Turlock Christian Schools

Head coach: Matt Meisner, first year; 2006-07: 4-11 SL, 6-19 overall.

Key losses: Matt Nieuwsma, Sean Hallam, Andrew Davoodian and Dan Chapin. Key returners: Eli Davis, Axel Morelli, Brad Abraham, Ben Larson and Marcus Garcia. Key newcomer: Matt Moreda (JR)

Outlook: Turlock Christian's boys varsity basketball squad is senior-heavy this season, but will be lacking in size. Not to worry, though, the Eagles have a key core of returning seniors prepped to lead the squad into, perhaps, the Sac-Joaquin Section postseason. "Mariposa and Waterford should be the two toughest teams in the (Southern League)," Turlock Christian's first-year head coach Matt Meisner said. "I think we'll be above Waterford, but we play at Mariposa twice, and they're a tough squad. "We'll be small, but I don't think these guys know how to lose. They are a very tenacious group. We're going to beat people with pressure, defense and quickness. We are going to get up and down the court, and hope to be smarter than the other teams."

The Eagles had a difficult season last year, but they played a hard, scrappy style of basketball. Senior Eli Davis will be returning as the ball club's starting point guard, while Ben Larson and Marcus Garcia will fill the wings. Brad Abraham should take care of most of the Turlock Christian rebounding duties, and will provide most of the Eagles' weight within the paint. Turlock Christian has a distinct style of basketball. That's no secret. However, teams with size and strength in the post area should give Turlock Christian a headache.

Big Valley Christian 58, Turlock Christian 13
Modesto Bee - 12/2/07

Turlock Christian -- Wright 7, Rogers 3, Larson 2, Garcia 1. Totals: 4 3-8 13.

Big Valley Christian -- Jared Lunsford 14, Tucker Richardson 12, James Feeney 10, Jordan Hogan 7, Stephen Bryant 6, Daniel Singleton 4, Corey Wells 3, Dan Griggs 2. Totals: 23 5-14 58. Turlock Chr. -- 0 3 5 5 -- 13; Big Valley Chr. -- 23 20 8 7 -- 58

3-pointers: Turlock Chr. 2 (Wright, Rogers), Big Valley Chr. 7 (Richardson 4, Lunsford 2, Wells); Team Fouls: Turlock Chr. 14, Big Valley Chr. 16; Fouled Out: None; Technical Foul: Wright (TC); Rebounds: Big Valley Chr. 33 (Hogan 8); Assists: Big Valley Chr. 13 (Richardson 5); Steals: Big Valley Chr. 27 (Lunsford 5, Richardson 5, Griggs 5, Bryant 5); Blocks: Big Valley Chr. 3.

Orestimba 58, TC 33 - Thursday, Dec. 6
Turlock Journal Scoreboard - 12/1/07

TC High's boys varsity squad didn't have its best showing during a seasn-opening, non-league matchup against Big Valley of Modesto, who dropped the Eagles 58-13. Big Valley jumped out to a 23-0 advantage afte the first eight minutes, and led 43-3 going into the break room. TC tallied up just 10 points in the second half (five in each quarter.) During the opening round of the 65th annual Gustine Rotary tournament, Orestimba High's Warriors beat up on Turlock Christian High's boys varsity basketball team, 58-33. Marcus Garcia had eight points during the loss, while Brad Abraham pitched in with six.

TC 70, Gustine 24 - Friday, Dec. 7
Turlock Journal - 12/12/07

Josh Wright scored 12 points, and senior Eli Davis had a game-high 23 points during Turlock Christian High's boys varsity basketball team's 70-24 win against the Gustine High Redskins during the second day of the 65th annual Gustine Rotary Basketball Classic.

Gustine 65, TC 41 - Saturday, Dec. 8
Turlock Journal - 12/12/07

Gustine High's boys varsity basketball team outscored the Turlock Christian Eagles 20-12 during the second quarter of last Saturday's 65-41 loss. The Redskins closed the second half outscoring the Eagles 34-20 as they pulled away with the victory.

TC 72, Firebaugh, 57 - Friday, Dec. 28
Turlock Journal - 1/5/08

During last Friday's contest against Firebaugh High, the Turlock Christian boys varsity basketball squad dropped their opponent 72-57 during the Orestimba High Winter Boys Basketball Classic Tournament. After the win, Turlock Christian improved to 4-7 on the preseason. Senior guard Eli Davis finished with 16 points, while Marcus Garcia tallied up the team-high 21 points. Matt Moreda scored three points, and Alan Sargisan tallied up six. Senior Axel Morelli finished with 10 points, while Brad Abraham scored 14. Josh Wright rounded out Turlock Christian's total with two points for the Eagles.

