Varsity basketball game: pumas face the bulldogs
Coach Leggins and the Pumas strategizing (Dylan Cooper, The Puma Prensa)
By Dylan Cooper, staff writer
Our Maria Carrillo Pumas went toe to toe with the San Rafael Bulldogs on November 21 in the pregame of the new varsity basketball season. It was a thrilling game and signifies that the season is now upon us, where we will witness our home team go up against a variety of rival schools in an attempt to come out triumphant.
The game did sadly end in a loss for the Carrillo Pumas in a final score of 61-54, with our home team on the latter end of the scoreboard. However, they did not go down without a fight, displaying very impressive plays and an overall excellent performance, relying on powerful grit which helped them to stay motivated until the game's conclusion. The first quarter of the match saw the Pumas falling back, but they did not stay that way, quickly recovering and putting heavy pressure on the Bulldogs through the rest of the game. “I think I did a good job pushing the ball down the court,” said Junior Nathan Dipman, when reviewing his performance. It was a close match and victory was always around the corner, making it a very enjoyable game to watch.
James Hillestead making a free throw (Dylan Cooper, The Puma Prensa)
The team is working very hard to prepare for future games, helping to make sure school spirit shines on through against all odds. Their efforts in every match are very visible to an outside eye, keeping the audience heavily entertained and rooting for the Pumas to go home victorious. With the new season lined up, the basketball team is ready to perform as best as they can and to represent the true strength of Maria Carrillo spirit. The games also have a variety of delicious snacks set up for people to enjoy while cheering the Pumas towards victory.
The loss has not weighed down the Pumas, and instead they strive to reach better heights in matches yet to come. Coach Justin Leggins has done an excellent job elevating the team and the players have been shown to respond quickly to any faults occurring while in play. “We are not too tall in stature but we look to use our speed and our guard to tire teams out and rely more on our offense” said Leggins. James Hillestead was a very key player during the match and when looking back on the game he said “we just need to keep the turnovers down and to play more as a team”. He is showing great drive and is not faltering from this game, anticipating a great season for the home team. The continual reflection over previously used tactics may help to bring forth victories over other teams they are challenging.
The team has high hopes for the future, trying to make it far this year. One of the primary goals of our Pumas is to at least “make it top three in the league” says Hillestead. With the efforts they are making, it seems that the Pumas are more than on track to achieving this.
The varsity basketball team is going to be clashing heads with schools like Casa Grande, Elsie Allen, Sonoma Valley, and many more throughout the start of the season. The team has shown outstanding athletic ability in the past, but only seeks to do better than they might have done before. They routinely practice for whatever comes next and all the games they will soon play.
The Maria Carrillo varsity team is on a non-stop track towards an incredible season filled with inspiring and thrilling games. “Come out and support this team. They have been working hard all off season and they play a fun and exciting style of basketball” said Leggins. They are reaching new heights and strive to be dominating the playing field, so never stop chanting “Go Pumas!”