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As the driving force behind Holy Redeemer’s third straight trip to the state quarterfinals, Rebecca Prociak led the Wyoming Valley Conference in scoring.

Maddie Ritsick became Crestwood’s all-time leading scorer.

Now the two senior stalwarts have more in common than simply point production.

Prociak was selected to the All-Pennsylvania Class 2A Girls Basketball team and Ritsick made second-team all-state in Class 3A in a ballot of state media that was released Saturday.

“It’s crazy,” Prociak said. “I just couldn’t believe it.”

Maybe her selection wasn’t all that far-fetched.

Prociak averaged 24.5 points and 9.5 rebounds while leading Holy Redeemer to a WVC Division 3 title, a District 2 Class 2A title and to the PIAA Class 2A quarterfinals — where a Prociak-driven Royals team held one-point leads after the second and third quarters before suffering a nine-point defeat to heavily-favored and eventual state champ Neumann-Goretti.

It was Goretti’s closest margin of victory during the postseason and may have brought Prociak, a physical 6-foot center, recognition from the rest of the state. Her impressive 10-point, seven-rebound performance through double-teams that night certainly got their attention of Neumann-Goretti coach Andrea Peterson, who shared a hug and some words of encouragement with Prociak following that game.

“She just told me I had a great season, to hold my head up,” Prociak said. “She told me, ‘You’re a great player, your future’s really good.’ that meant a lot to me, coming from her, because she’s a great coach. “

Prociak’s season was so special, she was named the WVC Division 3 most valuable player by the league’s coaches and the Times Leader Girls Basketball Player of the Year.

Now she’s among the top six first-team Class 2A players in Pennsylvania.

“It was, in all honesty, one of Rebecca’s goals right from the start of the season,” Holy Redeemer coach Chris Parker said. “She wanted to lead the league in scoring, she wanted to be the league MVP and she wanted to be first-team all-state.

“Every goal that kid set for herself, ultimately, she accomplished it.”

Ritsick completed quite an accomplishment herself.

The 5-11 forward broke a 31-year-old Crestwood record by scoring 1,486 career points. And 481 of them came this season after she rebounded from an ACL and meniscus tear in her left knee, suffered during the 2015 District 2 playoffs.

“It’s a great surprise,” said Ritsick, who was named to the all-Pennsylvania team for the third straight season to close her Crestwood career. “It feels good. I wasn’t expecting to get it all three years in a row.”

Especially not after suffering through knee surgery and the grueling rehab that followed it this past summer.

But Ritsick, headed to play for Division II University of Sciences in Philadelphia next season, simply changed her game to keep her effectiveness through her final high school season.

A tremendous transition player with the ability to consistently knock down the 3-point shot, Ritsick turned herself into more of a post player and led the Comets into the District 2 Class 3A quarterfinals for the first time in more than a decade.

And while Prociak proved the WVC’s top scorer, Ritsick wasn’t far behind. She averaged 19.4 points — a slight dip from the over 20-point average she finished with for her career — but contributed far more to a young Comets team in other areas. Ritsick finished fourth in the league in scoring average, hit 21 3-point field goals to wind up seventh and converted 73 percent of her free throws to place fifth.

“Maddie, she’s an all-around player,” Crestwood coach Ed Stepanski said. “She led the team in rebounding. She led the team in scoring, in three-point shooting and blocked shots. Plus, more importantly, she’s a great kid. The other kids feed off that stuff. She had such a presence on the court, I’ve seen girls drive down, and her (Ritsick) step out and they step back.

“She has a reputation.”

It didn’t take Prociak long to develop one.

Spending the past two seasons as a second option for Redeemer to two-time first-team all-state player Alexis Lewis, the WVC’s all-time scoring leader who’s now playing as a college freshman for Iona, Prociak stepped in to fill the Royals’ scoring void.

It led Redeemer to the school’s first district title in Parker’s five seasons as a head coach and propelled the team into its third consecutive state quarterfinal appearance. During her last of three seasons as a starter, the Royals rolled up a postseason record of 18-5, including an 8-3 mark in state play, while reaching two state semifinal games.

“Our team did so well. I was hoping to get nominated,” Prociak said of the all-state honor. “I knew since my point average was up there, I would have a good shot. I just left everything out there. I’m very happy. But I couldn’t have done any of it without my teammates.”

And maybe vice-versa.

“I think,” Parker said, “with everything she did this year for her teammates, for the program itself, and the hard work she’s put in — leading us in scoring, leading us in rebounding and being our go-to player all year long — she’s well-deserving. “

It’s possible nobody in the WVC deserved an all-state honor like Ritsick.