Central Valley 61, TC 49 - Saturday, Dec. 29
Turlock Journal - 1/5/08

During the last day of the Orestimba Winter Classic, Turlock Christian's boys varsity basketball team fell against Central Valley High of Ceres, 61-49. Trevor Mew led the Hawks with 18 points, while Yama Noorzai netted 14. Sean McCleod finished up with 11 points for Central Valley.

Eli Davis scored 10 points for the Eagles, and senior Axel Morelli scored seven. Ben Larson had a team-high 18 points for the Eagles, while Josh Wright finished with eight. Brad Abraham rounded the total with six points. Mew hit four 3s for Central Valley, and Larson tallied three 3s for the Eagles, while Morelli yanked down 15 rebounds. Davis had five assists for the Eagles, who were facing a 22-6 deficit after the first eight minutes of the ball game.

Coyotes Keep Eagles Down - Denair Fights off TC in SL Showdown
John-Joel Griffiths - Turlock Journal - 1/16/08

Eli Davis and the Turlock Christian High boys varsity basketball squad gave the Denair Coyotes all they could handle during a Southern League

Denair sophomore Jared Wilcox goes up for a block on Eli Davis’ shot attempt during the Coyotes’ 47-44 SL victory over the TC Eagles Friday evening.

showdown between the two crosstown rivals Friday night inside of the Calvary Baptist gymnasium. Davis, Turlock Christian's senior point guard, finished with a game-high 25 points against the Coyotes, who held off the Eagles 47-44 in a critical league matchup. "Eli hit some tough shots," said Curtis Wooten, head coach of the Denair varsity basketball team. "I have to give him credit, but a lot of our guys got into foul trouble, so we couldn't go at him like we wanted to. He did a good job of getting inside of the key and getting his shots off. He knocked down a couple of big 3s, and really played a terrific ball game." After sitting ahead by six at the break, the Eagles headed into the fourth quarter leading by one, 31-30. Denair sophomore Jared Wilcox opened up quarter No. 4 with a bucket that gave the Coyotes a one-point lead, and senior Mason Wooten stretched the Coyotes' lead to 34-31 after sinking a jumper. Davis answered with a two-point basket that cut the Eagles' deficit to one, which was followed by a jump shot from Wooten that made it 36-33. Brad Abraham (six points, eight rebounds) of Turlock Christian scored on a Davis assist, and then Wilcox stretched Denair's lead to three once again before Davis knocked down a trey to tie the game at 38.

After that, Denair went on a 6-0 run, which included four straight points from senior guard Alex Correia, who finished with eight points and two rebounds. Davis went 7-for-10 from the free throw, and scored a bucket to make it 40-44. Abraham made it 42-46 a couple of plays later, and Denair's Coyotes sealed the win from the free-throw stripe. "(Mason) had a good fourth quarter," coach Wooten said. "Offensively, we had not had a good night up until the second half. In the first half, we could not buy a basket. "TC was doing a good job of hustling to everything, and always being around us. It seemed like we were just trying to run around with them, and we needed to calm down and run our offense." Nerves certainly got the best of both teams during the first half.

After the initial quarter Turlock Christian trailed 7-4, which saw a very sluggish opening eight minutes. "Both of these teams were just so excited," Wooten added. "The crowd was into it, and it took us a good half to calm down and start playing basketball. "TC did what they had to do. They came out and got us into their up-tempo game." After scoring just four first-quarter points, the Eagles bounced back with a strong second quarter.

Turlock Christian went on a 16-7 run during the eight minutes before the half, giving them a 20-14 lead going into the locker room. Turlock Christian senior Marcus Garcia (three points) ended the opening half with a bucket that made it a six-point ball game. During the third quarter, however, Denair went on a 16-11. "In the second half Mason got those fouls, and I think that settled the team down a little bit," coach Wooten said. "We didn't have Mason to go to, so we had to work the ball around more. "(Wilcox) came up big, too. He started banging on the boards, going to the hole and finishing. Jared played a great game for us. Instead of settling for a jumper, he was attacking the basket."

Denair guard Jarod Martinez (five points) opened up the third quarter with a jumper that cut the Coyotes' deficit to four. Axel Morelli (four points) of Turlock Christian scored on a Davis assist to make it 22-16. Denair forward Dan Doniego scored to make it 22-20, and Garcia stretched it to 23-20 after a free throw. Correia and Wilcox then scored back-to-back buckets for Denair to take a one-point lead, which was erased after Davis sunk a shot to give TC a 25-24 cushion. Martinez and Correia scored on back-to-back trips down the court, which gave Denair a 28-25 lead. However, Ben Larson (five points) knocked down a triple to tie it, then Davis knocked down a trey giving the Coyotes a three-point advantage. Denair's Juan Galvan, who was guarding Davis all night, hit a shot at the end of the third, which cut the Coyotes' deficit to one heading into the fourth. Martinez intercepted a pass with a second left, then made 1-of-2 free throws to make up the final score.

