For the first time in Mark Keppel High School history, our Lady Aztecs, the girls basketball team, won the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section playoffs, also known as CIF-SS. The team made it through two rounds, quarters, semi-finals, and finally beating Cerritos High School in the playoff finals on Friday, February 28.
Keira Kamida, a senior on the girls basketball team, expressed, “I feel great [about going to Regionals.] I’m so excited and I’m so proud of my team.” Kamida plays the Guard position and has been on the team for four years. “I think that we had really good defense and communication the whole entire game, so that’s what led us to win. What brings the team together is that we all have a common goal, we just want to win, and [everyone] is doing whatever they can to help us get the win.”
Maile Tamaki, captain and senior on the girls basketball team, shared, “I feel good [about going to Regionals.] After making history at this school winning the first CIF championship, it feels really good. Not just me, but my team; we feel really really great that we might go far and hopefully we do really [well.]” Tamaki has been on the team for all four years of her high school career. “I think I played pretty well. Usually I don’t score as much, but these games I really stepped up and played like it was my last game because it could’ve been. I hope [we surpass Regionals.] I think we have a good shot, even though we got moved up. We still have a strong chance to win it.”
“At the beginning of the game, I was pretty nervous but as soon as we started playing, most of my stress went away as I started to play the game I love,” Remy Saito, a sophomore stated.
Mark Keppel’s girls basketball team has moved up to Regionals, and their first game will be on March 4, 2025 in El Cajon, California against Grossmont High School.
Another sophomore, Honor Tam, stated, “As soon as it was determined that we won the game, I was really proud of my team. I thought that all the effort and hard work that we put in preparing for this game was worth it.”
After their historic Division 3 CIF-SS win, the girls basketball team continues to add on to their seventeen game win streak. On Tuesday, March 4th, the team beat Grossmont High School 51-46 after a very close game in the first round of CIF regionals. The team traveled three hours to El Cajon, California, in order to take the victory home. They will now advance to the second round of D2 CIF Regionals.
Zena Tran, a senior on the MKHS girls basketball team, said, “The experience has definitely brought the team together.” Tran has played the guard position for four years on varsity. She admitted,“In the beginning of the season, the team wasn’t on the same page but we finally started clicking at the right time, and playing for the same reason.”
Christine Shi, a senior on the MKHS girls basketball team, said, “The team had high hopes going into these CIF games. We’ve had a good season and expected a good outcome because of it. All we can do now is keep pushing forward and play the hardest we can.”
Their next game will be March 6, 2025 in San Diego, California against Rancho Bernardo High School.
