JEFFREY REINHART jreinhart@LNPnews.com
Full L-L League girls’ basketball Section 2 preview capsules, listed alphabetically for your reading and viewing pleasure …
CONESTOGA VALLEY BUCKSKINS
COACH: Jerry Beekler (7th season; 69-79 overall).
CLASSIFICATION: Quad-A.
LAST SEASON: 9-7 Section 2, 11-13 overall (Lost to Lancaster Mennonite in first round of L-L League playoffs).
KEY PLAYERS LOST: G Gabby Barlow (2.1), G Allison Bauer (14.0, 32 3-pointers), G Morgan Gerz (3.5), F Abby Haverstick (1.4), F Marqui Lyons (9.7), G Jesenia Santiago (2.7), G Kristin Zeiset (6.2).
KEY PLAYERS RETURNING: F Kirsten Madonna (Sr., 2.5), G Sharee McCarty (Sr., 2.5).
KEY NEWCOMERS: F Rachel Bjorkman (Sr.), G Janelle Frey (So., 0.2), G Rachel Hess (Jr.), F Nicole Jones (Sr.), G Stephanie Latschar (Jr.), F Jessica Martin (So., 0.8), G Katie Neiss (Sr.), F Katie Plank (Sr.).
KEEP AN EYE ON: Sharee McCarty, pretty please. Outstanding athlete who can run and run and run. She’ll be stepping into Allison Bauer’s spot as floor general/playmaker/ringleader/stopper. Big shoes to fill, indeed. McCarty played a tad as a freshman, so she’s been here a while and she knows what Beekler wants to get done on the floor. I know she’s got to shoot the ball a little better. But mainly she has to distribute and play smart D, because with Lebanon back up in Section 2, this race will be hotly contested. And the Bucks are going to need McCarty to keep her head on straight and direct traffic. She’s CV’s key.
OUTLOOK: The Bucks lost their grip on the Section 2 race a year ago, and Garden Spot doesn’t look like its in a very big hurry to give it up. And don’t forget: Pesky Lebanon is back up in Section 2 this season. The loss of Bauer, her 1,161 points and her tenacious D will sting. CV needs to find a playmaker – the quicker the better – before the Spartans and Cedars get too far ahead of the pack.
REINHART SAYS: CV’s fired up because Garden Spot has sort of swooped in here the last couple of years and thrown its weight around in Section 2 – which CV owned there for a couple of years. So a nice little battle royale rivalry has developed between those two. And now with Lebanon coming back up to Section 2, this is shaping up to be quite the three-team race. CV doesn’t want to be the third team. But the Bucks will be going at it with some fresh faces in some key spots. That’s why McCarty has to play so big, in my book. Might be too many new faces for the Bucks to finish in the top two and make the league playoffs. But I’ve been wrong before. Honest.
ELIZABETHTOWN BEARS
COACH: Mike Pericci (4th season; 28-47 overall).
CLASSIFICATION: Quad-A.
LAST SEASON: 0-16 Section 2, 2-22 overall.
KEY PLAYERS LOST: F Jen Dunkelberger (5.0).
KEY PLAYERS RETURNING: F Becca Bigler (Sr., 10.1), G Emily Carter (So., 1.6), G Brianna Kuhn (So., 5.5), F Jenna Rosenberry (So., 1.6).
KEY NEWCOMERS: G Jamie Ahern (Jr.), F Dani Altomonte (Jr.), F Katie Carter (So.), F Sarah Fairbanks (Fr.), F Nellie Marsh (So., 0.8).
KEEP AN EYE ON: Hofstra softball recruit Becca Bigler, who is an underrated low-post threat and all-around team leader. That 2-22 season a year ago was zero fun. But Bigler played big in the paint every night and went toe-to-toe with all comers. She’ll be the big sister on this Bears’ unit, which is chalk full of sophomores who are ready to start making some noise.
OUTLOOK: The Bears flat struggled a year ago, going winless in league games. Having 10 freshmen on the varsity roster didn’t help matters much. But those kids are a year older and wiser. They took their lumps; now it’s time to see how they respond. Bigler will more than hold her own. But we’ll see if any of the other Bears have taken any baby steps.
