City of Basketball Love

By Owen McCue (@Owen_McCue)
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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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Three teams stood above the rest for the majority of the girls Philadelphia Catholic League season with Cardinal O’Hara, Lansdale Catholic and Archbishop Wood walking away with one loss apiece in league play before the Crusaders won the league title for the first time in an all-time classic against Wood.

Then came the state playoffs where Carroll got hot to win the Class 6A division and Wood and LC won the class 5A and 4A classifications, respectively. 

O’Hara and Carroll have dominated the league for decades, both winning eight titles since 2000, with Wood (three) and Neumann-Goretti (two) the only other programs to win championships during that time, both winning two in the last 10 years. 

Lansdale Catholic’s rise mixed things up last season as the Crusaders joined Bonner-Prendergast (2001) and West Catholic (2020) as the only other programs to spoil the Big 4’s party in the 000s.

With a handful of Division I players and other college-level talent graduating, it will be exciting to see how the league shakes out in 2023-24:

Favorites

Cardinal O’Hara loses by far the least of last season’s four PCL semifinalists. Junior 5-11 wing Molly Rullo was part of the team’s 2022 title team and looks to guide the Lions back to the top of the league after averaging 16.8 ppg and 6.5 rpg during a first team All-PCL sophomore campaign. Rullo, who already announced her commitment to Drexel, has plenty of other firepower returning, including senior guard and La Salle commit Joanie Quinn (11.8 ppg). Seniors Carly Coleman and Greta Miller are two more returning starters with Rullo’s younger sister Megan, a sophomore point guard who holds a Drexel offer herself, replacing the lone starting spot not returning. With so much experience back, including the preseason favorite for league MVP in Molly Rullo,  Chrissie Doogan’s squad looks like the early favorite to grab a second title in three years.

Archbishop Wood was an Olivia Boccella triple away from taking home its second PCL title in three years last season, falling to LC in that epic title game. Gone are Deja Evans (Albany), Delaney Finnegan (St. Thomas Aquinas) and Kara Meredith (Holy Family). They still have two all-league players and DI talents returning in junior 5-11-wing Emily Knouse (St. Joe’s) and senior 5-6 point guard Ava Renninger (Fairleigh Dickinson). Some of the depth pieces from a season ago like 5-6 senior guards Alexa Windish (Kutztown) and Lauren Greer will get the opportunity to show they’ve got game. An injury to sophomore 5-11 wing/forward Colleen Besachio, a transfer from Upper Dublin, hurts the group’s depth but there’s enough firepower for coach Mike McDonald’s squad at the top to compete for a league crown. 

Contenders

Archbishop Carroll lost to each of the top three teams in the league and was downed by Lansdale Catholic in the PCL semis a season ago before upsetting District 1 champ Perk Valley and O’Hara in states on the way to a PIAA championship. Current Army freshman Taylor Wilson did so much last season for the Patriots that she’ll be almost impossible to replace, but her younger sister Brooke Wilson (11.7 ppg), a 5-8 senior guard, looks to add to the school’s hardware collection before joining Taylor at West Point. The Patriots are buoyed this season by another group of sisters in the McFillins — senior Felicity (Air Force) and junior Maddie transferring from Harriton to join Abigail, a freshman. Sophomore Alexis Eberz started as a freshman, but looks to breakout into the team’s other top scoring threat alongside Wilson. The Patriots will look to a number of role players from last season to fill in the other gaps, including junior Olivia Nardi who was the top reserve last season.

Lansdale Catholic’s graduated league MVP Gabby Casey and another first-team all-league player in forward Jaida Helm. Coach Eric Gidney returns a third first team all-league player in 5-6 junior guard Sanyiah Littlejohn (7.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 4.3 apg and 3.0 spg) who suddenly has the reins to the program. Senior 5-5 guard Olivia Boccella, a Catholic commit and the hero in last season’s title game, and junior 5-8 guard Nadia Yemola are the other two back from a line that rarely went deeper than five last season. Junior 6-2 forward Grace McDonough, who holds offers from Lafayette and Radford, gives the Crusaders a true post presence after transferring from Souderton. If some of the inexperienced players break out, LC’s ceiling becomes a lot higher.

