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They may have been few in number, but the seven-player squad of Pioneer Lady Mustangs and their first-year coach, Kim Yanda, made quite an impression on the rest of the coaches in the Mt. Hamilton Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League this season. The Mustangs received three of the special recognition awards on the all-league team for their efforts.
Michele Rebozzi was named Junior of the Year and Mercedes Pardo was selected as Freshman of the Year. Yanda was voted as Coach of the Year by her colleagues. Yanda took a squad of young and inexperienced players and guided it to an 11-13 overall mark and a fifth-place finish in the division. The Mustangs were competitive throughout the season despite the limited resources available.
Rebozzi led the team in scoring from her guard position with 17.4 points per game. She had one game where she poured in 30 points and seven others with 20 or more. She also grabbed 57 steals for an average of 2.4 per game.
Pardo roamed the paint and at 5 foot-9 was often facing taller opponents. That didn't stop her from averaging 9.1 rebounds per game and dominating the defensive boards. She averaged 11.3 points per game and scored in double figures in nine of 12 league contests. Pardo was also a second team all-league selection.
Leland was in contention all season for the girls league title in the BVAL Mt. Hamilton Division, primarily because of the strong play of its three senior guards. The three were honored with all-league selections. Kristen Yoshioka was selected as Senior of the Year while both Megee Yoshioka and Mika Yanai were named to the first team. First-year varsity player sophomore Ana Farrington was named to the second team.
K. Yoshioka completed the season as the Chargers leading scorer with a 14-point average. M. Yoshioka was Leland's best defender and averaged three steals and three assists per game. Yanai led the team in assists, averaging four per game, and tossed in 9.5 points per game. Farrington made her home down low in the paint and pulled down an average of 7.5 rebounds per game to lead the Chargers in that area.
Nolan Maggipinto was a key factor in Pioneer compiling a 21-6 season record and advancing to the quarterfinals of the Central Coast Section Division III boys basketball playoffs. He was named Senior of the Year in the BVAL Mt. Hamilton Division. He was not a one-dimensional player for the Mustangs, averaging 11 points and four steals a game while rebounding well from his guard position.
Senior forward Andrew Lerma received first team all-league recognition and held his own against taller opponents throughout the season. Lerma worked under the boards down low, pulling down an average of eight rebounds per game while dropping in 12 points per game. Senior guard Kyle Fager was named to the second team and was an essential element of the Mustang offense with his long-range shooting.
Leland battled inconsistency all year in their team play but that was not a problem at two forward positions on the floor for the Chargers. Seniors David Farsai and Navdeep Rai were honored for their exceptional play with first team all-league selections in the BVAL Santa Teresa Division.
Farsai tallied 15.7 points per game, including 33 percent from three-point range. He hit a season-high 30 points in the final league contest against Willow Glen and broke the 20-point barrier on four other occasions. He also dished out 3.1 assists per game. Rai compiled a 12.2 point average and hit double figures in all but three league games. He was also effective on the boards, snagging 4.9 rebounds per game.
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