A third-team All-State selection as a sophomore and a second-team all-state as a junior, she became Crestwood’s first three-time All-Pennsylvania player in girls or boys basketball.

“I feel like I scored more under the basket this year,” Ritsick said, “as opposed to driving to the basket. Maybe it was because of my injury, I’m not sure. I’ve been working on my physical shape. Maybe during the season I wasn’t in the same shape I was in the previous seasons. I feel like everybody knows from past years I was able to drive. Now that I’ve scored in post play, it helps me for college next year.”

Holy Redeemer’s Rebecca Prociak (44) was selected as the Wyoming Valley Conference’s only first-team all-state girls basketball player when the All-Pennsylvania teams were released Saturday. Defending Prociak is all-state Class 2A player of the year Alisha Keebe (4) of state champion Neumann-Goretti.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_TTL031216HRGBB63-1-.jpg.optimal.jpgHoly Redeemer’s Rebecca Prociak (44) was selected as the Wyoming Valley Conference’s only first-team all-state girls basketball player when the All-Pennsylvania teams were released Saturday. Defending Prociak is all-state Class 2A player of the year Alisha Keebe (4) of state champion Neumann-Goretti. Sean McKeag | Times Leader

Crestwood’s Maddie Ritsick (42), shown battling in a District 2 quarterfinal game against Nanticoke Area, was named an All-Pennsylvania girls basketball player for the third straight season when she was selected to the Class 3A second team, which was released Saturday.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_crestwoodnanticoke01.jpg.optimal.jpgCrestwood’s Maddie Ritsick (42), shown battling in a District 2 quarterfinal game against Nanticoke Area, was named an All-Pennsylvania girls basketball player for the third straight season when she was selected to the Class 3A second team, which was released Saturday. Pete G. Wilcox|Times Leader

By Paul Sokoloski

[email protected]

