Defense, hustle are the venom of choice for Schuylkill Valley girls

By Jason Guarente — MikeDragoSports.com senior correspondent

All those little plays Schuylkill Valley makes, the deflections, the diving for loose balls, are difficult to measure. The Panthers are trying to measure them anyway.

One method, studying game film and charting every statistic, is scientific. The other, handing out rubber snakes after each victory, is just for fun.

Both of those recent traditions have become part of the culture of Schuylkill Valley girls basketball. Scoring is nice. Defense is valued. Hustle is required. This is a tenacious group that no one enjoys facing.

“They’re such hard-working kids,” coach Jason Bagenstose said. “That’s the main thing. They love playing together.”

Following each game, assistant coach Jeff Chillot evaluates every trip down the floor and puts together a chart. He scores positive plays, such as taking a charge or boxing out, and negative plays. He gives the girls an easy number to digest.

Anything over 60% positive is solid, over 70% is good, over 80% is excellent. Once that chart is posted, everyone is quick to take a look.

Chillot, a longtime football coach at Schuylkill Valley, knows the value of game film.

“The one thing about defense is it doesn’t matter your talent level,” Chillot said. “The effort is going to get you most of those stats.”

Players have to wait until the following practice to see their evaluation. They receive the rubber snakes right away.

The mambas, which are named after the venomous snake Kobe Bryant made famous, are rewarded to the night’s unsung heroes. The only player ineligible to receive one is the leading scorer from that game.

“Coach has a box full of them,” Madison Ziska said of Bagenstose. “He has this joke that he never talks to his neighbors because they think he’s weird because he gets snakes delivered to his house.”

A photo of the winners is taken and the snakes are tucked into the players’ bags until the next game. It’s another way to emphasize the little things. A way to build team chemistry.

Snakes are a theme in Schuylkill Valley’s gym. Some of the Panthers’ plays are named after them. 

“We make dumb jokes about snakes in practice,” Bagenstose said. “They love it. One game I forgot and they were like, ‘Who’s getting the mambas?’”

Schuylkill Valley’s tenacity was on display when it defeated Pine Grove 46-37 Monday. The Panthers trailed 37-31 late in the third quarter before scoring 15 unanswered points.

The constant pressure, the hands in passing lanes, the fight for every rebound take a toll on opponents. Pine Grove was worn out at the end.

Schuylkill Valley was the first Berks team to reach 3-0. The Panthers have four senior starters who have helped them qualify for the District 3 playoffs the previous two seasons.

Jadyn Heck-Hoppes is emerging as one of Berks III’s standouts. The senior is averaging 14 points and is her team’s top defender.

“Over the last three weeks of last season, she was probably our best all-around player,” Bagenstose said. “She got even better in the offseason. She has stepped it up all around. She’s a tenacious defender. We can put her on pretty much anyone.”

Ziska, an all-division selection, also averages 14 points. Lekaiah Solomon averages nine points and is a tremendous rebounder. Sarah Gilbert is the fourth senior starter. Those players line up alongside Natane White, a sophomore point guard who started as a freshman.

Schuylkill Valley has an unusual mix. It doesn’t have a player taller than 5-8 and doesn’t make many 3-pointers. The Panthers know those little things are essential to their success.

Bagenstose, who also coaches soccer, said this is the most tightly knit team he has coached. Some of that comes from having so many seniors.

“We’ve all played with each other since we were in seventh grade,” Heck-Hoppes said. “We know what we’re going to do. We know each other. We get each other ready for the games. We get out there and give it our all.”

Schuylkill Valley is looking to challenge division favorites Wyomissing and Fleetwood and make a return trip to the postseason.

The Panthers want to hand out a lot more mambas.