The school’s varsity boys basketball (20-14) season ended after the regular season, the Avocado League (6-2), California Interscholastic Federation playoffs (CIF) and the Division II State Championships. After what coaches and players described as a “slow start” to the season, the team won the league, reached the semifinals at CIFs and defeated two teams to make it to the state regional semifinals as the last San Diego team.
Q&A: Jake Gilliam (‘17), varsity basketball assistant coach
What would you say were some highlights of the season?
“There are three obvious standout highlights. We beat La Costa Canyon High School (22-9) three times. So obviously, beating our rival is a tremendous accomplishment. One of the other highlights is the last week of the season. We had to win two games to win the league, and we won at Carlsbad [High School] and won at [LCC] on the road. So winning a [Avocado] League championship was a tremendous highlight.”
Were there any low lights of the season or any challenges the team had to overcome?
“Yeah, every season brings challenges, and that’s part of the fun of athletics, finding a way to fight the adversity. And this year, our schedule was really hard, and we battled some sicknesses and injuries throughout the year. There were some times [during] the year that were pretty frustrating, and we’re just super proud of the team for turning it around, being able to win a league championship again and growing from the adversity.”
How would you say the athletes and team grew throughout the season?
“Off the court, the guys were really close the whole year. It’s fun. We do trips in the preseason, and it was good to see the guys get along, go to church together and hang out outside of basketball. But on the court, it took us a while to find our chemistry. It took us a while to know where the other guy was going to be and to make the play for the next guy, and so it was really encouraging again at the end of the year, where it seemed like we were meshing and gelling. The goal for any coach is [for] your team to be playing their best at the end of the year, and we’re very proud that we accomplished that.”
Why do you coach basketball?
“Great question. Torrey Pines High School, home of the Falcons, is the best place on Earth, and it was cool that I got to play here, and now I get to come back as a coach. Our program is really special. We have guys who work really hard and are dedicated, and the campus and the community support us really well. So it’s really cool to be a mentor, a leader and a guide to the kids in the way many people were for me. The beautiful thing about sports is working really hard with a group of people for a common goal, and our teams are always able to do that. It’s fun to be a part of, and it’s fun to see young men grow throughout the course of a year, and for some of the guys, the four years we got to work with them.”
Is there anything else you would like to add about the season?
“I’m just proud of our seniors. We’ve had a good group of seniors who were with us for four years and who went through a lot: Chase Ragowski (12), Harris Notrika (12), Trevaris Green (12) and Xander Ovies (12). Those four guys have meant a lot to me and to our program, and it’s cool to see guys grow from being young freshmen to graduating as young men and seniors. So I’m proud of them and thankful for them.”
Q&A: point guard Andre Chung (11)
Overall, how did you think the season went? What were the team’s goals at the beginning, and do you think you accomplished them?
“Obviously, at the start of the season, we set the goal to win CIFs. I think we started a little slow, but midway through the season, we picked it up and ended stronger. We didn’t win the CIF’s, we fell a little short, but we still made a deep run in states.”
What were the highlights of the season?
“Winning both the La Costa Canyon games was pretty big. These rival games are usually big. We were able to win both, which helped us to win the league championship, too, which is big for us because we’ve been winning it a lot the last decade.”
How did you feel your season went personally?
“It was my first year on varsity, and I think it was cool that we had a bunch of seniors who were able to help me settle in and get ready for the basketball season. I got some minutes, I played some big games and I thought it was a good and super fun season with my team.”
