Lady Pioneers lead the way on All-Greene County squad

West Greene made Greene County girls basketball history this season, as the Lady Pioneers became the first county team to reach a WPIAL championship game.
The Lady Pioneers were definitely the standard-bearer for the county this year, as they also broke the school record for wins in a season with 22, won their second straight Section 2-A title and extended their section unbeaten streak to 21 games.
A number of West Greene players led the ninth annual All-Greene County Messenger team.
Mapletown also carved their path this year and made some history by ending their 10-year postseason drought with a fourth place finish out of Section 2-A.
Even though Carmichaels, Jefferson-Morgan and Waynesburg Central missed the playoffs, there were still a ton of positives to take out of the 2017-18 season.
Just as with the boys All-GCM squads, a Player of the Year will be selected and three teams of five players will be named.
This team is in no way associated with the Greene County Athletic Directors winter sports team and all of these picks were made by yours truly.
So without any further delay, let’s see who made the All-GCM teams.
Player of the Year — Junior Madison Lampe, West Greene: This was probably one of the hardest decision on this year’s team to make. But I went with a Lampe (hey I had a 50-50 shot I suppose) and I gave Madison the edge for her all-round game on the hardwood.
Madison, along with her twin sister McKenna, went over 1,000 career points this season and are the first teammates to accomplish that feat in the same season. Both are setting their scoring sights on the all-time scoring mark in school’s history.
The 5-foot-4 guard’s stat line this season included 13.7 points, 5.5 steals, 4.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. She also shot 71.4 percent from the free throw line and was one of the best on-ball defenders in the area leading the Lady Pioneers’ Press Greene defense.
Madison, who has 1,085 career points, averaged 15.3 points per game in West Greene’s four playoff games this year. The moment was never too big for her and once again she continued to improve her skills on the basketball court for the third year in a row.
All-Greene County Messenger First Team
Junior McKenna Lampe, West Greene: Just like the prior two seasons, Lampe improved her offensive skill set, along with being a relentless defender. Her stat line this year was 13.9 points, 6.1 steals, 5.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game.
Senior Megan Walker, Carmichaels: Walker is probably one of the streakiest shooters in the county and when her shots were falling from the perimeter, she was very tough to stop. The 5-foot-5 guard also has a quick step on the floor and can drive to the hoop.
Junior Kaitlyn Rizor, West Greene: Her stat line was very impressive this year (12 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.1 steals per game), but her overall versatility was key for the Lady Pioneers. She can play all five positions on the court really well and her athletic length is tough to defend.
Senior Taylor Vanata, Mapletown: After not playing her junior year, Vanata came up with several big performances for the Lady Maples this season. Her game started with defense. She had excellent court vision and was exceptional at anticipating passes for steals and easy buckets.
Senior Kristina Aeschbacher, Carmichaels: Her height jumps off the page with her 5-foot-11 frame patrolling the interior. She led the Lady Mikes in points, rebounds and blocks. She had her best shooting year and was more consistent with her low-post moves throughout the season.
All-Greene County Messenger Second Team
Freshman Elizabeth Brudnock, West Greene: The freshman guard was thrust into the starting lineup on Day One and never backed down for the Lady Pioneers, averaging almost eight points per game. She wasn’t afraid of the big stage and was tremendous in the playoffs.
Junior Abby Antill, Mapletown: If you left Antill open on the perimeter, she as going to get her points. She gave Mapletown that spark on their roster. Antill also added more elements to her game this year with being a steady free throw shooter and more aggressive with drives.
Senior Krista McCartney, Jefferson-Morgan: McCartney had one of the sweetest shots from beyond the 3-point line in the county and had her best season of her career after being named a full-time starter for the Lady Rockets this year. She was also a solid ball-handler for J-M this season.
Junior Kayla Smith, Mapletown: The 6-foot-2 center had yet another stellar season on the inside for Mapletown in 2017-18. She added more moves to her offensive repertoire, while once again being a tenacious force on the glass.
Senior Shay Echegaray, Waynesburg Central: Echegaray was the leading scorer for the Lady Raiders most nights and was a reliable player for them, game in and game out. She’s a very underrated rebounder and hurts teams on the inside with put-back hoops.
All-Greene County Messenger Third Team
Sophomore Kylie Sinn, Carmichaels: Sinn is just a pure athlete and on most nights was the primary ball handler for the Lady Mikes. She had a very good mid-range game, as well.
Freshman Jersey Wise, West Greene: Wise gave the Lady Pioneers that extra boost from the bench and played like she’s 7-foot tall. She had a nose for the ball on defense and had a good shot.
Junior Rachel Elsenheimer, Waynesburg Central: After not playing her sophomore season, Elsenheimer shined for the Lady Raiders and was a consistent offensive threat.
Junior Kelsi Smith, Mapletown: Just like her sister, Smith was a force on the interior. She is very athletic and has good ball skills for being a 5-foot-10 forward.
Senior Katey Wolfe, Jefferson-Morgan: Even though the Lady Rockets had a down year, this senior forward added leadership and was a steady influence in the paint this season.