It’s lunchtime at the Upper Campus of La Jolla Country Day School. The sun is shining brightly and students are crowded around tables doing what teenagers usually do — talk, laugh, eat, kid each other.
Nothing unusual. Nothing special.
You’d never know the school’s girls basketball team was ranked No. 1 in the nation by MaxPreps. No signs, no banners — nothing.
So a quick and totally unscientific poll was taken. Question — Do you know that the La Jolla Country Day girls basketball team is ranked No. 1 in the nation? Result — Yes: 21, No: 5.
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It should be noted that all five of the “no” responses came from a table of eight freshmen. Even two of the ninth-graders’ “yes” replies were a little shaky. Every sophomore, junior and senior was aware that the Torreys, with a 25-1 record, are the top team in the country.
Aksar Sharma, a 10th-grader, is a big fan.
“It’s super exciting,” Sharma said. “I’m going to the next game. It brings the student body together and gives us positive recognition. We’re a really small school, but this shows how well-rounded we are.”
Another sophomore, Kate Alberga, took a little different approach, focusing on the fact it’s the girls team excelling one year after the Country Day boys won a basketball state title.
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“It’s good, it’s female empowerment,” she said. “I don’t go to the games — I’m too busy — but I know so many people are coming to the games. Different grades have challenges to see which can be the loudest — it brings us together.”
A junior, Kelly Lang, was equally impressed.
“It’s pretty important to the school,” he said. “It shows the commitment of the team. Both the boys and girls teams are really, really good because of teamwork and commitment.”
The freshmen? It seems they’re focused on other things in their first year of high school.
“I don’t go to any games,” said Nick Cunha. “Actually, I’d rather play sports than watch.”
Aubree Trotter was one who wasn’t sure about the girls basketball team.
“They’re not very good are they?” she asked innocently.
Luckily for her, there were only freshmen at the table and the three who knew about the team let her down gently enough. She was glad to hear the Torreys are No. 1 but admitted she hadn’t been to a game and only went to one football game.
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One of the freshmen, Dylan Zou-Schupp, was a bit of a ringer. Not only did he know about the girls team, he’s on the junior varsity boys team.
“I’m friends with girls on the team,” he said, “and their game is right after my game.”
No sense taking a poll without asking at least one player on the team.
“Being No. 1 feels great,” said Te-Hina Paopao, a senior bound for the University of Oregon who has been selected for the McDonald’s All-American Game.
She was presented her McDonald’s jersey before a game against Bishop’s last week by a former Torreys McDonald’s All-American, Kelsey Plum, who went on to become the leading scorer in Pac-12 history at Washington and plays for Las Vegas in the WNBA.
“It’s a testament to all our hard work,” said Paopao, whose team plays its final game of the regular season at home Thursday against Tri-City Christian. “The team chemistry is unique — very special.”
Assistant Athletic Director Robert Grasso conducted the lunchtime tour but made sure to stay in the background.
“The vibe here is positive,” Grasso said of the high school’s 470 students. “The team is being talked about, but now it’s on social media. The players have great personalities and it starts with Te-Hina — it’s hard not to like her.”
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As for signage, not only wasn’t there any of that in the lunch area or around campus, there wasn’t even anything in the gym, except posters encouraging individual players.
“They don’t need any signs,” Bishop’s coach Marlon Wells said before the game, won by LJCD 81-45 with Paopao scoring 23 points. “I tried to tell anyone who would listen early on how good they are. They deserve to be No. 1.”
Coach Terri Bamford’s Torreys — four-time state champs — are believed to be the first San Diego Section team to be in position to be ranked first nationally at the end of the season.
The only team that could possibly have achieved that feat was the Point Loma High team from 1984-87 with Terri Mann leading the Pointers to a 123-1 record. Mark Tennis of CalHi Sports, which has the Torreys No. 1 in the state, said his organization did not rank teams nationally back then.
Point Loma was No. 1 in California in 1986 and 1987 but despite being undefeated in 1984 and1985 finished behind equally unbeaten teams in other divisions.
Local historian Rick Smith of Partleton Sports said he checked several locations but could not find national girls rankings back in the 1980s, showing just how far the sport has come.
The Torreys, of course, still have a long road ahead of them starting with the San Diego Section playoffs, whose pairings will be announced Saturday with LJCD topping the Open Division.
Tennis did say he expects — if LJCD advances that far — the team will probably get a home game for the Southern California Regional finals over Long Beach Poly, which is the only team to beat the Torreys this season. Poly has four other setbacks.
By then, maybe even the freshmen will know about them.
TERRIFIC TORREYS
Scoring averages for the nationally No. 1-ranked La Jolla Country Day girls basketball team:
Te-Hina Paopao, Sr. . . . 22.3
Breya Cunningham, Fr. . . . 18.2
Jazzy Anousinh, Jr. . . 7.8
Bobi Mack, Sr. . . 6.3
Paris Atchley, Sr. . . 5.9
Pua Tufaga, Sr. . . 4.4
Sumayah Sugapong, Fr. . . 3.8
Alana Fesili, So. . . . 1.8
Destiny Villareal, So. . . . 1.6
Brand is a freelance writer.
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