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It seems success in state sports tournaments is in Sam Rajza’s blood.
The junior guard and most experienced player on Holy Redeemer’s girls basketball team has been winning wildly from the time she began her high school athletic career.
She’s already won two straight state softball championships, and has a very good shot to make a run at a third this spring.
And on the basketball court, she’s helped the Royals win two District 2 championships while twice reaching the PIAA quarterfinals. And Rajza has no plans to stop short now, even after the core of one of Redeemer’s most successful eras graduated following last season.
“I think a lot of people didn’t give us a chance,” Rajza said, “because we lost five seniors, who were five really good players. But a lot of players on this team stepped up.
“We can go all the way, if we work hard enough.”
The work begins Saturday for Rajza and the District 2 champion 21-5 Royals, who open the PIAA Class 3A tournament at 7 p.m. against District 12 No. 4 team Bodine (7-10) at Wilkes University’s Marts Center.
If there’s anyone on the floor who knows what it takes to make a strong state run, it’s Rajza.
As a freshman softball player, the outfielder helped Redeemer win a Class 2A PIAA title in 2015, ahe helped the Royals defend their state title during her sophomore season. And during basketball season, Rajza was a key reserve as a freshman on a Redeemer team that reached the PIAA Class 2A semifinals before losing to eventual state champ Neumann-Goretti. Rajza rolled into the starting lineup last season, and hit some big shots as the Royals won their first District 2 championship in at least five years and advanced to the state quarterfinals.
After a slow start under a new head coach this season, the Royals rallied behind the steady play of Rajza to win 20 of their last 22 games, capture another District 2 title and enter the state tourney for a fifth consecutive season.
“She’s the leader,” Holy Redeemer’s first-year coach John Jezorwski said. “She’s been to states. Even when she’s not scoring, she’s still aggressive in the game.
“Sam, she’s just a winner.”
Rajza has four District 2 championships split between two sports, and her softball and basketball teams are a combined 13-2 in the state playoffs.
She knows that success didn’t happen by accident.
“You just need to be ready to play every single night,” Rajza said.
Rajza was ready to step up.
Following the departures of most of the team’s star power including Alexis Lewis, Lydia Lawson, Rebecca Prociak and Meghan Corridoni during the the last couple years, Rajza was suddenly the only one remaining who played an integral part of two girls basketball state runs.
She responded by leading a very balanced Redeemer team this season with a scoring average of nearly 13 points, and becoming the glue that held together another 20-win season for the Royals.
“I like to think so,” Razja said. “I try to help everyone. I’ve been here. All around, I’ve been pretty consistent with my play. I think I’ve had a pretty good year.”
That wasn’t easy, considering Redeemer’s ever-changing cast. Key guard Talia Kosierowski transferred from Dallas as a junior to become a starter last season. And this year, the Royals rolled out a host of fresh faces when senior Maya Kornfield joined the team from Wyoming Seminary; junior Irelyn Jannuzzi enrolled at Redeemer after her family returned to the Wyoming Valley from New Jersey; and freshman forces Sam Yencha and Cameron Marcinkowski opened their high school careers with the Royals.
They were all welcomed with open arms, Razja smiled.
“Good team chemistry is the key,” Razja said. “I looked at it with an open mind. I wanted to make some new friends.”
They’ve all become friends fast, which shows up with Redeemer’s willingness to share the ball and spread points around during games. Whether it’s Rajza, Jannuzzi, Yencha or Julia Andrejko doing most of the scoring, all the Royals benefit from being unselfish.
”We’ve had eight different leading scorers in games,” Jezorwski said. “That’s the key to us. We keep making changes and the girls adjust very well. We have a great group of kids.
“Every night, any girl can go off.”
PIAA Class 5A
First Round
Wyoming Valley West (20-5) vs.
Twin Valley (20-7)
4 p.m. Saturday,
Wilkes University
The last time the Spartans made it past districts, they didn’t quite make the state field.
So what makes them think they’re ready to make the school’s first serious state run?
“Other than the District 2 final, we were on a pretty good roll there, playing some pretty good basketball,” Valley West coach Gary Ferenchick said. “It’s a good group of kids. They can really pick themselves up when things don’t look too good. The games we’ve won make me believe we can make some noise.”
The Spartans were awful quiet during a 26 percent shooting night that cost them the Class 5A District 2 title in a two-point loss to Abington Heights, but appear ready to rebound.
Led by scoring star Erin Gibbons and versatile scorer and defender Gabby Smicherko, the Spartans won the WVC Division 1 title and are making their first state appearance since losing a Class 4A play-in game to Great Valley in 2009. They’ll be looking for the program’s first PIAA victory while making the school’s sixth appearance in the state bracket — and first since suffering a 65-62 overtime loss to Coatesville in 2002.
Valley West will be up against a Twin Valley team that finished fourth in District 3 and is making the program’s first trip to the PIAA tournament.
The Raiders have some size with 6-foot sophomore center Cameryn Jamison and 5-10 freshman point guard Peyton McDaniel — who scored 19 points and pulled down nine rebounds in a four-point win over Palmyra that clinched a state spot.
Leading scorer Taylor Knorr and guard Julie Wallace provide offensive punch as senior leaders on an otherwise young Twin Valley team.
“It’s a different thing when you’ve seen for all these years and then play a team you really don’t know much about,” Ferenchick said. “I’m thinking our defense can help us through the state tournament. It’s the first time at states in a long time at Valley West. I think we’ll be ready for Saturday.”
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