SCOREBOARD for Tuesday, February 28

JV Boys Basketball

Cambridge 29, Cooperative 16
Christian Learning 22, International 8 


JV Girls Basketball

Cooperative 39, Cambridge 4
Christian Learning 20, International 4

Girls JV Basketball

Jaguarettes dispose of Knights easily, 39-4

     The Cooperative girls junior varsity basketball team jumped out to a 12-0 lead in the first quarter and never looked back as it went on to defeat Cambridge 39-4 in the Cooperative gym Tuesday.

      The Jaguarettes didn’t allow Cambridge to score until the third period, and led the game 26-0 at the half. It has to be said in the Knights behalf it has to be said that they continued to play hard even after their cause had become hopeless, but they were never a match for the more experienced Cooperative team.

   

      Giuliana Varalta was the high scorer for the victorious Jaguars with 17 points. Naira Rodriguez had eight and Isabella Peña six.  Alexandra Cadario, Andrea Chavez, Analee Davis, and Maria Fernanda Soria each had two points.

      All of Cambridge’s four points were scored by Renata Pinto.

Eagle JV girls defeat Griffins, 20-4

     The Christian Learning girls junior varsity basketball team, once again playing intense defense, defeated International without much of a problem, 20 to 4, in the Griffins gym Tuesday afternoon. 


      Coupling this win together with the Eagles 58-2 victory over Cambridge last week means that the Christian Learning opponents are now averaging a grand total of 3.00 points per game. It sets up a climactic match for next Tuesday when the two undefeated squads -- Christian Learning and Cooperative -- clash at the Jaguar gym. 


      Eager analysts of comparative scores will not find much in the way of definitive evidence. Both teams have handily outclassed their two common opponents -- Cambridge and International -- who will also play next week. 


      The Eagles got off to an 8-1 lead in the first quarter, including two baskets by Rebecah Escudero, and basically coasted home from there. 


     The Eagles didn't score in the second period, in which International got a basket by Camila Barrientos, to slash the Christian Learning lead to 8-3.


       Then, in the second half, the Eagles turned the engines back on, scored six points in each period while giving up only a single foul shot to Maria Zelada, so that the final score came in an 20-4.


       Escudero was the high scorer for the Eagles, tallying eight points. Maria Anderson had six, and Emily Ordoñez two.

       Camila Barrientos had two poiints for Internationa; Zelada and Pamela Hernandez had one point each.        

Boys JV Basketball

Knights triumphant over Jaguars, 29-16

     After a slow start, the Cambridge junior varsity boys basketball team won a decisive victory over Cooperative in the Jaguars gym, 29-16, Friday.

      Neither team was shooting well at first, and the game liumped along at 2-1 in favor of the Jaguars for most of the first quarter. but the Jaguars were able to jump out to a 6-1 lead in the closing minutes of the period. Cambridge's Santaigo Hurtado retaliated with a basket in the closing seconds of the first quarter, making in 6-3.

       Cambridge's attack started clicking in the second quarter, scoring on both drives and set shots, while holding the Jaguars to a single basket, and by halftime they held a 16-8 advantage.

       The Knights then dominated the third quarter, outscoring the Jaguars 13-2, to lead 29-10. The Jaguars outscored the Knights 6-0 in the final quarter, as Cambridge let all of its players --and it had 12 players in uniform plus several in reserve compared to seven for the Jaguars -- see some action.    

        It was the first time Jaguar coach Seth Gibson had experienced defea in Boliviat. Last year he had guided the Cooperative boys junior varsity to an undefeated championship season.

      For the winning Knights, Hurtado had 15 points, Percy Vidal 8, Massa Uena four, and Daniel Cortes 2.

      The Jaguars leading scorer was Eduardo Ustarez with six points. Luis Peredo, Rodrigo Chavez, Alejandro Lema, Matias Belmontes, and Matias Sequeiro each had two points.

Eagle JV scores decisive win over Griffins, 22-8 

      The Christian Learning boys junior varsity basketball team took command early and never relinquished it in defeating International in the International gym Tuesday 22-8.

