2014-2015 Season In The News
Archbishop Wood romps past Mount Lebanon
1/10/2015
Archbishop Wood defeats AAAA power Mount Lebanon by Tom Waring
The Archbishop Wood Vikings lost 7 of their top 9 players from a year ago, but they aren't in a rebuilding mode. The Vikings were PIAA Class AAA girls basketball runner-ups in 2014, and they look ready to make another long postseason run. MORE.....
Archbishop Wood off to a fast start
1/2/2015
Wood goes 3-0 at NIKE TOC
Archbishop Wood has served notice that it will once again be a force to contend with this year. The Vikings went 3-0 and won their bracket in the prestigious NIKE Tournament of Champions in Phoenix on December 19-22. It was a showing that effectively put to rest any thoughts that the Vikings - with just one senior and two juniors in their starting lineup - would be rebuilding.
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he PHILADELPHIA — The Archbishop Wood Vikings lost seven of their top nine players from a year ago, but they aren’t in rebuilding mode.
The Vikings were PIAA Class AAA girls basketball runners-ups in 2014, and they look ready to make another long postseason run.
"" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" style="padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-size: 12px; margin-top: 0px !important; margin-right: 20px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; vertical-align: bottom; float: left;">Senior Aubree Brown poured in a game-high 25 points to lead Wood to a 69-39 victory over Mount Lebanon on Saturday at the 14th annual Girls Scholastic Play-By-Play Classic at Philadelphia University.
“We knew it would be a tough game, and we had to come out strong,” Brown said. “We had to play defense and get out on their shooters. We played our game and finished strong.”
Brown, a 5-foot-11 guard/forward who signed with Drexel in November, shot 8-for-18, making three 3-pointers. She added seven rebounds and was named Wood’s Most Valuable Player.
Junior Bailey Greenberg, a co-captain with Brown, made five of seven shots for 11 points. Freshman Katie Connolly made four of five shots for 10 points.
Brown is part of a program that won PIAA titles in 2010, ‘11 and ‘12. She is one of just two seniors on this year’s team.
“We’re young, but we have good girls starting and coming off the bench,” she said.
Mount Lebanon (9-3) qualified for the PIAA Class AAAA playoffs a year ago, but the Blue Devils lost six seniors and have only one starter back from that squad.
Alyssa Hyland scored nine points for the losers. Maura Wallace added eight points and was named her team’s MVP.
“We’re a very young team,” Mount Lebanon coach DoriOldaker said. “I was pleased with how we played to start the game, but Wood has a nice, strong bench. They’re fantastic. We have to play better teams to get better.”
Wood coach John Gallagher prepared his team for a challenge.
“As long as it says Mount Lebanon on the front of their shirts, we were ready to go,” he said.
The first half was very competitive, though Wood held Mount Lebanon without a field goal in the second quarter. Cassie Seboldmade a 3-pointer at the buzzer, and the Vikings took a 31-20 lead at halftime.
“That sent us into the locker room feeling pretty good. Cassie Sebold gave us a big lift off the bench,” Gallagher said.
In the third quarter, Katie May hit back-to-back 3-pointers to make it 42-22. Mount Lebanon didn’t make a field goal until Hyland’s three-point play with 55.2 seconds to go in the third.
The rout was on, and fans started to look ahead to the next game, which featured Baldwin against Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, featuring eighth-grade point guard Mo’ne Davis, the standout pitcher on the Taney Dragons baseball team that reached last summer’s Little League World Series.
One turning point came when Brown entered the game. A resident of the Parkwood section of Northeast Philadelphia, she got a little lost on the way to the game and was a couple of minutes late. Gallagher brought her off the bench.
“I was a little fired up that I didn’t start,” she said. “It was a close game, and I wanted to help bring energy and get the girls going.”
Gallagher believes the Vikings started to improve when they swept three games in a December trip to Arizona.
“We’ve grown. We have better balanced scoring, and I think we’re deeper than a lot of these teams,” he said. “I think we’ll be a much better team come February 1st than we were December 1st.”
Wood is 4-0 in the Philadelphia Catholic League, but that unblemished record will be in severe jeopardy when Neumann-Gorettivisits Warminster on Friday.
“We have a very challenging schedule coming up,” Gallagher said.
Brown likes how the Vikings are playing.
“We lost close games we could have won, but 10-2 isn’t bad,” she said. “I think us and Neumann-Goretti are the top teams in the PCL, and hopefully we’ll win states.”
Archbishop Wood
1/10/2015
Archbishop Wood defeats AAAA power Mount Lebanon by Tom Waring
The Archbishop Wood Vikings lost 7 of their top 9 players from a year ago, but they aren't in a rebuilding mode. The Vikings were PIAA Class AAA girls basketball runner-ups in 2014, and they look ready to make another long postseason run. MORE.....
Archbishop Wood off to a fast start
1/2/2015
Wood goes 3-0 at NIKE TOC
Archbishop Wood has served notice that it will once again be a force to contend with this year. The Vikings went 3-0 and won their bracket in the prestigious NIKE Tournament of Champions in Phoenix on December 19-22. It was a showing that effectively put to rest any thoughts that the Vikings - with just one senior and two juniors in their starting lineup - would be rebuilding.
MORE.....
he PHILADELPHIA — The Archbishop Wood Vikings lost seven of their top nine players from a year ago, but they aren’t in rebuilding mode.
The Vikings were PIAA Class AAA girls basketball runners-ups in 2014, and they look ready to make another long postseason run.
"" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" style="padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-size: 12px; margin-top: 0px !important; margin-right: 20px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; vertical-align: bottom; float: left;">Senior Aubree Brown poured in a game-high 25 points to lead Wood to a 69-39 victory over Mount Lebanon on Saturday at the 14th annual Girls Scholastic Play-By-Play Classic at Philadelphia University.
“We knew it would be a tough game, and we had to come out strong,” Brown said. “We had to play defense and get out on their shooters. We played our game and finished strong.”
Brown, a 5-foot-11 guard/forward who signed with Drexel in November, shot 8-for-18, making three 3-pointers. She added seven rebounds and was named Wood’s Most Valuable Player.
Junior Bailey Greenberg, a co-captain with Brown, made five of seven shots for 11 points. Freshman Katie Connolly made four of five shots for 10 points.
Brown is part of a program that won PIAA titles in 2010, ‘11 and ‘12. She is one of just two seniors on this year’s team.
“We’re young, but we have good girls starting and coming off the bench,” she said.
