Sewickley Academy’s first-year girls basketball coach Rob Shazer sticks to the basics.
“Play hard, play together and have fun,” said Shazer, who has been coaching hoops for more than two decades.
Shazer was an assistant for seven years for the Chartiers Valley boys team and one year at Bishop Canevin. He also was a head coach on the AAU Circuit for the DFS Wildcats for nine years.
“I really appreciate the opportunity to coach at Sewickley Academy,” Shazer said. “Working with our AD, Mike Scerbo, and assistant AD Heather Boarder has been great. They are very hands-on and supportive of any new ideas that we have as a staff.
“My staff consists of my longtime assistant Johnny Terlecki, who has been with me for over 10 years. Tim Eckenrode is our JV coach. I have been friends with Tim for over 20 years, and we coached together at CV.”
Shazer’s staff has been joined by first-year assistant Gabi Legister, who played Division I basketball as a 6-foot-2 forward at Kennesaw State after competing at Chartiers Valley.
“Gabi brings some new ideas and youthful energy for the girls,” Shazer said. “We are all looking forward to a successful season and are excited to get started.”
The Panthers have two returning starters — Emma Eannarino and Grace Jardini — from last year’s 5-15 playoff squad. Both are junior backcourt players who competed for the Sewickley girls WPIAL runner-up soccer team in the fall.
Eannarino, who suffered a season-ending basketball injury last year, is a 5-7 guard while Jardini is a 5-6 guard. Both were all-section selections in soccer. Eannarino also was named all-WPIAL.
“Emma is one of our captains this season, a gifted athlete with a motor and toughness that is unmatched,” Shazer said. “I will use Emma in multiple positions. I believe she is the perfect player in our system. She’s a playmaker, scorer and a great defender who wants to get out in transition.
“We love having Emma on our team. We are looking for a big year from her.”
Jardini, like Eannarino, has two years of varsity experience.
“Grace is another captain this season with a sense of calm and toughness,” Shazer said. “Grace is a natural leader. She has a knack for always finding the ball if it’s on offense or defense; she always finds a way to be in the mix.
“Grace is a quick guard who can knock down an open shot and beat you off the dribble. She is on pace to have a breakout season on offense to match her defensive intensity. Grace will be one of the keys to this season’s success.”
Eannarino was cited as a preseason player to watch in Class A by Trib HSSN. She averaged 14.5 points per game last year.
“We’re expecting to make a big playoff run this year,” Eannarino said. “We’ve been in the gym practicing all summer and all fall. During this time, we got acquainted with our new coaching staff. They’ve already made a huge difference for our team, and we haven’t even played our first game yet. They’re helping to create a winning culture and emphasizing the importance of playing good competition and winning what once were impossible games for us.
“While we have very few returning players from last year, our new additions to the team came in with a lot of energy and skill. I’m especially excited for this season to start after missing most of last year because of my broken hand. We’re a totally different team this year, and we can expect a really great season ahead of us.”
Eannarino noted that the Panthers have been working on the “basics” prior to the start of the season.
“We’ve had a lot to work on,” she said. “We have a very young team, so we’ve worked on a lot of shooting, ballhandling and ball movement at high speeds to get everyone ready to play at the varsity level. We’ve also been focusing on getting our plays down. Between the new coaches and young players, the plays are really new for everyone.
“Despite all of this, our team is looking the best it’s ever been. Everyone in the gym is a hard worker, and we’re encouraged to be our absolute best by our coaches. I really can’t wait to play our first game.”
Eannarino and Jardini are joined in the starting lineup by freshmen Charlotte Morton, a 5-4 guard, Nina Caputo, a 5-6 guard, and Mikaela Mbandi, a 5-11 guard/forward and the tallest player on the team.
“Mikaela is an exceptional talent in her own right, a freshman who can do it all,” Shazer said. “She blocks shots, rebounds and is a force in the paint. Mikaela has size and athleticism and is a great addition to our team.
“Charlotte and Nina both have a nonstop motor that will give us a sense of toughness, shooting and speed to go along with Grace and Emma’s experience.”
There are no upperclassmen on this year’s team that is made up of six freshmen, two sophomores and three juniors.
“We are young,” Shazer said. “My expectations this year are to play hard, play as a team and compete to win every position. If we stay consistent throughout the season, I believe we can make a playoff run and, at that point, anything can happen.”
Other key players for the Panthers include 5-5 freshman guard Athena Ameredes, 5-6 sophomore guard Bella Walsh and 5-8 freshman forward Alana Spencer.
“Athena and Bella can knock down shots and give us scrappy play on D,” Shazer said. “They will come off the bench to start the season.
“Alana is a little banged up right now. Once she gets cleared, she also has a big upside that can get her in the varsity rotation.”
Ameredes, 5-7 junior guard Nalani Brayley and 5-8 sophomore forward Ranae Phillip Knight were members of the girls soccer team this fall.
Brayley, Phillip Knight and Caralena Quisenberry, a 5-7 freshman guard, also are looking to make an impact at the varsity level this season.
The Panthers have been busy preparing for their 2025-26 schedule, particularly in their home gym.
“We worked on our skills all summer,” Shazer said, “then hosted a fall league against 3A and 4A teams. It really helped us to get ready for the season.
“I love this group. They are all great kids, and we have a great mix of talent.”