Another Mount Miguel milestone
- Updated: November 24, 2021
2021 EAST COUNTY PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL
By Dave Dickens
EastCountySports.com
SPRING VALLEY (11-23-2021) – With over 20 league championships, one of the most successful girls’ athletic programs in San Diego County, has dominated the East County.
Mount Miguel girls varsity basketball head coach Rob Sandoval has not only added more talented players to his staff, he has also a healthy comeback player with junior Jennifer Moreno in tiptop shape after missing many contests during the regular season after a foot injury put her on the shelf up until playoff time, in which coach Sandoval and Moreno, doctors, etc., said she was ready to go.
“I finally had my chance to start playing again in the playoffs, but I never did feel like myself last year, after the injury,” Moreno said.
“This year I can definitely feel the difference and I’m ready to go,” Moreno continued.
This evening, the Las Matadoras hosted the Steele Canyon Lady Cougars at the Matadome, where they didn’t, like most teams, fare too well tonight.
The Lady Matadors started off as they typically do, scoring quickly and causing turnovers, especially with a heavy dose of the press.
Mount Miguel was up already in typical first-half fashion, leading 34-2 in the first quarter and 56-4 at the halfway mark, only allowing two points a quarter.
By the half, the bench and surely the locker room was full of hugs and praise in celebration of junior superstar, Jennifer Moreno, as she had scored over the 19 points required to achieve the 1,000-point milestone.
“I knew I was getting awfully close to the 1,000 mark, but I was definitely not aware until Coach Rob let me know. I definitely didn’t think it would be this game tonight. It wasn’t even on my mind, just thinking about the game versus Steele Canyon,” said Moreno.
“We knew at halftime that Jennifer had reached the 1,000 points, and all of us were just extremely proud and excited for her. I think she would have been over 1,000 points in the middle of last season if she hadn’t been injured,” said teammate Zanna Hurst.
Las Matadoras, eased up a bit in the second half as they only scored 10 points in the third, finally putting the finishing touch on their scrimmage-type game, 85-6, shutting out the Cougars in the fourth quarter.
Jennifer Moreno, the star of the show, and feeling like herself once again, finished the evening with 34 points, eight three-pointers, 10 rebounds, five assists, and eight steals. Not a bad day at the office defensively, either.
Zanna Hurst finished the evening with a nice touch herself, with 20 points, two three-pointers, four rebounds, two assists, and seven steals.
“Coach Rob says in these types of games we need to work on getting better. We were working on steals, offense, defense, finishing. These are what these games are for. We were running our press, working on being aggressive, but without causing fouls. We are working hard on getting focused and into game modem” said Hurst.
Newcomer, and rising star, Micaela Luffborough had two rebounds, seven assists, and six steals.
Ixchel Rojo had 18 points, two three-pointers, six rebounds, two assists, and six steals.
Yaneli Rosales had four points, six rebounds, and three steals.
Helen Rosales had nine points, a three-pointer, two rebounds, and four steals.
“It feels great to be a part of such a great program, but it comes with a lot of pressure, and expectations, but Coach Rob has all the experience and it is a pleasure to be a part of such a legacy,” said Hurst.
After such a huge accomplishment, Moreno was asked what her biggest goal or goals would be before she graduated from Mount Miguel High School.
“I would like to win a CIF, and a state championship, along with achieving a scholarship to continue to play basketball for a D-1 school,” said Moreno.
Once again the Lady Matadors put up a huge win on the scoreboard, however, this is a group of winners off the court, in the classroom, with very achievable hopes and dreams.