Neumann-Goretti was in a tier by itself last season, clearly below the top five teams and a clear cut above the other six. The terrific backcourt of junior 5-4 guards Amya Scott (15.7 ppg) and Carryn Easley (13.5 ppg) are back with eyes of elevating the program back into that top group after earning first team all-PCL honors for a fifth-place team last season. Sophomore 5-7 guards Kamora Berry and Zion Coston were two other big pieces as freshmen for a squad that only had two major losses to graduation. Freshman 5-8 guard Reginna Baker, who already has an offer from Delaware, could be a factor for a Saints team that is still somewhat young. They’ll all have two years together to make a run but coach Andrea Peterson and company definitely think they have a chance to be in the mix with everyone else this year.

To Be Determined

Seventh-year Conwell-Egan head coach Chris Brennan looks to get his squad to take a leap closer to the upper echelon this season. Conwell-Egan has one of the best bigs in the league in 6-foot junior Lily Milewski, who averaged 12.4 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 1.0 spg and 1.4 bpg during her sophomore campaign. Senior 5-9 wing Brooke McFadden (10.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.7 spg) and twin sister Bri McFadden (Gwynedd Mercy) are two more experienced pieces along with 5-10 forward Emma Candy. An X-factor could be 5-8 wing Mya Aizen. She tore her ACL for the second time five games into last season after averaging 14.8 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 3.2 apg and 2.2 spg, but could be ready by the end of December.

West Catholic went with a freshman-heavy group last season and hopes some of those growing pains pay off this year. Sophomore 6-foot forward Ciani Scott is poised for a breakout season after working tirelessly this summer. Sophomores Jasmine Butler (5-11) and Ciana Blake (5-8) return as well along with junior Kiajah Henry (6-foot) and senior Laila Farmer (5-7). junior Kiajah Henry (6-foot) and senior Laila Farmer (5-7). Senior guard Sakinah Abdus-Salaam (5-10) and junior guard Nyla Coleman (5-8), both transfers from Abington Friends, supplement that group.

Nazareth Academy joins the PCL this season under sixth-year head coach Mary Kate Magagna. All five starters are back from a squad that went 13-13, won the District 1-4A championship and advanced to the second round of the PIAA tournament. They’ve been thet team’s core since their freshman years and are now juniors with two seasons to leave a mark in the Catholic League. Reese Power (12.8 ppg), a 5-8 guard and Abby Rock (9.8 ppg), a 5-7 guard, will once again lead the charge alongside guards Rileigh Donohue and Natalie D’Alfonso and forward Gracie Sullivan. Nazareth went 2-4 against the PCL last season with wins over Little Flower and Archbishop Ryan and losses to St. Hubert’s, Lansdale Catholic, Conwell-Egan, and Cardinal O’Hara.

Archbishop Ryan got a new head coach Mike Gallagher and lost one of its top players in Reynah Rattliff (Life Center) right before the start of the season. Delaney Finn, a 5-6 senior guard who can really shoot it, was a second team All-PCL selection a season ago and she’ll now have even more on her plate. Senior 5-11 forward Haley Davis could help out when she returns from injury. Senior 6-foot forward Eliana Szatowski, senior 5-7 guard Jenna Gontz and junior guard Riley Lukach add more experience.

Other Names to Know

St. Hubert’s has starters Lex Price (senior) and Luca D’Andrea (sophomore) back. Cair Hunter is another senior, but Hubert’s will be young this season with sophomore Devon Ginter and freshmen Saige Primavera and Molly Black the other names to know.

Bonner-Prendergast didn’t win a PCL game last season but graduated just two seniors from last year’s squad and returns senior Riley Donahue (9.0 ppg), who was an All-PCL honorable mention last season.

Little Flower junior Hayden Johnston was an All-PCL selection as a sophomore last season.