       The Eagles were ahead 5-0 at the end of the first quarter and 15 to 4 at halftime. The second half was played much more evenly, but the Eagles were able to widen their lead further to make the final margin 14 points, 22-8.

       The Griffins did manage to close out their scoring with an impressive three-point shot by Alex Fuentelzas. Pablo Nuñez and Jaime Barrenechea had two points each for the Griffins, and Leonardo Melgar tallied one.

       For the Eagles, Claudio Sandoval had nine, Luke Phillips seven,  Micah Janzen four, and Regan Janzen two.

THIS WEEK HIGHLIGHTS

SCOREBOARD for Friday, Feb. 2477:

JV Boys Basketball

Cambridge 26, Christian Learning 21
Cooperatve 32, International 25 


JV Girls Basketball

Christian Learning 58, Cambridge 2
Cooperative 32, International 21

JV Girls Basketball

Jaguarettes post win over Griffins, 32-21

By Oscar Prudencio

     The Cooperative junior varsity girls basketball team defeated International in the International gym 32 to 21 Friday.

    The game started with a nearly immediate score from the Jaguars. The entire Jaguar team seemed dead set on its goals, well balanced, and with a more aggressive and ferocious strategy. They made several more attempts, but the Griffins, always ready to provide surprises, fended off the Jaguar attempts and responded with a score of their own, top make the score 2-2.

    The Griffenettes seemed to take a more defensive stance, spending more time at their end of the court attempting to block the Jaguars, and counter their every move. Both teams make equally good tries at scoring, but the SCCS girls were a lot more accurate with their shots and took a 10-2 lead at the end of the first quarter.

    The scoring evened out in the second quarter, with each team scoring ten points, making the score at halftime 20-12 in favor of the Jaguars.

    Throughout the second half, the Griffins tried to fight back. They shifted their defensive strategy and took a more aggressive stance. However, while it may have slowed the Jaguars at first, they adjusted and were able to widen their lead to 30-17 at the end of the third quarter.

    The fourth quarter was quite surprising; the Griffins defended with excellent coordination and basically stopped the Jaguar offense, which didn’t score until the closing moments of the game when they got the final basket of the game. Meanwhile, the SCIS girls took the courage to attack the Jaguar basket with some success, scoring four points.

     But the Jaguars were able to celebrate their 32 to 21 victory at the end. Both teams displayed great maturity as they shook hands and congratulated one another.

     (Oscar Prudencio is a junior at International and managing editor of the website for that school.)

JV Eagles win big against Knights, 58-2
By Trevor Reed


     The Christian Learning JV girls put on an impressive show against the Cambridge Knights, outscoring their opponents by 56 points before the final buzzer sounded.


     By the end of the first half, the Eagles had a comfortable 12-0 lead, which they were able to widen to 30-0 by halftime. The Eagles dominated in rebounds as well as shooting, and their stifling defense stopped the Knights from scoring even a single basket. Emily Mercado gave the Eagles a height advantage, and good shooting by Rebeca Escudero helped to push the Eagles ahead.


     In the third quarter, the Knights were finally able to score a basket, but the Eagles added eight baskets of their own, bringing the score to 46-2. The Knights appeared to be out of practice, especially on inbound passes. Multiple times, Escudero simply jumped up and caught the inbound pass, which left her completely open at the basket to score. By the end of the game, the score stood at 58-2, with the Eagles giving a strong impression of their skill and desire to win 1st place for the second year in a row.
(Trevor Reed is a senior at SCCLC and the editor-in-chief of the SCISL Blog.)

JV Boys Basketball

Big fourth quarter gives Jaguars a victory

By Oscar Prudencio    

 The Cooperative junior varsity boys basketball team defeated International 32-25 with a strong finish at the International gym Friday.

   The game started with both teams are pouring energy into the game,  reaching for the ball, and pouncing at each other’s defenses, Many attempts made to score in the early minutes. However none was successful until the Jaguars finally scored, and then scored again, taking a 4-0 lead.

