GAZETTE PHOTO BY JILL BALLINGER SOPHOMORE EMILY BROSSARD (NO. 44) IS RETURNING FOR A SECOND YEAR ON THE GRIZZLY VARSITY BASKETBALL TEAM. HEAD COACH AL BRONDOLO EXPECTS THE GRIZZLIES TO CHALLENGE FOR THE SOUTHERN ATHLETIC LEAGUE TITLE THIS SEASON. For the last four years under head coach Al Brondolo, the MCHS varsity girls’ basketball team has shown improvement. This season, Brondolo believes his charges should be solid contenders for the Southern Athletic League crown.

“Our summer program has helped some of our players quite a bit,” Brondolo said. “We’re are much farther ahead that we have been in previous years.”

The Lady Grizzlies finished third in league play last season with a 9-6 SAL mark, two games behind Turlock Christian at 11-4. Le Grand ran away with the league crown, undefeated at 15-0, but Jennifer Hansen, who dominated the court, graduated and that fact levels the playing field.

Mariposa was 10-15 for the season last year following a grueling preseason schedule, but Brondolo said, “I expect to be a lot more competitive in preseason. We will still be playing teams from much larger schools, but I think we will be better prepared, and since our early games are against good programs at large schools, we should be more mature and better prepared when league starts.”

The team will be anchored by four seniors including veteran Julie Wurzbach, a 5’9” forward. Patricia Schellentrager, a 5’10” forward, along with guards Brooke Barrett (5’7”) and Emily Darcy (5’5”) all bring experience to the court.

The underclassmen should make significant contributions, especially in league play. Jackie Brondolo, a 5’9” junior with two years of varsity experience, will be moving to a forward post. For the past two years, Brondolo has prowled the paint, but sophomore Jincuyae Anderson (5’10”) has impressed the coaches with her aggressive play as the pivot. Emily Brossard, a 5’9” sophomore forward, should see substantial playing time, and junior center Hanna Townsend (6’0”) should be a capable back-up in the middle.

Dillon Marchetti, and 5’7” junior forward, and McKayla Barrett, a 5’4” sophomore guard, are also expected to contribute.

Two freshman guards may earn some varsity experience. Khrissy Schellentrager (5’7”) and Carissa Leonard (5’6”) may round out the roster, although Brondolo hasn’t made that decision yet.

“Compared to previous years, we’re now working on shooting, passing, and our offense, instead of just the basic fundamentals,” Brondolo said. “We should be a better shooting team, and I feel our execution will be much crisper.”

“Right now, our players have a better grasp of running our offense, which we change depending on the defense we face,” Brondolo added.

The head coach expects Mariposa’s toughest competition for the SAL title will be Le Grand and Turlock Christian, just like last season. He said Denair could be tossed into the mix.

“I can only control what we do. If I have them prepared, we will be okay,” Brondolo said. Brondolo is assisted by Tom Darcy, which makes it a dual dad-daughter coaching tandem.

The Lady Grizzlies participated in a scrimmage at Yosemite High School in Oakhurst last Saturday against schools like Sanger, Clovis West, and Corcoran. They will travel to Gustine for the annual Foundation Game on Monday, Nov. 30, before returning to host their own Mariposa Winter Classic Tournament on Dec. 3 through 5 in the MCHS Loyd Hobby Gynmasium.