City of Basketball Love

Andrew Robinson (@ADrobinson3)
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(Ed. Note: This story is part of 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 2022-23 season preview coverage. The complete list of schools previewed thus far can be found here.)
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The Suburban One League has managed to maintain quality with quantity at the District 1 and PIAA level in recent years. Since the start of the 2014-15 season, the SOL has crowned five district champions at the old Class 4A or newer Class 6A level (with six runner-up teams in that span) and two state champions (plus two other finalists) and the 24-team league generally packs the big school brackets come playoff time. Getting through the 16-game slate of SOL league play is a gauntlet and that preparation shows in the second and third stages of the season.

It seems to be a yearly tradition for SOL squads to simultaneously be reloading while also returning a solid amount of talent, although there are always exceptions either way. The home-and-away set of divisional games plus a string of crossover contests in between helps prepare Suburban One League teams for most anything, which usually turns out to be a third, or fourth … or fifth … rematch with an opponent later on in the season.

Here’s a quick peek at the Suburban One’s girls side for 2022-23

Colonial Division

Favorite

Souderton won it last year, has everyone back and will be able to put Casey Harter on the opposing team's best scorer every night, so that seems like a good place to start. Harter, a Northwestern recruit, took the end of last season personally and only seemed to get better this offseason.

Of course, coach Lynn Carroll has been around long enough and through enough to know there's no givens in this division and a night off could swing things later on. That's where having the experience of Harter, Teya McConnaha and Erin Bohmueller comes up big in the grind of the SOL slate.

The Indians are also looking for big things from sophomore Grace McDonough and junior Brooke Fenchel has made strides on both sides of the ball.

 Dark Horse

Anna Barry has no problem filling it up from outside, but the CB East guard is more than just a shooter and is a fearless competitor. The Patriots have a nice amount of experience back, and they were the only team to defeat Souderton in SOL play last season.

 Erin LeRay and Shayne LeRay, along with Chantal Van Dongeren and Kendall Gregor complement Barry in the junior class and freshman Natalie Berndt looks to fit in on a team that has a lot of balance and pieces that fit together for coach Liz Potash.

CB West tends to do well when it has a roster full of upperclassmen and that’s just what the Bucks have this season, returning four of their five starters. Katie Finnan and Tai Henkels are veteran guards used to the rigors of SOL play while forwards Ava Longo and Alexis Castro bring size, athleticism and a tough-minded mentality with them from the soccer pitch.

Fourth-year coach Zach Sibel took the Bucks to the 2019-20 district title and likes the depth in his squad, looking for Megan Blue and Gabi Senior among others to push for a division title.

Other Players to Watch

North Penn wasn’t a playoff team last year, but the Knights seem poised to change that this winter. Senior Abby Plaugher is a knock-down outside shooter and team’s veteran leader while a group of promising juniors including Caleigh Sperling and Liv Stone are eager to build under second-year coach Brianna Cullen, also a Knights alum.

Yordana Samayoa, or "YoYo" as she's better known around the league, has a great nickname and an improving game that CB South will rely on even more as she moves into the role of top option offensively. Juliana Tropea and Ella Wheeler are among the names looking to fill in after the Titans graduated a large cast of senior contributors.

The name Yoder goes hand-in-hand with Pennridge basketball, but it's the last season for the last Yoder as Katie Yoder heads into her senior season with the Rams. A downhill attacker and solid shooter, she and junior Anna Croyle - who has her own family ties to Rams basketball - will try to take Pennridge back to the playoffs.

Patriot Division

Favorite

It’s Reese Zemitis, Taylor Gurysh and Lola Ibarrondo’s show in Langhorne, as Neshaminy’s top three scorers are back with high expectations to go with them. They’re a talented trio, but they know they aren’t going to win a division title on talent alone and the team has focused on improving its defense and finding easier ways to score with off-ball movement.

 Seniors Lindsay Little, Jess Purdy and Anna Soska will look to make their mark with classmate Gurysh and Neshaminy is looking for junior Ava Irizarry to find a role as well. The team isn’t shying away from competition outside the SOL as well, knowing it will be in for a battle in the division and the postseason beyond.

Dark Horse

Losing a 6A All-State Player of the Year to Maryland, as the Falcons did with Ava Sciolla, would be a major hurdle for any team to overcome. Pennsbury has made sure there was plenty waiting in the wings to take up the mantle this season, starting with junior Sofia Vitucci and her all-around scoring prowess.

The prior two SOL Patriot division titles have gone through Fairless Hills (Pennsbury and Neshaminy split the old SOL National bill in 2019-20) and to keep the top seat at the table, the Falcons will be looking for more growth from Neveah Dash, Daniella MacDonald, Izzy Ruta and the rest of the cast.

Council Rock South has only gotten better each year under coach Blair Klump and with a very experienced roster led by newly-minted Georgian Court signee Karissa Smedley, will look to have a say in the division race. Smedley, a senior forward, is the main cog but there’s a lot of other parts that make the whole machine go.