CLASS 4A

First team`School`Height`Grade`PPG

Tysha Brown` Harrisburg` 5-6` Sr.`20.6

Alayna Gribble` Norwin` 6-0` Sr.` 20.0

Kyla Irwin` State College` 6-2` Sr.` 26.3

Kelly Jekot` Cumberland Valley` 6-0` Sr.` 21.3

Amanda Kalin` Pine-Richland` 5-7` Jr.` 20.1

Mary Sheehan` Cardinal O’Hara` 5-11` Jr.` 13.0

Second team`School`Height`Grade`PPG

Sam Carangi` North Penn`5-9`Jr.` 10.1

Abby Gonzales`North Allegheny`5-9`Sr.`12.2

Hannah Nihill` Cardinal O’Hara` 5-6` Jr.` 11.5

Desiree Oliver` Penns Hills` 5-7.` Jr.` 18.5

Jaynelle Robinson` Williamsport` 6-3` Sr.` 21.0

Jordan Vitelli` Central Bucks South` 5-7` Sr.` 15.5

Paige Warfel` Downingtown East` 6-0` Sr.`20.8

Third team`School`Height`Grade`PPG

K.T. Armstrong` Perkiomen Valley` 6-2.` Sr.` 15.9

Morgan Baughman` Cumberland Valley` 5-10` Sr.` 9.9

Tessa Brugler` Nazareth` 6-1` Jr.` 15.4

Courtney Dimoff` Red Lion` 5-10` Sr.` 14.7

Jade Ely` Penn Hills` 5-10` Sr.` 16.1

Katie Jekot` Cumberland Valley` 5-9` Jr.` 10.5

Ellie Mack` Conestoga` 6-2` Sr.` 17.5

Player of the year — Kelly Jekot, Cumberland Valley

Coach of the year — Spencer Stefko, North Allegheny

CLASS 3A

First team`School`Height`Grade`PPG

Sarah Agnello` Erie Villa Maria` 5-10` Sr.` 10.6

Jenay Faulkner` Greencastle-Antrim` 5-11` Jr.` 19.0

Bailey Greenberg` Archbishop Wood` 5-11` Sr.` 14.1

Kaley Kovac` Jim Thorpe` 5-11` So.`24.3

Devon Merritt` Berks Catholic` 6-2` Sr.` 17.6

Anna Sweny` Erie Villa Maria` 5-6` Sr.` 10.2

Second team`School`Height`Grade`PPG

Emily Anderson` South Fayette` 6-4` Sr.` 13.7

Erica DeCandido` Gwynedd Mercy` 5-10` Sr.` 16.3

Kiki Jefferson` Lancaster Catholic` 5-11` Fr.` 20.1

Jordyn Kloster` Northeastern` 5-9`, Sr.` 17.3

Allison McGrath` South Park` 5-10` Sr.` 18.1

Amber Renz` Danville` 6-1` Sr.` 19.3

Maddie Ritsick` Crestwood` 5-11` Sr.` 19.8

Third team`School`Height`Grade`PPG

Courtney Cecere` Forest Hills` 5-9` Jr.` 13.5

Mary Dunn` Washington Trinity` 6-2` Sr.` 17.6

Sierra Kotchman` Washington Trinity` 5-7` Jr.` 17.9

Jennifer Oduho` Erie Villa Maria` 5-11` Sr.` 7.5

Maris Seto` Brownsville` 5-10` Sr.` 24.0

Emily Shopene` Mercyhurst Prep` 5-6` Jr.` 10.4

Zoe Zerman` Northern Lebanon` 5-9` Jr.` 13.8

Player of the year — Bailey Greenberg, Archbishop Wood

Coach of the year — Mike McDonald, Archbishop Wood

CLASS 2A

First team`School`Height`Grade`PPG

Bionca Dunham` Imhotep Charter` 6-2` Sr.` 16.8

Alisha Kebbe` Neumann-Goretti`5-10` Sr.` 14.4

Karlee Krchnavi` Palisades` 6-0` Sr.` 18.4

Rebecca Prociak` Holy Redeemer` 5-11` Sr.` 24.5

Kamiah Smalls` Neumann-Goretti` 5-10` Sr.` 12.6

Karson Swogger` Bellwood-Antis` 5-8` Jr.` 27.9

Second team`School`Height`Grade`PPG

Kayla Agentowicz`Lakeland` 5-8` Sr.` 20.9

Kate Bauhof` York Catholic` 5-6` So.` 21.6

Brooke Hinderliter` Redbank Valley` 5-8` Sr.` 22.0

Maddie Martin` Dunmore` 5-7` Jr.` 15.9

Natalie Myers` Burrell` 5-11` Sr.` 22.5

Chyna Nixon` Neumann-Goretti` 5-11` Jr.` 11.0

Haley Thomas` Bishop McCort` 5-10` Jr.` 21.3

Third team`School`Height`Grade`PPG

Sierra DaCosta` Imhotep Charter` 5-8` Sr.` 12.0

LeeAnn Gibson` Karns City` 5-9` Sr.` 16.8

Tiffany Lapotsky` North Schuylkill` 5-7` Sr.` 18.2

Erin Lindhal` Germantown Academy` 5-9` Sr.` 13.0

Abby Schoffstall` Minersville` 5-7` Jr.` 14.8

Courtney Schrock` North Star` 5-4` Sr.` 13.0

Leah Springer` Camp Hill` 6-0` Sr.` 21.2

Player of the year — Alisha Kebbe, Neumann-Goretti

Coach of the year — Randy Schrock, North Star

CLASS A

First team`School`Height`Grade`PPG

Sam Breen` Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic` 6-1` Jr.` 26.6

Lili Benzel` Bishop Guilfoyle` 5-8` Jr.` 17.4

Keyen Green` Phil-Mont Christian` 6-1` Sr.` 20.3

Cali Konek` Imani Christian` 5-4` Fr.` 45.9

Gabbie Smith` Quigley Catholic` 6-1`, Sr.` 30.1

Mikayla Vaughn` Friends Central` 6-3` Jr.` 15.0

Second team`School`Height`Grade`PPG

Carmella Bickel` Lourdes Regional` 5-6` Jr.` 16.7

Ali Hillson` North Penn-Mansfield` 5-7` Sr.` 14.8

Iyanna McCurdy` Friends Central` 5-9` Sr.` 14.7

Bronwyne Mellott` McConnellsburg` 5-11` Jr.` 26.2

Tori Obenrader` North Clarion` 5-11` So.` 16.4

Dayna Rouse` Ellis School` 6-0` Sr.` 25.3

Emma Spinelli` Shade` 5-4` Sr.` 19.2

Third team`School`Height`Grade`PPG

Rena Enterline` Blairsville` 5-7` So.` 22.0

Tracey Goodman` Phil-Mont Christian` 6-2` Sr.` 15.5

Lexi Griggs` Vincentian` 5-11` Sr.` 13.6

Alyssa Martinazzi` Bishop Carroll` 5-9` So.` 13.9

Siani McNeil` Delco Christian` 5-11` Sr.` 17.0

Courtney Redcross` Shipley` 5-11` Sr.` 10.3

Chelsea Repard` North Penn-Liberty` 5-8` Sr.` 17.8

Player of the year — Sam Breen, Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic

Coach of the year — Molly Rottmann, Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic

Reach Paul Sokoloski at 570-991-6392 or on Twitter @TLPaulSokoloski