Hold your heads high Trojans basketball players. It was a tough season and you deserve a salute for trying your best and listening to your coaches.
Both teams lost against Mojave last Tuesday as the boys played their last home game of the season. The boys score was 75-44. The team played hard but the Rattlers (16-8 overall, 10-3 Sunset League) were physically out-matched.
Mojave is the third place seed going into the playoffs. The Trojans boys finished in last place with a 2-17 overall record and a 0-13 league record. They played Spring Valley (9-16, 4-9) last night, which was past deadline.
The Lady Trojans score was a bit closer, 39-30. The girls were in that game against the Rattlers up to the half, losing by only a point, 12-11.
Things fell apart at the end of the third quarter. The girls had problems with the defense and then the turnovers killed them.
The Lady Trojans played first place Spring Valley (24-1, 13-0) last night, which was past deadline.
The boys will lose two seniors, Ureiel Ramberg-Wiley, and Daniel Clasen. Two hard-working individuals. Wiley led the team in scoring with Daniel Foss. Clasen had the guts to come out as a senior and make the team.
Trojans Coach John Toomer said he will miss both of them for their hard work and dedication to PVHS basketball.
“We will miss the scoring of Uriel with his patented left-handed three-point shot from the corner and his driving ability to the basket,” he said. “I will miss Daniel’s desire to learn a new sport and all his hard work to make the team better. I wish them both the best in their future endeavors and a huge thank you for being such great young men.”
Wiley said he enjoyed his four years of basketball, which he played two of them with Bonanza.
“I was surprised we stayed with them (the Bengals),” he said. “My favorite moment was winning the game (against Western) with my three-point shot at the end of the game last year. I love the game. I have a passion for it and love everything about it down to the fundamentals of the game.”
Clasen was just happy to play this year. “I like the relationships forged with the team,” he said. “We have gotten really close this year. I really never thought of playing but Nolan (Toomer) convinced me to play.”
The boys have seven juniors coming back, which will make for a strong team. A sophomore of note is guard Parker Hart. This young Trojan has a mean three-point shot and is aggressive.
The Lady Trojans have three seniors departing, Shayla Dance, Alyssa Murphy and Amber Skilling. Trojans Coach Jennifer Hagstrom said she will miss them all.
“With Murphy I will miss her feistiness, hard-nosed attitude and work ethic,” Hagstrom said. “She’s always the first kid to get fired up, and lead through difficult patches. Murph is also hilarious, sarcastic, and super quick-witted which is really fun to be around.”
The coach describes Skilling as her quiet warrior.
“She just is very business-like and leads by example on the court and in the classroom,” she said. “Amber is a very ethereal kid. Always has a smile on her face and works very hard at all that she does. Her attitude is amazing and I just enjoy being around her as a young person.”
Hagstrom had Dance all four years and she liked Dance because she was a great mentor for the younger players.
“She is also a very kind soul, with great leadership capability. I’m going to miss the way she encourages the other kids, and how she scrapes, claws and scrambles to get an advantage on the court.”
Hagstrom coached these girls for three to four years and she said she will be watching them move on to “attain great things in their futures after high school.”