Maryvale Prep's Season Kickoff Highlights

<p>The 2025-2026 season has officially started and I saw a great team win from Maryvale Prep. Senior Cayden Reese, a UMD Lacrosse commit, led the way. She did not back down to the full court pressure of Indian Creek's guards. Standout Juniors Alyssa Przywara and Rhian O'Connor will play a vital role this year in Maryvale Prep's season. Lastly, Sophomore Maddie Moran was impressive with her stifling defense as she kept her hands in the passing lanes. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Game Summary: Indian Creek vs. Maryvale Prep</h2>   <p>It was a slow start for both teams in their season opener, with a few unforced turnovers setting the tone early. Maryvale settled in first, regrouping and closing the opening quarter with a 14–9 lead they would hold for the rest of the night. Their backcourt pressure fueled the momentum, generating turnovers that translated into 20 transition points. Sophomore Maddie Moran led the charge, showing the energy and enthusiasm of a young player who genuinely enjoys playing defense.</p>   <p>I spoke with Maryvale's head coach, Teila Marks, after the game and learned that this is only her second year in the position. Even so, she already has strong buy-in from her players, who are fully committed to a team-first approach. Their standouts combined for 10 assists, underscoring that unselfish style. In half-court sets, the ball moved smoothly around the perimeter, creating rhythm and balance in their offense.</p>   <p>For Indian Creek, sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='946896' first='Masara' last='Magassouba'] sparked the Eagles' offense, getting to the rim whenever she wanted. Her momentum slowed, though, after she picked up early foul trouble, which limited her impact as the game went on.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Unranked Standouts:</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Cayden showed her multi-sport skills during Wednesday's game. She is Lacrosse commit who used her body and size to shield off her defenders when running point. Her upperclassman composure stood tall during Indian Creek's third quarter surge. Her dominant jab step created space as she slowed the game down and walked the ball up the court. Once passed half court, Cayden managed to penetrate effectively. She created her own shot or smartly passed the rock to her open teammates. Her stat line speaks for itself as she finished with 10 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2 deflections.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">I was impressed with Alyssa's play on both sides of the ball. When she is open and her feet are set, her outside shot can be deadly. She knocked down two right on time three pointers. She also had a couple of layups in transition. She finished with 10 points. Defensively, there was not a play she was not involved in. If she wasn't in the passing lanes, she was in the paint. She finished with six rebounds and four steals. Alyssa ran the point when Cayden did not. She is a good secondary point guard who can also control the tempo on offense, finishing with one assists.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Rhian is a true essential big who seemed to be in the right place on both sides of the ball. Offensively, Rhian identified the vulnerable spots of Indian Creek's defense. This allowed Cayden to find her in the paint for easy buckets. Rhian finished with 12 points. You can tell her main goal is to command the paint by getting every rebound within her reach. She was going against Indian Creek's big, who is also a rebounding machine. Nonetheless, Rhian won the battle. She finished with 10 rebounds. Rhian is a good piece to Maryvale Prep's game and should easily average a double double this year.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Maddie appears to be the future of the Maryvale program. Though only a sophomore, she plays with the poise and awareness of an upperclassman. She's a true combo guard who reads the game well and can slide into the point guard role when needed. On Wednesday, she proved to be the difference-maker, generating easy transition opportunities by forcing eight turnovers while adding 10 points and two assists. By my count, she directly influenced at least 30 of Maryvale's points. Maddie—and the Maryvale Lions as a whole—are a group worth keeping an eye on.</p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Stock Riser Standout:</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Masara can do special things with the ball once the game settles, as she was the driving force behind Indian Creek's late push. Knowing the competitor she is, she would probably say she had an off night, even with 12 points. The scary part is—she's right. Her perimeter shot wasn't falling, but as a multi-level scorer, she adjusted and attacked the rim instead. Most defenders simply couldn't stay in front of her. If she can avoid foul trouble, Masara has the upside to consistently push toward the 20-point mark.</p>

The 2025-2026 season has officially started and I saw a great team win from Maryvale Prep. Senior Cayden Reese, a UMD Lacrosse commit, led the way. She did not back down to the full court pressure of Indian Creek's guards. Standout Juniors Alyssa Przywara and Rhian O'Connor will play a vital role this year in Maryvale Prep's season. Lastly, Sophomore Maddie Moran was impressive with her stifling defense as she kept her hands in the passing lanes.