Girls Basketball

2024-2025: 14-8 overall, 10-4 league play

Coach: Jennifer Stilwell

Key Players: Kennedy Coles, Levayda Fuqua

New Faces: Lauren Hirshorn

Home Game to Watch: PJP II vs. Upper Merion

Outlook – Beyond the Board:

As winter sports kick off, Upper Merion is in for some excitement. The girls basketball team has a stacked roster and is ready to bring home a title. Head coach, Jen Stilwell, is heading into her 5th year coaching the Upper Merion Varsity Girls Basketball team. This year, Stilwell has high expectations for the team and she is excited to get the season rolling.

 “I think it will be very similar to last season. I believe we can look not just to attack the basket, but we can also look to go into the post and see what we can get out of that” said Stilwell.

Last Season at a Glance

Last season, Upper Merion finished 14-8 overall and 10-4 in league play, qualifying for PACs for the second straight season, a huge improvement for the program.  They fell in the hard-fought game against Phoenixville in the first round, but showed growth and consistency, highlighted by dominant league wins such as the sweep against Pottstown Trojans. This year, Stilwell and returning players are looking to build on last season’s growth.

 Who’s Back?

Kennedy Coles:  Kennedy, a senior combo guard, is committed to Niagara University to play Division I basketball. Kennedy is wrapping up her high school career by bringing  strong leadership and determination to the court. Last year, Kennedy had some remarkable stats, one of them being her 15-point average per game, while continuing to contribute across all categories. 

Coles’ main focus for the team is composure:  “I think we will do pretty good if we just slow down while we are playing, communicate, and just be patient with each other.” 

Levayda Fuqua:  Levayda, a senior point guard, is returning for her final season with Upper Merion. Fuqua has been contributing to the program since her freshman year averaging 10.0 points per game and 4.2 rebounds per game.  She anchors the both ends of the court with her quick feet and powerful guarding skills.  

New Player Watch:

Lauren Hirshorn:  Lauren, a freshman power forward/center, is kicking off her basketball debut on the varsity basketball team for the 2025-26 season. She is a fierce player on the court and has shown true skill to her team and coaches so far.

 Stilwell says, “Lauren is one of our new players, but I am expecting her to work hard, show determination, and strive to be like her upperclassmen teammates.” 

Hirshorn adds that her opportunity to play on varsity has been a meaningful experience: “Being a freshman on the varsity girls basketball team has been an incredible journey, and I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for this opportunity. My expectations for this year is to build friendships and try our best to win and keep a smile on all our faces. I can’t wait to begin my journey as a player throughout my high school career” said Hirshorn. 

Featured Matchup

The most anticipated game for the Lady Vikings is against PJP II. Upper Merion suffered tough losses against the Golden Panthers in past years, but this season they are ready to flip the narrative. This matchup can set the tone for the season and conference standings. Circle December 11th on your calendars and cheer on your Lady Vikings at Valhalla Gym!

Tactical Identity

In terms of gameplay, the team’s main focus is their physical strengths. With the incoming freshmen and a set roster that can apply the fundamentals, the team could see a significant improvement throughout the season.

“I think our strength, defense, and speed will help us grow and push the ball, as well as change the game in that sense.” Stilwell comments.

Mindset Matters

This season, the Vikings are working hard to strengthen the program, and Coach Stilwell stresses how important the focus of raising expectations is. The inspiration for the article’s title is the importance of building confidence and strengthening mentality “beyond the board”. The coach sets a tone for her players to show a change in discipline, confidence, and a “winning mentality”. 

Stilwell explains: “I think understanding that my players need to get out of this culture that losing is acceptable. I feel like we all settle for less than we deserve, so setting that expectation that you deserve to be better, you can be better, and you can do better.” 

 To build team chemistry, the team prioritizes holding many activities that create a family-like atmosphere.

“I would say we look to know the players beyond the basketball court. We host open gyms, team dinners, holiday parties, and foster a welcoming environment to form that chemistry.” says Stilwell.  

