Phil Anastasia: Clearview’s Grabbe leading young girls’ hoops squad

Kiley Grabbe used to be a developing player on an established girls' basketball team.

Now she's an established player on a developing team.

She likes the change. The Clearview senior has been a consistent scorer, rebounder and leader for the young Pioneers.

She played one of the best games of her career last week, scoring a career-high 23 points in an upset victory over Williamstown.

For the season, the 6-foot-2 Grabbe is averaging 13.5 points and 12.4 rebounds. She has signed to attend St. Francis (N.Y.) on a basketball scholarship.

Question: Why St. Francis?

Answer: It was a combination of things. The coaches were a big influence, and I liked the fact that it's a smaller school. When I went up there I really connected with the players. It just felt right.

Q: Do you know what you want to study?

A: I'm undecided.

Q: Do you have a favorite subject in school?

A: Math. I really like pre-calculus. I like the idea that you can solve an equation and there's one answer and you know you are right.

Q: How long have you been playing basketball?

A: About 10 years.

Q: Was it a struggle for you at first?

A: Not too much. I picked it up pretty good right away.

Q: Was there a year or a season where you really made a big jump in your development?

A: I'd say junior year in high school. I really started to feel more and more comfortable. Then last summer in AAU, playing for the Philadelphia Belles, I felt like I made a big improvement as far as my confidence.

Q: Who has been the biggest influence in your athletic career?

A: My parents (Mike and Donna). They've pushed me in all the right ways.

Q: What kind of music do you listen to?

A: I like a little bit of everything. Country, oldies, whatever.

Q: Got a favorite?

A: Rascal Flats.

Q: Clearview lost a lot of players from last year's team. What has this season been like?

A: It's been a new experience. We had such a good team last year and now we have a lot of young girls who are learning. But they're doing great. They have a great attitude and they play hard. It's different for me, but it's a good different.

1. Kris Rahn scored a 3-2 victory over Wayne Young at 215 pounds to help Haddonfield register a 33-32 victory over top-ranked Camden Catholic in the championship of the Jack Welch Duals wrestling tournament.

2. Camden's Vincent Walls went for 23 points as the Panthers scored an impressive 69-65 victory over a Bishop Eustace team that had beaten them by 22 on opening day.

3. Rancocas Valley's Kelsi Worrell won the 50 freestyle in 24.52 seconds and the 100 backstroke in 59.35 seconds in Division A of the SJISA swimming meet.

1. Haddonfield meets Cherry Hill West in a clash of two of the top girls' swimming teams in South Jersey Wednesday at 5 p.m., at Camden County Tech.

2. Timber Creek vists Washington Township Thursday at 6 p.m., in a wrestling showdown.

3. South Jersey's top-ranked team faces the state's No. 2 team as Eastern meets Neptune in a girls' basketball game Saturday at 4:45 p.m., in a showcase tournament at Mainland.

1. St. Augustine boys' swimming (10-1): Led by double winners Paul Gallagher and Steve Melchiorre, the Hermits rolled up 458.5 points in overwhelming the competition in Division A of the SJISA Invitational swimming meet Saturday at GCIT.

2. Paulsboro wrestling (18-1): Big weekend for the Red Raiders included coach Paul Morina's 500th victory against rival West Deptford, plus a triumph over Group 4 power Absegami - and news that Haddonfield had upset Camden Catholic.

3. Camden Catholic boys' basketball (13-1): Irish slip in front of Cherokee in this ranking after the Chiefs' loss to Shawnee. Camden Catholic is getting big production from football star Sherard Cadogan.

4. Cherokee boys' basketball (12-1): Coach Ron Powell hopes overtime loss to Shawnee will be a good lesson in the importance of defensive intensity and focus.

5. Eastern girls' basketball (12-1): Kerri Aiken scored 12 and Darian Graziano 11 as the Vikings took an early punch from Sterling, then rolled to a 55-37 victory.

6. Atlantic City girls' swimming (10-0): Vikings' big week included a 32-point win over Holy Spirit in a dual meet, then first place in Division A of the SJISA Invitational as freshman Collen Callahan set meet records in the 200 IM and 100 breaststroke.

7. Washington Township wrestling (16-2): It's all laid out for the Minutemen over the next two weeks: Timber Creek Thursday, Camden Catholic Saturday, then the South Jersey Group 4 tournament that likely will include Eastern, Absegami and Southern.

Under consideration: Haddonfield girls' swimming, Cherry Hill West girls' swimming, Hadodnfield boys' swimming, Lenape girls' basketball.