Fencor 1989s

AAU 12-and-under Super Regional, April 28-30 Pool A 1. Northeast Rockers (3-1) 2. Renegades (1-3) 3. Comets (2-2) 4. Fencor-Schurtz (0-4) 5. SI Rebels (4-0) Pool B 1. Fencor-Carla (3-1) 2. BC Wildcats (3-1) 3. Chester County Wizards (0-4) 4. Lower Delco (1-3) 5. Tar Heels (3-1) Playoffs: Semifinals: SI Rebels over BC Wildcats Fencor over Northeast Rockers Championship game: SI Rebels over Fencor AAU 14-and-under Super Regional, April 28-30 (Pool A) 1. Fencor-Chapman (0-3) 2. Northeast Rockers (2-1) 3. Comets-Moffet (3-0) 4. L.I.Lightning-Simmons (1-2) Pool B 1. Phila. Belles-Casey (1-1) 2. Renegades (0-2) 3. Tar Heels (2-0) Pool C 1. Fencor (3-0) 2. Berks-Mont Vipers (1-2) 3. SI Rebels (0-3) 4. Comets-Chambers (2-1) Playoffs: Saturday: 4:30 p.m.: Pool B third place vs. Pool A second place: Rockers over Renegades Sunday: 11:30 a.m.: Pool C second place vs. Pool B first place: Comets-Chambers over Tar Heels 11:30 a.m.: Pool B second place vs. winner Saturday 4:30 p.m. game: Rockers over Belles-Casey Semifinals: Rockers over Fencor Comets-Moffett over Comets-Chambers Championship game: Rockers over Comets-Moffett by forfeit ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Super Regional results, April 8-9 16-and-unders Pool A 1. Rebels-Blatt 2. Central Jersey Hawks (3-1) 3. MD Hurricanes (2-2) 4. Comets-Genther (1-3) 5. Fencor-Heather (0-4) Pool B: 1. Fencor 16a (3-0) 2. Tar Heels-Vasco 3. Hot Shots 4. W. Fairfax (0-3) Pool C: 1. Rebels-McDOnough (4-0) 2. AC Wildcats (2-2) 3. Comets (2-2) 4. NE Rockers (1-3) 5. SI Rebsl (1-3) Playoffs: Sunday: Noon.: Tar Heels over CJ Hawks Noon.: Fencor 16a over AC Wildcats) Semifinals: 3 p.m.: Fencor 16a over Rebel-Blatt 3 p.m.: Tar Heels over Rebels-McDonough Championship game: Fencor over Tar Heels, 63-20 13-and-unders Pool A 1. Fencor-Chapman (4-0) 2. Rockers A (3-1) 3. Vipers (2-2) 4. Comets-McNichol (1-3) 5. W. Fairfax (0-4) Pool B 1. Lady Magic (4-0) 2. Comets-Simmond (3-1) 3. BC Wildcats (2-2) 4. Renegades (1-3) 5. Fencor-Carroll (0-4) Playoffs: Sunday: Semifinals: Fencor-Chapman over Comets-Simmons Lady Magic over Rockers A Championship game: Lady Magic over Fencor ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Matera makes the most of summer AAU chance Tuesday, September 6, 2005 By KEVIN CALLAHAN Courier-Post Staff ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ CHRISTINE MATERA Position: Guard High School: Camden Catholic Grade: Junior AAU summer basketball team: Fencor Accomplishments: Helped Fencor win its second straight AAU national title Family tradition: Her father Mark and late uncle Brian each played college football; brother Anthony was a two-year starting guard at Camden Catholic. Quote: "She makes herself develop, not from year to year, but from month to month," said Fencor AAU coach Veronica Algeo. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Christine Matera spent the summer continuing to make a name for herself on the national girls' basketball circuit. Matera, who will be a junior at Camden Catholic High School, played a major role in helping Fencor become the first girls' team from the Mid-Atlantic Region to repeat as AAU National Champion. "She is so completely driven, so goal-oriented, so competitive, so intelligent -- and she's a leader," Fencor coach Veronica Algeo said. "I am fortunate that I get to coach someone who possesses the basketball skills, possesses the mental fortitude, and possesses all of the intangibles which true champions possess." Matera comes from strong athletic bloodlines, which couldn't have hurt with the developments of these impressive intangibles. Her father, Mark, was a quarterback at Pennsauken High School and Widener University and her late uncle, Brian, was a linebacker at Pennsauken and Maryland. Her brother, Anthony, was a two-year starting guard for Camden Catholic, graduating this past season. "I am fortunate for the opportunity to coach Christine," Algeo said. "She's just a great kid from a great family." Fencor, the top seed, won the 15-and-under championship in late July in Clarksville, Tenn., beating the third-seeded Fairfax (Va.) Stars 78-67 in the title game. Matera scored 13 points -- 11 in the second half -- in a 78-41 win over the Western Lakers (Mich.) in the second round of the championship bracket played at Austin Peay University's Dunn Center. "Christine played a significant role in the team's success this summer," Algeo said. "Consequently, she has received attention from Division I college coaching staffs, ranging from Princeton University to Duquesne University. And this is only the beginning." College coaches were able to start contacting Matera through written letters, e-mail and text messages on Sept. 1. Algeo