As for team goals and achievements, the Vikings work to connect outside of basketball and just being “teammates”.  The players highlight the importance of setting aside the hiccups and pushing forward with their game on the court.  Personal experiences also play into the shaping of every individual player.

“In middle school, I really couldn’t find myself and I learned to understand that I don’t have to care what other people think about me… Not everybody is perfect, even the greats fail…” -Coles

The team also emphasizes the idea that striving for goals is essential to achieving them. The players elaborate on wanting to unify the team and work as one this season.

 Kennedy states, “The mark I want to leave is that you can come from a very low point and still reach the goal you have in mind.”

Progress in Motion 

Looking ahead, the Lady Vikings face teams like OJR, Norristown, W.C. Henderson, and other competitive opponents, plus a 4-day holiday tournament this December. The outlook for the season is strong and the girls are looking to finish the season with better physical and mental skills.

Heading into the winter sports season, Upper Merion is preparing for notable seasons across all sports programs and setting the stage for athletes to showcase their skills, one truly going Beyond the Board.

Boys Basketball

2024-2025: 1-21 Overall Record, 0-10 League Play

Coach: Matthew Rafferty

Key Players: Kylee Hill (Senior), Isaiah Robinson (Senior), Kody Gansky (Senior)

New Faces: Kevin Norris (Sophomore)

Home Game to Watch: Pottstown (1/27, Senior Night)

Outlook:

With fall sports headed out of the door, basketball season is right around the corner. In hindsight, this means your Upper Merion Vikings Boys Basketball squad is back and have just kick things into action last night. The first game of the season is also their home opener in which they play host to Lansdale Catholic.

The Vikings reeled in a disappointing record of 1-21 in the 2024-25 season. A lot of these games were close nonetheless, but a possession or two was what would separate them from coming out on top. Towards the end of the regular season is where the Vikings made a lot of these games tighter. 

New Upper Merion basketball head coach Matthew Rafferty is headed into just his second season since taking control of the team last year. Rafferty has been on the staff for quite some time, but last year was an adjustment process for both the players and the coach as they each showed growth. To the common eye, since Rafferty has been around for a good bit, there shouldn’t be many issues. But, for Rafferty it was a whole different ball game. 

“I think it was just a little mixture of everything. I think it was me in a new role, them trying to get used to me as the new head coach,” said Rafferty in a phone call. “We were young, so we knew we were going to take lumps. But, we took way more lumps than I think we expected, preseason. Last year left a bad taste in our mouth, we don’t want to feel that way anymore.”

When heading into each offseason, you know you will lose some key players. This year’s Vikings squad will need to adjust to new players in new roles. First up, a quad of seniors: each of the four players from last year who graduated played a important role on the team. Secondly, Upper Merion had two transfers this past summer. Both players went their separate ways to focus on other sports. This will force the dependence of the new core of  players this time around.

In all sports, especially high school sports, building qualities before the start of the season is very important for all teams. All Upper Merion sports always find themselves emphasizing on building team chemistry and demonstrating strong leadership. Seeking these strengths prior to the first tip off can show a lot about the team early on,

“We are as strong now as we’ve been since I’ve come back here. They’re really holding each other accountable”, Rafferty said. “If something’s messed up they’re (the players) are talking to each other before us coaches have to talk to them, which is great for us.”   

The Upper Merion Vs. Norristown crosstown rivalry is over 90 years old. The Vikings will travel to Norristown right after winter break on January 13th. Although Upper Merion has not had much luck against the Eagles recently, they will look to build unity and get better everyday this season. No team starts out as their best in the beginning of the season, but in order to get to where they want to be, Upper Merion will have to play as one, continue working on team chemistry, and work on progressing day in and day out.

On the hardwood, Upper Merion has not seen any playoff contention in a few years. The last time the Vikings competed in the postseason was the 2022-23 tenure. That season, they lost both playoff games, first to Unionville (69-50) and then later on the second loss came to Holy Ghost Prep (64-55). The Vikings will look to get right back there this upcoming season.