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The stakes continue to rise each time the Bishop Carroll Catholic and defending state champion Bishop Guilfoyle Academy girls basketball teams meet this season.
Chapter 3 will end with the winner advancing to the PIAA Class 1A championship game inside Giant Center in Hershey.
“This is odd because we’ve played them twice,” Bishop Carroll coach John Strittmatter said. “It’s always hard to play somebody for the third time. Regardless of what happens, I’m proud of my girls.”
The state semifinal game will pair District 6 champion Bishop Guilfoyle (28-2) against District 6 runner-up Bishop Carroll (21-7) at noon Saturday at the Altoona Fieldhouse. The winner will play in the state championship game at noon next Friday.
“Both times that we played them, they reminded me very much of us,” Bishop Guilfoyle coach Kristi Kaack said. “We play very similar styles. We know it’s going to be a good matchup.”
The Marauders beat the Huskies 50-27 during a regular-season game Jan. 3 in Ebensburg.
Bishop Guilfoyle used a 10-0 spurt at the end of the first half and beginning of the third quarter en route to a 61-44 victory over Bishop Carroll in the District 6-1A title game at Mount Aloysius College Feb. 26.
“In the first game, we won by a little bit more, but I think that’s just because we were a little bit more experienced and they were still trying to figure it out,” said Kaack, whose team has gone 57-5 over the past two seasons. “The second time we played them, they were much more confident and playing better together.”
Four District 6 teams advanced to the Class 1A quarterfinals a week ago, with Bishop Guilfoyle rolling over District 6 third-seed St. Joseph’s Catholic Academy 66-48, and Bishop Carroll defeating fourth-seed Williamsburg 60-47.
“We’re all so excited that we made it this far. I don’t think a lot of us thought we had the ability, but now we all have the confidence that we can keep going, moving forward,” Bishop Carroll freshman Emily Lucko said after scoring a game-high 23 points against Williamsburg.
The youthful Huskies have only two seniors and rely heavily on a mostly underclassmen starting lineup.
“We have matured a lot,” Strittmatter said. “The girls, I don’t think, understand or appreciate all the achievements that they accomplished this year. There are so many. They all have gotten better as the year has gone on.”
The Huskies reached the state semifinals for the first time since 2018, when they lost to Juniata Valley.
Sophomores Ava Pablic (12.7 points, 6.4 rebounds a game) and Adelyn Myers (12.6 points, 5.4 rebounds a game) are the top-two scorers. Lucko (9.3 ppg), senior Caroline Golden (4.8 ppg) and junior Madison Delauter (4.5 ppg) also are among the leading scorers, according to statistics online.
“I only have seven, but the seven that I rotate do a nice job,” Strittmatter said. “We’re in good shape physically.”
Bishop Guilfoyle has won two state titles under Kaack (2021, 2024) and this past year’s 35-17 victory over District 2 Mountain View was the girls program’s eighth gold medal performance in 14 title game appearances.
The Marauders used a 28-2 run to open their quarterfinal win over St. Joseph’s Catholic Academy and had double-digit scoring from five players.
Junior Gia Adams; sophomores Morgan Ruggery, Anberlyn Petrecca and Maurie Querry; and freshmen Layona Williams and Mary Haigh have played key roles – all as underclassmen.
“They’re very good,” Strittmatter said. “She (Kaack) goes 11 or 12 deep. I only have seven. We’re going to have to play a perfect game, but anything can happen. It’s hard to beat somebody three times.”
Bishop Guilfoyle has won 18 consecutive games since falling to District 6-5A champion Hollidaysburg 62-39 Jan. 13.
“Two games before we entered districts, I kind of felt a shift in our group,” Kaack said. “Our last two regular-season games and going into LHAC, we started to jell really well and play really well together.”
Bishop Carroll has its own distinguished state playoff history, with PIAA Class 1A championships in 1987, 2002 and 2003 and runner-up finishes in 1996 and 1998.
In fact, first cousins Golden and twin sisters Adelyn and Avery Myers have parents who played in or won District 6 championship games – some even reaching the state title contests in 1996 or 1998.
Golden’s father Matthew graduated in 1997 and played under Strittmatter when he coached the Huskies’ boys.
Adelyn and Avery Myers’ mother Jolene (Golden) Myers graduated in 1999, and with her twin sister Justine and sister Amy, played on teams that reached Hershey.
Now, the cousins and their teammates are making their own history at Bishop Carroll.
“Last year, I don’t know if people quite expected what we did,” Kaack said of the Marauders’ 2024 PIAA title win. “Similarly, I think if you look at Carroll, some people might not have said it at the beginning of the year, but they’ve really come a long way.”
Mike Mastovich is a sports reporter and columnist for The Tribune-Democrat. He can be reached at (814) 532-5083. Follow him on Twitter @Masty81.