Mount Lebanon (9-3) qualified for the PIAA Class AAAA playoffs a year ago, but the Blue Devils lost six seniors and have only one starter back from that squad.
Alyssa Hyland scored nine points for the losers. Maura Wallace added eight points and was named her team’s MVP.
“We’re a very young team,” Mount Lebanon coach DoriOldaker said. “I was pleased with how we played to start the game, but Wood has a nice, strong bench. They’re fantastic. We have to play better teams to get better.”
Wood coach John Gallagher prepared his team for a challenge.
“As long as it says Mount Lebanon on the front of their shirts, we were ready to go,” he said.
The first half was very competitive, though Wood held Mount Lebanon without a field goal in the second quarter. Cassie Seboldmade a 3-pointer at the buzzer, and the Vikings took a 31-20 lead at halftime.
“That sent us into the locker room feeling pretty good. Cassie Sebold gave us a big lift off the bench,” Gallagher said.
In the third quarter, Katie May hit back-to-back 3-pointers to make it 42-22. Mount Lebanon didn’t make a field goal until Hyland’s three-point play with 55.2 seconds to go in the third.
The rout was on, and fans started to look ahead to the next game, which featured Baldwin against Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, featuring eighth-grade point guard Mo’ne Davis, the standout pitcher on the Taney Dragons baseball team that reached last summer’s Little League World Series.
One turning point came when Brown entered the game. A resident of the Parkwood section of Northeast Philadelphia, she got a little lost on the way to the game and was a couple of minutes late. Gallagher brought her off the bench.
“I was a little fired up that I didn’t start,” she said. “It was a close game, and I wanted to help bring energy and get the girls going.”
Gallagher believes the Vikings started to improve when they swept three games in a December trip to Arizona.
“We’ve grown. We have better balanced scoring, and I think we’re deeper than a lot of these teams,” he said. “I think we’ll be a much better team come February 1st than we were December 1st.”
Wood is 4-0 in the Philadelphia Catholic League, but that unblemished record will be in severe jeopardy when Neumann-Gorettivisits Warminster on Friday.
“We have a very challenging schedule coming up,” Gallagher said.
Brown likes how the Vikings are playing.
“We lost close games we could have won, but 10-2 isn’t bad,” she said. “I think us and Neumann-Goretti are the top teams in the PCL, and hopefully we’ll win states.”
Archbishop Wood
2013-2014 Season In The News
Archbishop Wood edges Cardinal O'Hara in OT by Nick Iuele
Despite the fact that Archbishop Wood beat Cardinal O'Hara handily during the regular season, the Lady Vikings knew that the semifinals of the Philadelphia Catholic League playoffs would be a completely different ballgame. The clash of PCL titans was as a great contest as advertised, but it was Wood who emerged victorious.
Wood and O'Hara refused to give an inch throughout the game, but the Lady Vikings took a slim lead in the overtime period and held on to win 56-49 at Philadelphia University on Thursday night. The game featured at least two dozen lead changes and an offensive war between O'Hara's Aminah Farmer and Wood's Jess Kaminski. It was exactly what you would expect from a rematch of last year's PCL title game, but the defending champs are now eliminated and Wood will get a shot at the crown. MORE... |
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Wood outlasts O'Hara in semifinal by Tim McManus
If the first half of Thursday night's Catholic League semifinal doubleheader at Philadelphia University included a pair of tournament upstarts, the nightcap could have been for the championship of the legacy division.
Cardinal O'Hara and Archbishop Wood have won two of the last three league girls' basketball championships, and the powerhouse programs met in last year's title game. So even though more recent history might have suggested otherwise, it probably shouldn't have been a surprise that this semifinal required overtime to settle. MORE... |
Wood edges O'Hara in overtime by Todd Thorpe
Offense was a struggle all night for Archbishop Wood.
The Vikings shot just 37 percent from the field through the four quarters of regulation during Thursday night’s Philadelphia Catholic League girls basketball semifinal against Cardinal O’Hara, and only because of tenacious fourth-quarter defense, they found themselves headed to overtime with the Lions. MORE... |
Archbishop Wood pummels Ryan in quarterfinals by Todd Thorpe
Time of possession is a football statistic, but early Monday night it proved to be a telling story in the Philadelphia Catholic League girls basketball quarterfinal between Archbishop Wood and visiting Archbishop Ryan.
In the first 2:45 of the game, Wood not only scored the first eight points, but had five offensive rebounds and forced three turnovers. MORE... |
Second-ranked Wood cruises by Kate Harmon
Bailey Greenberg knew what she was getting into when she transferred from Gwynedd Mercy to Archbishop Wood this past year.
Well, kind of. The sophomore forward has a long family history at Wood, with two aunts, Kathy and Kelly, who played on the girls' basketball team. MORE... |
Neumann-Goretti rolls in showdown by Kate Harmon
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To play for the Neumann-Goretti girls' basketball team means to be in a constant state of motion.
On defense, the Saints use quick feet to slide and get in help position, while their hands relentlessly badger the opposing player. Those same hands tip countless passes, ensuring that no passing lane is safe. On the offensive end, the Saints move well off the ball and need only a couple of dribbles to get enough space for an open shot. In other words, the Saints are go-go-go right from the tipoff. MORE... |
Wood falls from unbeaten ranks by Christopher Bailey
There is never a good time to have a bad game. But Archbishop Wood’s girls basketball team could hardly have picked a worse time to have one.
The Vikings traveled to South Philadelphia for a key Philadelphia Catholic League contest at Neumann-Goretti on Saturday afternoon. MORE... |
Lady Vikings lighting up scoreboard by Dan Dunkin
Archbishop Wood’s three-year run of Class AAA state championships (2010, ’11, ’12) all started and finished with defense.
The offense was often good enough. On off-nights the defense was always there. And in concert with Wood’s perpetual-motion, ball-control, patient, back-door you or drive-and-kick-for-a-3 offense, it made an eight-point lead seem like 18 to the opposition. MORE... |
Lady Vikings blast WC Rustin by Dan Dunkin
The state’s No. 1-ranked Class AAA girls basketball team was a bit slow out of the gate Sunday night. So Archbishop Wood coach John Gallagher quickly called timeout to get the team refocused.
“We talked about it before the game: It’s 8 o’clock (tipoff time), it’s a Sunday night, about coming out complacent,” Gallagher said. “We’ve been playing well, so let’s not let it happen. We all bought in that we weren’t going to let it happen, and it happened.”
After a couple of Wood turnovers, the Lady Vikings trailed 4-0 when Gallagher called timeout just 51 seconds into the game. And quickly, his deep, talented and together team said enough already, and proceeded to blow the doors off Class AAAA West Chester Bayard Rustin.
