Amaya Stewart-Wyomissing

The Wyomissing girls basketball team couldn’t wait for this day to arrive. The Spartans got the opportunity to play at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Monday afternoon. “We couldn’t sit still at practice for the past two weeks,” emphasized Amaya Stewart. The All-State forward and Berks County Player of the Year finished with 15 points in a 43-27 victory over ELCO. The Spartans jumped out to an 8-3 lead. The Raiders didn’t go away quietly. They outscored Wyomissing 12-9 in the second quarter to even things at 17-17. Makenna Seifert, a 5’9 senior forward, scored six of her team-high eight points in the second period. Stewart provided the Spartans with eleven points in the middle quarters. Wyomissing was on top 31-27 with eight minutes remaining. The Spartans’ defense stole the show in the final period as ELCO went scoreless. Audrey Hurleman, one of four returning starters for Wyomissing, had a dozen points. “Oh my gosh, MVP of the game. It was great,” said Stewart about Hurleman. The junior forward is an All-County selection in both soccer and lacrosse. Junior guard Alexis Hardy chipped in with six points. The (7-0) Spartans are coming off a historical season. They won their first Berks County and District 3 championships in 2022-23. However, this talented group isn’t taking things lightly. “We come to practice ready to work every single day,” remarked Stewart. ELCO won the boys game 60-47. Sophomores Kaden Shultz-Tillison and Josiah Hayes came off the bench to combine for 31 points. Shultz-Tillison poured in a game-high 20 points for the (4-2) Raiders. He knocked down three NBA treys. Freshman guard Justice Hardy led the (0-2) Spartans with 15 points including eight in the fourth quarter. All of the players were grateful for the opportunity which was organized by ELCO athletic director Tommy Mealy. “It was an amazing experience. It was something like no other. It’s a one time experience. I’ll talk about it forever,” stated Stewart.