Ely, Erdmann named all-state

BY MARTY MYERS

Times-Shamrock Writer

In the glare of the limelight of the PIAA playoffs, two area girls basketball players showed they were more than ready for prime time.

Senior Dallas Ely of Montrose and sophomore Carly Erdmann of Forest City were named to the Pennsylvania Sportswriters All-State girls’ basketball teams Wednesday.

Ely, who led Montrose to a community-electrifying run to the state semifinals in Class AA, was named a first-team performer after averaging more than 25 points per game in four state contests.

Erdmann was picked for the squad for the first time after helping Forest City to a pair of wins in the Class A tournament and throwing a scare into eventual state champion Steelton-Highspire.

“It’s just amazing,” said Ely, who finished the season with 22.4 points per game average. “I didn’t see this coming.

“After the season, people would tell me I was going to make the league all-star team or the all-region team, but this just doesn’t happen. Not to someone like me.”

Always an outstanding 3-point shot, Ely focused more on adding to her all-around offensive game, and playing better defense.

Those efforts led to a dazzling array of scoring moves, and her defense helped her get some easy baskets, too.

“I just wanted to play better all-around defense and stay with my girl while always trying to be in the passing lane,” Ely said.

While Ely was a prolific scorer all season, it wasn’t until the District 2 seeding game against Dunmore where her head coach saw something out of the ordinary. At least ordinary for Ely.

“When we started to get on that roll and started beating some good teams, I think she always believed, but then you could see that fire in her eyes get a little bit bigger,” Montrose coach Al Smith said. “That intensity started to grow.”

After playing last season with four senior starters, Erdmann knew she’d be called upon in a leadership role as a sophomore.

She said her focus was never on individual accomplishments.

“I never gave this a thought,” Erdmann said. “I was just doing what I could to help my team. I was just trying to win games and click as a team. I poured my heart and soul into that.

“Our goals were winning the league or the division or districts. You don’t ever think about post-season accomplishments.” She finished the year with a 17. per game scoring average, but scored 40 percent of her team’s points in the state tournament, including 21 against Steel-High, a game the Lady Foresters led at halftime.

“I really enjoyed it,” Erdmann said of the state tournament. “I didn’t feel the pressure. I enjoyed every minute of it.”