KNIGHTS in the News
Knights girls triumph
By John Maffei
Jan. 24, 2020
9:58 PM
San Marcos jumped out to an 11-0 lead and went on to upset No. 7 Mission Hills 40-26.
The win snaps San Marcos’ 13-game losing streak to Mission Hills and gives the Knights (13-7, 4-0) sole possession of first place in the Avocado West League while Mission Hills falls for 13-8, 3-1.
Izzy Flores scored the first 16 points for San Marcos and finished with 17. Megan Roberts scored nine points for the Knights and had seven rebounds. Makenna Tootikian scored two points, but had seven rebounds and blocked six shots.
Mission Hills had 26 turnovers
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Jan. 24, 2020
9:58 PM
San Marcos jumped out to an 11-0 lead and went on to upset No. 7 Mission Hills 40-26.
The win snaps San Marcos’ 13-game losing streak to Mission Hills and gives the Knights (13-7, 4-0) sole possession of first place in the Avocado West League while Mission Hills falls for 13-8, 3-1.
Izzy Flores scored the first 16 points for San Marcos and finished with 17. Megan Roberts scored nine points for the Knights and had seven rebounds. Makenna Tootikian scored two points, but had seven rebounds and blocked six shots.
Mission Hills had 26 turnovers
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https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/high-school-preps/story/2019-12-28/knights-battle-for-buckets
D-I girls basketball final: LCC’s defensive specialist takes over game
By Terry Monahan
Feb. 22, 2019
9:25 PM
Normally, La Costa Canyon’s Hannah Etheridge is in foul trouble early in the game.
The junior center, who does most of her damage on defense, took a shot on offense in the season’s most important contest and had her best game of the year.
Etheridge recorded a double-double to lead the top-seeded Mavericks to a 56-43 victory over No. 2 San Marcos in the San Diego Section Division I girls basketball finals Friday at UC San Diego’s RIMAC Arena.
“This means everything to me,” Etheridge said. “This is what you work all year for. This is the end goal.”
It’s La Costa Canyon’s first girls basketball crown since 2011.
Etheridge’s 19 points and 14 rebounds helped offset a slow start in which the Mavericks (19-10) trailed 13-5 in the first quarter.
But a 20-1 run the rest of the first half had LCC up 25-14 at the break.
A hot start to the third quarter by San Marcos (15-17) brought about a tie game at 33-33 before a 13-0 run put the game firmly in the hands of the Mavs.
“I had to get my mind in the proper place,” said Etheridge, who had 10 points at halftime. “I wanted to play as smart as I could.
“I was so nervous yesterday, but something felt different about this game. All that nervous energy, I just embraced it.”
Junior Haley Dumiak also hit double figures for the Mavs with 11 points.
“What a bad start,” said LCC coach Caitlin Eichlin, whose team beat San Marcos 63-37 on Jan. 16 and 51-46 on Feb. 6 during Avocado West League play. “We calmed down after some first-quarter jitters. We let them control the tempo in the first quarter.
“Once we found a groove, there was no looking back.
San Marcos hurt its chances with 34 turnovers and an 0-for-8 shooting effort in a second quarter in which the Mavs outscored them 15-1.
Senior Ashley Bernalas led the Knights with 20 points to go with 14 rebounds.
San Marcos’ last title was in 1986.
Monahan is a freelance writer.
Feb. 22, 2019
9:25 PM
Normally, La Costa Canyon’s Hannah Etheridge is in foul trouble early in the game.
The junior center, who does most of her damage on defense, took a shot on offense in the season’s most important contest and had her best game of the year.
Etheridge recorded a double-double to lead the top-seeded Mavericks to a 56-43 victory over No. 2 San Marcos in the San Diego Section Division I girls basketball finals Friday at UC San Diego’s RIMAC Arena.
“This means everything to me,” Etheridge said. “This is what you work all year for. This is the end goal.”
It’s La Costa Canyon’s first girls basketball crown since 2011.
Etheridge’s 19 points and 14 rebounds helped offset a slow start in which the Mavericks (19-10) trailed 13-5 in the first quarter.
But a 20-1 run the rest of the first half had LCC up 25-14 at the break.
A hot start to the third quarter by San Marcos (15-17) brought about a tie game at 33-33 before a 13-0 run put the game firmly in the hands of the Mavs.
“I had to get my mind in the proper place,” said Etheridge, who had 10 points at halftime. “I wanted to play as smart as I could.
“I was so nervous yesterday, but something felt different about this game. All that nervous energy, I just embraced it.”
Junior Haley Dumiak also hit double figures for the Mavs with 11 points.
“What a bad start,” said LCC coach Caitlin Eichlin, whose team beat San Marcos 63-37 on Jan. 16 and 51-46 on Feb. 6 during Avocado West League play. “We calmed down after some first-quarter jitters. We let them control the tempo in the first quarter.
“Once we found a groove, there was no looking back.
San Marcos hurt its chances with 34 turnovers and an 0-for-8 shooting effort in a second quarter in which the Mavs outscored them 15-1.
Senior Ashley Bernalas led the Knights with 20 points to go with 14 rebounds.
San Marcos’ last title was in 1986.
Monahan is a freelance writer.
Girls basketball semifinals: Knight gets last chance
By Terry Monahan
Feb. 19, 2019
San Marcos —
Ashley Bernales was just a sophomore in 2017 when San Marcos High lost the San Diego Section Division I girls basketball championship game.
When injuries struck down four starters this season, the senior forward never stopped believing.
She was rewarded with one last chance to win a title after scoring eight of her game-high 15 points in the fourth quarter to help the second-seeded Knights to a 43-37 win over No. 3 Poway on Tuesday night.
San Marcos (15-16) advances to Friday’s championship game at 6 p.m. in RIMAC Arena at UC San Diego against No. 1 La Costa Canyon.
“It’s amazing to get another shot,” Bernalas said. “This has been a dream season the way it unfolded.
“You just can’t have any negative thoughts. You have to believe.
“Losing is not an option.”
Bernales scored her team’s final eight points as the Knights, who downed Poway 57-46 on Dec. 10, scored just 18 second-half points.
Poway (23-8) had its 11-game winning streak snapped because of 20 turnovers, a poor shooting game going 9-for-46 from the floor and just 13-for-35 from the line.
Poway trailed 25-12 at halftime but opened the third quarter with 10 straight points.
The Palomar League champions caught San Marcos at 37-37 on Sophia Real’s 3-pointer with 1:27 to play.
That turned out to be the final points of the game for the Titans.
In addition to her 15 points, Bernales collected seven rebounds while avoiding foul trouble.
Sophomore center Colby Neal and Makaley Whittle each scored 10 points for Poway.
Neal collected 16 rebounds as well.
Monahan is a freelance writer.
Feb. 19, 2019
San Marcos —
Ashley Bernales was just a sophomore in 2017 when San Marcos High lost the San Diego Section Division I girls basketball championship game.
When injuries struck down four starters this season, the senior forward never stopped believing.
She was rewarded with one last chance to win a title after scoring eight of her game-high 15 points in the fourth quarter to help the second-seeded Knights to a 43-37 win over No. 3 Poway on Tuesday night.
San Marcos (15-16) advances to Friday’s championship game at 6 p.m. in RIMAC Arena at UC San Diego against No. 1 La Costa Canyon.
“It’s amazing to get another shot,” Bernalas said. “This has been a dream season the way it unfolded.
“You just can’t have any negative thoughts. You have to believe.
“Losing is not an option.”
Bernales scored her team’s final eight points as the Knights, who downed Poway 57-46 on Dec. 10, scored just 18 second-half points.
Poway (23-8) had its 11-game winning streak snapped because of 20 turnovers, a poor shooting game going 9-for-46 from the floor and just 13-for-35 from the line.
Poway trailed 25-12 at halftime but opened the third quarter with 10 straight points.
