City of Basketball Love

Andrew Robinson (@ADRobinson)
—

PHILADELPHIA — The MVP trophies were sometimes as tall as the players on Wednesday night at Imhotep Charter at the 2024 Girls’ All-City Classic, which featured three games that covered classes for 2025, 2026 and 2027. 

Here is a look at four local standouts among a collection of some of the best girls players in the area.

~~~

More Coverage:
Standouts | Notebook (Pt. 1) | Notebook (Pt. 2)

~~~

Joley Hohman & Sammie Haws (2027 | Pennsbury)

The future of Pennsbury got its start in the present this past season.

A veteran Falcons team received a welcomed jolt of youth from freshmen Joley Hohman and Sammie Haws, the team’s seniors recognizing the newcomers’ energy and ability early on. With established teammates around them, Hohman and Haws were able to find their way through their first season while also finding ways to chip in where they could.

The future is taking a step towards the now, Hohman and Haws using this summer to ready themselves for expanded roles next winter.

“Our roles are going to be a lot bigger than they were last year with obviously our biggest pieces leaving,” Hohman said. “We’re looking to come in and keep that same energy and the same winning status that we’ve had before.”

The 5-foot-7 Hohman quickly found a spot as a co-point guard in the Falcons’ starting lineup while the 5-foot-8 Haws was a regular in Pennsbury’s deep rotation. Each game required something a little bit different for each but no matter how many minutes they got, Haws and Hohman knew the first expectation for coach Frank Sciolla.

“Defense,” Haws said. “The difference defensively was definitely a big one.”

“Having to know four, five different defenses, what the call was and how to execute is what got us playing time,” Hohman added. “That’s what we had to really learn coming into the year.”

The two freshmen admitted it took a little while for them to feel comfortable on a high school court. Hohman felt like she got back to playing like herself in the postseason, leaning on her defense to lead the way while Haws had a typical freshman introduction to the varsity level.

“In the beginning, I wasn’t that confident,” Haws said. “Once my confidence went up, that’s when I got into my rhythm and I just rolled with it.”

Playing alongside a senior class that included Sofia Vitucci, Layla Matthias, Daniella MacDonald, Danielle Sherman, Oliveah Gilchrist and Presley Foote, Hohman joked she was “the baby” of the group but the two freshman tried to absorb as much as they could from the team’s leaders.

“Learning from Sofia Vitucci as a point guard was a big thing for me,” Hohman said. “Learning her ways, her style, it was so great for me to learn under her but it’s also going to be a different challenge. My role’s going to be to score more and I’m trying to focus all offseason on being a more efficient scorer.”

Juniors Maggie Burns and Ava Jordan and sophomores Emily Panaro and Bridget McGoningle are also returning for Pennsbury so while the two freshmen guards will be looked to for more, they’ll have plenty of teammates to help them and vice-versa.

“I’m also excited for the new girls coming up because I think they can take a big role for us too,” Haws said. “They can definitely step up with us and take a big role on our team.”

“It’s a big role, it’s a big responsibility, you’re going to go through struggles but at the same time, you’re always with your teammates,” Hohman said. “They’re the ones that have your back.”

Haws and Hohman are back together this summer too. The duo play for the same Mid-Atlantic Magic team, one coached by Archbishop Wood’s Mike McDonald, so they have plenty of time to keep honing their on-court connection.

“We’ve been playing together for a while now, our chemistry has definitely been built up a lot,” Haws said. “We work well together in a lot of ways.”

