Bell-Jeff Girls Basketball Notebook Part II
March 19, 2009
Jack Pollon
A lot of things are on the line for the Bell-Jeff of Burbank girls basketball team when it takes the floor at Arco Arena in Sacramento at 3:30 p.m. today for the Division V state championship against Pinewood of Los Altos Hills.
Not only will the Guards (33-1) be looking to win the first state title in any sport in school history and set a school record for wins in the process but they will be trying to become the first girls basketball team in the region to win a state championship.
Three other teams have tried but all came up short.
La Reina of Thousand Oaks in 1983, Newbury Park in 1995 and Harvard-Westlake of North Hollywood most recently in 1999.
Bell-Jeff is not taking the pressure lightly.
"We relish the opportunity to make a little piece of history," Bell-Jeff coach Bryan Camacho said. "We feel we are prepared and ready to go and hope to bring a state championship back with us. We just want to play well and do the things we are capable of but it would be nice to do something no team before us has ever done."
SPECIAL MEANING FOR HAWTHORNE
Four years ago, Elizabeth Hawthorne was a wide-eyed freshman playing varsity at Bell-Jeff.
The 2006 season didn't go to well as the Guards were still getting used to a new coach and finished 4-20.
Fast-forward to the present and Hawthorne has seen the program come full-circle.
Her sophomore year, Bell-Jeff won 20 games with Camacho back as coach. In her junior season, Bell-Jeff won 25 games, advanced to the Div. IV-AA championship game and now will be playing for a state championship this season.
"Elizabeth has been through a lot and seen a lot of changes," Camacho said. "She has always been a huge part of the program and her experience is invaluable. It would be great to win the whole thing for her and all of the seniors going out."
SCOUTING PINEWOOD
Pinewood will be no slouch for Bell-Jeff.
Pinewood sports a 31-4 record and comes into todays contest having won 21 games in a row.
Lindsay Nickel and Hailie Eackles lead the Wildcats averaging 13 and 11 points respectively.
Jenna McLoughlin is another top player.
Pinewood hasn't lost since Jan. 9 and has beaten Castilleja of Palo Alto five times this season including a victory in the Central Coast Section Div. V championship game on March 7th.
"They will be good and tough," Camacho said. "They can do a lot of things. They are here for a reason."