Brynn Bauer- 15 pts 4 Rebs Taylor Fique - 9 pts 6 Rebs 4 assists 4 steals Lilah Kresslein - 8 pts 3 Rebs 6 assists Lauren Khuene - 8 pts 2 steals
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On Thursday afternoon, the fifth-seeded Manchester Valley Mavericks faced off against the seventh-seeded Glenelg Gladiators in the 2A Girls Basketball state championship. In the state semifinal round, the Mavericks upset the top-seeded Wicomico Indians 55-31, while the Gladiators took down the Williamsport Wildcats in a 49-32 final. The first quarter of the state championship was all Glenelg, as the red and black led 9-0 after the first five minutes, coming on six early points from junior forward Stephanie Bunker. Despite the lead, the Mavericks got to work. Junior guard Lilah Kresslein, the Carroll County steals and assists leader, explained that neither she nor the team was intimidated by the early deficit, especially considering her squad was used to adversity. “We stayed calm, we never put our heads down,” Lilah said.. Even if a shot didn’t fall or something didn’t go our way… we knew we could do it.” The Maverick offense got a jumpstart from Taylor Fique with 3:03 left in the first, followed by points from Lauren Kuehne and a three from Brynn Bauer to bring the navy and silver within one. Manchester Valley’s scoring run continued through the start of the second quarter with Brynn Bauer knocking down another triple. Following a Glenelg timeout, their offense started to heat back up with the Gladiators going on an 11-4 run led by Bunker and MJ Dabiri. Manchester Valley put a few late points on the board, cutting Glenelg’s lead to 22-20 by halftime. By the break, Brynn Bauer led the scoring for her Mavericks, contributing 12 of the team’s 20 points. Stephanie Bunker had ten on the scoreboard for Glenelg, with Emily Delle Russo and Dabiri each contributing six. The game remained close at the start of the third, with the two teams trading early buckets. The Mavericks’ biggest lead of the quarter came with 1:17 left on the clock, as Taylor Fique knocked down two free throws to put her team ahead by six. Throughout the third quarter, Manchester Valley’s offense was spread around, as six separate players found the net. After losing leading scorer Brynn Bauer to injury, ManVal’s offense immediately got going, bringing the lead back to six with a triple just twenty seconds into the quarter. The Gladiator attack tried to retake the lead, with Bunker tacking on four more points to cut the deficit to just three. However, ManVal went on a late seven point run, with a late three from Kuehne, and three made free throws from Fique. Despite a late show from Glenelg’s Ava Karbacka, Manchester Valley made history, winning their first state championship in program history, as they defeated Glenelg 46-39. After the game, Maverick head coach Heather Wable DeWees was overcome by emotion reflecting on her team’s season. “These kids are like my family. Basketball is a tremendous part of my life, and this is just icing on the cake,” DeWees said. “We’re gritty and we’re small, but we believe in each other and they believe in me as much as I believe in them.” With just three seniors departing, Manchester Valley looks forward to making it back to the big game in 2027.
Manchester Valley found a way to overcome a slow and frustrating start, showing resilience and determination as they battled back to secure an impressive comeback victory. Early in the game, things did not look promising for Manchester Valley. The team struggled to find its rhythm, with missed opportunities and uncharacteristic mistakes allowing their opponent to gain momentum and take control of the early stages. Offensively, Manchester Valley had difficulty getting anything going, and defensively they were forced to spend much of the opening portion of the game reacting rather than dictating the pace. Despite the early challenges, Manchester Valley never lost its composure. As the game progressed, the team slowly began to settle in and find its footing. The defense tightened up, making key stops and limiting big plays that had hurt them earlier. At the same time, the offense started to move the ball more effectively, putting together longer drives and creating scoring opportunities that had been missing in the opening stretch. The turning point came midway through the game when Manchester Valley strung together a series of strong plays that shifted the momentum completely. A key defensive stop was followed by a well-executed offensive drive that resulted in a much-needed score, energizing both the players and the crowd. From that moment forward, Manchester Valley played with a new level of confidence and intensity. In the end, Manchester Valley’s ability to stay composed after a slow start proved to be the difference. Instead of letting early struggles define the game, they regrouped, adjusted, and fought their way back. The victory served as a testament to the team’s resilience and belief in one another, showing that even when things do not go according to plan early on, determination and effort can turn the tide. The comeback win not only secured the result on the scoreboard but also demonstrated the character and toughness that defines Manchester Valley’s team.
Manchester Valley captures the first state championship in program history!
16 minutes into the state championship, the Glenelg Gladiators are clinging to a 22-20 lead over the Manchester Valley Mavericks. After opening the game on a 9-0 scoring run that lasted five minutes, the Gladiators gave away their lead within the first minute of the second quarter. Junior forward Stephanie Bunker leads the scoring for Glenelg with 10 points, while sophomore Brynn Bauer has scored 12 of her team's 20. Stay tuned to NFHS Network for the second half!