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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Perkiomen Valley halted Spring-Ford’s run of five straight Pioneer Athletic Conference championships last season. The two Liberty Division rivals have faced off for the last two league titles and they’ll be anticipated to do the same again this season.

With the top two teams in the league also two of the best in the district — they played in the District 1-6A semifinal last season — it’s easy to overlook some of the other squads in the league.

However, there’s still plenty of other talent in the Liberty Division and the Frontier Division should be a fun race once again in 2023-24. Here’s a quick breakdown of the league:

Liberty Division

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Reigning champion Perkiomen Valley is definitely the team to beat. The Vikings went 28-2 last season, picking up PAC and District 1-6A titles before an overtime loss to eventual state champion Carroll. Coach John Russo brings all five starters back, including junior 6-3 forward Quinn Boettinger (16.4 ppg), 6-1 junior wing Grace Galbavy (13.3 ppg), 5-7 junior guard Bella Bacani (10.4 ppg), junior 5-8 wing Lena Stein and junior 5-7 guard Julia Smith. While the Vikings graduate their top bench option Ella Stein, junior 5-9 forward Grace Miley, a starter two seasons ago, and senior 5-7 guard Anna Stein, a Kutztown commit, is finally fully healthy. The Vikings have Division I talent and size in Galbavy and Boettinger, lots of experience and depth in their backcourt and already have a championship pedigree. If they can remain focused, they’ll be extremely tough to beat.

Spring-Ford handed PV its only blemish during the regular season last winter — a 56-44 win at Spring-Ford. The Vikings took the next three outings at PV, including a dominant PAC title game victory. But the Rams had the Vikings on the ropes in a District 1 semifinal and have a senior group looking to grab its third league title in four seasons. Senior guards Anna Azzara (14.7 ppg) and Mac Pettinelli (9.1 ppg) have played in about as many big games as possible in their careers. Senior 5-11 guard/wing Katie Tiffan (8.7 ppg), a Lynn College commit, and senior 5-9 guard Siena Miller are right behind. The Rams’ don’t have a true post presence without Meg Robbins (Elizabethtown) so they will have to combat size in other ways. Senior Sophia Allocca is another vet. Then there’s senior guard Aaliyah Solliday, a big part of the PAC title team in 2021 who is back still returning to 100 percent after a knee injury kept her out last season.

Other Names to Know

The last remaining member of Owen J. Roberts’ 2020 state playoff team, Gabbi Koury (12.1 ppg) graduated last season, but 16th-year coach Jermey Mellon brings back four starters from a team that snuck into the PAC Final Six last season. Senior 5-6 guard Asya Price (11.1 ppg), a second team all-league selection last season, leads the group. Junior 5-4 guard Ashly White (7.5 ppg), senior 5-4 guard Sam Martins and Senior 5-11 forward Abby Smith are also back. Injuries hampered OJR in the early parts of the season and a daunting non-league and division slate helped keep the Wildcats out of the postseason. It would be hard to see OJR (or anyone else) competing with PV and Spring-Ford this season, but the Wildcats should have a squad that can push back into the league and district postseason and possibly sneak up on some teams.

Methacton typically find itself in the conversation with the top teams in the PAC, but the Warriors will have a very inexperienced under the watch of 22nd-year coach Craig Kaminski after graduating a combined 2,800 points in Cassidy Kropp and Mairi Smith a year after graduating the program’s all-time scoring leader Nicole Timko. Junior 5-8 guard Abby Arnold (9.2 ppg), a third-year varsity player, is the only returning starter. Senior 5-11 forward Margaret Toaso, senior 5-9 forward Ava Cingiser, junior 5-10 forward Jenna Kaufman and senior 5-8 forward Courtney Freese have experience in reserve roles. The Warriors will likely need to get some contributions from a group of freshmen and sophomores who are pushing for varsity time.

Boyertown second-year coach Troy Sweisfort has three seniors on the roster in Maeve Coyle, Sabrina Falzone and Grace Heacock. Junior 5-8 guard Madelyn Weaver should be in line for a big season after averaging 7.5 ppg as a sophomore.

Norristown seniors Briana Minick and Azjiona Golston led the way for the Eagles last season and will be looked upon once again.

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Frontier Division

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Phoenixville won the division last season by winning its last eight division games. First team all-league selection Caroline Flick is gone along with a few role players but the Phantoms were a balanced attack last season and have a young core very capable of winning a second straight Frontier championship and making some more noise in the district playoffs. Phoenixville has a towering front court in sophomore Riley Ford-Bey and senior Maliyah Warren, both 6-foot plus. Junior guards Nevaeh Latimore-Beasley and Ava Gnias are also back along with sophomore guard Kayden Baratta. Junior 5-10 forward Emine Ulcay missed last season with an injury and returns to bolster the lineup.

Upper Merion’s backcourt duo of sophomore 5-5 guards Levayda Fuquada (11.0 ppg) and 5-5 Kennedy Coles (9.8 ppg) will be a fun one to watch over the next couple years. They nearly guided the Vikings to a PAC Final Six if not for an epic fourth-quarter comeback by PJP in the second-to-last game of the regular season. Junior 5-7 guard Devon Maiden missed 12 games last season but is back to form a talented backcourt trio. Senior 5-9 forward Olivia Smith, a team captain, senior 5-11 forward Addie Eaton and senior 5-10 wing Chole Kokenberger are also return to give Upper Merion five of the top seven members of its rotation back. Upper Merion’s senior core went winless as freshmen but has the chance to compete for a division title and try and reach the district playoffs to cap a career that’s season improvement in each season.

Pope John Paul II had an extremely new-look group last season, yet the Golden Panthers still fought their way to a second place finish in the division and fifth straight PAC Final Six appearance, along with a District 1-4A playoff berth.Senior forward Katie Nilles and sophomore guard Rylee Derecola, first and second team all-league selections last season, return to the starting lineup along with senior point guard Elena Collilouri. Senior forward Nadia Platt, junior guards Grace Fitzgerald and Brooke Albeck are three other big pieces of the rotation back. PJP didn’t have a big-time scorer last season, instead winning with its defense and timely buckets. It will likely be a similar formula in 2023-24 as the Golden Panthers vie for a Frontier crown.

Other Names to Know

Upper Perkiomen senior 6-foot forward Erin States (11.6 ppg) is the top returning scorer in the Frontier Division. States has averaged double figures in each season of her career and could become the program’s first 1,000-point scorer in a decade with a big senior campaign. Senior forward Abby Davidheiser and senior point guard Natalie Kearney also return to the starting lineup. Seniors Carly Heiser, Ross Padilla and Hannah Guffey, who was injured most of last year, and sophomore Makayla Marshall are a few UP hopes can step up this season.

After five years at Pottstown, Madison Morton takes over at crosstown rival Pottsgrove, whose former coach Mike Brendlinger retired following his 21st season. Senior 5-7 point guard Jessica Carroll (8.4 ppg) is the squad’s top returning threat. Carroll, senior 5-5 guard Ava Leaman and senior 5-10 forward Mikayla Eckman were three members of the starting five last season. Junior 5-6 guard Aleah Rockemore did some good things as a sophomore, and Eckman’s younger sister Olivia adds some more size as a 5-11 forward.

Pottstown senior Mikayla Brandon (8.3 ppg) has been around at the varsity level for four years, while sophomore Jayanna Hill (7.0 ppg) was an impact player as a freshman, earning second team All-PAC Frontier honors.