By EDWARD SEVERN, Staff Writer
SAN PERLITA — The San Perlita Lady Trojans pulled off a big 31-28 win against rival San Isidro on Tuesday night.
With a win against Benavides on Friday in their final home game of the regular season, the Lady Trojans (17-2, 6-1) can earn a shot at a share of the District 32-1A title with Tilden McMullen County. Next Tuesday, the Lady Trojans will make the three-hour trek to Tilden.
The Lady Trojans are primed for the opportunity.
“Excited, but a bit nervous,” senior guard Elyssa Nieto said. “Having a chance at that district title would mean everything to us seniors. We want to make our last year as memorable as possible.”
Said coach Marco Mungia, “There are some very good ball clubs in our district, but our group is working. We believe that we can contend for that share of the district championship. We need to be our best and compete.
“I have told my girls before, keep the game close and keep every game close. If we can do that, we have a chance to take something that we deserve and something that we worked hard for.”
Mungia has worked with some of the Lady Trojans for quite some time: elementary school, to be exact. Mungia got the coaching job when his seniors were freshmen. Before that, he was coaching the girls in middle school.
Aliyah Garcia, Jasmine Rodriguez and Nieto are three senior leaders on the team. They have been on the varsity squad for four years.
“The team is something we love,” Garcia said.
The forward leads her team in scoring, averaging 14 points per game, and also grabs seven rebounds per game. Nieto puts up 12 points a night, and Rodriguez nets 10.
Juniors Arabella Rodriguez and Daniella Ramos round out the starting five. Sophomore Summer Terry is first off the bench.
“It is something we all love,” Garcia said. “We all get to be together and have fun, so it means everything to me.”
Said Rodriguez, “Since we are a small school, we do not have much, we only really know each other. It has been really nice to build these strong bonds with these girls. We help each other out and try to achieve our goals.
“The team means a lot to me.”
Mungia said basketball has always been a big part of the San Perlita culture.
“Our boys are a top-notch elite program, and it is great to see our girls program getting up there, too,” he said. “Our community is who we are. Their parents have played in the programs. It is a very prideful tradition. Everything is about hard work and putting in that work to get what you deserve.”