On Feb. 24, the Chester Junior-Senior High School girls’ basketball team defeated Loyalton 39-32 to win the California Interscholastic Federation Northern Section Division 7 championship. This was the first time in school history the team has won an NS-CIF section title, reported coach Ty Watkins.
The team was led by senior captain Gianna Tantardino with 13 points, 14 rebounds, three assists and three steals. Sophomores Callie Herman had three 3-pointers and a free throw — 10 points — and Aryanna “AB” Boatright had 10 points and eight rebounds.
The Volcanoes had a small lead throughout the game, slowing down the tempo on a large college basketball court at Butte College, limiting the turnovers, and not letting Loyalton’s offense dictate the flow of the game. Loyalton’s Sophie Holland led her team with 13 points.
The Volcanoes were 2-6 in the “very tough” Five Star conference with Quincy, Portola, Redding Christian, and Burney, in which all teams are Division 6 or higher, said Watkins. However, within Division 7, Chester was 7-1, and the only loss was to Loyalton on Dec. 19, 2023.
Along with the NS-CIF Division 7 championship, the Volcanoes won two tournaments this season: the Holland Invitational at Greenville Junior-Senior High School, and the Burney Jamboree.
Information submitted by Chester Junior-Senior High School
