro-Horsham. (Photos provided by Upper Dublin girls’ basketball.)
Jackie Vargas knew it was a potentially historic shot when she took the second of two foul shots two minutes into the fourth quarter of Friday night’s SOL contest against Hatboro-Horsham.
“The ball rolled in and out and went in, and I’m like, ‘Thank god, it’s done,’” the Upper Dublin senior said of a foul shot that vaulted her to the 1,000-point milestone. “It was a little quiet for a few seconds, and then everybody started running out and attacked me.”
The foul shot was her 28th point of the game – a career high - for the Lehigh University signee, who acknowledged that putting up big scoring numbers is not necessarily her thing.
“I remember last year when we played Abington – Kassondra (Brown) had to score six or something to get a thousand,” Vargas said. “She’s such a good player – she can get six in the first two minutes.
“Me as a player, I’m not a scoring machine. You think of someone like (Neumann Goretti’s) Diamond Johnson scoring 54 points in a game – that’s 
not me.”
What Vargas brings to the court is much more than points. The 6-3 center is a force in the paint, rebounding and altering shots.
“In Friday’s game, Jackie had eight points in the first quarter, six in second, eight in third and six in first two minutes of fourth,” UD coach Morgan Funsten said. “I think the line score is the perfect representation of what Jackie’s been since she’s been with us.
“She’s not flashy, but she’s just rock solid, she’s extremely reliable. What she does to opposing teams’ two-point field goal percentage is remarkable. Teams really can’t score inside against our team, and the number one reason is Jackie. In the Abington game the other night, she had six assists, and you don’t see those numbers from girls her size. It speaks to her skill level, it speaks to her unselfishness and it speaks to her love of team.”
Vargas – who entered the season 57 points shy of a thousand – needed 28 points entering Friday night’s game.
“The UD Broadcasting posted about it on Twitter, but I didn’t really know until I saw that on Twitter,” Vargas said.
With a trip to the Nike Tournament of Champions in Phoenix, Ariz,, on Tuesday, Funsten wanted it to happen at home.
“He texted me and said, ‘We’re going to try out hardest to make it happen,’” Vargas said of Funsten. “He did a good job of trying to not make it seem as important – ‘If it happens, it happens. Just go with the flow.’ Me naturally – you get nervous, you want to do it.”
“I was really happy she had that moment,” Funsten said. “The girls rushed the court, and the crowd was chanting her name.
“It was a special night for Jackie. I think she recognized – if she hadn’t before – how much her teammates appreciated her, and I think she had a chance in the locker room afterward to express her appreciation.”
“It was so weird because a couple of years ago I never imagined myself scoring a thousand points,” Vargas said. “I never thought I was that type of player.
“You want to do what’s best for the team. It takes a team to win games. It can’t be one person. My goal really is to try and be well rounded on the court, do as much as I can and not focus on one aspect.”
Vargas is a two-time first team all-state team selection.
“Jackie has never been one to toot her own corn,” Funsten said. “Sometimes I wonder if Jackie realizes the career she’s had since she’s played for us. She’s a two-time first team all-state player, she has a state championship.
“We had this conversation with her before the season – ‘If you stop playing basketball right now and didn’t play your senior year, listen to these accomplishments.’ I think she’s one of the greatest athletes in Upper Dublin history. She’s definitely one of the greatest basketball players, if not the greatest basketball player, and it’s so much more than scoring..”
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