Lancaster Catholic's Rylee Kraft helps Team Walborn top Team Cerullo in L-L League girls basketball all-star game

First, the final score.

Team Walborn topped Team Cerullo 74-56 in the annual Lancaster-Lebanon League senior girls basketball all-star game at Cocalico Thursday night in Denver.

A good time was had by all, as 20 of the league’s top players took the court one last time, repping their schools and taking one final bow.

As with most all-star games, there was plenty of rust; pretty much all of the players here Thursday hadn’t participated in a game — let alone taken any shots — in about a month.

And, as with most all-star games, the 3-point line was a popular spot, as both teams hoisted one trey after another. The teams combined to make 15 3-pointers — 10 by Team Walborn — but neither team shot a very good percentage, as the L-L League put an exclamation point on the 2023-24 season.

Kraft caps her career in style

Lancaster Catholic’s Rylee Kraft scored a team-high 14 points for victorious Team Walborn, coached by Lebanon skipper Jaime Walborn.

It was a terrific senior season for Kraft, who helped the Crusaders win the Section 3 title and capture league and District 3 crowns before hoisting gold in the PIAA Class 3A championship last month in Hershey’s Giant Center.

She closed it out with an all-star game victory, and Kraft got to play with classmate Lily Lehman one last time.

“It went so fast, honestly,” Kraft said. “Now I’m here, and now it’s officially over, and I’ll never put this uniform on again. It’s becoming very real. It was surreal after (the state finale), but now it’s officially here.”

Kraft finished her prep career with 1,209 points, and she’s heading to play hoops at Shippensburg University in the PSAC.

“This was all in my hopes and dreams,” Kraft said, wrapping up her time at Lancaster Catholic. “And it turned out to be a crazy experience and so, so amazing.”

Columbia’s Brooke Droege scored 13 points and McCaskey’s Elaina Foley hit three 3-pointers and chipped in with 11 points for Team Walborn.

Girls' basketball

Interview with Lancaster Catholic's Rylee Kraft at L-L League basketball Media Day [video]

JEFF REINHART | Sports Writer

Ott finishes fast

While a lot of players struggled with their shots, Hempfield’s Sophia Ott kept making buckets. She drilled four 3-pointers and poured in a game-high 20 points repping Team Cerullo, coached by Ephrata skipper Brian Cerullo.

Ott had a memorable four-year run with the Black Knights. She was a key kid off the bench in her freshman season, when Hempfield beat Lancaster Catholic in OT to win the L-L League championship in the first full season back after the pandemic.

She earned multiple all-star honors for the Knights, finished her prep career with 972 points, and Ott is ticketed for Pitt-Johnstown in the PSAC.

“Bittersweet,” Ott said, “and it’s been a great last four years. I wouldn’t change anything. Any adversity made me the player I am today. The L-L League is great. We have a lot of great players. And we have a lot of girls going to the PSAC this year. The competition definitely helped me.”

Cedar Crest’s Lizzie Lowe scored 12 points and Columbia’s Brie Droege — who went up against twin sister Brooke, who played for Team Walborn — added eight points for Team Cerullo.

Brie (2,151 points) and Brooke (1,556 points) combined for 3,687 points for the Crimson Tide. They’re headed to East Stroudsburg University to play in the PSAC.

Girls' basketball

Interview with Hempfield's Sophia Ott at L-L League basketball Media Day [video]

JEFF REINHART | Sports Writer

Kudos to Clouser

A nice honor for Elizabethtown senior Maggie Clouser, who earned the league’s inaugural Chad McDowell Memorial Scholarship Award. She was presented a plaque and a $1,000 scholarship during the game.

McDowell, who passed away last year, was a longtime basketball and softball coach and a teacher at Solanco. The league’s coaches started the award in his honor this season.

Clouser, who plays basketball and soccer for the Bears, missed her junior season after suffering a serious knee injury. She fought her way back, and was on the soccer pitch last fall, and she was running the point on the court for E-town this winter.

Clouser will continue her hoops career at Lancaster Bible College, where she’ll major in health and physical education.

“It’s an honor and a blessing to have this opportunity that the L-L League provided,” Clouser said. “Just to have someone who made such an impact on his community and the league in general, and to receive this award for him, it’s such an honor.

“We would always see (McDowell) when we played Solanco, and our coach (Todd Brubaker) always told us about him. They were really good friends. It sounds like he had a great reputation, which is awesome.”