Now that fall is over, it’s time for students to get pumped up for this upcoming season of winter sports at PitmanHigh School. This year, students will have the opportunity and privilege to participate in wrestling and basketball at PHS.
Last year, Pitman’s boys basketball varsity team finished 4th place in CCC, but are looking toward improving their standings from last year. Lead by seniors Cyle Williams and 4-year varsity player Branson Garcia, the Pride can definitely look forward to having success this upcoming season. With a large junior class coming up this year, there will be a good mix of seniors and juniors contributing to the team’s success for this season. Micah Millentree, center, and Alejandro Alaniz, point guard, are both athletes that played last year on varsity as sophomores, and will definitely make an impact this year. With the varsity talent from last year, in addition to the new junior varsity athletes that are moving up, the Pride will be a formidable team.
The girls basketball team finished last in CCC for the 2013-2014 season, but this year the potential for success is more than evident. With several new transfers and the moving up of a couple underclassmen, the team will be a threat in the CCC this year. Expect the girls basketball team to improve over the season; once they find a rhythm and create some chemistry, this team can definitely be a force in the CCC.
The 2014-2015 year of wrestling looks to be a promising year for the Pride, especially after coming off a CCC Championship last year by beating all the teams in league. The team has a few notable students that have transferred from other schools, including athletes such as Adam Velasquez, Angel Velasquez, and Gabriel Nolasco. With the help of last year veterans, the Pride will once again be set with a solid team going into league. Seven of this year’s wrestlers are ranked by the wrestling multi-media website California Wrestler as the top 40 wrestlers for their weight class. Pitman’s state team ranking is 19, which is an impressive feat considering the fact that there are over 800 high school wrestling programs in California. Even with the absence of many of the seniors who have graduated, the Pride wrestling team is looking very strong, and is very capable of making another run in playoffs like they did last year.
This round of winter sports at PitmanHigh School should definitely be an exciting one. The boys and girls basketball team are both on paths to success, and with the help of the Pit Crew at the home games, the momentum of the game can definitely swing with a couple big plays. Pitman students should go out and support these athletes; they put in a lot of work and effort into practice everyday, and it’s encouraging for them to see their friends and fellow peers cheering them on. With the combined effort of the students and the student-athletes, this year of wrestling and basketball can be a successful and fun year for everyone at Pitman High.