After another big stop, Panthers, Heck-Hoppes are just getting started

By Jason Guarente — MikeDragoSports.com senior correspondent

There’s a story Jason Bagenstose likes to tell about how his defensive stopper found that role. It goes back to when Jadyn Heck-Hoppes was a freshman barely seeing any varsity time.

Heck-Hoppes went skidding across the floor fighting for a loose ball during practice. A couple of teammates looked at her like she was crazy. Bagenstose looked on in admiration.

“She’s just a tenacious player,” SV’s coach said. “She loves to play defense. She takes a beating, bruises from falling on the ground and she just gets up smiling. It’s back to the mission.”

Heck-Hoppes plays virtually every minute of every game now. The senior has paired offensive skill with her trademark toughness. Her defensive performance helped Schuylkill Valley hold off Brandywine Heights 43-41 in overtime at Mertztown Tuesday night.

In the span of 24 hours, Schuylkill Valley asked Heck-Hoppes to defend All-State guard Alexis Hess and freshman phenom Addison Benner. Two tough assignments. No time to rest. Some players might not want that burden. Heck-Hoppes embraced it.

“When you go home, everybody is like: ‘How many points did you have? How did you do on offense?’” she said. “You win games on defense. You can let somebody else get the points on your team but if you have solid defense you’ve played a good game.”

Hess scored 25 points on her way to surpassing 1,000 when Schuylkill Valley defeated Fleetwood Monday. Benner had 19 points for Brandywine Tuesday. Here’s the key detail: Those two combined to miss 24 shots. They shot 40% from the floor.

During Brandywine’s last two possessions, both with Schuylkill Valley holding a two-point lead, Heck-Hoppes prevented Benner from ever touching the ball. That includes a last-ditch play before the overtime buzzer.

“I just like to be there in her face,” said Heck-Hoppes, who finished with nine points and is averaging 11.5. “So she knows if she tries to go for a shot I’m right there.”

Heck-Hoppes defines the blue-collar, do-the-little-things nature that carries Schuylkill Valley. The Panthers ended the regular season with 11 consecutive wins. Five of those wins were decided on the final possession.

Many opponents have walked to their locker room muttering to themselves after facing Schuylkill Valley. If a team pulls out this many close games, it’s not magic. It’s some combination of composure and grit.

As Bagenstose said, things don’t always go his team’s way. But his players find a way.

“During the games we’re so amped up,” he said. “At the end of the game it actually slows them down. Almost automatically. We work the ball better. We finally need that good, smart shot.”

Madison Ziska, whose layup rescued Schuylkill Valley in a one-point win over Hamburg two weeks ago, scored the tying basket against Brandywine with five seconds left in regulation. Her three-point play with 28 seconds remaining in overtime put the Panthers ahead to stay.

A senior, a three-sport athlete who might be All-Berks in all three, is the kind of player you want with the ball in her hands at crunch time.

“In close games like this, we never doubt,” Ziska said. “We have high hopes that we’re going to come back and get the win.”

Schuylkill Valley will be the No. 2 seed in the county playoffs barring any last-minute changes with the power rankings. The Panthers are the only Berks team that went undefeated in league play.

They’re 20-1. Think about that record. Their only loss was on the road against Susquehanna Township without their full lineup. It’s an incredible achievement. 

“We’re so happy that we actually got here and we’re available for the playoffs,” Heck-Hoppes said. “We know that we’re not just in there to be in there. We’re in there to have a chance this year. To go for the gold and win it all.”

During the second quarter Heck-Hoppes missed a 3-pointer from the left wing and chased down the rebound near the right corner. She had no business getting to that ball. It was sheer effort. That sums up Schuylkill Valley.

With four experienced seniors, including Lekaiah Solomon and Sarah Gilbert, alongside a returning point guard in Natane White, the Panthers had high expectations for this winter. The results have surpassed their wildest dreams.

“Cherish this moment,” Bagenstose told his girls. “You may never be on another team like this. Not just the wins. The way they get along. The way they love each other. You can see it. Take a deep breath and look around.”

Ziska making clutch shots. Heck-Hoppes making big stops.

Schuylkill Valley always finds a way.