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Bishop McCort Catholic High School seniors Cami Beppler and Elle Berkebile were on teams that reached the PIAA Class 2A quarterfinal round only to fall short during the past three seasons.
This year, the Crimson Crushers duo was determined to break that troublesome trend.
PHOTO GALLERY | Bishop McCort Catholic | Girls Basketball Pep Rally
Not only did coach John Hahn’s District 6 championship squad get into the final four, it took another step and landed in Thursday’s state championship game against a familiar opponent in District 5 champ Berlin Brothersvalley.
Tip off is at noon inside Giant Center in Hershey.
WTAJ | Berlin Brothersvalley, Bishop McCort Catholic girls bring familiarity into Thursday's PIAA Class 2A title game
“We’ve been in the elite eight the past three years,” said Beppler, a 1,000-point scorer and Seton Hill University signee. “This is our senior year. We wanted to go out with a bang.
“We were pushing every single game so that we were not losing. We did what we needed to do to get to the state championship game.”
The Crimson Crushers (26-4) got past quarterfinal round nemesis District 10 Kennedy Catholic, 47-43. In the state semifinal, Bishop McCort beat District 6 runner-up Penns Manor (55-53) in a rematch of the district title game.
“It’s special for the school,” said Hahn, a 25th-year coach of the Crimson Crushers. “We haven’t won a state championship in 40 years. To be playing Berlin – Cambria County-Somerset County, District 5-District 6 – it’s unbelievable.”
Hahn (482-171) and Berlin Brothersvalley coach Rachel Prosser (371-129) have a combined 853 coaching wins.
Each veteran coach is hoping to add another ‘W’ to their total.
“Rachel and I have become close,” Hahn said. “We scrimmaged in the preseason. We played each other in the UPJ tournament. Rachel just runs a great program, and it’s year after year after year.
“She’s made a great run. I believe the year they won the state title, we were the only one that beat them.”
Berlin Brothersvalley has won 25 consecutive games, including a 56-49 victory over Bishop McCort in the Mountain Cat Tournament at Pitt- Johnstown Dec. 12.
The Crimson Crushers have won seven consecutive games since falling to Class 1A state finalist Bishop Guilfoyle Academy in a Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference semifinal.
Bishop McCort has won 12 of its past 13 games.
“It’s been such a great season and I love all the girls on our team,” Berkebile said. “They’re like sisters to me. This is huge for our coaches. I’m so happy to do this for our school and everyone.
“I was emotional on the car ride down here because I just couldn’t believe it,” Berkebile said during a Wednesday rally at the high school gymnasium.
“It’s crazy. It’s a great way to end my senior season.”
The Crimson Crushers reached the state final with a dramatic two-point victory over Penns Manor at Central Cambria Friday. Junior Emma Preuss netted a career-high 27 points, and junior Ava Zucco and sophomore Zoey Ferguson overcame foul trouble to have huge fourth-quarter performances in a comeback win.
Penns Manor held a seven-point lead late in the third quarter.
“The one thing I have that I haven’t had for a long time, I have five girls who can score points,” Hahn said.
Junior Kalina Bailey made three 3-pointers, including one ahead of the third-quarter buzzer to pull Bishop McCort within four points of Penns Manor.
“Kalina Bailey coming off the bench has always been a spark plug,” Hahn said. “At the beginning of the year, I started her over Emma Preuss. As practice went on and we started to play, I got more out of Kalina when she came off the bench. Emma Preuss has just blossomed.”
The Crimson Crushers can turn to a number of players for points.
“Preuss, Berkebile and Beppler are three pretty good guards,” Hahn said. “The scoring’s been pretty even.
“Ava Zucco and Zoey Ferguson are huge,” Hahn added.
“Against Penns Manor, both of them had four fouls. The last four minutes of that game, they turned the whole game, 12 points between them and they got every rebound.”
Bishop McCort finished as state runners-up in 1986, 1988 and 2017.
Bishop McCort Principal Tom Smith said five buses with 230 students will make the trip to Hershey.
Berlin Brothersvalley Athletic Director Doug Paul said 250 students will be among a large Mountaineers following at the Giant Center.
