The McVetta method

RAWSON --It was pre-game in Mount Blanchard, for Cory-Rawson's last road game of the year. Senior guard Paige McVetta was rallying the troops. "Defense is ball pressure. So. Pressure. The. Ball." This sentiment has been true all year for the Hornets, who have the BVC's best defense with 18.2 steals a game, about four more than the second-best team. Paige averages around five steals per game, also a BVC high. Make no mistake though, Paige isn't the only McVetta changing the culture at Cory-Rawson. Actually, there's three. Paige, Morgan, and Chelcie McVetta have played basketball together for practically their whole lives. "We kind of just grew up always playing basketball together," Paige said. "On holidays, my grandma has a little basketball court we'd go out and play on." Paige and Morgan are sisters, while Chelcie is their cousin. Their bond, however, couldn't be closer. "We have chemistry like no one else on the team. We're together every single day," Chelcie said. "I think we all have a lot of basketball IQ, just because we've been playing so long," Morgan added. "I think they feed off of each other, they all get along really well," Paige and Morgan's mom Jana McVetta said. "Their dad and I are both super competitive. I played basketball in high school, and love the game." Jana was all three girls' youth coach. "My hope was that they were gonna love the game as much as I did, so that's all I ever wanted," Jana said. "To teach them the game, and hope that they could compete in high school. And I think they've done that." The Hornets, led by all three McVettas, certainly have competed in high school. Cory-Rawson ended last season 14-9, including 5-4 in the Blanchard Valley Conference. This season, the Hornets are 15-6, and 7-1 in the BVC. For the second year in a row, they also sit atop the BVC in steals per game. Behind all of those quality wins, the McVettas have led a high-powered, extremely physical team. Paige, a senior, averages around 15 points, 4.5 assists, 5 steals, and a block per game, and is top five in 3-pointers made. Chelcie averages around 11 points, 6 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. Sophomore sharpshooter Morgan is putting up around 7 points and 2 assists, while also in eighth place in 3-point makes and percentage. These numbers are uber impressive, but the girls wanted to make sure that their teammates got recognition as well. Junior point guard Lainey Kempf, for instance. "Lainey Kempf, she puts her all out there," Chelcie said. "She's the best defender we have. Without her, we'd get blown by every single time." "Her ball pressure leads to my steals," Paige added. "Without her pressuring the ball, I would have, probably, five steals." Senior Brynn Reese also is a quality player for this Hornets team. She currently averages over three steals a game. "Brynn, she crashes the boards so hard, she has such strong work ethic," Paige said. "She's 110 percent all the time," Morgan continued. "She may not be our biggest offensive threat, but she definitely gives it her all on both ends." And finally, senior forward Makayla Gillfillan, who boasts averages of around 10.5 points, 7 rebounds and over a block per contest. "Makayla's one of the best posts in the BVC," Chelcie said. "She knows when to hit her moves, she knows when to kick it out. She gets crazy boards." Kempf, Reese, and Gillfillan make up Cory-Rawson's starting lineup along with Paige and Chelcie. Morgan's hot shooting and versatility has made her one of the hardest-to-guard and most talented sixth-men in girls BVC play. The Hornets are led by coach Wells Faine, whose philosophy of defense over offense has turned this Hornets team around in recent years. "Our coach, he definitely harps on steals," Chelcie said. "Our defense, we've worked on it so long to make it unique. He always says, 'Our offense comes from our defense,' and he's right." Cory-Rawson's league-leading 18 steals and 17 assists per game seem to back up Faine's coaching style. "I've coached the three of them for several years now," Faine said. "They're some of the most competitive people you'll ever meet. You've gotta have players with confidence out on the floor, and these girls boast confidence. They're super aggressive, and lots of energy." In more recent times since holiday blacktop ball, a lot of the McVettas' experience together has come outside of "The Hive." The McVettas all play for 419 Select, an AAU team that is also home to another local athlete: Riverdale's Mariah Bonham. 419 Select is the premier AAU team for girls basketball athletes in the area. Head coach Matthew Ayers says that the McVettas' close bond and hard-nosed defense has helped the team not only get closer, but work harder as well. "They are three of the most interesting girls I have ever met in my entire life," Ayers said. "They all work hard, they come to practice ready to play. They're a thrill to coach." "I feel like that's (419 Select) something that really brought us together," Chelcie said. "He (Ayers) gives us so much confidence. Playing at that higher level just shows that we're much better ball players than people think." "On a travel team, there's no weak links," Morgan added. "You can be starting on your high school team, and you might not get very much playing time." Morgan and Chelcie will have plenty of playing time next year, especially in a new conference. Cory-Rawson is leaving the BVC and joining the Northwest Central Conference beginning in the 2023-2024 school year, an exciting development which should provide new competition and a new path to a league title. Without having to overcome league powerhouse Liberty-Benton, the Hornets look poised to break out. In their last-ever regular season BVC game this Thursday, Cory-Rawson has a chance to grab second place, a highly-coveted spot in the BVC. "Getting second is a big thing for our school," Chelcie said. "It has only happened once or twice before." With Paige moving out of the program and graduating, Morgan and Chelcie will look to lead the Hornets to a league title in the NWCC next season. Paige, however, isn't the only Hornet moving on after the season. "It's not only Paige that we're losing, we're losing two other starters too," Chelcie said. "Chelcie and I have talked about it, we're going to try and get some of the younger girls in the gym this summer," Morgan said. "We definitely need to put more work in for next year." While next year presents a new challenge for the McVettas, they clearly have the dedication and drive to move forward. In a new conference with a new team around them, time will tell what the future holds. But with Morgan stepping into a larger role as a junior, and Chelcie leading the team as a senior, the Hornets look poised for a fresh start in 2024. Surely, the McVetta Method will be on full display.