5 Woodland Christian girls basketball players receive Central Valley California League recognition
The Woodland Christian High School girls varsity basketball team accomplished a lot of success this past season, which was capped off with over half of the team receiving recognition from the Central Valley California League. 5-of-9 Cardinals (27-6, 1…
The Woodland Christian High School girls varsity basketball team accomplished a lot of success this past season, which was capped off with over half of the team receiving recognition from the Central Valley California League.
5-of-9 Cardinals (27-6, 16-0 CVCL) respectively added individual league awards, which were presented at an end of season banquet that was held on March 13 in Woodland. Junior small forward Teagan Hayes and freshmen, shooting guard Elena Ganyo and center Siena Sorbello, comprised 60% of the All-CVCL first team. Freshman power forward Bailee Broward was named to the All-CVCL second team and sophomore point guard Ellie Sumner received an honorable mention.
During the 2023-24 campaign, Woodland Christian didn't lose a game for nearly two months, winning 17 in a row from Dec. 21 to Feb. 20. The Cardinals went unbeaten in CVCL play and won an outright league championship for the first time since 2015. Woodland Christian advanced to the semifinals of the Division V CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Playoffs and clinched a berth in the D5 CIF State Girls Basketball Championships.
The Cardinals became the first basketball team in Yolo County history to win a state postseason game, doing so not once but twice. As a No. 9 seed, Woodland Christian traveled approximately 300 miles northeast to Alturas and beat No. 8 Modoc 41-30. The Cardinals then hit the road again, going about 180 miles southeast to Mendota, where they upset the top-seed Aztecs 49-41, earning the right to host the NorCal playoff semifinals. Woodland Christian got to experience March Madness at the Jack Hamlin Gym but lost to No. 13 Oakland, who ultimately went on to win the state title.
"This season was an adventure and it's just insane how much the team grew over the course of this season," recalled coach Shiloh Sorbello. "I think it's one of those years where you're wishing that the next season could start right now because you feel so good about where you're at. But at the same time, it's nice to think that some of these girls are going to be playing in the offseason and are going to be that much better in eight months. The amount of growth that they can have if they work on their skills is going to be really great for our team."
Hayes is committed to continue her athletic career playing softball at UT Martin in college and is the reigning CVCL softball MVP. She has now made the All-CVCL first team for hoops in three consecutive seasons. In previous years, Hayes led by example with her play. This season, she stepped up as a captain with her voice as well being 1-of-2 upperclassmen on the team.
"Teagan is someone that definitely deserved to get league MVP based on how she led our team," Sorbello proclaimed. "We were a dominant team in our league and I think when you shut down the girl that ultimately got league MVP twice, you demonstrate what you're worth to our team. Especially towards the end of the season, Teagan brought leadership skills that I knew were in her, but they were kind of waiting to come out. She led by example in terms of how she brought her energy and intensity to the games. She led us in scoring, assists and steals. She was just a force on the top of our zone.
"From a pure athletic standpoint, she's the best athlete on the floor most nights. In terms of how she led our team, with how young we were with two upperclassmen and starting three freshmen most of the year, having Teagan there getting us through those tough games down the stretch and just being ice from the free-throw line, hitting big shots, making all the big plays that mattered, she was there for us all year."
Throughout the campaign, Hayes stuffed the stat sheet in nearly every single game, leading to her ranking in the Top 5 of countless CVCL statistical categories. Per game, Hayes averaged 11.2 points (3rd), 5.8 steals (2nd), 3.7 assists (2nd) and 1.3 blocks (5th). She averaged 13.9 points per 32 minutes (3rd) and totaled 137 field goals (4th), 32 3-pointers (4th) and 52 free throws (2nd).
Sumner and the phenomenal freshman trio of Broward, Ganyo and Siena were members of the Cardinals girls varsity volleyball team that won a share of the CVCL championship during the fall. Now they each have two league titles on their respective resumes to boast as underclassmen.
Ganyo was the Cardinals' leading scorer for most of the season. She averaged 10.8 PTS (4th) and 1.9 AST (9th) per game. The first-year sharpshooter led the league with 16.9 PTS per 32 and recorded 121 FG (5th), 37 FT (4th) and 45 3PT (2nd).
