Chartiers Valley girls looking to make strides, take better care of ball

By: Ted Sarneso
Sunday, November 17, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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It’s been a learning process for Chartiers Valley girls basketball coach Mike Semplice and his team since he was hired in 2022.

In his first year, the team struggled with adjustments, specifically when those adjustments were drawn up on the fly during timeouts.

But last year, and into the team’s fall ball exhibitions, Semplice saw a huge improvement in that area.

“They’ve really matured in that aspect and understand the game a little better,” he said.

The players have fully accepted that the coaching staff will put them outside their comfort zones, like playing a different style or when a perimeter player is tasked with playing in the post.

“The thing I like is they’ve started to share the basketball more and are playing for the best shot, knowing it doesn’t have to be just one person,” Semplice said. “We’re growing and moving in the right direction. There are still some inconsistencies I would like for us to shore up.”

One inconsistency is the Colts had too many turnovers last season.

“I can remember we played South Fayette early in the season last year and we traveled like seven or eight times,” Semplice said. “In games against tough opponents, we turned the ball over too much. If we can take care of the ball a little better, I’ll be happy.”

Despite their penchant for turnovers, the Colts played well defensively in the playoffs.

“In the Mt. Lebanon game, we held them to 26 points,” Semplice said. “When we faced Altoona in the state playoffs, we held them to low-30s in the first half, and I think they finished with a total in the low 40s.”

In the WPIAL postseason, the Colts defeated Mt. Lebanon, 34-26, in the quarterfinals before falling to Norwin, 63-47, in the semifinals.

In their first 17 games last season, the Colts went 14-3 before hitting a three-game skid and finished the regular season with a win over Plum. They finished 17-9.

“We had a good run going before we faced a little adversity and started to have some injuries around the 13th game of the season,” said Semplice. “It was a blessing for us, though, as we were able to get our bench some valuable minutes.”

This year, the Colts have quickness, length, size and versatility, which will be beneficial on both sides of the court.

“We can play in a lot of different ways,” said Semplice. “We can spread you out and play off the dribble, can get you down deep in the post and play off of that, and we have some good pressure schemes.”

Coming into the 2024-25 season, the Colts have to fill vacancies at both guard positions.

Ella Cupka graduated last season and is now playing at Mercyhurst. Lilah Turnbull left Chartiers Valley to play at a prep school.

To fill those spots, Semplice will rely on Ava Antonucci, who played a little as a sophomore and junior. She also has the speed to be a problem for opposing teams.

“We were guard dominant and really relied on Cupka and Turnbull,” said Semplice. “I have full confidence in Antonucci and Rachel Boehm to fill those vacancies.”

The top returning Colts player is senior forward Emma Reynolds, who averaged 12.5 points a game last year.

“She was second-team all-section two years ago and was named to the first team last season,” said Semplice. “She’s made a lot of contributions and is a very versatile player.”

Joining Reynolds down low and looking to make an impact in the paint is fellow senior Katie Johnson. Semplice is excited to see what she can do.

“She came off a really bad injury that forced her to miss her sophomore year,” Semplice said. “She came back last season, played some meaningful minutes in games, but we didn’t use her as much as we wanted. I could just tell her feet weren’t under her. She’s had a great summer and fall, so I’m looking for her to make huge strides this year.”

Another player Semplice is excited about is Ilya Ozbey.

“From her sophomore year to now, she’s been someone that’s fully grasped what we’ve asked and plays the way we want her to. She’s shown a lot of maturity in her development as a player,” Semplice said.

Ozbey and Boehm will look to continue their dominance on the defensive side of the ball. Last year they combined for nearly 200 rebounds and 80 steals.

Chartiers Valley drops down from Class 6A to 5A this year, and the only goal is to make it back to the WPIAL championship game.

“It’s going to be tough to do,” Semplice said. “There are some really good teams out there in 5A. Peters Township has a lot of size and length. Thomas Jefferson and South Fayette have a lot of really good guard play.

“How we attack them might be a little different, but right now, the focus is to be as prepared as we can, to jell as a team, because we have a tough opening schedule.”

The Colts’ schedule is front-loaded with difficult games against Canon-McMillan, Thomas Jefferson, Mt. Lebanon and North Allegheny.

The Colts’ section is no walk in the park either, as it’s stacked with teams like West Allegheny, Moon, Montour, Mars and New Castle.

“Our tough competition will have us ready for section play,” Semplice said.

Tags: Chartiers Valley