For two years, the potential of a group of underclassmen had Old Forge girls’ coaches, players and fans smiling from ear-to-ear on the endless possibilities for the Blue Devils program.
Last year that potential started turning into victories, and when those victories kept piling up at the end of the season during the district and state playoffs, the basketball community in Old Forge knew this team was starting to realize those years of potential.
Led by second-team AP All-State selection Kim Kaville, the Blue Devils tied a school record with 19 wins, finished third in the Lackawanna League Division II, won the District 2 Class 1A title for the first time in 16 years, and advanced to the PIAA Class 1A Eastern Semifinals for just the second time in school history.
This season, the core group of players that put Old Forge back on the local girls’ basketball map are back – and they mean business.
The Blue Devils opened the season yesterday afternoon against Wyoming Area as they looked to defend their second consecutive Marseco Memorial title, and will face a bigger challenge in two weeks when the open the LLD2 slate against the two teams that finished ahead of them in 2007-08, Valley View and Dunmore.
In order to contend with the two division heavyweights, the Old Forge will need to continue to improve as they have the past two years, and play with a passion that was seen at times during last season.
And that all starts with Kaville.
The 5-foot-9 junior post player is a brute force inside for the Blue Devils with her raw energy and athletic play. Sometimes that style hurts her with foul trouble, but if she can learn to bottle it up and continue to get better, she could be the unstoppable player Old Forge has lacked since the days of the mid 1990s.
Kaville earned all-state honors last year by being the Blue Devils best player during a run in which they won two state playoff games. The LLD2 first-team all star scored 60 points and grabbed 27 rebounds in three PIAA games. Kaville averaged 14.5 points per game and grabbed 4.5 rebounds per game during the regular season.
She has scored 674 career points and with another solid season could surpass the 1,000-point mark by the end of the season.
But Kaville isn’t Old Forge’s only option on offense. Sarah Fife is also within reaching the 1,000-point mark with 643 career points. She would need to average 16.2 points over the Blue Devils 22 regular-season games to get to the mark. Should both reach the mark this season, it would be the first time in school history the girls’ program would have two 1,000-point scorers in the same season.
Fife, a 5-foot-6 forward, was Old Forge’s leading scorer for her first two varsity seasons before giving way to Kaville last season. The senior averaged just under seven points per game last season, and was third on the team in rebounding with 63 and in steals with 31. She also made eight three-pointers. The Blue Devils will look to its only senior for leadership and the scrappy play she has become known for.
The rest of the starting lineup will feature juniors Aleca Semenza, Chrissy Belko and Jess Armillay.
Semenza started for the first time last season and was Old Forge’s top three-point threat last season and was second on the team in scoring with 11.1 points per game. The 5-foot-7 guard dropped in 26 triples and led the team with 55 steals. Semenza was also second on the team with 32 assists and fourth in rebounding with 56.
Belko runs the show from the point, and has since her freshman season. The 5-foot-7 guard handed out a team-high 65 assists last season while scoring just 118 points. Despite being the team’s point guard, Belko was second on the team in rebounds with 78. She was also third on the team in steals with 35 and made seven triples on the season.
Armillay was a spot starter last season as a sophomore and was at her best coming off the bench. But she returns this season as a full-time starter and the Blue Devils designated defensive stopper. The fiery 5-foot-6 guard can also play the point, but will be called upon to ignite the Old Forge defense with her aggressive style of play. Armillay scored just 61 points in 28 games last season, but managed to grab 44 rebounds, hand out 14 assists and make 11 steals.
Unlike in past seasons, Head Coach Tom Gatto will have some solid contributors to bring off the bench allowing the Blue Devils to not miss a beat when one of the Fab Five comes off the floor.
Gatto will have four reliable subs to bring in with sophomores Andi Alsalahat, Lindsey Regan, Nicole Marianelli and Dana Bilski.
Alsalahat gave the Blue Devils a boost late in the season as a reliable ball handler and outside shooter. But the 5-foot-9 guard could also play inside and give Old Forge another solid post defender. Regan and Bilski will also give the Blue Devils some inside depth.
Marianelli gives Old Forge a shooting guard off the bench with some size at 5-foot-7 that is capable of burying the long-range shot.
All told, the Blue Devils have 17 players on the roster – a major step up from last season’s 13 that had some varsity players playing in two games a night. Another solid group of six freshmen, along with six sophomores will provide Old Forge with a base of players to keep the program moving in the right direction.
