A-K Valley girls teams leaning on playoff experience

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, February 15, 2018 | 11:42 PM

The St. Joseph, Leechburg and Freeport girls basketball teams made positive impressions during last year's WPIAL playoffs and punched tickets to the PIAA tournament.

All three programs returned an experienced core, and preseason expectations were set with hopes of deeper postseason runs.

Each will begin those journeys Friday and Saturday with first-round games.

“Last year was a success for us, but everything was pretty new,” St. Joseph senior Gia Angelo said. “I think we are more prepared this year and know what the playoffs are all about.”

The Spartans didn't make the WPIAL Class A playoffs in 2016, but last year, as the No. 6 seed, they knocked off No. 3 Quigley in the first round and came close to upsetting No. 2 Cornell in the semifinals before falling 49-42.

The team had high hopes in the state playoffs, but those hopes were dashed with a first-round loss to District 5 champion Berlin.

“None of us are taking anything for granted this year,” said Angelo, who, along with her St. Joseph teammates, garnered the No. 6 seed in Class A and will take on Geibel on Saturday at noon at Fox Chapel. Quigley, the No. 3 seed again this year, awaits the winner in the quarterfinals.

“I think if we play our best, we can make a deeper run,” senior Anna Swierczewski said. “We have some of the same pieces, but we're a different team overall. We look to last year for motivation, but we refocused for this season. I think we can meet our potential.”

Freeport, the No. 7 seed, will face Elizabeth Forward at 3 p.m. Saturday at Fox Chapel in a rematch of last year's first-round overtime thriller won the Yellowjackets.

The winner will take on No. 2 Blackhawk.

“I wouldn't say we are veterans, but we know a little better what we're getting into,” said coach Fred Soilis, who helped guide a team with three freshmen starters — Samantha and Madeline Clark and Sidney Shemanski — to the quarterfinals and the PIAA tournament.

Only one player was lost from the team, and senior Jenna Manke also returned as a starter.

“The girls know what it takes to play against tougher competition and get over the hump,” Solis said. “We've played quite a few 5A teams. We played (4A top seed) North Catholic tough the second time.”

Freeport defeated 5A Indiana and Kiski Area this year and took Section 4-5A champion Hampton to the limit Feb. 2 before falling 48-47.

The Yellowjackets scrimmaged Class 6A No. 8 Butler on Thursday.

“We're pretty confident going into the playoffs this year because of last year's experience,” sophomore Samantha Clark said. “I am glad we played some of these bigger teams, especially late in the season. Win or lose, it made us a better team. They really prepared us for anything we could face.”

Leechburg's senior six is preparing for one more run, and the feeling is that the Class 2A title is open for the taking.

The No. 6 Blue Devils open with Frazier on Friday at West Allegheny. Chartiers-Houston will face the winner.

“We're ready and know what to expect,” Leechburg senior guard Daesha Knight said. “We thought we would have a better seed, but if we play our best, we can make a run against anyone.”

Leechburg missed the playoffs in 2015 when the seniors were freshman, but they qualified for the postseason as sophomores.

Last year, the Blue Devils won WPIAL and PIAA playoff games for the first time. The expectations are much higher this year.

“After we saw the seed and who we got and where and when we play, the girls quickly turned their attention to Frazier,” Blue Devils coach Joel Ceraso said. “They've been so resilient and workmanlike in their preparation. Everyone has to be accountable for what they are able to do. We've been preaching for four years to focus on the task at hand.”

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

Tags: Freeport, Leechburg, St. Joseph