Article 71: Cougars to make splash in PVL

October 28, 2010

School: Center HS, Antelope
Mascot: Cougars
League: Pioneer Valley League
Division: Division III
Head Coach: Ray Gagnon
2009 Record: 28-4
2009 Playoff Results: Lost to Sacramento High in NorCal D3 Semi-finals.
Final NCP 2009 Ranking: No. 20

Players to Watch: Chad Haysbert (6-8, 2011) can play all five positions as he averaged 10.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.6 blocks last year. Daniel Smith (6-0, 2011) started at point guard midseason during his freshman. Christopher Smith (6-3, 2012) was also a key contributor as the sixth man wing last year as a sophomore.

Sleepers: Jared Almazan (5-6, 2011) had a very good summer shooting the ball as a guard. He did not play last season due to personal reasons. Myles Hunter (5-10, 2012) led the JV team to a 13-1 CVC league championship and overall 19-6 record as a guard. He made 8 threes in a JV game. Kenneth Parker (6-5, 2012) has very long arms and plays as if he is 6-foot-8. He plays the post and is a good rebounder who works hard.

Team Offensive Strengths: Center High has offensive depth and scoring ability from all five positions.

Team Defensive Strengths: The Cougars play with speed and quickness on defense. Last season, Center held opponents to 49.3 points per game.

Games to Watch In Division: Center is joining the competitive Pioneer Valley League this season. Center will be challenged every night in league. The rivalry between Foothill High and Center will continue as Foothill also made the move to the PVL. The two schools are less than five miles apart and have been in the same league for awhile.

Games to Watch Out of Division: Center will compete in the Jack Scott Tournament, Folsom Tournament, Tracy Tournament, and Whitney tournament. Last year, Center lost the championship game of the Jack Scott to Foothill by 1, lost the championship game of the Folsom Tournament to Vista Del Lago by 2 in double overtime, and won the Whitney Tournament beating Whitney by 23 points. This year, Center wants to sweep all of these tournaments.
Center also plays Pleasant Grove HS on January 5 and also plays at the Common Good Hoops Classic at Antelope High on January 15.

If these 3 things go well, the season will be a success: Center needs do these three things well to have success: 1. Play solid team defense, rebound and focus on defensive transition, 2. Display speed and quickness in transition offense, and 3. No major injuries.

Summary: Coach Gagnon has a good foundation to build a successful season for Center High. He has Chad Haysbert, the lanky inside and outside post player who will try to bring his game to another level while replacing his older brother from last year. The JV pipeline is well coached by Ernest Taubodo of E-Time Hoops. Center moves to a new league but do not expect much of a drop off in intensity and performance from them.