Radnor’s Bree Simpson, right, seen tipping off against Marple Newtown’s Rowan Hilden earlier this season, came through in the clutch Friday night for the Raptors in a District 1 Class 5A semifinal win over Villa Maria. (Pete Bannan – MediaNews Group)
By Matt Smith
After a few significant senior departures, Radnor entered the 2024-25 season looking for sophomores and juniors to step up and fill the void.
Sophomore forward Bree Simpson remembers what it felt like to be a freshman, sitting on the bench, watching and learning. She hoped that by her second year, she would take on a bigger role.
She has delivered.
“I think last year coming on the team as a freshman I felt like I wasn’t really a big part of the team because I didn’t play that much on varsity,” Simpson said. “I think this year has been a lot different. I’ve definitely stepped into my role, and I feel like I’ve been a big part of the team. We had four seniors graduate last year, three of them were starters, and one was the five position. So, I knew coming in that I would have to fill those shoes, which were definitely big shoes to fill.”
Simpson shined in No. 2 Radnor’s 40-32 victory over sixth-seeded Villa Maria in Friday’s District 1 Class 5A semifinal. She was dominant in the paint, finishing with a game-high 16 points on near-perfect shooting after missing her first two attempts. She also pulled down nine rebounds.
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