CORONA, Calif. — What if five could play as one?
It’s the first year they’ve all played together, but that’s exactly what the starting five for the Centennial High School girls basketball team has managed to do this season. Led by seniors like Trinity San Antonio, they’ve formed a group that makes the hardwood feel like home.
“Just the family ties that we have within each other and our bonds. We’re all pretty much sisters. I consider them family,” San Antonio said.
But don’t be mistaken, junior Londynn Jones said, what makes these Huskies click is the instinct they all share to win.
“I feel like we have the same dog in us. It’s leave it all on the floor or nothing,” Jones said.
And it seems like nothing has been able to stop them this season, as the No. 1 seed in the Open Division playoffs. But with a star at each position, there’s still only one ball. Senior Jayda Curry says sharing the spotlight has helped them unleash their true potential.
“We have a lot of, I think, stars on our team, and if we focused on our individual stats and doing things individually, we wouldn’t be where we are right now,” Curry said.
She and junior Layla Simone Curry are the only related sisters on this team, but Layla Simone said what this team lacks is just as important as their talent. There’s no negativity or drama.
“I feel like it’s rare because some people might not connect with each other as easily, and I feel like there’s a lot of conflict, especially when you’re going after somebody else’s spot, but it’s all positive,” Layla Simone said.
And just like any family, there’s the little sister, in this case, sophomore Sidny Summers, whom they all look out for by helping her grow from a talented freshman into a future leader.
“They encourage me and not make me put my spirit down even though I did kind of have a little bad attitude,” Summers said.
Without any one of them, it just wouldn’t be the same, and that is the true meaning of family.
“These girls really push you, and they make you better, and they make you who you want to be. So I think that’s what really brings us together and brings out the superstar in all of us,” San Antonio said.