Craig Campbell, Clovis West girls' basketball coach said, "I think some people saw us in December and we were a little ragged doing some things, and [people] assessed us by December. Our girls keep working and getting better."
A seeding controversy involving the teams above and below the Golden Eagles took the focus away from Coach Campbell and company. But Tuesday's 57-39 win over two-time defending champions Hanford spoke volumes.
"We have nothing but respect for Hanford so we knew it would be a battle. We didn't think it would be the way it was. Our kids just executed perfectly," Campbell said.
Portia Neale, Clovis West guard said, "We were just really prepared. We practiced, we went through the motions, and we just perfected everything we needed to."
They've been almost perfect for quite some time now. The Golden Eagles have only lost once since Christmas and have beaten every central section team they have played this season.
"We just go every day to practice wanting to work. Every day's like a great experience. We just want to work hard. We want to get there, we have that drive," one player said.
Briana Watts, Clovis West Center said, "We all play as a team. We love each other. We're like a family and I'm glad I came here."
Now, only top-seeded Stockdale stands in the way of Clovis West's fourth valley title. In seven years, the team they beat in the finals all three times: you guessed it: Stockdale.
The Golden Eagles will battle Stockdale Saturday night at 6 p.m. in downtown Fresno.
