Warriors repeat as MS champs

The Saint Paul Christian School middle school girls basketball team added another title to their growing war chest , closing out their second straight undefeated season. The Warriors finished with a resounding 47-11 win over McCool Middle School at Saint Paul Christian School in Dededo in their Independent Interscholastic Athletic Association of Guam Middle School Girls Basketball matchup Monday evening. The last loss for the Warriors came at the hands of St. Anthony School in the 2017-18 school year, their only loss that season, which cost the Warriors the title. Since that time, they have rattled off 30 straight wins en route to back-to-back IIAAG titles. It is undeniable that the Warriors have developed a winning culture on the hardcourt at almost every level of play, an important step to developing good players. That culture of success drives the team, coaches and players, said Saint Paul coach Derin Santos Stinnett. 'Coach Charity (Lujan) and I are both born and bred alumni here, she won the first high school championship here and I won four years in a row, so it's just being able to repeat that success for these girls,' said Stinnett, a 2008 graduate of Saint Paul. 'It's a legacy, that's exactly what it is,' she acknowledged. Monday's game was icing on the cake for the Warriors as they dismantled the 1-8 Seahawks. The Warriors signature defense simply didn't allow the Seahawks any good looks at the basket as they jumped to a 29-5 lead into the half. Reanne Sinel led the way for the Warriors in the first half with 12 points and finished with a game-high 14 points. Teammate Jordyn Zacarias also poured in 14 points for the Warriors. Irene Sanchez led the Seahawks with 7 points in the loss. The recipe for success, said Zacarias, is good teamwork. She added, 'I enjoy how we all communicate and became like friends and not just teammates this season.' Zacarias also praised her coaches for preparing them to play at their best. 'We have good coaching they make us play our best,' added Zacarias, who is looking forward to take the step to high school basketball next year. Reanne Sinel credited her sister, Raisa Sinel, a senior at Southern High School, with teaching her to play and love the game of basketball. 'I played at Agat gym a lot and my sister helped me learn how to play,' said the eighth grader. 'We work hard in practice and it's definitely the coaching, too. .. We work together on and off the court, so we are all friends and have fun together.'
Courtesy of: postguam.com