Despite shorthanded roster, Redeemer Lutheran’s ‘Fab 5’ found success

By: Mark Nitowski
Monday, March 6, 2023 | 9:00 AM

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To say Redeemer Lutheran High School faced some challenges in fielding its first girls varsity basketball team might be an understatement. Consider:

• The school in Verona — with 36 students in grades nine through 12 — does not have a gymnasium large enough to host varsity basketball games.

• After eight signed up for the team, only five girls — one junior and four freshmen — showed up to start the season.

• The teacher who ended up coaching the Rams never had coached a basketball game.

Yet Redeemer bucked those odds to complete an inaugural season that was pure storybook in many ways. The Rams posted a 7-3 record in the regular season to finish first in the East Division of the Southwest Pennsylvania Athletic Association (SWPAA). Redeemer then scored playoff victories over Nazareth Prep, 48-40, and Propel Montour, 58-51, before falling to undefeated Beaver County Christian, 49-38, in the championship game Feb. 18.

“When we were planning to start a girls varsity team, we considered having a co-op with Neighborhood Academy (in Highland Park), but they had 12 girls and we decided to each have a team,” Redeemer athletic director Eureka Van Wyk said. “At first, we thought that was going to be a big mistake. I don’t know who was most surprised by how far we made it — the coaches, players or fans.”

Coming into the season, Redeemer benefited from an influx of players moving up from a strong middle school squad, Van Wyk said. Four of the incoming freshmen — Jaden Craig, Molly Hagey, Clarissa Tinkey and Anika Van Wyk — combined with junior Emenet Richardson to form what coach Sarah Driscoll began calling the “Fab Five.”

“I’m also a teacher at the school, and I teach all of these girls on a daily basis. We have a really good rapport,” Driscoll said. “They worked so well as a team. Their camaraderie was amazing. Their encouragement for each other was amazing. They were happy when their teammates scored.”

Richardson said she was excited to be able to play basketball for her junior season.

“Since I’ve been in high school, we haven’t had a team,” she said. “It was a great opportunity to just play with each other. At first, we weren’t thinking of being competitive — just having fun.”

Redeemer’s starting five featured guards Richardson and Hagey, center Haden and forwards Tinkey and Van Wyk. Richardson, Haden and Tinkey live in Penn Hills, Van Wyk is from Plum and Hagey is a Natrona Heights resident.

Richardson and Van Wyk averaged 12 points, and Hagey added 11.

“We had all scorers, which helped. If a team wanted to pressure one of our players, we had four other girls who could score,” Driscoll said.

At 5-foot-9, Van Wyk provided a strong inside presence.

“She scored a lot of her points in the paint,” Driscoll said.

Richardson ran the offense at point guard. On defense, she led the team in steals.

“Emenet was team captain and our leader,” Driscoll said. “She’s a great athlete and student.”

As the eldest player, Richardson knew she had to set an example for her freshmen teammates.

“But the group made it easy for me to be captain,” she said. “They were very mature and knew we had a community goal of just trying to win. … We’re not just teammates, we’re friends. We’re close to each other, which really helps our team dynamic. We had a great coach who helps us in class and outside of school.”

Though Driscoll’s husband, John, coaches the Redeemer boys team, she had no coaching experience.

“I was always a spectator for my kids and husband, who’s been coaching for years,” Driscoll said. “He became a great adviser throughout the season. He was my statistician for the games. He knows the girls as well. He was encouraging and supporting — and really helped me with any questions.”

With no bench players, Driscoll focused on building the team’s endurance for the long season.

“We ran at the start of every practice and conditioned pretty much nonstop for that hour or hour and a half,” she said.

The fact the girls competed in volleyball or cross country during the fall sports season certainly helped the conditioning process.

“We were all pretty involved in other sports, and the training transcended basketball,” Richardson said. “Overall, we’re a pretty athletic group. With only five of us, we needed to have that endurance every single game. Most of our practices involved running and sprinting to make sure we were prepared for game days.”

Because Redeemer doesn’t have a regulation-sized gym, the team played its home games and held some practices at schools in the Penn Hills district. The Rams got off to a bumpy start, dropping two preseason scrimmages and the opening game before hitting their stride.

“What really motivated the girls was a drive to be first in our division,” Driscoll said.

Redeemer was battling Trinity Christian for first place when the teams met in a rematch late in the season.

“We had lost to them earlier in the season,” Driscoll said. “In order to win the division, we had to win our final three games, and Trinity was the first of those games. That was the make-it-or-break-it point for us.”

The Rams responded by trouncing Trinity, 65-26.

“It was probably our best game of the season,” Driscoll said. “Everyone made their shots. It was a turning point in our motivation throughout the playoffs.”

The short roster seemed to catch up to Redeemer in the SWPAA playoffs.

“Playing three games in one week put a strain on the girls,” Driscoll said. “We got a little gassed in the championship game because we had pressed all week, and the girls had run hard. But they didn’t give up. They played hard throughout it.”

For their efforts, SWPAA coaches voted Richardson, Van Wyk, Haden and Hagey to the all-conference team.

“I’m very proud and very blessed to have such great teammates,” Richardson said.

Looking back on the season, Van Wyk said the team was fortunate to remain healthy.

“We had no significant injuries or illness. All five players were on the bench each game,” she said.

Driscoll said there was only one game when someone fouled out and the team continued with only four players.

“We kept the lead and won the game,” she said.

With the starting five scheduled to return, Driscoll said Redeemer is looking to build on its success.

“We’re excited for the eighth grade girls coming up. Their team made it to the playoffs,” she said.

“It’s going to be a learning curve adding some new girls, but it will help drive them to be a better team.”

Richardson added: “I’m already looking out for the new freshmen coming up so we can achieve even greater things next year.”