Friends’ Central claims first PAISAA girls’ basketball title in program history
The Phoenix upset Westtown, who entered Friday as the winners of four straight state titles. On the boys side, the Hill School secured its first state crown since 2018, with a win over Phelps School.
When Friends’ Central’s Ryan Carter limped off the court with 3 minutes, 40 seconds left in the PAISAA girls’ basketball championship game at Hagan Arena on Friday night, it felt like history was repeating itself.
Carter, a junior guard who spent last season at Archbishop Wood, went down with an injury in the 2025 PIAA Class 5A championship. She played through the pain, but was unable to lead Wood to a win.
But this time, in a different jersey and state championship game, Carter got back on the floor and upset Westtown, 62-54.
“These girls, I didn’t want to let them down,” Carter said. “This is the one team where I’ve felt like people have always had my back, no matter what. It’s a true family.”
Zya Small led Friends’ Central (25-6) with 18 points as the Phoenix claimed their first PAISAA state title in program history. Kayla Snyder and Carter added 14 and 12 points, respectively.
“This group of girls, they just work so hard,” Friends’ Central coach Vinny Simpson said. “And they believe. That’s the difference in this year’s group. They believe, they work hard … That’s how we figured it out."
Westtown (28-2) entered Friday night’s game as the winners of four consecutive PAISAA titles. It beat Friends’ Central in the state title game in 2024 and 2025, as well as in the regular season and Friends League championship this year.
» READ MORE: Westtown girls’ and boys’ basketball teams secure a Friends Schools League title
“That’s a ton [of times] to lose to a team,” said Faith Watson, a sophomore center who scored 10 for the Phoenix. “So this feels great.”
Jordyn Palmer led Westtown with 27 points. The junior forward is ranked as the sixth best prospect by ESPN. Friends’ Central’s Carter (No. 12) and Small (No. 47) are also among the top 60 prospects in the 2027 class.
Friday night’s loss was the final game of Atlee Vanesko’s Westtown career. The senior guard, who will play at Ohio State next season, scored six points and fouled out with 1 minute, 49 seconds remaining.
Friends’ Central will continue its season in The Throne, a single-elimination national tournament run by the National Basketball Players Association. The Phoenix will face Princess Anne (Va.) in East Rutherford, N.J., in the tournament’s first round on March 19.
The Hill School defeats Phelps
Ben Natal and Ethan Johnston led the Hill School as it beat the Phelps School, 74-56, in a rematch of last season’s state title game.
Natal, a fifth-year guard, scored 23 points , while Johnston, a senior guard who will play at Marquette next season, added 22. The pair of guards helped to lift the Hill School (24-9) to its first state title since 2018.
Johnston scored 13 of his 22 in the third quarter. The Hill School outscored Phelps, 27-9, in the third, which gave the Rams a 28-point lead entering the fourth.
“Last year we didn’t play a complete game,” Johnston said. “We didn’t execute late. I think this year we took more of an initiative to execute late and just stay together.”
The Hill School head coach Seth Eilberg began to empty his bench with three minutes remaining. The team has eight players graduating, including Natal, Johnston, and Zane Conlon, who scored 11 on Friday.
» READ MORE: Westtown’s Jordyn Palmer — a basketball phenom and highly sought-after recruit — has untapped potential
“We’ve played a really tough schedule,” Eilberg said. “We’ve taken a couple of hits here and there. They stayed together, and we kept getting better, and we kept having fun with it.”
Jahrel Vigo led Phelps (24-12) with 19 points. The senior guard, who will play at Buffalo next season, was the only Phelps player to reach double figures in scoring.