YUCAIPA, CA – Amy Reason has much to smile and feel good about lately.
Amy, a shooting guard on the Yucaipa Thunderbirds girl’s basketball team, received one of the highest honors a high school athlete can receive when she was selected as a Second-Team, All-Citrus Belt League performer.
“I was shocked, I didn’t think I would get it,” said Amy, a senior. “It is an honor and made me feel really good about myself to find out I’m on that team.”
But Amy wasn’t the only Thunderbird receiving high awards. Marlena Hill, a junior point guard, was named First-Team All-CBL, while junior, Carly Calbreath, was selected to the Second-Team, and Brandi Bollinger earned Honorable Mention All-League.
The girls learned of their awards at the Thunderbirds recent season-ending team banquet. At the banquet, Reason also received the Thunderbirds’ Coaches Award, while Calbreath was named the team’s Best Defensive player.
And Hill, who doubled her scoring average from 5.6 points in the previous season to 11.5 this year, received the Thunderbirds’ Best Offensive Player, and Most Valuable Player awards.
“It was exciting, I’ve never received awards like this before,” Hill said, who also pulled down 4.2 rebounds per game and averaged 2.3 steals.
Meanwhile, Calbreath averaged 4.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game. Not to be outdone, Reason blocked 30 shots over the season, pulled down 4.6 rebounds per game, and averaged 5.9 points. Bollinger also had a fine season. The junior forward scored at a 4.6 points per game clip, while hauling in 6.1 rebounds.
As the lone senior, Reason said her future plans call for attending either San Diego State or Cal State Fullerton. She wants to study Kinesiology and move into a career as a physical therapist.
College basketball?
“No, I’m finished with basketball,” Reason said. “I’ve been playing since sixth grade with Brandi (Bollinger) and Marlena (Hill) on a club team. Now I want to coach the little girls in the rec (Yucaipa girl’s recreation basketball) league, where I started.”
The Thunderbirds banquet was a night of fun and festivities. But it wasn’t without a few tears. The girls learned that their head coach wouldn’t be returning next year, and that announcement dampened the night a bit.
“We were all pretty upset when coach (Ana Richmond) told us she wasn’t going to be coming back next year,” Calbreath said. “So that was pretty upsetting to be losing her. It was pretty emotional with some girls sobbing. But we’ll turn over a new page and hopefully, things will work out.”
Richmond took over the head coaching duties in the 2007-’08 season, and in three years led the Thunderbirds to a 30-44 overall record. Richmond guided the team to a fifth place finish in the eight-team CBL in 2007-’08, and fourth in 2008-’09. A new coach is yet to be announced.
Although, the Thunderbirds finished sixth in the CBL with a 3-11 record, 8-17 overall this season, there’s much to be optimistic about next season, said Calbreath.
“It was a rebuilding year for us because we only had two varsity returnees, and only one senior,” she said. “I’m looking forward to next year. We will have a lot of experience coming back.”
Along with Reason, Calbreath, Hill, and Bollinger, The 2009-’10 Thunderbirds included Missy Becerra, Kara Johnson, Suzanne Holt, Jessica Simpson, Jenny Williams, and Kristi Cidila.
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