Rivertowns Sports

Girls Varsity Basketball Teams Enter Season with Optimism

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Irvington captains Alyson Raimondo, Annie McFeetors and Isidora Doncov. (photo by Justin Luftig)

December 4, 2024

By Tom Pedulla—

The local girls’ basketball season is tipping off. Here is a look at each team in the area:

ARDSLEY

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Coach Nick Resavy does not mince words when it comes to his expectations for the season. “We have high goals. We go into the season trying to win the Gold Ball,” he said.

Sectional supremacy is hard to come by, of course. The Panthers were painfully reminded of that last year when they steamed into the postseason as a number three seed only to be upset by Tappan Zee.

Ardsley has a special talent in All-Section senior forward Iva Corluka. How special? She played for Croatia’s under 17-18 national team last summer and is committed to playing at the next level at St. Bonaventure. Resavy calls her a “double-double machine,” in her ability to consistently reach double figures in points and rebounds.

Corluka will serve as a captain as will senior guard Koie Levy, a returning All-Conference performer. A strong junior class is led by playmaking guard Madison Bortstein, athletic forward Leah Burriss and guard Dylan Daley, a defensive standout. Lily Tiernan, another junior, will provide a spark off the bench.

Others eager to contribute are sophomores Elise O’Brien, Whitney Butler, Morgan Macri, Ava Santavicca and Mia Stanton, as well as freshman Teagan Kenny.

Ardsley has won its league three of the last four years. Last season’s sudden tournament exit has not been forgotten. “We are definitely motivated to finish the job this year,” Resavy said.

DOBBS FERRY

With four starters returning in Abigail Dann, Ella Moon, Mya Ustares and Alexa Vicchio, hopes are high for the Eagles.

Coach Kasey Grisanti expects to rely heavily on Dann, in particular. Dann is an outstanding athlete who approaches every situation with a can-do attitude. “She’s going to be really big for us this year,” Grisanti said.

Moon, a guard, is a solid three-point shooter while Vicchio is a multi-talented point guard. Ustares, a junior, is striving to fulfill her considerable potential.

Hard-working forward Mimi Phillips rounds out the lineup. Megan Hartnett and Chloe Runge also should make an impact.

With Irvington, Westlake and Pleasantville moving up to Class A, Grisanti is optimistic the Eagles can vie for Class B honors. “Class B is really up for grabs,” she said. “As long as we keep our focus and work together, I think we have a real good shot.”

Of utmost importance is that the team play as a unit. “Our keys this year are communication and teamwork,” the coach said. “We have that family bond already, that chemistry, from all the returning players. I hope it shows when we’re out there.”

HACKLEY

Jeffrey Ferreiras, who assisted Margaret Scarcella the last two years, takes over the program with the hope of continuing her success. He has the talent to do that, beginning with assistant coach Shannon Bobbitt. She played for two national championship teams at the University of Tennessee.

“We’re working together to push Hackley forward,” Ferreiras said of Bobbitt. “You can see the impact. She’s great.”

Senior shooting guard Donia Karandikar will lead the Hornets. “She had a huge impact last year and we’re looking forward to her excelling this year,” the new coach said.

Junior Angelina Hummel, who started as a sophomore, will take more of a leadership role as a captain. Senior Devyn O’Callaghan, with her ability to put up points in a hurry, and hard-charging sophomore Nora Husseini are two more important pieces to the puzzle.

Freshmen guards Emelia Pieri and Julia Puthiyamedam provide building blocks for the future and appear to be capable of making an immediate impact. “Both girls are lightning bolts for us,” Ferreiras said. “They’ve given us a ton of juice.”

The Hornets typically finish at or near the top of the Ivy League. Ferreiras is aiming high. “We’re looking to continue the success Hackley always had,” he said.

HASTINGS

While the Yellow Jackets went 7-13 last year and are in rebuilding mode, it will be a significant help to their cause that they are dropping from Class A to Class B based on enrollment.

