In February, the Serrano High School Boys Varsity Basketball team competed at the CIF Southern Section Finals.
The boy’s basketball team qualified for CIF during their last home game of the regular season on Friday, February 2nd, and beat Burroughs High School with a final score of 61 to 48. The Diamondbacks placed 3rd overall in the Mojave River League and secured the last qualifying spot behind Hesperia and Oak Hills High School to move on to the finals.
With the first-round game scheduled for Thursday, February 8th, Head Basketball Coach Jon Beck said he felt very confident going into the finals despite the added pressure.
“The real pressure was getting here! We deserve to be there, and we just have to go out there and play Serrano basketball,” said Jon, who happens to be a Serrano alumnus, and mentioned how gratifying it is to now coach the basketball team he once played for when he was a young student.
The boys’ team undeniably earned their spot by putting in the hard work and playing approximately forty games together since the summer of 2023, which includes the 28 regular season games. Jon says the team’s success has come entirely from the players.
“This has been a special team, a 100% player-led team. I have really good leadership and exceptional Senior players who take control and get us out of a rut,” said Jon. In fact, the teams’ motto has been: Bad teams are when no one leads. Good teams are when coaches lead, but GREAT teams are when the players lead.
Their outstanding leadership is what guided them to win during their first-round game in the CIF on Thursday, February 8th, where the Diamondbacks played Calvary Chapel High School in Downy and dominated with an impressive score of 75 to 40.
With a fast turn-around, the second round game followed the next day on Friday, February 9th. The Diamondbacks faced Foothill Tech at Ventura Community College but ultimately lost with a close score of 43 to 54. Although Serrano was eliminated from the finals, the team ended their outstanding season with a total of 16 wins.
Coach Jon Beck believes that the team will be just as successful next year, with some of the key players returning along with a promising group of younger players. The basketball team is looking ahead to next year’s Winter sports season and will practice over the summer and develop their skills in preparation.
Congratulations to the Serrano Varsity Boys Basketball players: Kyu Kim #2 (Jr), Jontae Blandon #5 (Jr), Jhasi Edgerson #1 (Sr), Matt Stauffer #44(Sr), Trevor Meachum #33 (Sr), Dom Ramos #3 (Jr), Guillermo Sanchez #00(Fr), Kerrington Arty #4 (Fr), Tommy Larry #13 (Jr), Devin Holman #34 (Sr), AJ Chavira #24 (So), Jaden Wallace #12 (So).
