2 from PAC named to All-State teams
Lansdale Catholic's Casey voted 4A Player of the Year; Perk Valley's Galbavy, Spring-Ford's Azzara, Perk School's Patnode selected
The accolades keep rolling in for Lansdale Catholic senior Gabby Casey. The latest came Monday afternoon when the Pennsylvania Sports Writers released their All-State Girls Basketball Teams. Casey was voted the Class-4A Player of the Year.
Casey, who was named the Philadelphia Catholic League MVP, Pa. Gatorade Player of the Year and The Reporter/Times Herald/ Montgomery Media Player of the Year earlier this year, averaged 21.5 points per game. The 5-foot-9 St. Joseph’s University commit added 8.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 4.1 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. She capped her high school career with a 28-point, 16-rebound performance as LC won its first state championship against Blackhawk.
“The feeling of accomplishment and relief for yourself, that’s what pushes me,” Casey said of the work that got her to this point. “Having the mindset that there’s always somebody out there working as hard, if not harder, than you, that’s what leads to the motivation of wanting to be great and spending every day getting better, even if it’s only a little bit.
“When you love something and you put everything into it, you’re going to see results.”
Casey wasn’t the only Crusader voted to the Pa. Sports Writers All-State Girls Basketball Teams. Classmate Jaida Helm earned Class-4A third-team honors while Eric Gidney was named the Class-4A Coach of the Year. LC won its first PCL title in program history and third District 12 championship this season.
Outside of Lansdale Catholic, the MediaNews Group southeast Pa. coverage area was well-represented on the All-State teams.
In Class 6A, Renie Shields was named the Coach of the Year after leading Archbishop Carroll to a state championship. Two of her players — senior Taylor Wilson and junior Brooke Wilson — earned second-team honors.
Plymouth Whitemarsh senior Abby Sharpe earned first team in Class-6A for a second straight season. The Penn commit averaged 18.7 points per game this season. Her classmate Erin Daley earned a spot on the third team.
Perk Valley’s Grace Galbavy, Cardinal O’Hara’s Molly Rullo and Abington’s Cire Worley were second-team selections while Spring-Ford’s Anna Azzara, Haverford’s Caroline Dotsey, Souderton’s Casey Harter and Neshaminy’s Reese Zemitis landed on the third team.
Sophomore Galbavy, who was named Mercury All-Area Player of the Year, joined Perkiomen Valley and pushed it to the Pioneer Athletic Conference championship, District 1-6A title and PIAA quarterfinals with an all-sophomore starting lineup. Galbavy was fifth in the PAC in scoring (13.5 ppg) and led Perk Valley in rebounds (8.3 rpg), assists (3.4 apg) and steals (2.0 spg).
Azzara, a junior point guard, became a two-time All-State selection after scoring a team-high 14.7 points per game along with 4.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 2.8 steals per game for a SpringFord team that was runnerup in the Pioneer Athletic Conference, reached the District 1 semifinals and PIAA quarterfinals.
Archbishop Wood’s Mike McDonald and West Chester Rustin’s Lauren Stack- house were both named Coach of the Year in Class- 5A. Rustin reached the state semifinals while Wood won its third straight state championship.
Wood’s Deja Evans and Rustin’s Laine McGurk earned first-team honors. Evans averaged 8.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, but elevated her play 14.2 points, 12 rebounds and 4.2 blocks per game in the postseason. McGurk was one of the most prolific scorers in the state, averaging 22.5 points per game.
Gwynedd Mercy Academy’s Hannah Griffin and Wood’s Ava Renninger landed on the second team.
Germantown Academy senior Kendall Bennett landed on the Class-4A second team after averaging 12 points per game.
Four players from Westtown
earned Class-3A recognition. Junior Zahra King landed on the first team while junior Savannah Curry and senior Grace Sundback were secondteamers. Senior Joniyah Bland-Fitzpatrick earned third-team honors.
Faith Christian Academy senior Bella Forker earned a first-team spot in Class-2A. She averaged 16.5 points per game and led the Lions to the state quarterfinals. Perkiomen School junior Lauren Patnode landed on the second team after averaging 17 points per game.