The Palomar League champions caught San Marcos at 37-37 on Sophia Real’s 3-pointer with 1:27 to play.
That turned out to be the final points of the game for the Titans.
In addition to her 15 points, Bernales collected seven rebounds while avoiding foul trouble.
Sophomore center Colby Neal and Makaley Whittle each scored 10 points for Poway.
Neal collected 16 rebounds as well.
Monahan is a freelance writer.
Banged-up Knights stay alive in girls basketball playoffs
By Terry Monahan
Feb. 12, 2019
9:55 PM
San Marcos High began the girls basketball season with a roar.But after a 9-1 start, the Knights started losing players.
In all, four starters have fallen, leaving the rest of the team to carry on.
On Tuesday, second-seeded San Marcos defeated No. 15 Lincoln 54-41 in the first round of the San Diego Section Division I playoffs.
The Knights host the quarterfinals Thursday at 6 p.m. against Imperial, which defeated Torrey Pines.
Tuesday’s game was scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. because of a campus blackout at 8 for a construction project. However, the tip was closer to 6 p.m. due to a late arrival by the Hornets (5-22).
San Marcos (13-16) snapped a six-game losing streak, winning for just the fourth time in the last 19 games. The Knights never trailing in the game despite committing 36 turnovers.
“At this point, we’re trying to search for something that will work,” San Marcos coach Roger DiCarlo said. “A win is a win.”
The Knights led by as many as 14 points during the game, but the Hornets closed the deficit to 45-38 with 2:56 to play behind Imani James, who was the game’s high scorer with 13 points.
The Hornets managed just three points the rest of the way.
“I was happy with the way we fought back in this game,” said San Marcos senior Maddie Rowe, who scored 12 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. “We all realized we had to rely on each other the rest of the way.
“It has taken us a while to get back to some kind of good form.”
Lincoln lost its eighth straight game and is just 1-8 away from the Hive.
Monahan is a freelance writer.
Feb. 12, 2019
9:55 PM
San Marcos High began the girls basketball season with a roar.But after a 9-1 start, the Knights started losing players.
In all, four starters have fallen, leaving the rest of the team to carry on.
On Tuesday, second-seeded San Marcos defeated No. 15 Lincoln 54-41 in the first round of the San Diego Section Division I playoffs.
The Knights host the quarterfinals Thursday at 6 p.m. against Imperial, which defeated Torrey Pines.
Tuesday’s game was scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. because of a campus blackout at 8 for a construction project. However, the tip was closer to 6 p.m. due to a late arrival by the Hornets (5-22).
San Marcos (13-16) snapped a six-game losing streak, winning for just the fourth time in the last 19 games. The Knights never trailing in the game despite committing 36 turnovers.
“At this point, we’re trying to search for something that will work,” San Marcos coach Roger DiCarlo said. “A win is a win.”
The Knights led by as many as 14 points during the game, but the Hornets closed the deficit to 45-38 with 2:56 to play behind Imani James, who was the game’s high scorer with 13 points.
The Hornets managed just three points the rest of the way.
“I was happy with the way we fought back in this game,” said San Marcos senior Maddie Rowe, who scored 12 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. “We all realized we had to rely on each other the rest of the way.
“It has taken us a while to get back to some kind of good form.”
Lincoln lost its eighth straight game and is just 1-8 away from the Hive.
Monahan is a freelance writer.
|
Knee injury becomes a test for San Marcos senior |
By TERRY MONAHAN
JAN. 17, 2019
6:10 PMInjuries as an athlete are nothing new to Sarah Cloutier.
The San Marcos High senior basketball player has endured a broken nose, a broken rib and broken vertebrae along the way.
“Nothing has been season ending, though,” Cloutier said.
Until now.
The 5-foot-9 guard’s final season with the Knights ended early when she suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in a game at Del Norte last month.
What was originally diagnosed as nothing too serious was changed to a damaged meniscus that would sideline her for just a few weeks. On New Year’s Eve, the diagnosis was changed again to a season-ending ACL tear.
Cloutier had the surgery to repair her right knee using a graft from her right hamstring last week.
“I was upset when the MRI results came back,” Cloutier said. “I had some really serious goals for senior year.
“In my room at home on the wall I was keeping track of how many career points I had scored at San Marcos. I was about 150 short of my goal of 1,000 points.”
Cloutier, who wound up with 814 points, still attends games on crutches and wears a new leg brace.
She tries to contribute as an assistant coach on the bench, instructing teammates about something Cloutier might notice.
“I’ve had a few ‘Why me?’ moments,” Cloutier said. “<TH>‘Why now?’ has popped up, too.
“Bad things happen to people who can get through it.”
Cloutier’s future includes playing in college.
She has already committed to Southeastern University in Lakeland, Fla., but she has yet to sign with the NAIA school.
“I was scared to call the coaches,” she said. “They said my new family was there for me, no matter what my knee was like.”
Cloutier was averaging 16.8 points a game to go with 4.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 3.5 steals as San Marcos surged to a 9-1 start to the season.
After losing six in a row following Cloutier’s injury, the Knights have won two straight and began the week 11-7 overall and 2-0 in the Avocado West League.
“I’ve had her since seventh grade when she would come to open gyms all the time,” San Marcos coach Roger DiCarlo said. “I knew her and (guard Ashley) Bernales would be special players one day.
“They both wound up with college scholarships.”
Cloutier may have to start her collegiate career in the Sunshine State a bit later than she wanted because of the rigorous rehabilitation her knee still needs.
“I had my eyes opened as to just how quickly this can all be taken away,” Cloutier said. “It can all disappear in a few seconds.
“I never thought this would happen to me. It’s scary to think about being hurt like this.
“I went up for a layup and senior year ended when I came down and heard a pop in my knee.”
Cloutier, who moved to England with her family at age 5, returned to San Marcos in fifth grade.
In a foreign country, basketball always seemed to be a friendly face.
She has not slowed down playing the game until now as she hobbles around campus on crutches.
“I have a deep passion for basketball,” said Cloutier, who wants to major in sports management at Southeastern. “Even on a bad day, being in the gym is great.”
As Cloutier continues her rehab work, DiCarlo expressed a worry that her aggressive nature will cause her to try to come back and play too soon.
“If this happened to anyone else, I wouldn’t be worried,” he said. “I know Sarah. She will work hard, maybe too hard for a quick return to action.”
Cloutier agreed with DiCarlo’s assessment of her immediate future.
“I don’t want to come back too soon and have this happen again, to either knee,” she said. “I don’t ever want to be a double-ACL victim.”
JAN. 17, 2019
6:10 PMInjuries as an athlete are nothing new to Sarah Cloutier.
The San Marcos High senior basketball player has endured a broken nose, a broken rib and broken vertebrae along the way.
“Nothing has been season ending, though,” Cloutier said.
Until now.
The 5-foot-9 guard’s final season with the Knights ended early when she suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in a game at Del Norte last month.
What was originally diagnosed as nothing too serious was changed to a damaged meniscus that would sideline her for just a few weeks. On New Year’s Eve, the diagnosis was changed again to a season-ending ACL tear.
Cloutier had the surgery to repair her right knee using a graft from her right hamstring last week.
“I was upset when the MRI results came back,” Cloutier said. “I had some really serious goals for senior year.
“In my room at home on the wall I was keeping track of how many career points I had scored at San Marcos. I was about 150 short of my goal of 1,000 points.”
Cloutier, who wound up with 814 points, still attends games on crutches and wears a new leg brace.
She tries to contribute as an assistant coach on the bench, instructing teammates about something Cloutier might notice.
“I’ve had a few ‘Why me?’ moments,” Cloutier said. “<TH>‘Why now?’ has popped up, too.
“Bad things happen to people who can get through it.”
Cloutier’s future includes playing in college.
She has already committed to Southeastern University in Lakeland, Fla., but she has yet to sign with the NAIA school.
