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PIAA Preview: Southeastern PA girls' stars to know

03/09/2023, 1:45pm EST
By Josh Verlin

CoBL Staff (@hooplove215)

With the state playoffs starting this weekend, we wanted to take a look at some of the area stars who could be in for a couple big weeks ahead. 

Here are some local standouts in the girls’ brackets who folks around the state might be reading about en route to Hershey; we’ll also have a list of under-the-radar girls to watch coming out soon:

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6A


Anna Azzara (above) and Spring-Ford enter the state playoffs with a 24-5 record. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Anna Azzara + Mac Pettinelli (2024s | Spring-Ford)
The Spring-Ford junior class as a whole is quite strong, but these two lead the way. Azzara is a 5-7 lead guard who can really turn a corner and get to the hoop, though she’s also a good shooter. Pettinelli is a 5-9 Swiss Army Knife wing who usually racks up strong rebounding and assist numbers along with double-digit scoring outings. Slowing down the Rams means starting with those two, which is no easy task.

Bella Bacani, Quinn Boettinger + Grace Galbavy (2025s | Perkiomen Valley)
The Perk Valley sophomore class is a special one, and it was impossible to pick any one of these three over the others to be on this list…so we just included all of them. Bacani (5-5) is the team’s starting point guard, a strong defender, 3-point shooter and dribble-driver with a nifty floater in her bag; Boettinger a 6-3 center with great hands who will catch and finish anything deposited to her on the block, while also showing an improved face-up game; Galbavy is a 6-0 wing with a 6-3 wingspan who can attack the hoop, hit mid-range jumpers and defend the rim. All three look like Division I prospects.

Caroline Dotsey (2025 | Haverford High)
The Maine commit is the Fords’ motor this season, a 6-1 combo forward who does a little bit of everything, from bringing the ball down the court, attacking the rim, scoring around the bucket, gobbling up rebounds, etc. Dotsey looks like she’s going to be a big-time player in the America East Conference, but the rest of the state (starting with Lebanon) has to deal with her first. And she plays tough

Casey Harter (2023 | Souderton)
Soudy’s Northwestern commit is best described in one word: smooth. Harter isn’t flashy, not the type to cross someone over and break their ankles, but the 5-10 point guard is an excellent defender, has one of the most pure jumpers in the area, and always knows when and how to make the right pass. That fits right in on a Souderton squad that isn’t one to put up 60 points per game but relies on its defense and ball movement to win low-scoring affairs.

Molly Rullo (2025 | Cardinal O’Hara)
Rullo might just be the best high-post operator in the area, the daughter of two former Drexel standouts terrific with the ball in her hands from the foul line extended, with all sorts of ways to get the bucket, but she’ll also knock down jumpers if the defender backs off; she’s a solid 3-point shooter, too, but her best abilities are around the rim. Rullo already has an offer from her parents’ alma mater, with more to come as her shooting range continues to expand.

Brooke Wilson + Taylor Wilson (2024 | 2023 | Archbishop Carroll)
The Wilson sisters are the driving force for the Patriots, and they do it in different ways. Taylor, a 6-0 wing forward and West Point commit, is great out of the high post, with a nifty spin move and ability to finish with both hands, though she’s also got the ability to knock down open 3s; Wilson, a 5-9 lead guard, is more the attacking type off the bounce, a three-level scorer in her own right. Carroll (11-11) might not have the best record in the state thanks to playing in the PCL, but it’s still a tough out, especially with the Wilson sisters playing well.


Cire Worley (above) is Abington's all-time leading scorer. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Cire Worley (2023 | Abington)
The Abington girls’ all-time leading scorer and a UMass-Lowell commit, Worley is the only member of the Ghosts’ lineup taller than 5-7, and the 6-0 wing puts it to use as a Swiss Army Knife-type producer. Worley is an excellent rebounder and post-scorer, with a reliable mid-range and 3-point jumper, which opens up her ability to attack close-outs and get to the rim. And when she’s running the break with Abington’s bevy of shooters around her, watch out.