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“We talked about it before the game: It’s 8 o’clock (tipoff time), it’s a Sunday night, about coming out complacent,” Gallagher said. “We’ve been playing well, so let’s not let it happen. We all bought in that we weren’t going to let it happen, and it happened.”
After a couple of Wood turnovers, the Lady Vikings trailed 4-0 when Gallagher called timeout just 51 seconds into the game. And quickly, his deep, talented and together team said enough already, and proceeded to blow the doors off Class AAAA West Chester Bayard Rustin.
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Archbishop Wood climbs to top of PennLive's girls' basketball Class AAA state rankings
Our PennLive girls’ basketball Class AAA state rankings got a facelift of sorts.
A new No. 1.
Some familiar faces in different places.
And a new team cracked the top 10.
We’ll begin at the top, where Bethlehem Catholic, No. 1 the last several weeks, suffered its first loss this season on Sunday at Lower Merion’s Hoops for Hope showcase, a 61-39 setback to last week’s No. 2, Archbishop Wood.
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A new No. 1.
Some familiar faces in different places.
And a new team cracked the top 10.
We’ll begin at the top, where Bethlehem Catholic, No. 1 the last several weeks, suffered its first loss this season on Sunday at Lower Merion’s Hoops for Hope showcase, a 61-39 setback to last week’s No. 2, Archbishop Wood.
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Archbishop Wood rolls over Cardinal O'Hara by Nick Ieule
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With a mix of outside shooting, post play and defense, Archbishop Wood has once again become a top team in the area. Monday night, in a PCL Championship game rematch with Cardinal O'Hara, the Lady Vikings proved just how dangerous they can be and how fast they can put points on an opponent.
In a game that appeared over before it started, Wood cruised to a 66-40 win over O'Hara. It was a true team effort on both sides of the ball, as Wood showed its depth. Eleven different Lady Vikings scored and they also scored 20-plus points in two of the four quarters and dominated O'Hara on the glass. MORE... |
Wood dominates Bethlehem Catholic by Christopher Bailey
Archbishop Wood didn’t play in a showcase Sunday afternoon, the Vikings ran a clinic.
The Vikings used their trademark man-to-man defense to shut down Bethlehem Catholic before it could get started, knocking the Golden Hawks from the ranks of the unbeaten 61-39 in the eighth annual Hoops for Hope Classic.
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The Vikings used their trademark man-to-man defense to shut down Bethlehem Catholic before it could get started, knocking the Golden Hawks from the ranks of the unbeaten 61-39 in the eighth annual Hoops for Hope Classic.
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Archbishop Wood downs Moore Catholic by Eddie Mayrose
Under the best of circumstances, Moore Catholic would have been hard pressed to handle Archbishop Wood, a very deep and talented team that has won a Pennsylvania state title in three of the last four seasons. That they would have to do it just 18 hours after dropping a tough decision to a highly ranked Osborne High squad from Marietta, Georgia made the task even more daunting.
Moore fell behind 13-2 early in the first quarter, as Wood's full court pressure gave the Mavericks a good deal of trouble. Wood's Bailey Greenberg (14 points), scored 8 quick points before Moore made a small run of its own, closing to 17-10 at the end of the quarter behind Dina Montrechuk's 6 points.
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Moore fell behind 13-2 early in the first quarter, as Wood's full court pressure gave the Mavericks a good deal of trouble. Wood's Bailey Greenberg (14 points), scored 8 quick points before Moore made a small run of its own, closing to 17-10 at the end of the quarter behind Dina Montrechuk's 6 points.
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Wood has no problem with St. Hubert by Christopher Bailey
The Viking ship that is the Archbishop Wood girls basketball team isn't riding a wave of success, it's riding a tsunami.
Balancing their potent offense with a combination of stellar rebounding and defensive thivery that held visiting St. Hubert's without a field goal for the first five minutes of the second half, the Vikings cruised to a 77-42 Philadelphia Catholic League victory over the Bambies.
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Balancing their potent offense with a combination of stellar rebounding and defensive thivery that held visiting St. Hubert's without a field goal for the first five minutes of the second half, the Vikings cruised to a 77-42 Philadelphia Catholic League victory over the Bambies.
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Big first half propels Archbishop Wood to win over Lansdale Catholic by Steve Sherman
Coming off a season in which it lost four starters, one might not think the bar would be set high for that squad. But this is Archbishop Wood we're talking about here.
Winners of PIAA titles from 2010 to 2012, the Lady Vikings do indeed enter each campaign expecting to go far. The current group, which has nine seniors, is no different. MORE... |
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Archbishop Wood makes points tough for Lansdale Catholic by Dan Dunkin
WARMINSTER — Archbishop Wood often sees the results of its relentless defense rather quickly, as opponents find it difficult to break double-digits in the first quarter.
This was a bit beyond the norm, though, on Thursday night at the Vikings’ gym. They shut out Lansdale Catholic in the first half, scoring the only 22 points of the game to that point. MORE.... |
Wood's Brown Picks Drexel
Aubree Brown will enter her junior basketball season at Archbishop Wood with the peace of mind that accompanies making a college choice that feels right.
In August, Brown made a verbal commitment to accept a scholarship to play basketball for Drexel University. MORE... |
2012-2013 Season In The News
The Lady Vikings huddle for the last time in the 2012-2013 season before dropping their second round game to Lancaster Catholic in the PIAA State playoffs.
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Wood's state journey ends by Dan DunkinIt was a rematch of the 2012 PIAA Class AAA championship game, which Archbishop Wood won over Lancaster Catholic in a dominant defensive performance.
Wednesday night in the 2013 PIAA Class AAA second round, several of the same players who met in that title game at State College were on the floor at Reading High School. But ultimately, the teams — and the outcome — were very different. It looked at halftime as though Wood might be on its way to another methodical, defensive-driven victory over the Crusaders. The Vikings led by nine points. MORE... |
Three-time champ Wood fades to Lancaster Catholic by Joey CranneyThree-time returning state champion Archbishop Wood couldn't hold onto a nine-point halftime lead in a loss to Lancaster Catholic in a Class AAA second-round game at Reading.
Lancaster Catholic used a 22-point third quarter to come back and win, 54-46. The game was a rematch of last year's state final, when Archbishop Wood won, 52-33. MORE... |
Lancaster Catholic eases past Archbishop Wood by Mike PrinceEverything appeared to be going right for Archbishop Wood.