The Christian Academy’s Amber Bullard was the Class-1A Player of the Year. The senior averaged 18.3 points per game and had plenty of matchups where the opponent had no answer. In the first round of states, she scored 30 points, grabbed 24 rebounds and blocked four shots in a 55-33 win over High Point Baptist.
CLASS 5A First team
Deja Evans, Archbishop Wood, 6-2, Sr., 8.7
Maddie Knier, Manheim Central, 6-0, Sr., 23.5
Jayden McBride, Cathedral Prep, 5-11, Jr., 16.7
Laine McGurk, West Chester Rustin, 5-11, Sr., 22.5
Maddie Webber, South Fayette, 5-11, Sr., 17.3
Second team
Hannah Griffin, Gwynedd Mercy, 5-9, Sr., 10.5
Alison Hatajik, Hollidaysburg, 6-0, Sr., 15.2
Cici Hernandez, Bethlehem Catholic, 5-6, Jr., 14.1
Gianna Johnson, George School, 6-5, Jr., 12.0
Senaya Parker, Samuel Fels, 5-6, So., 5-6, 43.1
Ava Renninger, Archbishop Wood, 5-6, Jr., 8.0
Alexa Washington, Oakland Catholic, 5-7, Sr., 16.3
Third team
Eve Fiala, Indiana, 6-5, Sr., 14.4 Haley Noblit, Greencastle-Antrim, 5-3, Jr., 13.0
Priyanka Ponnam, George School, 6-3, So., 12.0
Daniella Ranieli, Pittston, 5-3, So. 16.3 Janay Rissmiller, York Suburban, 5-6, Jr., 14.0
Lena Walz, Cathedral Prep, 5-10, Jr., 12.8 Player of the year — Maddie Weber, South Fayette
Coach of the year — Mike McDonald, Archbishop Wood, and Lauren Stackhouse, West Chester Rustin
CLASS 4A First team
Gabby Casey, Lansdale Catholic, 5-10, Sr., 21.5
Alexis Hess, Fleetwood, 6-1, Sr., 17.6 Alena Fusetti, Blackhawk, 5-10, Jr., 17.4 Peyton Dincher, Jersey Shore, 6-0, So., 20.8
Alayna Rocco, North Catholic, 5-11, Jr., 17.6
Shayla Smith, Audenried, So., 5-10, 24.8 Amaya Stewart, Wyomissing, 6-1, Sr., 15.3
Second team
Kendall Bennett, Germantown Academy, 6-3, Sr., 12.0
Hope Garrity, Fairview, 5-8, Sr., 14.9 Maya Jenkins, Scranton Prep, 5-8, So., 13.4
Dacia Lewandowski, North Catholic, 5-11, Sr., 12.0
Maddy Wetzel, North Schuylkill, 5-8, Sr., 20.1
Third team
Quinn Borroni, Blackhawk, 5-10, Sr., 11.0 Schuyler Coles, Susquehanna Township, 5-8, Jr., 20.2
Molly Driscoll, Allentown Central Catholic, 5-8, Jr., 14.7
Carryn Easley, Neumann-Goretti, 5-4, So., 13.5
Jaida Helm, Lansdale Catholic, 5-10, Sr., 12.0
Amya Scott, Neumann-Goretti, 5-4, So., 15.7
Paige Sevrain, Northwestern Lehigh, Sr., 6-0, 12.4
Player of the year — Gabby Casey, Lansdale Catholic
Coach of the year — Eric Gidney, Lansdale Catholic
CLASS 3A First team
Brie Droege, Columbia, 5-10, Jr., 23.8 Zahra King, Westtown, 5-10, Jr., 13.3
Mairan Haggerty, Neshannock, 6-1, Sr., 22.5
Ava Perischetti, River Valley, 5-8, So., 19.8
Aleah Snead, Penn Charter, 5-11, Sr., 16.2 Ciera Toomey, Dunmore, 6-4, Sr., 10.2
