Freshmen’s Maturity Keys Lutheran’s Surge

It’s not often, but first-year coach Tony Matson found himself jumping up and down last week after Orange Lutheran defeated Cerritos Valley Christian in girls’ basketball for only the second time in school history.

The Lancers beat the league’s perennial power, 50-39, a significant step for the program.

The reason for Matson’s glee? Freshmen Leanna Holtzclaw and Ashley Amaral.

“Their maturity, for freshmen, has been phenomenal,” said Matson, who was an assistant during Brea Olinda’s last two state championships.

“They showed great poise, Amaral shooting with two defenders on her, and Leanna has totally learned how to play offense under control.”

Orange Lutheran has only one senior starter, Nicole Grady, in a lineup that also includes two sophomores.

Grady, a 6-foot forward, set a school record on Tuesday with 28 rebounds against Sierra Madre Maranatha, tying for the fifth-best total in county history.

Despite opening the season with three losses of more than 20 points, Orange Lutheran is 14-7 overall, 7-2 in league.

A KNEE TO KNOW

When Jill Trader tore her anterior cruciate ligament a week ago, she became the latest in a long list of Brea players who suffered such an injury.

Lissa Lawrence, a reserve center, and some teammates then came up with a list of Ladycats who had torn ACLs in recent years.

The list is staggering: Jennifer Saari (Class of 1997), Cory Wink (1999) and current seniors Jennifer Lawicki (who is not playing this season), Lawrence, Chelsea Trotter, Robyn Phillips and Trader.

Another, Valencia senior Michelle Pietka, tore her ACL prior to last season after transferring from Brea to Troy. Sarah Middlebrooke (1998) tore her ACL and finished her high school career at Cerritos Valley Christian.

Trader, a starting forward, will have surgery in one-to-two weeks.

“It’s beyond words,” Trader said. “Chelsea, Robyn and Lissa all had another year to come back and play. I’ll never put on the Brea jersey again.”

THE PROPHET

With Trader out of the lineup and the Ladycats scraping past Valencia two days earlier, many felt fourth-ranked El Toro was the favorite going into Saturday’s girls’ basketball game against second-ranked Brea Olinda. However, Foothill center Kristen Mann predicted a whopping 10-point Brea victory. Brea won by 11, 71-60.

“If Brea plays the same kind of defense against Giuliana Mendiola they did against [Chino Don Lugo’s Diana Taurasi], they’ll win,” said Mann, who faced Brea twice last season and El Toro three times, winning once, this season.

Mann and her teammates will likely be seeded second to Brea in the Division II-AA playoffs when they are announced on Sunday, and many feel they’ll meet twice in the playoffs--in the section and regional title games.

LOOKING AHEAD

In boys’ games tonight, fourth-ranked Marina plays at No. 8 Los Alamitos in a game that could clinch the Sunset League title outright for the Vikings. A Griffin victory would give them a share of the league title.

Irvine and Corona del Mar have clinched shares of league titles but will try to win outright championships. In both cases, the leader tries to hold off a challenger with a richer basketball tradition as Irvine plays at Woodbridge for the Sea View League, and Corona del Mar hosts Costa Mesa for the Pacific Coast League title.

Staff writer Ben Bolch contributed to this report.

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