Lady Bucks reload for another playoff run
By Bees O’Brien
FARWELL, PA- The Bucktail Lady Bucks girls varsity basketball team suffered three losses due to graduation, but head coach Carl Gentzyel has been lucky enough to reload with some incredible talent with a talented freshman class.
Bucktail made a run at a district playoff berth a season ago but fell short at St. John Neumann in the quarterfinals. This season’s roster is loaded with returning starters, experienced players and an incoming freshmen class that Gentzyel, or anybody at Bucktail has ever seen.
The hype surrounding these girls began at the junior high level and has now reached the varsity ranks.
Despite all the newcomers, there’s still leading scorer from a season ago in Mak Wagner. The junior guard blistered the nets nightly for Bucktail and as coach Gentzyel says, “Mak will do her thing.” There’s absolutely no doubt that Wagner will once again be a target for opposing teams in the Mid Penn Conference, but she does have a ton of returning talent to help her out.
Kayla Probert will be returning for her senior season and the reliable returning starter will give Bucktail another option at handling the ball and shooting beyond the arc. Seniors Bella English and Lily Francis both return with valuable playing time at the varsity level. Alexis Lowery is also back.
Last season’s breakthrough freshman Matti Mason is also back. Mason stepped up big time for Carl Gentzyel’s squad a season ago. Coach Gentzyel also pointed out the play of Dezlyn Halpate as another key returner.
Camry Cole, Makenna Stone, Lola English, Eva Sockman and Kendall Wagner make up a freshman class that coach Gentzyel believes can each be very valuable to his varsity team.
Kendall Wagner has stood out thus far and her coaches believe she has all the right skills to do more than be a supporting cast member for the Lady Bucks. “She’s real tough underneath and she knows the game. She knows what to do with the ball.” Coach Gentzyel said of the younger sister of Mak Wagner.
Bucktail will once again face a brutal conference slate in the Mid Penn Conference. St. John Neumann, Benton, Millville, Muncy, Northwest and South Williamsport are all expected to be battling at the top of the league and one shouldn’t count out the Lady Bucks by any means.
The nonconference slate will provide some challenges for Bucktail. It begins with a trip to the Galeton tip-off tournament on Friday, Dec. 2. The Lady Bucks will open against Austin in the semifinals in their quest to win a third-straight tip-off title at Galeton. They will then meet either host Galeton or Williamson depending on how night one goes.
Bucktail added a new holiday tournament to their slate for 2022-23. They’ll travel to West Branch on December 28 and will open with the host Lady Warriors. The following night Bucktail will either meet Harmony or Bald Eagle Area depending how their semifinal outcome is.
Other nonconference opponents include three home contests against Juniata Christian, a rematch with Austin on February 15 and a “Pink Out” home date with the Galeton Lady Tigers on February 18.
Bucktail’s first home game will be Friday, Dec. 16 in a rematch from their PIAA District 4 1A quarterfinal loss when St. John Neumann comes to Farwell.
