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Honoring the Saints John Neumann & Maria Goretti High School Girls Varsity Basketball Team for winning the Philadelphia Catholic League Championship, the PIAA District 12 AA City Championship and the PIAA AA State Championship game while finishing the season undefeated with an overall perfect record of 30-0, and with a consensus ranking as the Number 1 high school girls basketball team in the entire United States of America, as recognized by every known national ranking organization for high school girls basketball, including USA Today, ESPN, CBS MaxPreps and Blue Star Media.
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WHEREAS, On Monday, February 23, 2015, at the world-famous Palestra, the Neumann-Goretti Lady Saints defeated the Archbishop Wood Lady Vikings by a score of 50-45, securing Neumann-Goretti's second consecutive Philadelphia Catholic League Championship. The Saints blitzed through the Catholic League finishing 12-0; and
WHEREAS, On Saturday, February 28, 2015 the Saints took down the Panther's of Imhotep Charter School 71-28 to win the PIAA District XII AA City Championship and earning a top seed in the State Tournament; and
WHEREAS, The Saints continued on in the Pennsylvania State Tournament, defeating the Trinity Shamrocks of Camp Hill 79-37, the Minersville Battling Miners 56-21, the Dunmore Bucks 64-61, and the Holy Redeemer Royals of Wilkes Barre 77-41, to reach the Championship Game against the Seton-LaSalle Rebels of Pittsburgh; and
WHEREAS, The Saints put on a dominant performance in their state championship game against Seton-LaSalle of Pittsburgh, with a commanding victory of 79-34 to become the AA Pennsylvania State Champions. The Lady Saints thereby finished their unprecedented season a perfect 30-0; and
WHEREAS, The Lady Saints achieved national acclaim as the consensus Number 1 ranked high school girls basketball team in the United States of America, as recognized by every known national ranking organization for high school girls basketball, including USA Today, ESPN, CBS MaxPreps and Blue Star Media. The Lady Saints have also been recognized as the Team of the Year by the Philadelphia Inquirer for the Philadelphia and Southeastern Pennsylvania region, and have been noted by some experts as the greatest ever high school girls basketball team from the Philadelphia region.
WHEREAS, Special accolades should be given to five Neumann-Goretti players named as All-Catholic selections: First Team, Ciani Cryor, Sianni Martin and AJ Timbers; Second Team, Christina Aborowa and Alisha Kebbe; Third Team, Felicia Aeyeotan; and also, for All-State selections: First Team All-State, Ciani Cryor and Sianni Martin; Second Team All-State, AJ Timbers; Third Team All State, Christina Aborowa. Additional special accolades should be given to Ciani Cryor, who was selected as the Player of the Year for the State of Pennsylvania (Class AA) by the Pennsylvania Sports Writers Association, and Player of the Year for all classes in the Philadelphia Region by CBS Philly; and
WHEREAS, Neumann-Goretti was mentored this season by former head coach Letty Santarelli, formerly a star-player at Immaculata University who was a Division II NCAA First Team All-American in 1986. Coach Santarelli has also coached at St. Richard's Catholic School in South Philadelphia and the Elite Team of the Philadelphia Belles AAU (Amateur Athletic Union). Santarelli also helped found the Philly Girls Got Game basketball development program which serves young women throughout the region. She has been honored as a member of the Immaculata University Hall of Fame, the Saints John Neumann & Maria Goretti High School Hall of Fame, and the Cardinal O'Hara High School Hall of Fame; and
WHEREAS, The Lady Saints were led this season by Head Coach Andrea Peterson, who formerly served as assistant under Letty Santarelli before taking over the reigns as head coach at the beginning of this season. Based on this past season, Coach Peterson has been named the top High School Girls' Basketball Coach in the United States of America, winning the Naismith National Coach of the Year Award, and being named National Coach of the Year by USA Today. Coach Peterson has also been named Coach of the Year for Pennsylvania (Class AA) by the Pennsylvania Sports Writers Association. As a player, Coach Peterson was a star athlete at Drexel University and St. John's University. While at Drexel, Coach Peterson earned the Colonial Athletic Conference's Student Athlete of the Year award and CAA All-Academic Team honors. As a high school player in the Philadelphia Catholic League, Coach Peterson was the starting point guard on back-to-back Philadelphia Catholic League Championship teams at Archbishop Carroll High School, where she was a two-time All Catholic League First Team selection, a two-time All-Daily News First Team selection, and a Street & Smith's All-American Honorable Mention selection; and
WHEREAS, The Saints bid farewell to their Seniors Ciani Cryor, Sianni Martin, AJ Timbers, Christina Aborowa, Melanie Schoolfield and Kaschae Harris, as well as to Honorary Team Member Amanda Brett, and have a wonderfully promising future with returning players Felicia Aiyeotan, Erica Brown, Minika Glenn, Jabria Ingram, Alisha Kebbe, Jada Russell, Kamiah Smalls, Jada Russell, Jaylen Durrett, Shayla Green, Daijah Parmley and Chyna Wooten; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That Council does hereby honor and commend the Neumann-Goretti High School Girls Varsity Basketball Team for winning the Philadelphia Catholic League Championship, the PIAA District XII AA City Championship, the PIAA AA State Championship, while finishing the season with a perfect undefeated record of 30-0 and being the consensus Number 1-ranked high school girls basketball team in the United States of America as recognized by USA Today, ESPN, CBS MaxPreps and Blue Star Media.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Head-Coach Andrea Peterson, Assistant Coach Kat Scanlan, Letty Santarelli and the members of the Neumann-Goretti High School Girls Basketball Team as evidence of the sincere sentiments of this legislative body.
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