Second team
Mary Bolesky, Lancaster Catholic, 5-4, Jr., 15.4
Savannah Curry, Westtown, 5-10, Jr., 5-10, 9.1
Madeline Evans, Bloomsburg, 6-1, Sr., 18.3
Logyn Greer, Friends’ Central, 6-3, So., 15.2
Grace Sundback, Westtown, 5-8, Sr., 13.2 Tiffany Zelmore, Mount Pleasant, 5-10, Sr., 28.8
Third team
Joniyah Bland-Fitzpatrick, Westtown, 5-11, Sr., 7.0
Belle Bosch, Chestnut Ridge, 5-11, Sr., 21.0
Mallory Daly, Seton LaSalle, 5-8, Jr., 21.7 Christiana Gordon, Westmont Hilltop, 5-11, So., 16.6
Lia Krarup, Wilmington, 5-6, So., 20.2 Olivia Kulyk, Mercyhurst Prep, 6-0, Jr., 19.7
Alyssa Reisinger, Mount Carmel, 6-0, Sr., 15.5
Bella Toomey, Penn Charter, 6-0, Sr., 10.6 Player of the year — Ciera Toomey, Dunmore
Coach of the year — Carrie Toomey, Dunmore
CLASS 2A First team
Shaye Bailey, Freedom Area, 5-7, Jr., 21.6 Layke Fields, Kennedy Catholic, 6-0, So., 19.1
Bella Forker, Faith Christian, 5-8, Sr. 16.5 Genesis Meadows, Lancaster Country Day, 5-4, Sr., 25.2
Macy Sardone, Homer-Center, 5-7, Sr., 18.0
Iyanna Wade, Clairton, 5-5, So., 33.3 Second team
Bria Bair, Bishop McCort Catholic, 5-11, Sr., 16.2
Erica Gribble, Greensburg Central Catholic, 5-8, Fr., 16.9
Bella Magestro, Kennedy Catholic, 5-8, Fr., 12.1
Maddison Maynard, Panther Valley, 5-10, Jr., 22.6
Lauren Patnode, Perkiomen, 6-0, Jr., 17.0 Third team
Minyhah Easterling, Glendale, 6-3, Sr., 19.2
Saraiah Franklin, Penn Treaty, 5-7, Sr., 23.4
Mylee Harmon, Redbank Valley, 5-6, So., 21.0
Molly Kosmack, Homer-Center, 6-0, Sr., 13.6
Lacey Kriebel, South Williamsport, 6-0, So., 14.9
Lydia Worthing, Bellwood-Antis, 5-10, Sr., 17.0
Player of the year — Layke Fields, Kennedy Catholic
Coach of the year — Justin Magestro, Kennedy Catholic
CLASS 1A First team
Amber Bullard, The Christian Academy, 6-1, Sr., 18.3
Kelly Cleaver, Union (New Castle), 6-0, Jr., 15.4
Ayla Hileman, Williamsburg, 5-8, Jr., 19.7 Addison Kilmer, Mountain View, 6-1, Fr., 20.5
Jenna Muha, Shade, 6-1, Sr., 31.6
Second team
Kailey Devlin, Meadowbrook Christian, 5-9, Jr., 20.7
Kylie Fruehstorfer, Union (New Castle), 5-5, So., 12.5
Grace Sechler, Berlin Brothersvalley, 5-9, Sr., 16.5
Katie Sheeler, Otto-Eldred, 5-7, Sr., 22.2 Sheiana Tutler, St. John Neumann, 6-0, Sr., 13.0
Third team
Linda Brown, Christian School of York, Sr., 5-7, 14.0
Paityn Moyer, Lourdes Regional, 5-9, Jr., 7.6
Masie Reed, Lourdes Regional 5-8, Jr., 11.8
Julie Spinelli, St. Joseph, 5-11, Jr., 19.2 Jayla Woodruff, Williamsburg, 6-0, Sr., 12.7
Player of the year — Amber Bullard, The Christian Academy
Coach of the year — Rob Nogay, Union (New Castle)