    At this point the Griffins also seemed to find the range, and by the end of the first half it was clear that the game would be a true classic clash, with neither team seeming to let their guard down for even a second, and the score tied 13-13.

    As the second set starts, you could really see how fired up these boys really were, with the  teams in a back-and-forth pattern. As soon as one scored, the other one would score right back.   Griffin Jaime Barrenechea proved that his nimble size and speed can make him a very dangerous factor to which other teams should watch out for. The score at the end of the third period was still tied, 18-18.

    The fourth period started with another exchange of baskets, but the Griffins couldn’t keep the Jaguars contained. The SCCS boys skillfully managed to evade all defense set by the SCIS team, scoring one after the other, being interrupted only a by a three-point play by Christian Suarez, and a final basket by Alfonso Justiniano that was too little, too late and the final score reached 32-25.

     Twelve of the fourteen points recorded by the Jaguars in its fourth quarter surge were by eighth grader Eduardo Ustarez.: Cooperative played the game with no substitutes

     Both teams earned their cheers, and each celebrated as much as the other, both proud. The players finished the game by shaking each other’s hand in a gesture of maturity, and the day was done.Stories to come

      (Oscar Prudencio is a junior at International and managing editor of the website for that school.)


Eagles unhorsed by fearless Knights


By Jose Aldana 

      The Cambridge junior varsity boys basketball team was able to win a close, pivotal league clash against Christian Learning at Christian Learning Friday by  a score of 26-21,  displaying an eximious blend of effective defensive pressure and first-class shooting accuracy.

       In the first quarter, the Knights were held to a three-point lead, 10-7. Unintimidated by the Eagles' vibrant cheering, the Knights adopted a smothering defense impeding effective handling of the ball by the Eagles' guards and enabling the quick recovery of the ball by the Kniughts, opening their path to the first points on the match.

       The Eagles tried hard to balance the action and managed to pass over the Knights' "barricade," making a series of  threats, but  only a few were concretized into points. The efforts were mainly perpetrated by Abraham López, who sought to take advantage of his exalted height, and Luke Phillips.

      However, at halftime the score was 17-12 in favor of the Knights.

      The Knights came out in the third quarter displaying impressive motivation, and seeking to expand their advantage. By maintaining the smothering defense, Knights annulled Eagles' daring offensives. Speed and discipline marked the Knights' drives, which the Eagles were unable to neither control nor thwart .

       Additionally, the Knight guards displayed prime shooting skills, including  a couple of fantastic three-point baskets. At the end of the third quarter, the Knights had outscored their opponents by 23-14.

            The fourth quarter was a totally different story as the Eagles, fueled by the encouragement from the electrifying home crowd and unwilling to "throw in the towel," undertook to overcome the deficit they were confronting.

      The Knight's defensive system, which prevailed on the previous quarters, was gradually losing its efficiency as the Eagles gained momentum. Led by Phillips, who displayed amazing dribbling and shooting  skills, the Eagles slowly ate into the Knight lead.

       However, the Knights were fully aware they needed to hold off the fourth quarter comeback by the Eagles to preserve the victory; they never stopped working hard and their dedication finally paid off as the final buzzer sounded with Cambridge still ahead  26-21.

       Amazed by the thrilling spectacle, the home crowd stood and cheered, praising the effort and determination displayed by both teams, as the players shook each other's hands concluding this "Clash of Titans."


      (Jose Aldana is a junior at Christian Learning.) 

SCOREBOARD for Thursday, Feb 23

Varsity Boys Basketball

Cambridge 64, Christian Learning 41
International vs Cooperatve (postponed) 


Varsity Girls Basketball

Christian Learning 21, Cambridge 16
Cooperative 38, International 13

Boys Varsity Basketball

Knights end Eagle streak with 64-41 win

By Jesse Mann 
     The Cambridge boys varsity basketball team effectively put an end to the Eagles’ three-year winning streak with a stunning display of fast-paced ball handling and shooting accuracy spearheaded by their towering freshman center, Luis Mercado, resulting in a 64-41 victory.

