Mercury-Area 2016-2017 Girls Basketball Preview

Boyertown

Coach: Jason Bieber, eighth season.

Last year’s record: 11-2 PAC, 18-7 overall. (Lost in PAC title game; Lost in District 1 Class 4A First Round)

Players to watch: Abby Kapp, Sr., 6-0, (17.5 ppg last season; committed to Bucknell); Alli Marcus, Sr., 5-6 (verbally committed to Albright); Katie Armstrong, Sr., 5-9; Kylie Webb, Jr., 5-8.

Outlook: Kapp returns after another scintillating season for the Bears, which earned her Mercury All-Area first team honors as well as Pioneer Athletic Conference first team honors, as the Bears look to replace a talented quartet of Ali Bauman (East Stroudsburg), Sam Brensinger (PSU Berks), Sarafina Valenti (Penn State; soccer) and Maria Garofolo (Drexel; soccer). Marcus returns for her senior season at point guard while Katie Armstrong looks to solidify the Bears’ backcourt. Bieber also noted up-and-comers in Victoria Boalton (junior guard) and Avery Sweisfort (freshman guard). “After graduating several key players we will need our underclassman to step up and fill in their shoes,” Bieber said. “We will be competitive in every game, and look to hopefully return to the league championship game for the third straight year.”

Daniel Boone

Coach: Ray Cinquanto, third season.

Last year’s record: 3-7 Berks 1, 7-14 overall.

Players to watch: Emily Houck, Sr., 5-9; Emily Scott, Sr., 5-9; Julia Bookwalter, Sr., 5-10; Madison Spitko, Jr., 5-6; Kaylie Walker, Jr., 5-9.

Outlook: The Blazers took a step back last season after winning 14 games in 2014-2015 and will look to replace their two leading scorers from last year in Alayna Roesener (7.2 ppg) and Kaitlyn Keeley (6.3 ppg). Houck returns at forward after registering 5.3 ppg. last season and will look to lead along with forward Scott and center Bookwalter. Spitko, who averaged 4.5 ppg. last season, will look to solidify the backcourt. Also, look for 5-7 sophomore Courtney Gabbett, 5-10 center Madison Willman and 5-9 forward Skylar Emory to make contributions to this year’s Blazer squad. “With my coaching staff of Mike Houch (JV coach) and Mike Cozzone, we will look to improve on last year’s team development and improve every time we step onto the court,” Cinquanto said.

Hill School

Coach: Jen Weissbach, second season.

Last year’s record: 1-4 MAPL, 8-12 overall.

Players to watch: Kelly Ebner, Post-Grad, 5-11 (First Team All-Berks last year at Wilson); Kathryn Dunn, Sr., 5-5; (Co-Captain); Maia Lockhart, Jr., 5-9; Bridget Mayza, Jr., 5-5; (Co-Captain); Alexa Giacche, So., 5-11 (First Team All-MAPL); Stephanie Percy, Fr., 5-11; Violet Robertson, So., 5-3.

Outlook: Under the direction of Weissbach, the Hill continues to look to build upon its success from last season. With key players returning and the addition of many new faces, The Hill will be a threat in the MAPL League this season. After winning its 14th Annual Hill Invitational Tournament, the Lady Blues have started the season 3–0 for the first time since the 2010 season. Over the next few weeks, the team will travel to Washington, D.C. and Maryland to take on several high caliber teams from that region.

Methacton

Coach: Craig Kaminski, 15th season.

Last year’s record: 5-8 PAC, 10-12 overall.

Players to watch: Ryan DeOrio, Sr., 5-7 (11.0 ppg, 678 career points, second team All-PAC selection); Jackie Cerchio, Sr., 5-8 (450 career points); Sydney Thompson, Sr., 5-11 (8.3 ppg. 31 3-pointers).

Outlook: The Warriors return four senior starters and will look to contend in a tough PAC Liberty Division after missing the PAC playoffs a season ago. DeOrio returns for her last go-around after earning second team All-Area honors last season and, along with Cerchio, head a very talented backcourt. Thompson came into her own last season, her 31 3-pointers ranking her third in the league. Kaminski, who said that his team is lacking an inside scoring presence, will look to the team’s speed, quickness and aggressiveness to give them an advantage. Kaminski will also look toward senior guard Jenna Cooper, junior forwards Jill Zerbe and Olivia Pennypacker along with sophomore forward Abby Penjuke to make contributions this season. “Our four seniors will be counted on to immediately be the leaders of the team with their play and composure,” Kaminski said. “How they gel with our talented group of underclassmen will determine how successful we are. Missing the district playoffs last year for only the second time in past 10 years really stung the players returning and coaches so we are hungry to return to postseason play.”

Norristown

Coach: Richard Fisher, first season.

Last year’s record: 9-5 Suburban One League, 14-8 overall (Advanced to District 1-AAAA playoffs).

Players to Watch: Beyonce Collins, Jr., 5-3 (11.3 ppg.; Third Team All-SOL American); Georgia Werkiser, Jr., 5-5; Lauren Green, Jr., 5-10; Kayla Mastrocola, Jr., 5-6; Morgon Culbreath, Jr., 5-3; Tovyanah Wright, Jr., 5-7; Brooke Heim, So., 5-9.

