Second-chance Chipps: Chippewa stuns Smithville, creates three-way tie atop WCAL

DOYLESTOWN – Chippewa’s six seniors waited four years for Saturday afternoon.

Wayne County Athletic League titles have become expected in Doylestown and this group had seen their first three years come and go without a championship.

After two early WCAL losses and injuries to key players, it seemed uncertain, at best, that these Chipps would get the chance to play for a league title in the final weeks of the season.

But they got their shot against Smithville, and they took full advantage.

Chippewa rallied from an 11-point deficit over the final four minutes to beat Smithville 57-52, creating a three-way tie atop the WCAL and nearly assuring itself of at least a share of the league championship.

“It's a credit to these young ladies — these six seniors and our younger girls — to buy in to this system," Chippewa coach Denny Schrock said. "They don't know what the words, 'give up,' mean. They really don't."

If there was any doubt in Chippewa’s confidence, it was erased quickly as it brought out ladders and cut down the nets at Serpentini Fieldhouse to celebrate the title, despite needing wins over Rittman and Hillsdale over the final two weeks to make it official. It would be Chippewa's first league title since 2018.

"I can't even describe it," Chippewa senior Bel Rodriguez said. "I'm still in shock. I'm shaking a little bit. It's just so fun. And I wouldn't want to win it with anybody else. This is the first year where I've felt we've really been close. This is the first year we've all bought it and said, 'We want this and we're going to work for it.' We've taken leaps on the defensive end that we haven't done in the past. ... It's emotional. I've wanted this for four years."

As improbable as a league title chance seemed early in the season after losses to Waynedale and Smithville, with Rodriguez sidelined with an injury for both games, it seemed just as improbable with 3:30 left on the clock Saturday.

Aly Wickens had just hit two free throws — part of a 14-for-14 day at the line for Smithville — to cap off a 9-0 Smithies run, giving them a 48-37 advantage with time quickly fading. Often times desperation is the main ingredient to a comeback, and the Chipps were certainly desperate.

"We have not used (the full-court press) since I had Ashley Richardson (in 2016)," Schrock said. "But we had been working on it in practice."

That full-court press proved to be exactly what Chippewa needed, as Smithville continually turned the ball over during the final three minutes, most of the time resulting in Chippewa baskets or free throws. One player seemed to be at the center of the chaos more than any other — Kendal Shiarla.

"Kendal Shiarla is a beast on defense," Schrock said. "... She's guarded every good point guard."

Part of the six-person senior class, along with Rodriguez, Abby Henegar, Jaclyn Jundzilo, Tristan Nash and Ava Rodgers; Shiarla wasn't going down without a fight. She often ended up with the ball in her hands over the final minutes, shooting eight free throws over the final 2:31, along with hitting three of Chippewa's five field goals during its game-winning 20-4 run.

Shiarla scored nine of her team-high 14 points in the final three minutes and kept attacking despite going 2-for-8 from the free-throw line during that stretch.

"My teammates really boost my mood," Shiarla said. "They helped me."

She hit a 3 with 30 seconds left to bring Chippewa within one, went 1-for-2 at the line to tie it with 21 seconds left and then went 1-for-2 again with 12 seconds left to give the Chipps a 53-52 lead — one of the Chipps' few leads of a game otherwise dictated by Smithville.

After sitting for much of the second and third quarters due to foul trouble, Henegar made a huge difference late in the game as well, carrying the Chipps offensively when they couldn't buy a bucket — Smithville held Chippewa without a field goal from the 3:31 mark of the third quarter to the 2:26 mark of the fourth — by going 5-of-6 from the line early in the fourth. All 10 of Henegar's points came in the fourth.

"When I got back in, all I thought about was, 'I have to score for the team, we have to get stops, we have to get going,'" said Henegar, who battled through sickness and eventually fouled out. "There's no room for crying and pouting."

Notably, Chippewa shot 21 free throws in the fourth quarter to Smithville's seven.

Rodriguez' presence was an obvious difference-maker for Chippewa, both against Smithville and in Chippewa's 50-45 win over Waynedale earlier this month.

"Sitting on the bench and watching is the worst feeling in the world because I just want to be out there with my team," Rodriguez said about missing games earlier this season due to injury. "I want to help them. I want to be out there playing. It was difficult from that standpoint. But it was also great because I did learn the other teams. Just being able to watch, I could see things I wouldn't normally see when I'm playing.

"Being able to finally play, like beating Waynedale for the first time in my entire high school career, it's the best feeling. I just wanted it so bad, and I know my teammates do too."

Against Smithville, Rodriguez scored 12 points and swiped six steals, helping carry the Chipps' offense in the halfcourt when the outside shots weren't falling in the first half. Nash also added six points and Jundzilo had six points and seven rebounds.

While Smithville left Doylestown disappointed, it didn't leave despondent. The Smithies are still two wins away from a WCAL title share of their own and will enter the playoffs as one of the favorites to take home a district title.

"We told our kids, the last two games — at Waynedale and at Chippewa — are district final environments," Smithville coach Eric Nickles said. "It's hard to win on the road in this league. I thought we put ourselves in a good position. I thought we played hard enough to win."

Naomi Keib had another big night against Chippewa, going for 14 points, 11 rebounds and four assists, looking dominant down low at times. Aly Wickens added 12 points and five boards and Cammi Wickens had 12 points and seven rebounds for the Smithies.

The Smithies have league games against Dalton and at Rittman remaining. If Smithville, Chippewa and Waynedale (at Norwayne, at Dalton remaining) win out, it'll be a three-way tie for the WCAL title.

Then there's the tournament, where the three teams could see each other at either the district or regional level.

It's been the wild, wild Wayne County Athletic League this season. And it's not over quite yet.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Girls Basketball: Chippewa stuns Smithville with fourth-quarter rally