The cupboard is stocked with talent, and the table is set for this to be one of the greatest seasons of girls’ basketball season in school history. The Blue Devils sure look ready to take care of business.
Last year that potential started turning into victories, and when those victories kept piling up at the end of the season during the district and state playoffs, the basketball community in Old Forge knew this team was starting to realize those years of potential.
Led by second-team AP All-State selection Kim Kaville, the Blue Devils tied a school record with 19 wins, finished third in the Lackawanna League Division II, won the District 2 Class 1A title for the first time in 16 years, and advanced to the PIAA Class 1A Eastern Semifinals for just the second time in school history.
This season, the core group of players that put Old Forge back on the local girls’ basketball map are back – and they mean business.
The Blue Devils opened the season yesterday afternoon against Wyoming Area as they looked to defend their second consecutive Marseco Memorial title, and will face a bigger challenge in two weeks when the open the LLD2 slate against the two teams that finished ahead of them in 2007-08, Valley View and Dunmore.
In order to contend with the two division heavyweights, the Old Forge will need to continue to improve as they have the past two years, and play with a passion that was seen at times during last season.
And that all starts with Kaville.
The 5-foot-9 junior post player is a brute force inside for the Blue Devils with her raw energy and athletic play. Sometimes that style hurts her with foul trouble, but if she can learn to bottle it up and continue to get better, she could be the unstoppable player Old Forge has lacked since the days of the mid 1990s.
Kaville earned all-state honors last year by being the Blue Devils best player during a run in which they won two state playoff games. The LLD2 first-team all star scored 60 points and grabbed 27 rebounds in three PIAA games. Kaville averaged 14.5 points per game and grabbed 4.5 rebounds per game during the regular season.
She has scored 674 career points and with another solid season could surpass the 1,000-point mark by the end of the season.
But Kaville isn’t Old Forge’s only option on offense. Sarah Fife is also within reaching the 1,000-point mark with 643 career points. She would need to average 16.2 points over the Blue Devils 22 regular-season games to get to the mark. Should both reach the mark this season, it would be the first time in school history the girls’ program would have two 1,000-point scorers in the same season.
Fife, a 5-foot-6 forward, was Old Forge’s leading scorer for her first two varsity seasons before giving way to Kaville last season. The senior averaged just under seven points per game last season, and was third on the team in rebounding with 63 and in steals with 31. She also made eight three-pointers. The Blue Devils will look to its only senior for leadership and the scrappy play she has become known for.
The rest of the starting lineup will feature juniors Aleca Semenza, Chrissy Belko and Jess Armillay.
Semenza started for the first time last season and was Old Forge’s top three-point threat last season and was second on the team in scoring with 11.1 points per game. The 5-foot-7 guard dropped in 26 triples and led the team with 55 steals. Semenza was also second on the team with 32 assists and fourth in rebounding with 56.
Belko runs the show from the point, and has since her freshman season. The 5-foot-7 guard handed out a team-high 65 assists last season while scoring just 118 points. Despite being the team’s point guard, Belko was second on the team in rebounds with 78. She was also third on the team in steals with 35 and made seven triples on the season.
Armillay was a spot starter last season as a sophomore and was at her best coming off the bench. But she returns this season as a full-time starter and the Blue Devils designated defensive stopper. The fiery 5-foot-6 guard can also play the point, but will be called upon to ignite the Old Forge defense with her aggressive style of play. Armillay scored just 61 points in 28 games last season, but managed to grab 44 rebounds, hand out 14 assists and make 11 steals.
Unlike in past seasons, Head Coach Tom Gatto will have some solid contributors to bring off the bench allowing the Blue Devils to not miss a beat when one of the Fab Five comes off the floor.
Gatto will have four reliable subs to bring in with sophomores Andi Alsalahat, Lindsey Regan, Nicole Marianelli and Dana Bilski.
Alsalahat gave the Blue Devils a boost late in the season as a reliable ball handler and outside shooter. But the 5-foot-9 guard could also play inside and give Old Forge another solid post defender. Regan and Bilski will also give the Blue Devils some inside depth.
Marianelli gives Old Forge a shooting guard off the bench with some size at 5-foot-7 that is capable of burying the long-range shot.
All told, the Blue Devils have 17 players on the roster – a major step up from last season’s 13 that had some varsity players playing in two games a night. Another solid group of six freshmen, along with six sophomores will provide Old Forge with a base of players to keep the program moving in the right direction.
The cupboard is stocked with talent, and the table is set for this to be one of the greatest seasons of girls’ basketball season in school history. The Blue Devils sure look ready to take care of business.
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