Prep Charter girls are on another level

For Prep Charter coach Paul Rieser, there is no secret formula to the way he constructed the team that beat Central, 70-34, to win Saturday's Public League title game for the second consecutive year.

There is no easy explanation for how a team rises so high above its competition that it beats league opponents by an average of 44 points, even though it doesn't have a junior-varsity or freshman squad.

Part of his program's success, Rieser said, can be attributed to "the luck of the draw." He does not recruit his players; they are admitted to Prep through the same lottery that all prospective students enter.

Two years ago, that lottery landed him a million-dollar prize. Six-foot-two Kahleah Copper left Girard College, a school with a fading basketball program, for up-and-coming Prep Charter, which recently had produced a number of college players.

Before Copper arrived on campus in September 2010, Rieser said, "I didn't know Kahleah from a box of chocolates or a bucket of paint."

Copper has since become a McDonald's all-American and the centerpiece of the Public League's latest dynasty, which Rieser believes will last even after she graduates.

"Kids that would have applied to other charter schools are now applying to Prep Charter," he said.

Though drawing a player as naturally talented as Copper required luck - like most of Prep's players, she chose the school for its location in South Philadelphia and its strong academics - the hard work has come in building a championship-caliber team around her.

In that area, Rieser has turned the already sizable gap between Prep Charter and the rest of the Public League into a gulf.

"We do what a lot of teams in our league don't do; we practice every day," Rieser said. "It's not necessarily about us getting the best players."

Outside of the spotlight that Copper attracts are unsung heroes such as sophomore guard India Cauley, a Penn Wood Middle School product whose role can be summed up in four words: "Whatever you need, Coach."

As the only sophomore captain Rieser has ever chosen, Cauley has provided a leading voice on a team that regularly plays three sophomores and three freshmen. She said Rieser's nonstop, 2-hour, 20-minute practices point the team toward its goal of becoming the PIAA Class AAA champion.

"He knows what he wants and he knows what to expect from his players," Cauley said. "No matter what, he's going to get it out of you."

After breezing through the Public League, the Huskies hope to avenge last year's state-semifinal loss to Archbishop Wood, the two-time defending champion.

Rieser did not scout a Public League opponent all season. He plans to watch plenty of tape to prepare for the grueling test that lies ahead.

"We relish the victory," the coach said, "but we realize that we have a larger goal here."

The PIAA District 1 Class AAA tournament began Feb. 21 with six teams from the Catholic Academies League, three from the Pioneer Athletic Conference, two from the Central League, and one from the Suburban One American League. Three days later, four Catholic Academies League teams were left standing.

Tuesday at Harriton High School, Villa Maria will face Nazareth and St. Basil will face Villa Joseph Marie in the semifinals. In both cases, the teams will meet for the third time this season, adding a layer of familiarity to the high-stakes games.

For Villa Joseph Marie, the rematch generates a sense of confidence. The Jems defeated St. Basil on Dec. 11 and Jan. 19.

"That's a good thing," Jems coach Chris Clark said. "There are going to be no surprises for the most part, so that makes it somewhat easier to prepare."

Nazareth coach John Turner's team is relishing life on the other side. The Pandas lost to Villa Maria on Jan. 5 and Jan. 30 but view their rematch as a prime opportunity for revenge.

"They really feel like, given another chance, they can really get something done this week," Turner said.

The fifth-seeded Pandas' third shot at Villa Maria would not have come without a quarterfinal upset of No. 4 seed Upper Merion, which has lost to an Academies League team in the District 1 playoffs in seven of the last eight seasons.

In Turner's mind, the trend is more than just a stroke of luck.

"Our league has been very strong for a while," he said.