With the girls basketball PIAA state tournaments about to get underway, it’s interesting to look at the paths that the different local schools have taken to get to this point.
One common thread through most of these teams is the fact that none of them rely on a singular talent – these squads have embraced a total team mentality.
When looking at the remaining girls teams from the District 9 area, you’ll notice a nice mix of experience and new blood.
Since the beginning of the season, coach Chris Fink’s Coudersport team has been the prohibitive favorite not just in the North Tier League, but also as one of the favorites in all of D-9. Coming off of a 22-4 2015-16 campaign that saw the Lady Falcons fall in the first round of the state tourney, the Coudy girls have again established themselves as a force to be reckoned with, racking up a 23-1 record en route to the program’s 14th district championship.
Led by All-NTL selections Haley Keck and Ally Easton, the Falcons have faced very little resistance this season and are currently ranked No. 11 in the state (Class AA) by MaxPreps. Their first challenge will be against Leechburg, the fifth-place team from District 7. Leechburg hasn’t played since Feb. 23 when it lost to eventual champion Chartiers Houston in the D-7 tourney. Keck (who was recently named the NTL Player of the Year) is coming off a 20-point performance in the D-9 title game victory over Kane, and figures to once again be a key cog in the Coudy machine.
Speaking of the Lady Wolves, Dave Kiehl’s Kane squad has had quite the season of their own, posting a 20-6 record and advancing to their first district title game in four years.
Kane has been powered all year by the frontcourt combo of Ella Marconi and Trinity Clark, both of whom were named All-Allegheny Mountain League selections, and who both notched 12 points in the loss to Coudersport.
The draw may prove to be unkind for Kane, though, as the Wolves’ first opponent will be Bishop Guilfoyle. Despite being only the No. 3 seed out of District 6, the Altoona-based squad is currently ranked as the No. 3 Class AA team in the state by MaxPreps, posting a 21-4 record against excellent competition.
Nonetheless, Kane’s future looks bright, with Marconi and Clark achieving their accolades as sophomore and junior, respectively.
At the Class A level, the undisputed surprise of the season has been the play of the Otto-Eldred Lady Terrors. After posting a respectable 13-10 mark last year before bowing out in the first round of the district tourney, coach Barb Close’s squad has gone 17-8 this year while making an appearance in their first-ever D-9 title game, which they dropped to a strong North Clarion side.
In a banner year for O-E hoops in general (the boys are also heading to states after winning their first playoff game in almost 20 years), the Lady Terrors hope to extend their magical journey.
All-NTL selections Camryn Thomas and Allison Cousins are a pair to watch when O-E takes the court against D-7’s West Greene on Saturday at Bradford High. Thomas in particular has been dominant of late, scoring 43 points in O-E’s last two contests. The Terrors will need her to continue that form against a high-powered West Greene team that is averaging around 65 points per game.
The Northern Potter girls will also be making an appearance in the state tourney as they will be at North Allegheny High School on Saturday to take on D-7 champion Winchester Thurston, which is currently ranked No. 6 in the state (Class A) by MaxPreps.
The Lady Panthers enter states with less momentum than their D-9 counterparts, having lost their last two contests to Otto-Eldred and A-C Valley, respectively.
However, the combo of All-NTL selections Kalie Cowburn and Gracie Hamilton is enough to keep the Panthers in most games, as they hope to provide a stern challenge to a Winchester Thurston team that has only lost once this season.