REINHART SAYS: With Garden Spot, Lebanon and Conestoga Valley out there on the horizon, it’s going to be pretty tough for E-town to get out of the basement. Just too many youngsters here at the moment. Baby steps, people. Baby steps.
EPHRATA MOUNTAINEERS
COACH: Mike Garman (2nd season; 10-13 overall).
CLASSIFICATION: Quad-A.
LAST SEASON: 7-9 Section 2, 10-13 overall.
KEY PLAYERS LOST: G Gabbie Hondros (5.4), G Brynn Lyons (11.5, 29 3-pointers), G Leah Sipe (4.4), F Audrey Thorp (1.7).
KEY PLAYERS RETURNING: F Mel Andrew (Jr., 3.8), G Aly Goodman (Sr., 10.0), F Allison Weaver (Jr., 3.6), G Claire Woolley (Sr., 1.2), F Jan Woolley (Sr., 2.3).
KEY NEWCOMERS: F Kat Andriani (So., 0.6), F Kristy Liebl (So., 0.7), F Sheldon Parnick (Jr.).
KEEP AN EYE ON: Aly Goodman, who can flat score. She had the most points in an L-L League game last season (32) and she thrives in transition. Good athlete who is also a big-time scorer in soccer, so she has a nose for offense.
OUTLOOK: Mountaineers’ have a go-to scorer in Goodman, who can get to the rim and step back and launch. If Ephrata can play inspired D and get some consistency, it will have a say in who wins the race. And don’t be surprised if this group makes a run at Districts.
REINHART SAYS: Ephrata is trapped in a top-heavy section at the moment, with Garden Spot, Lebanon and Conestoga Valley all duking it out. As mentioned above, something tells me these guys could make a run at .500 and a postseason push. They have the last few years, but always seem to hit a stumbling block after the new year … like a 1-4 stretch that derails them. If they can play some D, and if Goodman can keep putting the biscuit in the basket, I wouldn’t want to play Ephrata. They’re going to knock someone off that you least suspect along the way.
GARDEN SPOT SPARTANS
COACH: Kevin Gensemer (2nd season; 15-10 overall).
CLASSIFICATION: Quad-A.
LAST SEASON: 12-4 Section 2, 15-10 overall (Section 2 champs; lost to Lancaster Catholic in first round of L-L League playoffs, lost to eventual state champ Central Dauphin in first round of District 3 Quad-A playoffs).
KEY PLAYERS LOST: F Tynesha Faust (6.9), F Emily Good (4.0), G Brittany Hibshman (7.4, 11 3-pointers), F Amber King (1.8), G Chrissy Taylor (12.8, 43 3-pointers), G Nicole Yunginger (2.6).
KEY PLAYERS RETURNING: G Breana Caldwell (Sr., 10.0), F Katie Defernelmont (Sr., 3.0), G Nadine Yunginger (Sr., 2.8).
KEY NEWCOMERS: F Leah Horoff (So.), F Lauren Horst (Fr.), G CeCe King (Sr.), F Julia O’Brien (So., 1.7), G Ashley Martin (Jr.).
KEEP AN EYE ON: Silky smooth Breana Caldwell, a graceful player with mad speed and athleticism. And now that Taylor and Hibshman have moved on, she’ll go right to the top of the chart as the Spartans’ go-to scorer. She’ll have the ball in crunch time for sure. And she can deliver. Track star in the spring, so we’ll have to see where she lands in college. She has the skills to play hoops at the next level, no doubt. She might be in the middle of the pile lifting another section-championship trophy later this winter.
OUTLOOK: The Spartans lost a couple of key cogs off last season’s section-championship squad, but the cupboard is hardly bare, especially with sleek scorer and defender Caldwell back in the fold. Go ahead and keep the bull’s-eye here. Spartans’ are the team to beat until somebody – Lebanon, perhaps? – knocks them off the top perch. And yes, O’Brien is Todd’s little sister. And she’s tall, too.