Jess Mangoni and Darcy Leight add some senior experience in the frontcourt while Cam Gregory and Katie Purpura will add depth in the backcourt. The Hawks felt the pain of a buzzer-beating loss in districts last year and are eager to show they can make the next step.

Other Players to Watch

If any player deserves a break from injuries, it’s definitely Council Rock North senior Jaden Wan. The guard has battled through a string of setbacks the last two seasons, but she’s a definite talent and looking to help a senior-heavy team under first-year coach Jack Kelly.

Bensalem’s Amber Howard, who has a growing list of Division I offers, has been a key cog since first stepping onto the floor for the Owls and they’ll need even more in her junior season. Senior Kylie Smith and junior Mackenzie Kramer will look to back up Howard while the Owls’ sophomores find their footing early in the season.

Liberty Division

Favorite

Yes, Plymouth Whitemarsh lost three starters - two of them to Division I programs, the other to a high-level Division II team - but when a team brings back Abby Sharpe and Erin Daley, it’s hard to overlook them. Senior Angelina Balcer is ready to assume a larger role after coming off the bench for last year’s SOL, district and state champion squad and the Colonials know every team wants to be the one to end their winning streak.

The rest of the rotation isn’t set, but senior Azzy Crumpton, freshman AJ Avery and sophomore Quinn Daley each bring something different to the court. It’s been PW’s division for the last three years, but an early test with Abington might have a say in how this table will end up being set.

Dark Horse

Abington and PW games have elevated in recent years - there’s always high stakes, there’s often a transcendent performance by someone and both teams usually leave looking forward to the next one. The Ghosts have plenty of their own talent this season, led by senior UMass-Lowell signee Cire Worley, senior guard Abril Bowser and freshman point guard Maya Johnson.

What could decide the division is which team fills its gaps sooner, with the Ghosts having to replace the departed Jaida Helm and injured Dani Brusha but getting some early boosts via Piper McGinley and Jordyn Reynolds in their high-pressure defensive style.

Other Players to Watch

Upper Dublin is eagerly awaiting the return of junior Amy Ngo after a knee injury ended her season in the postseason. Until then, it’ll be her younger sister Megan Ngo and fellow freshman Colleen Besachio leading a young group for coach Morgan Funsten.

One of the SOL’s more underrated players, except by the teams who play against her, Wissahickon senior Kaitlyn McGeary is at the center of the Trojans’ goals for the season. An East Stroudsburg recruit, McGeary was a first team All-SOL Liberty pick last season.

Carolyn Sipprell is a fantastic soccer player, a good lacrosse player and as she showed last year, very effective on a basketball court. The 6-foot Quakertown senior was one of the best scorers across the entire SOL and joins senior point guard Katie Catalano and junior Ava Pistone  on a Panthers squad that’s built some continuity for coach Brittany Bamford.

Hatboro-Horsham always has athletes, in fact, most of the Hatters play two or three sports during the year and they’re looking for that to translate. Senior Caroline Shegogue fits that bill, a speedy soccer scorer who will fill a guard spot next to senior Leah Harrington as HH looks to fit its other athletes around them.

Freedom Division

Favorite

Upper Moreland’s first season under Matt Carroll ended 0-22. The Golden Bears have covered a lot of ground in that span, including back-to-back division titles with an outright crown last year. With senior EmmyFaith Wood and junior Holly Gohl, UM has two of its key pieces from those SOL title teams back with an even roster. Sophomores Mikel Lancit and Marie Meyers are two others who can help out.

Dark Horse

New Hope-Solebury shared the Freedom title with Upper Moreland just two seasons ago and a team with Reagan Chrencik on its roster is always worth paying attention to. The high-scoring senior is back for a final run and the Lions - the smallest school in the SOL by classification - will definitely be trying to challenge the Golden Bears once again.

Sophomore Emily Wilson has put in plenty of hard work and will aid Chrencik as a captain while freshman Gabby D’Agostino has shown a scoring punch and sophomores Izzy Elizondo and Ella Dudick will get their looks.

Other Players to Watch

Liz Neeld is an outstanding softball player, an all-state pick committed to UMass-Lowell, but she’s a pretty good basketball player too and Lower Moreland will be looking to the senior to lead the way this winter. Veteran coach Rich Becker’s team is still finding its identity but Brianna McFerran looks ready to contribute.

William Tennent is looking for freshman Avery Kocur to chip in right away to help supplement junior Morgan Volz and senior Alyssa Lewicki as the Panthers look to build their chemistry and cohesion during the season.

Springfield Twp is the only Class 4A squad from the SOL, so the Spartans will be undermanned on most nights compared to the rest of the league. Jayla Daniels, Ava Culler and Paige Robinson will look to establish themselves for a team that’s never short on competitive desire and hopes to carry its regular season growth into the playoffs.

 Cheltenham has a young squad and the Panthers will be looking to make steady improvements throughout the fall, eyeing junior Arianna Davis and sophomore Cassie Bugg as players they will lean on early.