By Marc Narducci
(Photos by: Lou Rabito, & Kathy Leister)
Friends Central senior Madison Smith began playing basketball in the third grade, but she estimates that she didn’t become serious about the sport until sixth grade.
Ever since then she has had a singular focus to be the best player she can.
“The best part of my game is my hustle,” she said.
Her scoring isn’t too bad either.
Last week in a loss to Friends League power Westtown, Smith scored her 1,000th career point. She needed seven points entering the game and finished with 10.
“The goal coming into this season was to score 1,000 points,” she said.
Yet she wanted to achieve it in the context of team play.
“Winning is No. 1,” she said.
One unfortunate footnote is that Smith was injured early in Tuesday’s 41-33 loss to Germantown Friends.
Coach Phil Annas said there was no immediate update.
Besides hustling and scoring, the 5-foot-8 Smith does a pretty good job of leading. She is a captain who takes her position seriously, helping a young Friends Central team navigate the difficult league and non-league schedule.
“She is just a tremendous leader, basketball player and person,” Annas said.
The leadership part extends well beyond the basketball court.
Smith is a member the Quaker Youth Leadership Conference (QYLC).
Friends Central Senior Madison Smith scores 1000th career point in game vs. Westtown on 1/21(video/Lou Rabito for PSD)
Friends Central vs. Westtown. (photos/Lou Rabito for PSD)
“You lead different people of different backgrounds,” she said. “We strive to be racially sensitive and gender sensitive.”
She said it is a great organization, and she has met so many outstanding people.
Smith is an accomplished student and has her eye on being a pre-med major in college She hasn’t chosen a school but says playing basketball is part of the plan.
One thing she can only hope is that her next team provides the same type of positive environment as her current one.
“It is such a family atmosphere here,” said Smith, who is a Philadelphia resident. “The coaches are very supportive and it’s just great to be part of this program
George School with a statement win
While Westtown has been dominating play, there are several teams looking to position as that No. 2 team. Two of them met on Tuesday with George School defeating Academy of the New Church 57-42.
George School senior guard Paiyton Penn had 21 points, 10 rebounds and six steals.
Freshman forward Priyanka Ponnam contributed 14 points 13 rebounds and five steals.
“Those two were great but it was their point guard who makes that team run,” ANC coach Rashim Lancit said, referring to George School sophomore Sophia Martinez.
George School Sophomore Sophia Martinez (#3) making an assist in game vs. FCS. 1/11. (video/Kathy Leister for PSD)
She had 16 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals.
“Their point guard makes their team run,” Lancit said. “She played every minute and she was like (Phoenix Suns point guard) Chris Paul, controlling the entire game. Their other players hurt us, but there was nothing we could do with her.”
For ANC senior guard Kiana Frazier had 11 points, while sophomore Xola Wade contributed 10 points three assists and three steals.
Westtown keeps rolling
Another week of three wins occurred for Westtown. Kaylene Smikle, the 6-1 Rutgers recruit, continues to play at a torrid pace. She recently scored her 1,000-career point and her consistency has been the most impressive trail
In an 83-36 win over Moorestown Friends, she had 24 points, while 5-10 junior Grace Sundback added 19.
During the previously mentioned 72-29 win over Friends Central Smikle scored 27 while 5-10 senior Olivia Wiggins added 11 points.
And against Harrisburg’s Central Dauphin, Smikle had 18, Sundback 16 and Zahara King 13.
For the season Smikle is averaging 21.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.9 steals. Smikle had six steals in the Central Dauphin win.
Westtown senior Kaylene Smikle in game vs. Friends Central. (photo by Lou Rabito for PSD)
Big win for Moorestown Friends
While competing in the Friends League has been difficult for Moorestown Friends, the Foxes got to step out of the league and came up with a 57-23 victory over Gloucester Township Tech.
Senior Roni Kennedy posted a season-high 18 points. She also added eight rebounds, two assists and five steals in an all-around outstanding effort.
Sophomore guard Sophia Rutherford, who has been a consistent scorer all season, added 11 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals. She is averaging 14 points per game.
Moorestown Friends celebrate senior night in game vs. GFS. (photo/Kathy Leister for PSD)
Senior Janiah McRae was an unsung hero, with a team-high 10 rebounds.
Young Shipley team impressive
Last week Shipley earned a 51-40 win over a talented George School team. Shipley is an interesting team, one that combines experience, with mainly youth.
Three eighth graders are making sizable contributions.
The leader has been senior Lauryn Redcross, a Catholic University commit, who scored 14 points against the George School.
Eighth graders Sanai Johnson and Taylor Lasky scored 12 and 10 points respectively. Junior Sarah Leibman also scored 10 and a third eighth grader, Rakai Williford, had five points.
Shipley senior Lauryn Redcross in game vs. Mastery North at Wells Fargo Center. (Photo/Donna Eckert for PSD)
Germantown Friends keeps rolling along.
In a 51-21 win over Moorestown Friends, 6-3 Germantown Friends senior Clare Meyer had 24 points seven rebounds four assists and five blocked shots. Martina Kiewek, a 5-8 senior, added 16 points four assists and four steals.
During a 37-35 win over Mastery North, Meyer, who is a Dartmouth commit, had 20 points nine rebounds, and three blocked shots, including the game-clinching block at the buzzer.
She is having one of the best seasons in the league.
In addition, Kiewek had 12 points and three rebounds and hit the game-winning three-pointer with seven seconds left.
This is another example of the Friends League teams doing very well when facing non-conference opponents, a testament to the league’s strength.
Germantown Friends returned to league competition on Tuesday and beat Friends Central, 41-33. in the previously mentioned game. Meyer had yet another double-double, 19 points and 12 rebounds while Kiewek added 15 points and six rebounds.
That win improved Germantown Friends’ record to 15-3, 4-1.
Germantown Friends vs. Moorestown Friends (game highlights/Kathy Leister for PSD)
GFS vs. MFS (photos by Kathy Leister for PSD)
“It’s been quite a ride,” coach Mike Lintulahti said. “We aren’t looking past each day and these youngsters love playing together and they are a pleasure to coach.”
Getting back to action
Abington Friends suffered a loss to Westtown, but one of the positives was the play of Kennedy Gilbert, who had nine points and three rebounds. Sakinah Abdus Salaam added five points and two steals.
The team had been off for more than week while exams took place.
ANOTHER BIG WEEK FOR FRIENDS SELECT’S MARGOT SCHNEIDER
All season Friends Select senior guard Margot Schneider has been putting up big numbers and she continued that trend in two recent non-league games.
In a 43-22 loss to Phil-Mont Christian, she scored 16 points. Then during a 42-25 win over Science Leadership Academy, she exploded for 33 points.
For the season she is averaging 15 points per game and continues to be a major offensive threat.
Standings as of 1/26
Westtown 5-0, 14-3
Friends Central 3-2, 10-8
ANC 4-2, 8-5
Germantown Friends 4-1, 15-3
George School 2-2, 8-5
Abington Friends 1-2, 4-10
Shipley 2-3, 3-9
Moorestown Friends 0-6, 1-8
Friends Select 0-4, 1-12