In celebration of the annual sports event Hoopcoming, the Arcadia High School (AHS) Girls Varsity Basketball team went head-to-head against their longtime rival, Crescenta Valley High School (CVHS) on Jan. 13. Although the game resulted in a loss, the Apaches put up a great fight, ending the final quarter with a score of 55 to 70. This match with the Falcons only motivated the girls further and added to the team’s striving for a better performance in future games. 

To prepare for the game, Head Coach Desiree Almaraz wanted the team to “stick to what [the players] do best. The team worked on conditioning for aggressive defense, rotations, and shots for best performance. Coach Almaraz stated that she does not adapt her strategies to other teams, and that it’s important to play “Arcadia basketball.”

The first quarter started off intense, with CVHS scoring twice in a row. However, during a long rally with both teams struggling to get their hands on the ball, AHS managed to gain possession through a rebound, and scored 4 points with free throws. Free Throws for the Apaches occurred multiple times throughout the game, maintaining the score balance between the two teams. For the first few minutes of the game, both teams played at an even level, but CVHS was slightly more efficient at putting the ball in the hoop.  The first period ended with 15-22.

In the second quarter, both teams kept up the intensity. However, the gap between the Apache’s rate of scoring and CV’s has taken a great toll on the former’s score. Because not many points were scored, CV in turn got more opportunities and suppressed the Apaches even further, ending the second period with 26 to 41.

In the last half of the game, the Falcons began to amp up their offense, scoring in almost every attempt. The Apaches tried their best to maintain their defense and offensive skills but the anxiety that comes with the limited time seemed to have taken a toll on the players. A few free throw opportunities were missed, and the lack of scoring brought the points to a higher difference.  In the end, the Apaches managed to conclude the third period with 39-59, making it too much of a gap to catch up in the last period.

“I think some highlights for our game was that we had good energy and we never gave up,” said Team Captain senior Mel Manell. “Although it was a really tough loss, we played until the end.”

“Some highlights for our game was that we started off strong,” remarked Team Captain senior Katherine Tran. “ We had high energy and our bench was involved the whole game. We’re taking this as a hard lesson.”

Indeed, taking a loss from a rival earns us a hard lesson in future preparations. Thankfully, the crowd and student body was in full support of the players; everyone was engaged and pushing through the hardships with the ones on court.

“ I think we struggled to get started and find our feet,” said Coach Almaraz when asked about her thoughts on the results. “Once we started playing together as a team and playing aggressive defense, we were starting to respond offensively, so I’m a big advocate of defense turning into good offense. And once we start playing good defense then we’re starting to get more into the game.”

Coach Almaraz remarked the cheerful gym of red and blue schoolwears  as “a great environment for the young team to play in.” And like all of us,  she looks forward to having a different result next year.  

Overall, the Apaches kept their aggressiveness up throughout the match, making the game extremely interesting and engaging. It was definitely a worthwhile experience, and makes their future matches all the more anticipated!

Photos courtesy of Avani Athavale and Evelyn Tsoi