“I was scared to call the coaches,” she said. “They said my new family was there for me, no matter what my knee was like.”
Cloutier was averaging 16.8 points a game to go with 4.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 3.5 steals as San Marcos surged to a 9-1 start to the season.
After losing six in a row following Cloutier’s injury, the Knights have won two straight and began the week 11-7 overall and 2-0 in the Avocado West League.
“I’ve had her since seventh grade when she would come to open gyms all the time,” San Marcos coach Roger DiCarlo said. “I knew her and (guard Ashley) Bernales would be special players one day.
“They both wound up with college scholarships.”
Cloutier may have to start her collegiate career in the Sunshine State a bit later than she wanted because of the rigorous rehabilitation her knee still needs.
“I had my eyes opened as to just how quickly this can all be taken away,” Cloutier said. “It can all disappear in a few seconds.
“I never thought this would happen to me. It’s scary to think about being hurt like this.
“I went up for a layup and senior year ended when I came down and heard a pop in my knee.”
Cloutier, who moved to England with her family at age 5, returned to San Marcos in fifth grade.
In a foreign country, basketball always seemed to be a friendly face.
She has not slowed down playing the game until now as she hobbles around campus on crutches.
“I have a deep passion for basketball,” said Cloutier, who wants to major in sports management at Southeastern. “Even on a bad day, being in the gym is great.”
As Cloutier continues her rehab work, DiCarlo expressed a worry that her aggressive nature will cause her to try to come back and play too soon.
“If this happened to anyone else, I wouldn’t be worried,” he said. “I know Sarah. She will work hard, maybe too hard for a quick return to action.”
Cloutier agreed with DiCarlo’s assessment of her immediate future.
“I don’t want to come back too soon and have this happen again, to either knee,” she said. “I don’t ever want to be a double-ACL victim.”
FINAL RANKINGS (UPDATED 03/26/18)
Another great season of San Diego girls high school basketball in the books.
Here is a look at our final top 10 rankings.
#4 SAN MARCOS (22-8)
Avocado East League Runner Up (8-2)
CIF San Diego Section Open Division 5th (Tie)
How The Season Ended:
The Knights lost in Division II State Southern Regional Final to eventual Champions, Redondo Union 56-43
Avocado East League Runner Up (8-2)
CIF San Diego Section Open Division 5th (Tie)
How The Season Ended:
The Knights lost in Division II State Southern Regional Final to eventual Champions, Redondo Union 56-43
Girls BB Final, Expanded Div. Ranks
DIVISION II
1. (1) Redondo Union (Redondo Beach) 31-5
2. (2) Pleasant Valley (Chico) 25-5
3. (4) San Marcos 22-8
4. (3) San Ramon Valley (Danville) 25-6
5. (5) Glendora 32-1
6. (7) Cathedral Catholic (San Diego) 21-12
7. (8) Lynwood 23-8
8. (6) Valley Christian (San Jose) 16-15
9. (10) Downey 26-7
10. (9) Eureka 26-7
Expanded Next Five Teams: 11. Westchester (Los Angeles) 26-11; 12. Mark Keppel (Alhambra) 30-5; 13. Whitney (Rocklin) 23-9; 14. Aliso Niguel (Aliso Viejo) 19-9; 15. Montgomery (Santa Rosa) 25-8.
Honorable Mention:Del Oro (Loomis) 21-11, Newark Memorial (Newark) 24-6, Silver Creek (San Jose) 18-12, South San Francisco 26-5, Village Christian (Sun Valley) 23-8, Westview (San Diego) 20-9.
Notes/Comments: There weren’t nearly as many changes in this division because the CIFSS with its competitive equity seeding has so many top teams that were in its D1 bracket. With Redondo’s win against Pleasant Valley, however, we did flip-flop the SoCal team higher than the NorCal team in terms of San Marcos and San Ramon Valley as well as Downey and Eureka.
Don’t look for Redondo to repeat as D2 state champions next year. This isn’t because the Sea Hawks are losing all of their players to graduation. In fact, they return just about everyone, including sophomore guard Alyssa Munn, junior forward Jasmine Davis and freshman forward Calli Stokes. What you can look for is for Redondo to be one of the top SoCal teams period. The team therefore isn’t likely going to be D2 but D1 and possibly in the CIFSS Open Division.
1. (1) Redondo Union (Redondo Beach) 31-5
2. (2) Pleasant Valley (Chico) 25-5
3. (4) San Marcos 22-8
4. (3) San Ramon Valley (Danville) 25-6
5. (5) Glendora 32-1
6. (7) Cathedral Catholic (San Diego) 21-12
7. (8) Lynwood 23-8
8. (6) Valley Christian (San Jose) 16-15
9. (10) Downey 26-7
10. (9) Eureka 26-7
Expanded Next Five Teams: 11. Westchester (Los Angeles) 26-11; 12. Mark Keppel (Alhambra) 30-5; 13. Whitney (Rocklin) 23-9; 14. Aliso Niguel (Aliso Viejo) 19-9; 15. Montgomery (Santa Rosa) 25-8.
Honorable Mention:Del Oro (Loomis) 21-11, Newark Memorial (Newark) 24-6, Silver Creek (San Jose) 18-12, South San Francisco 26-5, Village Christian (Sun Valley) 23-8, Westview (San Diego) 20-9.
Notes/Comments: There weren’t nearly as many changes in this division because the CIFSS with its competitive equity seeding has so many top teams that were in its D1 bracket. With Redondo’s win against Pleasant Valley, however, we did flip-flop the SoCal team higher than the NorCal team in terms of San Marcos and San Ramon Valley as well as Downey and Eureka.
Don’t look for Redondo to repeat as D2 state champions next year. This isn’t because the Sea Hawks are losing all of their players to graduation. In fact, they return just about everyone, including sophomore guard Alyssa Munn, junior forward Jasmine Davis and freshman forward Calli Stokes. What you can look for is for Redondo to be one of the top SoCal teams period. The team therefore isn’t likely going to be D2 but D1 and possibly in the CIFSS Open Division.
Girls BB: State Coaches of Year By Mark Tennis | Published: April 6, 2018
DIVISION II
Roger DiCarlo (San Marcos)
One of those seriously considered for the overall State Coach of the Year honor was Marcelo Enriquez of D2 state champion Redondo Union (Redondo Beach). He’s already been the D2 State Coach of the Year (2000), however, so for this category we needed to look deeper. The coach we’re putting into the book is DiCarlo, who led San Marcos to the D2 state semifinals and to a No. 4 final overall ranking for San Diego County.
This is only the third time that the D2 State Coach of Year selection in girls hoops has gone to someone from the CIF San Diego Section. The other two are Robby Sandoval of Mt. Miguel (Spring Valley) for 2005 and Brad Merrill from San Pasqual of Escondido (1988).
DiCarlo began his coaching career at Hoover of San Diego and won two league titles there before moving to San Marcos for an earlier seven-year stint at the school. He then left to coach as an assistant at San Diego State and as a head coach at Allen Community College. DiCarlo returned to San Marcos for the 2012-13 season and he’s been there ever since. His program hasn’t been able to overcome city rival Mission Hills (which is Division I), but went on a memorable run in the CIF SoCal playoffs this season.
Last 10 honorees: 2017 Allison Johnson (Fairfield Vanden); 2016 Mark Lehman (San Bernardino Cajon); 2015 Miguel Granillo (Tracy Kimball); 2014 Kelli DiMuro (Chaminade, West Hills); 2013 Michelle Massari (Sacramento); 2012 Leonard DeCoud (Riverside J.W. North); 2011 Wade Nakamura (San Jose Presentation); 2010 Tom Parrish (Hanford); 2009 Steve White (El Dorado Hills Oak Ridge); 2008 Victor Pitton (Sacramento St. Francis).
