By: Megan Lukitsch

Eden basketball saw nothing short of success early this week with both the Girls and Boys Varsity Teams winning their first-round match-ups of the WPIAL playoffs. The Girls (6th seed) defeated Jeanette on Monday with a score of 65-31, and the Boys (5th seed) took down Burgettstown 66-43 on Tuesday.

With a great crowd of students in attendance on Monday, the Warriors offense dominated the Jeanette Jayhawks. Sophomore Ella D’Ippolito put up a team leading 24 points, with Senior Captain Abby Stover close behind with 20 points. In the midst of her play, Abby noticed that this game brought about the best shooting from her team this season. “Everyone's shots were falling and we definitely shot the best we have all year as a team,” Abby said. 

The Warriors captain was pleased to see her team capture a playoff victory after a season that had its fair share of adversity. “I know how hard everyone works and how much everyone wants to win every game,” said Abby, “and it got frustrating because our regular season record didn’t necessarily show that even when we played super well. So, it’s definitely nice to see everyone’s work finally pay off, especially at a time when it counts most, so hopefully we can keep going.”

Even after their commanding win, Head Coach Ryan Brogdon believes that his team needs to continue to build on their confidence. “Our record does not reflect how talented we are because we played in such a tough section this season,” Coach Brogdon stated. “We have proven that we can compete with the best teams in the WPIAL, so when we step on the court, we have to believe that we are the better team regardless of who we are playing.”

In addition to the build-up of confidence, the Lady Warriors Head Coach would like to see his players continuing to support each other through the difficult moments in the postseason. “We have grown immensely as a team as the season has progressed, and have worked very hard to get to where we are. I am proud of the team and what they have accomplished together.”

The Boys' Varsity team came out strong early in Tuesday night’s game, starting out with a 17-2 lead, and maintaining it until the end to top the Blue Devils 66-43. Senior Captain Ryan Merrick led the way with 19 points, with teammate and fellow senior starter David Ryan putting up 13 points. 

Ryan highlighted his play well into the second period by providing his team with an electrifying dunk, a dunk that sent the Red Sea into a frenzy. “I think the team played great and stuck to our plan the whole game, and the dunk helped give a little extra energy going into the half,” Ryan said. “Shoutout to the student section which was great as always, they always make it super fun to play.”

Besides Ryan’s thunderous dunk, the Warrior’s decisive play featured consistent pressing from the defense, which clearly proved effective. Regarding the team’s consistency throughout Tuesday’s game, Coach Aaron Smith said, “The key part of our game is constant great effort and energy on defense. No matter who is on the floor, they all play so very hard.”

The Warriors will continue their quest through the WPIAL playoffs in the quarterfinals at the tail end of this week. The Varsity Girls will face off against the 3rd seeded Aquinas Academy at Peters Township High School at 6pm on Thursday, and the Varsity Boys will play the 4th seeded Greensburg Central Catholic at Fox Chapel High School at 8pm on Friday.