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Previewing L-L League Section 2 girls basketball for 2023-24 season

J.Jones3 months ago

Previewing L-L League Section 2 girls basketball for the 2023-24 season. Teams are listed alphabetically ...

: Bill Moore (5th season, 19-61 overall).

Last season’s record: 5-7 league, 6-16 overall.

Top players lost: G Ashley Cirilo (3.4 points per game, 9 3-pointers last season), G Rhiannon Henry (9.3, 19 3-pointers), F Yazmeen Norris (2.9).

Top players returning: G Erin Figart (5.5, 12 3-pointers), F Megan Fliegel (3.6), G Grace Harrison (5.4, 22-pointers), F Adelyn Hartlaub (0.7), G Isabella Johnson (2.7), G Tia Logan (0.5), G Gabrielle Moore (5.6, 29 3-pointers).

Key newcomers: None listed.

: Plenty of familiar names and faces back in the Buckskins’ rotation, and that’s a good thing. Especially with a wide-open section race there for the plucking. Two wing shooters who should draw plenty of defensive attention at the arc: Harrison and Moore — daughter of the coach, and who is already making the recruiting rounds before playing a single game in her junior season — can both bury the 3-ball. There are some nice parts around those two shooters, too. Don’t sleep on CV. You’ve been warned. “We’re excited to see what this group can accomplish,” Bill Moore said. “Our players have bought into what we’re doing, and we’re looking to build on that. This season brings about a great deal of optimism.” It says here that it should. It seems like the Bucks are always in the mix, but an injury here or an OT setback there, and things have gone off the tracks too much here lately. Iron out the mistakes. Keep it simple. And set good picks for Moore and Harrison to knock down some treys, and CV has the goods to be in this race.

ELIZABETHTOWN BEARS

: Todd Brubaker (2nd season, 3-19 overall).

Last season’s record: 1-11 league, 3-19 overall.

Top players lost: F Taryn Hummer (8.7).

Top players returning: G Maggie Clouser (she’s back after missing last season with a knee injury), F Jadyn Lloyd (5.2), G Olivia Martin (1.4, 6 3-pointers), G-F Annabelle Price (2.1), G Emily Williams (0.8, 4 3-pointers), G Chloe Wilkinson (6.6, 13 3-pointers).

Key newcomers: F Sara Mathias, F Jill Morris.

: Not sure what’s in the water in E-town these days, but for the second year in a row, the Bears were stung in the knee-injury department; G Callie Love-Morris (2.3, 7 3-pointers) went down during soccer season, and she’s out for the year. She’s the third player in the last two seasons to be out with a dreaded knee injury, including Clouser, who returns this winter to direct traffic. That leaves just nine healthy players on Brubaker’s roster. That’s it. A JV season might be in jeopardy. Stay tuned. That would also put a crimp in the program, as far as game experience and getting the newbies ready for varsity time. Don’t underestimate that stuff. E-town certainly isn’t — but not by choice, sadly. “Our emphasis has been that the little things matter, and we must strive to do everything with a purpose in order to compete,” Brubaker said. “The team has learned how to manage adversity. Now, we need to learn how to win.” With nine players, apparently. Heck, it’s tough practicing with nine. But the Bears will go with what they have, which includes Lloyd back in the paint and Wilkinson to lead the scoring brigade. We’re also anxious to see how Clouser runs the point after missing all of last season. OK, enough injury talk. E-town doesn’t want to hear it; they must grin and bear it. So to speak.

EPHRATA MOUNTAINEERS

: Brian Cerullo (6th season, 71-43 overall).

Last season’s record: 10-2 league, 17-7 overall (L-L League quarterfinalist, District 3 Class 6A qualifier).

Top players lost: G Jasmine Griffin (17.1, 25 3-pointers, 1,442 career points), G Barbara Price (1.6), G Cara Tiesi (6.6, 45 3-pointers), F Kyrielle Wieand (1.6).