Outlook: Fisher takes over the Eagles after being an assistant with the team. The Eagles will look to continue their recent string of success in a new conference and will hope Collins continues her torrid play against the beasts of the Liberty Division. “We have a young and inexperienced team with only one player playing a full season of varsity ball,” Fisher said. “But we are looking forward to the competitive PAC league. The girls have been working very hard and learning to play with each other and our focus is to play hard every time we walk on the court.”

Owen J. Roberts

Head coach: Jeremy Mellon, 10th season.

Last year’s record: 5-8 PAC, 10-12 overall.

Players to Watch: Camryn Glenn, Sr., 5-4; Maddie Albaugh, Sr., 5-7; Kylie Cahill, Jr., 5-10; Darby Stuart, Jr., 5-8; Dianna Rantz, So., 5-8.

Outlook: The Wildcats lost Taylor Evans (All-PAC second-team) along with Kerry Huzzard and Alexi Arias and will look to a blend of upper and lower classmen to carry the team in 2016. Glenn returns after appearing in all 22 games for the Wildcats — same with Albaugh — while Stuart and Cahill return after missing just one game a season ago. They’ll be the nucleus to build around as four freshman look to make contributions: forward Olivia LeClaire, guard Hannah Clay, center Brooke Greenawald and guard Maddi Koury. “New pieces and new opportunities are on the horizon this season,” Mellon said. “We have an athletic group who are passionate, driven, hardworking, and ready to rise as one. We will need to come together as a group to build our chemistry quickly to find early success.”

Perkiomen School

Head coach: Nikki Duggan, first season.

Last year’s record: 10-7 overall (lost in TCL Championship)

Players to watch: Hannah Chiesa, Sr., 5-7; Madelin Parisi, Jr.

Outlook: Panthers will have trouble finding replacements for the productive trio of Jordan Barth, Steph Falcone and Kristen Burdo. Perk has started 0-3 this season.

Perkiomen Valley

Head coach: John Strawoet, third season.

Last year’s record: 12-1 PAC, 28-3 overall (PAC Champions, District 1-AAAA Champions, Advanced to second round of PIAA-AAAA playoffs).

Players to watch: Meg Jonassen, Jr., 5-11 (13.3 ppg., first team All-PAC, first team All-Area); Taylor Hamm, Jr., 5-11 (Second team All-Area); Hanan Richmond, Sr., 5-11 (All-Area Honorable Mention); Bridgette Bonjo, Jr., 5-11.

Outlook: Replacing KT Armstrong, the Vikings’ all-state and Mercury All-Area Player of the Year won’t be easy, however, the play of Jonassen and Hamm throughout the district playoffs should give the Vikings tons of hope entering the season. The duo wreak havoc on the boards and will be considered the top frontcourt in the league with versatile Richmond and Bonjo looking to add enough offensive punch for the Vikings. Alex Blomstrom, who was highly regarded as a sharpshooter at her time at Agnes Irwin, transfers to PV for her junior season with Allison Capelli, Meg Moore, Sara Nijssen, Kelly Owens, Iman Richmond and Brynne Wacker looking to make contributions this season. “We play a challenging schedule and we can’t assume our past successes will carry us through this season,” Strawoet said. “The coaches in our league are excellent and we’ll need to bring our best effort in every game. We’ll look to improve each time we step on the floor and accept the challenge to bring another winning season to Perk Valley.”

Phoenixville

Head coach: AJ Thompson, first season.

Last season’s record: 4-9 PAC, 6-16 overall.

Players to watch: Dakota Graham, Sr., 5-6 (7.4 ppg); Jess Anthony, Sr., 5-6 (6.5 ppg); Julia Brown, Sr., 5-6 (6.5 ppg.); Amanda Fields, Sr., 5-5; Peyton Graham, Jr., 5-5; Jasmine Hamilton, 5-10; Jr.

Outlook: Thompson takes over the Phantoms after Kevin Bornstad’s three-year run. He takes over a squad that has won four games in the PAC schedule in each of the past two seasons and will look to lead the team back to the PAC playoffs. Graham, Anthony and Brown all return for their senior seasons after being major contributors on the offensive and defensive side of the court in 2015-2016. Thompson also pointed out newcomer in sophomore Hannah Sands, a 5-7 forward who should make some contribution this season. “Our main goal as a team and program is to get better each and every day,” Thompson said. “We want to be competitive every night and continue to build this program. We know we play in a very tough conference and we look forward to measuring ourselves against some of the best teams in the area.”

Pope John Paul II

Head coach: Liz Bernstein, second season.

Last year’s record: 10-3 PAC, 15-12 overall (PAC Final Four appearance; Finished third n District 1-AAA playoffs; Advanced to PIAA-AAA tournament).

Players to watch: Rachel Yerger, Sr., (All-PAC Honorable Mention); Shannon Mullen, Sr., (3.9 ppg); Monica Rapchinski, Jr., (3.8 ppg.); Elise Sylvester, So.

