Midway through the season, Turlock Christian High girls basketball coach Edwin Santiago uttered this information.
Date: March 5
Time: 4 p.m.
Place: Arco Arena
Opponent: Bradshaw Christian High
After he said it, he laughed. But he wasn’t completely joking. He’s said all season that his Eagles are good enough to reach the Sac-Joaquin Section Division V finals against the two-time defending champion. And now that the regular season is over, Santiago is eager to see how far his team will go.
“We want to make it to Arco,” he said, referring to the place where the Sacramento Kings call home.
Last season, Turlock Christian got past the opening round for the first time before losing to Bradshaw Christian in the semifinals — just one win away from Arco.
His Eagles (23-4 overall) have conquered plenty at this point. They smashed through the Southern League — except the one mishap against Le Grand High — to earn their first outright league title, topping their 2007 run in which they were co-champions with Le Grand. They have qualified for the playoffs for the sixth consecutive time. And they’ve maintained their No. 1 standing in the power ratings since it first came out three weeks ago.
They’re likely going to remain at the top when the final standings are released Sunday, with the playoffs beginning Tuesday night. The Eagles hope Bradshaw Christian is the No. 2 seed, meaning Santiago’s wish could come true and the two top squads in the division meet up in Sacramento.
“Mostly, right now, we want to come out every game focused and playing our best,” junior guard Molly Farrar said.
TC and Bradshaw Christian met earlier this season at the West Coast Jamboree, where the circumstances were a little different. The Eagles had freshman Halie Bergman, the Section’s top scorer who later went down with a season-ending knee injury. Even so, the BC Pride still got away with a 56-47 statement win.
Bradshaw Christian is currently the No. 2 team in D-V mostly because the program has gone through a tough schedule, highlighted by the Pride playing some of the best teams in California — including Modesto Christian High, which captured the Division IV championship last season.
The Turlock Christian players have shown they can compete, no matter what is thrown at them. The Eagles didn’t panic when they lost Bergman to injury. Their coach said because of their Christian faith, they remained in control of their emotions and went on to dominate their league.
“We understand what it takes to win a game, no matter who you play against,” Santiago said. “So we’re taking that into the playoffs. Every game counts, every game matters.”
They have that big date in mind, but first this.
Date: Tuesday.
Place: Calvary Baptist Gym
Time: 7 p.m.
Opponent: To be announced.
To contact Chhun Sun, e-mail csun@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2041.