BASKETBALL

Four York-Adams League players garner all-state girls' basketball honors

West York's Faith Walker, York Suburban's Janay Rissmiller, Eastern York's Arianna Seitz and Delone Catholic's Megan Jacoby all earned recognition.

Thomas Kendziora
York Dispatch

The York-Adams League enjoyed a banner girls’ basketball season in 2023-24. Four teams went 20-2 or better in the regular season, three squads played for District 3 championships, and York Suburban delivered the first district hoops title in program history.

The league’s strength is certainly reflected on the Pennsylvania all-state teams, as four York-Adams standouts were recognized in their respective PIAA classifications by a statewide panel of sports writers.

West York's Faith Walker (3) tries to shoot over York Suburban's Janay Rissmiller during the District 3 Class 5A girls' basketball semifinals on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, at York Suburban High School. The host Trojans emerged with a thrilling 37-34 victory.

West York senior Faith Walker earned a Class 5A second-team selection, while York Suburban senior Janay Rissmiller was named to the third team for a second consecutive season. Eastern York senior Arianna Seitz and Delone Catholic junior Megan Jacoby both made the Class 4A second team.

Earlier in the week, six York-Adams League boys’ players — including three members of Central York’s Class 6A state championship team — earned all-state honors of their own. The York-Adams League’s total of 10 statewide honorees far exceeds last year’s tally of three, when Rissmiller was joined by Central York’s Greg Guidinger and Eastern York’s Austin Bausman on the boys’ side.

West York’s Faith Walker takes the ball to the basket while Wyomissing’s Audrey Hurleman defends during girls’ basketball action at West York Area High School in West Manchester Township, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024. Wyomissing would win the game 50-42. (Dawn J. Sagert/The York Dispatch)

Walker, a multi-sport standout who will play NCAA Division I hoops at Duquesne, enjoyed a career year at West York, averaging 18.2 points per game and leading the Bulldogs to the district semifinals. The 6-foot-1 forward tallied 20-plus points 13 times in 28 games and had three 30-point outings in a four-week span from Jan. 23 to Feb. 20. Walker was previously a key piece during West York’s PIAA Class 5A quarterfinal run in 2022.

York Suburban's Janay Rissmiller (4) vs. Dallastown during YAIAA girls’ championship basketball action at Red Lion Area Senior High School in Red Lion, Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. Dallastown would win the game 34-30. (Dawn J. Sagert/The York Dispatch)

Rissmiller’s breakout season came last year, when she helped lead the Trojans on a surprise run to the District 3-5A title game. The University of Mary Washington signee raised her game as a senior, leading Suburban to a 21-1 regular season and a York-Adams Division II title. The Trojans got back to the district final and came out on top this time, holding off Northern York in an overtime thriller. A PIAA first-round loss to Indiana Area ended an unforgettable season at 26-3, but this recognition is a fitting sendoff for Rissmiller, who averaged 12 points as a facilitating point guard while anchoring an elite Suburban defense.

(Rissmiller’s younger brother, C.J., was a starting guard for Suburban boys’ basketball and a standout running back for the football team. Both siblings are set to leave the Trojans behind, as C.J. will spend his junior year at Woodberry Forest School, a boarding school in central Virginia located an hour west of Mary Washington.)

Eastern York’s Arianna Seitz, center, works to get the ball past Delone Catholic’s Ella Hughes, left, and Jocelyn Robinson during PIAA District 3, Class 4A girls’ basketball quarterfinals action at Delone Catholic High School in McSherrystown, Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024. Delone Catholic would win the game 49-22.(Dawn J. Sagert/The York Dispatch)

Seitz led the York-Adams League in scoring for the second straight year and repeated as Division II Player of the Year, besting Walker and Rissmiller for the honor. The 6-foot wing racked up 20.1 points per game and led an inexperienced Eastern York team to the state playoffs. Seitz’s last three varsity seasons came with her father, Jason Seitz, as the Golden Knights’ head coach. She will play for Clarion at the NCAA Division II level.

Seitz, Rissmiller and Walker all surpassed the 1,000-point milestone this season. Seitz achieved the feat in early December, Rissmiller hit the mark in mid-January, and Walker got there during the district playoffs. 

Delone Catholic's Megan Jacoby (22) attempts a layup around two Northeastern defenders during the York-Adams League girls' basketball quarterfinals Friday, Feb. 9, 2024, at Dover High School. The Bobcats won, 41-40, on a last-second basket.

Jacoby, a two-time York-Adams Division III Player of the Year, is now an all-state honoree for the first time. The junior point guard led the Squirettes with 11.9 points per game and 41 made 3-pointers. Delone, which returned its entire roster from 2022-23, finished 24-4 this season, falling in the district finals to Wyomissing and the state quarterfinals to District 12’s Universal Audenried. Those teams were led by all-state first teamer Amaya Stewart and 4A Player of the Year Shayla Smith, respectively.

Five all-state honorees are slated to return to local courts in 2024-25, with Jacoby joined by boys’ stalwarts Ben Rill and Ben Natal (Central York), Carter Wamsley (Eastern York) and Jake Dallas (York Catholic).

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