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 2024-25 season preview coverage. The complete list of schools previewed thus far can be found here.)
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Each year has been one step forward for Conestoga.
In the last four years, the Pioneers have gone from a non-playoff team to a Central League contender, a high seed in the District 1 6A bracket and a state playoff qualifier. Now it’s about once again taking the next step and pushing for a little bit more.
Ruth Lanouette (above) and Conestoga made it to the district semifinals last year. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)
Conestoga has covered a lot of ground in a short amount of time and a veteran group wants its last step to be its biggest one forward.
“We can really see the build-up over the past couple years,” senior Ruth Lanouette said. “We just kept getting further and further, so it’s pretty clear the work we’re putting in is paying off and so it’s motivation that it matters what we’re doing and we’re going to keep getting better.”
Last season saw AJ Thompson’s group finish 25-4, the run ending in the second round of the PIAA 6A tournament following District 1 6A semifinal and Central League runner-up finishes. The Pioneers lose their floor leader in Marissa Francione, the tireless point guard now a freshman at Scranton, and in twins Bella and Katrina Valencia, a pair of high-IQ players who fit into Conestoga’s defensive ethos.
While losing three experienced starters isn’t easy, the Pioneers still have a pretty impressive foundation.
Senior Janie Preston, an Army recruit, will hold down a key role on both ends, the 6-foot-1 post a versatile offensive player and the anchor defensively in the lane. Junior Ryann Jennings is also back for her third year in the starting lineup, the 5-foot-10 guard only getting better and better with a bushel of Division I offers to her name.
“This year, we’re trying to go really far, build on what we’ve done,” Jennings said. “We want to win the Central League, we want to go farther into districts and states.Our team are all competitors, so I have a feeling it’s going to go very well this season.”
Jennings and Preston will give the Pioneers more than enough to win on some nights, but they’ll need help when the Central League grinder begins and if the Pioneers take the kind of postseason journey they hope to. That’s where a supporting cast that’s as deep as it’s been in the last few seasons steps in.
Lanouette, a brilliant student considering some of the country’s elite academic schools, will slot into a starting guard role. Lanouette, who came off the bench last year, brings speed and athleticism to the floor and has good anticipation defensively.
The senior is looking forward to what the team’s new look lineup can bring with it.
“We have a lot of girls who are just ready to compete,” Lanouette said. “They’ve come back every year always ready to put in the work and now they have their chance to play, so they’re going to be really good for us.”
Thompson cited senior Kate Martin, an Ursinus commit, as ready to step into a larger role in the frontcourt. The 6-foot forward brings energy and can play inside if Preston wants to step out to the high post or beyond without losing a rebounding presence.
Center Janie Preston (above) is committed to play at West Point. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)
Junior Maggie Neary and sophomore Libby Brown, who both saw reserve minutes last year, will fill out the backcourt rotation. Thompson sees Neary as a likely breakout player and likewise sees Brown and Martin making names for themselves if they come out and play with confidence.
“I think they can do it, it’s just a matter of getting the cohesiveness together and figuring out where everybody fits,” Thompson said. “Everybody plays hard, they give you whatever you ask whether it’s in practice or games. We have kids who can score the basketball, we need kids who can play defense, rebound the ball, do all the little things that Bella, Katrina and Marissa did for us.”
The Central League again figures to be one of the top conferences in the area. Garnet Valley returns most of its roster from last year’s state semifinal run and two-time defending Central League champion Haverford still has plenty of punch left at the top of the table.
‘Stoga won its first 17 games last season, made its first district semifinal since 1979 and won its first state playoff game in eight years, all hallmarks of the program’s growth in the past three years. That doesn’t mean the Pioneers are settling on that success.
Their calling card will still be defense, but this year’s team is looking to add some new things on offense, namely an increased speed. Jennings said the Pioneers want to run the ball and it’s been an emphasis in their fall team events.
With a competitive group, the defensive energy will still be high because every stop means another offensive possession.
“We have scorers on this team and everybody wants that opportunity to be able to score, that’s we’re trying to have such a high pace as a team,” Preston said. “Everybody wants those chances and that’s why everybody works so hard on defense to get us more of those chances.”
Progress is measured in steps taken forward and Conestoga has certainly left a few footprints going the right direction the last few years. There’s plenty of potential for another step or two this season, it’ll just come down to putting the pieces together.
“We’ve talked about ‘the next step’ for four or five years now and it always starts with just getting better,” Thompson said. “We have done that every single year and I told them when we first got back together that we have the opportunity to be better than we were last year, it’s just a matter of getting the pieces where they need to go and everybody playing with confidence.”
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