Unity enables South Fayette to repeat as PIAA champs
During their two-year reign as state basketball champions, the South Fayette girls epitomized the true meaning of team.
Their run, which featured a 59-3 overall record, culminated in a 45-35 victory over Archbishop Wood in the PIAA Class 5A championship game played March 21 at the GIANT Center in Hershey.
In 2025, the Lady Lions also beat the Vikings, 45-37, to claim the crown and cap a 29-2 season.
“I’m extremely proud of our team,” said South Fayette head coach Bryan Bennett. “They remained focused and worked hard all season long.
“We were able to accomplish everything because of their incredible bond and unselfishness. It’s rare to find a group that genuinely puts the success of the collective above their own individual highlights.”
Any one of the five starters could have been superstars, marquee players, as they all attracted attention from major college recruiters. In fact all three seniors starters will play at Division I programs in the fall.
While Juliette Leroux, Haylie Lamonde and Ryan Oldaker will play at Florida Atlantic, University of South Carolina Upstate and Marist respectively, none averaged more than 14 points per game this season. Together they won 106 games, four section banners and three WPIAL titles during their careers at South Fayette. They appeared in three state championship games, winning the past two crowns, and all four district finals.
“Words cannot describe what these three seniors meant to me and this team,” Bennett said. “While they are all outstanding basketball players, more importantly, they are even better people.”
The three seniors have played basketball together since fourth grade and continued competing on the AAU circuit to improve their skills.
Oldaker summed up the mutual respect and love the three have for each other when she said after their final scholastic game together that Lamonde and Leroux mean the world to her.
“They’re literally my best friends,” she said. “I love them so much.”
Their passion for each other and the game showed during the PIAA final as each senior contributed in her own way.
Oldaker led the offensive attack. She scored a game-high 15 points. She converted five of her 8 field goal attempts. Her three pointer with 4:52 remaining afforded South Fayette its largest lead at 39-27. She scored three free throws in the final 77 seconds to help seal the victory.
During the season, Oldaker averaged 11.8 points per game to go along with 4.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.0 steals.
“Ryan was a dynamic three-level scorer for us, yet her true value often lay in the gritty, ‘unseen’ plays that held us together,” Bennett said. “Whether it was a key deflection or a block out, she consistently did the little things that don’t show up in a box score but are the true hallmarks of a champion.”
Against the Vikings, Leroux controlled both ends of the court. She tallied 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds for the Lady Lions, who never trailed in the game.
For the season, Leroux maintained a 14.8-point scoring average. She led the team in rebounding with 6.4 boards an outing. She managed three steals and 2.3 assists per game. Leroux scored more than 1,000 points in her scholastic career.
“Juju is an elite, three-level scorer whose explosive athleticism allows her to impact the game in a variety of ways,” Bennett said. “She has the ability to finish at the rim or can knock down shots from deep. This skill set makes her a constant matchup nightmare.”
Lamonde pitched in six points against Archbishop Wood. She added an assist and two rebounds in the game, which was tied twice in the first quarter, before the Lady Lions flexed their muscles.
Another career 1,000-point scorer for the Lady Lions, Lamonde averaged 14.8 points per game. She added 2.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals as well.
“Haylie was a constant offensive threat who kept defenses off balanced by being able to score from deep while maintaining the explosive ability to attack the rim,” Bennett said. “This versatility made her nearly impossible to guard and provided the perfect scoring balance for our championship run.
Underclassmen Ella Vierra and Lailah Wright rounded out the first five. Along with Kenzie and Kylie Rumberger, the duo established themselves as the torchbearers to carry on the success for the Lions well into the future.
A sophomore, Vierra dominated all aspects of the game during the PIAA final. She scored eight points, collected five boards, blocked two shots and dished up two assists.
A junior, Wright registered six points and six rebounds. The point guard picked up two assists and two steals.
The Rumberger sisters, Kenzie and Kylie, provided quality minutes in their reserve roles. While Kenzie is a freshman and Kylie is a junior, both are guards for the Lady Lions.
Additionally, South Fayette features sophomores Alaina Clingan and Liz Porter along with a plethora of freshmen. In addition to Kenzie Rumberger, Reagan Dedes, Caroline Kelly, Ava Quinn, Erin Barish, Sara Scott, Payton Galish and Hayley Solomon are ninth graders on the roster.
“We are hopeful to have continued success next season,” Bennett said. “We have an outstanding group of kids who are returning that have improved each day this season.”
Nonetheless the seniors will be missed and they too will treasure their experience as Lions, especially their triumphant ending in the state finals.
“It means so much,” Leroux said. “Ending my senior season winning states with some of my best friends is something I wouldn’t trade for the world. Being here junior year was good and all but getting back here my senior year and winning was a great experience.”