Archbishop Wood Celebrates State Title

Archbishop Wood celebrated its girls basketball team winning the state title for the second year in a row with a parade in Warminster Thursday.

The parade circled behind Wood, traveled to neighboring Nativity of Our Lord and then traveled down Street Rd. and York Rd. early Thursday afternoon, until coming to a stop in font of Archbishop Wood High School.

Hundreds of students and faculty gathered outside to cheer and congratulate the team.

The parade featured two fire engines from the local Warminster Fire Company No. 90, the Archbishop Wood marching band, drill team, and of course, the players from the girls basketball team. The players rode on the back of an antique fire engine from Warminster Fire Company No. 1.

“I hope we can have this every year,” said Principle Mary Harkins. with a 53-41 victory.

After the parade, an assembly was held inside the auditorium at Archbishop Wood for a special in-school distribution of the championship medals.

“It’s been so great," senior Jenna Swope, 18, from Warminster  said. "We’re not only friends on the court, but we’re really close friends off the court. I don’t know what I’m going to do next year without them.”

Swope is attending Gettysburg College next year to study special education.

At the assembly, coach Jim Ricci addressed his team, saying, “they’re good students, players, and even better kids” Ricci said.

Ryan Farrell, a special needs student from Council Rock and self-titled “Mayor of Ivyland,” joined the team for the celebration. The team had Farrell as their honorary captain for one game as part of the Athletes Helping Athletes program. After that game, the Lady Vikings decided to adopt Farrell into their “family.”

“It’s been great” Farrell said, “I want to do it again next year. You coming?”

At the close of the assembly, Farrell joined the Lady Vikings in a special rendition of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”