This Middle Township basketball player reaches a rare scoring milestone

When people talk about the rise of Women's Basketball in the United States, most conversations revolve around stars like Cailtin Clark, Diana Taurasi, and A'ja Wilson.

However, the Philadelphia and South Jersey region has a great lineage of women's basketball talent. The number one star in women's college basketball, Hannah Hidalgo, attended Paul VI High School in Haddon Township. Two-time WNBA All-Star and WNBA Champion Crystal Langhorne is from Willingboro, New Jersey.

Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't mention four-time WNBA All-Star and WNBA Finals MVP Kahleah Copper(Prep Charter High School in Philadelphia), Natasha Cloud (Cardinal O'Hara HS in the Philly Suburbs), and Basketball Hall of Famer Dawn Staley (Dobbins Tech High School in North Philadelphia).

But in South Jersey, Middle Township High School has their own rich basketball history. Before 2026, there have been 17 female athletes who have scored at least 1,000 points since 1980.

A New Member of the 1,000 Points Club at Middle Township

On Monday, during the Lady Panthers' 52-35 victory over Wildwood Catholic, Reagen Powell became the 18th member of the 1,000 points club at Middle Township High School. The Senior is Top Five in New Jersey in Points per Game among Women's Basketball players in New Jersey, according to MaxPreps.

Averaging 17.1 Points per Game this season, Powell spoke to 973 ESPN about what it means for her to join this exclusive club:

"Joining this class of unique people feels amazing and very special; Middle Township is definitely a basketball school and has had a lot of talented players to score 1000 points, and it (means) so much for my name to be there with them."

If Reagen Powell continues to average 17 points per game over the next ten games this season, she will be tied for 10th most points scored in Middle Township history (tied with former teammate Jada Elston).

The experience of playing with other high-level women ballers, along with being coached by longtime Head Coach John Leahy (who scored over 2,000 points as a boys basketball player at Middle Township), has put Powell in a unique position to become the best basketball player she can be:

"Something I learned during my time at Middle Township was definitely how to be the best teammate, I've learned to absorb criticism from coaches and quickly apply those changes without question which I believe will be useful when coming into Caldwell University as a freshman next year and having to earn playing time."

Part of her preparations for not just playing basketball at the next level, but also her development into one of the top scorers in New Jersey is the work Reagen Powell does when no one is watching.

Her trainer is a basketball legend at Middle Township: Lauryn Fields is the all-time scorer in Lady Panthers Basketball History with 1,692. Reagen Powell spoke to 973 ESPN about how important working with Fields has been for her basketball success:

"Definitely with Lauryn Fields as my trainer, she has given me lots of advice to play my own game and not worry about others. She's taught me how to play with confidence and to truly trust my ability, which is what I was missing a lot as I was coming up as a player."

Powell has committed to playing College Basketball at Caldwell University next season. But before she gets the opportunity to compete at the Division II level of Women's College Basketball, she is still focused on being a key member of an undefeated Middle Township Women's Basketball team. The Lady Panthers are expected to make noise in the New Jersey High School Basketball Postseason.