Mars' Vita Vargo (4) dribbles the ball against Pine-Richland in a girls basketball game Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, at Mars High School. Vargo scored her 1,000th point in the game. Submitted photo

Vita Vargo admits that as a freshman point guard for Mars girls basketball three years ago, she felt a bit overwhelmed.

“I started that year and was taking the court against bigger and stronger girls,” she said. “It was tough, but I fought through it.”

It was the beginning of a varsity career that has seen Vargo improve every season. She averaged nine points per game her first year, 10.9 as a sophomore, 12.7 as a junior and is currently averaging 14.3 points for the Planets.

That steady progression put her within reach of 1,000 career points, which she eclipsed at the free-throw line in Monday’s win against Pine-Richland.

Vargo became the 11th player in program history to earn the milestone.

“It reflects on the effort and perseverance I’ve had, but I could not have done it without the support of my coaches, teammates and parents,” she said. “Getting to 1,000 was always a goal of mine. It was in the back of my mind at the start of the season, but I tried not to think about it, just went out and put the ball in the hoop.”

Vargo credits her time training with Get Ranked Basketball and coach D'Andre Corbin for helping her become a stronger point guard. Second-year Mars coach Zach Stitt had to rely a lot on her last year.

“It was my first year with the team. I was new to the players, and they were new to me,” he said. “Vita was our only returning player with varsity experience, and there was a lot of pressure on her. But this year, we have seven girls who got a ton of varsity minutes last year.”

Stitt also pointed to more scoring from Vargo’s teammates, saying it “allows her to play more freely.”

Juniors Alexis Cashdollar and Cecilia Christy are putting up 17 points per game between them, but have the ability to score more. Cashdollar tallied 18 points in the win over Pine-Richland. Mya Moore added 11.

While the Planets now feature a number of players with valuable familiarity at the varsity level, they also have seven freshman on the roster.

“Whether it’s a player who has played in all 15 of our games or just one, Vita wants them to feel a part of it all,” Stitt said. “She doesn’t want anybody to be on an island, talks with everybody on the team.”

In that respect, Vargo has extended her leadership beyond the stat sheet.

“The younger players look up to me, and one of my goals this year was to inspire them,” she said. “I want them to dream big and work hard. They can reach their goals if they stick with it.”

Mars (9-6, 3-3) hopes to soon lock up a WPIAL Class 5A playoff berth. Upcoming games against West Allegheny and Montour are crucial toward their chances.