Photograph by Lea Tauriello
Homestead's Hilary Parker drives to the hoop against Del Campo in the first round of the NorCal playoffs. The Mustangs lost and saw their season come to an end, but what a season it was.
By DICK SPARRER
Postseason play ends with a loss for all but one high school basketball team in each division in the state.
In girls' Division II competition, that state championship will be determined March 16 at the ARCO Arena in Sacramento.
But for all teams but the two state finalists, losses have already ended the 1996 season. And the Homestead girls' team is on that list.
The Mustangs lost 69-50 to Del Campo of Fair Oaks in the first round of the Northern California playoffs. The loss brought Homestead's season to an abrupt halt.
Was it a disappointing finish? Maybe for a while. But the Mustangs couldn't have been too disappointed with anything they did in the 1995-96 season. Because it was quite a year for Homestead girls' basketball.
The Mustangs battled their way through the rugged De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League and into the Central Coast Section Division II playoffs.
Once there, the Mustangs cruised through the CCS ranks. Homestead was seeded second to Presentation, so the Mustangs drew a first-round bye. In the second round, Homestead crushed Gilroy 51-19 to move into the quarterfinals against Leland.
Homestead handled the Chargers 68-39 to move into the semifinals, and there the Mustangs whipped North Salinas 67-51 to set up the CCS title game against No. 1 seeded Presentation.
The Mustangs pulled off the upset in the finals, beating the Panthers 48-43 to claim the CCS championship.
As the champs, the Mustangs were able to open the NorCal playoffs at home. Del Campo left Homestead with a 69-50 victory, but the young Mustangs had their moments.
Junior stars Brie Ahern, Hilary Parker and Yvonne Chen each scored in double digits, but the Mustangs came up 19 points short.
Ahern led the Mustangs with 12 points, including a couple of three-pointers, and Parker and Chen pitched in 11 points apiece. Chen also hit a three.
Junior Erin Morikawa supported with six points and senior Aisling Nolan added four for the Mustangs. Kelly Hadden, Becky Norlander and Yumi Minn chipped in with two points each.
Of the eight players who scored in the NorCal game, only two are seniors.
Norlander and Nolan were each playing their final game for the Mustangs. Jennifer Beltramo, Lily Chang, Lisa Holquin and Amy Huyett were the only other seniors on the Homestead squad.
Ahern and Parker top a solid list of juniors expected to return next season for the Mustangs. Chen, Hadden, Minn, Morikawa and Michiko Nakayama were juniors on the CCS championship team.
The Mustangs wrapped up the season with a 23-7 record overall and a CCS championship.
Not exactly a disappointing year!
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, March 13, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.