TJ has unfinished business after 20-7 season

By JOSE NEGRON
jnegron@yourmvi.com
Last season didn’t end with a championship or even a loss for the Thomas Jefferson girls basketball team.
The COVID-19 pandemic was to blame for that.
After suffering a pair of regular season losses in addition to a WPIAL Class 5A semifinal defeat at the hands Chartiers Valley, the Jaguars were preparing to once again face the Colts in the PIAA quarterfinals in mid-March.
Instead, the pandemic forced the cancellation of the winter sports championships, ending TJ’s season without another shot at CV.
“It was tough having it end the way it did,” said TJ head coach Lisa Fairman, who is entering her third season at the helm of the Jaguars. “We just have to move forward.”
After going 20-7 overall and 10-4 in Section 1-5A a year ago, the Jaguars enter the new season with some unfinished business.
TJ returns three starters in senior Maddy Trainer and juniors Graci Fairman and Lydia Zoglmann. The trio are part of a talented group of returning veterans.
“The upperclassmen are very motivated and determined, and you can kind of see the young kids following suit. It’s almost like our kids over the last two years have set a standard and a bar that we want success and we want to win,” Fairman said. “It’s becoming contagious to the other kids.”
Graci Fairman is back after finishing second on the team in scoring a year ago. As a sophomore, she posted 12.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.
“It’s always nice when you have a returning point guard because usually they’re your leaders on the court who control your offense and the tempo,” Lisa Fairman said of her daughter. “She had a really good offseason with AAU; we tried to make the most out of that. She has improved so much even from just last March until now.
“She has really worked hard on her outside game as well. She was always a penetrator and a finisher, but now she’s adding some other dimensions to her game.”
Trainer has been able to do just about everything on the court for the Jaguars over the last few years. She can shoot, handle the ball, provide physicality inside and a strong presence on the outside.
“She’s quite an asset being that she’s so versatile and I can put her in so many different positions,” Fairman said. “She’s a great kid overall. She’s such a role model for the young kids coming in and shows such leadership qualities. It’s great when you have that.”
Zoglmann provides a legitimate 3-point threat as well as a strong defensive mindset.
“She’s knowledgeable of the game and she brings a lot of physicality with rebounding and defense,” Fairman said. “Her and Graci have played together since fourth grade, so that tandem out there is always fun to watch.”
While Fairman has the luxury of welcoming back three experienced starters, she has to replace a pair of invaluable contributors in Alyssa DeAngelo and Dalaney Ranallo.
Now a freshman guard/forward at Fairmont State University, DeAngelo was TJ’s leading scorer last season. She averaged 16.7 points per game, along with three rebounds and 1.8 assists.
“Her strength was the outside shot, so we’re working on putting some other ideas and things together to pick up what we’re going to lose with her,” Fairman said.
Ranallo, now playing soccer at Kent State, was the Jaguars’ leading rebounder during her senior campaign. She nearly averaged a double double with 8.9 points and 9.1 rebounds per game.
“Dalaney is a tremendous all-around athlete and her rebounding got our offense started,” Fairman said. “She just did a tremendous job on the boards and on any given night, I could count on double-digit rebounds from her. She was feisty on defense, too, and she could defend the other team’s post players. She looked forward to taking on the stronger kids out there.”

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