ALLENTOWN: Redbirds’ Kyle is feeling like her old self

By Justin Feil, The Packet Group
   Kathleen Kyle felt a little like a rookie on Opening Night, even though it wasn’t her first varsity basketball game, or even her first game back since a knee injury cost her much of her sophomore year.
   ”I feel like similar to freshman year,” said the Allentown High School junior. “But I don’t as many nerves. Freshman year, I was just getting into high school, so I wasn’t as confident. I have more confidence in myself and I hope to grow with that.”
   Kyle looked headed for big things after her playing considerably as a freshman. She even started a few games when an upperclassman was injured. But just as the summer was beginning, the Redbirds forward tore her ACL while playing soccer.
   ”I got cleared the beginning of February last year,” Kyle said. “I played in a couple games last year, but it wasn’t really full out me playing. I hadn’t been playing so I wasn’t in the greatest shape.”
   But Kyle was back on the court, and she continued to work on the game that she treasured above any other. Kyle felt back to her old self when opened the season with 15 points in a 58-37 win over Hamilton. It was the first test for her knee as a starter.
   ”It honestly feels great,” Kyle said. “I don’t have any soreness or pain. I feel the same as I always did. It’s not restricting anything.”
   Just as importantly, Kyle is back at a level where she can help the Redbirds. She started and brought what they needed to the team.
   ”She’s such a tough competitor,” said Allentown head coach Linda Weise. “She brings a toughness to our team that you can’t measure. She battles in practice extremely hard. It’s having that toughness that helps the rest of the girls. We really missed that last year.”
   Kyle is feeling good about her ability to contribute this year, whether it is with points as she did in the first game, or rebounds, defense or passing. She is thrilled to be back with the team.
   ”Especially playing in the summer league got me kind of back and used to the pace,” Kyle said. “It’s a little different getting back. I haven’t played since freshman year. It’s a little weird, but exciting at the same time.”
   The Redbirds are cautiously optimistic. They graduated a huge chunk of their scoring and some big-time experience, but they have been able to start strong. AHS improved to 3-0 wit a 41-33 win over West Windsor-Plainsboro North heading into a holiday break. Kirsten Romano scored 11 points, Kali Hartshorn added 10 points and Mandy Hornyak contributed seven points. Hannah Murphy, who also starts, had six points.
   Over the break, Allentown dropped games against Conwell Egan and Chisolm Catholic of Australia in the Prime Time ESCIT to fall to 3-2 on the season.
   ”We’re taking an approach like we’re a work in progress and we’re taking each game one at a time,” Weise said. “We don’t have a whole lot of expectations because we know we’re young and inexperienced, and hopefully we’ll surprise some people.”
   Hornyak, Romano and Kyle have all started before this season, and the Redbirds are leaning on their veteran play.
   ”Coach definitely tells us we have to assume leadership roles and take responsibility,” Kyle said. “We graduated three of our starting seniors. It’s a lot of weight and slack to pick up.”
   Hamilton was the first team in the regular season to get a taste of how the Redbirds will do that. Besides a starting five that has come together nicely, they have senior Annie Lee and Erin Primich who have experience and Bianca Santos is a freshman who has proven early that she can help with double digit scoring in each of the first two games of the year.
   ”I feel like who we have coming back worked hard in the offseason to fill in what we lost,” Kyle said. “And who we’re starting now, I feel confident we’ll be fine even without the graduated girls.”
   Kyle could be one of the new offensive sources. She had her biggest offensive output in the first game of the year, but there could be bigger days ahead as she gets more accustomed to playing with the team.
   ”I feel like I have potential to be,” Kyle said. “It’s going to depend on the game. I had 15 first game, four the second. It’s going to vary based on the size and quickness of the team we’re playing. I feel like different people each day will be able to step up and assume that role.”
   Weise is optimistic that the formula will help make her team tough to stop. The Redbirds balance has given them a lift through the first three games of the season.
   ”We have the depth to go nine deep,” Weise said. “We lack the varsity experience, but have athleticism and depth we didn’t have in the past. Kali Hartshorn is a freshman. She starts. And Bianca Santos is a freshman that plays. Both play up in AAU, and are used to playing against kids that are bigger and stronger. They’ve helped.
   ”What we’ve kind of been preaching is it’s going to be different scoring from different people. Any nine of them could be the person to step up and provide that scoring, and I do think we’ll have that balance as well.”
   Defensively, the Redbirds will come at teams a variety of ways. They have the potential to mix a lot of different looks.
   ”Defensively, we’ll press some and do some halfcourt pressure,” Weise said. “We’ll switch it up. That’s what was effective against Hamilton. We were able to get turnovers and score in transition. We have some decent size, so we hope to be able to rebound and run a bit on teams.”
   Kyle saw the seeds of the Redbirds’ potential starting to come to fruition. AHS may not have a lot of experience, but they do have a group that has invested some time in the sport.
   ”Especially in the fall, girls who did not play a fall sport worked out to get stronger and worked on their ball skills,” Kyle said. “Most of the girls have improved even since this summer.”
   Kyle went back to soccer, even after the injury set her back in basketball. But she is back to where she left off as a basketball player and looking to make a big impact while making up for lost time.
   ”It’s huge for me,” Kyle said. “It’s the first year that I’m really completely on varsity. Freshman year I did play a little JV too. This is the year to step up and show what I have.”