City of Basketball Love

By Andrew Robinson (@ADRobinson3)
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Every good team needs a player like Greta Miller, luckily for Cardinal O’Hara, the Lions already have Greta Miller.

The senior isn’t going to lead the scorebook, but watch the Lions play for a few minutes and No. 11 will surely be flying around. Miller has been a star in her role this season as an intangible player who’s impact isn’t measured in numbers.

Miller will play her final game Friday night when Cardinal O’Hara faces Spring-Ford for the PIAA 6A title at Hershey’s Giant Center and she’s enjoyed every bit of the ride.

“It’s been awesome, of course, especially being a senior and this is my way of going out, the only word is awesome,” Miller said. “It’s my third time being able to go to Hershey and winning a third one would just make it so much better.”

On other teams, Miller would likely be a featured player, but she hasn’t scored a point in the Lions’ last two games. That’s not to say her teammates don’t trust her, the guard seems to always be open in the corner ready to let fly with a three, she just best fits other roles for a team that’s got Molly Rullo, Carly Coleman, Joanie Quinn and Megan Rullo starting alongside her.

A second-year starter, Miller is tenacious on defense and is well-versed in the Lions’ switching scheme, so she rarely makes a mis-step. In some ways, the Lions are an easy team to play for because of their unselfishness and cohesive make-up but at the same time, it also makes it hard to play for them because it’s such a high standard.

“I know I don’t really get as many shots that I could be getting or that I’d like but defense wins games,” Miller said. “That’s why I focus as much as I do on my defense and make sure I do all the little things correctly so that even though I’m not scoring, I still feel like I’m having an impact on the game.”

Lions assistant coach Chris Genther has described Miller as “scrappy,” a high compliment to a player that willingly accepts their role. Miller, who played travel ball with the Delco Goats, has made some crucial shots in her career although it’s just as common to see her making a play in some other way.

“I think it comes easily because once I step out on the court, I just let go,” Miller said. “I just let myself be scrappy, do the hard things that need to be done. I don’t really worry about what happens, I just try to leave everything out on the court.”

Case in point, the 5-foot-6 senior had a timely offensive rebound in each of the last two games. Miller - who is O’Hara’s shortest starter - was able to get an offensive board against Perk Valley’s size with the Lions scoring off it in the quarterfinals, then she did it again in the semis against Parkland.

“I don’t often get offensive rebounds, or defensive rebounds really, so when I do, it feels good,” Miller said. “I’m one of the smallest on the court but it always feels good to know I can help with rebounding.”

As a freshman, Miller was a part of O’Hara’s first-ever state championship team. The next year, she saw an increase in her role but was still a reserve as the Lions went back-to-back in Hershey after capturing a PCL title.

Last year, their season ended in the state semifinals against rival Archbishop Carroll. The three returning senior starters in Miller, Quinn and Coleman talked about getting a title they could call their own.

Not surprisingly, the trio has been at the forefront of the path to Hershey.

“The last two were amazing but now that we get to be the leaders of the team and the ones out there being able to do it all, it makes it feel a little more special,” Miller said. “We get to be the ones who are doing it.”

Miller, who also played midfield for O’Hara’s soccer team in the fall, said seeing Sydni Scott, Amaris Baker, Maggie Doogan, Annie Welde and the other upperclassmen on the two state title teams gave her a strong example of what leading a team looked like. Simply being a part of those groups and seeing the amount of effort it took to win twice, Miller understood that when her turn came, she’d play as hard as she could every time out.

The senior hopes she’s doing the same now, showing the team’s talented sophomores and freshmen what it takes to earn a starting spot, commit to a role and give it all without necessarily being a top scorer.

“It is a big role, I’m hoping we set a good enough path to show them what it takes to be a good leader,” Miller said. “We want them to go on and win a state championship when they step into our shoes.”

Miller had some interest to play at the next level, but she has ultimately decided she’ll be attending Penn State for nursing next year as the latest member of her family to attend the university. The senior called it a little bittersweet to be saying farewell to basketball, but added she couldn’t have asked for a better high note going out playing for a state title.

The senior thanked everyone from past teammates to present teammates to her coaches for a great four years. O’Hara has a tough task Friday, but one thing the Lions won’t have to worry about is Greta Miller going out giving anything less than all she has, no matter what role that may take.

“We’re all fired up,” Miller said. “This whole states run, we’ve been on the gas and we’ve really been putting everything out there. We want to win a state championship, we want to be ours.

“We want it as our way to go out, it’s been one of our biggest goals and it’s what we’re hoping to achieve Friday night.”