Jan 30, 2023 3 min read

McDONALD – South Fayette has a great girls basketball team. One that has a chance to repeat as district champion and do damage in the state tournament as well.

Cami Feltz, one of four seniors, was supposed to be a key part of that team on the court.

But those plans went awry months before the basketball season started.

Feltz, a defender on South Fayette’s girls soccer team, suffered a season-ending knee injury during the team’s section opener.

She barely got to play in any soccer games during her senior season, and didn’t get to play basketball at all.

That was until South Fayette’s Senior Night game against Lincoln Park Monday night.

South Fayette’s athletic director, Mark Kenner, had an idea that he ran by coach Bryan Bennett.

The plan was for Feltz to start the game and score a basket, with cooperation from Lincoln Park.

South Fayette would then let Lincoln Park score to even it out before the game proceeded as normal.

Bennett was on board, as was Lincoln Park coach Ryan Kacsur.

“We wanted to try and do something special,” Bennett said, “and Coach Kacsur from Lincoln Park, he’s a classy guy. We reached out to him today to see if we were able to start Cami and get her a basket. We wanted to make the night special for all four seniors.”

Feltz learned of the idea before the JV game. Understandably, she was both touched, and nervous, about the moment.

“I was really stressed,” Feltz said, “because I didn’t want to miss the layup, first of all. But I was also really thankful that I have such a great team that cares about me and wants to make this a really good experience for me, and I’m just blessed with the best coaches and the best teammates.”

She made the layup.

Everything went according to plan, and South Fayette ended up pounding Lincoln Park, 76-40, behind 14 points from Feltz’s classmate, Elon signee Ava Leroux

Bennett described Feltz as “the glue” of South Fayette’s team.

“She’s the glue,” Bennett said. “We have four outstanding seniors. She could have just packed it in and just showed up when she wanted to. She doesn’t miss unless she has some of her rehab. She’s kind of a person who kids turn to and look for advice. She stands with them on the sidelines.”

Leroux said South Fayette is “playing for” Feltz.

“She can’t be on the floor, so everything we do on the floor is just for her,” she said.

“She’s kind of like our backbone,” junior Erica Hall said.

South Fayette looks to keep it going Thursday night at Montour. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30. The main goals for South Fayette is to repeat as district champs and to do what it couldn’t do last year and win the state tournament.

This was a night for all four of South Fayette’s seniors – Feltz, Leroux, Maddie Webber and Rachel Black.

“We’ve been close ever since kindergarten,” Feltz said. “We’ve grown up together, so it’s another part of why it was such an emotional night.

“It was so perfect.”