The Woodland Christian girls varsity basketball team bounced back from their first Central Valley California League loss of the season one day prior with a comprehensive 57-22 victory over Futures.

The matchup Friday night featured the first placed Cardinals against a Futures team that has struggled so far this season. Coming into the game, the Cardinals had just lost a tough two-point affair against second-placed Forest Lake Christian.

"That Forest Lake loss was a tough game for us," said Cardinals head coach Shiloh Sorbello. "It's a good road environment to play in that, but the girls were really disappointed after last night. It felt like we let one get away, so we got back to what we do best tonight."

Before that, however, the Cardinals were in the midst of an impressive 14 game winning streak that stretched back to Dec. 12. Along with being perfect in their league during that run, they also beat Woodland and Pioneer High School in non-league showdowns.

"We began joking after the game that we started another 14 game winning streak," Sorbello said. "We came in positive and knew we had to get back to business after losing. It's nice to collectively breathe before the playoffs. But, we know we are in at this point, so we want to get to a place where we are firing on all cylinders and staying healthy."

Woodland Christian's Madeira Lang (3) races down the court for a layup during the Cardinals game against Futures Friday night. Carlos Guerrero/Daily Democrat

What makes the run of 15 wins in 16 games even more impressive is the Cardinals began their season 2-5. But, led by senior captains Alex Romero, Annette Ochoa, and Bethany Wiesner, along with role players including Gianna Carrion, Quinn Pannell, and freshman Teegan Hays, the Cardinals have taken the league by surprise.

Nearly seven years since a league title, the Cardinals look set to smash through the barrier that has kept them from becoming a league-winning side.

"The girls play really hard," Sorbello said. "We dont have a slow speed this year. I can't tell them not to go for loose balls or hit the floor. They are just going to do that on their own. Coming into the season, we probably would have been happy with a .500 record. But they support each other and play really hard. We never get out hustled. That kind of stuff is contagious, and it comes from our senior leaders."

The Cardinals raced out to a hefty 26-11 lead in the first half. Then, with just seconds remaining on the clock before halftime, the Cardinals drove down the court, looking to get one more basket.

Presley Phillips, who had a career goal of hitting a three-pointer, realized it and drained one right as time expired. Phillips was ecstatic as the entire Cardinal student section rushed to the floor to celebrate.

"She was beaming afterward," Sorbello said. "She was beside herself with the buzzer going off and the crowd rushing the floor."

After the celebration and halftime break, senior Alex Romero briefly took over the game. She began the third quarter with a steal and layup on the first possession and then an assist to Wiesner on the second. Later, she found Stella Paschke for a three to make it 37-16.

After a tough basket inside from Phillips, Ochoa made it 41-20 after a break-away basket. Futures would get a basket right before the end of the quarter to make it 41-22.

In the fourth, Phillips would hit a free throw before the Cardinals Madeira Lang made it 46-22 thanks to an assist from Sarah Silsbee. By the end of the fourth, the Cardinals would win 57-22.

The Cardinals look almost certain to book a playoff spot in the next few games. Their next game is a home game set for Tuesday against sixth-placed Victory Christian. They also know that a share of the league title is a very likely probability if they win out.

Woodland Christian Boys

The Woodland Christian boys team came in losers of two games in a row and, as a result, sit in sixth place in the league standings.

Their opponent after the girl's game Friday night was a Futures team that sat right behind them in the standings. After an even first quarter that ended with a Woodland Christian basket from Tanner Thomas to make it 11-13, the Futures Knights took over.

The Cardinals' Tanner Thomas (34) goes for a layup during their Friday night game. Carlos Guerrero/Daily Democrat

While the Cardinals Wyatt Rumfelt opened up the scoring with back-to-back baskets to give the home side a 15-13 lead, the Knights kept at it and mounted a 16-0 run that pushed their lead to 38-20. Rumfelt would break the run with another tough inside basket, but the damage had been done. The Knights took a 38-22 lead into halftime.

After a halftime adjustment, the Cardinals outscored the Knights 13-8 in the third quarter and then 12-7 in the fourth, but the deficit was too big as they eventually lost 53-47.

Their next game is also set for a Tuesday night home game against Victory Christian. They will follow the girls' game, which starts at 6 p.m.