Roger DiCarlo (San Marcos)
One of those seriously considered for the overall State Coach of the Year honor was Marcelo Enriquez of D2 state champion Redondo Union (Redondo Beach). He’s already been the D2 State Coach of the Year (2000), however, so for this category we needed to look deeper. The coach we’re putting into the book is DiCarlo, who led San Marcos to the D2 state semifinals and to a No. 4 final overall ranking for San Diego County.
This is only the third time that the D2 State Coach of Year selection in girls hoops has gone to someone from the CIF San Diego Section. The other two are Robby Sandoval of Mt. Miguel (Spring Valley) for 2005 and Brad Merrill from San Pasqual of Escondido (1988).
DiCarlo began his coaching career at Hoover of San Diego and won two league titles there before moving to San Marcos for an earlier seven-year stint at the school. He then left to coach as an assistant at San Diego State and as a head coach at Allen Community College. DiCarlo returned to San Marcos for the 2012-13 season and he’s been there ever since. His program hasn’t been able to overcome city rival Mission Hills (which is Division I), but went on a memorable run in the CIF SoCal playoffs this season.
Last 10 honorees: 2017 Allison Johnson (Fairfield Vanden); 2016 Mark Lehman (San Bernardino Cajon); 2015 Miguel Granillo (Tracy Kimball); 2014 Kelli DiMuro (Chaminade, West Hills); 2013 Michelle Massari (Sacramento); 2012 Leonard DeCoud (Riverside J.W. North); 2011 Wade Nakamura (San Jose Presentation); 2010 Tom Parrish (Hanford); 2009 Steve White (El Dorado Hills Oak Ridge); 2008 Victor Pitton (Sacramento St. Francis).
Competition catches up with San Marcos in SoCal Regional
by John Maffei - March 17, 2018
After losing by two points to crosstown rival Mission Hills in the San Diego Section Open Division quarterfinals, San Marcos girls basketball coach Roger DiCarlo said his team had a good chance to win a Southern California Regional championship if the Knights were placed in Division III.
Instead, the Knights moved up to Division II and made it to the SoCal title game before falling 56-43 to Redondo Union on Saturday.
Trailing by 16 with 5:50 to play, No. 3-seeded San Marcos put on the press and cut the deficit to six with 3:10 remaining. But three straight turnovers led to six points and the Knights never recovered.
“No regrets, but maybe we should have turned up the pressure a little earlier,” DiCarlo said. “Really, it came down to the fact we didn’t shoot it well.”
The Knights (22-8) were only 6 for 25 on 3-point attempts.
“We knew they were good, but we knew we could beat them,” said San Marcos senior Rachel Roberts. “It was a physical game, and we made them feel the pressure at the end.
“We tried our best, but losing is frustrating.”
San Marcos led 9-8 after the first quarter, but an 11-0 run by the No. 1-seeded Sea Hawks (30-5) gave them an eight-point lead. Redondo Union led 25-16 at the half.
San Marcos trailed by seven midway through the third quarter, but the Sea Hawks went on a 10-0 run and led 42-27 after three quarters.
Ashley Bernales led San Marcos with 13 points while Dee Dee Valenzuela had 12 before fouling out with 2:15 to play.
Roberts finished with five points, but had nine rebounds and blocked three shots.
Freshman Calli Stokes led Redondo Union with 17 points, eight in the second quarter. Dylan Hortan added 12 for the Sea Hawks.
San Marcos turned the ball over 23 times.
“I couldn’t be more proud of this team,” DiCarlo said. “We played on the road against a very good team and made them work for the win. We played hard. That’s all I can ask.”
Instead, the Knights moved up to Division II and made it to the SoCal title game before falling 56-43 to Redondo Union on Saturday.
Trailing by 16 with 5:50 to play, No. 3-seeded San Marcos put on the press and cut the deficit to six with 3:10 remaining. But three straight turnovers led to six points and the Knights never recovered.
“No regrets, but maybe we should have turned up the pressure a little earlier,” DiCarlo said. “Really, it came down to the fact we didn’t shoot it well.”
The Knights (22-8) were only 6 for 25 on 3-point attempts.
“We knew they were good, but we knew we could beat them,” said San Marcos senior Rachel Roberts. “It was a physical game, and we made them feel the pressure at the end.
“We tried our best, but losing is frustrating.”
San Marcos led 9-8 after the first quarter, but an 11-0 run by the No. 1-seeded Sea Hawks (30-5) gave them an eight-point lead. Redondo Union led 25-16 at the half.
San Marcos trailed by seven midway through the third quarter, but the Sea Hawks went on a 10-0 run and led 42-27 after three quarters.
Ashley Bernales led San Marcos with 13 points while Dee Dee Valenzuela had 12 before fouling out with 2:15 to play.
Roberts finished with five points, but had nine rebounds and blocked three shots.
Freshman Calli Stokes led Redondo Union with 17 points, eight in the second quarter. Dylan Hortan added 12 for the Sea Hawks.
San Marcos turned the ball over 23 times.
“I couldn’t be more proud of this team,” DiCarlo said. “We played on the road against a very good team and made them work for the win. We played hard. That’s all I can ask.”
Knights take another new step in regional
by John Maffei - March 10, 2018
The San Marcos High girls basketball team is now in uncharted waters.
A 14-0 run to start the second quarter helped the Knights to a 64-28 Southern California Regional Division II quarterfinal win Saturday over Sun Valley Village Christian.
San Marcos (21-7), seeded No. 3, hosts No. 15 Cathedral Catholic on Tuesday. The Dons beat No. 10 Downey.
Despite its great basketball past, this is the furthest the San Marcos girls have advanced in the postseason.
“We’re trying to honor our seniors by keeping this season going,” said junior Sarah Cloutier, who finished 15 points and 10 rebounds.
“We try to come out strong, but there are times we play a little half-court game trying to feel them out. That’s what we did tonight. After that, we turned up the pressure.”
Village Christian (23-8), seeded No. 11, upset Santa Fe Christian earlier in the week, forced 26 turnovers.
Against San Marcos, the Crusaders had 13 turnovers in the second quarter, an eight-minute span in which they were outscored 25-5.
Village Christian turned the ball over 27 times and was outrebounded 43-29.
San Marcos opened the third quarter on a 10-0 run to erase all doubt.
“We feel if we can pressure Mission Hills — one of the best teams in the county — we can pressure anyone,” said San Marcos coach Roger DiCarlo. “We turned up the pressure tonight, got after it pretty good.”
San Marcos has beaten Cathedral Catholic twice this season, but the Knights aren’t looking forward just yet.
“We’re just happy to get another home game,” Cloutier said. “It’s crazy we’re in the Southern California playoffs and haven’t had to travel.”
Senior Dee Dee Valenzuela led San Marcos with 17 points while senior Rachel Roberts finished with 14 points and eight rebounds.
Roberts was a first-team all-county selection. Valenzuela was second team.
Leslie Aguilar, who had 20 points in the upset of Santa Fe Christian, led Village Christian with 12.
A 14-0 run to start the second quarter helped the Knights to a 64-28 Southern California Regional Division II quarterfinal win Saturday over Sun Valley Village Christian.
San Marcos (21-7), seeded No. 3, hosts No. 15 Cathedral Catholic on Tuesday. The Dons beat No. 10 Downey.
Despite its great basketball past, this is the furthest the San Marcos girls have advanced in the postseason.
“We’re trying to honor our seniors by keeping this season going,” said junior Sarah Cloutier, who finished 15 points and 10 rebounds.
“We try to come out strong, but there are times we play a little half-court game trying to feel them out. That’s what we did tonight. After that, we turned up the pressure.”
Village Christian (23-8), seeded No. 11, upset Santa Fe Christian earlier in the week, forced 26 turnovers.
Against San Marcos, the Crusaders had 13 turnovers in the second quarter, an eight-minute span in which they were outscored 25-5.
Village Christian turned the ball over 27 times and was outrebounded 43-29.
San Marcos opened the third quarter on a 10-0 run to erase all doubt.