The three-time defending state champion Lady Vikings, whose experience has gone a long way over the past few postseasons, weren’t missing many shots. Their opponent, Lancaster Catholic, was missing almost everything, and the momentum appeared to be on Wood’s side. MORE... |
New story in mind by Jason Fulginiti
Boosted by a healthy Porscha Speller, Lancaster Catholic is ready for Wednesday night's state girls basketball rematch with Archbishop Wood
If a picture is worth a thousand words, the scene in Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center on March 24 of last year was a photographer's dream.
Among the indelible images that day were the watery eyes and tear-stained cheeks of seniors Alyssa Aichele and Amy Balasavage. Partly because their high school girls' basketball careers had ended, and partly because of how they'd ended.
There was then-junior point guard Porscha Speller, the team's leading scorer, sitting on the bench wearing a knee brace and looking helplessly up at the scoreboard as the seconds ticked away.
And of course, there were the stunned, confused looks on the faces of Lancaster Catholic's players all night, as they got burned by one backdoor cut after another while failing to accomplish much of anything against a swarming Archbishop Wood defense — something they generally do to other teams.
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If a picture is worth a thousand words, the scene in Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center on March 24 of last year was a photographer's dream.
Among the indelible images that day were the watery eyes and tear-stained cheeks of seniors Alyssa Aichele and Amy Balasavage. Partly because their high school girls' basketball careers had ended, and partly because of how they'd ended.
There was then-junior point guard Porscha Speller, the team's leading scorer, sitting on the bench wearing a knee brace and looking helplessly up at the scoreboard as the seconds ticked away.
And of course, there were the stunned, confused looks on the faces of Lancaster Catholic's players all night, as they got burned by one backdoor cut after another while failing to accomplish much of anything against a swarming Archbishop Wood defense — something they generally do to other teams.
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Lancaster Catholic vs. Archbishop Wood scouting report
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Junior guard Marissa McGlinn is sandwiched by two PJP defenders in Saturday's first round Vikings victory
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Wood's repeat bid off to strong start by Kate HarmanJim Ricci and his Archbishop Wood girls' basketball players don't play basketball for the games in December. And they don't play for the games in January, or even in the first week or two of February.
So that opening-season win over Bishop Ford? Yeah, it was nice. And losing only once during the Catholic League regular season? That was good, too. But the Vikings have bigger things in mind, such as defending their Class AAA state championship. Saturday at Archbishop Carroll, they took their first step toward that, defeating Pope John Paul II, 60-39, in the opening round of the PIAA tournament. MORE... |
Archbishop Wood runs past Pope John Paul II
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Aubree Brown throws up a shot for two of her 7 points in Saturday's game
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Maddie Tamburini and Jess Kaminski battle for a rebound
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Pope John Paul II falls to Archbishop Wood
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PJP vs. Archbishop Wood state playoff preview by Dave Kurtz
How Pope John Paul II got here: The Golden Panthers earned the first PIAA berth in the program’s history by knocking off Lower Moreland 44-30 Saturday, clinching the third and final District 1 seed as Taylor Bearden led a balanced effort with 12 points. PJP overcame a 12-7 first-quarter deficit in the win.
How Archbishop Wood got here: The Vikings absorbed a 47-41 loss to Prep Charter last weekend in the District 12 championship game
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How Archbishop Wood got here: The Vikings absorbed a 47-41 loss to Prep Charter last weekend in the District 12 championship game
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Local girls' teams gear up for state basketball playoffs
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Jackie Pierson splits two Lancaster Catholic defenders on her way to a 16-point night in last year's state title game.
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PIAA Class AAA girls' basketball preview
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Breaking down the PIAA girls basketball playoffs by Chris HarlanClass AAA
• Archbishop Wood (17-9), the three-time defending PIAA champion, enters with consecutive losses in the Philadelphia Catholic League final (31-25 to Cardinal O'Hara) and the District 12 final (48-41 to Prep Charter). MORE... |
Wood players watch as the clock winds down and the PCL Title slips away
A stunned and disappointed Wood team leaves the court
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Refocused Wood could make run by Dan DunkinArchbishop Wood has lost nine games, the third-most in the PIAA Class AAA tournament field of 32 teams.
That number of defeats is deceiving. But I’m not sure. Maybe Wood is who it was in those last two games: a team lacking confidence on offense and clutch outside shooting; one making crucial mistakes at key times; one that doesn't consistently bring it defensively; and overall a team that may have run out of emotional gas. That’s not who Wood has been in recent years as coach Jim Ricci has built a borderline dynasty, but you can’t win it all every year. You just wonder if Wood will go quietly, or if the Lady Vikings will right themselves, make a respectable tournament run, or make outsiders like me liars as the team did last season, when it lost seven seniors and 10 games and won its third straight state title. MORE... |
Wood stumbles in District 12 title game by Dan DunkinThis is normally the time of year when Archbishop Wood kicks it into high gear, rounding into peak form with the state tournament about to begin.
But right now, the Vikings’ timing, and most everything else, is way off. The three-time defending PIAA Class AAA state champions are in a slump, which continued Friday night in the District 12 Class AAA championship game at Philadelphia University. Prep Charter’s transition offense and penetrating had Wood’s usually solid on-ball and help defense on its heels. MORE... |
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Shooting woes sink Wood
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Archbishop Wood falls to Cardinal O'Hara in PCL title game
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No-show "O" needs to be fixed by Dan DunkinI’m looking at my scorebook and it’s still hard to believe.
In the second-half section of Cardinal O’Hara’s side of the book, there’s a single ‘2’. As in, one field goal made in the entire half. And yet O’Hara still managed to hang on and beat Archbishop Wood for the Philadelphia Catholic League championship Monday night at the Palestra, 31-25. MORE... |
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Archbishop Wood advances to the PCL Championship, Monday, 2/25 at 6:45 p.m. at the Palestra vs. Cardinal O'Hara. This is their fifth consecutive trip to the finals.
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Wood survives icy night by Dan DunkinDefense always carries this team, especially on cold shooting nights.
And it was a good thing Archbishop Wood's girls basketball squad was at its best defensively Thursday night in the Philadelphia Catholic League semifinals, because its shooting — particularly its free-throw shooting — was downright arctic. The Vikings were dominant defensively, making 10-point leads seem like 25, but their slippage at the foul line in the fourth quarter made things a little too close for comfort. Still, Wood hung on for a 34-23 victory over Archbishop Ryan at Philadelphia University, putting the Vikings in the PCL final for the fifth consecutive year. MORE... |
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Wood downs Ryan to reach final by Kate HarmanBy coach Jim Ricci's count, senior guard Jackie Pierson played about 28 minutes Thursday night.
