OK, I splashed my face with ice-cold water in attempt to shake off the pain still lingering from the San Francisco 49ers NFC title game overtime loss Sunday. My face is cold and I’m still bummed. Oh well. Perspectively speaking, it was a special season in that a new life was breathed into a storied franchise after nearly a decade of frustrations. It was refreshing to be so invested in the Niners again. Losing stings, but the promise of things to come acts like Neosporin on the burn. Plenty of wins to look forward to during the Jim Harbaugh regime.
Anyway, we have reached the midway point of the winter sports league season. On the local front, the Christopher High girls soccer and basketball teams have positioned themselves in the thick of a Monterey Bay League title chase. Both have just one loss in the MBL thus far.
CHS girls hoops (12-5 overall, 5-1 MBL) head coach Heather Stewart has her troops playing at a high level – the one defeat came in overtime to Monte Vista Christian. It helps having the “Tabron Tandem” of junior Hanna Tabron, who dropped a career-high 32 against Watsonville on Monday night, and sister, freshman Olivia Tabron, who had 15 points. The two combined for 47 of the Cougars’ 55 points in the game.
A revamped offense and sturdy backline has contributed to the CHS girls soccer team’s (7-5, 4-1) hot start under head coach Janae Pimentel. Jasmine Contreras leads the team with six goals, but the wealth is certainly being shared as Cailin McCarry, Emma Morley, Yessina Delgado and Paulina Llamas all have three goals apiece.
At Gilroy High, the Mustangs girls basketball team is learning to win on the job. Early season injuries to two of its three best players has led head coach Kort Jensen and GHS to adjust on the fly. Though the defending champion Mustangs are 1-4 in the Tri-County Athletic League, two of the losses were by a combined eight points. Leading scorer Michelle Sosa is playing with a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). That’s dedication. Post player Ashlee Williams, clearly the Mustangs most valued asset in the first half of the season, is coming off of a career night with 25 points in a loss last Thursday to Alisal. And sophomore Brianna Barron is becoming more confident at the varsity level. Season is far from over, and the Mustangs still have a shot to get themselves back into the playoff picture.
Head coach Jose Hernandez has the GHS girls soccer team in a familiar situation four games through the TCAL slate – undefeated. The Mustangs are 4-0 and set to wrap up their first half with a pair of games this week. GHS is outscoring opponents 20-1 in its four TCAL victories.
Kudos to the GHS wrestling team for its championship performance at the 32nd annual Mid Cals Invitational over the weekend. Four individual champions and three other medalists contributed to the Mustangs first team-title at hits home tournament in four seasons. It isn’t like the nine-time Central Coast Section titleholders need any extra motivation as the season hits nitty-gritty time with the league, section and state meets on the horizon, but a Mid Cals tournament crown is a little more fuel for the stretch run.
To catch up on where the other winter teams sit through Monday: GHS boys hoops (6-10 overall, 1-4 TCAL) sixth place; CHS boys hoops (6-12 overall, 2-4 MBL) fifth place; GHS boys soccer (4-7-1 overall, 1-2-1 TCAL) tied for fourth; CHS boys soccer (1-11-2 overall, 0-5-1 MBL) tied for sixth place.
