Girls enter basketball league prepared, says coach
After four league games, Ramona High’s girls basketball team is 4-0 in league competition and 12-7 overall.
“We played a tough pre-season and tournament schedule,” said coach Dan Marshall. “You can’t reveal what you have to work on unless you play the tougher teams.”
Ramona will travel to Mission Vista for Friday’s league game and squeeze in a non-league home game Saturday against Granite Hills.
The Valley League is utilizing boys-girls doubleheaders for league play, and on Jan. 20 the Ramona teams opened league competition at home against Mission Vista.
“Had a great crowd,” Marshall said. “I think the girls were fired up. They were ready.”
Ramona defeated the Timberwolves, 74-26.
“We played a good brand of basketball,” Marshall said.
Chiara Mattern led the Bulldogs with 21 points and made six of eight shots from behind the 3-point line. Kylee Scheib had 10 points against Mission Vista.
On Jan. 22 the Bulldogs hosted Oceanside and won, 73-41.
Mattern scored 18 points against the Pirates and Scheib had 14 points. Hannah Farhat made four of her six 3-point attempts to account for her 12 points.
Emily Sojourner’s 12 points were the result of a perfect shooting percentage, including both of her 3-pointers.
The scoring also included 9 points by Leah Green and 6 from Julia Plantz.
“Without them we wouldn’t be able to do what we do,” Marshall said. “They earn so much respect inside that it really opens us up on the outside.”
The Jan. 27 home game against Valley Center included 16 points by Mattern, 12 from Plantz and 6 apiece from Green and Toni Dominguez in the Bulldogs’ 64-30 victory.
Ramona’s Jan. 29 game at Fallbrook involved two teams that entered the contest with 3-0 league records. The Warriors had outscored their first three league opponents by a 162-52 cumulative margin and took an 11-2 overall record into the game against Ramona.
“They’re very good,” Marshall said of the Warriors.
Like Ramona, Fallbrook has a town that supports its high school athletic programs.
“That gym is so loud,” Marshall said. “It was a good night for basketball, and Fallbrook has a good coach and a good young team…We got the lead and held onto it.”
Ramona led by 19 points before the Warriors narrowed the final score to 66-57.
Mattern scored 31 points.
“She had a phenomenal game,” Marshall said.
Mattern sank five 3-point shots and made all eight of her free throw attempts.
“She was hitting shots well beyond the 3-point line,” Marshall said. “We hit our free throws and took care of business. That was a good game for Ramona.”