Element of expertise

As a sophomore at Bok High School’s new Petro-Chemical Sciences and Technology Academy, Devita Austin is quickly taking a liking to chemistry.

Now the 5-foot-10 guard wants to help create the right mix for the Bok Wildkittens basketball team.

The squad is off to a 1-3 start — an unwelcome reversal of last season, when the Wildkittens made the playoffs with a 9-1 record.

This season, it’s back to the basketball lab, as coach Greg Frangipani tries to create a solid team that can win games.

Austin, who played sparingly as a freshman, is now the leader of this rebuilding experiment. The members of last year’s starting lineup have either graduated or transferred.

The player is not letting the challenges shake her confidence.

"I have a competitive nature," said Austin, laced up in her shiny blue Air Jordans. "I like to prove to myself that I can do better."

That includes in the academic arena. Austin, a B student, was one of 35 Bok pupils selected to attend the Petro-Chemical Sciences and Technology Academy. The rigorous three-year program, which is sponsored by Sunoco, began in September and emphasizes science and technology, chemistry and internships for juniors and seniors.

As part of the program, Sunoco’s Philadelphia Refinery will reserve entry-level positions for qualified graduates. Students had to meet increased academic standards to be selected for the program.

"I really got introduced to it this year," said Austin, of 20th and McKean streets. "I am starting to like it more and more."

At the start of the school year, Austin and her classmates went on a field trip to the Sunoco Refinery.

Before that time, she had no familiarity with the massive facility with origins in the 1860s.

"I didn’t know it was so big," Austin said of Sunoco.

She’ll be learning more and more about the refinery over the next couple of years through internships and petrochemical tech courses.

"It’s a good program that helps you with a lot of things, especially with going to college," Austin noted.

She already has advanced knowledge in basketball through playing for Vare Middle School as well as in Point Breeze recreational leagues.

Frangipani is relying on Austin to serve as a team leader even though she is relatively new to the varsity level herself.

"She calls all the plays on the floor," the coach said. "She could probably run practice if I wasn’t there."

In games, Austin is a versatile athlete who rotates among the shooting guard, point guard and small forward positions.

This is the first year that Bok is playing the majority of its regular-season games against higher-enrollment squads in the AAAA South Division. Many of those teams previously played in the Gold Division, which featured the city’s elite teams.

On Friday, the Wildkittens lost 47-27 to William Penn, a former Gold Division member. Bok held its own for part of the game, and only trailed by three points at halftime.

Austin was one of three Bok players to finish the game with seven points. The Wildkittens also suffered double-digit losses to West Philly and John Bartram.

But Austin still believes that with the right chemistry, anything is possible.

"You need to have confidence in yourself and each other," she said. "We have to do better than before and be more aggressive."