REINHART SAYS: Garden Spot is legit in my book now. They won the section title last year, after staying on CV’s heels the year before and making the postseason. No flukes either time; Spartans can play some ball. They did lose some major firepower in Taylor, a rebounding machine in Faust, a floor general in Hibshman and a couple of underrated role kids in Good, King and Yunginger. Led by Caldwell, there is a fresh batch of troops coming. And the pipeline looks pretty long. So get used to the Spartans being near the top here for a while. As mentioned, I will keep the bull’s-eye on this group. We’ll see how a sophomore-laded Lebanon team and a new-look CV team deals with them the first time around before jumping to any major conclusions.
LEBANON CEDARS
COACH: Carlos Sanchez (12th season; 181-114 overall).
CLASSIFICATION: Quad-A.
LAST SEASON: 8-8 in Section 3, 11-13 overall.
KEY PLAYERS LOST: G Alissa Embich (2.0), F Melissa Sattazahn (10.2, 19 3-pointers).
KEY PLAYERS RETURNING: F Gemiqua Benjamin (So., 8.4), G Brittany Padillas (So., 2.2), F Liz Rios (So., 7.5, 10 3-pointers), G Jess Rivera (Sr., 3.0).
KEY NEWCOMERS: F Malia Harris (So., 0.7), F Ellen Imboden (Jr.), G Nikki Zidik (Jr.).
KEEP AN EYE ON: Gemiqua Benjamin. One of three freshmen to start last season, she was raw in the post and relied on instincts and athleticism to make things happen. Now that the 6-footer has been through the grind of an entire season, Benjamin should know what to expect, and if she has indeed polished her game, she could do some major damage on the glass. If she gets tough and plays smart, Lebanon will be a handful.
OUTLOOK: Very intriguing. The Cedars flip-flopped with Cocalico and are back up in Section 2 – and have the weapons to challenge Garden Spot for the crown. The trio of Benjamin, Padillas and Rios all started as freshmen last season, so they won’t be intimidated in their new surroundings. Head-to-head battles with the Spartans could be the difference at the wire. Circle those games for sure.
REINHART SAYS: You know Lebanon would love to come back into Section 2 and start taking names. You never know what you’re going to get when you start a freshman – let alone three. The Cedars did take some lumps last season (no postseason), but they should be battle-tested. If Sanchez can keep them corralled and playing on the straight and narrow, Lebanon just might win it all in their first season back in their old section. I’m sensing several road trips to Lebanon High this season …
SOLANCO GOLDEN MARES
COACH: Tom McDonald (3rd season; 18-28 overall).
CLASSIFICATION: Quad-A.
LAST SEASON: 3-13 Section 2, 8-15 overall.
KEY PLAYERS LOST: G CeCe Buzzard (12.2), G Morgan Jackson (7.8)
KEY PLAYERS RETURNING: G Morgan Erb (Sr., 5.7), F Samantha Glackin (Sr., 2.1), G Taylor Kreider (Jr., 10.8), G Rachel Matos (So., 0.4).
KEY NEWCOMERS: Emily Allport (Fr.), Claudia Buzzard (Fr.), Janay Haga (Fr.), Ashlee Harrison (Fr.), Mackenzie Keys (Fr.), Randi Price (Sr.), Beth Reabuck (Fr.), Emily Siegrist (Fr.), Melanie Siegrist (Jr.), G Lynnlee Rineer (So.).
KEEP AN EYE ON: Taylor Kreider, Solanco’s point guard. She’s been starting at that spot since her freshman year, when she helped the Golden Mares go on that nice run and nearly finish second in the Section 2 race. She can definitely handle, penetrate and dish. But she’s going to need everyone around her to finish, so she doesn’t have to do all the scoring, too.
OUTLOOK: McDonald lists eight freshmen on his varsity roster, so it’s probably safe to say this will be a rebuilding season of sorts in Quarryville, especially without Buzzard back to pull the trigger. But definitely keep an eye on Kreider, who can run the point with the best of them. This will be her third season running the show, and she’s a good one. But she’s going to need plenty of help.
REINHART SAYS: Mares could inch their way toward the middle of the pack in Section 2 if all of these freshmen make an immediate impact. McDonald said they’re all going to get minutes, so watch out. Solanco will give everyone fits (especially with Kreider yo-yoing at the point), but it might be another year or two (or three?) before they’re with the lead pack.