“We feel if we can pressure Mission Hills — one of the best teams in the county — we can pressure anyone,” said San Marcos coach Roger DiCarlo. “We turned up the pressure tonight, got after it pretty good.”
San Marcos has beaten Cathedral Catholic twice this season, but the Knights aren’t looking forward just yet.
“We’re just happy to get another home game,” Cloutier said. “It’s crazy we’re in the Southern California playoffs and haven’t had to travel.”
Senior Dee Dee Valenzuela led San Marcos with 17 points while senior Rachel Roberts finished with 14 points and eight rebounds.
Roberts was a first-team all-county selection. Valenzuela was second team.
Leslie Aguilar, who had 20 points in the upset of Santa Fe Christian, led Village Christian with 12.
Southern California Regional basketball championship preview
GIRLS DIVISION II
(3) San Marcos (22-87) at (1) Redondo Union (29-5)
Saturday: 6 p.m.
First-team All-San Diego Section player Rachel Roberts (13.1 pts., 7.6 reb.) leads San Marcos with help from second-team pick Dee Dee Valenzuela (10.9 pts., 3.8 reb.), Sarah Cloutier (9.0 pts., 5.0 reb.) and Ashley Bernales (8.3 pts., 4.0 reb.). The Knights advanced with wins over Los Angeles Venice (70-50), Sun Valley Village Christian (64-28) and Cathedral Catholic (71-55). Redondo, the Southern Section Division 2AA champion, has won 11 in a row. The Sea Hawks advanced with wins over No. 16 Lake Balboa Birmingham (77-42), Glendora (58-41) and Los Angeles Westchester (74-43).
Next up: The winner plays the winner of the NorCal Regional game — Chico Pleasant Valley vs. San Jose Valley Christian — next Saturday in Sacramento.
(3) San Marcos (22-87) at (1) Redondo Union (29-5)
Saturday: 6 p.m.
First-team All-San Diego Section player Rachel Roberts (13.1 pts., 7.6 reb.) leads San Marcos with help from second-team pick Dee Dee Valenzuela (10.9 pts., 3.8 reb.), Sarah Cloutier (9.0 pts., 5.0 reb.) and Ashley Bernales (8.3 pts., 4.0 reb.). The Knights advanced with wins over Los Angeles Venice (70-50), Sun Valley Village Christian (64-28) and Cathedral Catholic (71-55). Redondo, the Southern Section Division 2AA champion, has won 11 in a row. The Sea Hawks advanced with wins over No. 16 Lake Balboa Birmingham (77-42), Glendora (58-41) and Los Angeles Westchester (74-43).
Next up: The winner plays the winner of the NorCal Regional game — Chico Pleasant Valley vs. San Jose Valley Christian — next Saturday in Sacramento.
San Marcos and Mater Dei girls, Christian boys still alive in state playoffs
by John Maffei - March 13, 2018
Cathedral Catholic’s improbable run to a Southern California Regional girls basketball championship came to an abrupt end Tuesday night.
For the third time this season, the Dons fell to San Marcos, this time 71-55 in the SoCal Division II semifinals.
Third-seeded San Marcos (22-7) will play at 6 p.m. Saturday at No. 1 Redondo Union.
Seeded No. 15, Cathedral — which upset No. 2 Lynwood and No. 10 Downey — saw its season end at 21-12.
San Marcos, which beat Cathedral Catholic 42-30 on March 1 in a San Diego Section Open Division seeding game and 47-38 in December in the SoCal Holiday Classic, improves to 13-1 at home this season and 21-2 over the last two.
“Beating a good team like that three times is hard,” said San Marcos senior Dee Dee Valenzuela, who finished with a team-high 17 points.
“But we were prepared physically and mentally for the challenge.
“We stayed with it when things got tough, and neither team gave up.”
Trailing 7-6 near the end of the first quarter, San Marcos went on a 15-2 run to lead 21-9.
But the Knights got sloppy near the end of the half with the Dons scoring four points in the last seven seconds to trim San Marcos’ halftime advantage to 32-27.
The Dons, however, could get no closer as forwards Mazatlan Harris and Kaylee Stiffler were both burdened by foul trouble and eventually fouled out.
Stiffler finished with a game-high 26 points while Harris was held to five.
“We played with great energy,” said Cathedral Catholic coach Jackie Turpin, who played at Santana and won section championships in 2000 and 2002 and went on to star at UC Davis.
“Things didn’t go our way, but we responded.”
“We had a tough playoff run, but we’re young and we’ll learn from this.
“Credit San Marcos. They shot it well and hit the boards. But I couldn’t be more proud of our effort.”
San Marcos sank 10 of 26 3-point attempts and outrebounded Cathedral 37-23.
Rachel Roberts finished with 16 points and had 10 rebounds for San Marcos before fouling out. Izzy Flores added 13 points while Christina DeLeone had seven rebounds.
For the third time this season, the Dons fell to San Marcos, this time 71-55 in the SoCal Division II semifinals.
Third-seeded San Marcos (22-7) will play at 6 p.m. Saturday at No. 1 Redondo Union.
Seeded No. 15, Cathedral — which upset No. 2 Lynwood and No. 10 Downey — saw its season end at 21-12.
San Marcos, which beat Cathedral Catholic 42-30 on March 1 in a San Diego Section Open Division seeding game and 47-38 in December in the SoCal Holiday Classic, improves to 13-1 at home this season and 21-2 over the last two.
“Beating a good team like that three times is hard,” said San Marcos senior Dee Dee Valenzuela, who finished with a team-high 17 points.
“But we were prepared physically and mentally for the challenge.
“We stayed with it when things got tough, and neither team gave up.”
Trailing 7-6 near the end of the first quarter, San Marcos went on a 15-2 run to lead 21-9.
But the Knights got sloppy near the end of the half with the Dons scoring four points in the last seven seconds to trim San Marcos’ halftime advantage to 32-27.
The Dons, however, could get no closer as forwards Mazatlan Harris and Kaylee Stiffler were both burdened by foul trouble and eventually fouled out.
Stiffler finished with a game-high 26 points while Harris was held to five.
“We played with great energy,” said Cathedral Catholic coach Jackie Turpin, who played at Santana and won section championships in 2000 and 2002 and went on to star at UC Davis.
“Things didn’t go our way, but we responded.”
“We had a tough playoff run, but we’re young and we’ll learn from this.
“Credit San Marcos. They shot it well and hit the boards. But I couldn’t be more proud of our effort.”
San Marcos sank 10 of 26 3-point attempts and outrebounded Cathedral 37-23.
Rachel Roberts finished with 16 points and had 10 rebounds for San Marcos before fouling out. Izzy Flores added 13 points while Christina DeLeone had seven rebounds.
All-San Diego Section teams for winter high school sports
March 10,2018
GIRLS BASKETBALL
FIRST TEAM
Name, School | Yr.
Rachel Roberts, San Marcos | Sr.
SECOND TEAM
Name, School | Yr..
Dee Dee Valenzuela, San Marcos | Sr.
FIRST TEAM
Name, School | Yr.
Rachel Roberts, San Marcos | Sr.
SECOND TEAM
Name, School | Yr..
Dee Dee Valenzuela, San Marcos | Sr.
Healthy for Knights’ postseason run
by Terry Monahan - February 21, 2018
There was a time early last basketball season when Rachel Roberts thought her playing days at San Marcos High were over.
A shoulder injury as a sophomore and a sprained ankle to open her junior year made what started out as a promising career seem like it was heading nowhere fast.
As the 6-foot senior guard-forward now enters the final stages of her four-year career as a Knight, Roberts is closing in on the 1,000-point mark.
“She came in as just a spot-up shooter and she’s turned herself into an all-around player,” San Marcos coach Roger DiCarlo said. “She’s gotten better as each year has gone on.”
Roberts endured a few obstacles along the way.