also said Matera played well at the Oregon and the Chicago Nike Tournaments earlier in July. "She works so hard at developing her ballhandling skills, her shooting skills, her shooting range, and her athleticism all year round," Algeo said. "She makes herself develop, not from year to year, but from month to month." Matera helped Fencor win not only its second consecutive national championship, but also its third in the last four years. Fencor won the 12U title in 2002 in Amarillo, Texas. The Fairfax (Va.) Stars defeated Fencor two years ago in the 13-and-under final held in Dayton, Ohio. Last year, Fencor won back the title in Monroe, La. "Seven of the nine of us have won all three," Matera said proudly, "and another girl has won two." Matera played on Fencor's local rival AAU team as a 10- and 11-year-old before being asked to play for Fencor. Most of the same group won the AAU 14U title last year. "They already had a good tradition," Matera said. In this latest championship run, Fencor won a total of 11 games by an average margin of 22 points with only one win coming by fewer than double digits. Matera played in front of some of the best-known coaches in the country, as many came to see Fencor's Elena Delle Donne, who is listed as the top freshman guard in the country by USA Today. The 6-foot-5 Delle Donne, who will be a sophomore at Ursuline Academy in Wilmington, Del., scored 40 points in the championship game, which is believed to be an AAU record for a title game. Matera plans to play for Fencor next year. Fencor has won the Middle Atlantic championship (which includes Eastern Pennsylvania, South Jersey and Delaware) six straight years. "It has been unbelievable, we go all over the country to play basketball," Matera said. "We are all so close." Before that, however, Matera has a sizable goal this winter at Camden Catholic. "What I really want now is a state championship," Matera said. Reach Kevin Callahan at kcallahan@courierpostonline.com

Doty, Fencor do it again By BRENDA SENIOR 08/23/05 The Intelligencer Most people will never know what it feels like to be named a national champion once in their lifetime, let alone twice or three times. However, if you'd like to know what it feels like, just ask one of the girls on the 15-and-under Fencor basketball team, who recently earned their second national championship title in a row and third overall. Fencor became the first Middle Atlantic team to win consecutive championships. The girls and head coach Veronica Algeo, along with assistant coaches Maggie deMarteleire and Stuart London, traveled to Clarksville, Tenn., to compete in the Amateur Athletic Union Girls' National Basketball Championships in late July. The field consisted of 95 teams from around the country. Fencor glided through the first few rounds in the AAU tournament, defeating the host Clarksville Net Force, and several other teams during the beginning of the seven-day tournament. It had a 26.2-point average margin of victory during the pool play portion of the tournament. In the playoffs, Fencor played the quarterfinals, the semifinals and the championship games all in the same day. Archbishop Wood sophomore Rosie Tarnowski said Algeo prepared the girls for that schedule with her tough practices. "Our practices and conditioning were pretty intense," Tarnowski said. "(Algeo) would make us run for 20 minutes; it was hard. But, we realized it would help us in the end, and it did." Algeo said the girls knew what they were in for. "We knew that going in as a team," Algeo said. "We looked at it like, 'It is what it is and let's make it work for us.' Our approach was that it was going to be a test of conditioning and mental toughness. And if that's the case, we like our chances. Our kids are tough." Fencor proved its toughness by beating the third-seeded Fairfax (Va.) Stars, 78-67, in the championship game. The success of the team can be partially attributed to how much the players care for each other. "It's amazing how close these girls are, especially growing up in a (sports) culture that is so individualistic," Algeo said. The team is made up of nine local girls who are entering either their sophomore or junior year in high school. Five of them have been playing together since they were 10 years old, and thus have established a family-like bond. Germantown Academy's Caroline Doty, a Doylestown native, has been with the team since she was 11. "When we played in another tournament, one of the (opponents') coaches came up to me and said the difference between their team and our team is chemistry," Doty said. "You can't teach that." Another longtime teammate is Wilmington, Del., native 6-foot-5 Elena Delle Donne, who was listed as the top freshman guard