SA High School Girls Basketball Top Teams

High School Girls Basketball is here and excitement is in the air for those die hard followers. 

As a fan, I enjoy to watch good basketball being played especially at the High School level.

As I try and look at the girls basketball landscape in its entirety, there is not much you can say with clarity. It almost seems PARODY exists life and well in San Antonio High School GBB. 

You can thank the Class of 2014 for that. Such a talented class of players. A lot of leadership left with them. Once they graduated, it left a huge void of uncertainty in many of the top teams.

But as the season progresses, players will find their identity and rise to the challenges and so will their teams.

Teams to watch for

1. Wagner- Coaching, Tradition, seemingly endless pipeline of athletes coming in to the school every year. Two of the best players in the City, State and Country, in Kiana Williams and Amber Ramirez, play in the same backcourt literally the whole year. They have chemistry and compliment each other well. This team will be playoff ready real quick and will be a tough out in the  playoffs regardless of record in the regular season.

2. Brennan- What is amazing about this team and not to be taken lightly, is that they Graduated at least 6 players that are playing in College, moved up in classification, and still have the potential of going unbeaten in District play. Would you expect anything different, they have gone unbeaten in District play since forever. Start with Coaching, setting the culture and environment for success, raising the bar for everyone involved with the program. You have players and Parents buying in.  As far as players, they have a huge inside presence with Mason and Terry. Strong guard play with Megan Valdez and Kenzie Heineman plus a lot more. 

3. Reagan- A strong Class 2016 will be leading the team. A dominating presence inside with Sara Lewis and strong guard play led by Mailee Jones, Emily Sandoval and Anya Curtiss. We will know early on if they can keep up where they left off last year. They have a strong non-district schedule.

4. Brandeis- Seemingly a strong team from top to bottom led by sophomore Gabby Connally and a tough inside presence. Should be a solid team all around. Look for their bench to beat out opposing teams bench. 

5. OConnor- This team can beat any team at any time with their starting 5. But how much depth are they going to have? They have athletic Shelby Miller in the inside complimented with tough savvy athletic guards in Amber Vidal, Victoria Pena and Kasey Saldana that can penetrate to the basket, hit from deep and play defense. They should start off strong out the gates.

6. Clark- This team has a lot of promise. The Roster is loaded with players that can bring a lot to the table that you might know like Ria Gulley, Kristen Kramer, Emily Sims and some you might not know like Shayla Pollard, April Matthews, Lunden Patterson, Arianna Craver to name some. Confidence is key when they play against stiff competition.

7. Steele- Very young athletic team. This team will get better and stronger as the season rolls. Inside presence is going to be fun to watch. The team will be led by Bri Millett who is poised for a great run in her senior year.

8. Clemens- I just have to say, Kyra Lambert. She is such a dynamic player. Everyone should go watch her play before she graduates. She can will the team to a great season.

9. Churchill- New Coaching. Look for Mikki Flores to continue where she left off last season. She does a lot for the team and brings intensity and fire to her game.  Let's see how they get off the gates. Last year they had a great start.

I am being diplomatic here and heck would you blame me.

Tied for 10 and Honorable Mention

Johnson- New coach, new atmosphere. Look for Tara Molina to continue where she left off last season especially in scoring and leadership. Erica Saunders can play any position in HS, very versatile and athletic. Look out for new addition in the form of incoming freshman. Might possibly make the difference to get them over the hump.

Southwest- Looking to build from last season's run. Very scrappy team that plays the whole court and like to shoot the 3. If it is falling, then watch out.

Madison- Very savvy athletic point guard, Moriah Creswell will lead the team. Lexi Rich can dial it up from anywhere on the court. Very tough overall team.

Stevens- Last years District Champs lost a lot of key players to graduation. Who is filling in the voids? Still capable of making a run.

Smithson Valley-  A lot of upside with new additions and the maturation of its young players will pose a strong challenge to teams. They have a nice inside presence with Liz Cathart and Erin Wimberley coming back strong. Guards Vanessa Oyola and Jenna Mehlbreck are capable of going off at any given moment. Love the tenacity of Erin Ashley plus a lot of incoming young talent.

Antonian- Coaching and some additions to their team that competed well last year. Look for Sandy Ramirez and Brittany Parker to do well and lead the team.

Incarnate Word- Coaching is always a strong point. With a year under her belt, Alexia Torres has the addition of incoming freshman Sophia Ramos to work with, a dynamic scoring guard, to form a very capable backcourt and fun duo to watch play. Torres will also have more weapons to work with including Jenna Villarreal, who can light it up. It might take a while for things to click but look for them to make a playoff run.

Judson- Lost a lot of key players to graduation. Still plenty of talent and athleticism in the team. Having Belle  Tovar out hurts but she might be back just in time to save the day

MacArthur- This team just competes. I see them improving from last years competitive showing.

East Central- Love to see Brittany Rodgers play. She is fun to watch.  Has some help in the post. Let's see if they can surprise anyone.

Jay- Can never count this team out for anything. Always great coaching. 

It's going to be a long season, so I am sure everything will change in the first week of action. A good place to start, Monday Nov 10, 2014 at Littleton gym.

Brandeis vs Churchill
OConnor vs Johnson
Stevens vs Reagan

And not to be outdone Nov 11th at 730pm
Wagner at Brennan

How fun should that be?