"Make sure she is in the game," Ricci told his assistant coaching staff. Why did the Archbishop Wood girls' basketball team need Pierson in the game so badly? Because when she wasn't playing in the Catholic League semifinal against Archbishop Ryan, there was a noticeable difference. MORE... |
Curtain call by Ed MorroneSt. Hubert fell to Archbishop Wood in last week’s postseason bout, but the Bambies didn’t go down without a fight.
Holding an insurmountable 47-18 fourth-quarter lead with less than six minutes to play in Thursday’s Catholic League quarterfinal match-up against St. Hubert, Archbishop Wood head coach Jim Ricci emptied his bench. The game was all but finished, and many spectators in Wood’s Warminster gym probably expected the opponent to roll over. MORE... |
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The Vikings faced Archbishop Ryan on Thursday, 2/21 at 6:00 p.m. at Philadelphia University in a PCL semi-final contest.
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Wood rolls in PCL quarterfinal by Dan DunkinThree-time defending Class AAA state champion Archbishop Wood began the postseason Thursday night with a flurry of offense, putting away St. Hubert in the Philadelphia Catholic League quarterfinals 61-34.
“I thought we had a lot of energy in the first half,” Wood coach Jim Ricci said. “It just wasn’t controlled. In the second half, I thought we were a little more controlled and we made some shots. When we make shots, things happen and it gets a little easier.” The Vikings, now 16-7, advanced to the PCL semis, where they will face Archbishop Ryan at Philadelphia University next Thursday. MORE... |
Wood seniors impress against Ryan by Mike PrinceIn the past few seasons, Archbishop Wood’s four seniors have accomplished pretty much everything a coach could ask for. With District 12 and Philadelphia Catholic League PCL) titles, along with three PIAA Class AAA championships under their belt, the Lady Vikings have already proven to be in a class of their own since 2010.
On Friday night, those four seniors – Jackie Pierson, Colleen Young, Haley Scullion and Maddie Tamburini – were honored in front of their home fans in what was Wood’s final regular season game. And just as they’ve been doing since they first started with the program, the Wood girls did not disappoint, helping the Vikings to a 42-18 win over PCL rival Archbishop Ryan on Senior Night Feb. 8 at Wood. MORE... |
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Wood grinds out win over LC by Dan DunkinThey went through their dry spells. They endured playing in a small place in which a tenacious Philadelphia Catholic League opponent, in the early going, gave them little offensive space.
But as usual, Archbishop Wood’s Lady Vikings kept playing tight defense, kept running their offense in which everybody gets touches, kept battling through the tough stretches, and overcame. Wood, the three-time defending state Class AAA champion, moved to 13-7 overall and 9-1 in the PCL with a 53-31 victory at Lansdale Catholic, the final margin not indicative of the stretches of first-half offensive difficulty. But when you don’t play consistently great offensively, yet still hit 50 and win by 22, you’re doing a lot of things right. MORE... |
Archbishop Wood 46 Neumann-Goretti 24Aubree Brown had 17 points and six rebounds for Archbishop Wood, which beat visiting Neumann-Goretti, 46-24. The Vikings' lock-down defense frustrated the Saints throughout the game and held them to just 2 points in the third quarter.
Aubree's awesome performance earned her the well-deserved honor of being named Archbishop Wood's Athlete of the Week! The Vikings wrap up the regular season this week with games against Lansdale Catholic, St. Hubert's and Archbishop Ryan. |
Strong start lifts Vikings to victory by Vince RodemerJess Kaminski scored eight points, grabbed four rebounds and dished out three assists for Archbishop Wood on Sunday as the Vikings defeated Bishop McNamara (Md.) 53-30 in a nonleague girls basketball game at Spring-Ford High School.
“My team has been stressing for me to score more,” Kaminski said. “That’s just what I tried to do.” Kaminski came off the bench and sparked a 12-2 run for the Vikings, scoring on two of the first four possessions, then hitting an open Haley Scullion for a 3-pointer on the following trip down the floor. “Jess gives us a boost of energy,” said Archbishop Wood coach Jim Ricci. “She was able to get in the gaps and create for her teammates.” Scullion also provided a strong performance, adding eight points and two steals. Madison Tamburini scored five of Wood’s first eight points, and the Vikings dominated the early going, leading to a 21-5 advantage after the first quarter. MORE... |
Cardinal O'Hara holds off Archbishop Wood by Kate HarmonLibby Lannon had a one-track mind all week: foul shots, foul shots, foul shots.
After missing crucial free throws in Cardinal O'Hara's one-point loss to Neumann-Goretti, the senior guard relentlessly practiced shooting from the stripe leading up to her squad's showdown Friday night with Archbishop Wood. In what was a serendipitous occurrence, Lannon found herself at the line, shooting two, with a little more than two minutes remaining and her team up by four. She converted both, giving the Lions some needed cushion as they defeated the Vikings, 30-27, in a Catholic League game. "I knew that they [foul shots] were important, but I had more confidence going into it," Lannon said. "You have to have confidence against a team like this." It was the first Catholic League loss for the Vikings (10-7 overall, 7-1 league), ranked second in Southeastern Pennsylvania by The Inquirer, and only their second defeat against a Pennsylvania opponent all season. MORE... |
Wood makes a statement against Carroll by Dan DunkinDefense has gone a long way toward winning Archbishop Wood three straight Class AAA state girls basketball championships.
And Tuesday night, it was on full display as the Vikings dismantled Philadelphia Catholic League archrival Archbishop Carroll, the defending Class AAAA state champ, 51-38. The host Vikings turned a 9-9 game at the end of the first quarter into their kind of game, holding Carroll to a single 3-pointer in the second period and outscoring the Patriots 30-12 over the middle two quarters. “We always think that, even though we have a hard time scoring sometimes, if we just keep playing defense, we can stay in games,” Wood coach Jim Ricci said. “That’s always been the backbone of our program, and our kids live by it.” Having slowed down some Division I players during a demanding nonconference schedule, Wood was ready for the skilled, intricate offense of Carroll after a slow start. MORE... |
Archbishop Wood routs McDevitt by Todd ThorpeEleven different players scored as Archbishop Wood had no trouble with Bishop McDevitt, winning 57-26 Monday night in Philadelphia Catholic League girls basketball. The three-time defending state champion Vikings (9-5, 6-0 PCL) were led by sophomore Aubree Brown, who scored nine points and senior Haley Scullion, who added eight. MORE...
