The Bluffer - Red Bluff, CA
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/462889
Page 6 February 13, 2015 Senior, Allison Winning, shooting a free throw during last weeks game against Paradise High School. Coach of the Issue/Nichole Valdez Sports V. Girls basketball has improved Varsity girls soccer excited for big win over Chico Shania Prieto Staff Writer Tessa Jones Staff Writer Throughout their season so far, the Varsity Girls basketball team has gotten better and better. The team, coached by Kathy Brandt and Angie Miller, is currently at a 6-4 league record and is trying to make it into playoffs. A Varsity team is the hardest to start and keep chemistry in basketball. You are combining two different teams into one, with different grade levels and ages. The Girls Varsity team has done an outstanding job at overcoming these challenges and learning to work as a team. Although it started off rough having to learn to play with a completely new set of people, they team got to know each other's strengths once their games started. Ashley Exum, senior, said, "Our Chemistry is at our highest point." Being able to work well together definitely comes in handy with the offense the team currently runs, a five out. The offense requires considerable movement and the ability to communicate well with your teammates. The team's practices also work toward their effort to make it into playoffs, and hopefully advance. Practices are very structured in order to keep in shape. The team runs a very effective defensive press which requires a lot of endurance. Moreover, being able to stay in shape helps the team in more ways than one. The team as a whole has a shortage of height, so quickness is a concrete need for the team. "Since we're so short, speed is definitely our strength." Exum said. One of the team's goals is to beat Enterprise, a big rivalry team for the Varsity Girls. The Enterprise team has been very strong for the last couple of years, making them number one in the league to beat. The team lost their last game against Enterprise, as a change in defense fired them up. They'll hopefully pull out a win at their next game against Enterprise, Thursday, the twelfth of February. The games location will be at Red Bluff. On February tenth the Varsity girls went up to foothill for their tenth game of the season. The team just got another win against foothill, with a score of 61-55. "We had started off really slow." said Brose, senior, who scored 37 points in the game. However, as the game went on, foothills offense began to weaken under pressure. In the fourth quarter, the lead alternated from Red Bluff to Foothill. In the end, Red Bluff's ability to make their free throws pushed to them to the win. Off to a great start, the Varsity Girls Basketball team hopes to finish their season strong and advance into playoffs. The team has improved a lot since the start of their season, and plans to continue still. Red Bluff High's Varsity girls soccer team are still excited about their triumph against Chico on Wednesday January 28th. Senior Mikenna Corry, who plays left forward and left mid, said they had never beaten Chico in the history of Red Bluff Highs Varsity girls soccer team. They put Ceighlee Fennel, a junior and Mikenna Cory up front as strong forwards to score and adjusted their formation to fit Chico's. Cory was able to score the only goal, winning the game with a score of 1-0. Jordan Vazquez, a senior who plays center middle, said the team practiced hard and even adjusted their usual warm- up routine to get prepared. "The girls came into the game prepared, made a nice goal, and defended really well in the second half." said Coach Vazquez. He continued saying they went into the game prepared, played very well, and made a nice goal. Jordan Vazquez said, "We focused on winning, but having fun at the same time." The girls are hoping to bring that same Chico attitude to their home game today. They're going against Paradise at 4 o'clock and are planning on playing fair and well. Their objective is to make as many goals in as little time possible. Coach Vazquez said the team is positive and is a good group who has played together for a long time. The girls have had a good season so far and hope to make it to the quarter finals, later advance to semi finals and finally the NSCIF championships, all locations are still to be determined. The girls are excited for their final home game, Coach Vazquez hopes for the girls to pass the ball not only quickly but accurately and work out any difficulties they see. They're hoping tonight is not their last game of the season considering that they would love to make it to finals. The girls are hoping to win the game tonight and wait for the results to see if they made it to finals. As expected, their main goal is to get the ball in the goal as many times as possible and are hoping to see as many fans possible cheering them on. T y Minto has coached at Red Bluff High School for three years. "I thoroughly enjoyed sports as I was growing up", he explained. He explained that his coaches were his biggest inspiration and he wanted to do the same. Minto's favorite part of coaching is getting to see the positive changes in his athletes and getting to see them enjoy it as much as he does. "I went to school at Corning and it is now my ultimate goal to crush them in every sport I coach." "You're not supposed to throw any fits if you lose. You can get disqualified." When she was asked which gender was the more intimidating she said, "The girls are pretty rough, but the guys are a little harder and more intimidating." Julissa Villalobos Staff Writer Coach Minto works wrestling team Frosh Boys basketball continue to keep high spirits this season Sophia Cumpton Staff Writer "Respect is huge and very important." -Brooklynn Burkhart While wrestling doesn't revolve around interacting with a ball or sliding down a snowy mountain, it's still a winter sport. One of its crucial concepts is respect towards the opponent. As Brooklynn Burkhart, a freshman on the JV team, said, "Respect is huge and very important. If you don't shake hands, they won't start the match." There's also absolutely no tolerance for any childish acts. Brooklynn mentioned, She also described a match where a guy's coach said he couldn't wrestle a girl so he ended up forfeiting. Brooklynn Burkhart was asked what's the most difficult part during a match and she said, "When's the best time to take the guy down." When asked what her thoughts were regarding her coach, Ty Minto, Burkhart said "He works us hard, but he's only trying to make us be better." The team is preparing to end the season. They still practice by "live" wrestling, where they wrestle against each other and act as if it were a real match. Red Bluff Spartans' freshman boys' basketball team have been keeping their spirit up all season. Some players said their biggest competitor is Shasta High School Wolves, but they are still trying their hardest to beat the Wolves. One player, Tanner Tweedt, said "They're a really good team so it'll be a tough game but we can hopefully come back with a win." It is players like that that keep up the team's spirit and support. Tweedt stated that the team's best game was against Paradise because have the "team effort and hard work on the court." However, not all games turned out as well as this game. Tweedt also said that a Shasta game did not go too well because the Spartans "Didn't play as a team or execute offence or defence well." They had a lot have close games this season. Tweedt said that the team's goal for the season is to "try to win as many league games as we can." His favorite part about basketball is the "team effort all together." Tweedt's least favorite part about the sport is losing. Derek Gordon, another player for the Spartan's frosh basketball team, talked about their recent games. They lost to Chico by fourteen points. He said the team needs to "play the whole game." Meaning, they need to put effort into not just the first quarter or last half, but the whole game. As the season goes on, hopefully the players will keep up their spirit and continue to try their hardest each and every game. 641 Main Street • Downtown Red Bluff Spartan's Coach of the Issue Ty Minto: Wrestling since start of this year's season Bluffer/ Nichole Valdez