“We’ve had a lot of ups and downs but we’re starting to move in the right direction,” says star player Dayzia Mendoza in a quote that seems to perfectly encapsulate the girls basketball season so far. With their record currently sitting at 2-12, the young squad has become used to facing adversity throughout the year. Despite this, the team has continued to fight for excellence. Mendoza is hopeful about their future, saying that her goal for the squad is to “win more games… I think if we win a few more games we will have an accomplishment to show for the season.”

With nine left to play, there is still plenty of room for improvement before the season ends. “We’re a relatively young team so we’ve had some ups and downs, but I think as captains we’re putting in extra work and helping the younger players which is great,” Team Captain Yesica Valle explained. When asked about her role and responsibilities as captain this year, Valle said, “It’s mainly getting people to communicate with each other and if they’re not going to be at practice they have to communicate with the coaches. Also just not getting as frustrated in general…you have to be calm and composed most of the time.”

The highlight of the girls’ season came on January 4 when Mendoza reached 1,000 career points in a win over Royal High School. “In the beginning of the year it was definitely a goal of mine to get there, so I’m really glad I got to reach that goal and I couldn’t be more thankful for my coaches and my teammates who believed in me.” As the team continues their journey this season, come support them in their upcoming game against Buena today, January 23 at 7pm.