It was a pressurized adjustment that many stars across the state and nation would struggle to handle. But not Dincher. The Bulldog phenom handled the challenge with grace on the way to the best season of her storied career, leading Shore to its third straight PIAA Class AAAA appearance and in the process, earning this year’s honor for Express Girls Basketball Player of the Year.

After averaging an absurd 20 points per game through her previous two seasons and seeing a massive uptick on the boards as a junior, Dincher took things a large step forward in her closing stint, upping her averages across the board. On top of averaging a career-high 21.8 points and eight rebounds per game, she also posted career highs in steals (2.8 per game) and assists (1.9).

The career highs don’t stop there either, with the senior also increasing her consistency in terms of producing huge outing after huge outing. She tied her career high in 20-point games (17) in one less game compared to last season, shattered her career high in 30-point games (6) and surpassed her career high in double-doubles with seven, four of which featured multiple assists and steals.

Her biggest outings came in a playoff win over Athens – where she put together a stat line of 26 points, 17 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals – and a rout of Bloomsburg – where she posted a career-high 35 points, 10 rebounds and 4 steals. Whether it was in the post or from the three-point line – where she shot 40-percent on the season, she was the flip of a switch away from becoming an unstoppable offensive force and rarely faltered on the defensive end.

RALPH WILSON/ For The Express Jersey Shore’s Peyton Dincher was named the Express Girls Basketball Player of the Year.

With a 22-point, 17-rebound outing against Lewisburg in late December, she became Jersey Shore’s all-time scoring leader, surpassing the previous mark of 1,623 points set by current Bloomsburg University coach Alison Tagliaferri. And though things didn’t end the way she or her team wanted to, as the team fell just short of advancing to PIAA quarters, she capped her career with one last historic accomplishment, becoming the only Bulldog in program history to surpass 2,000 career points.

Dincher wrapped up her career with 2,010 career points (19.5 points per game), 579 rebounds (5.6 per game) and 232 steals (2.3 per game), closing things out as a three-time first-team all-state selection. With her departure, the Dincher era of this award comes to an end, as next year’s award will go to someone not named Peyton Dincher for the first time since 2021.

She’s also a first in this award’s history, the captain of the Express all-star team’s starting five. The remaining starters, first-team and second-team all-stars are listed below.

STARTING FIVE

Camdyn Weaver, Central Mountain

RALPH WILSON/For The Express Jersey Shore’s Peyton Dincher competes during a home game this past winter season against Lewisburg. Dincher was named the Express Girls Basketball Player of the Year.

Among a deep cast of upperclassmen, Central Mountain sophomore Camdyn Weaver was arguably the biggest standout of all, serving an impact to her a team as a scorer, facilitator, rebounder and defender. She contributed heavily to the Wildcats clinching their District 6 Class 5A playoff bid, and heads into her junior season as an early favorite to compete for next year’s Player of the Year award.

With the team’s playoff aspirations in jeopardy late, Weaver was crucial in a tight, come-from-behind victory over Williamsport, hindering Millionaire star Nadirah Tutler defensively while leading Central Mountain in scoring with 20 points. She was a big reason the Wildcats had a shot at ending their losing streak against rival Jersey Shore in early January, logging a career-high 23 points on efficient shooting alongside 6 rebounds and 5 assists, and those performances were relatively customary for the sophomore.

Of the team’s 22 games, Weaver scored in double figures in 15 of them (68-percent). That includes of span of ten straight games, a span which saw the Wildcats go 7-3 amidst an up-and-down campaign. As a scorer, she displayed an affinity for scoring in the fast break, contest layups and converting free-throw opportunities.

On the season, she scored a team-high 12.4 points per game alongside averages of 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 1.6 steals. Her first-team all-star inclusion doesn’t even factor in her across-the-board improvements, which were considerable.

Lena Walker, Central Mountain

After seeing a massive uptick in playing time and scoring as a junior, Lena Walker’s upward trajectory in terms of impact carried into her closing campaign. Whether it was as a sharpshooter, pick pocket or facilitator, the Central Mountain senior was a key contributor in just about every game the Wildcats competed in, win or loss.

