New era begins for Eden Christian girls basketball

By: Ray Fisher
Sunday, December 8, 2024 | 11:01 AM

Not only is it a new season for the Eden Christian Academy girls basketball team, the Warriors started the season with almost a whole new team.

A pair of sophomore guards, Emmie Smith and Hannah Wallace, are the only girls back from last year’s 10-player squad.

“We are experiencing a fresh year,” Eden’s first-year coach Clare Johncour said. “There are only two girls on the team who played last season.

“The girls at Eden are very involved in their community and school. With this being said, many girls have chosen to focus on a sport they feel they have more of a future with, or they are dedicated to their community work and want to give all of their time to where they feel they belong.”

There are four seniors, two sophomores, five freshmen and no juniors on the 2024-25 team.

Johncour, an Indian River High School (N.Y.) and Grove City College graduate, expects Smith and Wallace to maintain an offensive flow from their backcourt positions with contributions from freshman guards Phebe Falavolito and Jahna Prude.

“I expect Emmie and Hannah to be strong leaders on this team,” Johncour said. “As veterans, they understand the expectations and know the teams and players we will be playing against. They are naturally born hard workers, so we will use those skills to help them enhance the girls around them.

“I expect this year’s team to be competitive and conditioned. We will have a lot of growth and will be conditioned through it all.”

Two key players in the frontcourt for the Warriors are Nnenna Agwuocha and Talya Meyer, both senior forwards.

Rounding out the team are seniors Rebecca Arnold (G) and Lydia Toy G/F) and freshmen Annemiek Meyer (G/F), Amara Agwuocha (F) and Cassidy Bulow (F).

“Our expectations are to grow individually as well as a team,” Johncour said. “Our minds are set on getting better each day and proving that in every practice and game.

“We are very excited for this season and are sure to have lots of fun. At the last minute, we were able to snag coach Jaimie Smith as an assistant. I am super excited that she will be helping us out this year.”

Eden ended up 9-15 overall and 1-5 in Section 1-A last season.

The Warriors upset Geibel Catholic, 51-40, in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs to advance to the quarterfinals.

This year, the growing process for the team has begun in earnest.

The Warriors knocked out the kinks in their first game of the season, losing Dec. 2 to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, 72-12.

Eden competed in Section 1-A in 2023-24 along with Union, Aquinas Academy and Bishop Canevin.

The Warriors are members of Section 1-A again this year, but it has a new look this time around. The section has doubled in size and consists of Aquinas Academy, Eden Christian, Leechburg, St. Joseph, Sewickley Academy, Springdale, Union and Western Beaver.

Five of the eight teams — Aquinas Academy, Eden Christian, Leechburg, St. Joseph and Union — participated in playoff games last season.

Union has won back-to-back WPIAL Class A championships. The Scotties edged St. Joseph, 50-43, in overtime in last year’s WPIAL finals.

Tags: Eden Christian