Girls’ basketball continues road to States

Andie Kephart, Adrielle McNeal, Elijah Lucio, Cece Gibson, and Madison Aboud • March 10, 2026 • 59 Views

Sprint. Senior Kendall Cogan drives towards the basket. To prepare for games, the team practices layups, ball handling, ball shooting and live action with a focus on offense and defense. “The friends that I’ve made–I have some really good teammates–make being at basketball every day really enjoyable,” Nguyen-Moore said.

Raya Potts and Sophia Miller

On March 6, the girls’ basketball team won their first game of the playoffs, winning 59-54 against Norwin.

“You compete in your local district tournament for state tournament seeding,” Coach Cristopher Fleegle said. “For us in District 6, 6A, we must win the tournament to get into the State playoffs. The state playoffs has predetermined seeding for each district. It changes cycles every two years.”

The team has a positive outlook for the rest of their season.

“I feel very good,” junior Ryann Lantzy said. “I feel like we have a good team this year, and I feel like we can go extra far.”

“I think it’s the best year that we could have had,” senior Grace Stadtmiller said. “It’s nice to go out with a bang.”

Stadtmiller feels the team has strong relationships this season.

“I think this season there was no drama, and we all just really cared about the game,” Stadtmiller said.

For freshman Raya Potts, this is her first season on the team. Potts believes making playoffs “will show what we are capable of and help us prepare to reach a higher level.”

“I think it’s very exciting,” Potts said. “It’s a good opportunity just to see how intense it gets in a few years.”

Coach Fleegle looks forward to the game against Pennsbury.

“As in every game my hope is we play to our potential,” he said. “Execute the things we went over at a high level and have some fun along the way.”

While Stadtmiller is nearing the end of her high school basketball career, Potts is at the very beginning. However, both players have goals for the team.

“[I hope to] just influence the younger kids as much as we can so they can carry on the legacy,” Stadtmiller said.

“[I hope] to improve as much as I can and make sure that I can help out as a teammate and grow into that leadership role,” Potts said.

Coach Fleegle has hopes for the rest of the season.

“This year’s team has a real sense of resiliency and doesn’t get too high or low throughout the game,” Fleegle said. “This has been a very exciting year and we hope to be playing next Friday.”

Should the team win their match against Pennsbury on March 10, the team will move on to the Elite 8. The second playoff game will start at 5:30 p.m., taking place at Pennsbury.

About the Contributors

Andie Kephart, Reporter

My name is Andie Kephart, and this is my second year on the Mountain Echo staff. In addition to writing for the Mountain Echo, I am on the swim team and involved in FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America). Outside of school, I am a part of a weightlifting team, and have traveled all over the U.S to compete in different competitions. In my free time, I enjoy hanging out with my friends and listening to music, especially the Jonas Brothers. After high school, I plan to major in exercise science.

Adrielle McNeal, Reporter

My name is Adrielle McNeal, and this is my second year as a Mountain Echo staff member. I took Intro to Pub my freshman year, and fell in love with the class. Along with Mountain Echo, I am an editor for the Horseshoe yearbook. Balancing both classes can be a lot, but it’s worth it. I also participate in the drama club and Black Student Union.

Elijah Lucio, Reporter

My name is Elijah Lucio, but most people just call me Lucio. This is my first year on the Mountain Echo Staff. In addition to joining the staff, I’ve run both cross country and track for three years. I am also a part of Soar. Outside of school, I love to hang out with friends, work out, listen to music and play/watch sports. I’m a very passionate Eagles fan, so anytime you see me, feel free to shout a “Go Birds.” I plan to continue to raise my SAT score with the hopes of getting accepted to Penn State University to major in something within the health field.

Cece Gibson, Reporter

My name is Ce’lestine Gibson, and I am a senior at AAHS. Most people know me as Cece! This is my first year on the Mountain Echo Staff. I found an interest in journalism, and I have always loved to write, so I joined Mountain Echo to expand my skills and knowledge as an aspiring reporter. My dream job and goal is to be a celebrity reporter. After I graduate, I plan on working toward this goal in college. I love animals, music and fashion. My goal this year as a new member of staff is to enhance my journalism skills and to keep our student body updated accurately and efficiently. I am so excited to work with my fellow staff this year and to enjoy my last year as a student at AAHS!

Madison Aboud, Editor – in – Chief

My name is Madison Aboud, and this is my fourth year on the Mountain Echo staff. I am honored to serve as Editor in Chief for the 2025 – 2026 school year. In 2023, I did an Editorial Leadership training through CSPA (Columbia Scholastic Press Association). In July 2024, I served as a National Youth Correspondent for the Washington Journalism and Media Conference (WJMC) at George Mason University. When I’m not focused on the Mountain Echo, you can find me reading, spending time with friends and family or hanging out with my dogs. After I graduate, I plan to major in English and minor in Communications. My goal this year is to represent our student body accurately and fairly.