Her sophomore year was restricted to just 17 games because of a shoulder dislocation.
“Against Santa Fe Christian, I reached for the ball and my shoulder popped out but went right back in,” Roberts said. “I was out two weeks, but in the Mission Hills game it popped out again and stayed out for a couple of minutes.”
Roberts missed the remainder of that season thanks to surgery and six strenuous weeks of physical therapy.
In the very first game of her junior year, Roberts rolled her ankle on the very first play.
That cost her five games.
“I felt like I was letting my teammates down,” she said. “Sitting on the bench allowed me to see what I should be doing when I came back.
“It also gave me a chance to work on using my left hand more, which was a weakness at that point.”
The time off, in Roberts’ mind, made her a better player when she was healthy again.
After averaging 8.0 and 7.2 points a game her first two seasons, respectively, Roberts jumped to 10.8 points, second on the team, last season as a junior.
This year, she’s averaging a team-best 12.6 points and also leads the Knights in rebounding for the third straight season with a 7.5 average and blocks with 3.1 a game. She’s also second on the team in assists (2.3).
Roberts was one of the driving forces behind the Knights’ run to last year’s San Diego Section Division I championship game — won by Mater Dei Catholic 55-54.
“We were so immature as a team last year,” said Roberts. “We talk about all the mistakes we made, how we let it get away.
“It took me a solid week to get my mind right.
“We lost that game because Mater Dei was mentally stronger than we were.”
San Marcos, which finished the regular season 18-6 overall and 8-2 in the Avocado East League, will open the playoffs against league rival Mission Hills in the section Open Division quarterfinals on Saturday. The Knights lost both meetings with the Grizzlies during the regular season — 60-51 and 64-60.
Roberts has not decided on a college yet, though she’d like to continue her basketball career at the next level.
Her plans are to major in physical therapy.
“I know I’m ready to leave home,” Roberts said. “I want to live up to my expectations, so I’d better get used to being on my own.”
Roberts has also discovered another method for gaining perspective. With dad Doug as an inspiration, Rachel has turned to two art classes — ceramics and sculpture — as a way to find peace in her life.
“I didn’t think I’d be any good at art,” Roberts said. “I’ve started drawing and painting as well.”
Her favorite creation in ceramics are some “cool bowls” and in sculpture it’s a mask that caught her fancy.
“I don’t know if there’s a career in art,” she said, “or if it’s just something to fool around with.”
A shoulder injury as a sophomore and a sprained ankle to open her junior year made what started out as a promising career seem like it was heading nowhere fast.
As the 6-foot senior guard-forward now enters the final stages of her four-year career as a Knight, Roberts is closing in on the 1,000-point mark.
“She came in as just a spot-up shooter and she’s turned herself into an all-around player,” San Marcos coach Roger DiCarlo said. “She’s gotten better as each year has gone on.”
Roberts endured a few obstacles along the way.
Her sophomore year was restricted to just 17 games because of a shoulder dislocation.
“Against Santa Fe Christian, I reached for the ball and my shoulder popped out but went right back in,” Roberts said. “I was out two weeks, but in the Mission Hills game it popped out again and stayed out for a couple of minutes.”
Roberts missed the remainder of that season thanks to surgery and six strenuous weeks of physical therapy.
In the very first game of her junior year, Roberts rolled her ankle on the very first play.
That cost her five games.
“I felt like I was letting my teammates down,” she said. “Sitting on the bench allowed me to see what I should be doing when I came back.
“It also gave me a chance to work on using my left hand more, which was a weakness at that point.”
The time off, in Roberts’ mind, made her a better player when she was healthy again.
After averaging 8.0 and 7.2 points a game her first two seasons, respectively, Roberts jumped to 10.8 points, second on the team, last season as a junior.
This year, she’s averaging a team-best 12.6 points and also leads the Knights in rebounding for the third straight season with a 7.5 average and blocks with 3.1 a game. She’s also second on the team in assists (2.3).
Roberts was one of the driving forces behind the Knights’ run to last year’s San Diego Section Division I championship game — won by Mater Dei Catholic 55-54.
“We were so immature as a team last year,” said Roberts. “We talk about all the mistakes we made, how we let it get away.
“It took me a solid week to get my mind right.
“We lost that game because Mater Dei was mentally stronger than we were.”
San Marcos, which finished the regular season 18-6 overall and 8-2 in the Avocado East League, will open the playoffs against league rival Mission Hills in the section Open Division quarterfinals on Saturday. The Knights lost both meetings with the Grizzlies during the regular season — 60-51 and 64-60.
Roberts has not decided on a college yet, though she’d like to continue her basketball career at the next level.
Her plans are to major in physical therapy.
“I know I’m ready to leave home,” Roberts said. “I want to live up to my expectations, so I’d better get used to being on my own.”
Roberts has also discovered another method for gaining perspective. With dad Doug as an inspiration, Rachel has turned to two art classes — ceramics and sculpture — as a way to find peace in her life.
“I didn’t think I’d be any good at art,” Roberts said. “I’ve started drawing and painting as well.”
Her favorite creation in ceramics are some “cool bowls” and in sculpture it’s a mask that caught her fancy.
“I don’t know if there’s a career in art,” she said, “or if it’s just something to fool around with.”
Grizzlies seek fifth title in a row in girls basketball
by John Maffei - February 24,2018
The drive for five is still alive.
Winner of four straight San Diego Section girls basketball championships, including three consecutive Open Division titles, Mission Hills advanced to Wednesday’s semifinals with a hard-fought 53-51 decision Saturday over visiting San Marcos.
With the win, No. 4-seeded Mission Hills (23-7) plays at top-seeded La Jolla Country Day, a team that defeated the Grizzlies 56-49 earlier in the season. It’s Mission Hills’ only loss this season to a San Diego team.
San Marcos (18-8) will play at home Thursday in a seeding game since all eight Open Division teams advance to the Southern California Regionals.
Mission Hills has now beaten San Marcos 11 straight times, including twice earlier this season by 11 and four points.
“We were sloppy and San Marcos is very hard to guard,” said Mission Hills coach Chris Kroesch.
“Offensively, we didn’t move the ball well, and they hit some big shots.”
After four ties and six first-half lead changes, Mission Hills used a 12-0 run to carve out a 12-point lead at 32-20.
But San Marcos scored twice in the last 40 seconds to cut the deficit to seven at the break.
Mission Hills pushed the advantage back to 11 in the third quarter, but it was a one-point game at 50-49 with 60 seconds to play.
That’s when Aaliyah Taylor rebounded an offensive miss and scored, giving the Grizzlies a three-point advantage with 33 seconds to play.
San Marcos had one last chance with 1.6 seconds left after rebounding a miss free throw, but couldn’t get a shot off.
“That was a huge play,” said San Marcos coach Roger DiCarlo. “Give them credit. We made runs at them, and they responded.
“They’re the champs, and you have to knock the champs out. You can’t sit back and wait for the judges to give you a decision.”
Hailey McCoy, who missed the previous three games with a back injury, led Mission Hills with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Taylor added 11 points and had seven rebounds while Susie Reynoso had 10 points for the Grizzlies.
Ashley Bernales paced San Marcos with 11 points while Sarah Cloutier had 10.
Mission Hills came into the game with a 130-29 record over the past five seasons — 81.7 percent. And the Grizzlies are 102-11 — 90.2 percent — against San Diego teams over that period.
San Marcos came into game 88-52 over the last five seasons — 61.8 percent.
Winner of four straight San Diego Section girls basketball championships, including three consecutive Open Division titles, Mission Hills advanced to Wednesday’s semifinals with a hard-fought 53-51 decision Saturday over visiting San Marcos.
With the win, No. 4-seeded Mission Hills (23-7) plays at top-seeded La Jolla Country Day, a team that defeated the Grizzlies 56-49 earlier in the season. It’s Mission Hills’ only loss this season to a San Diego team.