Reese Zemitis (2024 | Neshaminy)
Neshaminy’s standout junior has double-digit mid-major Division I scholarship offers, and it’s not difficult to see why. The 6-1 forward is an excellent outside shooter, and she’s really improving at her ability to attack the bucket off the bounce or hit pull-up jumpers, while also still knowing how to use her size around the rim to rebound and block shots. A made 3-pointer for Zemitis can quickly become three or four, and defenses will spend a lot of energy making sure she doesn’t get open looks.

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5A

Deja Evans (2023 | Archbishop Wood)
Wood’s senior Albany-bound forward is a 6-2 center who’s really expanded her game this season to be much more than a rebounder and rim-runner. Evans can now put the ball on the floor and knock down face-up jumpers, though she’s still at her best in post-up situations, using her length to finish around the bucket at a high clip. The Vikings are an excellent defensive team, and Evans is a major reason why.

Hannah Griffin (2023 | Gwynedd Mercy)
The Monarchs finished as the runner-ups in the AACA and the fourth seed in District 1, with Griffin — a 5-7 point guard and Holy Cross commit — leading the way. The daughter of St. Joe’s coach Cindy Griffin, Hannah is a scoring point guard who likes the one-dribble pull-up, though she’s crafty in the ways she gets to the rim, and she can finish through contact.


Laine McGurk (above) will be playing her college ball at Drexel next fall. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Laine McGurk (2023 | West Chester Rustin)
The future Drexel wing is one of the top bucket-getters around, an athletic 5-10 guard who can create her own shot from anywhere on the court. McGurk is a strong shooter with her feet set, but she’ll also take — and hit — contested jumpers on the move, not needing more than an inch or two of space to rise up and get her shot off. Rustin’s at its best when the rest of its rotation is contributing to the scoring column, but they rely on McGurk to draw a lot of defensive attention and cause some chaos on the court.

Senaya Parker (2025 | Samuel Fels)
Parker has been putting up some crazy numbers for Fels this season, averaging 43.1 points per game — and that’s no typo. The 5-6 guard, who played at Imhotep as a freshman, led Fels (15-5) to the championship of the Public League’s ‘E’ Division, but it’s going to be a significant step up in competition in the PIAA 5A playoffs; her first game will be against District 2 champs Pittston Area (24-2), so we’ll see what they have planned to slow down a guard who can get to the bucket seemingly at will. 

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1A - 4A

Amber Bullard (2023 | The Christian Academy)
Playing in the 1A classification, Bullard is a matchup nightmare, the 6-3 forward and La Salle commit a serious problem in the paint for most schools that size. She’s got long arms and is a great shot-blocker, and while her offensive game is still developing, she’s got the ability to face up and knock down mid-range jumpers and is a good finisher with both hands. 

Gabby Casey + Jaida Helm (2023s | Lansdale Catholic)
Lansdale Catholic are the Catholic League champs for the first time, and Casey and Helm are two major reasons why. Casey is a 5-9 guard and St. Joe’s commit, the 2023 Gatorade PA Player of the Year, an all-around scorer with a great handle who can play any of the three perimeter positions, and she’s a strong passer and defender as well. Helm is a 5-11 wing who’s become known as a tough-shot-hitter, whether that’s contested 3s or drives through contact, and she’s usually the Crusaders’ leading rebounder. 

Bella Forker (2023 | Faith Christian)
The Merrimack commit and daughter of Faith Christian head coach Dave Forker scored 20 points — surpassing 1,000 career points in the process — as FCA won the District 1 2A title, an outing that’s typical for the 5-7 lead guard. Forker has great court vision and makes passes all over the court, and her unending motor helps her stand out on the glass and defensive end, getting a good amount of her production on fast-breaks she’s helped start.

Shayla Smith (2025 | Audenried)
The high-scoring sophomore led Audenried to its first-ever Public League championship, dethroning city powerhouse Imhotep in the process. A 5-10 combo guard with all sorts of Division I interest and offers, Smith is a dynamic offensive presence, with a great handle and ability to shoot and score from anywhere. They’ve got a tough first-round matchup with Berks Catholic, which has its own standout in senior Caraline Herb.


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