Fran Burbidge had a feeling it wouldn’t be easy. Few things had been for Westtown during this injury-plagued season.
Still, after a tight first frame at La Salle University, the Moose did eventually stampede to a fifth consecutive Friends Schools League title, 82-51, against Friends’ Central.
”I think a lot of people don’t know what we’ve gone through from the very first quarter of the first game,” Burbidge said postgame. ”That’s just the way it’s been all year. We didn’t talk about it. We don’t dwell on it. They don’t do anything other than show up in the gym. No matter who’s available, let’s just get to work. I’m just so proud of how they have navigated this journey this year because it hasn’t been an easy one …”
The Moose, ranked No. 25 in the nation by Sports Illustrated and No. 1 in Pa., led by just three points at the end of Friday’s first frame.
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It didn’t take long, though, for Jordyn Palmer, ranked No. 4 by ESPN among sophomores in the nation, to take over. Palmer, last year’s Pa. Gatorade Player of the Year, finished with a game-high 34 points.
The play of the game was Palmer’s second quarter steal near half court followed by a blind flip over her head that landed in a teammate’s hands for an easy layup.
The Moose led by 12 at intermission, and held a 17-point edge heading into the final frame. Tenacious defense and unselfish passing, as they have been all season, were Westtown’s tools to the title. With the number of high-profile players on his squad, Burbidge often marvels at their unselfishness.
It’s a trait that came in handy when injuries arose this season.
Senior guard Olivia Jones broke her tibia 48 seconds into the team’s first game this season. Palmer missed nearly three weeks after a tailbone injury. Forwards Kennedy Hall and Kennedy Henry also succumbed to injuries and didn’t play in Friday’s finale.
”The way they make it work is because for the most part they play the game unselfishly and they play the game hard,” Burbidge said. “So the next person that comes in, it’s not that gigantic of a fix because they’re playing the same way.”
Jones, bound for Harvard next season, faced months of grueling rehabilitation before her first action in the FSL semifinals this week.
”It was hard,” Jones said of rehab. “It was definitely hard. I wanted to be out there with my team, and I was a leader.”
Jones, a beloved team captain, got a standing ovation during the semifinals when she took the court briefly.
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”It was really nice to have that support,” she said. “But it was just kind of a prep game for this one.”
Fellow team captain and roommate Atlee Vanesko was happy to have her best friend back on the court.
“I’ve known her for a lifetime,” Vanesko said. “She’s one of the strongest people I know. She was in the gym every day regardless of being hurt. I’m very proud of her.”
Academy of the New Church boys take FSL crown
On the boys’ side, Academy of the New Church took care of George School, 70-54, claiming a second consecutive crown after falling in the finale four straight seasons.