Turlock Christian fell to 5-10 overall, 2-2 in the SL, while Denair improved to 9-8 overall, 4-1 in league. Wilcox finished with 12 points for Denair, which also included 11 rebounds and three steals. Wooten of the Coyotes finished with 13 points, and another 10-block performance. The Coyotes will travel up to Mariposa High for an important league matchup with the Grizzlies at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.

Waterford 72, TC 57
Scoreboard- Turlock Journal - 2/6/08

Friday, Feb. 1

Turlock Christian High's boys varsity basketball team fell to 2-9 in the Southern League, 5-17 overall after a 72-57 loss against the Waterford Wildcats Friday. Waterford improved to 6-5 in league, 12-11 overall.

Girls Varsity Basketball

Turlock Christian Preview - Girls Hoops
Turlock Journal - 11/28/07

Head coach: Edwin Santiago, first year, 2006-07: 13-2 SL, 22-7 overall.

Key losses: Michelle Reagor, Lyndzie Spycher and Kendra Hanson. Key returners: Greta Gonzalez, Erin Santiago, Tiffannie Snyder, Amy Wright, Candice Balswick and Bryanna Peace. Key newcomers: Sara Hunt and Kaisa Spycher

Outlook: Turlock Christian's girls varsity basketball squad is the defending Southern League champions, and will be looking to repeat this upcoming 2007-08 season, especially with a solid line of returners.

"We are going to have a very good year," said Edwin Santiago, the Turlock Christian girls varsity basketball team's first-year head coach. "We're going to start off slow, but once Dec. 18, comes, we'll be ready. "That's when we'll go up to Le Grand and have to take it to them. And Mariposa. There is something about traveling up to their place to play in that gym. That's a great home-court advantage for Mariposa." Le Grand and Mariposa should be two of the Eagles' toughest competition within the Southern League. However, Turlock Christian has a group of key players coming back, including senior Sara Hunt, who took a year off last season for personal reasons.

Hunt will be a key addition to the post for the Eagles, not to mention Greta Gonzalez. Gonzalez and Hunt are two seniors who should account for most of the Eagles' points and rebounds underneath the basket. Junior point guard Erin Santiago is also back to run the program, and so is sophomore Candice Balswick, who can certainly score the basketball.

Big Valley 51, TC 14 - Monday, Nov. 26
Turlock Journal- 12/1/07

The TC girls JV basketball team had two points after the first two quarters Monday, and it fell against Big Valley Christian of Modesto, 51-14...Molly Farrar had 10 points for TC's Eagles, and Kara Gabrielson chipped in with four.

Escalon Lions Tournament - Turlock Christian 35, Millennium 25 - Tuesday, Nov. 27
The Modesto Bee - 12/2/07

TC: Greta Gonzalez 22, Amy Wright 6, Kaisa Spycher 3, Breanna Peace 2, Sara Hunt 2. 16 3-11 35. Millennium: Leticia Deton 9, Shakmar Hicks 15, Ashourina Haynes 1. 8 8-17 25. TC: 3 -- 17 -- 5 -- 10 -- 35; Millennium: 7 -- 1 -- 10 -- 7 -- 25; 3-pointers: TC 0, Millennium 1 (Deton). Total Fouls: TC 10, Millennium 13.

Turlock Journal - 12/1/07

TC's girl varsity squad had a standout showing from its senior post player in Greta Gonzales, who had a game-high 22 points. The Eagels knocked off Millennium of Stockton 35-25 during the first round of the Escalon Lions tourney. Amy Wright recorded six points for the Eagles, while Shakmar Hicks finished with 15 total for Millennium. TC pulled away by going on a 17-1 run in the second quarter.

Bella Vista 81, TC 23 - Thursday, Nov. 29
Turlock Journal - 12/1/07

TC High's girls varsity basketball team trailed 15-0 after the first quarter of Thursday's non-league contest against Bella Vista High during the first round of the Escalon Lions Tournament, and fell 81-23. Grete Gonzalea and Amy Wright had six points apiece for the Eagles. Lauren Godde had a game high 10 points for the Bella Vista ball club.

TC 54, Central Valley, 41 - Friday, Dec. 7
Turlock Journal - 12/12/07

During the first day of the Turlock Christian High girls varsity basketball tournament, the Eagles defeated the Central Valley Hawks 54-41. On the second day of the tournament, which was last Saturday, Turlock Christian lost to the Ripon Christian High Knights 42-27.

TC Girls Let Victory Slip Away
Turlock Journal - JOHN-JOEL GRIFFITHS - 12/15/07

Bianca Davoodian of TC attempts to rip the ball away from a Bear Creek player.