San Marcos (18-8) will play at home Thursday in a seeding game since all eight Open Division teams advance to the Southern California Regionals.
Mission Hills has now beaten San Marcos 11 straight times, including twice earlier this season by 11 and four points.
“We were sloppy and San Marcos is very hard to guard,” said Mission Hills coach Chris Kroesch.
“Offensively, we didn’t move the ball well, and they hit some big shots.”
After four ties and six first-half lead changes, Mission Hills used a 12-0 run to carve out a 12-point lead at 32-20.
But San Marcos scored twice in the last 40 seconds to cut the deficit to seven at the break.
Mission Hills pushed the advantage back to 11 in the third quarter, but it was a one-point game at 50-49 with 60 seconds to play.
That’s when Aaliyah Taylor rebounded an offensive miss and scored, giving the Grizzlies a three-point advantage with 33 seconds to play.
San Marcos had one last chance with 1.6 seconds left after rebounding a miss free throw, but couldn’t get a shot off.
“That was a huge play,” said San Marcos coach Roger DiCarlo. “Give them credit. We made runs at them, and they responded.
“They’re the champs, and you have to knock the champs out. You can’t sit back and wait for the judges to give you a decision.”
Hailey McCoy, who missed the previous three games with a back injury, led Mission Hills with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Taylor added 11 points and had seven rebounds while Susie Reynoso had 10 points for the Grizzlies.
Ashley Bernales paced San Marcos with 11 points while Sarah Cloutier had 10.
Mission Hills came into the game with a 130-29 record over the past five seasons — 81.7 percent. And the Grizzlies are 102-11 — 90.2 percent — against San Diego teams over that period.
San Marcos came into game 88-52 over the last five seasons — 61.8 percent.
Grizzlies girls still No. 1 in San Marcos
by John Maffei - January 26,2018
The gap is closing.
Not nearly as fast as San Marcos would like, but the distance between the Knights and Mission Hills is definitely getting closer.
Playing for first place in the Avocado East League on Friday night, San Marcos — using a relentless full-court press — forced Mission Hills into 24 turnovers.
But the No. 4-ranked Grizzlies used a superior rebounding advantage and a pair of clutch third-quarter 3-pointers by Melina Bland to grind out a 60-51 girls basketball win at San Marcos.
The victory is the ninth in a row over San Marcos with no game closer than 18 in the previous eight.
“San Marcos is scrappy,” said Mission Hills coach Chris Kroesch. “They were geeked up. They played hard. They had a good plan, and they forced us into turnovers. But we found a way to get it done.”
Mission Hills, winner of four straight San Diego Section titles, took its first lead with 5:01 to play in the second quarter and led just 40-39 with 3:30 to play in the third period.
The Grizzlies (14-6, 4-0) led by four when Bland hit back-to-back 3-pointers to end the quarter.
“She’s a four-year player who has waited her turn,” said Kroesch. “What went unnoticed was that she had a pair of offensive rebounds just before hitting those shots. That got her into the game, into a rhythm.”
Aaliyah Taylor led Mission Hills with 20 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Kathryn Neff added 11 points for the Grizzlies.
Mission Hills outrebounded San Marcos 38-22 and had five girls with at least five rebounds.
Dee Dee Valenzuela had 20 points for No. 7 San Marcos (13-4, 3-1). Sarah Cloutier added 16.
The Knights, however, missed 11 free throw.
“We haven’t turned the ball over that many times since early in the season,” Kroesch said. “So to go on the road and steal a league win is big.”
Not nearly as fast as San Marcos would like, but the distance between the Knights and Mission Hills is definitely getting closer.
Playing for first place in the Avocado East League on Friday night, San Marcos — using a relentless full-court press — forced Mission Hills into 24 turnovers.
But the No. 4-ranked Grizzlies used a superior rebounding advantage and a pair of clutch third-quarter 3-pointers by Melina Bland to grind out a 60-51 girls basketball win at San Marcos.
The victory is the ninth in a row over San Marcos with no game closer than 18 in the previous eight.
“San Marcos is scrappy,” said Mission Hills coach Chris Kroesch. “They were geeked up. They played hard. They had a good plan, and they forced us into turnovers. But we found a way to get it done.”
Mission Hills, winner of four straight San Diego Section titles, took its first lead with 5:01 to play in the second quarter and led just 40-39 with 3:30 to play in the third period.
The Grizzlies (14-6, 4-0) led by four when Bland hit back-to-back 3-pointers to end the quarter.
“She’s a four-year player who has waited her turn,” said Kroesch. “What went unnoticed was that she had a pair of offensive rebounds just before hitting those shots. That got her into the game, into a rhythm.”
Aaliyah Taylor led Mission Hills with 20 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Kathryn Neff added 11 points for the Grizzlies.
Mission Hills outrebounded San Marcos 38-22 and had five girls with at least five rebounds.
Dee Dee Valenzuela had 20 points for No. 7 San Marcos (13-4, 3-1). Sarah Cloutier added 16.
The Knights, however, missed 11 free throw.
“We haven’t turned the ball over that many times since early in the season,” Kroesch said. “So to go on the road and steal a league win is big.”
San Marcos girls winning a year early
By Terry Monahan | March 1, 2017
With no seniors on a talented roster, San Marcos coach Roger DiCarlo thought the 2017-18 season would be the Knights’ time to shine.
Turns out, they’re ahead of schedule.
San Marcos, the No. 5 seed, started the game with a 9-0 run and never looked back en route to a 60-35 victory over No. 9 Torrey Pines on Wednesday night in the San Diego Section Division I girls basketball semifinals at San Marcos High.
The Knights (19-10) advanced to the title game Friday at 8 p.m. at USD’s Jenny Craig Pavilion against No. 3 Mater Dei Catholic.
“I’m not so much shocked at being in the finals as I am about the final score,” DiCarlo said. “We have to finish this.”
Junior Dee Dee Valenzuela led San Marcos with 14 points. Freshman Izzy Flores added 12 points and four rebounds.
“I’ve never even seen a final,” Valenzuela said. “Both of the other teams are tough. We can do it if we play like this again.”
Senior Megan Voss and sophomore Angelina Roque each had 13 points for Torrey Pines (16-10).
The Knights, who won the 2A Division in 1982 and ’86, went to the finals in 2014, losing to Helix.
Monahan is a freelance writer.
Turns out, they’re ahead of schedule.
San Marcos, the No. 5 seed, started the game with a 9-0 run and never looked back en route to a 60-35 victory over No. 9 Torrey Pines on Wednesday night in the San Diego Section Division I girls basketball semifinals at San Marcos High.
The Knights (19-10) advanced to the title game Friday at 8 p.m. at USD’s Jenny Craig Pavilion against No. 3 Mater Dei Catholic.
“I’m not so much shocked at being in the finals as I am about the final score,” DiCarlo said. “We have to finish this.”
Junior Dee Dee Valenzuela led San Marcos with 14 points. Freshman Izzy Flores added 12 points and four rebounds.
“I’ve never even seen a final,” Valenzuela said. “Both of the other teams are tough. We can do it if we play like this again.”
Senior Megan Voss and sophomore Angelina Roque each had 13 points for Torrey Pines (16-10).
The Knights, who won the 2A Division in 1982 and ’86, went to the finals in 2014, losing to Helix.
Monahan is a freelance writer.
Young San Marcos team growing up Knights show progress with tournament win over Rancho Bernardo
By Terry Monahan | 11:10 p.m. Dec. 28, 2015
Just 90 seconds into the fourth quarter, the San Marcos girls basketball team had seen most of a 10-point lead disappear.
Rachel Roberts, one of the Knights’ veterans despite being a sophomore, helped stem the tide against defending San Diego Section Division IV champion Rancho Bernardo as San Marcos roared to a 53-40 victory Monday in the NCAA Black Division of the SoCal Holiday Prep Classic at Del Norte High.