The Berlin Brothersvalley School District website posted that it will be closed Thursday “for the school community to be able to support our Lady Mountaineer basketball team in Hershey!”
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...
This year, the Crimson Crushers duo was determined to break that troublesome trend.
PHOTO GALLERY | Bishop McCort Catholic | Girls Basketball Pep Rally
Not only did coach John Hahn’s District 6 championship squad get into the final four, it took another step and landed in Thursday’s state championship game against a familiar opponent in District 5 champ Berlin Brothersvalley.
Tip off is at noon inside Giant Center in Hershey.
WTAJ | Berlin Brothersvalley, Bishop McCort Catholic girls bring familiarity into Thursday's PIAA Class 2A title game
“We’ve been in the elite eight the past three years,” said Beppler, a 1,000-point scorer and Seton Hill University signee. “This is our senior year. We wanted to go out with a bang.
“We were pushing every single game so that we were not losing. We did what we needed to do to get to the state championship game.”
The Crimson Crushers (26-4) got past quarterfinal round nemesis District 10 Kennedy Catholic, 47-43. In the state semifinal, Bishop McCort beat District 6 runner-up Penns Manor (55-53) in a rematch of the district title game.
“It’s special for the school,” said Hahn, a 25th-year coach of the Crimson Crushers. “We haven’t won a state championship in 40 years. To be playing Berlin – Cambria County-Somerset County, District 5-District 6 – it’s unbelievable.”
Hahn (482-171) and Berlin Brothersvalley coach Rachel Prosser (371-129) have a combined 853 coaching wins.
Each veteran coach is hoping to add another ‘W’ to their total.
“Rachel and I have become close,” Hahn said. “We scrimmaged in the preseason. We played each other in the UPJ tournament. Rachel just runs a great program, and it’s year after year after year.
“She’s made a great run. I believe the year they won the state title, we were the only one that beat them.”
Berlin Brothersvalley has won 25 consecutive games, including a 56-49 victory over Bishop McCort in the Mountain Cat Tournament at Pitt- Johnstown Dec. 12.
The Crimson Crushers have won seven consecutive games since falling to Class 1A state finalist Bishop Guilfoyle Academy in a Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference semifinal.
Bishop McCort has won 12 of its past 13 games.
“It’s been such a great season and I love all the girls on our team,” Berkebile said. “They’re like sisters to me. This is huge for our coaches. I’m so happy to do this for our school and everyone.
“I was emotional on the car ride down here because I just couldn’t believe it,” Berkebile said during a Wednesday rally at the high school gymnasium.
“It’s crazy. It’s a great way to end my senior season.”
The Crimson Crushers reached the state final with a dramatic two-point victory over Penns Manor at Central Cambria Friday. Junior Emma Preuss netted a career-high 27 points, and junior Ava Zucco and sophomore Zoey Ferguson overcame foul trouble to have huge fourth-quarter performances in a comeback win.
Penns Manor held a seven-point lead late in the third quarter.
“The one thing I have that I haven’t had for a long time, I have five girls who can score points,” Hahn said.
Junior Kalina Bailey made three 3-pointers, including one ahead of the third-quarter buzzer to pull Bishop McCort within four points of Penns Manor.
“Kalina Bailey coming off the bench has always been a spark plug,” Hahn said. “At the beginning of the year, I started her over Emma Preuss. As practice went on and we started to play, I got more out of Kalina when she came off the bench. Emma Preuss has just blossomed.”
The Crimson Crushers can turn to a number of players for points.
“Preuss, Berkebile and Beppler are three pretty good guards,” Hahn said. “The scoring’s been pretty even.
“Ava Zucco and Zoey Ferguson are huge,” Hahn added.
“Against Penns Manor, both of them had four fouls. The last four minutes of that game, they turned the whole game, 12 points between them and they got every rebound.”
Bishop McCort finished as state runners-up in 1986, 1988 and 2017.
Bishop McCort Principal Tom Smith said five buses with 230 students will make the trip to Hershey.
Berlin Brothersvalley Athletic Director Doug Paul said 250 students will be among a large Mountaineers following at the Giant Center.
The Berlin Brothersvalley School District website posted that it will be closed Thursday “for the school community to be able to support our Lady Mountaineer basketball team in Hershey!”
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...
