City of Basketball Love

By 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 2023-24 season preview coverage. The complete list of schools previewed thus far can be found here.)

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Pennsbury girls basketball knows what it’s got.

The Falcons have experience, with one of their larger senior classes in recent years, and motivation. To many outside their walls, they overachieved last year. That’s not exactly the way they see it.

“When we lost Ava (Sciolla) and Nicole (Pompilli), we were told, ‘You guys are going to be nothing.’ Well, we weren’t, we were worth something, actually, and we’re expecting to do the same thing this year.” Falcons senior Layla Matthias said. “Never count us out.”

The Falcons figure to return four starters and most of their top reserves from last year’s 21-9 group that reached the District 1 Class 6A semifinals and the PIAA Tournament second round.

They have to replace Neveah Dash in the starting lineup and Neve Davis’ leadership, but, if anything, they might have an even deeper roster than last year with a few newcomers poised to contribute. Add in one of the team’s larger senior classes in recent years, and there’s a really strong foundation in Fairless Hills.

“People always say they have really young teams — we'll be the really old team this year,” senior guard Daniella MacDonald said. “I think we’re going to do good things.”

When the season opens the first weekend in December, the Falcons also know what they won’t have. They’re still going to be considered a “small” team, but they’re not hiding from it.

The rotation tops out at 5-foot-10, and with the majority of the Falcons players going between 5-3 to 5-9, some teams are going to have a decided height advantage. There are ways to play around that, which is something Pennsbury has mastered in recent seasons on the defensive end of the floor.

Teams don’t make long playoff runs like Pennsbury did the last two years without getting stops, and that’s where the Falcons will always start while Frank Sciolla is coaching them. The Falcons gave up just 31.7 points per game last season while scoring 37.9, so when coupled with their flock of veterans, they’re likely not going to be fazed by close games.

“We’re still the same team, we’re still going to put defense first,” senior guard Sofia Vitucci said. “We know the way we’re going to win games, so nothing’s changed.”

Vitucci has been a confident player since her high school career began, so it wasn’t surprising to see the versatile guard elevate her play last season after Ava Sciolla moved on to the college level. A first-team All-Suburban One League Patriot selection last winter, Vitucci kept things rolling through the summer, helping her Lady Runnin’ Rebels 17U team capture the HSGL title in July.

A true three-level scorer, Victucci can get her points from about any spot on the floor and is tough to defend when her shot is working in the midrange. And while more often than not the ball winds up with her for big shots, the guard is also a willing and capable passer, content to be a decoy if it’ll get someone else a better look in a close, late-game setting.

Of course, that’s easy to do when a group has the amount of shared games together this Falcons core does.

“We’re connected,” Vitucci said. “We know each other’s games in and out, we know we have that chemistry built up.”

Matthias might as well be a walking advertisement that points aren’t everything. The senior forward was at times the team’s best rebounder, best passer and best defender last season, sometimes pulling off all three feats in the same game.

There’s no offensive rebound she won’t try to go after, and ask any of her Philly Heat North AAU teammates — MacDonald will certainly vouch for it — how many open 3-pointers she spotted them with some crazy kick-out pass or cross-court skip feed before a defense could recover.

Senior Danielle Sherman is a capable shooter who will need to help space the floor, but she’s also worked to expand her game and can drop inside for a bucket here and there. Oliveah Gilchrist, also part of the senior class, is another between-the-box-score type of player who is willing to do whatever is needed from her in a given game.

MacDonald is also a key piece offensively with her shooting, the senior always moving off the ball to a good open spot and capable of heating up in a hurry.

Presley Foote’s future is in softball, the senior having committed to West Chester, but she’s always one to bring energy, a burst of speed and competitiveness when called upon.

Sophomore Emily Panaro returns after earning a spot in the starting lineup during last season. The forward, who is one of the team’s tallest players at 5-10, is an excellent screen-setter and good passer who will look to contribute more offensively.

“We know what everyone does,” MacDonald said. “We’ve been playing together for four years, so we just know what everyone does best and how to use that.”

Pennsbury is also keen on two freshmen as likely contributors. Joely Hohman and Sammie Haws spent the summer together as teammates with the Mid-Atlantic Magic’s 14U team, and to hear their veteran teammates tell it, they have already settled in with the high school team.

Hohman, a 5-7 guard, can get to the basket and is a solid shooter while also showing good vision as a passer this fall. Haws, at 5-6, plays well off the ball and brings the same defensive mentality as her teammates.

“They’re really committed to this team, so we’re excited to see them with us,” Matthias said.

Despite sweeping rival Neshaminy last year, the Falcons finished second by a game in the SOL Patriot standings. Between the home-and-away with Neshaminy, plus two games with a deep Council Rock South team they split with last year, Pennsbury is expecting a tough run in the division, and that’s before even factoring in Bensalem and Council Rock North.

With a veteran team, the Falcons aren’t hiding from anything. The trio of MacDonald, Matthias and Vitucci all said they plan on playing until the end of March. They know what they’ve got.

“It’s just what’s expected, every year,” Matthias said.