Rancho Bernardo, which trailed 34-24 late in the third quarter, sliced the deficit to 39-35 with 6:30 to play before Christianne Haas hit a layup for San Marcos and Roberts added a pair of free throws.
Moments later, a Roberts layup put the Knights (5-5) ahead 45-37 with 4:50 to go.
“We played terrible on Saturday (against Tesoro),” said Roberts, who scored eight of her 10 points in the final quarter. “We tried to have high energy on defense and move the ball better to get the best shots on offense.
“(Coach Roger) DiCarlo told me I have to be one of the better players on the court all the time.
“I’m trying real hard to be more aggressive and push myself. Being a leader is something that does not come easily for me.
“We’ll have to find a way to treat the next game as a continuation of this game.”
Sophomore Dee Dee Valenzuela led the Knights with 12 points. Haas added 11 points and a team-high six rebounds.
Rancho Bernardo (8-4), which committed 35 turnovers and made just 15-of-50 shots from the field, was led by junior Aly Murray with 20 points and seven rebounds. Junior Mackenzie Moore added 11 points and matched senior Lane Reynolds with eight rebounds.
San Marcos was just a little better handling the ball, with 23 turnovers.
“You saw everything from our season — a 9-0 run and then give up three straight 3s,” said DiCarlo. “I wasn’t worried about RB. I was concerned about us.
“This could be a grow-up game for us.
“Who was the better team? Us.”
The SoCal Holiday Prep Classic continues through Wednesday.
Rachel Roberts, one of the Knights’ veterans despite being a sophomore, helped stem the tide against defending San Diego Section Division IV champion Rancho Bernardo as San Marcos roared to a 53-40 victory Monday in the NCAA Black Division of the SoCal Holiday Prep Classic at Del Norte High.
Rancho Bernardo, which trailed 34-24 late in the third quarter, sliced the deficit to 39-35 with 6:30 to play before Christianne Haas hit a layup for San Marcos and Roberts added a pair of free throws.
Moments later, a Roberts layup put the Knights (5-5) ahead 45-37 with 4:50 to go.
“We played terrible on Saturday (against Tesoro),” said Roberts, who scored eight of her 10 points in the final quarter. “We tried to have high energy on defense and move the ball better to get the best shots on offense.
“(Coach Roger) DiCarlo told me I have to be one of the better players on the court all the time.
“I’m trying real hard to be more aggressive and push myself. Being a leader is something that does not come easily for me.
“We’ll have to find a way to treat the next game as a continuation of this game.”
Sophomore Dee Dee Valenzuela led the Knights with 12 points. Haas added 11 points and a team-high six rebounds.
Rancho Bernardo (8-4), which committed 35 turnovers and made just 15-of-50 shots from the field, was led by junior Aly Murray with 20 points and seven rebounds. Junior Mackenzie Moore added 11 points and matched senior Lane Reynolds with eight rebounds.
San Marcos was just a little better handling the ball, with 23 turnovers.
“You saw everything from our season — a 9-0 run and then give up three straight 3s,” said DiCarlo. “I wasn’t worried about RB. I was concerned about us.
“This could be a grow-up game for us.
“Who was the better team? Us.”
The SoCal Holiday Prep Classic continues through Wednesday.
One ’n’ done not in San Marcos’ plans 01/21/2014
By Terry Monahan, SD Union Tribune
Young Knights, with only one senior on roster, ready to defend league title.
ESCONDIDO — Young teams without much senior leadership usually don’t fare well.
When asked how many games his young squad won last summer, San Marcos High coach Roger DiCarlo held up one finger.
Before the start of the girls basketball season, sophomore Janicia Garrett, an All-Avocado East League performer last season, worried about the Knights defending their first league championship since 1986.
If the early returns are correct, San Marcos will be just fine despite having only one senior on the roster.
The young Knights opened league play Tuesday with a convincing 64-43 win at San Pasqual, serving notice that they will not go quietly into the night.
“We have size inside and speed at the guard spot,” DiCarlo said. “Because we’re so young I scheduled tougher than most years.
“Our strength of schedule showed in this game. We were not flustered by anything they did.
“They looked like a young team and we looked like the veteran team.”
A stifling defense that held San Pasqual (8-9, 0-1) to 27.6 percent shooting aided the Knights (14-5, 1-0), who shot 37.3 from the floor.
“Defense helped us get in gear,” said San Marcos’ 6-foot-1 freshman guard Alaysia Styles, who scored 20 points and pulled down seven rebounds. “I thought our first half against Poway was a little better. It was the second game this season and we were still happy about winning our first one.”
Play more games like this one and the Knights will contend until the very end.
Garrett tallied 13 points while freshman Olivia Perez added 11 points. Gabrielle Lazare, the Knights’ lone senior, collected a team-high nine rebounds.
Senior Savannah Camp had 18 points and 13 rebounds for San Pasqual.
“We know we have to play our roles,” Garrett said. “Our shooters hit shots, our point guards got the ball where it had to go and our defense worked really well.
“I wasn’t sure what we had this year and I know very few thought this team could do what it’s done so far.”
Maybe no one else believes, but the Knights are beginning to.
ESCONDIDO — Young teams without much senior leadership usually don’t fare well.
When asked how many games his young squad won last summer, San Marcos High coach Roger DiCarlo held up one finger.
Before the start of the girls basketball season, sophomore Janicia Garrett, an All-Avocado East League performer last season, worried about the Knights defending their first league championship since 1986.
If the early returns are correct, San Marcos will be just fine despite having only one senior on the roster.
The young Knights opened league play Tuesday with a convincing 64-43 win at San Pasqual, serving notice that they will not go quietly into the night.
“We have size inside and speed at the guard spot,” DiCarlo said. “Because we’re so young I scheduled tougher than most years.
“Our strength of schedule showed in this game. We were not flustered by anything they did.
“They looked like a young team and we looked like the veteran team.”
A stifling defense that held San Pasqual (8-9, 0-1) to 27.6 percent shooting aided the Knights (14-5, 1-0), who shot 37.3 from the floor.
“Defense helped us get in gear,” said San Marcos’ 6-foot-1 freshman guard Alaysia Styles, who scored 20 points and pulled down seven rebounds. “I thought our first half against Poway was a little better. It was the second game this season and we were still happy about winning our first one.”
Play more games like this one and the Knights will contend until the very end.
Garrett tallied 13 points while freshman Olivia Perez added 11 points. Gabrielle Lazare, the Knights’ lone senior, collected a team-high nine rebounds.
Senior Savannah Camp had 18 points and 13 rebounds for San Pasqual.
“We know we have to play our roles,” Garrett said. “Our shooters hit shots, our point guards got the ball where it had to go and our defense worked really well.
“I wasn’t sure what we had this year and I know very few thought this team could do what it’s done so far.”
Maybe no one else believes, but the Knights are beginning to.
Janicia Garrett named Tournament MVP of Jason Harper Tournament
Congratulations to Coach DiCarlo for being named CIF San Diego Section Coach of the Year
and Jordan Mottershaw for being name to the 1st team ALL-CIF Girls Basketball Team.
Congratulations to Cynthia Diaz
for signing her National Letter of Intent to play soccer
at Long Beach State University on an athletic scholarship.
Congratulations to Jordan Mottershaw
for signing her National Letter of Intent to play basketball
at Western Oregon University on an athletic scholarship.
Article about Jordan and Western Oregon:
http://www.wouwolves.com/news/2012/11/15/WBB_1115125732.aspx
Congratulations to Knights Basketball Players
Hursuong Vongsachang and Elena Ouyang
Named Co-Valedictorians for the Senior Class of 2012
Both played 3 years of basketball for the Lady Knights
2011 So Cal Holiday Prep Classic Champion - Prep Division
2011-12 Team and Alumni - Last Game at the Old Gym
PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL: Daughter keeps DiCarlos going following death of their young son
Prep Players to Watch
