PA – Central Athletic League | Archive | January, 2024

When Debbie Black returned to her hometown in Bucks County, coaching high school basketball was the last thing on her mind. But then she heard from a friend that Marple Newtown had an open spot on the bench. Shortly thereafter, then-head coach Ryan Wolski asked if she would be interested in an assistant’s position.

“And I said, ‘Sure, but here’s my deal: I have never coached high school,’” Black said after Monday’s game against Lower Moreland.

Oh, that wasn’t a dealbreaker.

Black, who starred at Archbishop Wood and Saint Joseph’s, was a 15-year pro in various leagues including the WNBA until retirement in 2005. She was named the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year at 35 years old. Years later, she became head coach at Eastern Illinois from 2013-17 and spent time on staffs at Vanderbilt, Ohio State and Chattanooga.

Black became the head coach at Marple after Wolski stepped down. She has enjoyed opportunity to develop players at this level.

“Helping these young girls is so much fun for me, and it’s so different than college,” Black said. “Basketball is basketball. I am doing what I love. I do clinics at a community rec center with my sister (Barbara) near where I grew up in Bucks County. I didn’t know I would be a head coach when I came back (to the area), but here I am and I really love it.”

The Tigers are building for the future. Right now they lack varsity depth. Ellie DiBona, Catherine Kirby and Rowan Hilden are the veteran seniors, paving the way for the underclassmen. Sophomore guard/forward Taylor Murrin (a second-year starter) and freshman point guard Olivia Gicking will be the leaders of the program in time.

Gicking is the daughter of Tigers athletic director and head football coach, Chris Gicking.

“I coached Olivia for two years in AAU, so I already knew what she could do. She is little, my size, but I couldn’t shoot as well as she does,” said Black, who earned the nickname “The Pest” during her playing days. “She has to understand she’s not big, that she can’t pass the ball over people. She is getting better. She’s played in all 16 games, every minute.”

The 55-50 loss to 10-4 Lower Moreland was a result of poor foul shooting and too many missed layups. A recurring theme for the Tigers. But it was a winnable game, the first of four this week for Black’s team. The Tigers (8-8 before Tuesday) are on pace to end the regular season with double-digit wins and qualify for the District 1 Class 5A tournament next month.

“The kids are great. They haven’t quit and they give it everything they have. You saw that tonight,” Black said. “I can’t ask for more. Their effort is amazing.”

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Marple Newtown’s Ellie DiBona shoots in a game against Upper Darby last season. (Pete Bannan – MediaNews Group)

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The multi-talented sophomore point guard has been a key factor for the emerging Aces this winter. As of Jan. 15, she’s averaging 9.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 5.3 apg and 4.5 spg, and in a recent win against Marple Newtown made 10 steals, dished out 10 assists and scored 20 points. As a freshman, Braslow received All-Main Line girls’ basketball honors. Lower Merion girls basketball head coach Erin Laney said, “Alexa has single-handedly breathed life back into Lower Merion girls’ basketball. For the last two seasons, she has comported herself with a maturity far beyond her years both on and off the court. This trait carries into Alexa’s play, specifically through her court vision and ‘IQ.’ A mountain of pressure always rests on the shoulders of a point guard, but Alexa has handled this with observable composure. Alexa has humbly resurrected a kind of competitiveness that this program has not seen in over a decade.”

Fun facts – Alexa Braslow

Favorite book: The Hunger Games.

Favorite author: Colleen Hoover.

Favorite TV show: Pretty Little Liars.

Favorite movie: Pitch Perfect.

Favorite athlete: Allen Iverson.

Favorite pre-game pump-up song: Can’t Hold Us by Macklemore.

Favorite team: Philadelphia Eagles.

Favorite place to visit: “The beach with my family.”

Favorite pre-game meal: Banana and protein bar.

Person I most admire, and why: “I most admire my older sisters, Abby and Sara, because they taught me to be competitive from a young age.”

Family members: Parents Derek and Cara, stepmother Donna, older sisters Abby and Sara.