Since her return to the hardwood, Turlock Christian senior standout Bianca Davoodian has continued to make an impact on the girls' varsity basketball club. Davoodian, who was planning on giving basketball a break for competitive travel club volleyball, pieced together one of the greatest performances of her career this past Thursday night at the Calvary Baptist gymnasium.

Turlock Christian's relentless forward Davoodian had a game-high 14 points, and hauled in 18 rebounds during a 43-39 preseason loss against the Bear Creek High Bruins of Stockton. "Bianca had 18 rebounds, with nine offensive," said the Eagles' first-year head varsity basketball coach Edwin Santiago. "And that was a career best for her against a Division I school, mind you. "This was a girl who didn't want to play basketball. The principal, John Nelson, talked to her and asked her to reconsider. And I talked to her and asked her to reconsider, and eventually she made up her mind to come back." Davoodian has been a solid addition to the ball club thus far, to say the least.

After Bear Creek jumped out to a 10-5 lead after the first quarter, the Bruins outscored the Eagles 15-12 in the second quarter as they took a 25-17 lead right before both teams headed into the locker room. Bear Creek senior Brittney Ryan had eight of her 10 points in the first half, and Jillian Goodwin had eight of her 12 total during the first 16 minutes as well. After the halftime break, Davoodian exploded scoring the first eight points of the second half, which also included a 6-0 run tallied up all by her lonesome. After trailing by seven, Davoodian's three consecutive inside buckets made it a 25-27 contest with the Bear Creek Bruins leading by two. "(Davoodian) stepped up her game during the third quarter," coach Santiago said. "She told us we would do well (last Thursday), and we had a great game. "That was one of our best played games all year. We had a few mistakes here and there, but we're kind of young. Some of the girls felt a little overwhelmed by the strength and skill of the other team."

Bear Creek, a Division I girls basketball club, improved to 4-5 overall after the win. Jazmin Gutierrez of Bear Creek got two points and a foul with 2-minutes, 33-seconds to go in quarter No. 3. She converted her free throw, and that handed the Bruins a 32-25 lead. Erin Santiago (seven points) hit a 3-ball for Turlock Christian with 70 seconds left in the third, and that made it a four-point ball game. Freshman standout Kaisa Spycher got two points on a putback, and her jump shot right as the third quarter closed created a 32-32 tie heading into the final eight minutes of the contest. Spycher finished with six points, and Turlock Christian senior Greta Gonzalez had 12 points against the Bear Creek defense.

"(Davoodian) has taken over a solid position in the post, and (Gonzalez) will play the (power or small forward)," coach Santiago said. "Kaisa (Spycher) is also a tremendous post player, so we do not really need Greta on the inside. "(Gonzalez) is a great outside shooter, and she's very athletic. Because she is so tall she has always played the post for us, but that's not her true position. She actually feels comfortable playing on the perimeter." Gonzalez scored all 12 of her points during quarter No. 2, and she pulled down seven rebounds during a Turlock Christian victory that dropped its preseason record to 3-5 overall. Santiago had four of the Eagles' 13 totaled assists, and Davoodian had five of Turlock Christian's steals.

Gutierrez had eight points for Bear Creek, and Renee Gui had six. Tristen Bownes scored a pair of points, and Mikayla Ogata had three. Annalynn Jiminez had two points to round out the Bear Creek final score. During the final moments of the contest, Gonzalez and sophomore Candice Balswick missed four free throw attempts that would have gave the Turlock Christian Eagles a bigger lead. But with under five minutes to go, Bear Creek hit a jump shot that gave it a 37-36 lead, then Goodwin nailed a shot that made it 39-36. Davoodian scored her 14th point inside to make a 38-39 ball game, and Santiago went 1-for-2 shooting the technical-foul free throws given to the Eagles after a Goodwin hack. Santiago's one point tied it at 39-39. But Goodwin got that point back with 31 seconds left as she knocked down a field goal that made it 41-39. Turlock Christian failed to convert a shot on the next trip, and Ryan was sent to the free-throw line to end the ball game.

Ryan went 2-for-2 as the Bruins took a four-point lead as the game clock ran out. "We said 'go after the ball,' but we failed to do that," coach Santiago said. "Because we had a foul to give, we didn't do a very good job of going after the ball. "We let 15 seconds slip by without fouling, and we missed a lot of easy shots. But we played against a Division I basketball program." The Eagles' next game will be in a Southern League opener against Le Grand, who shared a piece of the Southern League title with Turlock Christian during the 2006-07 season. On Tuesday, Dec. 18, Turlock Christian will travel up to Le Grand for a showdown. Game time is at 7 p.m.

TC 40, Delta 20 - Froday, Dec. 28
Turlock Journal - 1/5/08

Turlock Christian High's girls varsity basketball squad improved to 6-6 overall after last Friday's 40 20 win over Delta during the West Coast Jamboree. Erin Santiago paced the Eagles with 20 points, while senior Greta Gonzalez scored 10. Amy Wright scored four points for Turlock Christian, while Kaisa Spycher, Sara Hunt and Emily Breuss each tallied up two. Turlock Christian's defense held Delta to six first-half points, which included single-digit scores in three of the four quarters.

