Conestoga girls have high expectations this basketball season with battle-tested lineup
The Pioneers finished 22-8, were runner-ups in the Central League, and made the PIAA Class 6A playoffs last season. That glimpse of success served as fuel this offseason.
This time a year ago, Conestoga knew it had a promising group of players and wanted to put its girls’ basketball program on the map. The Pioneers didn’t quite know what it felt like to contend for a league title or reach the state playoffs, so with a lot of wins came a lot of learning.
This season, the Pioneers know where they want to go.
“You don’t know until you know,” coach AJ Thompson said. “You don’t know until you get there and see it, and I tried to prep them for it and tried to tell them what it’s like to play in states, but until you walk in the gym, it’s a big crowd, there’s college coaches there, it’s a different atmosphere.”
The program made gains last season. Conestoga finished 22-8, was runner-up in the Central League, and had a first-round appearance in the PIAA Class 6A playoffs. That glimpse of success served as fuel this offseason.
“This year, people are expecting us to do a little bit more,” said senior point guard Marisa Francione, who has committed to Scranton. “We’re taking that and working harder. We’re going to see it. We’re playing stronger teams this year, so that’s a new approach.”
The ‘Stoga core got a major lift with Ryann Jennings’ arrival as a freshman last season. The wing could be more productive following a summer with the Comets, an AAU team.
“All summer, everyone was thinking about this upcoming season,” Jennings said. “We’re ready to play. We want to take it to the next level. Last year was a good season, but we want to go even farther.”
Thompson enters his sixth season as head coach with a veteran squad. Francione had a strong summer, winning a Hoop Group Showcase League title with her Lady Runnin’ Rebels AAU squad. She’ll be the engine for the Pioneers.
The Pioneers return their entire starting lineup. Twins Bella and Katrina Valencia, guard Arielle LePage, and juniors Ruth Lanouette and Janie Preston will be key contributors alongside Francione.
There also are new contributors ready to step in, including sophomores Maggie Neary and Libby Brown.
“Everyone is returning; everyone is another year better,” Francione said. “So we’re just looking to continue improving on everything.”
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Francione is eager to see the team play in transition. Jennings added that there has been a teamwide emphasis on working on perimeter shooting.
“Nobody’s out there looking for themselves; it’s all about what they can do to help the team,” Thompson said.
With Haverford, last year’s Central League champion, and annual contender Springfield (Delco) retooling, the experienced Pioneers enter the season as a favorite in the league. However, Garnet Valley also returns a good portion of its lineup.
Conestoga will open its season at reigning PIAA Class 3A champion Dunmore, which also happens to be Thompson’s alma mater. The Pioneers will be in Wildwood over the holiday break, and their nonleague slate should help accent the competition in the Central League.
“Last year was great. We had high expectations, but I think now our girls are starting to believe that they’re good,” Thompson said. “Last year was about trying to get them to believe ‘you can beat anybody,’ and getting to the Central League championship and the first round of states showed that.
“We’ve got goals we want to set and now we know what it takes to get there.”
This story was produced as part of a partnership between The Inquirer and City of Basketball Love, a nonprofit news organization that covers high school and college basketball in the Philadelphia area while also helping mentor the next generation of sportswriters. This collaboration will help boost coverage of the city’s vibrant amateur basketball scene, from the high school ranks up through the Big 5 and beyond.