She was a streaky shooter throughout the season. But when one three found the bottom of the night, the next, and the next, were soon to follow. She hit three deep treys in a crucial win over Williamsport, five threes in a loss Dubois Central Catholic, four in a win over South Williamsport, two in 12 games and one in all but three.

Of the team’s 22 games, Walker surpassed 15 points in nine of them, six of which saw the Wildcats come out on top. Like Weaver, she posted double-figure scoring outings in 15 games, having the ability to score at all three levels when she was able to get in a groove.

Outside of scoring, she posted a team-high 3.4 assists per game, including a nine-assist outing against Midd-West, and was second on the team in steals with 3.1 per game, including a 12-steal outing in a separate game against the Mustangs.

Taylor Doyle, Central Mountain

While there was little doubt Central Mountain senior Taylor Doyle would land among this all-star team’s starting five, a 34-point triple double in a must-win game more than cemented her spot within the A-subset of this year’s first team. In the team’s tenth win of the season, a 62-55 victory over South Williamsport, Doyle put up a stat line of 34 points, 13 steals, 10 rebounds and three assists, helping the Wildcats secure their playoff spot.

That was by no means the only time the Central Mountain senior filled up the stat sheet, as she served an impact in all aspects on numerous occasions. She posted a 16-point, 8-rebound, 7-steal outing in an 11-point win over Danville, a 17-point, 12-rebound, 4-steal one in a three-point win over Bellwood-Antis, a 12-point, 7-rebound, 6-steal one in another win over South, the list goes on.

Those stat lines led to her finishing second on the team in scoring with 12.2 points per game, second in rebounds with 5.5 and first in steals with 4.2.

Doyle was an embodiment of Central Mountain’s scrappy nature, leading an effective group of pick pockets and proving a reliable rebounder despite her size. She wrapped up a great career with over 700 career points and 100 assists and just under 400 rebounds and 250 steals.

Kendall Wagner, Bucktail

As she was putting together a Wrestler of the Year caliber campaign on the mats with Central Mountain, Kendall Wagner was also producing a successful season on the basketball courts at Bucktail – a double life not many athletes would be expected to maintain. Nothing about her two-sport affair affected her consistency, as the Bucktail junior finished her nights with a double-double more often than not.

Through 21 contests, Wagner surpassed double figures in scoring 19 times, rebounds at least 14 times (with six games unaccounted for) and posted at least 13 double-doubles on the season. Her best outings came in a two-game span against Sullivan County and Curwensville, where she went 20 and 10 and 34 and 11 respectively to help give the Bucks life late in the season.

As a junior, Wagner surpassed 500 career rebounds and took home Defensive MVP in the West Branch tournament in late December. Behind Dincher, she finished second in the area in points per game with 14 and if she was thwarted by anyone in rebounds, it was likely by her own teammate in Eva Sockman.

SIXTH MEN

Cailyn Schall, Jersey Shore

While Peyton Dincher did much of the heavy lifting for the Bulldogs, through both this season and the previous few, there’s no way they could’ve accomplished all they had without solid second options. Shore senior Cailyn Schall effectively filled that role throughout the 2024-25 season, putting together a plethora of impactful outings and logging just under ten points and a team-leading 3.6 assists per game.

Schall was crucial in multiple big games, most notably the District 4 Class AAAA semifinal win over Lewisburg that clinched the team’s third straight states bid. There, the senior led the Bulldogs in scoring with 18 and went 9-of-11 from the free-throw line, with every point mattering in their eventual 57-51 victory over the Green Dragons.

Of Jersey Shore’s 26 games, Schall went above double figures in 15 of them, combining for 32 points in two hard-fought wins over rival Central Mountain and 31 against Lewisburg. She finished second on the team in rebounds per game (3.5), third on the team in steals (2.5) and was among a strong senior class that will be greatly missed.

Matti Mason, Bucktail

With the Bucks hampered by key departures, Matti Mason stepped up and did what she could to help alleviate the blows. Alongside Wagner, the Bucktail senior consistently finished games in double figures scoring wise, a strong second option that could take over if need be.

When it comes to starting the season on fire, Mason exploded onto the scene with five straight double-digit outings, including a 22-point explosion that helped propel the Bucks to their first win over Galeton. She’d slow down a bit following that stretch but still managed to up that number to 13 by season’s end, finishing the campaign averaging just under 11 points per game.

