Weatherly senior Kelly Reiner watched her team mature and grow on and off the court this season.

It was a process that resulted in a state playoff berth for the first time in three years.

Unfortunately, the Lady Wreckers fell short in a 43-33 loss to Motivation in a PIAA Class 1A opening-round playoff game at Philadelphia’s Lincoln High School Saturday afternoon.

From the beginning, it was just a matter of getting there. Their overall 8-17 record wasn’t a true reflection of their season. Instead, it marked a series of steady improvements.

“Our team grew significantly from our very first game,” said Reiner, who led her team with 17 points against Motivation. “We grew close, began to trust each other, and learned who was good at what they could do best.

“We worked really hard to get to this moment, and it really showed.”

Head coach Jason Kane saw a similar picture, and a tightening team bond.

He cited a December 31-29 overtime victory over Nativity as an early turning point.

“I think that we did,” said Kane about his team’s growing. “I think that at the beginning of the season we were learning to play together. By the end, we really grew as a team.”

The Lady Wreckers trailed 25-13 at halftime, but cut the deficit to 32-25 after three quarters. However, they couldn’t overcome the Jaguars.

Kane noted that senior Abby Weston was absent from school all week with an illness and missed the game, but Reiner kept her team close. He wasn’t surprised by what he saw from their opponent.

“Kelly played great, and she kept the team motivated when they got down,” said Kane. “We expected their tough man defense and fast breaks. I think we could have won if we had Abby Weston.

“It is going to be tough next year because Kelly was our leader. Next year, we will be a young team.”

Reiner, who averaged 10 points and seven rebounds this season, was impressed with her team’s showing.

“I thought we played a really good game today,” said Reiner. “We never gave up when we were down, and gave it our all. We had some rough moments, but I truly believe we did everything we could have done.”

Freshman Maci Kane, who began as the team’s point guard and later moved to forward, also saw a steady progression all season.

“At the beginning, we just weren’t clicking,” said Kane, who had 10 points against Motivation. “At some point, we came together and started building trust with each other.”

Kane realized her role likely will increase next season. She also quickly discovered the rigors of the high school game.

“We will be a young team, and we will need a leader,” said Kane, who averaged both six points and rebounds this season. “I’m hoping to fill Kelly’s and Abby’s shoes, and I learned a lot from them while working on my driving and shooting.

“High school was a big jump from junior high. It was a much more physical game, and I had to adjust to it.”

Reiner was determined to extend her season this year and make one final appearance in the state’s Big Dance. She also sees the game as a stepping stone for the returning sophomores.

“For me, it was important to get to states because I did not want my season to end early,” said Reiner. “Being a senior, I played in states my freshman year, and I wanted to relive those moments one more time.

“I am glad our freshmen were able to experience these moments, and hopefully continue to experience them as their time continues at Weatherly.’

Reiner was also glad to silence the critics and the doubters. It was a matter of just being there.

“People didn’t believe we could make it this far,” said Reiner. “It was good proving everybody wrong.”

REELIN’ IN THE YEARS ... Weatherly’s last trip to states was in the 2022-23 season when it also won eight games.

TRY IT AGAIN ... The Wreckers will have three seniors and two sophomores, and will also welcome six freshmen next season.

MOVING OUT ... Reiner will major in Diagnostic Medical Sonography at Misericordia University next fall, and will continue her athletic career on the track and field team. She throws the javelin, shot put and discus.

WEATHERLY

Kane 2-6-13-10, Kehler 1-0-2-2, Way-Heffner 2-0-0-4, Reiner 7-2-4-17, Gerhard 0-0-0-0, Snyder 0-0-0-0. TOTALS: 12-8-19-33.

MOTIVATION

Joy Cassell 3-1-2-7, Joyce Cassell 7-1-3-15, Tindel 2-1-2-6, Murphy 1-0-0-3, Mathey 5-2-7-12, Gordon 0-0-0-0, Hicks 0-0-0-0. TOTALS: 18-5-14-43.

Weatherly 5 8 12 8 - 33

Motivation 14 11 7 11 - 43

Three-pointers: Weatherly - Reiner 1; Motivation - Tindel 1, Murphy 1.

Records: Weatherly (8-17); Motivation (12-5).