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Vikings knock off tough nonleague foe by Vince Rodemer
Colleen Young scored 12 points for Archbishop Wood on Sunday, as the Vikings passed their last major nonconference test of the season with a 38-27 win over Episcopal Academy.
Wood coach Jim Ricci stressed how important wins like beating the Churchwomen (14-3) are as the Vikings prepare for the stretch run in the Philadelphia Catholic League, where they are an unbeaten 5-0. The Vikings jumped out to a quick start, forcing turnovers and creating second-chance scoring opportunities to control the game early, limiting Episcopal to five first-quarter points. Madison Tamburini led the Vikings early, scoring Wood’s first four points. MORE... |
Mount Lebanon edges Archbishop Wood
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Vikings lose another close one
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Wood enduring usual early-season grind - 1/8/2013Archbishop Wood has lost four of its first seven games, but history indicates the Lady Vikings will gain immeasurably from the defeats, with payoffs in the playoffs.
Coach Jim Ricci’s schedule, as always, is difficult by design. Wood doesn’t worry about blemishes on its record; it progresses through an arduous and well-proven process, with the goal of being near peak-form and readiness by the postseason. Improving daily in practice and by playing the best out-of-conference competition they can find, the Lady Vikings, history has shown, are a team nobody wants to play come late February and March. After winning three straight PIAA Class AAA championships, it’s hard to argue with Ricci’s formula. It’s hard to say whether his current collection will hang a fourth banner, but few expected last season’s group — which had lost seven seniors from the previous two title teams and then lost 10 games before the 2012 state tourney — to win it all. MORE... |
Wood falls in NY/Philly Challenge by Kate HarmonIt's easy for a player or team to get amped up for a league game or one against a long-standing rival, but what if your schedule looks like Archbishop Wood's?
The Vikings opened the girls' basketball season against Bishop Ford, which had reached the Brooklyn/Queens Division I championship game last season. Then they traveled to Arizona, where they competed in the Nike Tournament of Champions, featuring some of the top teams in the nation. The next challenge for the Vikings was Archbishop Molloy, considered one of the best teams in New York state and boasting three Division I recruits. MORE... |
Friday PA Girls Roundup: Wood Holds Off Bonner-Prendie by Matt BreenJess Kaminski knocked down all four of her free throws in Friday night's final 3 minutes to seal Archbishop Wood's 48-43 win at Catholic League girls' basketball foe Bonner-Prendergast.
The junior guard finished with 11 points. Haley Scullion, a senior forward, scored a team-high 14 points and also drained three three-pointers. She scored 10 of her of points in the first half and finished the game with six rebounds. MORE... |
Wood, CB West Looking Ahead by Mary Jane Souder
Play the best if you want to be the best. It’s a philosophy that Archbishop Wood coach Jim Ricci lives by.
Last week, the three-time defending PIAA Class AAA champion Vikings traveled to Phoenix to compete in the prestigious Nike Tournament of Champions.
They not only played the best, they defeated one of the best, knocking off a La Jolla (Calif.) team that was ranked seventh in the nation in the most recent USA Today poll.
“That was a really, really big win,” Ricci said. “Until you’re actually out there, or unless you know what’s going on, nobody really understands how difficult it is out there.
“We play for the end of the year, and we try and test our kids. If you want to test your kids, Phoenix is the place to go because you can’t hide out there.” MORE...
Last week, the three-time defending PIAA Class AAA champion Vikings traveled to Phoenix to compete in the prestigious Nike Tournament of Champions.
They not only played the best, they defeated one of the best, knocking off a La Jolla (Calif.) team that was ranked seventh in the nation in the most recent USA Today poll.
“That was a really, really big win,” Ricci said. “Until you’re actually out there, or unless you know what’s going on, nobody really understands how difficult it is out there.
“We play for the end of the year, and we try and test our kids. If you want to test your kids, Phoenix is the place to go because you can’t hide out there.” MORE...
One-And-One From The TOC by Mark Lewis
"The old coach in me is still impressed by some of the most basic and essential elements of the game. On the offensive end of the floor the concept of spacing is generally embraced by teams about as warmly as republicans seem to be snuggling up to President Obama. In the final game of the 2012 TOC’s first day, Archbishop Wood out of Philadelphia, Pa. utilized virtually every inch of their end of the floor forcing La Jolla Country Day to spread their defense. Making their use of the court all the more effective was their patience and active movement without the ball. Without a shot clock, it was challenging for the LJCD to maintain their intensity and ball pressure throughout each possession, particularly in the later stages of the game. Three seniors are particularly adept for Coach Jim Ricci at making the most of their offensive real estate. Jackie Pierson, a 5-4 point guard, is active and has the vision to read the floor and capitalize on defensive breakdowns. Colleen Young, 5-9, cuts effectively and with intent keeping defenders honest while Haley Scullion, 5-11, confidently works the high post. Spacing isn’t a guarantee to put points on the board but it is the equivalent of body punches in boxing leading some easy shots that can turn a close game into a knockout."
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You can't hide at the Nike TOC
By Clay Kallam
“Sometimes it’s fool’s gold when you beat weak teams,” says Archbishop Wood (Philadelphia) coach Jim Ricci, “but there’s no hiding in Phoenix.”
And that really means no hiding, even when you’re not in the top bracket. “No matter what division you’re in,” says Malik McCord of Bishop O’Dowd in California, “you can’t take anyone lightly.”
If a team lets down for just a few minutes, all of a sudden a big lead is gone. “We were ahead of St. Joseph’s of Missouri something like 18-10 last year,” says Ricci, “and before I knew what happened, we were down eight.” MORE...
“Sometimes it’s fool’s gold when you beat weak teams,” says Archbishop Wood (Philadelphia) coach Jim Ricci, “but there’s no hiding in Phoenix.”
And that really means no hiding, even when you’re not in the top bracket. “No matter what division you’re in,” says Malik McCord of Bishop O’Dowd in California, “you can’t take anyone lightly.”
If a team lets down for just a few minutes, all of a sudden a big lead is gone. “We were ahead of St. Joseph’s of Missouri something like 18-10 last year,” says Ricci, “and before I knew what happened, we were down eight.” MORE...
2012-2013 Pre-Season
UNVEILING THE PRESEASON SUPER 25 GIRLS' RANKINGS by Jim Halley, USA Today17. Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.) (20-10)
Three-time defending state AAA champions return senior point guard Jackie Pierson, senior G Colleen Young, junior 5-7 G Jess Kaminski and sophomore PF Aubree Brown. Schedule includes Tournament of Champions in Phoenix and Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.). MORE... The Inquirer preseason girls' basketball top 10 by Kate Harman, Philadelphia Inquirer8. Archbishop Wood (21-10).