     The Knights charged onto the court eager for battle, and successfully managed to combine their all-around speed with Mercado's height to circumnavigate the Eagle's defense. However, the match can by no means be labeled a blowout. The boys from Christian Learning doggedly fought the Knights for every basket, ultimately falling victim mainly to Mercado's height superiority.

      From the beginning of the game it became obvious that the Eagles could not compete with his lofty figure. Mercado planted himself under the net, where he pulled down rebounds and frustrated many Eagle shot attempts.

       On offense Mercado also performed handsomely, eventually scoring over a third of Cambridge's points from under the net. Juan Carlos Paniagua and Andres Hurtado also contributed to Cambridge's victory by skillfully driving through the Eagle defense and slipping the ball into the net.

     Missing their own big center, Andre Larsen, who was missing due to a temporary suspension, the Eagles could find no way to stop the Knight onslaught. Josiah Canaviri and Cesar Flores each scored several baskets, but could not outmuscle the Cambridge defense. (The Knights were not at full strength either. One of their ablest players, Gabriel Alonso, spent the game on the bench with a sprained ankle.)

     The Eagles managed to keep Cambridge in check during the first quarter, but by halftime the Knights had a ten-point lead, which they stretched to fifteen by the middle of the third quarter.

     Not ready to give up, the Eagles managed to claw their way to within seven points of Cambridge's score. Cambridge then widened the gap, and the comeback bid was permanently terminated when Hurtado sank two three pointers in a row, giving the Knights a twenty-point lead that they maintained, stretching it to 23 in the closing minutes..

      When Mercado finally fouled out halfway through the fourth quarter, it was too late for the Eagles. Cursed by low free throw accuracy, they failed to take advantage of the absence of Cambridge's big man.

    Although Josiah Canaviri, Trevor Reed and Cesar Flores were more than a match for the Knights when it came to ball handling and hustle, muscling the ball into basket despite being fouled, the Cambridge team showed it could hold a lead without Mercado.

     After more than three flawless seasons, the Eagles had finally met their match. The fight for this year's champion trophy promises to be truly thrilling, with what may be a revival of the Eagle-Knight rivalry that was once a perennial drama. Christian Learning had not lost a game since the Knights beat in their first meeting of the 2008 season. The Eagles won the championship that year, and then ran off three undefeated seasons.  
      Mercado led all scorers in Friday´s contest at Christian Learning with 25 points. Cambridge had three other scorers in double figures: Juan Carlos Paniagua with 14; Gustavo Roca with 13, and Andres Hurtado with 13, including two three-pointers. 
     Cesar Flores was high man for the Eagles with 15 ponts. Josiah Canaviri had 11; Haziel Martinez 7; Trevor Reed 4; Luke Phillips 2,   

     (Jesse Mann is a senior at Christian Learning and managing editor of the website.)


No game between Jaguars and Griffins
    
       The game between the International and Cooperative boys varsity teams scheduled for Thursday was not played. Cooperative athletic director and league commissioner formally requested Wednesday that the game be popstponed, saying that because many of its players were ill, injured, or travelling, Cooperative would be unable to field a team. International athletic director Eli Vilar was traveling Thursday and was not available to respond. Internatonal could, technically, insist that Cooperative forfeit the game.  

