Head coach Jamie Wong looks on during a recent game against Chabot on Jan. 9. This season is her seventh season as coach.

By Bonta Hill
Sports Editor

Coming into the new season, women’s Basketball Head Coach Jamie Wong had been worried if her freshmen players would have playing chemistry with the remaining five sophomores on the team.

Her concern faded after the Rams achieved three straight wins over some of the top teams in the stated in the first three games her concern faded.

So far, the Rams have reeled off 22 straight wins to start the season which is a school record.

The team worked extremely hard during the off-season, running on the track, and building strength in the weight room.

“We have four post players who run the floor really well, which is something most teams don’t have,” Wong said.

The Rams won five preseason tournaments, including the Hilton Garden Inn Classic in Pasadena and the Sierra Summit.

“We were in a lot of tournaments this year, more than we have been in the past,” Wong said. “I knew it was going to be a test for us and we have responded well to pressure and challenges we have faced.”

Sophomore center Courtney Buster added: “I knew we would be strong after the Pasadena tournament because it’s always a hard tournament, and when we won that, everybody was like, ‘let’s keep working hard, hard work pays off, let’s go.’”

Wong puts her team through are intense drills, she wants to make them tougher. During their two-hour team practice, the women often play in inter-squad scrimmages to get used to the physicality of basketball.

“Twenty-two wins against top ranked teams is no easy task,” Wong said. “Our team has a passion to win and they prepare hard every day in practice to achieve that.”

The spark of the freshmen class, led by Jazmine Holmes, Brittani Allen, Mone Peoples and Heather Chow has contributed their share to the team’s success as well. Wong has a lot of fun coaching them.

“They are a talented group of athletes who have made a great contribution to our success in the pre-season,” Wong said. “I expect them to continue to do so throughout the season.”

Although they lost for the first time against Chabot on Jan. 9, this year’s team is only five wins away from eclipsing the 27 victories accomplished by the 2005-2006 team during their conference championship season.

While most teams have three to four assistant coaches on their staff, Wong only has one coach on her side. After two other assistants stepped down, Wong is now working with assistant coach Derek Lau.

“Derek is a great assistant. Having an assistant like him makes things easier because he is a good worker, organized, and committed to working hard for, and with our athletes,” Wong said.

Despite the intense practice sessions and top notch competition during the pre-season, the team also managed to compile a grade point average of 3.26.

With a number two ranking in the state and five tournament championships, the Rams are focused on winning the conference title and the state championship. After proving they can play against some of the best teams early in the season, they know they have have a bullseye on their back.

The team will continue to work hard in this already memorable season. After after an exciting start to this already memorable season the team will continue to work hard. They have the potential to write City College basketball history!

By Bontã Hill
Editor

Both men and women’s basketball teams went on the road to play in tournaments over the Dec. 4 weekend.
The women’s basketball competed in the Contra Costa Tournament on Dec. 4-6 and took home a championship by winning all three games with a combined total of 82 points.

Sophomore Monique Calvello and freshman Mone Peoples were selected for the all-tournament team. Freshman Jazmin Holmes took home the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award as the record of the state’s No. 2 team moved to 11-0 for the season.

During the preseason, the Rams have taken three tournament championships. Next, they will compete in Santa Rosa Junior College’s invitational tournament on Dec. 11-13. In two weeks, the Rams will be back at home when they host the Golden Gate Classic Dec. 19-21 in the Community Health and Wellness Center.

The men’s team lost to the No. 4 ranked San Joaquin Delta Mustangs in the first game of the 71st Modesto Tournament 86-69. The Rams took out their frustrations in the next two games by smacking Sequoias College 77-60. In the fifth place game, the Rams blew out Chabot College 92-77 to move their record to 9-3 for the season. The Rams’ men’s basketball team will play at the San Jose City College tournament Dec. 11-13.

By Nick Squires and Bonta Hill
Staff Writer and Editor

City College women’s basketball team is ready for another spectacular season. With players who are determined to capitalize on last season’s record and return to the State Playoffs, the team is stronger, faster and focused on winning.

“Every year we have expectations,” Head Coach Jamie Wong said. “Setting the goal this year was simple…come in first place and win our Conference championship.”

The team has been working hard during the off-season, developing their speed by training on the track, building up strength in the weight room and increasing their skill and confidence in tournaments over the summer.

“Our post players are in much better shape than in years past. They are returning sophomores who worked hard during our off-season and now run the floor well and are extremely physically strong. This will play perfectly with the up-tempo style that we like to teach [at City College]. It isn’t a philosophy, it’s a prerequisite,” Wong said.

With the loss of assistant coaches Marissa Evans-Ling and Duane Bell, the program has gone through other important changes in the off-season. Even with the coaching staff cut in half, the team appears stronger than ever.

“We still have two powerhouse coaches with Derek [Lau] and Jaime, and we feel confident,” forward Monique Calvello said. “Having two coaches puts more pressure on players to pick things up quicker than they did last year. We’re a lot smarter.”

With many new players, the cooperation shown by the team in off-season practices energizes the team’s outlook on the upcoming season. Within the team made up of returning sophomores and freshmen, Wong expects sophomore forward Mary Afuhaamango, sophomore guard Stephanie Truong, and freshman guard Jazmine Holmes to assume leadership roles.

“Stepping out of high school, many of these young women are used to scoring most of their team’s points,” Wong said of the new freshman. “Now, they are on a team with a diverse set of talented players working together to be successful.”

With a record of 26-8, 2007 was one of the most successful seasons in school history, even though it ended in disappointment after losing in the first round of the state championships. Now, with a new crop of talent and experienced post players, the Rams are expecting to make this season their best yet.

“As always, expectations are always high with our sophomores because they know what to expect with 30 plus games under their belt. However, I am also very optimistic about our new talent and their ability to contribute to the team’s success right away,” said Wong.

As their opener in the Pasadena Tournament on Nov. 7 draws nearer, the motivation of the team appears to to centered on a common goal: “We’re not going to get to the very end and come up short,” sophomore guard Stephanie Truong said. “My personal expectation? To win.”