Dissa and Data: Middletown girls basketball team finishes 'amazing' season

The Middletown girls basketball team has come a long way. The Mustangs' 23-7 record was their best mark in the past 12 seasons, according to Max Preps. They won a total of 14 games in three seasons from 2009-10 through 2011-12.

The Mustangs' renaissance under coach Anthony Bazzano has netted 19, 20 and 23 wins in the past three seasons.

Even though No. 2 Cardinal Newman defeated visiting No. 7 Middletown 63-22 on Saturday night in an NCS Division 4 quarterfinal, Cardinals coach Monica Mertle had high praise for the Mustangs.

“This might be the best year in the history of the Middletown program - it's amazing,” Mertle said. “It has been good for their girls and their community. They should be proud of what they have done.”

Honors for Kobre

Alec Kobre, a basketball standout at Montgomery High who then starred at Santa Rosa Junior College, has earned West Coast Conference honorable mention honors.

Kobre, a senior at University of the Pacific, shot better than 50 percent from the floor, 40 percent from 3-point range and 90 percent from the free throw line while averaging a team-best 13 points per game. Kobre finishes his Tigers career tied for 10th all-time in 3-point shooting despite playing just two seasons.

Cardinals on the mat

Cardinal Newman's Gunnar Hayman will be carrying his school colors to the CIF state wrestling tournament this weekend in Bakersfield, but before last weekend's NCS meet is forgotten, two of Hayman's teammates had podium finishes.

Jake Butler placed fifth at 132 pounds and Mason Levinson was seventh at 154.

By the beard of Zeus

Things you find while looking up other things: In the 285-pound bracket at this weekend's CIF boys wrestling state championship is a junior from Caruthers High School. His name? Hercules Ortiz.

Windsor still hurting

Windsor boys basketball coach Travis Taylor said it will take a long time to get over the 53-51 overtime loss to Montgomery in Friday's NCS Division 2 quarterfinals. The Jaguars were the top seed.

“It was a tough one and I'm still not over it although it gets a little better each day that goes by,” Taylor said. “I wasn't shocked we lost,” said Taylor, whose team was the No. 1 seed in the division. “It was a two-point game the last time we played.

“I give Montgomery credit. They deserved to win. They were the better team that night.”

Windsor had 10 seniors on the team including Parker Canady, Curtis Johnson, Gabe Knight and Brent Tucker. The Jaguars finished 25-4 and were 14-0 in NBL play.

Casa baseball ranked

Casa Grande's baseball team was pegged No. 25 in the Cal-Hi Sports preseason state rankings. The Gauchos won their first two games this season and are led by junior pitcher Chris Joaquim, junior infielder Spencer Torkelson and senior outfielder Blake Berry.

Last year, Joaquim went 9-2 with an 0.83 ERA. Torkelson hit .376 while Berry's average was .372.

Rylee Bowen on hold

Sonoma Academy sophomore Rylee Bowen is questionable to compete in Saturday's Big Cat Invitational track meet. The reigning CIF Division 5 cross country state champion might take the day off because she is in meets the following four weekends.

On March 12, Bowen will be in New York City for the New Balance Nationals. She entered the mile and 2-mile. After that, it's the Mt. Sac Relays followed by the Stanford Invitational and the Arcadia Meet. She might compete in Texas rather than Stanford, according to her mother Nika Bowen.

Tigers look ahead

Analy's boys basketball team finished 21-9 this year, but figures to be even better next season. Coming back are eight juniors and also a strong group of underclassmen. The Tigers' junior varsity and freshmen teams won SCL titles as did the varsity.

“We should have a really good team,” coach Brett Page said. “It's going to be one of the most experienced ones I've coached.”

Leading the returnees will be Aidan Toner-Rogers, Dominic Tripodi and Jordan Armstrong. Toner-Rogers was on his way to a league scoring title this year when he suffered a season-ending injury.

Kerry Benefield, Howard Senzell and Richard J. Marcus contributed to this report.