By Alex Carder, Staff Reporter
On March 12, the girls’ varsity basketball team came up short 37-33 in overtime to Archbishop John Carroll High School. Despite the loss, the team finished its season with an overall record of 25-4.
The team won 25 of its 29 games with a group of experienced members and award winners: sophomore Ryann Jennings as the girls’ basketball All-Central League Most Valuable Player; senior and co-captain Marisa Francione in the girls’ basketball All-Central League First Team; and junior Janie Preston in the girls’ basketball All-Central League Second Team.
Entering playoffs, Conestoga was the top team in the Central League, beating Garnet Valley High School twice and scoring more than 50 points in each game. The girls took a loss to Spring-Ford Area High School, followed by a win over North Penn High School in which Conestoga scored 75 points. It then beat Wilson High School before ending the season with an overtime loss to Archbishop John Carroll High School.
Francione said that the team’s morale before the season started was high, coming off of the first season in 45 years that resulted in a playoff berth.
“Last year, we had a great end,” Francione said. “We went pretty far and went to states for the first time in a while, so we had high expectations for this year. We did even better this year than last year.”
The season began with games against Dunmore Junior-Senior, Haverford, Ridley and Lower Merion High Schools. After beating each team by at least 10 points, Jennings said that she knew the season would be special.
“In the first five games, we were 5-0. We were like, ‘We got this, we can go far,’ because we had a really high morale,” Jennings said. “I feel that definitely helped us throughout the season.”
The team won its initial 17 games. Even after its first loss against Haverford High School, Preston said that the team was still confident in its ability to win due to its chemistry.
“We were undefeated for a while, and then losing that first game — we all felt it. It was just the bond that we already had that was helpful,” Preston said.
The team had two-hour practices every day after school, and some players continued to stay late in order to practice. Jennings said that the team’s work ethic influenced its successes during the season.
“We definitely put in a lot of work, and I feel like that really shows how dedicated we are,” Jennings said. “We have a really high team chemistry. We’re all very close, and I think that definitely impacts how we play on the court.”
Alex Carder can be reached at [email protected].
