Boys Basketball’s Uphill Climb to Valley

By: Krissy Hetherington

After defeating the odds with a 0-3 start in league play, Redwood had an impressive comeback to win a share of the WYL Championship. The Rangers now have the chance to win the school’s first Boys Basketball Valley title.

The last time Redwood Boys Basketball went to Valley was in 1992. Currently on a 10-game winning streak, this year’s team is ready to make school history.

Redwood heads into their game against Independence with a 17-10 record as a 9-seed in the DII Central Section Playoffs. They have played all their post-season games on the road.

Recently, the team has been dominating. The Rangers beated Monache, 67-64 win, then won 74-67 win against number one seed Roosevelt, and most recently taking down number four seed San Luis Obispo, 74-64 on Tuesday.

Against SLO, Malachi Aguilar led the team with 27 points, followed by Connor Gilcrest with 24, and Nick Trevino with 14.

The Rangers started with a strong first quarter scoring 27 points then ending the game with 29 in the last quarter to send the team to the Valley Championship.

Aguilar, ’20, has played a major role in this season’s success. “We were able to dig ourselves out of a rough beginning by sticking with each other and bringing each other up. Our mindsets were that we are the best and we need to believe that,” Aguilar said.

The team underwent a coaching change before their 2019-2020 season when coach Jason Black moved from Girls Basketball to the Boys.

“My first year with teams success feels very gratifying. I always believed in myself and them so once things happened the way they have I’m just trying to enjoy the moments and my time with the players,” Black said.

The team had to adjust quickly if they wanted things to change from a 12-17 overall record last year.

“We had a lot of tough losses early in our season. But we all stayed dedicated…Coach Black said everyday that we were learning how to win…we just have to stay patient and wait for our time. And our time is now, we’re playing our best ball when it matters the most,” said Zack Salazar.

With their backs against the wall amid a five-game losing streak (3 of those including losses in League), they had to dig their way out if they ever wanted to have a shot at a League Championship.

First-year varsity and starting guard/forward, Kolby Howard, ’22, said,”We were tired of losing and we all felt like we were not playing to the best of our abilities. The team’s mindset was to do your job and if everyone does there job we will win. We also had to start taking accountability for the good and the bad plays on the court.”

Another key to Redwood’s offense is three-year varsity, starting forward, and Senior Captian, Nick Trevino, ’20.

“It all relied on our confidence. We knew that we had good players. It relied on whether we wanted to work together,” Trevino said. “With confidence comes consistency, so we knew that if we wanted to keep playing basketball we’d have to work towards perfecting our craft. Lastly our coaching staff made basketball fun again. It became a lifestyle and a way out for many players this year. It became deeper than just a game or sport.”

Throughout the season, the team felt like the odds were stacked against them as they faced many injuries and setbacks. Connor Gilcrest, senior captain, was injured for the beginning of the season but overcame it with “plain and simple hard work and sweat at each and every practice,” he said.

The DII Central Section Championship will take place at Selland Area in Fresno on Saturday, February 29th at 4pm. Redwood will face off against #2 seeded Independence for the Valley title.

“Going to the Valley may not have been a thought but a good showing in the playoffs was definitely the mindset,” Black said. “We got hot and the kids believe in themselves…Just really proud of the team and the culture that is being created around the program with its fan base.”

Tags: boys basketball, post season, rangers