Outlook: The Golden Panthers return two starters from last season’s PIAA-qualifying team but lost leading scorer Gabby Troisi (16.5 ppg) to graduation along with Stephanie Petery and Annie Kohutka. Bernstein will look to her team’s speed and athleticism while believing that “balanced scoring, up-tempo play and aggressive defense” will be the keys to their success in 2016-2017.

Pottsgrove

Head coach: Mike Brendlinger, 15th season.

Last year’s record: 6-7 league, 10-14 overall (Advanced to PAC semifinals; Advanced to District 1-AAA tournament).

Players to watch: Cori Dickinson, Sr., 5-5 (6.0 ppg); Molly Galvin, Sr., 5-6 (6.5 ppg); Diana Randleman, Sr., 5-2 (18.1 ppg, first team All-PAC and All-Area); Autumn Ricci, Sr., 5-6; Jenna Yerger, Sr., 5-7.

Outlook: Need credence to the saying “good things tend to come in small packages.” Look no further than Randleman who was electric in her junior season, leading the PAC with 18.1 ppg. while finishing with 17 3-pointers. Teams will need to key in on Randleman to defend a Pottsgrove squad that also boasts Galvin and Dickinson as legitimate scoring threats. “We are excited about the season,” Brendlinger said. “We have three returning starters and the seniors have worked hard to fill in for the missing players. We also have some underclassmen that will challenge for starting positions and playing time. What we lack in height we make up for with aggressiveness, hustle and desire. If we can defend, rebound and limit our turnovers we should be in position to have a successful season.”

Pottstown

Head coach: Chris Jackson, ninth season.

Last year’s record: 2-11 PAC, 6-16 overall.

Players to watch: Alivia Lopez, Sr., 5-10 (5.2 ppg, 9.4 rpg); Miyana Brant, Sr., 5-5; Ebony Reddick, Jr., 5-6 (11 ppg, 4.9 rpg; All-PAC Second Team; Gianna Epps, Jr., 5-4.

Outlook: The Trojans look to continue their growth in 2016-2017 after another two-win season in the conference. Reddick remains the team’s primary scoring threat but Lopez’s ability to handle the glass and Epps’ tenacity on defense give the Trojans a new dimension entering this season. Jackson is also looking for contributions from senior Khaleah Jeter and sophomores Brianna Brown-Winfield (team-leader in blocks), Reilly Owens, Dajasha Ford-Bey and Dezah Reguster. “The goal is to be better than the year before,” Jackson said. “We’re just hoping to compete with other teams and get over .500 all while committing less turnovers and shooting better.”

Spring-Ford

Head coach: Mickey McDaniel, fourth season.

Last year’s record: 10-3 PAC, 15-10 overall. (Advanced to District 1-AAAA second round).

Players to watch: Sydney Wagner, Sr., 5-6 (12.5 ppg, 82% free throw, 78 steals, First Team All-PAC, Stetson University commit); Maddie Haney, Sr., 5-10 (10.9 ppg., 5.2 rpg., Second Team All-PAC, Philadelphia University commit); Juliana Alessandroni, Sr., 5-5; Lexie Nugent, Sr., 5-4; Alyssa Conway, Jr., 5-6. Cassie Marte, So., 5-9.

Outlook: The Rams are always a legitimate contender in the PAC and this year will be no different. Spring-Ford will look to Wagner and Haney to lead this year’s team with Alessandroni, Nugent, Conway and Marte looking to make a significant impact. Lauren Mensch, sidelined with a knee injury, will hope to return at some point this season. “We realize to compete night in and night out with the conference and non-conference schedule that is in front us, we have to continue to improve each day,” McDaniel said. “Work ethic, defense and leadership will be the main ingredients that are needed since we have a mixture of experienced players and inexperienced players on the varsity level.”

Upper Merion

Head coach: Leah Shumoski, second season.

Last year’s record: 4-10 league Suburban One League American, 6-16 overall.

Players to Watch: Jessie Michael, Sr., 5-9; Jordan Wilson, Jr., 5-8.

Outlook: Upper Merion comes into the PAC after a six-win season a year ago and will look to Michael, who Shumoski says is the “key to team cohesion,” and Wilson to provide the spark the young Vikings need this season. “We are looking to see improved growth in the competitive nature of the players, and a commitment to their teammates, to show up and play every night with an unselfish mentality,” Shumoski said. “With the systems and mentality put in place the first year, this year will be wide open for any player who wants to contribute and prove themselves. Hopefully we will have a few upsets and surprise a few teams.”

Upper Perkiomen

Head coach: Greg Swavely, second season.

2015-16 Record: 0-13 PAC, 1-21 overall.

Players to Watch: Jasmine Dupee, Sr., 5-2; Sierra Kelly, Jr., 6-0; Erika Boyer, Jr., 5-1; Kaitlyn Mundy, So., 5-4.

Outlook: The Indians lose Gabi Marinelli and Valerie Janton to graduation and are young from top to bottom. Swavely has hopes for his freshman class who have “infused energy and excitement into the program.”