Lebanon County girls' hoops: Team-by-team previews for 2022-2023
The winter season tipped off last Friday, and most hoops teams will be action this week.
Here's a team-by-team look at the Lebanon County girls' basketball teams.
Annville-Cleona
2022: 12-10 overall, 5-5 L-L Section 5
Key returnees: Sarah Speraw (Sr.), Josie Clay (Sr.), Claire Hoover (Sr.), Sage Sherk (Sr.), Ashlyn Shaak (Jr.), Ainsley Sellers (Jr.), Haley Grubb (Jr.), Kendall Cooper (So.), Ava Hoover (So.), Lilliana Sanchez (So.), Audrey Sider (So.), Olivia Viozzi (So.), Cait Shay (Fr.), Anela Merjudio (Sr.)
Key losses: Erin Schrader, Ella Andrews, Gray Davies
Coach: William 'Wee' Sanchez (2nd season)
The breakdown: The Little Dutchmen have a lot to be optimistic about heading into the new season. With four senior starters and sophomore leading scorer Ava Hoover returning from last season’s team that just missed out on a District 3 playoff berth, Annville-Cleona is hungry to win.
Coach Sanchez, in his second season with the program, brings back a deep roster on top of the returning starters of Hoover, Sarah Speraw, Josie Clay, Claire Hoover and Sage Sherk. The Little Dutchmen bring experience to the fold this year and will look to make some noise in a very talented field in L-L Section 4.
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Cedar Crest
2022: 11-11 overall, 7-6 L-L Section One
Key returnees: Kaya Camasta (Sr.), Lizzie Lowe (Jr.), Brooke Shutter (Sr.)
Key losses: Sarah Batra, Mallory Deiderick, Kayla Harchuska, MacKenzie Kerkeslager
Coach: William Wenninger (3rd season)
The breakdown: The Falcons lose leading scorer Sarah Batra and three others to graduation, but they do return a good core this season. Seniors Kaya Camasta and Brooke Shutter along with junior Lizzie Lowe will be expected to shoulder much of the load. Never count Cedar Crest out as time and time again they’ve been able to quickly reload and compete in a tough Section 1. Don’t expect things to be any different this season.
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Elco
2022: 10-13, 5-6 L-L Section 4 (2nd place), L-L qualifier
Key returnees: Julia Bidelspach (Sr.), Sophia Irvin (Sr.), Sara Miller (Jr.), Sam Nelson (Sr.).
Key losses: Kailey Eckhart, Abigail Sargent
Coach: Karl Keath (1st season)
The breakdown: The Raiders welcome in new head coach Karl Keath for the departed Ashli Shay and also must replace L-L Section 4 co-MVP Kailey Eckhart. On the positive side of things, Elco returns four players who were all either starters or key rotation players, so the cupboard is hardly bare in Myerstown. Leading that crew is senior Sam Nelson, a returning L-L League Section 4 second-team all-star. The biggest question is who steps up to be the go-to scorer?
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Lebanon
2022: 15-9, Co-champs, L-L Section 2, L-L quarterfinals, District 3 Class 6A qualifier
Key returnees: Kailah Correa (So.), Liliana Harrison (So.), Aaliyah Ferrer (Sr.), Jae Burrus (So.), Zariyah Whigham (Jr.), Makenna Robb (Sr.), Dora Lopez (Jr.), Kiara Gonzalez (So.)
Key losses: Madison Bishop, Dorthie Zechman, Olivia Uffner
Coach: Jamie Walborn (7th season)
The breakdown: The Cedars, fresh off one of their best seasons in recent memory, are ready to pick up where they left off last season when they were co-champs of L-L Section 2 and a District 3 Class 6A tournament qualifier.
Kailah Correa leads the way after a fantastic freshman season that saw her average a cool 20.8 points per game, which put her on pace for a 2,000-point career. Fellow sophomore Liliana Harrison will be a problem for opposing Section 1 teams inside the paint. Lebanon will also welcome back a large group of returning players and welcome in some key newcomers in senior Wildeliz Rodriguez and freshman Olive Brandt. The Cedars will also face the challenge of playing in L-L Section 1 after realignment.
Northern Lebanon
2022: 8-14 overall, 3-8 L-L League Section 4
Key returnees: Olivia Shutter (So.), Destiny Rosado (So.), Lilly Harris (So.), Rylee Sellers (So.)
Key losses: Ashlyn Messinger, Kala Martino, Crystal Bomgardner
Coach: Ken Battistelli (16th season)
The breakdown: The Vikings graduated Co-Section 4 player of the year Ashlyn Messinger, but return a young nucleus, including Section 4 second team all-star Olivia Shutter to the fold this season. As has been the case for Northern Lebanon in recent memory, expectations are always high.
Along with Shutter (11.3 points per game last season), the Vikings welcome back Destiny Rosado, Lilly Harris and Rylee Sellers to the fold following their freshman campaigns. A pair of freshman, Hayley Sheroky and Casey Weimer, also expect to figure into the join the most recent wave in Northern Lebanon basketball.
Palmyra
2022: 11-12, Mid-Penn Keystone Division 5th place, District 3 Class 5A qualifier
Key returnees: Keely Bowers (Jr.), Maddie Henry (Sr.), Kaylee Brown (Sr.), Katie Pavusek (Sr.), Maggie Webb (Sr.), Emma Sibbach (Jr.)
Key losses: Zoe Smith, Mallory Margut
Coach: John Polly (3rd season)
The breakdown: Junior Keely Bowers and seniors Maddie Henry and Kaylee Brown return to the starting rotation for a Cougars squad that returns a solid nucleus from last season’s squad that qualified for the District 3 tournament. Palmyra also has a trio of rotation players set to return in junior Emma Sibbach and seniors Katie Pavusek and Maggie Webb. Head coach John Polly is looking for improvement from his team in the Mid-Penn Keystone Division as well as an improvement in their No. 12 seed in the District tournament.
This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: PIAA basketball: Lebanon County girls' team previews 2022-2023
