Springfield’s Mia Valerio, with the ball and ready to shoot in this snapshot from the District 1 Class 5A championship game against Great Valley last spring, is back to try to keep the Cougars’ run of success going in the Central League. PETE BANNAN – MEDIANEWS GROUP
By Matt Smith
By and large, Garnet Valley and Springfield have dominated the Central League for most of the past decade.
The Jaguars and Cougars have combined for seven of the last eight championships.
In last year’s pandemic-shortened season, Springfield rolled through the league undefeated en route to winning both the Central and District 1 Class 5A titles. The Cougars were buoyed by All-Delco senior guards Alexa Abbonizio and Rachel Conran, both of whom were four-year starters. It wasn’t until the Cougars played eventual state champion Cardinal O’Hara in the PIAA Class 5A semifinals that they suffered their first and only loss.
Garnet Valley posted a 9-9 record and failed to make the District 1 Class 6A tournament. Two years prior, the Jaguars had won their first district championship and played in Hershey for the PIAA Class 6A title.
This will be a big year for Springfield’s talented junior class. Guards Lexi Aaron and Mia Valerio, as well as forward Anabel Kreydt, were either starters or first off the bench on a team that finished 22-1. After losing Conran and Abbonizio, who is the program’s all-time leading scorer, the Cougars will be searching for plenty of offense. Aaron has the ability to shoot from long range and Valerio is a crafty point guard who has carved out a reputation for her strong on-the-ball defense.The 5-foot-10 Kreydt was the Cougars’ de facto big last year. She can score in the low post, rebound and defend.