Three-peat Class AAA state champions, the Vikings are also the defending Catholic League and District 12 champions. They lost a lot of players from last season, but the Vikings have shown that you should never underestimate them. MORE... Courier Times Girls Basketball Previews
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Girls Basketball: Pre-Season Predictions and Top Players by Andrew Marcus, Mont. Media
Welcome to the wonderful world of winter sports. Where it's cold outside and the games are indoors. I love football, but I am thankful this Holiday Season for no more standing on the sidelines while I lose the feeling in fingers.
High School Basketball, in my opinion, is at its best in and around this area. Teams from Montgomery Media's coverage area always seem to be in the mix for district and even state championships. There are always a handful of players that commit to Division-One schools and more than you can count that go one to play Division Two and Three. So without further adieu... Here is one man's opinion on the best teams and the best players in Montgomery Media's coverage area prior to the 2012-2013 season starts. MORE... Intelligencer girls basketball high 5s
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2011-2012 Season
Archbishop Wood Wins Third Straight State Title (3/25/2012)
UNIVERSITY PARK — Lancaster Catholic rode into State College as a high-powered offensive machine.
Archbishop Wood took the Crusaders apart, piece by piece. MORE... |
Archbishop Wood Tops Lancaster Catholic for Third Straight State Title (3/25/2012)
Back in mid-January when Archbishop Wood’s record fell to 7-8 after losing four of five games, the naysayers were out in full force. It didn’t appear the two-time defending state champs were even going to get a chance to defend their title. MORE...
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Three in a Row for Archbishop Wood (3/24/2012)
STATE COLLEGE - Even in a season in which Archbishop Wood lost more games than in the previous two seasons combined, the Vikings found a way to win it all again.
The PIAA Class AAA girls' state championship trophy won't be moving from its trophy case, as Wood cruised to its third consecutive state title by defeating Lancaster Catholic, 52-33, Saturday night in Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center. MORE... |
Little Things Lead to Big Things For Wood (3/23/2012)
By Dan Dunkin, Bucks County Courier Times
The little things. For the last three years, Archbishop Wood has done them better than any girls basketball team in the state.
Coaches love to talk about the little things. Those are usually things that don’t show up in the box score, thus not giving the player instant public recognition in this immediate gratification age. But Wood players don’t care about that.
Wood is not a box score program. It is a scoreboard program. It is a do-your-job, work-for-something-bigger-than-yourself, then go-win-in-life program.
The Vikings are on the verge of a three-peat as Class AAA state champions, facing potent Lancaster Catholic Saturday in the state final. With 10 losses — one more than the 2010 and ’11 state champs combined — and after losing seven seniors, this dizzying run back to State College was unlikely.
Never has doing the little things been more pronounced than in Wood’s surprising march to a third straight state final.
It often means giving that little bit extra when your body says no. The Vikings seem to get 75 percent of the loose balls. Seem to contest 90 percent of opponents’ shots. Set the right screen, make the right cut and extra pass, at the right time.
Wood coach Jim Ricci and his staff would rather have a root canal than give up an open ‘3.’ Somebody gets beat off the dribble during extended half-court defense? Help is on the way 90 percent of the time.
They keep playing like their lives depend on it even when their shots aren’t dropping. A lot of players won’t do that. They’ll hang their heads and not get back on defense. Wood’s players hang tough together.
Poise under pressure — a championship team’s mantra. Wood’s players do the little things and big things when they absolutely have to.
“There’s a point in the game where somebody has to make a play, or make a stop, and you have to either get over a screen or through a screen, or you have to run and catch somebody in transition, or you have to get that loose ball or that checkout,” Ricci said. “And that’s the mental portion of it.
“If you’re too tired to do it, you have to gut it out and make sure it gets done, and so far we’ve been able to make the plays when we needed to.”
“The way you get games to go in your favor is you have to work for it,” said senior forward Lauren Nealon.
“We push each other every day,” added senior forward Alex Heck.
To do the little things ...
“We’ve had games we’ve lost on little possessions, so it makes us want to win those battles so much more,” said senior guard Taylor Kaminski. “Our seven seniors last year, they always pushed us through that. We really have to push everybody else for next year and the years following.”
That’s the Wood tradition. And it starts with trust in the coaching staff and trust in each other.
“That is pretty much the backbone of our program,” Ricci said. “ On both ends of the court, they trust each other.
“Whether it’s been this year or last year or years prior, we’ve always had a sense of nobody was really worried about who was going to get the most articles written about them. It was just make sure we win games. We’ve been able to have kids in our program who bought into that philosophy.
“With all the teams we’ve had, we’ve been fortunate to have just tremendous kids to be playing for us and to be around.”
Other teams have players with big numbers. Wood’s strength is in its numbers. It is a team in the truest sense.
And doing all those little things has led to big results. Here they are again, starless but selfless, back on the big stage at State College.
The little things. For the last three years, Archbishop Wood has done them better than any girls basketball team in the state.
Coaches love to talk about the little things. Those are usually things that don’t show up in the box score, thus not giving the player instant public recognition in this immediate gratification age. But Wood players don’t care about that.
Wood is not a box score program. It is a scoreboard program. It is a do-your-job, work-for-something-bigger-than-yourself, then go-win-in-life program.
The Vikings are on the verge of a three-peat as Class AAA state champions, facing potent Lancaster Catholic Saturday in the state final. With 10 losses — one more than the 2010 and ’11 state champs combined — and after losing seven seniors, this dizzying run back to State College was unlikely.
Never has doing the little things been more pronounced than in Wood’s surprising march to a third straight state final.
It often means giving that little bit extra when your body says no. The Vikings seem to get 75 percent of the loose balls. Seem to contest 90 percent of opponents’ shots. Set the right screen, make the right cut and extra pass, at the right time.
Wood coach Jim Ricci and his staff would rather have a root canal than give up an open ‘3.’ Somebody gets beat off the dribble during extended half-court defense? Help is on the way 90 percent of the time.
They keep playing like their lives depend on it even when their shots aren’t dropping. A lot of players won’t do that. They’ll hang their heads and not get back on defense. Wood’s players hang tough together.
Poise under pressure — a championship team’s mantra. Wood’s players do the little things and big things when they absolutely have to.