“We have the transition layups. She runs, I throw it up,” Hohman said. “Then I clap and I run back.”

~~~

Grace McDonough (2025 | Lansdale Catholic)

It’s been a whirlwind few weeks for Grace McDonough.

The 6-foot-2 forward exited her junior season, her first at Lansdale Catholic, with three Division I offers. With June about to start, McDonough finds herself with 24 offers to her name and the most recent crop including five of the six programs in the Philadelphia area.

McDonough’s play has continued to impress with her Lady Runnin’ Rebels team as the summer really gets going, even if it is a bit overwhelming at times.

“It’s been crazy, honestly, it’s a bit hard to believe,” McDonough said. “I’m just happy my hard work is paying off. It’s nice to get that recognition and some attention for it.”

McDonough’s most recent offer came on Tuesday this week when she added Fairfield to her growing list. May and April in general have been pretty active for the forward, a couple standout performances at Spooky Nook in April and down in Atlantic City a couple weekends ago bringing an influx of offers her way.

The post-AC crop included Penn, La Salle, St. Joe’s, Villanova and Drexel from the City Six, plus Delaware, Richmond, UMass and Seton Hall.

“I got a lot of feedback on my patience in the post,my footwork and how I’m looking for those outside passes to my teammates from the post,” McDonough said. “I definitely think we played well together, everyone was looking into the post and it came from being able to play off each other, run some pick-and-rolls, get pops.”

The two live periods so far have led to pretty busy weeks that follow but they’ve also been pretty productive for McDonough.

“It’s hard to keep organized and keep track but it’s been getting easier,” McDonough said. “It’s nice to hear the things I did well, but also the things I need to work on and have that outside view from other coaches.”

McDonough said she’s looking to start narrowing down her list and to that end, is aiming to schedule some visits for June and July. Adding the local interest adds another dynamic to the mix, giving the forward some options to stay close to home if she wants to go that direction.

There’s still plenty of summer left and McDonough will be busy with the Rebels starting this weekend at the Comets Tournament, next weekend at The Prime Event East at Spooky Nook, a trip to Kentucky and the HGSL championships back in AC as the capper on her club career in July.

While some nagging injuries hampered her first two seasons of high school basketball, McDonough said she feels as good as ever on the court. A mobile forward with a good sense on both ends of the floor, McDonough want to continue to be a factor while not straying from what’s made her successful so far.

“I’m definitely looking to be more present offensively, especially from the outside,” McDonough said.

McDonough earned a First Team All-Catholic selection this season and added a third team all-state honor in April, but she and the Crusaders fell short of states and a chance to defend LC’s PIAA 4A title. With senior Olivia Boccella the team’s only departure, McDonough said she and her LC teammates are eager to have a bounce-back season.

“I’m definitely confident we’ll make it a lot farther than we did,” McDonough said. “I believe we have a lot of potential.”

~~~

Reese Power (2025 | Nazareth Academy)

Power knows how her basketball career will end.

The Nazareth Academy junior guard isn’t clairvoyant, she doesn’t know the exact date, last opponent or final score, but thanks to an unexpected opportunity she does know next season will be her last. Power is still focused on making the most out of what will now be her last season on a basketball court, especially with the success the Pandas had in their first season as a member of the Philadelphia Catholic League.

Power’s college career will instead keep her on the soccer pitch, having committed to play at Drexel late in March.

“It just came out of nowhere,” Power said. “It was a good option for me. It’s close to home, I love soccer.

“It’s a little sad I won’t be playing basketball in college but this was a really good fit for me.”

Nazareth Academy had strong debuts in the PCL in both soccer and basketball thanks in part to Power, who was named a First Team All-Catholic selection in both sports. A stalwart defender on the pitch, the 5-foot-8 Power will continue playing the back line in college where her size and athleticism give her versatility to play in the center or at outside back.

The Pandas made it all the way to the PCL title game in the fall, with Power and fellow juniors Gracie Sullivan and Abby Rock among those pulling double-duty when they moved indoors for the winter. Nazareth Academy put together a fifth-place regular season finish and made the PCL semifinals during the basketball season before their campaign ended in the second round of the PIAA 4A tournament.

“Playing in the PCL definitely showed me I had to get better,” Power said. “It’s different playing in the Catholic League, I had to work harder every game.”

Power also doubles up on the club level. She plays basketball for iamBASKETBALL with Upper Moreland’s Mikel Lancit and Mikel’s father Rashim.

For soccer, she plays with Hex FC out of Bucks county under coach Jim McLoughlin. As a center back with serious ability to win the ball in the air, Power is a keystone defensive player for her club team and that’s what drew the Drexel staff to her.

Power said she’s considering nursing or accounting as potential majors, but added she has plenty of time to make that decision.

The Pandas have a couple key pieces to replace next fall in soccer but the defense should be strong with Power and Sullivan, the first team All-Catholic goalkeeper, returning. They won’t be a surprise for anyone entering year two, but with most of their junior-heavy rotation back, Power wants to make sure the basketball career she knows is ending does so on a good note.

“We want to win the PCL, make it just as far as we did last year and make another statement for Nazareth,” Power said.

~~~