8th Grade:
Last night the Cougars played in their first season opener against our rival, the East Broncos. B team had a slow start in the first half but showed better defense and shots began to fall in the 2nd half. We fell short by 4 points but they never gave up and kept fighting until the last second of the game (16-20). It was great to see them work as a team this early in the season. Gaby Keating showed a lot of leadership on the court that helped give us momentum after the first half. She scored 2pts, 4 rebounds, & 6 steals. Sienna Petereit was a play maker, running the offense correctly and making things happen. She had 4 pts and 3 rebounds. Player of the Game goes to Finleigh Sanders. She was a defensive threat all night and had her hand in every play when she was on the court. She had 4 pts and 8 steals. Her stamina, hustle, and defense are truly one of a kind.
Next up the A team came out strong with great energy and confidence. In the first quarter, we out rebounded the Broncos and began to pick up momentum. Taylor Mechsner had 6 rebounds and 3 steals, giving us opportunities on offense. The beginning of the second half our press helped us take the lead in the third quarter by 4 points. Kate Kingford had 7 steals. Her efforts helped the team have more attempts to score in the 3rd quarter. Players of the Game were Izzy Lingenbrink, who was on fire with three 3 point shots at a crucial point in the game. She had 6 steals, and 11 pts and was the top scorer of the game. Olly Anene also earned POG, with 6 pts., 6 steals and 3 rebounds. Her speed and defense put pressure on the Broncos and was a key component to our team. In the 4th quarter, we fell short by 2 points in the last 2 minutes of the game. It was a tough loss against the Broncos (25-27). Some factors were out of our control but the girls fought hard and we were proud of their efforts and attitudes. We will see them in the district tournament and will be ready to take the win when it counts!
The C team played their hearts out last night! They had a great start to the season with a win 13-3! We had more fouls than points in this game but they were aggressive and left everything out on the court. Parmis Farzad had 4 pts and 3 steals.She was a huge presence on the court offensively for her team. The Player of the Game was Awa Ouedraogo!! She hustled up and down the court, was the high scorer with 6 points, and had 4 rebounds. It's the best she’s ever played. These girls listened and made adjustments. We’re so glad their hard work paid off last night. We are so excited to see how all 3 teams will grow this season. We sure have a talented and athletic group of girls!!
7th A: The 2024-2025 season officially kicked off on Thursday, November 14th with all North teams traveling cross-town to take on the East Broncos. A team started the evening and got off to a slow start. At half-time, the Cougars trailed the Broncos 6-21. After regrouping during halftime and restrategizing, North came out swinging and outscored the Broncos 26-17 in the second half. Unfortunately, the late kick in was not enough to get the win, but the effort, turn around and defense in the second half was impressive. Shoutout to point guard, Safirah Burgos, who was the high scorer with 15 points, Brylee Felix who showed no fatigue and played aggressive defense, Emmy Anene for her court awareness and effective helpside defense and the rest of the team who made valuable contributions on offense and defense. Players of the game are Mila Obidzinski, guard, for her aggressiveness on defense and ability to read the court and post, Annabelle Ross, who showed out on rebounds, owning the paint and even a buzzer beater putback under the basket.
Final score: 32-38
7th B:
The B team picked up the second half energy of the A game and rolled right into scoring many early buckets. The first half was evenly led by Valentina Sanchez, Sophia Petereit and Brooke Webb for a 16 to 4 start. The Broncos had no answer for the press play of the Cougars. The third quarter Angelica “handles” Bennett scored 8 of her 15 points which ended up being 18 points for the quarter with help of Valentina and Brooke. Many bronco furn-overs were forced by Angie Nguyen and Kaylee Avila. The fourth quarter finished with lots of hustle from Kendall Dunkelberger, Halle Marvin, Sarah Morchower and Jane Lambert. The Cougars finished the game with the winning score of 36 points.
7th C:
The C game didn’t disappoint as they started their domination early. This group of girls understood the start to a press and stayed in it to force East into many turnovers. The game book also had new recorders so the final score is thought to be 20-4. North counted points from Karis Wilkins (4), Anna Sarmenito (4), Victoria Mota (4), Melany Castillo (2), and Fatima Coria (2). Many girls played several positions and quickly picked up their new role for that playing segment. Most noted for quick changes was Maddie Berumen from point to shoot guard, Sterling Cook to anywhere we needed her, and Chelsea Martinez as our “gazelle” in the middle. The cougar heart was shown by scrappy play from Peyton Dougher, Charlotte Axelson and Olivia Moore as they slid and wrestled over the ball for a North C team victory.
