A-K Valley girls basketball teams improving after period of struggle

By: HSSN Staff
Wednesday, January 3, 2018 | 11:53 PM

The Springdale girls basketball team went winless last season and started the campaign with forfeits because of a lack of players.

It was a low point for a program searching for a spark to return to its winning ways.

Springdale started this year 0-7, but coach John Broderick said he saw something different in his team, now with a roster of 12 players who, he said, believe they can win.

That belief turned into reality last week at the Valley holiday tournament as the Dynamos topped Yough, 47-28, to snap a 24-game losing streak dating to the finale of the 2015-16 season.

Junior Jazlynn Robb, a transfer from Texas, led the team with 25 points. Becca Selzer, a key player from last year, added 15.

“We saw the same reaction two years ago when we won our first game,” Broderick said. “They were happy, but it wasn't the jubilation that you might think you would see in that situation. I just think it's been so long that they're not sure yet how to react when they get a win.

“With the increased numbers, we're upping our game a little bit with what we're trying to do. They're putting out a lot of energy. We're trying some different things. We've just talked with this group about being the ones to change the overall culture of the program.”

The word “believe” has been a mantra in several other A-K Valley girls basketball programs in different stages of rebirth this season.

Valley coach Jason Kerr feels his team will continue on an upward swing in the new year with the players' continued confidence in the system and each other.

Thirteen players on the roster, up from five at the end of last season, Kerr said, has led to better practices.

“Patience has been the key for us, as it is with any other rebuilding program,” Kerr said. “It wasn't going to happen overnight. We set a goal to be competitive, and we have been.”

Kerr said stability from a coaching standpoint was crucial.

“I had made promises to players and others that I was committed to helping build the program,” he said. “A lot of people know who I am and what I am hoping to do for the program.”

Kerr said the key for any program, including Valley, is to establish a foundation at the lower levels. He is working with the younger players in youth leagues at the local YMCA and continuing the growth by also coaching the girls junior high team in the fall.

“You make those connections early on and show what they can accomplish if they dedicate themselves to improving,” Kerr said.

Nick Ionadi has witnessed a dedication to improving that has earned his Kiski Area girls squad a 5-5 record this season and a 1-2 mark in Section 4-5A.

The five victories, including Tuesday's 56-34 win over Laurel Highlands, equals the win total from last season (5-16).

That one section win — a 32-29 victory over Plum on Dec. 18 — snapped a 26-game section losing streak.

“They spent four or five nights a week in the gym in the offseason and worked extra days,” said Ionadi, whose team hopes to make the playoffs for the first time since 2012. “They could see the potential in this team and put the time in to get better.”

Kiski's progression has been fueled by a mix of younger players and a couple experienced seniors. All five starters returned.

Senior Katelyn Brown was a part of the junior high program at the start in the 2012-13 season when there were only 19 girls basketball players from seventh through 12th grades.

Kiski was 1-20 in 2015-16, just 1-19 in the 2014-15 season and winless in the 2013-14 campaign.

“It used to be really bad,” Brown said. “None of us want to return to that, so that is great motivation for us to keep working hard. We've seen so much improvement. It's a lot of fun right now.”

Ionadi and coaches from other rebounding programs have pointed to the recent success at Leechburg, where the Blue Devils turned around a struggling program the past several years. Led by a core of six players — all of whom now are seniors — Leechburg went from constant losing for the better part of a decade to success. The team captured 10 wins in 2015, made the playoffs in 2016 and qualified for the PIAA tournament last year.

Leechburg is off to a 7-1 start and takes a five-game winning streak into Thursday's key Section 2-2A matchup at Vincentian.

“The success came from taking those progressive steps and believing in themselves and their talent,” Blue Devils coach Joel Ceraso said.

Progressive steps is the calling card for the Highlands girls this season after two 1,000-point scorers and other key components from last year's team graduated.

Youthfulness and injury, Coach Drew Jonczak said, has contributed to the team's 1-7 start, but with senior mainstay Renee Cebula, a four-year starter, leading the way, he feels his team will show improvement.

“We're growing each day and learning from mistakes,” Jonczak said. “They want to play and want to practice. They know the schedule is tough, but they aren't going to quit. There's a lot to be excited about.”

Michael Love is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at mlove@tribweb.com or via Twitter @Mlove_Trib.

Tags: Highlands, Kiski School, Leechburg, Springdale, Valley