Lansdale Catholic’s historic season came with lessons learned and driven by the mantra of ‘turning the page’
The Crusaders girls’ basketball team was led by an array of talents that helped the program achieve three titles this season: state, league, and district.
After Lansdale Catholic lost to Archbishop Wood in the Class 4A PIAA girls’ basketball championship last spring, the bitter feeling stuck.
Despite the pain, the Crusaders returned to the gym a few weeks later with a comeback mentality.
“We all knew how special we could be,” said senior guard Gabby Casey. “Just putting in the work and staying on the same page and always being there for each other through everything on and off the court [that] really helped us just push through.”
Lansdale Catholic (29-2) learned from its mistakes. The Crusaders proved that by claiming three titles this year — the Philadelphia Catholic League, District 12, and state. It was the program’s first PIAA and PCL titles.
“The biggest thing we learned is [that] nothing is promised,” said coach Eric Gidney, who led his team to a 53-45 win over Blackhawk on Saturday at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Since taking over in 2018, Gidney faced highs and lows. The Crusaders were 2020 state championship contenders before COVID-19 canceled the PIAA tournament. Then they went 2-6 in 2021, and came up just short last season, Gidney’s fourth at the helm.
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Those tough moments served as valuable lessons and helped them through two key turning points.
When Lansdale Catholic lost to Neshaminy on Dec. 15, Gidney was mourning the death of his father. The Crusaders responded by winning 13 consecutive games. Last month, Cardinal O’Hara handed them a loss for the first time in two months.
But Gidney reminded his team of what happened after its last loss. He was confident that his program could win out, and it did just that.
Lansdale Catholic went on another 13-game streak and entered the postseason with all the momentum it needed.
“As a coach, I have always sort of had the mantra of turning the page,” Gidney said. “You have a good win. You enjoy it for the night. Then, the next day, you move on. You turn the page, and you have to do the same thing after a loss.
“[You have to] learn from it and apply those coachable moments and get better from it. That’s the best thing about it.”
Multiple players contributed to the championship team’s success. Casey, who’s committed to St. Joseph’s and was named MVP of the PCL, was the program’s go-to scorer and playmaker, averaging 21.4 points and 8.5 rebounds this season.
“From the moment I walked in as a freshman, I heard about her,” said sophomore guard Nadia Yemola. “Seeing her junior [and] senior year … she’s even better [this] year. Just seeing everything she’s accomplished is just so awesome for her. The fact that I [can] say, ‘I played with Gabby Casey’ is just such a privilege.”
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But Casey isn’t the only player who made an impact.
Senior captain Jaida Helm, who surpassed 1,000 career points this season, was described by Gidney as quiet and introverted, but that changed once she stepped onto the court. Junior guard Olivia Boccella also has made clutch shots for the Crusaders, most notably her game-winning three against Archbishop Wood in the PCL final.
Lansdale Catholic will face some challenges heading into the offseason, namely replacing Casey’s production and leadership skills. But they’ll have three of five starters returning next season with a few new contributors potentially emerging.
“We’ve got a lot of young talent on this roster that really benefited and learned from the experience this year,” Gidney said. “They learned how to win from those girls that were graduating, those four seniors.”