Wildcats ready for girls basketball finals on Saturday
By Doug Spoon, Editor As he prepares his girls basketball team for Saturday morning's CIF-SS Division 4AA championship game, Paloma Va...
http://www.menifee247.com/2020/02/wildcats-ready-for-girls-basketball-finals-on-saturday.html
By Doug Spoon, Editor
As he prepares his girls basketball team for Saturday morning's CIF-SS Division 4AA championship game, Paloma Valley High coach Matt Dale sees all the elements of a successful season coming together at the right time.
That doesn't mean that winning the CIF title will be easy. The Wildcats' opponent, Ontario Christian, brings a 29-2 record into the 10 a.m. game at Colony High in Ontario. And the Knights have a tremendous threat in Chloe Briggs, a 5-foot-11 freshman who averages 34.9 points per game.
Even so, it's hard to argue with the talent and potential of Paloma Valley, which is 29-3 and enjoying its finest season ever heading into the finals. Dale, who coached the Wildcats to records of 9-17 and 6-20 his first two seasons, led the team to a 19-10 record last year as his system and the arrival of some top newcomers began to pay off. Now, Dale and his players can't wait for a chance to win the big one.
"I had never experienced losing like that before," Dale said in recalling his first two seasons coaching the Wildcats. "But those years weren't wasted. We started to build what I believe is a championship level standard. Some of the stuff we do is complex -- the players really have to be aware. They have to run the offense and know where everybody is supposed to be. That's what's happening now."
The Wildcats haven't lost since Jan. 8, when they dropped a 57-48 decision to Riverside Poly. They have won 14 in a row since then, including a 67-37 revenge victory over Poly. They are led by junior guard Mya Pierfax, who averages 16.2 points per game, and junior forward Sydney Woodley (left), who averages 15.1 ppg and 10.6 rebounds per game.
It really is a team effort, however. Junior Trinitee Bradley is averaging 9.5 ppg and has had some big games for the Wildcats. Seniors Isabella Villegas and Leslie Giles play key roles, and sophomore Breanne Willich averages 8 ppg.
"Being seniors, Villegas and Giles have been though all the ups and downs," Dale said. "Then every year we added a couple freshmen who made a difference. Plus getting Mya and Sydney has been huge for us."
Pierfax started her freshman year at Paloma Valley but tranferred to Heritage High. She decided to return to Paloma Valley and made an immediate impact last season. Woodley became an impact player as soon as she transferred in from San Jacinto High this season.
Dale, who coached Canyon High of Anaheim to a CIF title in 2011, said he didn't plan to return to coaching when he took a teaching position at Paloma Valley four years ago. After being asked to coach the Wildcats, he began the rebuilding process.
"We had talent, but as a group, we lacked experience playing in big moments," Dale said. "We also addressed the issue of chemistry; we needed that to be better. We've spent a ton of time on building a culture, doing things together. We've used guided meditation and trying to get the right mindset."
Will all that add up to a victory Saturday? We'll know soon enough.
As he prepares his girls basketball team for Saturday morning's CIF-SS Division 4AA championship game, Paloma Valley High coach Matt Dale sees all the elements of a successful season coming together at the right time.
That doesn't mean that winning the CIF title will be easy. The Wildcats' opponent, Ontario Christian, brings a 29-2 record into the 10 a.m. game at Colony High in Ontario. And the Knights have a tremendous threat in Chloe Briggs, a 5-foot-11 freshman who averages 34.9 points per game.
Even so, it's hard to argue with the talent and potential of Paloma Valley, which is 29-3 and enjoying its finest season ever heading into the finals. Dale, who coached the Wildcats to records of 9-17 and 6-20 his first two seasons, led the team to a 19-10 record last year as his system and the arrival of some top newcomers began to pay off. Now, Dale and his players can't wait for a chance to win the big one.
The Wildcats haven't lost since Jan. 8, when they dropped a 57-48 decision to Riverside Poly. They have won 14 in a row since then, including a 67-37 revenge victory over Poly. They are led by junior guard Mya Pierfax, who averages 16.2 points per game, and junior forward Sydney Woodley (left), who averages 15.1 ppg and 10.6 rebounds per game.
It really is a team effort, however. Junior Trinitee Bradley is averaging 9.5 ppg and has had some big games for the Wildcats. Seniors Isabella Villegas and Leslie Giles play key roles, and sophomore Breanne Willich averages 8 ppg.
"Being seniors, Villegas and Giles have been though all the ups and downs," Dale said. "Then every year we added a couple freshmen who made a difference. Plus getting Mya and Sydney has been huge for us."
Pierfax started her freshman year at Paloma Valley but tranferred to Heritage High. She decided to return to Paloma Valley and made an immediate impact last season. Woodley became an impact player as soon as she transferred in from San Jacinto High this season.
Dale, who coached Canyon High of Anaheim to a CIF title in 2011, said he didn't plan to return to coaching when he took a teaching position at Paloma Valley four years ago. After being asked to coach the Wildcats, he began the rebuilding process.
"We had talent, but as a group, we lacked experience playing in big moments," Dale said. "We also addressed the issue of chemistry; we needed that to be better. We've spent a ton of time on building a culture, doing things together. We've used guided meditation and trying to get the right mindset."
Will all that add up to a victory Saturday? We'll know soon enough.