"Elena is a sneaky scorer because she has a beautiful shot but she also has a pretty developed midrange game and finishes well in transition," Sorbello explained. "As a freshman coming into a big stage as a varsity player and starting most of the season, we relied on her scoring and we really missed her when she wasn't there because we realized how easily we get points when Elena is on the floor. She is real unassuming, never tries to over-assert herself.
"She always stays within herself, knows what she's capable of and has a real good basketball IQ, so she makes great decisions and is usually in the right place at the right time. Gets more rebounds than you'd think given her size and also gets a lot of steals."
Playing on varsity as a freshman with both your parents coaching the team might be challenging for some but not for Siena. The 6-foot post rounded out the first team selections by averaging 9.6 PTS (5th), 6.8 rebounds (7th) and 2.5 blocks (1st). The eldest of four Sorbello sisters averaged 14.3 PTS per 32 (2nd), racked up 147 FG (3rd) and tallied 5 double-doubles (Tied 2nd).
"Growing up, this is not something that I could've foreseen. I had hoped that she would play high school basketball but she was never super motivated to get better," Sorbello recalled. "Over the last year and a half prior to the season starting, the summer after her seventh grade year she started playing AAU in Rocklin. It was all her and she was begging us to drive her out there for practices! It's obviously not easy to get out there, it's a 45-minute drive, right now our practices are 7:30-9 on a weeknight and she just has the drive to get better.
"She developed a really advanced post game for a girl that's a freshman. She needs to work on her rebounding because I think she has a lot more left in the tank in terms of her rebounding instincts but she was the kind of player who we could throw the ball into and expect a shot every time. I think that's why she led us in field goal percentage and obviously had some massive, effective games with blocks from the inside out."
Broward came on strong late in the season, leading to her being bestowed with a legendary nickname. "The Worm" earned a second team nod by averaging 10.2 REB (3rd) and 1.0 BLK (T9). Per 32 minutes, she tallied 8.6 PTS and totaled 88 FG (7th), 34 FT (T6) and 5 double-doubles (T2).
"Bailee is another girl I think if we hadn't already had three girls on first team, would've gotten first team as well. Bailee just put up crazy stats as a rebounder and started coming around as an offensive threat," Sorbello said. "Next year, you're going to have to guard her all the way from the 3-point line to the post. Once she starts learning some post moves and continues to refine her shot, she's really going to be a force that I think the league is grateful to see leaving to the Sierra Delta League. Just her drive, motor, competitive desire is unmatched."
Sumner was like her cousin, lone departing senior SF Zoey Sharp, who made countless plays that didn't show up on the stat sheet. For example, putting your body on the line to dive for a loose ball and battle for possession "like a barnacle" or attempt to take a charge. Sumner got an honorable mention by averaging 3.4 assists (4th) and 3.4 steals (9th).
"As the point guard she gets a lot of attention because the ball is in her hands a lot," Sorbello explained. "With that role, you're going to be visible in terms of mistakes that you make and also opportunities to provide for other people on your team. She was second on our team in assists and steals, was an excellent defender both on and off the ball. Her soccer background has helped her with anticipation. I really saw a lot of growth in her, not just statistically but really just from her confidence level as a basketball player from her freshman year to this year when we really relied on her in a way that we haven't in the past."
Other Cardinals on this season's roster include: freshman Reese Hutchins and sophomores, Kylee Bihlman, Isabel Du and Kiley Ibarra. Hutchins sat out the entire year recovering from a torn ACL that was suffered during summer league competition.
With Sharp being the only player graduating in the Class of 2024, Sorbello returns nearly his entire roster in October with its sights set on winning the program's first section championship and perhaps much more.
"I stand by that prediction. I don't think that was made emotionally. I really do think that this team has it in them to win a section title with these freshmen, so they have three years to do it," Sorbello foreshadowed. "We're certainly designing our schedule next year to give ourselves competitive games. They'll be tested in the regular season and we're interspersing those in the league schedule so we have tough games as a guarantee, even if our league isn't as strong as we want it to be."
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