They are the best of the best. The cream of the crop.
They are our PennLive midstate Big 15 first-team all-stars for the 2013-14 girls’ basketball season, and here they are, listed alphabetically …
Danielle Atkinson, senior G, Lancaster Catholic — For our money, pound-for-pound the best open-court defender in the L-L League, with a slick offensive game to go along with it. And we said this before but it’s well worth saying again: With Atkinson in the starting lineup the last three years, the Crusaders went 85-10 with three Section 4 titles, a pair of L-L crowns, a District 3-AAA championship and trip to the PIAA state finals in her breakout sophomore season. Atkinson, a big-time clutch player, averaged 14.2 points and hit 39 3’s this season, helping Lancaster Catholic go 25-4, make the district semifinals and go to the state playoffs. Atkinson, our L-L Section 4 MVP pick, finished her standout career with 1,149 points, and she’s considering DeSales, Elizabethtown and Juniata for college.
Briana Betz-White, senior G, Trinity — Jackrabbit point guard was the Shamrocks’ ultimate floor general, with crossover skills to break ankles on her way to the tin, plus a sweet step-back jumper for good measure. Excelled in the open court and directed traffic in the halfcourt, and was always a play ahead of everyone else on the floor, as if she has eyes in the back of her head. Consummate point guard. Betz-White, a repeat Big 15 first-team team, averaged a team-best 14.3 points and sank 25 3’s as Trinity went 10-11 and made the District 3-AAA playoffs, and she finished her standout Shamrocks’ career with 963 points. Next stop: Loyola (Md.), where Betz-White will play Division I hoops for the Greyhounds.
Cami Boehner, senior G, Gettysburg — Warriors’ instant-offense machine. Boehner can beat you from just about anywhere on the court, and since the ball was in her hands a good chunk of the time in Gettysburg’s offensive sets, she wasn’t afraid to pull the trigger — and she hit her target a lot. Excellent in the open court and deadly from the 3-point line, Boehner, a repeat Big 15 first-team selection, has that uncanny knack for putting the ball in the basket. She averaged a midstate-state best 21.4 points and drilled 49 3s, and she capped her career in style with 26 points and six treys in Pennsylvania’s win over Maryland in the 38th Roundball Showcase. Boehner, an all-state pick, exits Gettysburg with 1,382 points, and she’ll continue her basket-making assault at Bloomsburg University.
Cecily Carl, junior F, Mechanicsburg — What a super season for the Wildcats, and Carl was right smack dab in the middle of it. Mechanicsburg won the Mid-Penn Keystone crown, advanced to the conference title game, had a sixth-place finish in the District 3-AAAA playoffs and won a game in the state tournament while piling up 23 victories. Carl was a key cog in the Wildcats’ attack; the 6-3 multi-purpose threat was a matchup nightmare. She can shoot over smaller guards on the perimeter and she can dominate smaller forward-types in the paint. And Carl had plenty of success from inside and out, popping in 16.3 points per game and dropping 20 3s, while flashing a sharp baseline game and getting stick-backs aplenty on the glass — while blocking shots and gobbling up rebounds at the other end. It’s no wonder Carl, an all-state pick, has at least eight scholarship offers already under her belt heading into her senior campaign. She finished her junior season with 826 career points.
Michaela Gelbaugh, junior G, CD East — Terrific combo-guard type found plenty of ways to dominate opposing defenses for the Panthers. Gelbaugh beat teams off the bounce in the halfcourt, excelled in transition and flashed a mean perimeter game, averaging 16.3 points and splashing 41 3s for CD East, which finished second behind Cumberland Valley in the Mid-Penn Commonwealth race and won a game in the District 3-AAAA playoffs. Panthers were bit by the injury bug when Michaela’s sister, CD East senior ace CaLee Gelbaugh, a Loyola (Md.) recruit, was limited to just six games because of a knee injury. Michaela picked up the scoring slack and was a dynamo on the offensive end. She’ll start her senior campaign with 653 career points, and after next season, Gelbaugh will shuffle off to the University of Baltimore-Maryland, where she’s already committed to play Division I hoops.
Marissa Gingrich, senior G, Cocalico — Heart and soul of an Eagles’ squad that finished second in the L-L Section 2 race the last two seasons and advanced to the District 3 playoffs both times. Gingrich is a bona fide two-way player, who can drive you batty and pick your pocket on defense, and then score in droves at the other end. Dribble-driver. Wing threat. Shooter. Crasher. And wears out a path to the foul line. Gingrich, our L-L Section 2 MVP pick, is the whole package. She scored at a 16.9 clip and bucketed 29 3s for the Eagles this winter, and Gingrich finished her prep days with 1,047 career points — joining her mom in the L-L 1,000-point club. She’ll continue her hoops career at nearby Elizabethtown College.
Kyla Irwin, sophomore F, State College — So many skills. So much ability. Crazy stats. And only a sophomore. Wow. Irwin, a repeat Big 15 first-team selection, continued her Mid-Penn Commonwealth domination this winter, using her 6-1 frame to own the glass, block shots, board and score. A lot. Irwin bucketed 19.6 points — third-best in the midstate — and yanked down 12.7 rebounds a game for the Little Lions, who won the District 6-AAAA crown and advanced to the second round of the PIAA playoffs. Irwin, a all-state selection, also swatted 39 shots and shot 80 percent from the foul line. She’ll enter her junior season with 936 career points, and we can’t wait to see how she follows up her first two riveting prep campaigns. Bright future for this young lady.