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The junior 133-pound wrestler and team captain recently won the prestigious War on the Shore Tournament in Ocean City, MD and has pinned 11 opponents en route to a 18-4 record. Last winter, he was a PIAA state qualifier at 127 pounds, posting a 32-6 record with 14 pins, finishing second at Sectionals and fifth at Regionals. As a freshman, he posted a 28-11 record with 19 pins and finished second at Sectionals. An all-around athlete, Warkentine has competed in varsity cross country and lacrosse for the Pioneers since his freshman year. Conestoga wrestling head coach Gary Baker said, “I have coached Miles since he started wrestling and continue to be amazed with his athleticism and drive for improvement. Our coaching staff stresses the importance of being in the present mindset with a simple goal of scoring the next point – regardless of the situation, and Miles exemplifies this in every match. The fact that he has obtained his success without ever wrestling in the off-season should put his opponents on guard, as he will do so for the first time this year. The only thing that surpasses his athletic ability and work ethic is his upstanding character.”

Fun facts – Miles Warkentine

Favorite book: Lone Survivor, by Marcus Luttrell.

Favorite TV show: Suits.

Favorite movie: Prisoners.

Favorite athlete: Jon Jones.

Favorite pre-meet pump-up song: Off the Grid, by Kanye West.

Favorite team: Sixers.

Favorite place to visit: St. Maarten.

Favorite pre-meet meal: Chicken hoagie, soft pretzel, and honey barbecue Frito twists from Wawa.

Person I most admire, and why: “My sister Ella, who is currently triple majoring at Brandeis University. She competes on their cross country and track teams and participates in ROTC through Boston University. She inspires me to work hard in all aspects of my life.”

Family members: sister Ella, brother Parker, mother Stacy Warkentine, stepfather Mark Redlus and father Blaine Warkentine.

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Jonathan Hoole is one cool customer.

The Penncrest junior set a pool record in the 200 individual medley during the Lions’ 99-59 victory over visiting Upper Darby. Hoole’s new time of 1:56.42 is the standard.

And Hoole was only getting started. He swam the 500 freestyle in 4:51.25. He then helped the Lions win both the 200 free relay and 400 free relay.

Another standout for Penncrest was Nico Tangorra, who won the 50 free, 100 butterfly, and both free relays. Meanwhile, Adam Ciuca was first in the 100 breaststroke and Brendan Dougherty triumphed in the 100 breaststroke.

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SPRINGFIELD — It lasted only a couple of minutes. Sisters Adamski – junior star Haylie and freshman risers Addie and Kylie – were on the floor together during the second half of Garnet Valley’s 52-30 victory over Springfield.

Accompanying each other on the court during a game hasn’t happened often for the Adamskis, but it will become a more frequent sight in due course. Haylie, who scored her 1,000th career point earlier this month, is one of the best players in Delaware County. Twins Addie and Kylie are key players off the bench on an otherwise experienced Jaguars team built to win championships this season.

“It’s really good. We’ve waited so long to play with Haylie in high school,” Kylie said. “We’ve played together before, with Malvern (youth league), but it’s different being in high school now. It means a lot.”

“It’s always exciting when we all get to play together,” Addie added. “It’s just like old times.”

Haylie had one of her lowest scoring outputs of the season, but it didn’t matter Saturday. The Jags (11-2, 7-2 Central) were in control from start to finish. Haylie assisted on one of Addie’s two 3-pointers in the first half.

“I just want to do my part on the court and I know everyone else will chip in,” Addie said.

Haylie interrupted Kylie mid-sentence…as older sisters sometimes do.

“She gives us momentum,” Haylie said. “We find her, she makes them, and then everyone else is like ‘Whew, we got it now.’”

Kylie scored her lone bucket late in the fourth quarter.

Haylie has built a reputation as a dynamic player capable of excelling at any position on the court. It’s why she is garnering Division I interest. On the floor the Adamskis resemble triplets. The noticeable difference is that Haylie has a couple of inches on her little sisters.

“We’ve learned a lot from her,” Kylie said. “The love for the game, especially.”

“Definitely her shooting,” Addie said. “I am always watching her to see how I can improve her game.”

Haylie is learning things from Addie and Kylie, too.

“When I’m not playing as well, I see them and I’m like, hey, I have to pick up my energy, too, because they are always out there fighting.”

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From left, sisters Kylie, Haylie and Addie Adamski helped Garnet Valley to a 52-30 win over Springfield Saturday.

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CONCORD TWP. — Jake Sniras wasn’t in a celebratory mood Sunday afternoon.

The Garnet Valley wing had led his team with 16 points. Along the way, he’d achieved his 1,000th career point with plenty of basketball left in his junior season. But the balance between individual accolades and team achievement is one of many Sniras is trying to strike this year. And a 45-35 Central League loss to Springfield wasn’t it, no matter what signs and balloons awaited him.

