Kayla Rose, Emily Taylor, Alese Karpinski and Kylie Lavelle were all good enough to start in a strong varsity basketball program from the time they were freshmen.
Since those early starts, they have grown together to the point that they are now a trio of four-year starters and a junior who has already secured a future in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I basketball.
All that experience, supplemented by other players who have already been supporting them while putting together a 35-game junior varsity winning streak, prepared Riverside to try to make 2020-21 a special season.
With a boost from an aggressive approach to athletics by the school’s administration, the Lady Vikes are doing everything they can to make the most of a season that has been building for years.
While most other Lackawanna League teams remained idle until the Thursday night start of league play, Riverside has already played – and mostly dominated – in five non-league games.
With that additional experience in hand, unbeaten Riverside moves into the start of Lackawanna Division 3 play with a little more time to prepare because of drawing the first bye in the league schedule.
For all the past accomplishments and optimism about what could be ahead, there are still challenges the four veterans have not conquered.
Riverside finished second in Lackawanna Division 3 last season and tied for third in District 2 Class 3A. The Lady Vikes suffered their only regular-season losses against Dunmore, the seven-time defending division champion, which just happens to bring back even more players from last season’s team, if not quite as many from two and three years ago.
The Lady Vikes have also fallen one win short of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association state tournament the last two years because of district semifinal losses to Holy Redeemer.
Dunmore and Holy Redeemer are no longer postseason obstacles after moving up to Class 4A, but the margin for error is reduced during the coronavirus with the PIAA only allowing district champions – a second-place finish is no longer good enough – into this year’s state tournament.
“We know who we have to beat in our division and that will always be our first goal,” Riverside coach Jack Mekilo said of a goal only one Dunmore rival has been able to accomplish in the past dozen years. “We just want to make sure we’re ready every night and that starts with being safe and healthy.
“If we can do that, I like our chances to be successful.”
In their head start over other Lackawanna League teams, four-year starters Rose, Taylor and Karpinski and Drexel University commit Lavelle have appeared ready for more meaningful games to begin.
Rose, a 5-foot-9 forward, has three division all-star selections from NEPABasketball.com to her credit – one first-team and two second-team choices.
Taylor, a 5-7 forward, and Karpinski, a 5-8 guard/forward, are the other four-year starters. Taylor was the team’s top 3-point shooter last season.
Lavelle, a 6-1 junior guard, was a first-team, all-state selection last season. She is averaging 23 points and filling up the rest of the statsheet so far this season.
The four returning full-time starters are getting plenty of help.
Junior Morgan Antoniacci, a 5-5 guard, has moved into the starting lineup.
Senior guard Bella McKeefery, who came into the year with about 10 career starts over the past two seasons, and Kate Slaboda, a 6-foot junior forward/center, have also started games already this season as part of Mekilo’s flexible lineup.
“We know that we can play with anyone,” Mekilo said. “Our challenge is to take our play to another level. We think our roster lends itself to a lot of flexibility where we can really allow players to avoid being in roles that may not maximize their talents.
“In addition to having some veterans returning, we are really excited about the progress of some of our other players. That’s going to really give us a different look this year and allow us to do some different things.”
Junior guard Pagie Olanovich and sophomore guard Brielle Reed add to the team’s depth.
Senior captain Allie Nenish, a 5-8 forward, is among the other experienced players.
Sophomores Lexi Kostoff, a guard, and Laci Danilovitz, a forward, each saw limited varsity experience and have picked up more playing time this season.
