City of Basketball Love

By Josh Verlin (@jmverlin)
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The 19th annual Hoops for Hope basketball marathon comes to Arcadia on Sunday, with 14 area teams taking part in the seven-game event, which runs from morning until evening in the Kuch Recreation and Athletic Center.

The event features teams from all around the Philadelphia suburbs, including some of the top teams in the Catholic League and Inter-Ac as well as representatives from the Central, Pioneer Athletic, AACA and Suburban One. 

Admission is $10 for all spectators. All proceeds from Hoops for Hope go towards Morgan’s Message, a 501(c)(3) non-profit devoted to helping student-athletes with their mental health. It was founded in memory of Morgan Rodgers, a former Duke lacrosse player who took her own life in 2019.

Here’s a look at each game:

Maura Gilroy (right) and Haverford High open up the event against Phoenixville. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Phoenixville vs Haverford High (9:30 AM)
Starting off the day is the only one that matches up two potential district playoff opponents against one another, as both Phoenixville (11-3) and Haverford (9-4) are in the thick of things in the 6A seeding shuffle; as of this writing, Phoenixville’s No. 9 and Haverford No. 15 in the unofficial district rankings. The Phantoms feature senior guard and Wesleyan commit Kayden Baratta, a sharpshooting 5-foot-8 guard who’s shown her scoring prowess by hitting the 40-point mark earlier this season; she and senior forward Riley Ford-Bey are quite an experienced pair leading the way for first-year head coach Howard Kelly. Haverford High has its own inside-out duo in forward Maura Gilroy, a 6-1 post and Scranton commit (and Barratta’s AAU teammate with the Lady Runnin’ Rebels) plus 5-5 sophomore guard Grace Maloney, one of several sophomores who contribute significantly for the Fords along with Kiera Hanson and Taylor Gleason.

Germantown Academy vs Archbishop Carroll (11:00 AM)
Archbishop Carroll spent most of December testing itself against teams from outside of the state, going up against some of the best programs in the country, and now is spending all of January going up against the PCL slate and a couple local private schools, including this matchup of Patriots. Carroll, arguably the best PIAA program in the area, features the Eberz sisters in senior Alexis, a Villanova commit, and sophomore Kayla, a 5-11 high-major target, while junior guard Abbie McFillin has had a terrific season as well. GA coach Lauren Power counters with a deep group that includes quality post play from junior Jo Owens (6-2) and sophomore Taylor Williams (6-0), both D-I recruits, with junior guard Emma Seckinger leading a talented-but-young backcourt. 

Brooke Evans (above) and Gwynedd Mercy are playing Perkiomen Valley on Sunday. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Perkiomen Valley vs Gwynedd Mercy Academy (12:30 PM)
The defending PIAA 6A state champs, Perkiomen Valley (12-3) graduated just about its whole rotation but has continued to be strong this year, winning its last seven games against Pennsylvania competition, and sitting in first place in the PAC Liberty before the back half of division play. Vikings coach John Russo has turned to a strong sophomore class, including Scarlet Lee, Gabby Russo and Hannah Evans, plus junior guards Megan King and Kate Nemic are also parts of a versatile offensive attack. Gwynedd’s ship is steered by seniors Bailey Balkir (Gettysburg) and Brooke Evans (Stevens Inst.), with sophomore sharpshooter Chloe McCarthy the next big-time scorer for the Monarchs (12-4), under the direction of Taylor Sweeney.

Villa Maria Academy vs Neshaminy (2:00 PM)
It’s another District 1 6A vs. AACA matchup, and both teams have some good size both inside and on the perimeter. Neshaminy (10-3), which is the No. 10 team in the unofficial District 1 6A rankings as of this writing, features 5-8 wing Ashlyn Duffy, 6-0 Hayley Kolk and 5-8 Mia Raivitch, plus 5-7 guard Grace Weyler, all juniors. And keep an eye on freshman Nicole Trespalacios, a 5-10 freshman who’s already shown the ability to score at a good clip at the varsity level. Villa Maria puts the ball in the hands of 5-8 senior Sophia Tray, a three-year star and Loyola (Md.) lacrosse commit, but has been getting great play up front from junior Ava Broadhurst and 6-0 freshman Ashley Troy. 

Archbishop Wood vs Notre Dame (3:30 PM)
One of the Catholic League powerhouses takes on the top dogs in the Inter-Ac this season in another high-level contest. Notre Dame’s built around the impressive junior duo of guard Riley Davis, who recently scored her 1,000th point, and 6-3 center Grace Nasr, who has a growing list of Division I offers. Irish coach Terry Mancini has quite a few other good pieces to work with as well, including senior sharpshooter Emma Anthony, 6-0 senior guard Alex Gillin and 5-8 junior Maddie DeFronzo. Wood coach Mike McDonald has senior Emma Yogis (Ursinus) leading a young group that also includes a strong sophomore contingent led by Abbie Kelly, Addison Payne, Zoey Whalen and Casey Thompson. The Vikings have taken steps forward this season; this will be another test of how far they’ve come. 

Addie Adamski (above) and twin sister Kylie lead the Garnet Valley attack. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Garnet Valley vs Lansdale Catholic (5:00 PM)
This one’s a good contrast in styles, as Garnet Valley loves to run-and-gun and Lansdale Catholic has no issue forcing a grind-it-out, half-court contest, as each has a longtime successful head coach in GV’s Joe Woods and LC’s Tom Lonergan. The Jaguars (11-2), one of four teams tied for first place in the Central League, feature junior twin sisters Kylie and Addie Adamski, who along with senior wing Katie Dwyer represent most of the returning minutes from last year’s PIAA 6A semifinalists. Lansdale Catholic lost senior guard and Albright commit Aubrey Mobley to injury in the preseason, so they rely heavily on junior forwards Alison Kaltenbacher and Allie Esposito, both 5-10 and versatile, and freshman guard Jade Fretz is one of several underclassmen with good upside. 

Mount Saint Joseph’s vs Plymouth Whitemarsh (6:30 PM)
This game actually opened the event last year, and now it’ll close it out this time around. The Mount is in the midst of a terrific season, 12-2 and in the No. 1 spot in the District 1 5A unofficial rankings by a solid margin. Head coach Matt Feeney has a deep group including six sophomores, though it’s senior guard Morgan Cross who gives them a big boost at both ends, with junior Caroline Dougherty a tough 5-7 slasher. Plymouth Whitemarsh (9-3) relies on 5-11 junior wing Eliza Meersman, senior guard McKenna Winland, and 5-7 junior wing Olivia Patete with support from 5-6 sophomore Grace Harvey. 

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