BY CHRIS MANNINGNorthern Tier Sports Report
It seems fitting that this group of Troy seniors cut down the Towanda nets. Two years ago the Knights were the powerhouse NTL team, and Troy was the up-and-comers looking to make a name for themselves.
However, they weren’t quite ready, and Towanda clinched their fourth straight league title at the Commons Building, and cut down the Troy nets.
On Tuesday it all came full circle.
“It feels pretty good,” Kailyn Sterling said about clinching this year’s title at Towanda. “We knew coming we just had to do what we needed to do.”
Troy’s six seniors of Sterling, Alyssa Parks, Gloria Andrews, Ella VanNoy, Madelyn Seeley, and Kendall Allen were the driving force that put the program back on the map.
They gave them their first title in nearly 30 years last year, and reached the district semifinal for the first time a year ago in nearly 15 years.
“We’ve been working to it for our entire basketball career,” said Sterling. “It’s good to be role models for these younger girls.”
The role models were pretty proud of the younger girls as they pulled out a 2-point win over Towanda’s JV team before the varsity game Tuesday.
“It’s a great feeling,” Sterling said. “It’s like seeing a little sister growing up in front of your eyes.”
Winning these titles, and celebrating by cutting down the nets, is what they hope will keep the program moving forward after they’re gone.
“This feels amazing,” Parks said about setting the standard. “Especially for the freshmen and sophomores coming up.”
Coming off last season the Trojans knew they would have a target on their back.
“There was a little bit (of added pressure),” said VanNoy. “But we knew if we played the way we should then we were going to achieve our goals.”
They were hit with some adversity when they lost to Wyalusing on the road in early January. Ever since then, though, they’ve gone 10-0, winning every game by 20 points or more.
“It really just lit a fire under us,” explained VanNoy. “I don’t even know how to describe it. We just decided that we didn’t want to feel like that anymore.”
Offensively they started hitting outside shots, led by Andrews, and sophomore Giana Renzi.
“It feels really good to be able to come out as hot as I can, and just to be able to hit my shots,” Andrews remarked.
They’ve eclipsed the 60-point mark eight times since then, and gone over 70 four times.
On Tuesday they were playing a young Towanda team that was hitting their stride in a pressure filled game.
“It was nerve wracking at the beginning,” Parks said. “But once you make the first hot of the game it goes away.”
Towanda coach Rob Gentile is well acquainted with this group since he’s taught them all four years.
“Hats off to Troy, this was very well deserved,” he said. “This group of seniors in particular have been working towards this for a long time. I remember when my daughters were playing at Troy and I was still coaching there, some of the coaches at that time were taking this team all over the place playing in AAU tournaments when they were in 5th and 6th grades, and they were getting their teeth kicked in. One of them asked what he should do because they weren't really competitive in many of the tournaments. I told him at that time, just keep taking them as long as they show up. It's the only way to build a championship caliber team. They just kept showing up and this is the result.”
Troy will not prepare for the postseason, as they have an NTL Showdown title to defend, and a goal of reaching the state playoffs to shoot for.
It’ll be tough with state ranked teams Loyalsock, and Hughesville in the field, but the Trojans aren’t satisfied just yet.
“We’re just going to take it one game at a time,” said Andrews. “Just try and get as far as we can.”
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PHOTOS BY CHRIS MANNING
