Sacred Heart’s Keara McCaffrey, left, goes up for a shot in the first half Thursday against The Christian Academy’s Elle Cryan. (Pete Bannan – The Associated Press)
By Matt Smith
Keara McCaffrey knew she had her hands full the moment she took a good look at the tallest player on the other team Thursday.
Sacred Heart Academy’s sophomore power forward has excelled in her first full season as a starter. As a freshman, McCaffrey was a flex player on JV and varsity, forced into action with the elders due to a series of injuries to senior players. The Lions went on to capture their sixth consecutive District 1 Class 2A title and McCaffrey proved to be a solid contributor.
This season McCaffrey is one of the go-to players for Sacred Heart coach Zach Shuler. She is developing into a talented low-post presence on both ends of the floor and continues to gain confidence on a young team that doesn’t have any seniors. Sophomore point guard MJ Donohue was a starter last year and the Lions’ leader on the floor. She is probably the closest Shuler has to a team captain.