C.R. South’s Wheatley shifts focus after tough loss

Council Rock South standout Alex Wheatley hopes that track and AAU basketball will take her mind off the Golden Hawks' 50-49 overtime loss to Downingtown West Friday night in the contest for the ninth and final berth from District 1 in the PIAA Class AAAA playoffs.

"Track starts Monday, and AAU basketball begins next Saturday," said Wheatley, still playing the loss at Wissahickon over and over in her mind. "That was a huge low in an otherwise awesome season."

South led by 40-35 with a little more than a minute to play in regulation, but the Whippets fought back to tie it and force overtime.

Wheatley gave her team a 49-48 lead with 38 seconds left in the overtime. But Lindsay Galczynski hit the game-winner for West with nine seconds left.

"We had that five-point lead and couldn't hold it. That was so frustrating, especially with what we accomplished this year," Wheatley said. She scored a game-high 25 points against the Whippets and enjoyed a fabulous junior season.

The Golden Hawks finished 19-8 after losing four starters from a team that went 21-8 a year ago.

"But the season's over. There's no point in saying, 'What if?' " added the 6-foot-3 Wheatley, who averaged 20 points and 15 rebounds a game. In her final three playoff games, Wheatley scored 71 points and pulled down 62 rebounds.

Now she can turn to track, where she runs primarily the 400 and 800 meters.

"I've run just about everything," Wheatley said. "I'm very excited about next basketball season - we'll have three starters back - but it's too far to look ahead. This season ended too soon."

She will play for the Philadelphia Belles in AAU ball.

Homan appreciates help. Delaware County Christian School's 6-3 senior Emily Homan gets plenty of attention - Sacred Heart double- and triple-teamed her in Friday night's District 1 Class A girls' championship game at Villanova - but that's when Homan says she looks to her teammates to help out on offense.

She appreciated the help she got in the Knights' 50-41 victory over the Lions for their second straight district crown.

Teammates Emily Evans and Stacey McArthur matched Homan's 12 points, and Jocelyn Chavous added nine.

"When I'm being double-teamed like that, I know I can count on them," Homan said. "Jocelyn and Stacey did a really good job, and Emily can pick up our defense.

"I'm more defense than offense," admitted Evans, a standout soccer player.

Homan comes by her size naturally. Her father is 6-4, her mother is 5-11, and she has a brother who is 6-7.

Although Homan may play for a small Class A school, she knows it has been the right choice for her.

"I've been here since kindergarten, and I couldn't imagine anything different," she said, indicating how important her faith was to her. "My best friends are on the team. What more could I ask for? We're going into the state playoffs again. It's great."