Archbishop Wood wins District 12-5A championship

WYNDMOOR >> After suffering a three-point loss to Lansdale Catholic in the Philadelphia Catholic League championship game Monday night, Archbishop Wood needed a get-right game before trying to win a third straight state championship.

The District 12-5A championship was just what the doctor ordered.

Archbishop Wood scored the first 10 points of the game and never looked back, scoring 27 points in the first quarter and cruising to a 70-23 win over Freire Charter at La Salle College High School Thursday evening.

“It was a tough loss on Monday night,” Wood coach Mike McDonald said. “We just wanted to come out and feel good about ourselves again so we could get ready for states. Now we have a lot of time to figure out what to do between now and playing Mount (Saint Joseph Academy) next Saturday. We wanted to come out here, move the ball, feel good and lock up another district title.”

“It was such a sad loss,” Wood senior Kara Meredith added, “but this is such a positive and uplifting win. I feel like it’s a great start to our states run.”

The Vikings hit six three-pointers in the first quarter – two from Meredith and Knouse and one from Ava Renninger and Campbell McCloskey – and built a 22-point lead, 27-5, after eight minutes.

“Our threes are definitely one of our strongest factors for our team,” Meredith said. “When we’re on, we’re on. It’s really hard for teams to stop us because we always have different reads and stuff like that. Especially coming out in the first quarter – that was a huge thing for us because I know in our PCL game we were low-energy in the first quarter. We really wanted to emphasis energy in the first quarter and starting off strong. I think we did that this game.”

The lead grew to 45-17 at halftime, 67-19 after three quarters and 70-23 at the final whistle.

Meredith led a balanced Vikings offensive attack with 15 points. McCloskey added 11, Deja Evans nine and Lauren Greer and Alexa Windish each had eight. Ten different players scored in the win.

“Ball movement, shot-making,” McDonald pointed at as positives in the win. “We played unselfishly, worked it against the zone, worked it against man. The kids were crashing the offensive glass, pushing the ball. I love the way this team plays. They really want to play well with each other, they really get along. It’s been refreshing coaching this team all year.”

The District 12 championship has become an annual tradition for the Vikings. The seniors have claimed the crown all four years and the program has won nine in the last 10 years.

Wood has a week off before facing (1-6) Mount Saint Joseph Academy in the first round of the PIAA-5A state tournament Saturday March 11. Freire Charter will face (1-4) Gwynedd Mercy Academy.

Archbishop Wood 70, Freire Charter 23

Archbishop Wood 27 18 22 3 – 70

Freire Charter 5 12 2 4 – 23

Archbishop Wood: Ava Renninger 1 0-0 3, Deja Evans 4 1-2 9, Delaney Finnegan 2 0-0 5, Kara Meredith 5 3-3 15, Emily Knouse 2 0-0 6, Campbell McCloskey 4 0-0 11, Emma Yogis 0 0-0 0, Sophia Topakas 0 0-2 0, Lauren Tretter 1 0-0 2, Makenna Campbell 0 0-0 0, Lauren Greer 3 0-0 8, Alexa Windish 3 2-2 8, Keira Brennan 0 0-0 0,Paige Barats 0 0-2 0, Makayla Duffy 1 0-0 3. Total 26 6-11 70.

Freire Charter: Salimah Bullock 0 0-0 0, Kylah Hargrove 3 1-1 7, Taniyah Mason 4 2-2 11, Destiny Davis 1 0-0 3, Makyaha Dawkins 1 0-0 2, Ruqayyah Omar 0 0-0 0, Kiera Rigney 0 0-0 0, Samiyah Williams 0 0-0 0, Imaira Blackwell 0 0-0 0, Avannah Williams 0 0-0 0. Total 9 3-3 23.

3-point goals: AW: Campbell McCloskey 3, Ava Renninger, Kara Meredith 2, Emily Knouse 2, Delaney Finnegan, Lauren Greer 2, Makayla Duffy. FC: Taniyah Mason, Destiny Davis.