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Girls' basketball season in review

A Catholic League championship - the first since 2011 - a third straight District 12 Class 3A title, and a fourth state championship since 2010.

A Catholic League championship - the first since 2011 - a third straight District 12 Class 3A title, and a fourth state championship since 2010.

Those were the highlights that defined Archbishop Wood's season. And what highlights they are, earning the Vikings the title of Southeastern Pennsylvania team of the year.

After starting 4-6, Wood won 21 games to close out the season, defeating some of the state's best in the process. In that span, the most points allowed by the Vikings' stingy defense was 41.

The numbers and accolades are impressive, but the way Wood went about winning was even more so. Methodical, disciplined, calm - there's nothing flashy about the Vikings, except maybe their stellar ball movement. Wood was a team that never looked as though the game was out of its reach.

That's because usually, it wasn't.

Coach of the year: Morgan Funsten, Upper Dublin

Not many coaches can get as much out of their players as Funsten does. This season the Cardinals went 14-0 in Suburban One American play and reached the District 1 Class 4A semifinals and the second round of the PIAA state tournament. Funsten has always stressed defense, and his players have bought in, as this season the Cardinals held opponents to 30 or fewer points in 16 games, at one point doing so in a remarkable 11 in a row.

Rookie of the year: Tatiana Jones, Imhotep Charter

In a season that revealed a large amount of ninth-grade talent, with teams such as Garnet Valley, Shipley, Neshaminy, Central Bucks West, and Archbishop Ryan seeing an immediate impact from their young guns, one stood out.

Her name is Tatiana Jones, and she is a 6-foot freshman forward for Imhotep Charter. Jones averaged 11 points a game for the Panthers, and her presence down low made for a great pairing with Bionca Dunham. She was a beast on the boards and showed a penchant for performing at a high level during big games.

Most improved: Cassie Sebold, Archbishop Wood

As a sophomore, Sebold was a role player who came off the bench for the Vikings. That's how she started this season, too. Then the junior guard worked her way into the starting lineup, giving Wood the spark it needed. Averaging more than 17 minutes, she scored six points, added two assists and two rebounds a game while shooting 71 percent from the free-throw line. But it was her scrappy play on defense and constant hustle that defined her season - and made the difference for the Vikings.