The Kiski Area Cavaliers girls basketball program had fallen on hard times heading into last season. They hadn’t been to the WPIAL playoffs in more than 10 years, and won just seven section games from 2012 to 2021 including a 3-17 overall finish in 2020-2021.

But, Cavaliers guard Abbie Johns was determined to change the negativity that plagued the program for many seasons.

“We all had been fighting for it since freshman year. My grade has wanted to turn this program around,” Johns noted.

And they were able to achieve just that, by clinching a spot in the postseason last year for the first time since 2011. They solidified their playoff hopes with a 49-35 Class 5A win over Plum. Johns had an impressive performance in the win, contributing 15 points with nine of them coming in the fourth quarter.

“The second that buzzer hit, we just blew up and started screaming,” she added. “It hit us and we were all crying. Once we got to the locker room, it was nothing but joy and excitement.”

She carried that excitement of the season into this offseason, when it was time to decide on where she’d commit to play college basketball. Johns received interest from NCAA Division II schools Mansfield, Millersville and Shippensburg as well as NAIA Olivet Nazarene in Illinois.

After she took time to weigh her options, Johns came to a decision and made her commitment to Shippensburg University.

“I loved the location of the school, the coaches, the players and everything about the school,” the future Raider mentioned. “It’s a beautiful campus and I love the environment that the coaches and players create.”

That feeling of creating an environment is something that Johns is familiar with, especially being a part of Kiski Area’s turnaround. She’ll gain a better understanding when she heads off to Shippensburg, as the Raiders finished last season tied for first in the PSAC East with West Chester.

With the college recruitment process completed, Johns can fully focus on her upcoming senior year on the hardwood. She and her teammates are eager to get back to work and try to recreate last year’s success. Johns feels that by putting in hard work and staying close as a group they can achieve similar goals and make another playoff appearance.

However, she is aware that her time as a Cavalier is winding down and she wants her legacy to be remembered by many.

“I want to be known as someone who worked as hard as they could, a good leader who was kind to her teammates and brought the team together,” she said.