Barry Purvis
The Mid Penn Commonwealth is a very strong league in just about any sport. But you could easily argue that in girls basketball, it is by far the strongest in the state.
Cumberland Valley recently won three PIAA titles and Central Dauphin has one. State College, Harrisburg and even CD East and Mifflin County have been regular state tournament visitors.
And now you can add Altoona into the mix, because the Mountain Lions, who have had a powerful girls basketball program for many years, have joined the division.
That will make the challenge for Chambersburg even tougher.
The Trojans, and usually Carlisle, have been bottled up near the bottom of the Commonwealth standings for years, and it’s a tough climb to rise above the other elite programs.
Barry Purvis, now in the fourth year of his second stint as the Trojans’ coach, said, “Back when we were beating these teams, we had the players. But now, these teams have kids who put in the time to be really good. That’s what we need our kids to do — to be committed and to follow through and put in the time it takes to compete at this level.”
It’s a tall task.
The Trojans, who were 7-15 a year ago, but only 1-13 in the Commonwealth, lost two starters to graduation, and took another hit when the two-year starter at point guard, Gabby Lecuona, chose not to play in her senior season.
So Chambersburg will open the season at home Friday vs. James Buchanan at 7 p.m. in the Franklin County Tip-Off Tournament with only two starters back on the court.
Ashley Adams averaged 10.9 points per game last year.
Ashley Adams, a 5-foot-10 senior forward-center, will be the key player. Adams averaged 10.9 points per game last year and was one of the top rebounders. She’s also the only Trojan over 5-9 in a division with multiple tall players.
Junior guard Bre’ya Clopper (5-6) averaged 2.1 points per game last year and brings quickness and athleticism to the team.
The other expected starters include sophomore point guard Robyn Stepler (5-7), junior guard Sydney Schmus (5-8) and sophomore forward Marlee Wrights (5-9).
Purvis said, “We have some height with Adams, but that’s about it, although Wrights can jump well. We will have to box out really well to get the rebounds, because we’ll play some teams with girls over six feet.”
Stepler, Wrights and Schmus all saw some varsity play last year, but did not total many points.
“Stepler is doing well at point and is scoring some, but there’s a lot of pressure on her,” Purvis said. “That’s a big responsibility for a sophomore in this league.”
Three other players who expect to see a lot of playing time are Erin Pattillo, a 5-5 sophomore guard, Madison Flythe, a 5-5 sophomore guard, and Katie Parker, a 5-9 sophomore forward. All three received a little varsity time last year, with Flythe scoring 2.8 points per game over the second half.
Purvis said, “I think Pattillo can give us a spark off the bench and Flythe can give us some offense.”
Anna Stonesifer, a 5-8 junior forward, and Sydni Byers, a 5-8 sophomore forward, are on the varsity for the first time.
Purvis said, “We’re asking these girls to step up and compete at this level without much experience, and that’s hard to do.
“We do seem to be shooting the ball a little better and we have more quickness, so we can get up and down the floor.”
Bre’ya Clopper is a returning starter for the Trojans.
Defense is where the Trojans will need to excel if they want to be competitive.
“We’re going to have to play really good defense,” Purvis said, “and we can’t let teams just pound it inside. Defense takes effort — you just have to say, ‘You’re not scoring on me.'”
The Trojans will be underdogs in most of their games, but Purvis hopes their basics will improve enough for his team to be competitive.
“We can’t turn the ball over, we have to get on the boards and we have to play defense,” he said. “Those are a must if you’re going to win any games, and with our schedule, we don’t have any gimmes at all.”
NOTES: For the tip-off event, Friday’s schedule is: Waynesboro vs. Greencastle-Antrim girls, 4:00; Waynesboro vs. G-A boys, 5:30; Chambersburg vs. JB girls, 7:00, and Chambersburg vs. JB boys at 8:30 … Saturday’s times are the same, with the girls final at 7 and the boys final to follow.
Longtime area coach Doug Stuart is now a Trojan assistant … Chambersburg is not playing in a holiday tournament (“We won it last year and didn’t get invited back,” Purvis said) … Non-league games include Cedar Cliff, Hempfield, JB and Shippensburg … Purvis said there is good size on the way: “We have two or three eighth-graders who are already six feet; we have to hope they grow and work on their games.”