For the first time since 1995, West Perry — yes sir, the Mustangs from Elliottsburg — won the District 3-AAA girls’ basketball championship.
And what a ride for coach Scott Moyer’s squad.
West Pest won the crown from the No. 10 seed position, and beat, in order, Mid-Penn Capital division rival Middletown, reigning champ Palmyra, 15-time champ Lancaster Catholic and No. 1 seed Susquehannock to get the job done.
West Perry will take a 15-game winning streak into the PIAA playoffs — plus that shiny new trophy to give the 1995 one some company in the case.
To put a bow on the tournament, here’s our all-star list, with an MVP plus five players who also enjoyed a standout two-week stretch …
DISTRICT 3-AAA TOURNAMENT MVP
Megan Smith, senior, West Perry — Perhaps the best word to describe Smith’s standout stretch is: Wow. Wow as in she scored at a 23.8 clip in four games. Wow as in her 30-point demolition against Lancaster Catholic in the semifinals. Wow as in her 28-point night against Middletown to set the tone early in the tourney. Wow as in her championship-game performance, when she scored a game-high 19 points, including 10 to kick-start the Mustangs in the first quarter, and then she hit a couple of huge fourth-quarter buckets, when West Perry overcame a four-point deficit and won 48-46. Yeah, wow. Smith, an IUP recruit and 1,000-point scorer, was clearly the leader. But West Perry’s ascension to the top of the District 3-AAA bracket was hands-down a team effort.
DISTRICT 3-AAA ALL-STARS
Danielle Atkinson, senior, Lancaster Catholic — Crusaders’ catalyst helped Lancaster Catholic sew up third place with a win over Fleetwood. Atkinson popped in 15.5 points and dropped six 3s in four games, including 22 points in the first round against Susquenita, which catapulted the No. 6 Crusaders to a spot in the semifinals — where Lancaster Catholic ran into red-hot West Perry. Special season for Atkinson, who also worked her way into the conversation for L-L League MVP honors.
Shannon Druck, senior, Susquehannock — Infectious style with the way she runs and jumps and creates her own shot, Druck helped the Warriors earn the No. 1 seed and get to the finale, where Susquehannock bowed out in the title game for the second year in a row; Palmyra won it last year and West Perry did the honors this time around, both at the Warriors’ expense. Druck, a Holy Cross recruit, averaged 10.5 points in the tourney, including 15 in the opener against Northeastern and 15 in the title game; she scored 9 points and hit a momentum-changing 3 in the third quarter vs. West Perry. Her jumper with 6:05 to go gave the Warriors their first lead, but Susquehannock couldn’t slam the door.
Ashley Stone, sophomore, Susquehannock — Chipped in with 6.0 points in four games, but Stone turned in one of the most memorable moments in this year’s Class AAA tourney. In the quarterfinals against York/Adams foe West York, Stone’s 3 at the buzzer gave Susquehannock a thrilling 42-39 victory — and some major momentum going into the semifinals, where the Warriors beat Fleetwood. This would be an excellent spot to mention that Fleetwood’s Cyre Virgo and Kendra Bamberger also both stepped their games up during the district playoffs, and helped the Tigers nab a PIAA spot.
Madison Urich, junior, West Perry — While Smith garnered a lot of attention for her point-scoring prowess, Urich had her fair share of big buckets during the Mustangs’ wild ride to the title. She popped in 14 clutch points in the semifinals against Palmyra, and had 14 more points in the title game vs. Susquehannock, including 10 first-half points, helping West Perry grab a 9-point halftime cushion over the Warriors. Smart, athletic player who is seemingly always making clutch plays. Next stop for Urich, Smith and the Mustangs: A trip to Northern York on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. for a PIAA first-rounder vs. District 12 fourth-seed Freire Charter.
Katie Wagner, senior, Susquehannock — What a way to hit a milestone. District 3 championship game. Big crowd in the Giant Center going crazy. Your team is rallying and making a charge. And you swoop in for a third-quarter buzzer-beating layup, giving you 1,001 career points. Welcome to that club, Katie Wagner. The York College recruit — who is also one of the top tennis players around — averaged a team-best 13.0 points in the tourney. Wagner, Druck, Stone and the Warriors will take on Palmyra in a PIAA first-round game on Saturday at 5 p.m. at Dallastown. Odd that a pair of District 3 teams will clash in the first round.