PART 1: High School Basketball Athlete Q&A; Girls Basketball

When the temperature drops and the roads become white with snow, school athletics turn to the great indoors to continue their competitive play. Within the two schools that reside in our small town, one of the most prominent indoor sports is boys and girls basketball. To give our winter warrior athletes their time to shine, EllwoodCity.org has decided to sit down and provide a Q&A with selected school district’s basketball student/athletes.

We begin our two-part series recognizing the girls basketball teams, while part-two will feature the male athletes.

ELLWOOD CITY LADY WOLVERINES

photo credit: Clark’s Studio

Maria Ioanilli:

Player Name: Maria Ioanilli, Forward
Grade: Junior

How long have you been involved in basketball: This is my 7th year of basketball
Why did you choose to play basketball: I love the sport. I enjoy being with the girls every day. It is a very physical and competitive sport.
How have you and your team prepared for the upcoming season: We have prepared by really focusing on our defense. Since we are a younger and smaller team, we really try to shut teams down on defense. We are well-conditioned to run a fast offense and have been working hard to run our opponents off the court. We really focus on control and having patience and composure before shooting the ball/making a play. This year I think all the girls are very calm and we play very comfortable together
What is one thing you’d like those watching you play know about you: One thing I would like others to know about me is that I am very aggressive and will go for any rebound. I always give it my all on every play.
Your future/college plans: I hope for my senior season that we will be even better. We have every starter returning with a strong freshman class coming up. We will be so much better and our squad will be so much more comfortable together and will be smarter on the court
Biggest threat: Beaver

RIVERSIDE LADY PANTHERS

Marley Wolf:

Player Name: Marley Wolf, Shooting Guard
Grade: Senior

How long have you been involved in basketball: I’ve been involved in basketball for over 10 years
Why did you choose to play basketball: I chose to play basketball because it was my lifestyle growing up, being practically raised in the gym
How have you and your team prepared for the upcoming season: Our team has been working hard through the summer and fall in preparation for this season. We were in a summer league, a fall league, and had open gyms. We’re hoping to bring some good defensive intensity this season to the teams we play while having a strong steady offense.
What is one thing you’d like those watching you play know about you: This is my last high school basketball season and I plan on making it the best I can.
Your future/college plans: Undecided, however I know I want to play basketball
Biggest threat: Our team’s biggest threat is being in such a strong section. Our section is extremely competitive and one of the best in the WPIAL. We plan on coming ready to compete looking forward to positive outcomes this season.

Brielle Chesko:

Player Name: Brielle Chesko, Point Guard
Grade: 12th Grade

How long have you been involved in basketball: I have played basketball since 4th grade
Why did you choose to play basketball: I started playing basketball as a fun sport but it’s become a great way to be involved in leadership and teamwork experiences as well as forming bonds with the other girls.
How have you and your team prepared for the upcoming season: Our team has been involved in tons of camps and tournaments in the off-season to find out how we work together as a team and help the freshman to gain experience.
What is one thing you’d like those watching you play know about you: Basketball has been such a big part of my high school experience and I am so thankful for my teammates and coaches.
Your future/college plans: I plan to go to a four-year college to major in biology and then into graduate school with my end goal of becoming an optometrist.
Biggest threat: Beaver