A West Passyunk-based girls’ basketball team has captured its first-ever league championship, and eyes even bigger prizes lurking ahead.
Prep Charter girls’ basketball coach Paul Rieser, back, and his players celebrated at center court Saturday afternoon with a firm grasp on the Public League trophy.
Saturday, for the third-straight year, the Prep Charter Lady Huskies and Central Lancers, met for the Public League girls’ basketball crown. But unlike the previous two meetings, the squad based at 1928 Point Breeze Ave., wanted to make a statement that they were without a shadow of a doubt the No. 1 team in the land.
Falling short of that goal would’ve made all 22 of the previous victories — many of which were one-sided — meaningless. Heading into the early afternoon tilt at Temple University’s Liacouras Center one thing was quite clear: Opposing teams could not keep up with Prep Charter. On this day, it didn’t matter if the final score was 79-11 or 60-59, coach Paul Rieser just wanted a W next to his team.
On this day, it came in the form of a 49-39 triumph.
“It felt good,” Rieser, now in his sixth season at Prep Charter, said, ”but I was really, really happy for the four seniors and really happy for the former players who are now in college.”
Once the news started spreading via the social networks, the coach started getting nonstop messages of “We Did It!” from former players in Seattle, Wash., Cincinnati, Ohio and Clarion University.
Robyn Harcum, a 2010 grad who was a member of the two previous runner-up squads attended the contest.
From December’s highly-successful trip to Boca Raton, Fla., in which the local squad returned home with a tournament championship, to the previous lopsided playoff wins, the coach and his team were pretty confident that this would be their year.
“We knew it was going to take a pretty strong effort for anyone in our league to beat us,” Rieser said.
Several athletes contributed to what is now considered the culminating moment in Prep Charter girls’ basketball history. Kahleah Copper, a 6-foot-2 junior, took home MVP honors after tallying a game-high 19 points —15 of which came in the second half — and 17 rebounds. The Drexel University-bound Tiffany Johnson, the Markward Club’s Public League Player of the Year, chipped in nine points while fellow senior Nydeera Lee, who was battling flu-like symptoms, contributed a balanced line of seven points, five assists and four rebounds.
The Lady Huskies are now gearing up for tomorrow night’s District 12 Class AAA championship game against Catholic League champ Archbishop Wood. Rieser knows it’s going to be his squad’s toughest test to date.
“They are a deep, well coached basketball team,” he said of Wood. “There is a reason why they’re ranked No. 1 in the state. They’re the best basketball team I’ve seen this year.
“I am looking forward to playing them because it’s a test for us.”
No matter what the final score is, both schools are advancing to next week’s opening-round action of the PIAA Class AAA tournament. Time, date, opponent and location are all to be determined. The Prep Charter girls’ have never advanced out of the first round.
“We just want to keep going,” Rieser said.
To see more photos, visit www.southphillyreview.com/multimedia/Public-League-Champions-117349868.html.
Contact Editor Bill Gelman at bgelman@southphillyreview.com or ext. 121.
When the Prep Charter girls’ basketball team is on its game, the opposition’s empty light often illuminates long before the game’s final stretch. The Lady Huskies have established a knack for setting a defensive trap that even illusionist Criss Angel might struggle figuring out an escape route to.
The ladies lacing up their basketball sneakers for Prep Charter High School, 1928 Point Breeze Ave., must adjust to the role of the hunted this season.
When Kahleah Copper revealed her college selection Nov. 14 in the auditorium at Prep Charter High School, 1928 Point Breeze Ave., she did more than make the Rutgers University Scarlet Knights happy. The 17-year-old also delighted her mother, Leticia Copper, who is fighting breast cancer and will require only a short trip to watch her youngest daughter’s basketball games.
While many fans tab the Phillies to be professional juggernauts this season, South Philadelphia already possesses a pair of reliable amateur machines. Last night in games that ended after press time, the boys’ bunch from Ss. Neumann-Goretti High School, 1736 S. 10th St., and the girls’ gang from Prep Charter High School, 1928 Point Breeze Ave., looked to extend seasons featuring impressive winning streaks and blowout triumphs.
Tiffany Johnson feels less pressure playing point guard this season after having signed with Drexel University. Minus many misgivings, the 5-foot-7 senior at Prep Charter, 1928 Point Breeze Ave., has been confounding opponents, leading the Huskies to a sparkling record and an admirable state ranking.
While many of the area high school girls’ basketball teams have turned in their uniforms, the Prep Charter Lady Huskies were hard at work this week making final preparations for Saturday’s PIAA Class AAA opening-round contest against Malvern-based Villa Maria Academy.
Late winter allows area high school basketball teams to pursue state titles, but those squads have a new championship seeker among them this year — a loaded chess team. This afternoon at Citizens Bank Park, One Citizens Bank Way, the youngsters from The Academy at Palumbo, 1100 Catharine St., will look to claim their first Philadelphia Scholastic Chess League crown. Tomorrow, the boys’ basketball team at Ss. Neumann-Goretti High School, 1736 S. 10th St., will begin defense of its state title. Saturday, the boys’ and girls’ units from Prep Charter High School, 1928 Point Breeze Ave., will begin what could be a doubly delightful postseason.
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