Go out and support Girls Basketball!

2016 ALEXIA TORRES

Going into the Future Stars Showcase, Alexia Torres was feeling under the weather. With only 2 other guards available to the SA Islanders, she pushed through and still played.

She is a big part in help making the SA Islanders engine go.

I am proud of the player and most importantly, the PERSON she is maturing into. 

I AM TRULY BLESSED!

Click below for some highlights from the Future Stars Showcase including assists to almost every teammate (some not shown), expanded 3 point shot and court presence.

SA ISLANDERS ALEXIA TORRES

2015 APRIL MATTHEWS

April Matthews game is just simply taking off.  What she has been doing in practice the last few months is paying off dividends and showing in her performances at games. She has shown she can go into spurts offensively and defensively. And when she gets going, it is a sight to see. Graceful long strides down the court, effortless in her demeanor, ferocious at attacking the basket. Her skill set is getting stronger as well as her confidence. She should make a solid contribution to Clark HS as they get going on their basketball season.

She has a basketball frame, nice size and athleticism, and is learning how to best utilize it to her advantage. She is right there to be able to jump and touch the rim. Pretty impressive.

Another kid that brings a lot to the table, rebounding, blocks, deflections, hard nose defense, running the court, finishing around the basket! Great personality and hard worker!

You can click below to see some highlights of her performance at the Future Stars Showcase

SA ISLANDERS APRIL MATTHEWS

SA ISLANDERS ALEXIS,ERIN,HANNAH, ARIANNA (POSTS AND WINGS)

For the SA Islanders this AAU Club season, it surely wasn't FUN competing against teams with a lot of height especially when your two tallest posts are down with injuries for over 6 months each.  2015's Hannah Murray and Arianna stepped up all year to help as best as they could, Hannah with the Black team and Arianna with both the Black and White teams.
2016 Erin Wimberley was able to play a couple of Tournaments at the end of the year getting more comfortable after each game.
2017 Alexis Worley had just got released to play at the Future Stars Showcase in Frisco the week before. With just one practice under her belt in 6 months, she attended because she wanted to play real bad.

All these kids have tremendous hearts. They performed admirably all tournament. As HS season approaches, they are looking forward to get some more work in.

As the next AAU season comes, anticipation awaits as the three Posts Hannah, Alexis and Erin, look to get stronger, better and stay 100% healthy.
And as for our Wing Arianna, look for her to contribute quality minutes as she helps Clark HS make a playoff run.

Click on below to catch some highlights from the Future Stars Showcase.

SA ISLANDERS ALEXIS , ERIN, HANNAH, ARIANNA HIGHLIGHTS

2016 TARA MOLINA

Tara Molina is ready to make an impact this coming HS basketball season with her smarts, creativity, ball handling, all around shooting and defense.

She is the ultimate teammate ON and OFF the Court! Her smile is constantly on display and is a great example of kids that I love to have around.

Hard work is exemplified and demonstrated in a lot of ways and used to describe many athletes. Tara Molina is a product of hard work! Her dedication and commitment to the game is right up there with anyone.

She brings enjoyment and excitement to the game.

I am a huge fan of Tara Molina, ON and OFF the Court.

Click below to see the on court version,

SA ISLANDERS TARA MOLINA

2019 ASHLEY ADASZCZYK

Ashley was in the gym literally every day this past summer!

Her work ethic is that of a kid that is hungry to get better. She is just such a great athlete.

She has slowly but surely learned to play with kids 3 or 4 YEARS older.  She is grounded and humbled and knows she still has a lot of hard work to do. She is growing and maturing right before our eyes.

The Islanders Black team was down to 2 guards because of injuries going into the Future Stars Showcase in Frisco. She stepped in and helped run and manage the point. She also did some Shooting Guard duties as well. 

I expect a lot of great basketball ahead from her as she moves on to High School next year. But heck, she displayed a lot of great basketball this past weekend as well and I look forward to catch her in action at St George Episcopal middle school this basketball season.

Click on the following link to see her in action and then hear the crowd as well

SA ISLANDERS ASHLEY ADASZCZYK 

2017 Bri Soliz

Bri Soliz is growing and maturing as a basketball player. She is getter stronger and better every time she steps on the court.

Last week at the Future Stars Showcase in Frisco, she displayed her skill and talent all over the court.

Rebounding, steals, deflections, assists, running the court, putting the ball on the court, finishing, scoring and how about that footwork!

Multi-Talented!

Click below for some highlights

SA ISLANDERS BRI SOLIZ

SA ISLANDERS 2016 JENNA VILLARREAL

Jenna Villarreal is on a mission. She has been working hard to become the best basketball player she can become. She only has half a season of Club Ball experience under her belt. That's Total. But she is a gamer and has been steadily improving and getting stronger.

Her competitive nature has driven her to work and commit herself on improving her game. That same determination is what she uses in everything she sets her mind to. 

She is one of the top students at Incarnate Word High School. She plays softball and is part of the IWHS State Softball Champions two years ago and helped them get to the Final Four again this year.

She is multi talented and all around a go getter!

She helped out the Black team this past weekend at the Future Stars Showcase in Frisco.

She exploded in the last game for BACK to BACK to BACK 3 pointers in a span of 1 1/2 minutes helping the team secure a win.

Click below for some of her highlights

SA ISLANDERS JENNA VILLARREAL