Times Chronicle & Public Spirit

Orihel

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close to her career that saw the Villanova-bound senior lift a PCL and state title for the first time in her time at Wood.

Orihel’s Player of the Year selection makes her a fourtime all-state honoree. A third team pick as a freshman, she was named first team as a sophomore before being selected Player of the Year in Class 5A last year, a small consolatio­n prize to a season ended early by COVID-19.

She was also a four-time first team All-PCL selection. Orihel leaves Wood with a program record 1,462 points

“That’s what sets her apart, that desire to be the best player on the court,” Wood coach Mike McDonald said. “She doesn’t just want to win games, she wants to win every play. If she misses a shot and is 90 feet from the basket, she wants to get the ball back so she can win the next play.

“That determinat­ion and drive to compete on every play is what drives her.”

Wood junior Ryanne Allen joined Orihel on the Class 4A first team. The 6-foot-1 wing was a second team selection in Class 5A a year ago and continued to impress this winter, averaging 16.6 ppg for the Vikings.

Allen picked up her second straight first-team AllPCL selection and was excellent in the postseason, scoring a game-high 22 in the PCL title game and 17 in the PIAA 4A final. She enters her senior year a highly regarded recruit with 25 Division I offers.

McDonald, who guided Wood to its first PCL title since 2016 and first state title since 2017, was named the Class 4A Coach of the Year. McDonald has won three state titles and two PCL championsh­ips as the Vikings’ head coach.

Once again, the Reporter/Times Herald/Montgomery Media and surroundin­g area was wellrepres­ented on the all-state teams across all classifica­tions.

In Class 6A, Spring-Ford senior Lucy Olsen repeated as a first team selection. The Rams point guard, a Villanova recruit, helped lead Spring-Ford to the District 1 6A title and back to the PIAA title game for the first time since 2014 before falling to North Allegheny.

A second time all-state pick but first-time selection to the first team is Pennsbury junior Ava Sciolla. The Falcons’ leading scorer and top defender has committed to national power Maryland and averaged 17 ppg while helping Pennsbury win the SOL Patriot title and reach the District 1 6A quarterfin­als.

Central Bucks East senior Emily Chmiel, a high-scoring center heading to Chestnut Hill College, was a second team selection in Class 6A. The Patriots went unbeaten in the SOL Colonial and reached the District 1 6A semifinals with Chimel, a third team all-state pick last year, leading the way with a 16.2 ppg average

Making her first appearance on the all-state teams is Plymouth Whitemarsh senior Anna McTamney. A USciences recruit, McTamney led the district runnerup and SOL Liberty champion Colonials with 13.1 ppg and wrapped up a stellar four-year career.

McTamney was a fouryear starter for PW and graduates ninth all-time in program scoring with 1,127 points. The forward was a first team All-SOL Liberty pick and her 800 career rebounds were the most in the last decade.

Rounding out the local selections in Class 6A is Archbishop Carroll junior Grace O’Neill. The Drexel recruit was a first team AllPCL selection and helped a

young Patriots team to the PIAA quarterfin­als.

In Class 5A, Mount Saint Joseph Academy’s Grace Niekelski was a second team all-state selection. The Dartmouth-bound senior was a third team selection last year and was the driving force for a Magic team loaded with sophomores.

Niekelski, who was also named first team All-AACA, finished her career with 1,329 points while averaging 17 ppg as a senior, her fourth straight year increasing her scoring average.

Wood’s duo of Orihel and Allen weren’t alone on the Class 4A all-state teams. The second team had a strong local foundation with two selections.

Gwynedd Mercy Academy senior Kaylie Griffin makes her first all-state appearance after leading the Monarchs with a 15.3 ppg average and helping GMA to the AACA’s regular season title, a fourth straight District 1 4A title and the PIAA quarterfin­als before falling to Archbishop Wood.

Griffin, who was named the AACA’s MVP, will continue her career at St Joe’s where she will play for her mother in Hawks head coach Cindy Griffin.

Also making a first appearance on the all-state team is Lansdale Catholic sophomore Gabby Casey. While the Crusaders didn’t post many wins playing in the PCL Red Division, arguably the toughest division in the state with PIAA champions Wood (4A), Cardinal O’Hara (5A) and West Catholic (3A), Casey was a total force.

The forward posted eyeopening averages of 19.8 points and 11.2 rebounds per game for LC while also adding four assists and five steals.

St. Basil Academy will have one final all-0state selection before the school closes at the end of the academic year. Senior Denae Carter earned first team allstate honors in Class 3A after

a second team selection as a junior.

The 6-foot forward, a Mississipp­i State recruit, averaged 21 points and 12 rebounds per game this season, which saw the Panthers win their fifth straight AACA and District 1 3A titles. Carter will graduate with the program scoring record of 1,304 career points.

State finalist Jenkintown landed a pair of players landed a pair of players on the Class A teams. Senior Carly Mulvaney earned first-team honors to cap a terrific run with the Drakes that included a game-high 22 in the PIAA A final. The forward, a second team selection a year ago, who will play at Catholic University, averaged 16.5 ppg as Jenkintown won its sixth straight District 1 title and surpassed 1,000 career points.

Katie McGrath, the only junior in the Drakes’ starting lineup, was selected third team all-state after averaging 14.1 ppg for the state runner-up.

Abington Friends School senior Zaniyyah RossBarnes was named second team all-state in Class A after earning third team honors last season. The Kangaroos played a limited schedule but the versatile forward was among their most consistent performers.

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