Friday, Jan. 30, kicked off Woodside’s first home quad game of the season, leading to victory for both varsity girls and boys. The chosen theme for the game was “minions”, seeing Woodside students dress in blue and yellow to cheer on the teams.
At around 6:15, varsity girls faced off against the Jefferson Grizzlies, who are currently 2-7 in league games, placing them in 9th in league overall. Woodside is currently placed second with a 7-2 league record.
Woodside started with a lead on Jefferson, which continued throughout the game, although the score was close in the beginning. Girls’ varsity ended with a 47-32 win against the Grizzlies.
“It was a really good team win, even when we weren’t getting the stops we needed, we were able to come back and come together,” sophomore Lyla Rich said. “As soon as we get our defense caught up and we were getting shots, we weren’t letting them score as much, and so we were able to translate that to our offense.”
The score in the first half made it seem as if the game would be closer, but Woodside was able to pick it up, stealing the ball from Jefferson on multiple occasions. Fouls were kept to a minimum with two against Woodside and one against Jefferson.
“It just worked really well to the point where we were able to build a good lead,” Rich said. “I think it was really helpful that we all worked together and were able to figure out what we were doing wrong and be able to adjust and fix it. We were able to slow down our offense, slow down our defense and get more control, so we were able to perform better and get more opportunities for more people.”
Two standout players in this game were sophomore Meadow Long and senior Emily Parker. Long had the ball more than anyone else on and had the most steals for Woodside. Parker led the points for the team with 18, helping to build Woodside’s lead immediately.
“Emily Parker did a really good job getting into the paint and pushing away with defenders and being able to finish through contact,” Rich said. “It is really important to rack up as many points as possible, which I think she does really well. And then she also does a really good job of being aware of time and place, knowing when to pass out and when to go up.”
Woodside’s hustle overall was a key factor in their win. Woodside outrunning Jefferson helped them rack up more points early, contributing to their victory.
“I think hustle is important,” Long said. “It’s important that we get back support, try to get rebounds, and try to get every opportunity we can in a game.”
The boys’ varsity had a closer game against the San Mateo Bearcats, winning 43-36. This game made the Wildcats’ record 8-2 in league games, placing them third in league overall. San Mateo is currently placed ninth with a 2-8 league record.
“I’m proud of our team, they really stepped it up in the third quarter and led us to the path of victory,” senior Josh Fitzsimmons said. “I’m proud of our coaching staff for helping us stay composed.”
The Wildcats were down in the first half, losing 15-18. During the third quarter, the Wildcats visibly picked up the pace, strengthening their defense to lead to the eventual victory.
“This year, we’ve had a lot of problems since there’s like a learning curve between the seniors and juniors, so it’s hard to keep them on pace,” senior Luke Gretch said. “It’s hard to keep them on pace with the seniors, because seniors have been playing for four years together. They haven’t been playing with the team, so there are different play styles to work through.”
The quad game fell on the same day as Woodside’s walkout in protest of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This meant there were fewer people watching than usual for a big game like this, but it was still a substantial number, Fitzsimmons said.
“For the first quad game, I would say it was pretty good,” Fitzsimmons said. “Hopefully, for our next quad game, we could get more people to come out, but we appreciate your guys’ support.”
Both Wildcat teams’ victories are sure to propel their league competition and overall season.
“I know it’s not professional-level stuff, but it’s a performance,“ Rich said. “You kind of have to show everyone what we’re really made of, and what we’re capable of.”