Girls Varsity Basketball

Eagles triumph in battle of the stars  

     The Christian Learning  girls varsity basketball team started its season on a happy note with a 21-16 victory over Cambridge in their home gym Thursday, but a foiurth quarter surge by Cambridge gave the home crowd a scare.
      The Eagles were in command through the first three quesrters, tossing in at least two baskets a quarter, most of them by junior Abby Phillips, and taking a seemingly invulnerable 13-3 lead. Cambridge was having one of those awful days when it could get the ball to the basket, but not in it.
      But at the start of the fourth quarter Lady Knight Nicole Fermin decided that this would simply not do. While only a ninth grader, Fermin has been a varsity starter for three years, though in the past she has been known chiefly for her all-out, full-speed-ahead style of play. In the fourth quarter, she would show a shooting finesse that had not previously been  part of her repertoire.
      She hit on a short set shot from the top of the key to start the period, then, after Josie Rodriguez sank a foul shot, Fermin scored on one of her more traditional crashing lay-up drives, picking up a foul on the way in. She made the foul shot to complete a three-point play.
     Christian Learning now tightened its surveillance of Fermin, and she drew a two-point foul. She made both shots,  making her three-for-three from the foul line, an almost unheard-of feat in SCISL girls basketball. Then Fermin sank another sweetly arced outside shot, Rodiguez made another free throw, and suddenly it was a three-point game,  19-16.
     The Eagles, it must be noted, had not been letting any mold grow under their sneakers in the period, and had added six poinbts during the final stanza on field goals by Damye Chun and Rebekah Kienzle, plus two foul shots by Phillips.
       In past years, Cambridge would at this point given the ball to Maira Lino, who would have found some way to lanch a three-pointer to tie the game. But Lino has graduated; Cambridge apparently doesn't have anyone it trusts to shoot from that range any more, and didn't try. Instead they tried several times to crash their way to the basket and hopefully draw a foul on the way, but the Eagles repulsed these charges without damage.
    Then, with the final seconds ticking off the clock, Phillips intercepted a Cambridge pass and raced alone down the court, laying the ball in for  a two-point grace note that sealed the victory. For Cambridge there was defeat -- but without disgrace. In the stands, one could sense the tension draining out.
     Phillips led all scorers with 14 points. Javiera Alipaz, Damye Chun, and Rebekah Kienzle had a field goal each, and Naomi Canaviri had a foul shot.
      For Cambridge, Fermin ended up with 11 points; Rodriguez had three and Yañez 2.
      (This story was compiled from various sources; it was written by faculty advisor David Boldt.)

Jaguar girls (ho-hum) notch another win

     While the Christian Learning boys varsity hoopesters were seeeing there three-years plus win streak blown to smithereens by Cambridge just a kilometer down the road, the Jaguar girls added another knot to
 their now two-plus year winning skein with a workmanlike 38-13 thrashing of International.

      The game, played in the Griffin gym Thursday, was never really in doubt as the Jaguars took a 12-2 lead in the first quarter, and were never seriously challenged after that, although the second and third period were played almost evenly.

The Jaguars blew the game completely open in the fourth period in which they outscored the Griffins 14 to four in an impressive demonstration of depth that may surprise those who thought the Jaguar dynasty would end when this year's seniors graduate.
   
     The fourth quarter started with a four-point surge by 8th grader Giuliana Varalta.on a field goal and two foul shots. Following in quick succession were two baskets by Giuliana´s older sister, Giovanna, a tenth grader; two by senior Carla Limpias; and one by ninth grader Jessica Maureira. At the end of the game the score stood 38-13 for the Jaguars, who, though they reportedly hadn't been looking so good in practice,  seemed to have it all together for the game. .

     For the winning Jaguars, Carle Limpias recorded 12 points, Giovanna Varalta 10, Sofia Sotelo 8, Giuliana Varalta 6, and Jesica Maureira 2.

     For the Grifffins, Fabiana Zelada and Carolina Baldivieso accounted for all the scoring. Zelada, whose older sister once led the League in scoring, had seven points, and Carolina Baldivieso had six..
 
     (This story is a round-up from several sources written by advisor David Boldt.)   

2012 Basketball Preview

      The curtain opens Thursday on what is probably the most question mark-filled varsity basketball season in recent memory.

      Christian Learning’s boys team will ride a three-year old winning streak into the season, but without most of the stars who made the Eagles’ last several teams legends in their own time.

     On the girls side, the Cooperative girls, whose winning streak is almost as long as the Christian Learning boys’, look like the favorites, but rumors swirl that the school has been hit by a virulent attack of early onset “senioritis” cast doubt on this prognosis.

