Coach Derek Solano just finished his golf season and is already started prepping his girls’ basketball team for the upcoming season. He is really excited for this season.

Solano held tryouts Nov.11, and made his final cuts on Nov. 15. He has 13girls on his team for this upcoming season. He has three girls that are returning from last season: senior Sarah Rodriguez, senior Kimberly Paschal, and senior Kennedy Scheckla.

Tracy added Natalie Johnson, a transfer from Ripon Christian.

“The key senior player for this upcoming season will be Sarah Rodriguez because she has been in program for four year,” Solano said. “She is a great leader, is a good defender, and tenacious rebounder.”

The two players that came up from the sophomore team are junior Toni Harrison and sophomore Jazymn Gonzalez. Last year the sophomore team went undefeated in league and those two players were key contributors to the team.

“Jazymn and Toni are very athletic,” Solano said.

Solano lost nine seniors from last season, but this season he is adding height and speed to his roster this year.

“Speed will help be an advantage for the team to get open faster,” Solano said.

Last season, the girls’varisty basketball team went 7-3 in league and came in second place. They also attended playoffs, but lost in the first round to DelOro.

This year, Solano would like to return to the playoffs again and try to win the league title. To achieve this goal, Solano will not change any of his strategies to do so. He has faith in this team.

Solano is also going to try to have good tempo with a lot of ball pressure for his style of play for the upcoming season.

Paschal is really excited for this upcoming season, but is also very sad because this season will be her last basketball season at Tracy High.

Last summer, Paschal played summer league with Solano and helped out with the basketball camp.

Last season Paschal did really well defensively, but offensively she could work on things, especially free throws, but as a team the defense was really strong.

Paschal’s goals for this upcoming season is to practice on free throws, get stronger on defense, practicing to get low, and making it to the second round of playoffs.

Another senior is excited for the upcoming season is Sarah Rodriguez. She is also the other team captain.

“It feels really great to be a captain,” Rodriquez said. “It’s an amazing feeling because you have to lead your team and being that one person that everybody comes up to and asks for advice.”

Rodriquez’s goals for the upcoming season is to have the whole team mesh well. She wants the team to come together as a whole. She doesn’t want the team to have cliques, but instead to have great bonds with all of the girls. Rodriguez would really like to make it to playoffs again this season.

“I feel like are team is going to be really good this year,” Rodriguez said. “The team Solano selected was a good choice.”

Rodriguez plays small guard for the team.

The team’s only problem is there are only three returning players and they have to learn how Solano runs his team, but Rodriguez thinks the team needs to mature and start playing together.

The girls’ basketball team will host West in the Foundation Game at Tracy High on Dec. 2, at 6 p.m.

Gallery • 6 Photos

Wayne Thallander

Kennedy Scheckla prepares to shoot during the game.