GILROY – Looking at the Gilroy High girls varsity team’s 2008-09
season on paper, it would appear that the year was quite
favorable
– an 18-9 overall record and an appearance in the Central Coast
Section Division I semifinal game.
However, tumultuous relationships and off-the-court arguments
marred an otherwise successful season.
GILROY – Looking at the Gilroy High girls varsity team’s 2008-09 season on paper, it would appear that the year was quite favorable – an 18-9 overall record and an appearance in the Central Coast Section Division I semifinal game.
However, tumultuous relationships and off-the-court arguments marred an otherwise successful season.
A rift among the entire Mustangs’ basketball community left the team in shambles toward the tail end of the season, with allegations of religious discrimination against the coach leading to her departure, an expensive district investigation and threats of lawsuits from both sides. The controversy, unfortunately, overshadowed what was achieved.
In stepped first-year head coach Tim Jones, who is also Gilroy’s freshman football coach. He is confident in the resiliency of his Lady Mustangs, and said he has already seen growth in trust, not only between the players, but with him as their coach as well.
“There was some miscommunication between the coach and players and it kept getting bigger and bigger,” Jones said. “I think the biggest thing that has to happen is to have the trust re-established. We need to have some honest dialogue. We need to have open communication both ways. Initially it has been great.”
Putting the past behind them should be easy seeing as the Mustangs have a lot to look forward to as the 2009-10 season unfolds.
“This is a new start,” said senior center Laura Steele. “The girls have all improved and we have a good coach behind us. The girls are working harder and everyone is just excited and enjoying it.”
The Mustangs return nine players from last year’s squad, including first-team All-TCAL selection Chelsea Hill. As a sophomore, Hill led the team in points per game with 12.
They also return their top 3-point shooter in senior point guard Sovi Nou, who averaged eight points per contest, as well as second-leading scorer, senior Lindsey Foster, who poured in nine per game a year ago.
“It’s been easy to implement things because they already have so much basketball knowledge,” Jones said. “It’s not as hard as when you walk into a program and things are in total disarray.”
The Mustangs comfortably finished third in the TCAL last season with an 8-4 record. Those four losses came to two teams, North Salinas and rival San Benito.
The Haybalers defeated the Mustangs in the CCS semifinals as well and went on to take the Division I championship.
“San Benito and North Salinas are going to be right back in it again,” Jones said. “Both of them are always strong. They lost a few players but they didn’t lose everybody so they are not rebuilding.
“I think we can compete with those groups, but obviously it’s up to the girls to put in the work to go beyond being just competitive.”
The Mustangs’ strength lies in their height and athleticism.
Three of the Mustangs’ starters are above or near the 6-foot mark, including Hill at 6-foot and Steele at 6-foot-3.
“We have great size,” Jones said. “Our greatest strength is that they are so well-rounded as basketball players. They are fundamentally sound and based on that I think we are going to be a strong team.”
Gilroy’s season kicks off Tuesday against Watsonville before they host the annual Mustangs Classic beginning Tuesday Dec. 3 and running through the weekend.
