Strong Chemistry Will Power Mid Penn Motion At Deep South Classic



The nucleus of the Mid Penn Motion team has been together for over five years, and Coach John Studer believes his team will enjoy the rewards associated with that longevity this spring.

“The core of this team has been playing together since they were in the fourth or fifth grade, so they have developed a very strong chemistry. A lot of them are playing at different high schools, but they still have a strong friendship,” Studer said. “We have a lot of good athletes with this team, and they like to play up and down basketball. That’s the style we’ve always used, and we were certainly successful with it last year.”

This year’s edition of the Motion will get an early challenge in Raleigh, NC, on April 25-27 at the Deep South Classic. Now in its 17th year, the Deep South Classic annually hosts many of the nation’s elite travel teams in a field that will eclipse 200 squads, and hundreds of collegiate coaches will be on hand searching for talent. The 2014 event will mark the second year that the Deep South Classic has been held at the Raleigh Convention Center. The venue was a tremendous success in its debut last year, with all games played at one site on 18 courts, and it is in a convenient central location.

The Motion will feature a balanced attack, with four returnees and one very interesting newcomer taking the featured roles.
“Cecily Carl is a 6-3 forward who has been recruited since she was a freshman at the Deep South Classic,” Studer said of Carl, who is listed as the No. 277 recruit in the Class of 2015 by the All Star Girls Report. “She has a very nice touch for her size. She is one of our three-point shooters. Amari Johnson (2015, 6-0, F) is a tremendous athlete who can jump out of the gym. She has a beautiful mid-range game, and we’re very happy that we added her to the team last year. Jennifer Falconer (2015, 5-8, PG) has tremendous quickness and speed — she is a high school All-American in soccer — and she is a great leader. She just has a motor that never quits. Kari Lankford (2015, 5-8, G) is the most fierce competitor I’ve ever coached. She can attack the basket and she has a nice mid-range game, but it is on defense where her toughness really shows.
“We also have one new player from the Class of 2016 who should make a big impact. Molly Taylor (5-9, G) just moved to the United States from England, and she played on the English U-15 team. She is something special. She is a tremendous shooter with a tremendous handle, and she is very quick.”
ASGR analyst Bret McCormick is also high on several of the Motion prospects.
“Carl has good size, strength and hands. She is a low post space eater and she knows how to finish,’ McCormick said. “Falconer has good quickness, she really understands the game, and she has three-point shooting range. Taylor is someone who will be getting a lot of attention from a lot of college coaches. She is a good athlete, and she is very skilled.”