After the first period, Turlock Christian led 14-2, and went into the locker room leading 22-6. Santiago hit all four of the Eagles' 3s, and finished up with five assists. Gonzalez hauled in nine of the club's 45 total rebounds, and registered five blocks. The senior Hunt recorded six of the Eagles' 18 total steals during the semifinal of the annual tournament.

TC 46, Sonoma Academy 30 - Saturday, Dec. 29
Turlock Journal - 1/5/08

Turlock Christian's girls varsity basketball squad beat Sonoma Academy 46-30 to claim the Garnet Division championship of the annual West Coast Jamboree. Erin Santiago finished with 19 points for the Eagles, and senior Bianca Davoodian scored 13 points while hauling in 12 rebounds. Greta Gonzalez and Amy Wright combined for nine points, and senior Sara Hunt had two. Bryanna Peace rounded out Turlock Christian's total with three points during the victory. The Eagles used a 16-8 third quarter to escape. Santiago and Hunt each had three assists for Turlock Christian. Gonzalez finished with five blocks. Davoodian, Hunt, Candice Balswick and Santiago each finished with two steals apiece on the defensive end.

TC 37, Mariposa 31 - Thursday, Jan. 3
Turlock Journal - 1/5/08

Turlock Christian High senior standout Greta Gonzalez scored a team-high 15 points, grabbed six rebounds, blocked seven shots and passed out four assists during the Eagles' girls varsity basketball team's 37-31 victory over the Mariposa High Grizzlies this past Thursday evening. The Eagles improved to 10-6 overall this season, and upped their record to 2-1 in the Southern League.

Erin Santiago scored 12 points for Turlock Christian, and sophomore Candice Balswick (six rebounds) had four points. Senior Bianca Davoodian (four steals) rounded out the Eagle total with six points during the victory Mariposa (4-10 overall, 2-1 SL). Morgan Foley led Mariposa with 16 points, which was a game-high. Turlock Christian trailed by two after the first couple of quarters, but then outscored the Grizzlies 20-12 to finish off the last 16 minutes of regulation.

Eagles Take Flight - TC Downs Denair in SL Match-up
John-Joel Griffiths - Turlock Journal - 1/9/08

Greta Gonzalez and Bianca Davoodian of the Turlock Christian High girls varsity basketball squad crashed the boards relentlessly during the

Turlock Christian High point guard Erin Santiago rises up for a jump shot against the Denair defense during this past Monday’s Southern League victory over the visiting Coyotes inside of the Calvary Baptist gym.

Eagles' 54-38 win over the visiting Denair Coyotes this past Monday. Gonzalez and Davoodian, who are two of three Eagle seniors, tallied up 40 rebounds between the two. Gonzalez finished with a game-high 25 points, which included 21 rebounds, while Davoodian finished with three points, hauled in 10 of the Eagles' 66 totaled rebounds and registered three steals. "When Greta gets 21 boards, and Bianca 19, that's quite a tremendous feat," said Edwin Santiago, the Eagles' first-year head coach. "Those two dominated inside." Turlock Christian led 10-7 after the first frame, which included four first-quarter points from Gonzalez.

During the second quarter Denair outscored Turlock Christian 9-7, which made it a 17-16 game heading into the locker room. Denair senior Jessi Cole, who finished with the team-high 17 points, tied the game at 16-16 with a free throw. Cole had eight of her total in the first couple of quarters, and she knocked down a couple of treys. After the loss, Denair fell to 3-14 overall and 0-4 in the Southern League.

The Eagles, however, improved to 10-6 overall, 3-1 against league opponents. "We had a sluggish first half," coach Santiago said. "But the girls really responded to the pressure that Denair gave us in the first half by coming out with a strong third quarter." After leading by one at the break, Turlock Christian's Eagles went on a 17-9 third-quarter run, which made it a 34-25 contest going into the fourth quarter. "The fourth period was very frustrating," Santiago added. "We felt like it was more of a football game out there. We shot 24 foul shots during the fourth." Turlock Christian outscored the Coyotes by seven in the fourth period, 20-13. Amy Wright scored four points for the Eagles, while point guard Erin Santiago finished with 16 (two 3s, three assists). Kaisa Spycher, Sara Hunt and Emily Breuss each had two points to round out the Eagles' total.

Mallorie Gallardo finished with 11 points for Denair's Coyotes, which included seven in the second period. Junior forward Tori Olson scored four points, and so did Yadi Garcia. Emily Wynn rounded out the Denair total with two points. Turlock Christian's next game will be on Wednesday evening against Waterford's Wildcats, at Waterford. "We have our eyes on Le Grand and Mariposa," coach Santiago said. "Mariposa lost twice now, so we are in second place. There is a lot of parity in the league." On Friday, Jan. 18, Turlock Christian will host the Le Grand High Bulldogs at the California State University, Stanislaus basketball gymnasium (Warrior Arena).

