Record-setting RV is S.J. girls’ team of year

Through all the milestones, shattered records, and a Group 4 state title, senior Lauren Gaskill continued to point out one thing when reflecting on her Rancocas Valley girls' basketball team.

"We really are the definition of a team," said Gaskill, whose Red Devils are this season's Inquirer South Jersey Team of the Year. "We rely on one another. When things are going wrong, we look to one another. We never panicked when we were down.

"We just believed in each other all season. And it was an honor to play with every single person on this team."

Rancocas Valley's 30 wins set the Burlington County record for wins in a season (the previous mark was 28 by Willingboro in 1978 and 2003 and Shawnee in 1989). The Red Devils shattered their own school record of 22 wins, set in 1988. The state title, earned with a 67-52 win over Paterson Kennedy on March 13, was the first in program history.

"Our girls did it the same way all year long," coach Anthony Corrado said. "They play in-your-face, good defense. They played hard, and they just never, ever quit.

"And they never, ever gave up on each other."

If there was one thing the Red Devils lacked this season, it was a true superstar. They have several superstars in the making, including 6-foot-2 freshman center Lauren Moses and 5-7 junior guard Natalya Lee. They had two supremely athletic senior leaders in Gaskill and Arianna Williams.

But Rancocas Valley (30-4) was successful because of a toughness brought by every player who stepped on the court. Rarely did one player take over a game - when the Red Devils won, they did it together.

"We are all just really close. This is probably the closest team that we've ever had," Lee said. "So it's an amazing feeling that we were able to accomplish so much together in one season."

Among its accomplishments: RV won the South Jersey Invitational Basketball Tournament, avenging an overtime loss earlier to Sterling, by beating the Silver Knights on the road convincingly, 41-27, in the championship game.

The Red Devils then improbably came out on top in the Central Group 4 tournament.

Rancocas Valley went to Trenton Central as an underdog but walked away with a 51-47 victory in the group championship game.

The only hurdle the Red Devils couldn't climb this season was Trenton Catholic.

They dropped three of their four games to TCA, including a loss in the Tournament of Champions on March 15.

But with a young, talented core coming back next season, the Red Devils are already looking forward to another shot at the Iron Mikes.

"We just went after it and got it done this year," Corrado said. "I'm just so proud of the girls. I really am."