By Taryn Yee, Staff Writer
McClatchy’s beloved basketball program has officially started the winter season, clocking in late night practices on campus and competing in local tournaments.
Starting off the season strong, all teams won their first games, with the exception of the boys’ freshman team who lost a close game (37-40). Both varsity teams have impressive records so far: the men’s varsity team has a 6-1 record, while the women’s varsity team has a 4-1 record. The varsity teams have each lost one game in their respective leagues, using the tournaments as preparation for Metro League.
Both junior varsity teams are working on building a sense of community. Mainly composed of underclassmen, the coaches are working hard to encourage team bonding to strengthen the program for future years.
“Winning is nice but building the skills to be successful at the next level — that’s important,” Assistant Coach Justin Kumamoto said.
Varsity men’s basketball had their first win against Hiram Johnson on November 19 and will be involved in various tournaments over winter break. Their first league game is against Monterey Trails on January 5.
Jeff Ota returns as head coach for the varsity women’s team, as well as Assistant Coach Carlos Vicente who coached the 2015 CIF Championship team. This year, the varsity women’s team is split between seniors and underclassmen. Senior Caila Chappell admitted “We have a lot of young players, so it will be a learning curve.” Despite the makeup of the team, Chappell explained “Our games have been going really well. We’ve been winning by a good margin.”
Senior Jameel Pongyan agreed, crediting wins to the persistent and supportive nature of the coaches. The ultimate goal is to advance to Metros, but they face tough competition.
Grant, Burbank, and Folsom high schools pose the biggest threats this season. Varsity thus far shows potential, confident that their continuous practice and driven mindset will give them a fair chance at advancing further into the season.
As of now, in-district games are limited to household members only. Per SCUSD COVID-19 mandates, each player is allotted four tickets to distribute to household members. Spectators without tickets are not allowed to attend games. Players are also tested weekly for COVID. However, some out-of-district games allow more attendees.
Coaches and players alike miss the energy of the crowd. “It’s really sad how COVID is making a mark on our season. It’d be great to get Legion back in the gym. They totally change the whole atmosphere,” Coach Antawn Greer said.
Chappell and Pongyan can testify to the difference the crowd brings too. They hope students can return to the stands soon. Until then, spectators can only watch McClatchy compete at out-of-district games. “We just need the crowd,” Pongyan remarked.