in the country by USA Today this past season. Delle Donne contributed 40 points in the championship game against the Stars. The team competed in numerous prestigious showcase tournaments en route to its championship. It played against mostly 16- and 17-year-old teams in the elite bracket. "The girls always play up in the higher age groups," Algeo said. "They need that type of competition because the girls want to get better." During the middle of their season, Delle Donne was out for six weeks with an infection and couldn't play at tournaments in Oregon and Chicago. The other girls had a chance to showcase their talents and prove they could hold their own. "For years, the girls were so used to playing with (Delle Donne), so they knew they had to step up their play," Algeo said. "They really did step up their game." Delle Donne's absence gave Doty her time to shine. She averaged 17.5 points over the nine games played in Oregon and Chicago and contributed 22 3-pointers. "It was difficult (playing without Delle Donne), because (she) is an unbelievable player and we all rely on her because we know her game," Doty said. "I thought I'll step up and play my game better for her and for our team, so my team can have someone to look up to (in her absence)." "This has been a huge summer for (Doty)," Algeo said. "She does so many things on the court. She is everywhere and gets us so many more possessions in a game. She's fast, athletic, controls floor boards and loose balls and can jump. She has developed so much over the last three months. She's maturing and has a great work ethic." Algeo says there are many college coaches calling about Doty now. "The attention for her is fresh, new and exciting, but well-deserved," Algeo said. "All of our girls are being recruited by Division I schools at some level. All nine girls are very good. You couldn't be happier for them because they are talented, but they work hard and keep their egos in check." The girls will have one more season together because some on the team will be graduating from high school the following year. Six-year Fencor veteran Michele Brokans, a junior at Lansdale Catholic, said the team is really excited for next year. "Next year will be really sad," Brokans said. "But we want to end on top and go out with a bang."

DelleDonne leads her team to AAU national title BY DOUG LESMERISES / The News Journal 07/30/2005 Another basketball season, another championship for Elena DelleDonne. The 15-year-old, 6-foot-4 star from Centreville led her AAU team to a second consecutive national title on Wednesday in Clarksville, Tenn., scoring 40 points in Fencor's 78-67 victory over the Fairfax (Va.) Stars. According to AAU officials, DelleDonne's 40 points were a record for a girls championship game. Fencor, based in Fort Washington, Pa., won the 15-and-under title after taking the 14-and-under championship last summer. DelleDonne also led Ursuline to state titles in her first two seasons of high school ball. "It's pretty much the same feeling every time," DelleDonne said of playing on four championship teams in two years. "It's amazing and you can't describe it unless you've been through it." Other tournament teams made a point of sticking around to watch DelleDonne play. And opposing players asked DelleDonne to sign autographs and pose for photos as Fencor dominated the 95-team event at Austin Peay University. Fencor, which also includes Ursuline guard Erin Edwards, finished 11-0. DelleDonne averaged 22 points per game while sitting out much of the second halves. Only one Fencor victory was by fewer than double digits. In that game, with her team trailing by four with 1:45 to play, DelleDonne scored eight of her team's final 10 points in a 65-61 win. In the championship, Fencor faced the Fairfax team that beat them in the final of the 13-and-under tournament two years ago. Facing Jasmine Thompson, the Virginia high school player of the year, DelleDonne went off. "She was unstoppable," said Fencor coach Veronica Algeo. "They threw different people at her -- little people, big people -- and none of it worked. Elena was hitting from all over the place." The title helped make up for a rough summer for DelleDonne, who missed a month of play while fighting an infection and a fever. She attended a prestigious 22-player Nike camp, the only sophomore there, but couldn't participate. She's back now. Algeo said University of Tennessee head coach Pat Summitt watched nine of DelleDonne's 11 games, while Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma watched the final five. "When I walk in, I see them," DelleDonne said. "I know it's good that they're taking the time to come and see me. But when I'm on the court, they don't exist."

