ALLENTOWN: AHS girls hoops looks to continue winning tradition

By Justin Feil, The Packet Group
   The standards shot up last season for the Allentown High School girls basketball team.
   The Redbirds want to keep them high even after the graduation of some key pieces from their 20-5 team.
   ”We’ll do some of the same things,” said Allentown head coach Linda Weise. “Last year, those kids, they had been in our program playing varsity for years. They’re big losses for us. We have a lot of new kids to varsity.”
   Back for the Redbirds are returning starters Kalie Hartshorn, Bianca Santos and Hope Narozniak to build the team around this year. The trio of juniors returns with experience galore.
   ”With Kali, it’s her third year starting,” Weise said. “Midway through the other two’s freshman year, they were playing more.”
   Senior sisters Alissa and Christa Lebers return and they played plenty last year. Lavesha Burgos is a senior who will provide leadership.
   Kelsea Corvasce, Camille Flim and Erica Kramer are juniors. Sophomore Serena Campanella is new on the varsity roster as are freshmen Katie White and Ryan Weise, the latter whom is the coach’s daughter.
   ”Right now, the chemistry is kind of building,” Linda Weise said. “We don’t have a whole lot of size, but we do have a lot of depth. That’s good. We’re trying to kind of emphasize sharing the basketball and working together. We want to get as much as we can in transition and create havoc on the defensive end with pressing. We’re still trying to iron that out a bit and have the kids learn that system.”
   The Redbirds are moving on in replacing four graduates. They had a big part in turning around Allentown’s fortunes. They went from 14 wins two years ago to 20 wins last year.
   ”We lost four seniors and two were starters,” Weise said. “Kathleen Kyle and Kirsten Romano were starters. Mandy Hornyak was our first forward off the bench, and Brianna Gurdon, she was our second or third guard off the bench. They were all good leaders. We’re missing them.”
   The Redbirds opened the preseason with scrimmages against Rutgers Prep and Manchester and Elizabeth.
   ”Rutgers Prep was a really tough scrimmage,” Weise said. “They have an excellent team with a few Division I kids on their team. It was tough and a learning experience.”
   It was good practice for the Redbirds, who don’t have an easy schedule to start. Allentown was set to play West Windsor-Plainsboro North in its opener, then take on perennial power Trenton Catholic in its Boys and Girls Classic. They are big steps as Allentown gears up to try to put together a better season than last year.
   ”We’ve talked about that,” Weise said. “We want to get back to the Mercer County semis and make it to finals. We want to advance farther in states and win our division. We have some unfinished business. We start out with West Windsor North who has two really good players, then TCA. Right off the bat, we’ll be tested.
   ”We played in that (Boys and Girls Classic) last year and played Hun and it was a great game and we won by one,” she added. “You want to play the best in order for you to be in that conversation. It’s only going to make you better and see where you stand.”
   The Redbirds spent the preseason trying to figure out their best lineup and how they best can help each other. Allentown has three starters back and they form a solid starting point.
   ”I think the play of Kali, Bianca and Hope, all three returning starters, is going to be big for us,” Weise said. “Bianca is big on the boards with the rebounds and putbacks and Kali running things at the point, she has a great ability to make shots and get to the rim. Hope, with her 3-point shooting, helps a lot. We’ll look for them to carry over from last year where we were and try to get us there again.”
   The Redbirds are looking to their other nine to fill in around them with their different talents.
   ”We’re still trying to figure that out and what everyone’s role will be,” Weise said. “It’s still early. We’ve been rotating different kids in and out in different positions. It’s not set yet.”
   However it was to shake out for the start of the year, Allentown is confident that has the pieces to put a strong five out on the floor at any time. It’s a luxury this year for the Redbirds.
   ”One of the strengths we do have is we have the ability to be deep on the bench,” Weise said. “I can truly call on any of the kids to be on the court and do something we need to do.”
   Weise is trying to use the scrimmages to see what each player can bring to the team. She has a good understanding of her veterans and is looking forward to seeing what her less experienced players have to give.
   ”I just think it’s going to take some time for them to develop,” she said. “There’s a different physicality at the varsity level. They’ll get some time on JV. They’ll sit on our bench and if we have to go to them, hopefully they’ll be ready.”
   While the schedule is strong to begin with, the Redbirds figure to be a stronger team as the year goes along and they settle into their roles. Weise is hoping that will come together as they learn how to win together.
   ”I think it’s going to take us a little time to gel and build that chemistry,” Weise said. “We have some kids that don’t have as much varsity experience as others. We’re figuring out our rotation. In our first scrimmage, we got in some foul trouble. In a real game, you have to adjust to that. With the scrimmages we have coming up, we’re going to try to see different combinations of kids.”
   The Redbirds captured the Patriot Division championship of the Colonial Valley Conference last year, and that is a goal again. It’s been a difficult division for Allentown, but last year they got over the hump to win it.
   ”We’re hoping to repeat as division champs again,” Weise said. “That’s definitely a goal for us. It’s going to be Notre Dame might be the toughest, Hopewell is our biggest rival and I think West Windsor North and South, they’ll all be tough.”
   The Allentown girls team is just hoping it can be tougher as it looks to put together another terrific season with a new cast.