Carroll, Wood girls going for state glory

Archbishop Carroll coach Chuck Creighton has been through these hectic, pre-title-game days before.

Tuesday night, the Patriots celebrated a 65-43 win over Spring-Ford that propelled them into their third state final in the four years since the Catholic League joined the PIAA. That left only Wednesday and Thursday for the team to practice for three hours and for Creighton to watch several hours of game film on Oakland Catholic, Carroll's opponent in the PIAA Class AAAA girls' basketball final.

Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. Friday at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center.

Somehow, Creighton has found what he calls a "comfort level" in the exhausting routine. After losing in heartbreaking fashion last year - by a single point to three-time defending champion Mount Lebanon, which Oakland Catholic beat in this year's quarterfinals - Carroll's players have embraced the grind, as well.

"The experience the girls had, especially losing last year, makes them more focused and gives them a better idea of how they need to prepare," Creighton said.

None of the Eagles players have played in a state final. Oakland Catholic lost in the second round of states last year after failing to qualify in 2008-09 and 2009-10.

But coach Shannon Boyle won two District 7 titles during her playing career at the school, culminating in a one-point, state-final loss in 2000, her senior season. She was an assistant on the team that won the most recent of the school's four state titles, in 2005.

"When I was a player at Oakland Catholic, there was already quite a tradition and a legacy established," Boyle said. "When I came back to coach at Oakland Catholic, my personal goal was to be able to introduce the players to that kind of atmosphere and that kind of winning attitude."

Success has come quickly since Boyle took the helm in 2009. The Eagles' win total grew from 15 to 18 to 28 this season, when, as Carroll did, the team flew south over winter break to test itself in tournaments against top competition.

For the second straight game, the Patriots will face an opponent that ambushes its competition with full-court pressure. Boyle said she prefers to play full-court, man-to-man defense for the entire 32 minutes.

In that case, Creighton said, "playing Spring-Ford the other day was really good for us."

Senior guards Meghan Creighton and Sarah Pearson easily handled Spring-Ford's pressure Tuesday, as they have handled most opposition in compiling a 76-13 career record.

Going for three. Over his 30 years as Lancaster Catholic coach, Lamar Kauffman has compiled a 709-176 record and won 11 District 3 titles and two state championships.

But at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Bryce Jordan Center, it will be Archbishop Wood looking to make history.

Wood has a chance to become just the second team to win three straight PIAA Class AAA girls' basketball titles when it faces Lancaster Catholic in the final.

Both teams enter the game hot, with the Vikings (20-10) having won 13 of 15 and the Crusaders (30-2) riding a 13-game winning streak. Lancaster Catholic is after its fourth overall crown and first since 1996.

In a 90-85 semifinal win over Prep Charter on Wednesday, the Crusaders struggled to take care of the ball, turning it over 11 times in the first quarter alone. That could play right into the hands of Wood, which is built on its stingy man-to-man defense.

The Vikings captured each of the past two titles with a double-digit victory, but lost seven seniors from last season's team.

The last team to win three consecutive championships was North Catholic from 1993-95.

Wood will have to find an answer for Porscha Speller, the Crusaders' 5-foot-7 junior guard who was the MVP of the District 3 tournament. Speller is averaging 21.1 points over 11 postseason games, scoring 31 against Prep Charter.

The Vikings have faced serious challenges in their past two wins, defeating South Park in double overtime in the quarterfinals before topping Chartiers Valley, 42-37, in Wednesday's semifinals.