It will be the Eagles' homecoming game, and it will be slated for 5 p.m., followed by the boys varsity game. "That is definitely our biggest game," coach Santiago concluded. "They know it. They're ready. But we are not looking past Waterford. We know they'll put up a good game against us and not let us win." Turlock Christian will tip off against Waterford High at 7:30 p.m.

Grizzlies Clip TC Eagles
John-Joel Griffiths - Turlock Journal - 1/23/08

Turlock Christian High's girls varsity basketball squad was devastated following Monday evening's Southern League loss to the visiting Mariposa

Eagle junior Erin Santiago penetrates and tosses up one of her several shot attempts on Monday night.

High Grizzlies at the Calvary Baptist gymnasium. Mariposa senior Carina Stephens picked up a rebound off the offensive glass with less than five seconds to play, and cashed the game-winning putback to hand the Grizzlies a 34-33 win over Turlock Christian, who fell to 12-8 overall and 5-3 against league opponents. "It was a high-percentage shot," said Edwin Santiago, Turlock Christian's first-year head coach. "It was their second shot on the rebound, and (Stephens) made it. We want to limit teams to one shot, but we didn't do a good job of boxing out. "Good job to Mariposa for getting that rebound, and shame on us for not boxing them out."

Mariposa senior Lindsay Chenot went 3-for-4 from the foul line with under a minute to play, and that made it a one-point contest after the Grizzlies trailed by four. With 22 seconds left in regulation, Turlock Christian's senior standout Greta Gonzalez registered a horrific-sounding block that echoed throughout the gym. However, that would not be the last time the Grizzlies attacked the basket during the final minute. Stephens, who finished with 10 points, sunk the game winner over the 6-foot, 2-inch Gonzalez' outstretched arms inside the post. Turlock Christian had the chance to tie with two ticks on the clock, but failed to get the ball to Gonzalez off the inbound play, which proved it worked more than a couple of times throughout the contest.

Towards the end of the third quarter, the Eagles ran an inbound play set up specifically for Gonzalez. Eagle junior Erin Santiago, who finished with a game-high 12 points, tossed the ball up to Gonzalez, who immediately put it back right before the third-quarter buzzer sounded. Gonzalez also scored off an inbound play to make it 8-2 early on. Turlock Christian opened up the game on a 13-7 run, which was capped by a Santiago trey that gave the Eagles a six-point advantage heading into the second frame. "We always want to come out with a win, but we have to learn how to handle our defeats," Santiago said. "It will be a challenge for us. Our ultimate goal is to make it to the (Sac-Joaquin Section Division V) postseason, and do well there."

Sara Hunt, a Turlock Christian senior who scored four points and gave the Eagles a 15-7 lead in the second quarter, also led the team in steals. Stephens nailed a shot that made it 16-13, and also scored the ensuing bucket to make it a one-point game. Mariposa's Joree Peracca (10 points) made the final shot before the break to give the Grizzlies a 17-16 lead going into the locker room. Turlock Christian shot 2-for-8 from the foul line, and Mariposa (7-12 overall, 5-3 SL) finished up 8-for-21. Turlock Christian only scored three points in quarter No. 2, and was held to seven in the third.

Gonzalez finished with six points, and sophomore guard Candice Balswick scored seven. Senior Bianca Davoodian rounded out the Eagles' total with four. "We are very determined to finish off strong," coach Santiago added. "They haven't lost motivation. We have had the taste of victory, and the taste of a loss. We prefer winning. The girls are stepping up and are working hard in practice. They were very resilient on (Tuesday), and have not lost their competitive edge." Chenot finished up with five points, and Morgan Foley scored three for the Grizzlies. Turlock Christian will travel down Monte Vista to face the Denair High girls at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Coyotes' gymnasium.

TC Eagles Pull Away in Final Eight Minutes
John-Joel Griffiths - Turlock Journal - 1/26/08

DENAIR - Turlock Christian's girls varsity basketball squad had to bounced back from back-to-back league losses during Thursday night's

Denair freshman Madison Norquist dribbles toward the baseline and looks for a cutter.

Southern League ball game against host Denair High. The Coyotes, however, didn't make it easy for the Eagles, who pulled away in the final period and defeated Denair 43-25. "I watched Denair play Le Grand on (Jan. 17), and they played Le Grand tight until the fourth quarter too," Turlock Christian head girls varsity basketball coach Edwin Santiago said. "Denair has been in a lot of close games, not just against us. They held us in check most of the night, but in the fourth quarter we broke out because we had five different people score, so it was nice to get everyone involved."

