Boys’ Basketball, ranked #60 in California, won against La Habra on Wednesday, January 7 (64-55). They fought a better fight against La Habra High School, as evidenced by last season’s 74-65 loss. This team has made a crazy jump as of last year not just by winning, but by building character. They have won individual honors, such as athlete of the week, and won as a team with multiple league titles, tournament titles, and more. Their current overall record is 16-10.
Derek Mitchell, head coach of the Boys Basketball team, is excited for this winter season and speaks fondly of his team. He says, “Our team has a powerful bond; they have sacrificed individual personal goals and ambitions for the betterment of the team,” and he has too. Mitchell loves his team and enjoys helping the players learn to be part of something bigger than themselves, as well as how to work hard towards a goal they have set. He hopes to help improve his team by learning from his previous failures and ensuring that he doesn’t repeat anything that will hinder their progress toward reaching their goals.
Ryan Gov, senior captain of the varsity boys’ basketball team has averaged 18-20 points and 4.5 assists per game, starting strong while also earning MVP honors in the Governor’s Division at the Torrey Pines Holiday Classic. He stated that “it was a good feeling to win the award, and shows all the hard work put in from not only me, but the whole team,” since without winning that tournament as a group he wouldn’t have been able to win MVP.
Gavin Kroll, senior, has also succeeded in his basketball career, starting with winning the all-tournament at the North Orange County championships in December 2025. He said, “It was a good feeling finding out about that award because during the game I played very well, and it just felt as if my hard work paid off.” Throughout 2025, Kroll received several notable opportunities, including earning top performer honors at the senior preview hosted by Beach City Hoops in August and being named the Orange County Boys’ Athlete of the Week in December, but he could not have done it all without his family because through it all “they were all super supportive for me” and so were his teammates.
During this entire season, the team has learned from their mistakes, and continues to improve.