“There’s a point in the game where somebody has to make a play, or make a stop, and you have to either get over a screen or through a screen, or you have to run and catch somebody in transition, or you have to get that loose ball or that checkout,” Ricci said. “And that’s the mental portion of it.
“If you’re too tired to do it, you have to gut it out and make sure it gets done, and so far we’ve been able to make the plays when we needed to.”
“The way you get games to go in your favor is you have to work for it,” said senior forward Lauren Nealon.
“We push each other every day,” added senior forward Alex Heck.
To do the little things ...
“We’ve had games we’ve lost on little possessions, so it makes us want to win those battles so much more,” said senior guard Taylor Kaminski. “Our seven seniors last year, they always pushed us through that. We really have to push everybody else for next year and the years following.”
That’s the Wood tradition. And it starts with trust in the coaching staff and trust in each other.
“That is pretty much the backbone of our program,” Ricci said. “ On both ends of the court, they trust each other.
“Whether it’s been this year or last year or years prior, we’ve always had a sense of nobody was really worried about who was going to get the most articles written about them. It was just make sure we win games. We’ve been able to have kids in our program who bought into that philosophy.
“With all the teams we’ve had, we’ve been fortunate to have just tremendous kids to be playing for us and to be around.”
Other teams have players with big numbers. Wood’s strength is in its numbers. It is a team in the truest sense.
And doing all those little things has led to big results. Here they are again, starless but selfless, back on the big stage at State College.
Final Destination (3/23/2012)
Junior guard Jackie Pierson wore a black eye from a recent practice collision and a bloody knee from Archbishop Wood’s scraping by Chartiers Valley in the state semifinals Wednesday.
She also couldn’t suppress a smile. Wood coach Jim Ricci wore a weary grin after the exhausting 42-37 victory. MORE... |
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Wood Back in State Final (3/22/2012)
CHAMBERSBURG — No way, the many skeptics said.
No way that two-time defending Class AAA state champion Archbishop Wood, having lost seven seniors from last season and 10 games this season, could return to the state final for a third straight year. Way. Wood always seems to find a way. MORE... |
Vikings Rise Above Choppy Waters (3/21/2012)WARMINSTER — Archbishop Wood’s Vikings are two wins away from a three-peat as PIAA Class AAA basketball champions.
On paper before the season, few expected them to get this far. They had lost seven seniors who were integral to back-to-back state titles. MORE... |
Archbishop Wood Outlasts South Park in Double OT (3/19/2012)
It’s quite remarkable what the Archbishop Wood girls’ basketball team has been able to do over the course of the past three years. And you can call it a little St. Patrick’s Day luck or just plain playoff experience, but somehow, the Lady Vikings have managed to get themselves to within one win of their third consecutive visit to the state title game. MORE...
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Archbishop Wood Gets Defensive Against Trinity (3/14/2012)
SHILLINGTON - Archbishop Wood girls’ basketball coach Jim Ricci doesn’t mince his words when either directing, encouraging or correcting his team. Wednesday night in the PIAA Class AAA second-round playoff game against Trinity at Governor Mifflin Intermediate School, his Vikings got off to a sluggish start in the first quarter, and he let them know about it in no uncertain terms.
“Start grinding,” he shouted after the first quarter. “What’s wrong with us? MORE... |
Archbishop Wood Battles Past Oley Valley (3/10/2012)At this time of the season, style points don’t really count. As long as your team scores one more than the opponent, it’s a beautiful day.
It’s win and advance, lose and pack up the uniforms. Archbishop Wood didn’t play a perfect game Saturday at Garden Spot High in the opening game of the defense of it’s PIAA Class AAA title, but when the Vikings needed to step up, they did and earned a 48-34 victory over District 3 runnerup Oley Valley. MORE... |
Wood Girls Fall in PCL Final to Carroll in OT (2/28/2012)
PHILADELPHIA — Jackie Pierson’s desperation shot from near midcourt appeared to be on the money as the Archbishop Wood point guard released the ball just before the buzzer ending overtime sounded.
The fans who packed the Palestra for Monday night’s Philadelphia Catholic League title game against Archbishop Carroll held their collective breath as the ball bounced off the front of the rim and up in the air before falling harmlessly off, allowing Carroll to escape with a dramatic 40-38 overtime win in a PCL thriller. MORE... |
Wood Holds Off Cardinal O'Hara (2/26/2012)
If the Cardinal O’Hara girls’ basketball team would have played the first three quarters in the same fashion as they did the fourth quarter, there’s no doubt that they would be playing in the Philadelphia Catholic League Championship game Monday.
As it is, they’ll be watching from the stands like everyone else. The Lions, the regular season champion in the league, were dreadful through three quarters digging themselves a massive deficit. They almost overcame it in a frenetic final frame, even getting to within one possession twice, but the hole proved too deep and too difficult to traverse. MORE... |
Wood Suffers Another Tough Setback (1/26/2012)
WARMINSTER — Archbishop Wood, according to Jackie Pierson, has been practicing with renewed resolve since last Friday’s loss to Archbishop Carroll.
“We’ve been pushing ourselves because we know everyone is down on us,” the Vikings’ junior point guard said. “Everyone is like, ‘Wood is not as good as they were last year.’“ MORE... |
Wood Hopes to Gain from Loss to Carroll (1/21/2012)
RADNOR — Archbishop Wood now has lost seven games this season, but that's a little misleading when you consider that coach Jim Ricci schedules almost as fearlessly as John Chaney did in his Temple heyday.
Six of those defeats came against out-of-state, highly-ranked/regarded clubs in tournaments or showcase events. No. 7 is a game on the schedule every year, one the Vikings certainly circle on their Philadelphia Catholic League slate. MORE... |
Archbishop Carroll Edges Archbishop Wood (1/20/2012)
Archbishop Wood won its first four Philadelphia Catholic League games while outscoring its opponents by an average of 47 points per game. But when the Lady Vikings prepared to take on Archbishop Carroll – their biggest rival and the current No. 1 ranked girls’ basketball team in the state per MaxPreps.com – they knew it wasn’t going to be another 40 or 50-point win.
In reality, the Lady Vikings would’ve been happy with a one-point win, but Carroll is ranked as high as it is for a reason. MORE... |
Wood Keeping the Bar High (1/20/2012)
Archbishop Wood’s consecutive Class AAA state championships the past two seasons were not about two or three stars taking a team to the pinnacle.
Those titles were made possible by a selfless, total team approach under coach Jim Ricci, employing a dizzying rotation often numbering eight to 10 players and, last year, an all-senior starting five leading the way, with the leading scorers changing night to night. MORE... |