On top of her impact of a scorer, Mason could fill the stat sheet on any given day, posting four steals against St. John Neumann Sullivan, and Millville and consistently finishing with multiple assists, blocks and rebound. She put together a great season to wrap up of high school basketball career and now sets her sights towards finishing strong in softball as well.

Ava Doyle, Central Mountain

Among an undersized group, Central Mountain senior Ava Doyle was by-and-large its most consistent rebounder, grabbing more than seven boards in nine games and averaging 6.3 per outing. That included more than two per game on the offensive end, an aspect which helped the team in the second-chance category.

Doyle was usually in the background when it came to scoring, but that doesn’t mean she couldn’t contribute there when needed.

Her most notable performance came in an overtime loss to Penns Valley where she finished with a stat line of 16 points, 13 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 assists. And in a crucial victory over Williamsport, she was tremendously clutch, scoring eight of her 15 points within the fourth quarter to help push her team over the hump.

Alongside fellow senior starters in Taylor Doyle, Lena Walker and Macy Plowman, Doyle will be greatly missed as Central Mountain prepares for its next chapter. She wrapped up a strong career with over 400 points, almost 400 rebounds, over 100 assists and just under 200 steals.

Sophia Stover, Jersey Shore

While not always the most impactful scorer on the floor, Jersey Shore senior Sophia Stover found other ways to leave her mark on a nightly basic, serving as a force on the defensive end, a decent rebounder and streaky but potent third option. She regularly gave great perimeter scorers headaches and played opportunistic defense as well, finishing second on the team in steals with 2.7 per game.

There were times where nothing you could do was safe against her, with Stover notching three or more steals in half of Shore’s games and most notably logging seven in its District 4 Class AAAA semifinal win against Lewisburg. She also made an effort to give her team second-chance opportunities on the offensive side of the floor despite her size, grabbing at least one offensive rebound in 17 games.

An all-out hustler that displayed considerable grit in clutch moments, Stover made a considerable impact on the most successful team in the area this season.

Eva Sockman, Bucktail

In terms of jaw-dropping stat lines, Bucktail junior Eva Sockman seemed to log one every other night in the rebounding category. She and Kendall Wagner formed one of the most potent duos in that regard, but Sockman’s numbers were a bit more absurd.

Through 21 contests, she grabbed ten or more boards in at least 14 of them and over 15 in eight, with that impact reaching its pinnacle in early-to-mid January. Within a one-week span, she logged 20-rebound double-doubles on the road against CMVT and Millville, the former which saw her post a career high of 23.

While not always the most impactful of scorers, Sockman served as a decent third option on a team that definitely needed one considering its lack of depth. She scored in the double figures seven times, with her season high (13 points) coming in that 20-rebound showing against Millville, and she wrapped up the season posting just under seven points per game.

With her and Wagner set to return for their senior seasons, the Bucks are already more than set on the glass heading into December.

MOST IMPROVED

Camdyn Weaver, Central Mountain

On top of putting together an all-star caliber campaign, Central Mountain sophomore Camdyn Weaver also displayed considerable improvements that earned her this year’s honor for Express Most Improved Girls Basketball Player.

After putting together a promising first-year stint that saw her average 7.3 points, 5 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game, she upped her scoring outing by over five points thanks to increased confidence and efficiency. Her most notable improvement came from the free-throw line, where she went from making less than half her attempts to over 70-percent of them.

In a season where every Central Mountain starter upped their averages, Weaver managed to stand out as one of its most impactful. She more than doubled her number of double-figure scoring outings, became a more efficient scorer and better defender and improved her mentality, displaying a strong ability to effectively operate when facing adversity.

SECOND TEAM

(in alphabetical order)

Taylor Brown, Bellefonte; Kinsey Clark, Bald Eagle Area; Avery DePasqua, Jersey Shore; Hannah Heaton, Jersey Shore; Lexi Fravel, Bellefonte; Taylor Habovick, Bald Eagle Area; Jaylee Lose, Bellefonte; Gabbie Perry, Bald Eagle Area; Kylie Schall, Jersey Shore; Sybil Thompson, Bald Eagle Area.