At 5-foot-2, Ashley Pearsall doesn’t look like much of a basketball player.
That is, until she steps on the court.
The Prep Charter senior point guard regularly blocks opponents who are much taller than her.
"My dream is to be 5-foot-5," said Pearsall, of the 1800 block of Fitzwater Street. "I’ve only grown an inch-and-a-quarter since the seventh grade. The other teams try to throw the ball high, but I just keep going at them."
The 17-year-old’s tenacity helped the Lady Huskies end their regular season 12-2 and qualify for the Public League playoffs.
"Without our sparkplug, we don’t go," said second-year coach Linda Page. "Ashley has stepped up real big."
Pearsall has been a member of the team since Prep Charter joined the Public League three seasons ago. Page suggests it is no coincidence that the Lady Huskies have been three-for-three in playoff appearances.
This season, with a team that includes six seniors, Prep Charter was hoping for its first trip to the semifinals.
But it was not to be. The squad faced off against Engineering & Science in Friday’s District XII Class AA championship game. Prep Charter was held to 12 first-half points, and the offense stayed in neutral on the way to a 62-33 loss.
Senior Sabriya McDuffie envisioned a different ending to her Public League season.
"We wanted to win today, so it’s a little disappointing," the 6-foot-3 center said after the game.
But only a little, since the Lady Huskies will get another chance to play next month in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association AA state tournament. The squad is one of three South Philadelphia teams that qualified for the states. The Prep Charter and Bok boys’ basketball teams are the others.
"It takes a little of the sting off," said McDuffie, of the 2200 block of Watkins Street.
Pearsall was anxious to prepare for the next postseason round.
"We have to get back in the gym and work twice as hard," she said. "We need to do more sprints and suicide drills. This game [against E&S;] was a wakeup call."
MAKING THE STATE tournament is a huge accomplishment for a third-year team. Prep Charter joined the Public League in the 2002-03 season and made the playoffs with an 8-2 record. The squad only made it to the first round, but it was a start.
Last season, the Lady Huskies advanced to the second round and nearly upset John Bartram in the Public League quarterfinals.
Pearsall enjoyed her time on the team so much, she wouldn’t mind doing it all over again.
"It always goes by so quick," she said. "I wish I could be back as a 10th-grader so I could learn more and do more."
But it seems she already knew plenty: Pearsall has helped the Lady Huskies win 29 regular-season games over the last three years. McDuffie has contributed many rebounds, block shots and inside scoring, while senior Crystal Enoch, who transferred to Prep Charter as a junior, has ranked among the city’s top scorers the last two seasons.
"We’ve clicked pretty well," Pearsall said of her teammates. "If we didn’t click, we wouldn’t be where we are today."
McDuffie and Pearsall are friends who get together outside school, sometimes practicing together at Smith Playground, 24th and Jackson streets, or the Christian Street Y, 1724 Christian St.
The players also help each other with homework. Their curriculum includes taking college prep courses at Community College of Philadelphia.
The demanding schedule of athletics and academics could pay off in the form of college scholarships. Pearsall is receiving strong interest from Neumann College, while McDuffie said both Neumann and Indiana University of Pennsylvania are sending regular mailings. Enoch is a Division I prospect.
Now that the seniors have helped build Prep Charter’s foundation, it will be up to the younger players to follow their lead.
But first, McDuffie has some encouraging to do as her team gets ready for states.
"I just tell them to keep their heads up and you can do whatever you set your mind to," she said.
Pearsall already has overcome her challenges by going up against many of the taller and tougher guards around the league.
"I have faced so many point guards that are bigger than I am, but I just go at them," she said. "Size doesn’t mean anything. They look at me and don’t think I can do it."
The guards at states might not want to make any assumptions.