Kelly Jekot, sophomore G, Cumberland Valley — How’s this for your first two seasons on the varsity: Jekot and the Eagles have gone to back-to-back PIAA-AAAA championships games, and CV won it all this season. Jekot, a repeat Big 15 first-team pick, was a key cog on both clubs, especially this time around, when she popped in 14.1 points and drilled 51 3s, helping the Eagles go 28-5 with a Mid-Penn Commonwealth title, a conference championship, a third-place finish in the District 3 tourney and — ta-da — a state title. Fantastic, energetic, fundamentally strong player on both ends of the floor. Excels in transition — she’s a super reliable finisher on the break — and is ultra dangerous from the wing, where she can dribble-drive right past you or step back and drill a 3 in your mug. Jekot, an all-state pick, has the “it” factor. The 6-footer has game, and with 855 career points heading into her junior season, she’s got a very legit shot to crack 2,000 points — if you’re into stats. Colleges are already lining up for Jekot’s services; she has seven Division I offers, including Penn State.
Alex Leslie, senior F, Manheim Township — Special player for a Blue Streaks’ squad that had a special season. Leslie helped Manheim Township win L-L Section 1 and league championships and to a glittering 27-0 start, before the Streaks fell to eventual champ Wilson in the District 3-AAAA semifinals. Manheim Township finished up 27-3 overall after finishing fourth in the district tourney and making the PIAA playoffs. Leslie, our L-L Section 1 MVP, had the size and strength to dominate smaller bigs in the post; she thrived on the offensive glass with put-backs aplenty. She also picked apart smaller guards from the high post area, consistently popping in 15-footers while drawing opposing forward-types away from the basket. Leslie netted 16.3 points and finished her prep career — which included her freshman season at Lancaster Country Day — with 1,365 points. Next stop for Leslie: She’s signed and sealed to play for the University of Rochester
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Carly Richardson, senior F, Palmyra — Leader and catalyst of a Cougars’ club that went all the way to the PIAA-AAA state semifinals — after a runner-up finish in Mid-Penn Keystone play and a loss to eventual champ West Perry in the district quarterfinals. Gutsy and truly a determined player; Richardson, a repeat Big 15 first-team selection, overcame a gimpy ankle, which forced her to miss several games down the stretch. Dangerous on both ends of the floor; gritty defender — on a team known for its D pressure — and reliable scorer, even though her average (10.0, plus 32 3s) dipped a smidge this winter. Still, Richardson garnered all-state honors for the second year in a row, finished her prep career with 1,321 points, and she’s heading to Bucknell, where she’ll play Division I ball for the Bison. Definitely an unforgettable run for Richardson during her Palmyra days.
Megan Smith, senior F, West Perry — We ran out of superlatives to describe Smith’s play during the Mustangs’ incredible run to the District 3-AAA title and trip to the PIAA state quarterfinals. Smith, our district-tourney MVP and all-state selection, simply dominated. She averaged 24 points in the postseason. She averaged 23 points during West Perry’s 17-game winning streak. And she averaged 20.6 points this season, second-best among midstate players this winter. Rim-attacker. Strong finisher. Nimble but powerful. Dangerous from the 3-point line and in, where Smith, a repeat Big 15 first-team pick, could beat you with a wicked spin move — she uses the glass so well — or pull-up jumper. IUP recruit finished her standout prep career with 1,445 points.
Kylee Sorichetti, senior F, Halifax — Multi-purpose, super-active standout for the Wildcats, who finished second in the Tri-Valley League, went to the District 3-A finals for the second year in a row, and advanced all the way to the PIAA state quarterfinals. Sorichetti, our district tourney MVP, is a terror on both ends of the court; check out her Tri-Valley League numbers: Sorichetti (pronounced sar-ketti) was first in rebounding (10.3), second in scoring (15.7), third in steals (69) and 10th in foul shooting (62 percent). She did a little bit of everything — and did it all really well for Halifax, which piled up 21 wins.
Maddie Torresin, senior F, Cumberland Valley — Big sister and heart-and-soul leader of the Eagles, who won Mid-Penn Commonwealth, conference and PIAA-AAAA championships this winter. Torresin, an all-state pick, used her 6-1 frame to attack the glass with authority and score at will in the halfcourt. Was also a major perimeter threat, dropping a team-best 15.3 points with 30 3s for the Eagles. Torresin, a crafty lefty and repeat Big 15 first-team pick, is the real deal, and will continue her hoops career at Division I University of Maryland-Baltimore County, after finishing up her prep days with 883 points.
Creslyn Van Dyck, senior G, Harrisburg Christian — Unforgettable season for the Knights, and Van Dyck was the catalyst. The heady, in-charge point guard was Harrisburg Christian’s floor general, setting up teammates in transition, hounding opposing point guards on defense, picking pockets and popping in a team-best 10.9 points and splashing a team-high 22 3s. End result: Knights won the CCAC crown, were the No. 1 seed in the District 3-A playoffs, went to the PIAA tourney and were 25-3 overall. Van Dyck came all the way back from a debilitating knee injury that wrecked her junior campaign to have an unforgettable senior season.
Victoria Varner, junior G, Juniata — Scoring whiz helped the Indians repeat as Tri-Valley League champions. Varner can flat-out score the ball; she’s particularly dangerous from the wing, where she picked-and-popped her way to a midstate-best 70 treys this season — giving her 153 3s in her career. In Tri-Valley League play this winter, Varner, who is a sniper personified, was first in scoring (17.6), first in treys (49), first in foul shooting (79 percent) and fifth in assists (48). She helped Juniata to a runner-up finish in the District 6-AA tourney and into the PIAA playoffs. Varner, a repeat Big 15 first-team pick, hit the 1,000-point milestone — as a junior, which is always impressive — in the district finale vs. Bellwood-Antis; she’ll begin her senior season with 1,012 points, while hoping to lead Juniata to its third 16-0 Tri-Valley League season in a row.
