Varsity Basketball Wing and Forward Senior Destiny Elmore was selected as the December Athlete of the Month. She stated she’s been playing basketball for five years and her favorite part is the family she has made. Elmore, #33, included, ” My most memorable moment was when we won against Mayfair last year and qualified for CIF.” Her favorite athlete is Paige Beuckers, a guard at the University of Connecticut. She explained, “I like her confidence and how she plays with her team.” Elmore’s favorite sport to watch is basketball and plans on continuing playing at Cerritos College. The Girls Basketball Head Coach Victoria Luong expressed, “Destiny has truly elevated her game this season, demonstrating remarkable improvement. She excels in defense and has become a key asset as one of our top 3-point shooters.” The Matadores play on Friday, January 24 at home versus Firebaugh at 3:30pm.
Varsity Basketball Point Guard Senior Julien Gomez was selected as the Athlete of the Month for December. He recalled playing since he was 3 years old, with a mini basketball hoop. His favorite part of basketball is that it brings his family together. Gomez, who dons the jersey #3, reminisced, “I started playing because my dad loves basketball and I found the love for it myself.” Gomez shared that his favorite moment so far,”When we beat Mayfair my freshman year at Mayfair to win the league title outright and undefeated.” His favorite athletes to watch include Steve Nash and Steph Curry because “they’re not the most physically dominant but they’re so skillful, they make up for it.” Gomez lists his top choice to watch as basketball but also enjoys watching football. He plans to continue his basketball career at the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley next year. Head Coach Randy Oronoz shared, “Julien’s ability to be efficient in scoring the ball is off the charts. He doesn’t need a ton of shots to get a lot of points.” After playing 24 games on the road, the Matadores play at home on Friday, January 24 at 7:00pm.
Sophomore Gene Roebuck was selected as the final Athlete of the Month for December. Roebuck plays Small Forward and has been playing since he was about five. He states that his favorite part of playing basketball is being with his teammates. He shared his favorite moment, “When I was chosen as the MaxPreps Freshman of the Year.” Roebuck’s favorite athlete is Kobe Bryant, because of “his hard work and dedication.” His favorite sport to watch is basketball. He plans to play basketball in college but hasn’t decided where he will play. Oronoz added, “Gene’s ability to make shots is something you don’t see from high school athletes, especially sophomores.” La Mirada plays Lynwood and holds a record of 20-4 and 1st place in League.