With four on the floor, Elisa Fiore is ready to drive the Mustangs

By Jason Guarente — MikeDragoSports.com senior correspondent

It must feel strange not to see No. 12 running around practice. Stella Mollica was a constant at Gov. Mifflin. A four-year starter who everyone knew was in charge.

Losing a player like that leaves a void. It’s hard to replace those intangibles.

Mifflin coach Mike Clark will lean on someone different this season. Instead of No. 12, it’s No. 11. It’s Elisa Fiore’s turn to be in charge.

“She knows what I want on the floor and off the floor,” Clark said. “She knows what I want to call. I think Elisa is going to be our leader.”

Fiore is the obvious choice if you follow Mifflin. She’s the only senior who has been in the program for four years. She’s a bridge to the Mustrangs’ most recent championships.

The 5-8 guard was a reserve on the 2019 team. She was the best player on the floor when Mifflin repeated as county champ the following year. She was a starter when the Mustangs went 12-0 in league play and took Berks I last winter.

Fiore has the experience and mindset that Mifflin needs.

“I guess it’s a lot of pressure because Stella was great at it,” she said. “Big shoes to fill. But I try to do everything she did. Talking, encouragement, explaining things that don’t make sense to them. I’m trying to do it all.”

Fiore is a different kind of player. A throwback really. She isn’t a point guard or a 3-point shooter. She drives to the rim and refuses to settle for jumpers. She averaged 7.8 points facing the toughest teams in the league.

Despite being an important part of one of the county’s top programs, Fiore has been overlooked through the years. She wasn’t even named all-division last season.

Those things don’t concern her much.

“I don’t mind not getting the personal accolades,” Fiore said. “I’d rather win a county championship than be all-county or all-division. I don’t want points. Or awards. I just want to win.”

Fiore contributes in a variety of ways. She helps break the press, holds the ball to preserve a lead, rebounds, defends and scores when needed.

The senior made 63 free throws, tied with Twin Valley’s Natali Foster for the league lead, and shot nearly 70% at the line. The 188 points she scored came without taking many shots. She was a picture of efficiency.

Fiore has made a winning team better throughout her career. Isn’t that the most important contribution of all?

“She’s long, lanky, and her defense is awesome,” Clark said. “She’s got a good first step and can finish with her left or right hand. Her outside shot is getting better. If she starts to make that 15-footer she’s going to be really good.”

Mollica was a two-time All-Berks selection and 1,000-point scorer. She played in every game from Day 1 of her freshman year until the end. 

Mifflin has the talent and versatility to keep winning without its star point guard. The Mustangs will be a matchup problem for many opponents. Their starting five is again a collection of interchangeable parts.

No one in Berks has more talent than Anyah Ortiz, a three-year varsity player who can handle the ball and score at will. No one is more tenacious than Shakyla Mayo, a terrific rebounder and all-around force. Those two juniors and Fiore are the returning starters.

Sophomore Taylor Koenig will take on a larger role after seeing limited action last season. Shyanna Mayo, Shakyla’s older sister, will likely be the fifth starter.

“I like this team a lot,” Fiore said. “They’re super fun. We have a chance to be really good as long as we work hard. We have to make the most of what we have. We have the opportunity in front of us.”

If Mifflin can capture another county championship, it’ll be the Mustangs’ fifth in the past eight seasons. It’ll be the third for Fiore. Not many players leave with three gold medals. That number, more than any stat or All-Star selection, will define her time at Shillington.

After years spent following the senior leaders, Fiore is ready to become one.

“A lot of the younger girls, I hope they look up to me the way I did to Stella and all of them,” Fiore said. “It’s my responsibility. I don’t want to let them down.”