Girls Basketball: Highlanders Hitting Their Stride

It's not how to start, but how you finish.

No more is that true than for the 2010-2011 Piedmont girls basketball team, who, with a gritty senior in and a slew of young yet talented freshmen, are once again right in the mix of the playoff race despite a topsy-turvy regular season.

"Even though we've had our ups and downs, the kids are slowly getting better," said coach Bryan Gardere this week. "It's been interesting. One day I know what I am getting and the next I'm not so sure."

To say the least, the road hasn't been easy for Gardere and his team this year.

Piedmont has tallied a handful of wins this season–the team has an 18-11 record–but people close to the program are not shy in admitting its been one of the more trying campaigns the program has experienced in a quite a while.

The Highlanders came into the season with the goal of a winning a Bay Shore Athletic League crown, but ultimately managed to only finish fifth in the often underrated conference. Some of those defeats came in embarrassing fashion, such as league-opening 58-37 loss at home to St. Mary's-Albany.

In some respects, however, the struggles were expected.

Excluding the talented Allen, who is headed to Fresno State next season, Piedmont came into the year force-feeding key minutes to freshmen. Due to the general makeup of the team, Gardere had no choice but to entrust the game's most critical moments to players who were simply unfamiliar with the pressures of varsity basketball.

That inexperience showed in numerous contests, as the Highlanders consistently found themselves in a tug-of-war early in the game, only to see the opponent yank the rope right out of their hands in the second half.

"This season was definitely challenging having to play with four freshmen," admitted Allen. "I've never been the one to help people. I've always had players help me. To take on that role this season was definitely challenging."

Less than a decade ago, North Coast Section titles were just a blip on the radar in the grand scheme of things for the Highlanders.

Led by the All-American twins Courtney and Ashley Paris, Piedmont consistently found its way not only to the California prep mountain top, but also to an elevated status as a national power as well.

While the grandeur of the Paris Twins Era will most likely never be eclipsed, the Highlanders have been able to find a constant stream of success well after the graduation of the Hall of Fame duo in 2003.

And while things didn't always play out the way it wanted, the tide of this season has slowly, but surely, changed for Piedmont. Allen has kicked it up even another notch higher and the young kids who took their licks early in the season have begun to find their groove.

A perfect example has been the first and second rounds of the NCS playoffs for the Highlanders.

In the first round contest against St. Patrick-St. Vincent, Allen was dominant, scoring a game-high 29 points in a 74-62 victory over the Bruins.

In the quarterfinals last Saturday, Allen was again excellent, but the star was freshman guard Quinci Mann, who nailed a 3-pointer in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime. Piedmont eventually came away with a 70-65 upset victory over No.2 seed McKinleyville.

"We definitely see our team growing," said Gardere. "When I see them in the playoffs now, I'm like, 'wow.' People are making plays and knocking down big shots. Seeing Quinci Mann, for example, knocking down a big 3 with 20 seconds left to force overtime, as a freshman, is pretty awesome."

For all the frustration, anger, tears and heartbreak that have surfaced for the Piedmont this season, the overwhelming theme surrounding the program remains the same: winning.

With an overtime victory over No. 3 seed Marin Catholic in the NCS Division IV semi-finals Wednesday night, No. 7 seed Piedmont is just one step away from claiming yet another NCS title and yet another automatic bid for the Northern California Division IV playoffs.

"I know (the freshmen) look up to me," added Allen. "It's good in a lot of ways. We didn't do great this season, but we didn't do bad either. Now we are finding ways to win and still have fun."