Boys Basketball

      First let’s look at the boys varsity competition, which seems the more problematic.

      Christian Learning is looking to continue their long winning streak this year despite the loss of many key players. Jesse Hallock, Caleb Ropp, Conroy Janzen, Richard Ling, and Sung Jae Jang all graduated in 2011, leaving behind a less-experienced group of players. However, some Eagle standouts will remain from last year, including big center Andre Larsen as well as the sharpshooting sophomores Cesar Flores and Haziel Martinez. Along side these returning players, senior Trevor Reed, junior José Aldana, and freshman Josiah Caniviri will be making their varsity basketball debuts. The Eagle bench may appear to be sparser than normal, but one has to keep in mind the old adage that the Eagles have never been short of good basketball players, and the school has always been a title contender in this sport.

         Some smart money is going to be on the young Cambridge team, which finished second in the regular season last year before crashing and burning in the playoffs, during which they lost to both  International and Cooperative, ultimately taking last honors.

         But the Knights have been busy since that embarrassing “El Foldo” in the playoffs. They won the city-wide 15-and-under championship, and, more recently, the 16-and-under  interclub championships. Only one key player from last year – Fabricio Subirana – was lost to graduation, but that was a big loss in several ways.  Subirana used his size and experience to control the backboards in many games, and his absence during much of the playoffs clearly affected the outcomes.  

       The task of replacing Subirana’s rebounding prowess will fall to newcomer Luis Mercado, who has Subuirana’s height , if not his bulk, and may be a better shooter. Still, Mercado is only a 9^th grader, young to be carrying such a heavy load.

       However, he will be supported by a bunch of slick ball-handlers and accurate shooters including Gabriel Alonso, Andres Hurtado, Masayoshi Ueno, Daniel Kirigin, and Juan Carlos Paniagua, who have been playing together for years, as well as the lone senior on the team, Celso Moscoso.

    The prospects for the season may become much clearer after Thursday’s clash between Christian Learning and Cambridge. However, if this isn’t Cambridge’s year, then wait ‘til next year, as Brooklyn Dodger fans used to say.

     Cooperative’s team looks good on paper, but the Jaguars have often looked good on paper in recent years -- only to flop when they got on the floor. Still, the Jaguars can’t help but benefit from the return of Milan Marinkovic from the US, and have a number of other experienced players, including Josue Abuawadand and Andres Shin, plus some coming up from last year’s championshipjunior varsity squad.

      This year’s seniors at Cooperative were untouchable when they went undefeated as a junior varsity team. At that time it was thought that the Jaguars would be unbeatable for years to come. However, people around the league have begun wondering whether maybe that class peaked too soon.

     The Jaguars have not been a contender for the championship since 2008. Indeed, they have spent much of that time residing in the League cellar. Moreover, it’s understood from reliable sources that several players from the golden JV team of four years ago have elected to buff up for their class trip trip to Cancun instead of enduring full-court drills.   

       International once again plays the role of wild card in the race. The Griffins traditionally have started slowly, and then came on with a rush at the end of the season. Last year, as in 2009, the rush carried them all the way to the championship games, in which, however, they were defeated easily (though not disgraced) by Christian Learning.

       Still, this will be a tough year for them to be spoilers again. Several of the team´s better players from last year, including star Juan Sebastian Narvaez, have graduated. Coach Reyes Gil will be trying to cobble together a new winning combination from a bunch of eager young players including sophomore Francisco Gonzales and ninth graders Christian Jorge and Juan Carlos Narvaez. There are no seniors on the International roster.

Girls Basketball

     Moving over to the girls’ contest, Cooperative has to be rated as the odds-on favorite to repeat as champions. The only important player they lost to graduation was Aldana Roda, the team captain. Back to play this year are guards Giovanna Varalta and Tania Landivar, together with forwards Ana Peredo and Carla Limpias.