Hastings returns four seniors, but only two of them have experience as starters. They are Sophia Ballard and Sarah Driver. They will be counted on heavily as this team endures inevitable growing pains.

Milla Angoff and Kaya Israel are two prominent underclassmen on a young roster that will need time to develop as Coach Patrick Theodule determines the best roles for his players.

“I told the kids we’re a work in progress,” said Theodule. “Every day we’re there to get better and by the end of the year we will be.”

The coach wants to be sure to set a reasonable goal. “It would be good if we could go .500 this year, so that’s our expectation,” he said.

IRVINGTON

Top teams often feature excellent point guards. The Bulldogs have one in All-Section performer Alyson Raimondo, a senior who has started since she was a freshman. With her ballhandling, scoring ability and passing, she is the complete package.

Raimondo is joined in the backcourt by junior Kayla Clinton, who also has started since she was a freshman. Junior center Chloe Mackessy brings welcome size at 5-11. She provides a strong presence inside and possesses a nice shooting touch outside.

Isadore Doncov and Annie McFeetors are looking to contribute as returning seniors. Juniors Jelena Herceg, Sophia Im, Nia Kilbury and Keira Ruffler should grow with greater playing time. Peyton Clinton and Emi Doncov are freshmen to watch.

Legendary coach Gina Maher, who counts heavily on long-time assistant Barbara Constantine, is encouraged by the way her players are approaching a season that will be accompanied by the usual high expectations.

“They are hard-working kids. They do whatever we ask of them, which is great,” Maher said.

While the Bulldogs have tremendous depth, Maher warns that they are far from the finished product. “We don’t have a lot of kids with playing experience on the varsity, so it’s going to take a bit of time,” she noted. “They’ll be better by the end of the year.”

They always are.

MASTERS

Raven Farley arrives as a new coach with promising credentials. She intends to bring stability to a program in urgent need of that following a series of coaching changes. Farley was a McDonald’s All-American in 2017 who enjoyed a fine college career, including two seasons at St. John’s.

‘I’m trying to build a culture,” said Farley. “I want these girls to enjoy playing basketball again because some of them lost that joy.”

The talent includes two guards from Spain. Adriana Pottier will operate the offense as the point guard. She plays with a high motor and is skillful at making good things happen around the basket. Shooting guard Lara Lorente is a pure shooter.

Wing Emma Barnes is a coach’s dream in the energy she brings to every practice and game, doing little things that do not necessarily appear in the box score. Gala Garcia brings welcome size to the frontcourt and gained valuable experience as a freshman.

Two young players to watch are sophomore Sofia Niatonovoa and an eighth-grade guard, Waverly Beckwith.

Farley looks forward to a good season and a better future. “In the years to come, we’ll all get better,” she said. “It’s a fresh start for all of us, for sure. I’m impressed by what I’ve seen so far.”

She emphasized her commitment to the Dobbs Ferry school. “I don’t plan to come here and make Masters a steppingstone for me,” she said. “I want to build with them as long as I can. I’m not rushing out of here.”

SLEEPY HOLLOW

With Steve Loscher’s move to take over the Sleepy Hollow boys’ program, former assistant John Kavanah was promoted to head coach of this team. He anticipates a season that looks to be extremely challenging, particularly on offense.

“It’s going to be tough to find points,” Kavanah said. “It’s going to be tough to score.”

Polished senior point guard Ashley Richardson provides one bright spot. “She’s our leader, plain and simple,” the new coach said.

He looks for improvement from seniors Juliet Loffredo and Annabella Luciano. Hope for the future comes from sophomores Lauren Monachelli and Rachel Richardson, Ashley’s sister, and freshman Natalia Hargraves, who has potential as a scorer.

Kavanah is encouraged by the enthusiasm the players bring to the gym. “I have such a good group of kids. They play hard,” he said. “We have to try to draw more out of them.”

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