PLEASANTVILLE – The Ocean City High School girls are off to a 4-3 start this season with wins over Holy Spirit, Cedar Creek, Pleasantville and Cape May Tech, and a pair of close losses to Timber Creek and then Gloucester Catholic on Saturday at the Seagull Tournament at Holy Spirit High School.
Two of the three losses have been narrow – 35-34 versus Timber Creek at the Boardwalk Classic in Wildwood over the holiday break and then 31-28 against Gloucester Catholic.
Against Pleasantville Thursday evening in a nearly empty gym – spectators weren’t allowed in due to COVID-19 safety measures – the Red Raider girls jumped out to a 20-3 lead in the first quarter and held the Greyhounds scoreless in the second quarter for a 34-3 halftime lead.
Hannah Cappelletti got off to a hot start, hitting three three-pointers in a row, and teammate Avery Jackson added 7 more points, including a trey. A’yanna Morton and Tori Vliet added a bucket each in the quarter.
Frankie Ritzel and Madelyn Adamson each hit a three in the second quarter, Vliet picked up 2 more points and senior Taylor Wenner contributed 6 more.
The scoring slowed in the third quarter as coach Michael Cappelletti substituted freely to give more players time on the floor. Wenner dropped in a three, Adamson hit two free throws and Vliet added one. In the final period, Vliet scored 4 more, Maddie Monteleone had 3 and Jackson added a free throw for the 48-11 final.
On Monday evening, the girls topped Cape May Tech 57-23 to take over the lead in the National Conference of the Cape-Atlantic League. In the game, Jackson led with 13 points, Morton had 10, Vliet added 9, Cappelletti and Ritzel scored 8 each, Monteleone had 3 and Wenner, Adamson and McKenna Chisholm had 2 each.
“Everything is a process,” coach Cappelletti said after the Pleasantville game. “I think the girls are working really, really hard. We lost a tough one recently to Timber Creek. We have to make sure we’re learning from every experience that we have early.
“I love the girls; they know that, and as long as they’re showing up ready to get better each and every game and practice, I’m good with it. I’m proud of that,” he said.
The Red Raiders aren’t playing an easy schedule. They opened with a 50-47 win over Holy Spirit, before getting hit hard by rival Mainland Regional, 56-30, in their second game of the season. Ocean City rebounded with a 52-25 win over Cedar Creek before the Timber Creek game.
“We played some tough teams already and that’s what our schedule looks like, especially as we move forward. We’re going to show up and hopefully achieve our potential each and every day,” Cappelletti said.
One key to success for a team that lost a lot of starters from last year’s shortened season and has only two seniors – Wenner and Marin Panico – will be the team gelling as the season continues. It is a process that has already begun.
“The thing that’s been tough,” the coach said, “is they can’t do a whole lot of things (outside of practice). We usually have a team dinner every single game. We’re trying to get in the cafeteria and do those types of things and doing those culture-building activities. I think trying to do those things and the girls trying to find an avenue that we can do it, and that everybody is safe, that is the goal. As long as we can do that I think the girls will continue to build chemistry together.”
“I think we’ve been working hard and at practice,” Hannah Cappelletti said. “I think we get along well, which really helps. We play with effort. If we show up and play strong together, good things will happen.
“We’re definitely younger this year,” she added. “We only have two seniors and one is coming back from an injury.”
Cappelletti said she and her teammates know they have to play together to win.
“There’s not just one man out there. We have to be one on the floor,” she said.
“We have to play together,” Jackson agreed. “We all have the same name on the front of our jerseys and we have to trust our teammates and trust ourselves and we have to play with confidence every game.
“We’re all great friends. We love each other and support each other all the time,” she said.
Jackson said it is great to have fans in the stands again (at least outside of Pleasantville).
“It’s been very motivational for us. We have a lot of support behind us. That really means a lot,” Jackson said. “We work hard in practice every day. We listen to our leaders. Although there are only two seniors, a lot of girls have really stepped up and it’s been great. I’m really happy to have a full season this year. It’s been a lot of fun.”
The Red Raiders host Vineland at 6 p.m. Friday, Atlantic City at 6 p.m. Tuesday and then have a rematch with Holy Spirit at 6 p.m. Jan. 20. After the home stand, they travel to take on Mainland in Linwood at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 22.