“It’s awesome, yeah,” Sniras said. “But my main focus is on winning games and being in the playoff hunt all the time. We’re not there yet. It’s frustrating.”

Sunday’s performance from Garnet Valley (8-6, 4-5 Central) is the kind Sniras fears. He got his points, 16 in total, nearly half of the Jaguars’ output. His seven made baskets accounted for more than half of the Jags’ 13 on the day.

But GV shot just 25.5 percent from the field, and an unsightly 3-for-23 from 3-point range. That took the steam out of the layup Sniras hit a minute into the third to become just the eighth player in program history to hit 1,000 points and just the fifth to score all 1,000 at Garnet Valley.

It speaks to the line Sniras is trying to walk on a young team. While he was Garnet Valley’s leading scorer at 17.6 points per game last year, a team that made the state tournament lost four significant contributors. The replacements are largely young and inexperienced.

So Sniras’ role is to score. But it’s also to move the ball, defend and get teammates involved. And when shots aren’t falling on days like Sunday, the arithmetic shifts.

“I trust my teammates,” Sniras said. “All the credit to my teammates. Just some nights, we don’t shoot the ball well, and some nights, we shoot the ball great. We’re not very consistent in that aspect.”

The same was largely true for Springfield – at least for players not named Jake Adams. But the visiting Cougars were quick to adjust. Baited by Garnet Valley’s early 3-2 zone, Springfield started with six straight misses from 3-point range. The Cougars would’ve been in a deep hole early if not for Adams accounting for all 11 of the team’s first-quarter points.

Eventually, the Cougars (7-7, 4-5) adjusted, on a day where they shot 5-for-19 from 3-point range. They were 13-for-17 from inside the arc, including 10-for-12 in the second half.

“It’s very important,” Adams said. “We can’t just heavily rely on 3s. We have two great big guys in the paint. The 3s will fall, but paint points are definitely superior.”

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Garnet Valley’s Jake Sniras, right, here taking a shot against Methacton earlier in his career, scored his 1,000th career point Sunday in a loss to Springfield. (MediaNews Group file photo)

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The 5-foot-10 sophomore guard/forward has been a key factor in the Rams’ improvement this season, averaging more than 20 points and eight rebounds a game. She also rows for the Whitemarsh Boat Club. The youngest of four sisters, Levensten comes from an athletic family – her sister Kate swims for University of Pennsylvania and is a four-time All American, her sister Sydney swims at Ithaca College and sister Sadye is committed to Bucknell University for rowing.

Fun facts – Addison Levensten

Favorite TV show: Friends.

Favorite movie: Hustle.

Favorite athlete: Steph Curry.

Favorite academic subject at Harriton: Math.

Favorite team: Golden State Warriors.

Favorite place to visit: New York City.

Favorite pre-game meal: Protein bar.

Person I most admire, and why: “I most admire my mom and dad because they are the most important figures in my life and are the main reason I am able to succeed. I also look up to my three older sisters – Kate is a four-time All American, Sydney has an exceptional work ethic and Sadye is determined and dedicated to everything she does. All three of my sisters have been a role model for me. Having watched all three of my sisters do great things have given me more motivation and determination to succeed.”

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MARPLE — The attention of Haverford’s defense Thursday night, Ryan Keating knew, was always going to be tuned primarily to the threat of Matt Gardler.

While Gardler is uniquely capable of persevering with multiple hands in his face, the challenge on the night and on the season for his Marple Newtown teammates has been to punish opponents that fixate on Gardler.

Keating stepped to the fore in the second half of a tight affair Thursday, saving 15 of his game-high 22 points for the second half as Marple Newtown pulled away from Haverford, 55-38.

“Matt’s a great player and obviously he’s been doing great this season,” Keating said. “At halftime, they were playing Matt really well, and coach (Sean) Spratt told us, someone else has to step up. I think as a team, we did a really good job of that.”

Haverford did an outstanding job on Gardler. The high-powered guard scored 12 points in the first half. But the Fords (2-9, 0-6 Central) still led 28-26 at the break. With Keith Heinerichs as the primary defender shadowing Gardler from just about the instant the layup lines concluded, Gardler didn’t have a basket in the second half. He only attempted two shots, both forced 3-pointers, and none in the first seven minutes of the third, with the game up for grabs.

Gardler hit four free throws in the fourth to finish with 16 points, but there was no question that Heinerichs and Haverford won the matchup.