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Chapter 3 will end with the winner advancing to the PIAA Class 1A championship game inside Giant Center in Hershey.
“This is odd because we’ve played them twice,” Bishop Carroll coach John Strittmatter said. “It’s always hard to play somebody for the third time. Regardless of what happens, I’m proud of my girls.”
The state semifinal game will pair District 6 champion Bishop Guilfoyle (28-2) against District 6 runner-up Bishop Carroll (21-7) at noon Saturday at the Altoona Fieldhouse. The winner will play in the state championship game at noon next Friday.
“Both times that we played them, they reminded me very much of us,” Bishop Guilfoyle coach Kristi Kaack said. “We play very similar styles. We know it’s going to be a good matchup.”
The Marauders beat the Huskies 50-27 during a regular-season game Jan. 3 in Ebensburg.
Bishop Guilfoyle used a 10-0 spurt at the end of the first half and beginning of the third quarter en route to a 61-44 victory over Bishop Carroll in the District 6-1A title game at Mount Aloysius College Feb. 26.
“In the first game, we won by a little bit more, but I think that’s just because we were a little bit more experienced and they were still trying to figure it out,” said Kaack, whose team has gone 57-5 over the past two seasons. “The second time we played them, they were much more confident and playing better together.”
Four District 6 teams advanced to the Class 1A quarterfinals a week ago, with Bishop Guilfoyle rolling over District 6 third-seed St. Joseph’s Catholic Academy 66-48, and Bishop Carroll defeating fourth-seed Williamsburg 60-47.
“We’re all so excited that we made it this far. I don’t think a lot of us thought we had the ability, but now we all have the confidence that we can keep going, moving forward,” Bishop Carroll freshman Emily Lucko said after scoring a game-high 23 points against Williamsburg.
The youthful Huskies have only two seniors and rely heavily on a mostly underclassmen starting lineup.
“We have matured a lot,” Strittmatter said. “The girls, I don’t think, understand or appreciate all the achievements that they accomplished this year. There are so many. They all have gotten better as the year has gone on.”
The Huskies reached the state semifinals for the first time since 2018, when they lost to Juniata Valley.
Sophomores Ava Pablic (12.7 points, 6.4 rebounds a game) and Adelyn Myers (12.6 points, 5.4 rebounds a game) are the top-two scorers. Lucko (9.3 ppg), senior Caroline Golden (4.8 ppg) and junior Madison Delauter (4.5 ppg) also are among the leading scorers, according to statistics online.
“I only have seven, but the seven that I rotate do a nice job,” Strittmatter said. “We’re in good shape physically.”
Bishop Guilfoyle has won two state titles under Kaack (2021, 2024) and this past year’s 35-17 victory over District 2 Mountain View was the girls program’s eighth gold medal performance in 14 title game appearances.
The Marauders used a 28-2 run to open their quarterfinal win over St. Joseph’s Catholic Academy and had double-digit scoring from five players.
Junior Gia Adams; sophomores Morgan Ruggery, Anberlyn Petrecca and Maurie Querry; and freshmen Layona Williams and Mary Haigh have played key roles – all as underclassmen.
“They’re very good,” Strittmatter said. “She (Kaack) goes 11 or 12 deep. I only have seven. We’re going to have to play a perfect game, but anything can happen. It’s hard to beat somebody three times.”
Bishop Guilfoyle has won 18 consecutive games since falling to District 6-5A champion Hollidaysburg 62-39 Jan. 13.
“Two games before we entered districts, I kind of felt a shift in our group,” Kaack said. “Our last two regular-season games and going into LHAC, we started to jell really well and play really well together.”
Bishop Carroll has its own distinguished state playoff history, with PIAA Class 1A championships in 1987, 2002 and 2003 and runner-up finishes in 1996 and 1998.
In fact, first cousins Golden and twin sisters Adelyn and Avery Myers have parents who played in or won District 6 championship games – some even reaching the state title contests in 1996 or 1998.
Golden’s father Matthew graduated in 1997 and played under Strittmatter when he coached the Huskies’ boys.
Adelyn and Avery Myers’ mother Jolene (Golden) Myers graduated in 1999, and with her twin sister Justine and sister Amy, played on teams that reached Hershey.
Now, the cousins and their teammates are making their own history at Bishop Carroll.
“Last year, I don’t know if people quite expected what we did,” Kaack said of the Marauders’ 2024 PIAA title win. “Similarly, I think if you look at Carroll, some people might not have said it at the beginning of the year, but they’ve really come a long way.”
Mike Mastovich is a sports reporter and columnist for The Tribune-Democrat. He can be reached at (814) 532-5083. Follow him on Twitter @Masty81.
Continue reading...
