The ability to anticipate everyone's role and embrace it has continued for the Roselle Park girls basketball team.
Following a highly-successful 2024-2025 campaign that saw the Panthers win a state tournament game and conclude with a winning record of 16-6 - Roselle Park began 12-0 last year - the defending Union County Conference-Valley Division champions are off to another lofty start.
Fresh off winning their own holiday tournament, the Panthers begin the January portion of their schedule with an overall record of 5-1 and a Valley Division mark of 2-1.
"We expected to pick off where we left from last season," Roselle Park head coach Staci Hartzler said.
The Panthers are sparked by returning senior starters Sidney Smith, Hannah Djokic and Madison Wilkes.
Smith, who has scored more than 1,500 points and is on pace to become one of only a handful of players in Union County to reach 2,000, is again among the state's leading scorers with a 34.7 average so far this season.
Smith will continue playing in college at Division 1 Elon University in Elon, NC.
"Sidney brings out the best in all of our players," Hartzler said.
Smith, Djokic and Wilkes are also Roselle Park's captains. Smith played her first two years at Roselle Catholic.
"Sidney is taking on more of a leadership role for us this year," Hartzler said. "She wants the team to reach higher levels and the other girls are eager to learn from her. They watch Sidney when she's locked in and they then want to be the best they can be."
What makes Smith so special in Hartzler's eyes?
"In addition to her outside shot, it's her ball-handling," Hartzler said. "She's very quick. It's her quickness and use of both hands that speeds up what she does.
"Her hand-eye coordination is top of the line. When she steals the ball in the open floor no one can catch her."
Hartzler cites Djokic and Wilkes for their ability to rebound and block shots. Wilkes leads the team in rebounds with 77 and blocks with 13. Djokic has 39 rebounds and 10 blocks.
"They're both multi-dimensional players," Hartzler said.
Rounding out the starting five is sophomore Emma Gregoire, second in rebounds with 71 and steals with 12, and Otilia Dobre, who is also a sophomore.
As a freshman last year Gregoire was second in rebounds with 177 and blocked shots with 38.
"Emma was our first girl off the bench last year and this off-season I told her, 'You're it,'" Hartzler said. "Now she's a sophomore and she's an incredible athlete. We have high hopes for her."
Dobre, a first-year varsity player, leads the team in assists with 20.
"She has a lot of potential and can shoot the ball," Hartzler said.
One of Roselle Park's goals this year is to advance further in the states. Last year the Panthers beat Brearley 58-44 at home in the first round and then lost at Bound Brook 58-47 in the quarterfinal round in Central Jersey, Group 1.
Roselle Park is situated in CJG1 again this season, with defending champion New Providence the favorite to capture it once more.
Following the lone Valley Division setback at Brearley 51-39 on Dec. 20, Roselle Park takes a four-game winning streak into its 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 6 matchup at 5-0 Johnson. The Crusaders of Clark, guided by longtime head coach Joe Marino, begin the week leading the UCC's Mountain Division at 3-0.
Roselle Park is scheduled to play at Bernards Jan. 17 and at Hasbrouck Heights Feb. 6. Bernards began this week at 6-0 and Hasbrouck Heights is coming off an 18-12 season.
Bernards handed Roselle Park its first loss last year, a 50-35 decision at Roselle Park.
"The kids are not afraid of competition," Hartzler said.
ROSELLE PARK PANTHERS
GIRLS BASKETBALL
2025-2026:
4-Otilia Dobre, sophomore guard (5-2)
10-Emma Martinez-Tiburcio, freshman guard (5-2)
11-Jayda Boyd, freshman guard (5-4)
15-Sidney Smith, senior guard (5-3)
20-Melanie Gonzalez, sophomore forward (5-5)
21-Madison Wilkes, senior forward-center (5-11)
23-Hanna Djokic, senior guard-forward (5-7)
33-Ava Banks, sophomore guard (5-4)
34-Emmy Gregoire, sophomore forward (5-6)
Starters: Dobre, Djokic, Smith, Gregoire, Wilkes.
Captains: Djokic, Smith, Wilkes.
ROSELLE PARK PANTHERS
GIRLS BASKETBALL
2025-2026 results-schedule:
Dec. 18 (H) Roselle Park 67, Rahway 34 - Valley Division
Dec. 20 (A) Brearley 51, Roselle Park 39 - Valley Division
Dec. 22 (H) Roselle Park 55, Whippany Park 17
Dec. 23 (H) Roselle Park 64, Union 57 - Valley Division
Dec. 29 (H) Roselle Park 69, Perth Amboy 36 - RP Holiday Tournament
Dec. 30 (H) Roselle Park 45, Linden 40 - RP Holiday Tournament
Jan. 6 at Johnson
Jan. 14 at Koinonia Academy, 4:30 p.m.
Jan. 15 at Roselle, 4:30 p.m.
Jan. 17 at Bernards, 11:30 p.m.
Jan. 20 at Rahway, 4 p.m. - Valley Division
Jan. 22 Brearley, 4 p.m. - Valley Division
Jan 24 Hillside, 11 a.m. - Valley Division
Jan. 26 Kent Place, 4 p.m. - Valley Division
Jan. 27 at Union, 4 p.m. - Valley Division
Jan. 29 at Kent Place, 4:15 p.m. - Valley Division
Jan. 31 Roselle Catholic, 11:30 a.m.
Feb. 3 at Hillside, 4 p.m. - Valley Division
Feb. 6 at Hasbrouck Heights, 4:30 p.m.
Feb. 10 Dayton, 4 p.m.
Feb. 13 Newark Central, 4 p.m.
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