“He’s a really good player,” Heinerichs said. “He’s always moving. You’ve got to be hungry. You’ve got to want it. You’ve got to know he’s going to score sometimes but you’ve got to keep your head up and keep playing, even when he get his.”

The quieting of Gardler came at a price, in this case the space that Keating exploited.

The junior forward was 6-for-6 from the field in the second half and 9-for-13 on the night, as Marple Newtown (6-5, 4-2) shot better than 50 percent from the field (19-for-35).

“I just take what’s available for me,” Keating said. “We needed someone to step up. I got a couple of points and I got going, and that’s really all I needed.”

It was particularly needed given the way Haverford started the game from the field. The Fords connected on eight of nine first-quarter attempts for a 19-15 edge. They were 15-for-20 from the field when Andrew Steigleman pulled up for a jumper midway through the third to break a 36-all tie.

But after that, they cooled and never warmed up. Fourteen turnovers didn’t help, as Haverford misfired on its last 11 tries from the field.

“I thought we missed a bunch of good looks in the fourth quarter,” Heinerichs said. “Maybe we could’ve run offense better, but I just thought we missed shots. Sometimes that happens. They fell in the first half, but they didn’t in the second half.”

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Marple Newtown’s Ryan Keating, left, dribbles in a game against Strath Haven’s last season. PETE BANNAN-DAILY TIMES)

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The sophomore guard is averaging 18.3 ppg, 6 rpg, 3 spg, and 42 percent from the three-point line (as of Dec. 19). Earlier this month, she scored 26 points against Ridley and 21 points against Lower Merion. As a freshman, she averaged 13 ppg, 7 rpg, 2 spg and shot 52 treys, receiving All-Main Line and All-Central League girls basketball honors. A three-sport athlete at Conestoga (soccer, basketball, lacrosse), Jennings also belongs to Best Buddies Club.

Fun facts – Ryann Jennings

Favorite TV show: The Office.

Favorite movie: The Breakfast Club.

Favorite athlete: Bryce Harper.

Favorite pre-game pump-up song: “Anything country.”

Favorite team: Philadelphia Eagles.

Favorite place to visit: Avalon, N.J.

Favorite pre-game meal: Wawa hoagie.

Person I most admire, and why: “My parents for everything they do for me and always supporting me at my games, etc.”

Family members: parents Jay and Tricia, older brothers Aaron and Drew, dog Scout.

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By Bill Rudickbrudick55@gmail.comBERWYN >> The Conestoga High School field hockey team rang up 23 straight wins before suffering its only loss of the season in the PIAA 3A  quarterfinals, picking up Central League and District 1 titles along the way. But, even on a team as loaded with talent as the Pioneers, Shae Wozniak stood out as the heart and soul of the team, earning her the title of 2023 Daily Local News All-Area Field Hockey Player of the Year.

For the season, Wozniak scored 52 goals, while adding 10 assists, bringing her career totals to 107 and 38 respectively, for 252 total points.“Often times I’ll take her out of a game early, once the outcome is no longer in doubt,” said Conestoga coach Regan Marscher. “I can only imagine how high those numbers might be if I left her in the whole game.”Wozniak is at her best when the stakes are highest, scoring the goal that forced overtime in the Pioneers’ win over Notre Dame Academy, who finished the season ranked No. 1 in the nation. Wozniak scored the game-winner in overtime against then-No. 3 Episcopal Academy.“Shae has so many strengths, but I would say her biggest strength is her ability to elevate our entire team’s level of play,” said Marscher. “She brings her unparalleled skill set and intensity to practice every day, and in turn it makes everyone who puts on a Stoga jersey stronger as a result. It’s incredibly exciting to know that Shae has another year with Stoga.”

The Wozniaks are an athletic family. Her mother, Cathy, played softball in college, while father, Ted, was a Division III football player. Wozniak’s 12-year-old younger sister, Brynn, is also a field hockey player.Wozniak got her start playing field hockey back in second grade, playing in a recreational league called Fast Flicks, and took to the sport right away.“I had tried other sports before like lacrosse and gymnastics but they didn’t stick,” said Wozniak. “So when I tried field hockey, I knew it was the perfect fit for me.”With all her attention focused on field hockey, Wozniak’s appreciation for the game grew by leaps and bounds.

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2023 Daily Local News All-Area Field Hockey Player of the Year–Shae Wozniak (BILL RUDICK for MediaNews Group)

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