Olympic Conference 2021 Season Surprises
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Prep Girls Hoops has already started its look at the season in review for the Olympic Conference, arguably the premier high school athletics conference in South Jersey. We took a look at some of the best players in the conference…
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Continue ReadingPrep Girls Hoops has already started its look at the season in review for the Olympic Conference, arguably the premier high school athletics conference in South Jersey.
We took a look at some of the best players in the conference thus far, and we will continue with that in our next article.
However, in this article PGH will be taking a look at the surprises in the conference, the bounce-back years from programs and who really took the Olympic Conference by storm.
Eastern
The Vikings hovered in the middle of the American Division of the Olympic last season, posting a 16-10 record overall, but they turned up the notch that much further in 2021, going 11-4 with a 9-3 conference record. Eastern had a balanced attack on offense, featuring a number of standout juniors starting with forward Mia Robbins, who averaged double-figure scoring for the first time in her career. Guards Jane Trauger and Maya Edwards made a big difference at the top of the key, and senior Gianna Rullo was the defensive stalwart in the middle, averaging well over two blocks a game in 2021. The pieces came together perfectly for the Vikings, who allowed just 34.3 PPG to opponents, down nearly four points from the 2019/20 season.
Shawnee
2019/20 was a rough season for the Renegades, who finished below .500 on the year. However, 2021 was a reversal of fortunes as Shawnee went 9-4 and had several breakout performances from some big time players, most notably, Cherokee transfer Avery Kessler. The sophomore guard provided a much-needed spark as the team’s points, assists and steals leader. Kessler wasn’t the only star on Shawnee as sophomore Nia Scott was her equal on offense. Sophomores led Shawnee, a scary sign for the opposition as the Renegades’ top four scorers were all sophomores, including Kaylan Deveney and Nicole Miller. Those four are going to be a nightmare for teams over the next two seasons guaranteed.
Cherry Hill West
The Lions were much the same in the National Division as Eastern was in the American: a team that finished the 2019/20 season with an above-.500 record, but nothing to write home about. Talking about doing a 180 with this program, Cherry Hill West was one of the strongest teams in the division, finishing 10-4. It was a senior-heavy class for the Lions, led by top scorer Alison Ahern, who averaged 17.0 PPG in 2021. The other three at the top, Michela Auguadro, Sophia Graffeo and Kayla Thompson, combined to average nearly 21.8 PPG, nearly 40.0 PPG of offense from the quartet overall. The senior leadership paid dividends as that class went out with a bang and an impressive display of dominance.
Camden Catholic
Oh what transfers can do to help boost a program. This Camden Catholic team, usually one that consistently competes at the top of the Olympic Conference, suffered a setback during the 2019/20 season, finishing below .500. However, the addition of Clearview guards Aaryn Battle Aaryn Battle 5'8" | SF Camden Catholic | 2023 State NJ and Kassidy Thompson Kassidy Thompson 5'9" | SG Camden Catholic | 2023 State NJ brought with them a combined 33.4 PPG of offense in a season where the Irish finished with a 7-2 record and 5-2 conference record. Battle and Thompson also averaged a combined 10.2 RPG, 6.5 APG and 6.7 SPG in 2021, just mind-blowing numbers that really made the difference on this team. Going into next season, watch out for forward Carly O’Callaghan and guards Marley Ruiz and Lindsay Bednarek to really blossom into key pieces for this program.
Keep on the lookout for season recaps and more from Prep Girls Hoops as we look to go over all that happened during the 2021 New Jersey high school girls basketball season.