Story & Videos by: John Knebels
Photos: Donna Eckert
PHILADELPHIA – Finding a way to win is always the most important objective for any sports team. As the motto says, there’s no “I” in “team.”
But as they left the court after competing in the 21st-annual Scholastic Play-by-Play Classic January 26 at Jefferson University, the players and coaches from Archbishop Wood had more to celebrate than just a hard-fought, 59-53 victory over Catholic League Red Division toughie Archbishop Carroll.
With 2:14 remaining in the third quarter, Wood junior Kaitlyn Orihel became the seventh player in school history to reach 1,000 points. Taking a swing pass from sophomore Bri Bowen (seven points), Orihel drove hard with her left hand, split the Carroll defense, and laid the ball off the glass and through the twine.
In just her junior year, Kaitlyn Orihel had joined the prestigious Quadruple Digits Club, accomplishing it with teammates who are putting together a memorable season, but with plenty of challenges ahead.
“It was awesome,” said Orihel, holding a bouquet of flowers in her left hand and a magnificent commemorative basketball in her right. “They’re always so supportive. To be able to do it with this group of girls is an awesome feeling.”
Wood vs. Carroll Game Highlights Leading up to Kaitlyn Orihel's 1,000th point celebration:
Behind sophomore Grace O’Neill (15 points), junior Karli Dougherty (14), senior Erin Sweeney (10), and sophomore Nikki Mostardi (nine), Carroll didn’t make it easy. The Patriots (misleading 4-6) were aggressive on defense and held the usually potent Vikings (8-0) to only 19 points in the first half.
As for Orihel, foul trouble threatened the potential fiesta. After scoring five points over the first two quarters, however, Orihel took charge. She tallied 10 of Wood’s 19 third-quarter points and added four free throws in the fourth for a game-best 19.
Points 1,000 and 1,001 were symbolic on at least two fronts – the manner by which she scored them (aggressive and confident) and the end result (it gave Wood a 30-29 lead). And for the proverbial cherry on top, Orihel was fouled en route and added a free throw for a three-point play.
Before Orihel shot the freebie, teammate Izzy Larsen had to inherit a bit of a Debbie Downer role.
“I said to her, ‘That’s great and all, but your celebration isn’t going to be as fun afterwards if we lose this game,’” said Larsen with a wide smile, “and she was like, ‘Okay, you make a really good point.’ Then we flipped it right back.”
John Knebels Caught up with Orihel pre-1,000 points to talk about her athletic journey:
Kaitlyn Orihel became the 7th Lady Viking to score 1,000 points in weekend victory vs. Carroll:
Though Carroll stayed close, the Vikings controlled most of the final 10 minutes. In the fourth, senior Lindsay Tretter scored all eight of her points while Larsen added two huge buckets to also finish with eight. Sophomore Ryanne Allen connected on a key three-pointer – one of her three altogether – and finished with 14 pivotal points.
It was Allen who helped keep the Vikings close in the first, scoring eight of their 10 points. Later, Allen assessed her teammate’s big afternoon.
“I was so happy for her,” said Allen. “I was just waiting for that moment to give her a hug right when that happened. I’m just so happy for her. She worked so hard for that. It’s awesome.”
The team’s only two seniors agreed.
“She’s the best,” said Larsen. “It’s great to be able to see. You know how hard she works all the time. She’s always the one staying after practice putting up extra shots. She’s always the one that’s there first. She always has everyone else’s back, so it was really great to watch.”
Added Tretter: “We’re all happy for her because we love playing with her and she plays so hard every day.”
Wood teammates Lindsay Tretter (l) and Izzy Larson talk about their 4th qtr contributions
Wood sophomore Ryanne Allen talks about the excitement and intensity of the game
Archbishop Carroll senior Erin Sweeney reflects on what it's like to reach that milestone
Wood coach Mike McDonald recognized that when approaching such a significant milestone, it often affects a player’s performance. In the case of Orihel, however, that didn’t happen.
“You see a lot of kids going for 1,000 and it becomes like they’ve never played before or like they’ve never made a shot before. It becomes impossible,” said McDonald. “I thought she did really well and she was engaged.
“It’s important to recognize her. She works really hard at this game and deserves the recognition. I love the kid. She makes it easy to coach her. She’s humble. She listens to you. She plays extremely hard. It’s great to coach her.”
After a morning practice on the preceding day, Orihel reflected on her burgeoning career, and in particular, the anticipation of what may occur a little more than 24 hours later.
“Definitely going into high school, this was one of my big goals,” said Orihel. “I wasn’t going out of my way to do it, but with our offense, I was able to score the past couple of years. Being able to get it as a junior is kind of crazy to think about.”
Turns out that one of the Vikings who might have made the key assist to the Wood basketball program was junior Noelle Baxter.
“I went to Newtown Middle School and I was just going to go to Council Rock,” said Orihel. “Then playing AAU with Noelle, she kind of put Wood in my ear. I think I decided in the summer going into freshman year that I was going to come here, and it was such a great decision.
“Part of it was the basketball for sure. When I shadowed here in eighth grade, it felt right. I felt like I fit in here and I belong here, and it’s just been so much fun.”
Orihel recalled her first-ever varsity points.
“It was at a tournament down in D.C.,” she said. “I remember I started that game and I was so nervous. (The first basket) was a layup. It was kind of a relief. Once you get that first one, it’s not as bad as you expected it to be.”
Kaitlyn's mom Carla talks about the anticipation of that proud moment and the team's chemistry
Kaitlyn's Dad Paul talks about achieving that 1000th point and a possible future Wood player
Head coach Mike McDonald congratulates Orihel and praises his team's efforts on the win
As she prepared to shoot the free throw after her celebratory basket, each player from Carroll sporadically congratulated her.
One of the players was senior Erin Sweeney, who reached 1,000 points late last season.
“It’s a really great accomplishment,” said Sweeney. “She really deserves it. She works really hard, so congratulations to her. We respect everyone. We know how hard it is to get to that point and what a great accomplishment it is.”
Orihel appreciated the class gesture.
“It says a lot,” she said. “We’re obviously so competitive on the court, but they’re very nice off the court. During the game you want the win, so you’ll do whatever you have to do to win. It’s nothing personal.”
Among Orihel’s family members and friends biting their collective nails were her parents.
“The way that they work together, it’s just a great group of girls,” said Carla Orihel, Kaitlyn’s mother. “They were so happy for her and it made me happy. It was such a wonderful moment. I watched her face when the basket went up and it was like slow motion. It went in, and it was a moment of a lifetime. Kaitlyn just truly loves the game, and I’m just so proud of her.”
Orihel’s father, Paul, was asked when his daughter started to exhibit a special ability to play hoops.
Kaitlyn poses with her teammates after the Vikings victory vs. Carroll - PSD Photo by John Knebels
“Probably around fifth or sixth grade, she was starting to get a good grasp of the game,” he said. “To her credit, she was always working on those skills. She certainly put the work in. She just works hard, and we’re really proud of her. It was great to get, and it was exciting to see.”
Orihel is undecided about which college she will choose. That part is a bit in the future. Up next?
“Right now, the focus is on the team and for us to keep getting better,” she said. “The other stuff will take care if itself.”
(Contact John Knebels at Jknebels@gmail.com or on Twitter @johnknebels.)