     Together they have formed the nucleus of a team that hasn’t lost since early in the 2009 season, when Christian Learning did them in with a flurry of three-pointers.  Senior Sofia Sotelo has been the point guard on the team and if she continues to recover successfully from a knee injury, she could be back as well 

      Still, Roda’s losss means there’s a gap in the Jaguars’ “back wall” of Roda, Peredo and Limpias that often seemed to “loom up” in intimidating fashion against smaller opponents – and all of  Co-operative’s opponents were smaller.  There are experienced players on hand, including Geraldine Lopez and Daniela Barberi, but nobody of quite the same stature as Roda.    

      However, rumors have been floating out of the Cooperative that the team had gotten a little jaded. After the Jaguars’ triumphs in soccer and volleyball in the SCISL last season, and in the Friendship Games against other “American Schools” in La Paz where they won every trophy in sight (soccer and volleyball, boys and girls), the SCISL basketball cup isn’t the incentive it once was.

    Christian Learning’s team last year showed that the Jaguars were vulnerable, losing one regular season game by only two points. The Jaguars won the championship by five points, but people just looking at the record book might forget that with five minutes to go the Eagles were ahead by four points. 

     Christian Learning, to be sure, faces a replacement problem of its own in finding a new center to take the place of the now-graduated Tabitha Malloy. Also gone from last year are Jessica Smith, whose family is back in the States for a year, and Jihea Ahn, who graduated. Players continuing from last year include track star Abby Phillips and senior Dahye Chun. This year may end up being a rebuilding year for the Eagle squad as they learn to adapt to playing without Malloy, but then again, the Eagles just might end up surprising everyone with a great season.

      Speaking of replacement problems, Cambridge may have the biggest problem of all in that department. It lost Maira Lino, one of the best players, and perhaps the best female three-point shooter, ever to play in the League. Aside from Lino, Cambridge’s varsity last year was almost indistinguishable from its junior varsity.

       Indeed, it would be wrong to say that Josi Rodriguez, Nicole Fermin, Mako Ueno, Isadora Santos, Amaya Yañez, and Kamilla Riveros will be “moving up” from JV to the varsity this year, since they all played in most of last year’s varsity games. The only difference will be that this year, as ninth graders, they will be a whole year older. 

      And they know how to play the game. Last year Cambridge won a varsity game against Christian Learning 19-16 that no one who saw it will ever forget -- for better or worse. Cambridge hung on even though for the last several minutes of the game they had only three players on the court. (All of the others had fouled out.)

       One of those three, to be sure, was Lino, and the question this year will be whether the Cambridge “Smurfs” can find another Lino who will function – pardon the badly mixed metaphor -- as a nucleus to their high-energy electrons. One possible candidate to fill that role is senior Lucia Candia.   

      International has, for reasons that defy easy explanation, never been a factor in girls basketball. Last year they lost in the playoff consolation game to Cambridge 16-0, in what is believed to be the only shutout in varsity League history.

      After that game, International’s Beatriz Nallar, who because of her accomplishments in  track, volleyball, and soccer, will be remembered as one of the greatest athletes to ever play in the SCISL, explained,  “We just can’t play basketball.“

       To make things even worse, two of the more competent players on last year’s team – Florencia Sosa and Maria Victoria Gutierrez – have graduated.

     But, as any expert in clichés can tell you, what goes around comes around, and every dog has its day. Some day the Griffins are going to be the same kind of threat in basketball that they are in other sports, and that day may not be far off.

     The Griffins have solid returning veterans in Laura Giotto and Nallar. Fabiana Zelada and Ciara Harriague, who excelled as junior varsity players, move up to the varsity this year. Who know? Perhaps it’s time for the worm to turn.         

Basketball Season is Almost Here!

The 2012 Basketball and Track season is approaching quickly, with the first basketball games planned for this coming week. The new schedule is posted here on the blog and a season preview is coming soon. Stay posted for more news! 

If you have any questions or comments, please message Trevor Reed at mktrevor@gmail.com