Bensalem’s Grace McShane drives to the hoop Friday against Carroll. (Photo: Owen McCue/CoBL)

McShane was the only double-figure scorer for Bensalem, which made its first state playoff appearance since 1983. The Owls had a strong contingent of supporters in the crowd from teachers and administrators at the school to former players and even former players’ parents.

Johnson’s been at the helm of the Bensalem program for the last six seasons. McShane and classmates Mary Beck and Gianna Creque have left an indelible impact on him and his program over the last four years.

They put together three consecutive winning seasons, won the program’s first district playoff game since 2009, and then broke a 43-year state playoff drought. They’ll leave the program in the capable hands of juniors Jordyn Bell and Sydney Daut and sophomore Mischa Ellzy with the standards now raised.

“The seniors, Grace, Mary, Gianna, they’re four year players. I’ve known them since middle school,” Johnson said. “We’re together like 11 months out of the year. We work out in the summer time, we go up to Allentown. We spend so much time together. … They’re like my extended family, like my daughters.

“I’m not upset that we lost. I’m just upset that the journey’s over for these seniors because they’re such good kids. We have a lot of underclassmen, so we’ll be back, but it really means a lot to me, my team, my coaches and the Bensalem community.”

By Quarter

Bensalem 11 | 5 | 7 | 1 || 24

Archbishop Carroll 17 | 15 | 12 | 7 || 51

Scoring

Bensalem: Grace McShane 13, Mischa Ellzy 5, Jordyn Bell 3, Mary Beck 2, Falyn Savage 1.

Archbishop Carroll: Kayla Eberz 20, Evie Lawrence 11, Abbie McFillin 10, Caitlin Schumacher 5, Oliviah Hermanovich 3, Bridget Grant 2, Haley Clark 1.

~~~

Boys 4A: Archbishop Carroll 77, Wyomissing 52

Heading into Friday night, the last time Ian Willams suited up in a state playoff game for Archbishop Carroll was a loss in the Class 4A title game in 2024.

Without Williams in the lineup for all of last season, the Patriots’ state run lasted just one game.

Carroll’s senior point guard immediately displayed the impact he can make Friday in a 77-52 win over District 3 five-seed Wyomissing. Williams exploded for 20-first half points on the way to a 29-point effort.