Gilroy’s girls basketball team may have been missing two
starters during this past weekend’s Pacific Grove Breaker Classic,
but the Mustangs were able to ride home on a wave of momentum.
Winning both of its games in the tournament, Gilroy is now 3-4 on
the season.
PACIFIC GROVE
Gilroy’s girls basketball team may have been missing two starters during this past weekend’s Pacific Grove Breaker Classic, but the Mustangs were able to ride home on a wave of momentum. Winning both of its games in the tournament, Gilroy is now 3-4 on the season.
Freshman Chelsea Hill led the team with 18 points in Saturday’s 61-37 victory over Pacific Grove, with seniors Angela Silveira (15 pts.) and Stephanie Solorio (11 pts.) also providing some timely buckets. The trio also led the team in scoring in a 48-34 win against Carmel.
“It was awesome,” GHS coach James Wilkins said. “We were without Vanessa (Wilkins) who had the flu and Amanda Spellman, who was away for her last field hockey event, and we had to pick it up. The girls had to show what they could do and they did just that in every phase of the game.”
Coach Wilkins added that the Mustangs’ play off the bench was instrumental in the victories, especially the play of Kristy Pineda-Chavez, Breanna Ma and Laura Steele, who was recently brought up from the junior varsity team.
“Breanna Ma did a wonderful job at the two position (shooting guard) and I hope to see some brighter things from her,” Wilkins said. “Kristy had to handle that one position (point guard) and she was remarkable, so much that I might use her there again … She was outstanding in that (Carmel) game.
“Laura Steele gave us good minutes of quality play,” he added.
The team seems to be starting to develop better chemistry after a rough Mustang Classic tournament, in which the squad was split in half to make up for a school that dropped out of the tourney on short notice.
Wilkins said much of the credit should be given to the work of players and assistant coach Laura Hennesee.
“I’m very, very proud of the girls,” Coach Wilkins said. “Laura Hennesee did a magnificent job of preparing these girls for the event.”
The standout play of Hill, who in her first year can already play multiple positions due to her size, will be something to monitor for the rest of the season.
“She’s not afraid of this type of competition,” Wilkins said. “You can see she played traveling ball at a high level (in past years). She listens, her attitude is superb – she’s trying very hard to improve. She’s a bright light for the future.”
The team’s next game will be Thursday at 7 p.m. at Leland.
The matchup provides an interesting subplot in that former GHS coach and Dispatch sports editor Ana Patejdl is the current head coach for the Chargers.
The junior varsity contest will begin at 5:30 p.m.
Frosh note:
The Gilroy High freshman girls team took third place in the Aptos Freshman Girls Basketball Tournament this past weekend.
Rebounding from a difficult 34-33 loss to San Benito Friday, the Mustangs were able to exact some revenge on Alisal Saturday, crushing the Trojans 40-2.
GHS had several chances to win the game against the Lady ‘Balers, but couldn’t get one last bucket. Alisal was less fortunate as the Mustangs were able to click on all cylinders.
It was the second time this season the freshman team has taken third in a tournament. The squad placed in the same spot during the Mustang Classic junior varsity tournament when filling in for a JV team that dropped out on short notice.
Girls soccer
Gilroy
The Gilroy varsity girls soccer team was ready Saturday. Players and coaches had gone to bed early the night before, ate well in the morning and felt fresh when they arrived at Gilroy High.
But there was just one problem.
The team’s opponent, St. Francis C. C. Catholic, never showed.
“It was kind of weird when I was standing there with the team,” GHS coach Jose Hernandez said Monday. “I was like, ‘I woke up early for this. Great!’ ”
Since the players were all there, and a local crowd had arrived to watch some soccer, the Mustangs decided to use the time to their benefit and scrimmaged like it was a real contest.
“It was good. We worked on a few things, closing our gaps and maintaining our shape,” Hernandez said. “It wasn’t quite the same, but we did kind of scrimmage with a crowd, so, it was nice.”
The Mustangs remained 1-2-2 and will enter Tri-County Athletic League play Wednesday at Alvarez High School. Whether or not Saturday’s game will be rescheduled, or count as a forfeit victory for the Mustangs, is still up in the air.
“I haven’t heard anything, our Athletic Director (Jack Daley) is contacting them,” Hernandez said. “Once we find out what happened, we’ll either reschedule or have a free game (win).”
Gilroy’s Wednesday game with Alvarez will begin at 3:30 p.m.
