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PIAA 5A Girls Championship Preview: Archbishop Wood vs South Fayette

03/23/2023, 5:00pm EDT
By Jared Leveson

Jared Leveson (@jared_leveson)

While Archbishop Wood and South Fayette have both put together terrific seasons, their respective historic postseason resumes differ greatly. 

Archbishop Wood has established itself as a perennial power in Pennsylvania, winning the last two PIAA state titles (4A classification) and seven total dating back to 2010. South Fayette, on the other hand, won its second straight District 7 title and is making its first ever trip to Hershey. 

The Vikings have a chance at three-peat, while the Lions can finish their historic season on top. Matchups like this is what the postseason is all about and the two will face-off this Saturday in the PIAA 5A championship at 6 p.m. at Hershey’s GIANT Center.


Archbishop Wood senior forward Deja Evans controls the ball earlier this week against West Chester Rustin. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

“Maybe it gives me a little hope that they might have some nerves,” Wood head coach Mike McDonald said about the disparity between championship-game experience. “But I think they’re a good team and they are going to be ready to play regardless, but it can go either way. We’ve had teams that have been there before and [are] still a little nervous when you get there and vice versa we’ve had them come out pretty confident. 

“I think it just depends on our players and how they feel in that moment in time, like during warmups and stuff like that but you know, congratulations to them, that's pretty cool.” 

Archbishop Wood has missed senior captain and offensive threat Allie Fleming since January with an ACL Injury, but McDonald’s squad has adjusted since then. 

The Vikings have handled their opponents so far, winning by an average margin of 14.5 points through the state tournament. They defeated District 1 champion West Chester Rustin in the semifinal by 17, using their height advantage to block shots and shoot over defenders. 

Albany commit and double-double machine Deja Evans (6-foot-2), senior wing Kara Meredith (6-feet), sharpshooter Emily Knouse (6-feet), lockdown defender Delaney Finnegan (5-foot-10), and junior point guard Ava Renninger (5-foot-6) round out Wood’s starting five. 

Seniors Lauren Tretter (5-foot-9) and Campbell McCloskey (5-foot-8) provide some height off the bench too. Wood does a lot well on the offensive and defensive ends, but South Fayette finished with a 29-2 record and matchup well with the Catholic League runner-ups.

“It's been exciting,” South Fayette head coach Bryan Bennett said over the phone on Wednesday. “They are a talented group of kids. They are a close knit-unit and they are just fun to coach. It's been an exciting ride to enjoy with them.”


Archbishop Wood senior Kara Meredith is part of a Vikings squad with a lot of length. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

McDonald noted he can tell South Fayette has been tested from a look at its schedule on the MaxPreps page.

The Lions beat Morgantown (W.V.) who went 20-5, McKeesport (22-6), and North Allegheny (20-6). Their two losses came to Norwin and St. Thomas Aquinas (N.J.) where they lost by a combined four points. Norwin lost in the PIAA 6A semifinal to Cedar Cliff and St. Thomas Aquinas (N.J.) compiled a 22-7 record. 

“I did not make it easy on the kids,” Bennett said. “I thought we had potential of reaching this final game. The kids have been tested pretty much every game this season with the top opponents in the Pittsburgh area. We went to Delaware and played three really quality teams in a tournament over the holiday. The kids are battle tested and excited to have the opportunity to play one more game.” 

The Lions are led by Villanova commit Maddie Webber (5-foot-11) who helped South Fayette win 22-straight games heading to Hershey. Webber’s buzzer-beat defeated District 10 champions Cathedral Prep in the state quarterfinals and her 24-point performance pushed the Lions over District 7 runner-up Oakland Catholic in the semis. 

“Maddie’s just an all around great player,” the fifth-year head coach added. “There are not many weaknesses to her game, she can shoot the ball from outside and has the ability to get to the rim and is a great defender.” 

Webber’s accompanied by Elon commit Ava Leroux (6-foot-3), who is the daughter of 10-year NHL veteran Francois Leroux. The center plays best with her back to the basket, but can handle the ball and is athletic enough to attack defenders off the dribble.

Webber and Leroux spearhead this Lions squad, but the rest of their starting five is skilled and experienced. Senior Rachel Black is a dual-sport athlete that excels on the defensive end. Two juniors, Erica Hall and Lainey Yater complete the lineup. Hall is a guard who can stretch the floor with a perimeter shot, but likes playing inside. Yater’s strengths are three-and-D.

The Lions can also go about five deep off the bench, but will most likely rotate freshman wing Ryan Oldecker and juniors Juliana Rossi and Sydney Burns.

Wood has benefitted from a size advantage all season, but it shouldn’t be much of a factor on Saturday. 

“[Wood’s] size advantage shouldn't be too terrible for us,” Bennett said. “We’ve played a lot of big opponents this year so we’re used to that, but we also have some pretty good size ourselves. We go 6-3, 5-11, 5-11, 5-8, and 5-5.” 


Archbishop Wood junior Ava Renninger and the Vikings are looking to three-peat. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Finnegan, who shutdown Laine McGurk (Drexel) in Archbishop Wood’s semifinal win over Rustin, will most likely get tested again and guard Webber throughout the contest. 

While Evans and Wood didn’t face many imposing bigs in Catholic League play, they got their fill in their non-league schedule. McDonald is confident Evans will be ready for Leroux. 

“We’ve had plenty of them in our non-league schedule,” McDonald said. “We played Long Island Lutheran who has (Kate Koval), one of the top-ranked players in the country. Bullis had a girl going to Maryland (Riley Nelson) who was about 6-foot-2. We faced a bunch of teams the last two years with Deja that she’s been up against so she'll be prepared for that matchup for sure.” 

When a team goes to Hersey as much as Wood has in the past, traditions normally form like watching the other state championship games and staying over in a hotel the night before. But since the pandemic, Wood has traveled to Hershey the morning of the final. 

Yet, McDonald knows his team’s excitement won’t be diminished over losing their overnight stay. The Vikings will still find a way to visit Hershey’s famous Chocolate World before tip-off, where guests can create their own candy bar and see how Hershey’s chocolate is made, amongst other activities.

But the Vikings know the task at hand. They are pumped to represent their school on the biggest stage in Pennsylvania high school hoops and hopefully bring home a third-straight state title, and their first in the 5A classification since 2018.

“This school has gotten far into the states and been in states every year and the program has gotten far in states every year since [joining PIAA in 2008-09],” McDonald said. “It’s something we take a lot of pride in. It's something bigger than us as individuals and that's what's pretty special about team sports. We are a part of something bigger and we have to represent that and put the work into that because of all the people who have come before us and done it as well.

“I think they know they can do it. They really wanted to do it. We had a little of an emotional moment [after the semi-final], but I think we’re trying to save it for the final. Hopefully we get one last emotional moment and it’s a positive one come Saturday.”

Win or lose, McDonald’s proud of what the Vikings accomplished together this season, especially his seven seniors: Evans, Meredith, Finnegan, Tretter, McCloskey, Fleming, and Makayla Duffy

“I’m glad they got to this point. I hope they end with a banner,” he said. “But I'll be really proud of them regardless of the result come Saturday because [of] everything they’ve done for our program the last four years and how they treated one another off the court.” 


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