City of Basketball Love

Andrew Robinson (@ADRobinson3)
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(Ed. Note: This story is the latest in CoBL’s “Prepping for Preps” series, which will take a look at many of the top high school programs in the region as part of our 2021-22 season preview coverage. As we publish more, the complete list of schools previewed will be found here.)

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The less questions a team has to answer about itself heading into a season, the better.

Gwynedd Mercy Academy doesn't have all its answers, at least not yet, but the Monarchs can check off a lot of boxes before even playing a game. The starting lineup is all but penned in, the coaching and philosophy haven't changed and most of the main cast returns, so there's enough leeway to figure everything else out in turn.

An experienced core provides more than a solid foundation for a Monarchs team that has set some lofty goals for itself.

"Our chemistry is always there, so it's a lot easier for us if something goes wrong or we have to adjust in a game," senior Bianca Coleman said. "For the newer players, there's plenty of time for them to build off what we have and it's easy to understand what we have to do on the court in order to win."

Need a big shot? Sofia Coleman's happy to take it. So are Hannah Griffin or Bianca Coleman.

Looking for a stop? Maddie Newell thrives on it. Griffin's pretty solid there, too, and don't discount the Coleman sisters' prowess.

Who's going to bring the ball up? Yeah, it's the same list of names again.

Point is, the Monarchs have options and lots of them with their four returning starters. The seniors - twins Sofia and Bianca Coleman and Newell - pretty much know what coach Tom Lonergan is going to say before he says it by this point. Griffin, a junior, has been a fixture since she entered the program and even had a prep course watching older sister Kaylie for two years before her arrival.

"We talked a lot about chemistry last year, but just knowing how each other plays adds so much," Hannah Griffin said. "It's early, we're not even in our season yet but we've been doing these little tournaments and getting used to the newer players.

"Coming in as a freshman, it can be scary not knowing what to expect. We're helping them with it because we're always going to need all the talented players we can get."

Lonergan is optimistic about the players who will battle for reserve roles - it's more of a matter of experience. A mix of underclassmen and first-time varsity players will spell the core four returners with Lauren Drakeley, Carson Kelly, Morgan Newell, Adriana Stewart, Megan McDonald and Kara Lapp all flashing potential and energy leading up to preseason.

"I think the biggest things they have to learn are speed and defense," Sofia Coleman, who has committed to Kutztown, said. "We like to play fast but we're also built on our defending.

"I love how everyone is aggressive and gritty when it comes to defense. They want to be here, they want to play and they want to get their time. They're confident, too. They're not scared."

Lonergan, who has more than 700 wins, spent 15 years at Bishop McDevitt - where he coached Cindy Griffin - then 13 at CB East before taking over at GMA prior to the 2013-14 season. He got the Monarchs on track quickly, winning District 1 titles in 2015 and '16 and the last four from 2018-21, plus an AACA tournament title in 2016 and the league's regular season title last winter.

Replacing Kaylie Griffin, last year's AACA MVP and an all-state performer now on Hawk Hill playing for St. Joe's and head coach/mom Cindy Griffin, will likely take a group effort. Getting a healthy Bianca Coleman back will help with some of the scoring and ball-handling while Sofia Coleman is eager to build on last year's breakout All-AACA caliber season.

Hannah Griffin is also ready to step into her sister's spot, especially the part that keeps everyone else involved.

"We have to figure out where those points are going to come from," Hannah Griffin said. "Kaylie - she's amazing, miss her, love her - not one person is going to do that all but we have the three of us plus Maddie so we can balance it out plus everyone else on the team who can help us."

A lot of Gwynedd's possessions last year ended after a bunch of passes led to someone being wide open for a shot and, quite often, that shot went in.

"Every person is a threat on the floor, which makes it difficult for other teams to guard," Sofia Coleman said. "Our roles are interchangeable, it's not like we're relying on one person to bring up the ball. It just makes it easier to play."

Overall, the bench is where most of Gwynedd Mercy's question marks are coming into the season. The starting five is pretty solidified, but an untimely injury always changes the equation and a good team needs depth regardless to navigate a long season.

Gwynedd almost had the rare distinction of graduating a starter and still bringing five other starters back, but, unfortunately, will not have forward Jenna Mangan this year as she recovers from a knee injury. Filling in that final spot in the starting five is one of the team's biggest question marks entering the new season, but the coaching staff has been impressed with sophomore Dylan Burke.

Burke, who also drew praise from her teammates for her growth in skill and confidence, won't have to do it all herself either, with a couple other players including Mary Kate Donohue and Lizzie Leary vying for time off the bench in the front court.

"We're trying to find a rotation that can help our starters not have to play every minute," Lonergan said. "Our bench will be very young. There are three freshmen in the mix and a few sophomores. What they've shown me is that whoever we play, they play aggressive and physical defense, which is what we're emphasizing."

The best teams he's had at Gwynedd Mercy Academy have all shared one main trait - they were really, really stingy defensively.

"We've had pretty good offenses the past couple years but we're always going to rely on our defense," Lonergan said. "We have a lot of offensively skilled players who can put points on the board. If we're going to be one of those elite teams, we have to look to keep teams to around 35 points. This team is capable of doing that with how hard they play."

GMA is eager to take advantage of returning to a full slate of games, adding a few Suburban One League and PCL opponents locally. On top of that, the team will trek to Charleston for a holiday tournament and will take part in a memorial event for the late Bill Fox, the former Father Judge coach and a good friend of Lonergan's, alongside the Crusaders facing the boys' and girls' programs from Holy Spirit High School in Absecon, New Jersey.

The AACA tournament remains a sore subject for the Monarchs, who lost the league title game in overtime to St. Basil Academy in overtime. St. Basil closed at the end of last school year, so there will be a new league champion for the first time in five years.

While GMA seems the early favorite, last year's regular season champions aren't overlooking anyone. Fierce archrival Mount Saint Joseph Academy brings back most of its roster, Villa Joseph Marie got a boost from the arrival of many of St. Basil's would-be returning players while Villa Maria Academy rarely has two down seasons in a row and that's not to miss anyone else in the league capable of making a jump.

"There may be different levels of skill, but you have to expect the same toughness from each team," Bianca Coleman said. "We have to go out and can't give anything less than everything we've got in each game."

Last year's senior class graduated 4-for-4 on district titles and replicating the feat is a goal for the 2022 class.

"It's our last season and we want to end on a good note," Sofia Coleman said, gesturing to her sister as well. "We want to keep that legacy of Gwynedd strong."