By: Lusi Hernandez Espinoza
Staff writer
Panthers basketball has finally returned and all teams have made their early statements, each one of them dominating their opponents.
Led by senior All-League guard Elijah Hansen and sophomore captain Jacob Nichols, the boys’ varsity team started off with a close 73-68 scrimmage win against San Marin. The difference between last year’s team and this year’s team is clear as day, as the team seems more conditioned and fast-paced.
Once game day came along, Santa Rosa rolled past Healdsburg, beating them 81-30 with a sophomore Gabe Airoldi 20-point performance that included six three-pointers. The team’s conditioning was put on display as they outran, outhustled and outworked the other team. Junior guard Kayden Molina spoke about this: “Energy and hustle. By third quarter, fourth quarter, the other team is dead tired, and our defenders get to dog them. We have the conditioning to run other teams out the gym.”
The JV team also had itself quite the game, winning 57-07 with sophomore Jordan Rivera, who racked up a career-high 18 points, alongside junior Parker Davis, who totaled 11 points. The team buckled down on defense and generated most points off of transition buckets. “Preparation and outworking our opponents is our main focus this season,” said Davis.
Switching over to the girls’ team, the Lady Panthers won 54-34 against Petaluma High. With a close game in the first quarter, the team ground it out on defense and was able to build some momentum and separation that followed them the entire game. When asked what’s key to team’s success this year, senior Anabel Arcilla responded, “We’re focused more on communicating, building connections and being scrappy in-game . . . I think having fans [at our] games helps us [maintain] our energy and confidence.”
It’s clear that every team in our program has high expectations for themselves, and that starts by setting the tone with high effort and energy practices so that when game day comes along, they are fully prepared for what’s up ahead. We wish luck to all our Panther athletes and their exciting seasons.
