By Dan Arkans (@danarkans)
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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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It’s been several years since Shayla Smith, Reynah Rattliff and Senaya Parker have been on the basketball floor together.
Four years, to be exact, when they were dominating the hardwood for the Philly Finesse AAU squad.
Raynah Rattliff (above) adds another talented scorer to the Audenried Charter backcourt. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)
Although Parker and Smith have been together for years, the addition of Rattliff from Life Center (N.J.) makes this trio dangerous entering the 2024-25 season for the Audenried girls basketball team.
“The chemistry came back,” Rattliff said. “Shayla is a great player to play with. We always know where we are going to be on the court. She has a great IQ. It’s definitely full circle.”
Rattliff is looking to make an impact for an Audenried Charter squad, which won the Philadelphia Public League title and advanced all the way to the PIAA 4A semifinals.
She is not the only newcomer to the team that finished on the floor against Scranton Prep last March in an 83-50 loss. Senior Ikera Ellison came over from Neumann-Goretti, while senior Jordyn Searles was at Mastery North last year.
“The team was usually me and one other player leading,” Smith said. “Now we have seven seniors. I don’t have to be the only leader and only older player. We have some young kids coming in. They are doing well.”
Of course Audenreid will only go as far as Smith takes them. The Penn State recruit enters the season with 1,842 points, a little less than 700 points from breaking the all-time scoring record in the city of Philadelphia at 2,501 held by Sharnetta Stewart of University City. She will pass other names like Linda Page (2,380, Dobbins) and Dawn Staley (2,445, Dobbins).
“Shayla was on someone’s podcast,” said Audenreid coach Kevin Slaughter, who’s entering his 13th year at the helm. “People were talking about her records. She’s about to pass the all-time leading scorer in Philly history. She should be proud of it. She said 'I am not worried about the Public League.' People thought she was talking about the competition. Her goals are a state championship.”
“It’s just natural,” said Smith of the scoring record. “If it happens it’s probably going to happen. It’s definitely an honor and a blessing.”
Nasiaah Russell (above) returns after hurting her knee early in her freshman season. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)
The senior trio is certainly not alone either. Smith will be passing the torch to 6-foot-3 sophomore center Nasiaah Russell, who tore her ACL in December and missed most of last season. She was averaging 10 points, nine rebounds and six blocks per game prior to the injury and is already being recruited by Rutgers, Illinois, Temple and Delaware State according to Slaughter.
“It taught me patience, I can’t take my team lightly,” Russell said of last season. “Our community is easy to develop. Shayla is part of the reason we all get along. A couple of new players are sisters now. We are all sisters. We do this together. Everything is a team thing. There’s No I in team. I feel like the work will pay off.”
Russell is the only true big on the squad surrounded by a two-point guard offense in Parker and Rattliff. She isn’t exactly taking that as a burden entering the season.
“My game it’s part of me being a quick learner,” Russell said. “Me being only big, a lot of players depend on me. I am still the young buck on the team.”
Smith, Russell and Parker will also be joined by last year’s returners in Heaven Reese and Aniyah Cheeseboro to try to run opponents off the floor on both sides of the ball. If the team gets to 75 it’s usually a win in Slaughter’s system.
“I haven’t said this to anyone yet, but this is the best team I’ve ever had,” Slaughter said. “If I were to talk about Shayla freshman year, sophomore year, junior year, which Shayla do I want? I want the senior Shayla. This Shayla is scary good, scary good.”
Shayla Smith (above) is the reigning Public League PoTY. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)
Audenried accomplished a lot last season. There was its second straight Public League championship, the program’s first District 12 title and finally a run to the PIAA 4A semifinals.
The goals are certainly bigger this season.
“I think we can go undefeated,” Smith said. “I think we can win the public league, district and states. I think we can go undefeated and win everything. Scranton Prep, that’s the team I want to play in the championship.”
That stunning loss still stings the Audenried community. Slaughter felt the team was a bit tired in an 83-50 loss. Still, it was the furthest a Public League girls program has gotten since Imhotep reached the 3A semifinals in 2022.
“We ran into a buzzsaw,” Slaughter said. “They shot 21 of 26 from 3. It was a great game from them. Our goal is not just focused on them. They are coming back with their whole team. We have them on the billboard as this is our goal to see them again. We definitely want to win a state championship for 4A.”
First though the Rockets have to deal with the regular season. With an eye on that Slaughter organized a difficult schedule that begins with a loaded Westtown team on November 30. It also includes Cypress Springs (Tex.), Germantown Academy, CB East and Archbishop Carroll to name a few.
“Our regular season we don’t snub it,” Rattliff said. “We want to win a majority of games. We aren’t going to back down. We have a harsh regular season schedule.”
Tag(s): Home Season Preview High School Girls HS Public League (G) Public League A Audenried