Blend of youth, experience guides Perkiomen Valley past Pope John Paul II into first PAC title game since 2018

ROYERSFORD >> As the Perkiomen Valley girls basketball team finished the past several seasons far from the top of the Pioneer Athletic Conference standings, Emma Miley knew reinforcements would soon be on the way.

Younger sister Grace and her Class of 2025 teammates were doing some special things at the middle school level, readying themselves to make an impact at the varsity level as soon as they got to high school for Emma’s final season.

“In middle school, I noticed that they were really good. They had a really good season,” Emma Miley said. “I think they won their championship for a couple years in a row.

“Then we played with them in summer league, and you could just tell from the beginning when we were dominating every single team in summer league. That really set the tone that, ‘Wow, this season is going to be really good with them. They’re really going to make a difference.’”

.@PVGBBALL’s Emma, right, and Grace Miley helped Perkiomen Valley knock off Pope John Paul II on Saturday to get back to first PAC title game since 2018. pic.twitter.com/6JrzLoixSt

— Owen McCue (@Owen_McCue) February 12, 2022

 

Perkiomen Valley advanced to the PAC title game for the first time since 2018 with a 55-20 victory over Pope John Paul II in Saturday’s PAC semifinal at Spring-Ford.

The Vikings will face four-time reigning champion Spring-Ford on Wednesday with the hopes of claiming the program’s first league championship since 2016.

The Miley sisters are on both ends of the spectrum of a 2021-22 PV team that’s seeing its veteran core of seniors Emma Miley and Jennifer Beattie gel with the rookies to move one win away from making the climb all the way to the top of the PAC.

“It’s a big deal for Emma and Jen because it’s their first one ever, and then us freshmen setting the tone for the next four years,” Grace Miley said.

The Vikings have a unique roster balance with two seniors and a large group of freshmen leading the way with one junior and one sophomore also in the rotational mix.

Beattie scored 12 points on Saturday, 10 of which came in the first half as the Vikings jumped out to a 35-6 lead. Freshmen Grace Miley and Julia Smith followed with 11 and 10, respectively, while Emma Miley chipped in seven.

Freshmen Bella Bacani and Quinn Boettinger both added six to round out the top scorers for PV, which built its lead up to 30 early in the third quarter.

For PJP, sophomore Nadia Platt scored eight, and senior Amelia Kennedy had six in a tough end to the terrific careers Kennedy and classmate Tess Crossan.

“I think the great thing about this team is we all have different strengths,” Emma Miley said. “Like Grace is a slasher out there. She’s amazing on defense. Quinn, she’s a big threat on offense because of her height. She’s a big threat on defense because she blocks shot.

“Jen’s a great shooter. She knocks down everything. Julia’s really good all around the board, and I think I’m the same way as Julia. I think we all just blend together and play to our different strengths. I don’t think you can really take any of us away because once you do, you have four other girls who can take their spot.”

Perkiomen Valley’s overall record in Beattie and Emma Miley’s first three seasons was just two games over .500 after going 9-8 in 2018-19, 8-8 in 2019-20 and 8-7 in 2020-21, coach John Russo’s first year at the helm.

After a successful summer there was some optimism inside the program that the new crop of youngsters could help this group take the next step —with mission No. 1 to get their seniors a chance at the PAC playoffs —but there was still some uncertainty with so much relying on a large group of players without any varsity experience.

Any fears were quelled early on and the wins have continued to pile up all the way through a PAC Final Six win over Owen J. Roberts, a Final Four win over Pope John Paul II and now to the league championship game.

“I knew they were really good,” Emma Miley said of the freshmen. “I was a little nervous because I know varsity basketball is definitely something that you have to adjust to, but I think they did a great job. I didn’t really have many doubts. I think they adjusted really well, and we’re a better team with them. It’s really good that they’re here to help.”

Like her older sister, Grace was dreaming about this year several years ago when she came and watched Emma’s games at the high school.

“We were so excited,” Grace Miley said. “Ever since like seventh grade, we were all ready. We just wanted to play. We would go to all the games and we just wanted to get on the court and play basketball.

“I know for me, I was so happy to play with my sister because it was the first time ever. We always play in the driveway and stuff, so it’s really exciting to play with her on the court.”

The next step for PV is a matchup with Spring-Ford on Wednesday on the Rams’ home court. Spring-Ford has a crop of youngsters itself leading the charge with a strong sophomore class making up its core.

Regardless of the result, the Vikings seniors are embracing every bit of the ride with their younger teammates.

“We haven’t been here (to the PAC final) in a while since like Megan Jonassen and Taylor Hamm were here,” Emma Miley said. “It definitely means a lot for our program. It shows that what we’re doing works, validates our effort.”

The Frontier Division champion Golden Panthers’ season ended in unceremonious fashion with Saturday’s loss.

Pope John Paul II just missed out on the four-team District 1-4A class playoff field, finishing 0.036 points behind No. 4 New Hope Solebury in the rankings to end a district postseason streak that extends at least to 2013.

Kennedy and Crossan, along with classmates Sarah Dougherty and Angelina Forte leave big shoes to fill for the Golden Panthers moving forward.

“It’s been an interesting season because the two seasons that you looked to (Kennedy and Crossan) haven’t played a lot together,” said PJP coach Jack Flanagan, who coached the girls team for the first time this season after a previous stint as the school’s boys coach.

“This is something that you want for all four of our seniors. There’s obviously two who play a lot and two who are just great program kids. To get that for them and get to play on the biggest stage is something that we really wanted for them.”