PGH NJ High School Team Spotlight: Eastern

It’s absolutely mind-blowing to think that the high school season in New Jersey is starting in a matter of weeks. Preparations have started since the the abbreviated 2021 season ended in March and through the AAU season in the summer. Now, it’s time to focus on high school and we have been slowly starting to preview teams across the state. Right now, our focus sits in South Jersey and the Olympic Conference, arguably the best in the region. While Cherokee and Paul VI are considered the top dogs of the conference right now, there are some big name teams coming through this season, and Eastern is right at the top of that list. The Vikings, coming off an 11-4 season in the spring, are going to be senior-heavy this season, with nine to speak of. Two seniors, Kaitlyn Henry and Giana Rullo, graduated in the spring, but this is a team that has replenished and revamped its lineup. We start with arguably the team leader in forward [player_tooltip player_id="319334" first="Mia" last="Robbins"], a double-digit scorer who made her living in the interior and posted double-digit scoring averages for the first time in her career. It’s been incredibly impressive to watch her rapid growth as a player to what it will be this season. She has first team all-conference potential written all over her, so watch out for that. Along with Robbins, Eastern has strengthened its guard play with transfer [player_tooltip player_id="134642" first="Veyoni" last="Davis"] from Paul VI, one of the impact players for the Eagles in their dominating season this spring. Davis has all-conference potential as well and is an intimidating player to face on both sides of the ball as she’s not just a play-maker, but someone who gets into opponents’ heads early and often. The mind game plays a big role with her, but she’s got all the makings of a sure-fire superstar guard. Davis will have help at the guard position with Jane Trauger and Maya Edwards, two players who are going to be relied upon to shoot from beyond the arc. Rullo was Eastern’s best three-point shooter last season, so the three-headed monster of of Trauger, Edwards and Davis should propel this team into a new level of success. Players like Zamiyah Thompson and Sanaa Thorne, who were both bench presences last season, now have the ability to compete for starting spots. Particularly, watch out for Thorne to become more of a presence in the middle with Robbins as she’s going to need some forward help. The last wild card that could burst onto the scene is junior Mackenzie James, who can be a sixth-woman type player if given more time. Eastern has the pieces in place to challenge the top dogs in the conference, but it’s whether or not their role players can step up into bigger roles that will make the biggest difference.