Senior Greta Gonzalez of Turlock Christian scored six of her seven points in the second half, which included four in the third quarter. At the halftime break, the Coyotes (4-18 overall, 1-8 SL) only trailed by four points. Turlock Christian (13-8 overall, 6-3 SL) opened up the contest on a 10-3 run and led by seven after the first eight minutes, but the relentless Coyotes went on a 5-2 run in quarter No. 2 to make it a 10-14 ball game at the half. Turlock Christian sophomore Candice Balswick (six points, three assists) nailed a jumper to make it 12-5 at the end of the first, and Erin Santiago (18 points, 10 rebounds) scored the first bucket of the second to make it 14-5. "Erin's double-double helped, and the girls coming off the bench helped too," coach Santiago said. "All our perimeter players were involved, so Denair could not leave any one open. When the rest of the perimeter players started hitting their shots, it became tough for Denair to defend us."

Denair senior Emily Wynn scored her only two points of the contest in the second quarter, and a triple by senior standout Jessi Cole made it 10-14 at the half. Cole finished with 11 points, and junior Tori Olson had five for the Coyotes. During the third frame, Denair's freshman Madison Norquist knocked down a jumper to pull within two points, and Olson scored a bucket to make it a two-point ball game a couple of possessions later. Norquist finished with two points against the Eagles, who outscored the Coyotes by two in quarter No. 3. Wen Santiago stretched it to three with a free throw, Cole got a two-point basket to make it 20-19. Then, Turlock Christian's freshman forward Kaisa Spycher scored a bucket on an assist from Santiago (three 3s) to make the score 22-19.

After a Cole free throw made it 20-22, the Eagles went on a 4-0 run to close the quarter, which gave them a six-point lead heading into the fourth frame. Spycher finished with two points, and Amy Wright scored a pair as well. Bianca Davoodian finished with six points and had two blocks, while senior Sara Hunt (five steals) rounded the Eagle total with two points. Turlock Christian closed the game on a 17-5 run to pull away with the 18-point victory. "We were executing the whole game, but our shots were not falling," coach Santiago said. "We executed and hit our shots in the second half, so that was nice. "We really want to finish the season strong, and this is a fresh start. We're taking it one game at a time."

Denair's Mallorie Gallardo and Annie Anderson rounded out the Coyote total with a combined five points. Denair went 9-for-22 from the free-throw stripe, and the Eagles went 8-for-18. Turlock Christian will host the Waterford High Wildcats at 7:30 p.m. Monday.

TC Eagles Glide Past Hawks in SL Matchup
John-Joel Griffiths - The Turlock Journal - 2/6/08

Turlock Christian High's girls varsity basketball squad is currently ranked No. 11 in the Sac-Joaquin Section

Turlock Christian guard Bryanna Peace looks to swing the ball around the wing during a 52-33 victory over the Hawks at Calvary Baptist Monday.

Division V power ratings, which determines what 16 teams will make it into the postseason tournament. On Monday night, the Eagles improved to 15-9 overall and 8-4 in the Southern League following a 52-33 win over the visiting Delhi Hawks at Calvary Baptist. "We are very happy being No. 11," Turlock Christian's first-year girls varsity basketball coach Edwin Santiago said. "If you look at the rankings, if you're No. 8 or 9, you get to play Bradshaw Christian, who beat us very handily during our own tournament."

Bradshaw Christian is currently the No. 1 ranked team in the Division V section with a 17-3 overall record. Last year, Turlock Christian defeated Bradshaw 51-49 in the opening round of the section playoffs. With only three games left on the season's schedule, Turlock Christian took out some of its frustration on Delhi (2-18 overall, 1-11 SL) after suffering a pair of consecutive losses to Le Grand and Mariposa High. The Eagles jumped out to a 14-6 lead after the first period, and after outscoring the Hawks by four in the second frame, Turlock Christian headed for the locker room hanging onto a 26-14 advantage. "It was a great game for us," coach Santiago added. "We had nine people score for us, and that was good. We had a lot of movement on offense, and we were really successful defensively. "I was pleased with the chemistry from the starting five, and from the whole team. Everybody saw some playing time, and that was good for us."

Turlock Christian opened up the third quarter leading by eight points and stretched its lead to 40-22 after the first three quarters of the contest. Greta Gonzalez, a Turlock Christian senior who scored 12 points and hauled in 17 rebounds, made it a 36-14 contest with a pair of free throws with 3-minutes, 30-seconds remaining in the third period. Delhi's Adrianna Nunez scored five straight points and made it 36-19, and she finished with 10 for Delhi, as did Jeanette Lopez. Erin Santiago, the Eagles' junior guard that finished up with a game-high 22 points, hit one of her three treys to make it 44-26. Santiago (five boards, five assists) then scored five additional points to close out the ball game and help give the Eagles another league victory.