Top players returning: F Mia Cerullo (1.6), F Leah Caldwell (9.0), F Lydia Ehst (2.3), G Jianna Long (missed last season with a knee injury), G Marie McCracken (4.3, 5 3-pointers), G Kayla Reidenbaugh (3.9, 3 3-pointers before missing the remainder of the season with a knee injury). And just when we thought E-town was struggling in the knee department ...

Key newcomers: G Alyssa Caldwell, G Lily Shuke, G Lydia Shuke, F Bella Vazquez.

: Griffin — the program’s all-time leading scorer, engine and all around good egg the last four seasons — isn’t walking back through that door. Neither is 3-point mad-bomber Tiesi. But there is a lot to like in Ephrata. Like paint-enforcer Caldwell and jitterbug backcourt performer McCracken both coming back after successful freshmen campaigns last winter. Ehst also made a big splash on the baseline last season, and Cerullo, Long and Reidenbaugh are all due back after missing major time last winter with injuries. “Our goal is the same every year,” Brian Cerullo said. “To get better as the season progresses, and play our best basketball at the end of the season.” We’ll go ahead and place the Section 2 bull’s-eye on the Mounts — even with some newbies sprinkled in there, and not knowing how long it will take Cerullo, Long and Reidenbaugh to kick off the rust and fit back into the equation. Why Ephrata? Caldwell is tough at the glass, and McCracken has plenty of speed to burn. They’ll be fun to track the next three seasons. It’s going to be weird not seeing Griffin trot out early to shoot jumpers 30 minutes before the JV game. But we think the Mounts will be a must-see team when it starts getting good after the holidays.

GARDEN SPOT SPARTANS

: Scott Boyd (2nd season, 3-19 overall).

Last season’s record: 2-10 league, 3-19 overall.

Top players lost: G Syanna Duval (2.2), F Meredith Horst (3.6), G Lauren Pavelik (1.0, 3 3-pointers), F Nikki Zeiset (6.7, 6 3-pointers).

Top players returning: G A.J. McClain (2.6, 3 3-pointers), G Morgan Pavelik (9.2, 11 3-pointers), G Gwen Varley (5.3, 28 3-pointers).

: A couple of key losses for the Spartans, no question; Zeiset, for one, was a rock in the paint, and her glass work will be missed. But the cupboard is not empty in New Holland, with three key backcourt contributors all due back: Pavelik directs traffic and she’s a perimeter threat. Varley can shoot the trey. And McClain made some gains last winter. And keep an eye on newbie F Laina Steiner, who could be ticketed for some varsity minutes in her freshman season. “We’re looking to bounce back in a big way this year,” Boyd said. “After a season of transition and rebuilding, this team is looking to continue progressing, and seeing how players step up in brand new roles with a younger team.” No reason Sparty Nation can’t break into the middle of the pack this time around. A lot of it will hinge on Pavelik and Varley making shots against any number of defensive looks. And how the newbies fit in. A quick start would behoove this group, for mo purposes. No finishing predictions just yet. But here’s thinking the Spartans will bump up a few slots this winter.

: Michael Smith (2nd season, 23-6 overall).

Last season’s record: 12-0 league, 23-6 overall (Section 2 champ, L-L League semifinalist, District 3 Class 5A fifth-place finisher, PIAA Class 5A qualifier).

Top players lost: G Cadence Getz (0.8), F Maddie Knier (23.4, 35 3-pointers, 2,054 career points — eighth-best in league history), G Kaylie Kroll (9.2, 34 3-pointers), G Abbie Reed (7.3, 20 3-pointers).

Top players returning: F Emma Herman (2.6), F Payton Snyder (4.7).

Key newcomers: F Eden Buckwalter, G Cailey Hoover, F Katie Myer, G Gianna Walters, G Lilah Walters, G Hannah Weaver, G Laken Zeiset.

