Wyomissing faces daunting challenge against seven-time champion Delone
By Sean McBryan — MikeDragoSports.com correspondent
On one side, a team that has won 103 District 3 playoff games and seven titles; on the other, a team that has a sub-.500 record in district games and zero titles.
None of that will matter when top-seeded Delone Catholic (24-2) faces third-seeded Wyomissing (25-2) in the District 3 Class 4A girls basketball championship Thursday at 11 in Hershey’s Giant Center.
“They are very, very good,” Wyomissing head coach Aaron Anders said of the Squirettes. “They are another storied program. We’re going to have to really break some stuff down and get ready for a battle in Hershey.”
The Spartans are appearing in just their third district championship game. Behind Berks Player of the Year Amaya Stewart, who led them to their first county title, they are having one of the finest seasons in program history.
Championship tipoff: Thursday, 11 a.m., Giant Center
Wyomissing’s district final appearance came in 2004, a 55-40 loss to — you guessed it — Delone Catholic. The Spartans lost to Susquehanna Township 52-26 in a 1979 championship game.
Stewart drilled the game-winning 3-pointer to lift Wyomissing to a 24-23 victory over second-seeded Berks Catholic in the semifinals. The 6-1 sophomore has averaged 17 points and 11.8 rebounds in Wyomissing’s three county and two district playoff wins. She’s averaging 15.3 points for the season.
“I only know what I saw on tape,” said Delone Catholic head coach Gerry Eckenrode, who has led the Squirettes to four PIAA championships. “(Stewart) looks like one of, and might be, the best post player we play against all year. Obviously she’s a point of emphasis for us.”
The Spartans defeated Middletown 51-38 in the district quarterfinals to avenge one of their two losses from the regular season before defeating Berks Catholic to earn a trip to the title game.
Forward Annie McCaffrey (7.7) and guards Alexis Hardy (7.7) and Lexi Loeb (6.1) are the other top scorers for the Spartans.
“(Maddie Campbell) is pretty quick and she handles (the ball) pretty well,” Eckenrode said. “(Loeb) is a 3-point shooter and we’ll have to key on her. (McCaffrey) looks like a very good athlete and is a lefty. She causes some problems. (Hardy) is quick. (Audrey Hurleman) also looks like a pretty good athlete. I’ve seen enough on tape to try and construct a game plan.”
Stewart had over half of Wyomissing’s points in the semifinal win; someone from the supporting cast will likely need to step up their scoring output against Delone Catholic.
The Spartans can’t be counted out as long as they have the transcendent Stewart, who has parlayed her natural gifts and dedicated hard work into individual and team success.
The Spartans and Squirettes have two common opponents: Berks Catholic and York Catholic. The Spartans defeated Berks Catholic 24-23 and York Catholic 55-45; the Squirettes beat Berks Catholic 43-33 and York Catholic twice, 62-37 and 47-41.
Delone Catholic defeated No. 8 Trinity 39-25 in the quarterfinals and No. 4 Eastern York 46-39 in the semifinals.
The Squirettes have won three straight district titles and are appearing in their fifth straight; they’ve been in 10 district championships since 2011.
“Our defense,” Eckenrode said of the key to the Squirettes’ sustained success. “But the team I have this year is entirely different from what I’ve had the last four years. Our team speed is not what it was. It’s not bad, but it’s not the same speed I’ve had in the past like with the group I just graduated.”
Last year’s team — with six seniors led by Giana Hoddinott, now at Mount St. Mary’s — went all the way to the PIAA Class 4A quarterfinals, taking eventual runner-up Lansdale Catholic to the brink in a 40-36 loss.
This year’s roster does not include a senior; sophomore 5-5 point guard Megan Jacoby (12.6 points per game), junior 5-8 guard Brielle Baughman (10.2), junior 5-11 forward Kaitlyn Schwarz (9.1), and freshman 5-10 guard Reece Mecley (8.6) lead a balanced offensive charge.
“I thought we’d have a decent record this year but I thought we would be around a 15-7 team,” Eckenrode said. “We ended up winning 22 games in the regular season. That was a surprise to me. They’re good kids. They work hard. They’ve done a good job of proving a lot of people wrong, probably including myself.”
The Squirettes typically deploy a man-to-man defense and a flex offense, but can run multiple sets. Eckenrode realized Wyomissing usually runs a zone, so they are implementing offensive strategies to prepare.
Delone Catholic’s seven titles are tied for seventh-most with McCaskey in District 3 girls basketball history behind now-closed Lebanon Catholic (20), Lancaster Catholic (20, after its 49-34 victory over Columbia Tuesday), Trinity (17), York Catholic (13), and Camp Hill (10). Its 103 district victories are third behind Lancaster Catholic’s 141 and Trinity’s 109.
“It’s interesting playing on the Giant Center floor under the lights,” Eckenrode said. “It’s a different feeling for the kids when they get to play there. It’s a really special time for both teams to have this opportunity.”