Sara Hunt and Emily Breuss both finished with three points apiece for the Eagles, who will travel up the hill to meet up with Mariposa High Thursday evening. "We had three people hit 3s Monday," Santiago said. "(Breuss and Hunt) hit a 3, and that helped spread out their defense even further." Tiffannie Snyder finished with two points for Turlock Christian, as did Amy Wright, Candice Balswick (five steals) and Bryanna Peace. The Eagles' senior forward Bianca Davoodian had four points and yanked down eight rebounds. Turlock Christian will wrap up this week against the Mariposa Grizzlies on the road, and will play its SL-finale on Monday night against the Denair Coyotes. That will also be senior night for the Lady Eagles, and it will be their final home game at the Calvary Baptist gymnasium. Tip off is slated for 7:30 p.m.

TCHS Girls Bounced in 2nd Round
John-Joel Griffiths - The Turlock Journal - 2/23/08

FAIR OAKS - The Turlock Christian High girls varsity basketball squad hit the road Thursday night to meet up with the Sac-Joaquin Section Division V No. 3 seed Freedom Christian High, who improved to 19-1 after a 53-38 win over the visiting Eagles during Round 2 of the postseason. Turlock Christian, which was led by seniors Greta Gonzalez and Bianca Davoodian, fell to 18-11 overall after exiting the postseason with a 1-1 record. Freedom Christian will meet the Division V No. 2 seed Wilton Christian Tuesday at Galt High for a trip to the finals at Arco Arena Friday.

"It's always disappointing when we don't make it to Arco," Turlock Christian's first year girls basketball coach Edwin Santiago said. "A season where we do not make it to Arco, in my mind, is not a successful season. We thought as we entered the postseason that we had a great chance, even though Erin (Santiago) was hurt." Santiago, Turlock Christian's standout point guard, broke her elbow during a Southern League finale against the Denair High Coyotes, so the Eagles' top scorer had to sit and watch during the postseason. Davoodian, the Eagles' relentless senior post player, stepped up and finished with 11 points, 18 rebounds and a pair of assists in the loss. Gonzalez tied for a game-high 21 points and hauled in 11 rebounds during her final game wearing a Turlock Christian uniform. Tiffannie Snyder scored 10 points for the Eagles, while Sara Hunt and Emily Breuss rounded out the total with two points apiece. "If you have 42 turnovers... I would say we didn't play well," Santiago added. "We contributed to our defeat. They were running a 1-3-1 half-court trap, and we made mistakes repeatedly. "We still fought hard and stayed within 15 points. We didn't give up. We played basketball, and didn't allow them to run over us."

Megan Huckabee scored a team-high 21 points (three 3s) for Freedom Christian, and Courtney Barham finished with 12. Jessica Palacios scored 10, while Chelsey Huggins pitched in with eight during the win. After leading by one after eight minutes, the Eagles of Freedom Christian went on a 16-9 run as they took a 23-15 half-time advantage. A 17-8 third-quarter run made it 40-23 heading into the final eight minutes of the contest.

The fact that Turlock Christian missed 20 free throws (12-for-32) didn't help their 15-point loss, either. "We definitely could have won the game if we hit our free throws," Santiago concluded. "We were 12-for-32, and if we would have made half of those the emotion in the game would have been different. "If we would have hit 60 percent, we could have won by four points."

No More H.S. Hoops; Let Us Sit and Reflect

John-Joel Griffiths/The Turlock Journal 2/27/2008

The TC Eagles, under first-year coach Edwin Santiago, made a post-season appearance after finishing third place in the Southern League. The Eagles missed 20 free-throw shots during a 15-point loss to Freedom Christian High of Fair Oaks. Turlock Christian was also without the services of its standout point guard Erin Santiago, who spent most of the season injured before breaking her elbow during the concluding game of the regular season.

The Eagles, however, entered the postseason with confidence, and picked up a first-round win on the road against Millennium High of Stockton.

NEWSPAPER SPOTLIGHTS

Richard T. Estrada
Modesto Bee, 1/5/08

Erin Santiago and her teammates didn't know much about the competition heading into the West Coast Jamboree, a 96-team Bay Area tournament that divides teams into divisions based on their level of skill. The Eagles were in the Garnet Division with other small private and public schools and won the title, beating Sonoma Academy 46-30.Santiago, a 5-foot-7-inch junior, scored 70 points, hit 11 3-pointers and handed out 13 assists in three wins.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

She also defended the opponent's top player each night and allowed 21 total points."It is difficult to prepare for teams you know nothing about, so we set a goal (to hold) the opponent to less than 10 points per quarter and to have us score at least 10 each quarter," coach Edwin Santiago said. "By doing this, we get to focus more on the little things necessary to accomplish our biggest goal of winning the game."

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