South Fork Girls’ Basketball Teams Open Season with Losses

Last Tuesday in Fort Bragg, South Fork High’s girls’ basketball teams got their seasons underway. The varsity team played against Fort Bragg on the road in the annual “Foundation Game”, a scrimmage to raise money for the North Coast Section’s scholarship program and lost 54-21. The JVs, also playing at Fort Bragg, lost 50-13.

Second year head coach for the varsity, Shylo Wantt was not discouraged by the lop-sided score. “The girls worked hard and played well for our first game with what little practice we have had.”

Sophomore Haylie Mulder led the team with 8 points and senior Shondra Moser chipped in seven. Senior Noelia Alatorre made 4 of 6 freethrows and sophomores Kylie Messenger and Kylee Savio each made a free throw.

“As with any first game, we made some mistakes, but we will learn from them and I’m very excited to see what we can do this year,” said Wantt. The Varsity Girls will get their chance to show how much they’ve learned so far when they travel to Laytonville this Tuesday for their first regular game of the season, tip-off at 5:30.

South Fork   2     7     4     8     21

Fort Bragg   15   10    14   15   54

JV Girls

Second year head coach for the JVs, Thomas Mulder also cited first game jitters as contributing to his team’s rough first half last Tuesday. “We had gone four days without practice, but we settled down well in the second half.”

Mulder is impressed that his team is beginning to grasp the concepts of a motion offense and that they are learning to rotate on defense very effectively. “I want them to grasp as much as possible at this level so that they are as successful as possible at the next level,” said Mulder.

The team struggled the most on transition defense. “Half the points we gave up were on fast breaks against us.”

Avilez, Bilandzija and Martinez had 3 points each, while Pineda and Navarrete had two points each. Avilez and Bautista led the team in steals, while Martinez and Bilandzija played solid defense under the basket.

The team is comprised entirely of freshmen. Paloma Avilez and Rachel Bautista are point guards, Savannah Krastes also plays guard, and Mirna Navarrete and Carolina Pineda both play a little guard and a little forward. Shaylaray Bilandzija and Miranda Femenella play forward and Jenny Martinez plays center and forward.

The JVs’ next games will be this Friday and Saturday at the Eureka JV tournament, times to be announced.

South Fork    3     2    6     2         13

Fork Bragg   18    6    8    18         50