City of Basketball Love

Jared Leveson (@jared_leveson)

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The past is the past for the Spring-Ford girls basketball program. 

The 2022-2023 squad put together another impressive regular season, finishing with a 25-6 regular season record. Though it did not bear any hardware to add to the trophy case, the Rams continued their success in the postseason as well. 

League rival Perkiomen Valley halted Spring-Ford’s runs in the PAC championship game and the District 1 6A semifinal. The Rams also suffered a loss to Cardinal O'Hara in the PIAA 6A second round. 

Ten-year head coach Mickey McDaniel has found consistent success at Spring-Ford with players like Lucy Olsen (Villanova), Abbey Boyer (Immaculata), Hailey Hudak (Bloomsburg), and Meg Robbins (Elizabethtown). But staying in what he calls "neutral now" has helped Spring-Ford's consistency. 

Veteran leaders Anna Azzara, Mac Pettinelli, and a host of well-rounded athletes understand their coach's message. The Rams focus on themselves, not Perkiomen Valley, Cardinal O'Hara, or anybody else. They know their potential and are putting in the work to maximize it. 

"You can't think about the past, you just learn from the past," McDaniel said. "You don't look ahead to the future. You (must) look at now. (It’s imperative to) stay in the moment and keep working to get better." 

"Our main focus and main expectation is that we get better everyday so that by the end of the year we're playing our best basketball."

Playing their basketball is a positionless and high-volume shooting style that compliments the different multi-sport athletes that fill Spring-Ford's roster. 

Azzara and Pettinelli are the team's unquestioned leaders and have contributed since their freshman seasons, when the program — led by Olsen — won the PAC and District 1 titles and advanced to the PIAA title game. As sophomores they were the leaders of a squad that captured another PAC title and got back to the District 1 title game and PIAA quarters. 

They've played basketball together since the third grade and are best friends off the court. The pair are not feeling any added pressure playing in their last season together, with Azzara and Pettinelli committing to Wright State and St. Bonaventure, respectively.

"There's only one year left," Pettinelli said. "So if there's any time to do it, it has to be now. We don't get another season, so it's just more of an exciting factor, (rather) than pressure."

"I think we got a lot to build on and that's what we're working on now," Azzara added. "We fell short and we know we have higher potential than that so we're giving it all this year."

The two headed McDaniel's message and worked on their games this summer. Pettinelli aims to attack the basket, get to the foul line, and convert from the charity stripe more often. Azzara, who sees herself as a slasher and mid-range player, spent her offseason expanding her jumper's range. 

The veteran duo is not alone, as Spring-Ford is returning plenty of contributors from last year's squad. Senior Katie Tiffan and her younger sister, Christina, will provide some scoring and remain a force on the defensive end. Junior Kareena Preuss has a solid outside shot and the height to cause havoc on the offensive and defensive interiors. Dual-sport athlete Siena Miller, preoccupied with soccer right now, is expected to contribute again after a positive 2022-2023 season. Senior Sophia Allocca also returns with varsity experience. 

McDaniel and company are also excited about the return of senior guard Aaliyah Solliday, who missed last season with a torn ACL and began her return to the court this summer. She was a key piece on the 2022 PAC champion squad.

“She expects her game to be at 100 percent but it takes time and her parents are telling her it takes some time,” McDaniel said.

"As she continues to get more time under her feet, she's gonna become that player that she is. She can be a very dynamic player." 

Spring-Ford has two other contributors returning from injury, juniors Lilly Brescia and Haley Prophet. Brescia suffered an ACL tear last April and is aiming for a February return. On the other hand, Prophet is rehabbing a lower leg injury but should be ready in time for the regular season. The 5-foot-11 junior will play inside for the Rams, but they won't glue her to the paint because of her shooting prowess. 

No starting roles are safe on McDaniel's squad. Each player has to earn their time, even the more experienced players like Azzara and Pettinelli. McDaniel wants competitors.

"I know they are all friends, but on the court, you must distinguish yourself as a competitor," McDaniel said. "Understand that you are competing for the same minutes, the same spot, or whatever it may be with the girl across from you. We stress to the team, it is your job to make the girl across from you better because if you make her better, then you are going to make yourself better.

"That's why our roster is wide open on who is going to make it. Yes there are players who have a pedigree based on previous years, but to us it's a wide open opportunity for anyone."

Spring-Ford's schedule matches its expectations. The Rams open up on the road against the defending PIAA District 3 4A champions, Delone Catholic. They head to Penn State for the State College Tip-Off and travel down to Florida for the Tampa Bay Christmas Invitational during winter break. 

Two other games that will be circled — at least by the fans of both programs and area hoops fans — are at Jan. 12 (away) and Feb. 2 (home) when the Rams face reigning PAC and District 1 champion Perkiomen Valley. The teams split the regular-season series a season ago before the Vikings took both postseason matchups.

Spring-Ford’s senior class has a combined record of 74-14 in three seasons and the Rams once again have the roster to compete for championships, but McDaniel and his squad know they can't start thinking ahead. There is still plenty of work to do. 

"Our focus is just the little things everyday in practice, everyday out of season," McDaniel said. "Right now we're not playing against PV. Today we're going against ourselves. We need to be together as one and get better everyday."