They're the tops - again By: Stuart London 08/04/2005 Fencor wins historic third national AAU title The Fencor girls basketball team leveled the opposition, winning a total of 11 games by an average margin of 22 points, en route to winning the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) 15-and-under championship last week in Clarksville, Tenn. Fencor won the title game, 78-67, over the Fairfax (Va.) Stars on Thursday in a game played at Austin Peay University's Dunn Center. Fencor finished first in a field of 95 teams. It is the third AAU national title for Fencor in this age group, having won it three years ago in Amarillo, Texas as well as last year in Monroe, La. Fairfax defeated Fencor two years ago in the 13-and-under final held in Dayton, Oh. Fencor becomes the first girls basketball team in the history of the Middle Atlantic AAU Association (which includes Eastern Pennsylva-nia, South Jersey and Delaware) to win two national titles in a row. The coach of the team was former Northeast resident Veronica Algeo, which gives her family another title. In the past year, her father, Jim Algeo, won the PIAA Class AAA football championship at Lansdale Catholic and her brother, Dan Algeo, won the Philadelphia Catholic League title at Cardinal O'Hara. Fencor was led by 6-foot-5 Elena Delle Donne with 40 points. She will be a sophomore at Ursuline Academy in Wilmington, Del. in the fall. Delle Donne scored 38 points for Ursuline in a win over Archbishop Ryan last season. Ursuline is scheduled to play at St. Hubert's this upcoming season. Caroline Doty, a sophomore-to-be at Germantown Academy, added 14 points and Lindsay Kimmel, the daughter of former NFL player Jamie Kimmel, added 12 points for Fencor. Another starter for Fencor was 6-foot Rosie Tarnowski, a sophomore-to-be at Archbishop Wood and the daughter of former Father Judge player Ray Tarnowski. Erin Edwards, whose father Bob Edwards also played for Judge, was a guard on the team. Also playing for Fencor were Michele Brokans (Lansdale Catholic), Shannon Ferguson (Upper Dublin), Hanna Halteman (Owen J. Roberts) and Christine Matera (Camden Catholic). Fencor won the Middle Atlantic championship for the sixth-straight time before a packed gym at Northeast High School in May with a 72-52 win over DBL, who ended up 5th at the AAU nationals in Clarksville. The AAU nationals were the end of a long month for Fencor. It started in Portland. Oregon as it played in the End of the Trail tournament going against teams from Texas, New Mexico and even Alberta, Canada. Fencor finished seventh playing in the elite division. Next up was the Nike Cup in Chicago, Ill. where Fencor finished with an impressive 4-1 record and placed fifth overall in an elite field of mostly 17-and-under teams. Fencor played both tournaments without Delle Donne, who was sick with an infection but she came back with a vengeance for Tennessee, averaging 22 points a game despite playing little more than a half as most games were blowouts. The Clarksville media showered attention on the Fencor players. Almost every day a reporter from the local newspaper, The Leaf-Chronicle, covered one of their games and the local TV station did a report on the team at its first and last games of the tournament. The fan support was also strong. At a game against the Georgia Metros played at Clarksville High, the crowd was so large it spilled onto the court and referees had to clear the baseline under the basket of fans who had lined it as the stands were full. The final day was a testament to Fencor's fitness and dedication as the quarterfinal, semifinal and final were all played on the same day with only an hour-and-a-half between games. The day began at 8:30 a.m. with Fencor dispatching the Michigan Pistons by 32 points. Next up were the Dayton Lady Hoop Stars in the semifinals. Dayton came out firing and took a quick 10-0 lead on Fencor. As one observer put it 'that just woke up the 800-pound gorilla' as Fencor outscore Dayton, 59-25, to advance to the national championship game. Fairfax had to play from behind the entire way as a hail of 3-pointers from Doty, Delle Donne and Kimmel gave Fencor a 14-4 lead. Fairfax would never get closer than four points. The only down note seemed to be that the team would not have time to celebrate its history-making day as they had to rush to make a 6 p.m. flight in Nashville, 45 miles away. But that even worked out as the flight was cancelled and the team was put up at a Marriott and got time to enjoy the victory before heading home the next morning. Stuart London is a News Gleaner Sports Writer, and a coach with Fencor. For more information on Fencor and the 15-and-under championship team, go to www.fencor.org. ©News Gleaner 2005