: That top-players-lost list is pretty staggering, with 2,000-point scorer Knier, heady floor general Reed, and slasher Kroll all exiting stage left — one year after Central won the section and went back to states. Herman, a glass-crasher, and Snyder, a defensive specialist and dirty-worker, return. And that’s a good start. But there will be a lot of fresh faces in Barons’ camp, with 12 newcomers, including (gulp) 11 freshmen. But that should bode well for the future of the program. Might be tricky for Central to hit that high bar again this winter — last year’s senior class was fantastic — but the hard-working Barons will keep swinging. “Our immediate goal is to find our identity as a team,” Smith said, “and our season goal is to come together as one, and play as a team each and every night.” Do so, and we think Central will find a way to be with the lead pack yet again. There will be some growing pains — hearing two freshmen might crack the starting five — but Herman and Snyder should keep everyone in line.

SOLANCO GOLDEN MULES

: Brian Urig (1st season at Solanco; the former Oxford girls coach takes over the reins for the late Chad McDowell — and trusty sidekick Jeff McCardell, who did a bulk of the in-game coaching last winter, while McDowell was fighting the good fight).

Last season’s record: 5-7 league, 8-14 overall.

Top players lost: F Jenna Ehlers (12.7, 26 3-pointers), F Frances Northern (2.9), G Kara Peace (3.7), G Ariana Seiberlich (4.9, 5 3-pointers).

Top players returning: G Josie Janssen (3.7, 8 3-pointers), F Emily Sims (2.0, 4 3-pointers).

Key newcomers: G Madison Kut, G Abby Landis.

: Welcome aboard to Urig, who coached — and still teaches — at nearby Oxford. So he’s familiar with the southern end of the county, and from all indications, he’s hit the court running in Quarryville. Graduation wasn’t exactly kind to the Mules, with just Janssen and Sims back in the mix. Could be a bit of a re-tool at Solanco. But the Mules never seem to be down for very long. “We are very young,” Urig said. “We have three seniors, two juniors and nine freshmen. So we have a lot of youth — and several multi-sport athletes, so we’re looking to play some solid defense.” Can’t go wrong with a defense-first approach, especially when you don’t have a whole lot coming back in the go-to scorer department. Hey, it happens. Sounds like Solanco will be doing a lot of learning on the fly, while getting to know Urig’s voice and schemes. It was a tough season last winter — losing McDowell was an absolute crusher in that community — so we’ll give the Mules a pass for now. But you know they’ll be fighting like heck to get better, and win as many games as possible in McDowell’s memory in the process.

WARWICK WARRIORS

: Danny Cieniewicz (6th season, 47-57 overall).

Last season’s record: 7-5 league, 10-13 overall (District 3 Class 5A qualifier).

Top players lost: G Jaden Maloney (2.7, 6 3-pointers), F Natalie Wenger (7.4, 6 3-pointers), G Kayla Willis (4.3, 28 3-pointers).

Top players returning: G Sam Shaak (9.0, 12 3-pointers), F Bella Smithson (9.3).

Key newcomers: F Katie Burr, G Sophia Dombach, G Mia Warfel.

: Warwick lost some key parts — Willis was an ace perimeter shooter, and glue-kid guards Ella Shirk (3.3, 7 3-pointers) and Olivia Fleurant (2.4, 5 3-pointers) have other commitments and didn’t come back out this winter — but they’ll have a pair of must-see players in Shaak, a shooter and dribble-driver, and Smithson, a glass-crasher and baseline scorer, back to lead the way. Smithson, Warwick’s all-star catcher, has committed to play softball at Buffalo. As for hoops, there could be some growing pains here. But the Warriors always seem to find the right formula. They did last season, winning three games in late January to earn a playoff invite. “I believe the biggest challenge will be building cohesion early,” Cieniewicz said. “If we’re able to do that, I expect to be competitive night in and night out with this group.” Going to put the sleeper tag on Warwick. If Cieniewicz can mix in some athletes around Shaak and Smithson, and if the Warriors can defend and rebound and make everyone’s night miserable, watch out.

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