The junior varsity (JV) girls basketball team defeated Silver Creek High School by 25 points at a home game on Dec. 14, with a score of 42-17. While the competition against Silver Creek High School was matched in skill, JV girls basketball head coach Chelsea Jaculina is proud of her girls for coming out on top, she said.
Freshman Eloiza Balatico believed that her team would win going into the game, but after the match, thought Silver Creek was one of the tougher teams they played, she said.
“They’ve always been a really good team defensively, and they had shooters,” Jaculina said. “They’ve always been a tough team.”
During the game, the team was able to communicate effectively, Balatico said. The players on the bench, as well as on the court, were always cheering each other on and keeping the energy flowing throughout the game, Balatico added.
“I liked how they played as a team,” Jaculina said. “(I) loved their energy and communication all around; we played all four quarters that really gets everyone excited and everyone involved.”
After seeing how the girls did against a tough defensive team, Jaculina plans to implement more defensive, physical drills into practice sessions, she said.
Jaculina’s goals are “working more on pressuring the ball, and then also working on post — learning how to guard the high posts , low posts , and just be more physical,” Jaculina said.
Anthony Jean, father of JV girls basketball player Kaya Jean, has been at almost every game cheering his daughter on, he said.
“I believe supporting your kids is fundamental,” Anthony Jean said. “And I played basketball, so I just want to give her some moral support.”
Kaya Jean’s performance on the court has improved greatly since she joined the team, Anthony Jean said. Allowing the coaches to do their job is critical to the players’ growth on the court, he added.
“Once they graduate, I want (the team) to be vocal leaders,” Jaculina said. “Having the mindset of winning, anytime you step in the gym, you should always (…) have that kind of dog mentality.”
Especially since a few of the girls have been out from injuries, Jaculina is proud of the players she has had to pull from the bench to play tough teams like Silver Creek, she said. They played formations they’d never drilled consistently in practice before, she added.
“I think this year has been going great,” Anthony Jean said. “They all look like they’re having a good time.”