Mustangs Girls Basketball: Can History Repeat This Season?

 

Last season’s girls basketball team was historic. After a slow start, the team used its tenacious defense to advantage and ended the season with a stellar 18-11 record and a C.I.F. playoff birth. 

 

But two Agape League First Team players, 6’0” star center Elisa Otwell and guard Andrea Garcia, graduated this past June, leaving 2022-23 Lucerne Valley girls basketball a very different team. Despite being without a true center, Head Coach Brandon Barkley is optimistic that his star player, League MVP Jewell Moy, will lead the Lady Mustangs — currently 13 players strong — to another memorable season and lay the groundwork for future successes.

 

Jewell certainly won’t be alone this season. Also returning are Kailey Quintero and Chloe Evans, both of whom received All League honors last year. And there are others ready to move up, namely Amaya Kelly and Kayla Timmons. Over the summer, a number of the players competed for Lucerne Valley in summer league. They beat a charter school from Los Angeles and defeated Woodcrest Christian.

 

Coach Barkley is getting able help from assistant coaches Charles Ledbetter, who also runs the Middle School physical education program and is a talented athlete himself, and former Lady Mustang Ashley Davalos (2016). 

 

A transfer from Adelanto last year, Jewell ignited the Lady Mustangs with her fast-paced play. This year, she is concentrating on scoring more points, blocking shots, and making more assists.

 

“She’s doing a good job of seeing the court,” Coach Barkley said.

 

Jewell says she wants to keep improving “for the girls.” But the bottom line is to, ‘Just roll out and win another (league) title.”

 

Kailey says that being competitive while still having fun is the key. “And creating the bond,” she said. “I want to bring the banner back again.”

 

Chloe says she is working on her shooting and incorporating other fine basketball details. A three-sport athlete, she says that “she’s always been competitive.”

 

Amaya, only a freshman, said she learned a lot playing middle school basketball, “but it’s way different.” Amaya added that the team is dedicating their season to their fallen angel, Kristy Klaus, and will take her jersey to all away games.

 

Coach Barkley, who also teaches mathematics, came to Lucerne Valley Middle High School in 2013 and first served as assistant coach to the boys team. But he found his place coaching the girls and has a record of 96 wins and 77 loses in his 10th year. He is only four games away from winning 100 games and could make the historic achievement in the first few weeks of the new season. 

 

Before coming to Lucerne Valley he was a middle school coach at Woodcrest Christian. After arriving in Lucerne Valley he expected to work solely with the boys, but he admits he prefers the girls because, “They listen.”

 

Combining this team’s talent with a willingness to learn the Lucerne Valley girls team has a bright future. “They’ll be scary good in two years,” Coach Barkley said. “Our goal is to get another banner.”