LUTHERVILLE, Md. — For the Maryvale Lions basketball team, it gets no bigger than Friday night.
"I’m really excited. I’m excited to play in front of the student section and the crowd," said senior guard Megan Droney.
"I’m super excited. I think the thing that’s most exciting for me is the environment," added junior guard Sophie Kelly.
Maryvale Prep takes on rival Mercy, inside Towson University’s SECU Arena, in the second annual contest known as 'The Classic'.
"Just the energy of both student sections coming together just for this high school [game] in a college place. It just seems really cool," said Droney.
"We’re going to be so hyped and then we’re going to get on the floor and we really have to focus. But there is going to be so much adrenaline," said Kelly.
The Lions dropped last year’s inaugural Classic - a replacement for 'The Game', which was played between Mercy and The Institute of Notre Dame for 54 years before I.N.D. shut down in 2020.
'The Classic' is dubbed the largest girls sporting event in Maryland. Last year it drew over 3,500 fans.
Entering this year’s game Maryvale has a record of 4-9.
"We’re going to come out there and we’re going to fight," said head coach Alex Miller. "Every player that is out there is going to give it everything they’ve got because our school deserves it and, quite honestly, our team has been working their tail off all season long, six days a week. So, we’re really excited for the opportunity to show how hard we’ve been working."
When the Lions take the floor on Friday night they’ll be shorthanded, as they have been all season. Their best player, Emily Knapp, has been sidelined since the fall.
The senior suffered a torn ACL while playing for the school’s soccer team. Even though she isn’t suiting up for any games, she still attends each of them and all of the practices.
"I want to be there for my teammates in any way I can," said Knapp. "I know I can’t be with them on the court. So, being here off the court and being that type of teammate and leader and player… now I’m more like a coach of this team."
She’ll be there, along with her teammates, when the ball tips Friday night at 7:30 p.m.
Follow Shawn Stepner on Twitter @StepnerWMAR and Facebook
