2024 East Yosemte League basketball preview: Team capsules, 28 players to watch
East Yosemite League play tips off this week on Jan. 9 for high school boys basketball.
Here's a preview of each EYL team (team win-loss records are as of Jan. 8):
El Diamante Miners
Head coach: Jerome Guzman, third season
Coaching staff: Tanner Faria, Joe Ortez, Shawn Harris
2023-24 record: 7-11
Roster size: 15
Base offense/defense: Motion offense/man-to-man
Impact players: Santana Guijarro, Josh Velasquez, Matthew Perez, Emilio Cervantez
Highlights: El Diamante is anchored by senior guard Santana Guijarro — a 72nd annual Polly Wilhelmsen Invitational all-tournament selection. Guijarro averaged nearly 22 points per game at this season's Wilhelmsen tournament en route to the invite's Most Inspirational Player award. The Miners concluded non-league play with a 65-44 win over Exeter.
Golden West Trailblazers
Head coach: Drew Hall, ninth season
Coaching staff: Ken Ruby, Brian Oani
Roster size: 15
Base offense/defense: Four-out, one-in/man-to-man
2023-24 record: 11-6
Impact players: Jagar Brooks, Juan Cortes, Noah Young, Javon Holmes
Highlights: Golden West has a good mix of returning and new players, led by Brooks. The Trailblazers' 11 wins this season is tied with Monache for the most victories in the EYL as of Jan. 8. Brooks posted a double-double in a Wilhelmsen win over Justin Garza, scoring 16 points with 12 rebounds. Cortes is one of the Trailblazers' 3-point specialists. He sank four triples in the Garza win.
Hall: "We have a group of players that work hard to improve collectively and individually and enjoy being around one another."
More: 72nd Polly Wilhelmsen Invite: Tulare Western falls to North in tournament championship
Mt. Whitney Pioneers
Head coach: Jeff Lynch, third season
Coaching staff: Shawn Neal, Camron Scattareggia, Drew Antenore
Roster size: 11
Base offense/defense: Motion/man
2023-24 record: 5-11
Impact players: Israel Briggs, Josiah Simmons, John Applewhite, Adrian Huerta, Matt Townsend
Highlights: Mt. Whitney capped off non-league action with a 63-30 rout of Avenal at the Reedley Tournament. The Pioneers are led by Briggs — a 6-foot-4 sophomore guard/forward combo who earned All-EYL first-team honors last season. He dropped 23 points in a win over Pioneer Valley at this season's Wilhelmsen Invitational and had a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds in a victory against Parlier. The Pioneers have won four of their past six games.
Lynch: "Goal will be to compete and improve every day. We have a great group of guys who are learning to be better young men on and off the floor. We are looking to play up-tempo. Players are playing freely and communicating well with each other. They are always looking to make the extra pass to a teammate."
More: Tulare County Football: The best of the 2023 season
Monache Marauders
Head coach: Justin St. Clair, third season
Coaching staff: Greg Rogers, Junell Garcia, Isaac Salazar, Mohan Rice, Aaron Berry, Tobi Dowadu
2023-24 record: 11-8
Roster size: 16
Base offense/defense: Motion/zone
Impact players: Ty Baxter, Ramsey Barrios, Isaiah Rogers, Anthony Ochoa, Emmett Focke
Highlights: Baxter, a junior guard, entered this season with 448 career points and is one of Tulare County's top scorers. Baxter is averaging 23.6 points per game this campaign and dropped a season-high 44 points in a 69-44 rout of Granite Hills in November. He has scored 20 points or more in 14 of his 19 appearances this winter and is shooting 47% from the field. St. Clair: “We have a great group of young men with high character this season. We want to compete at a high level on a nightly basis. Guys are looking forward to opening week. We are excited for this group to get going. Just trying to get better each day. Looking forward to this journey we are getting ready for.”
Porterville Panthers
Head coach: Lance Wallace, 24th season
Coaching staff: Mike Fusco, Gus Ramirez, Steven Ulloa, Kaden Ramage, Scott Gammon
2023-24 record: 7-9
Roster Size: 14
Base offense/defense: Motion/multiple
Impact players: Camden Haynes, Jace Balengue, Brayden Della, Ayden Ceballos, Landen Haynes
Highlights: The EYL's premier program, Porterville is the defending league champion who last won six out of the past seven EYL titles, including five in a row. The Panthers graduated 11 players from last season's Central Section Division II runner-up championship team but do return a trio of key players in Camden Haynes, Balengue and Della. Camden Haynes was an all-tournament pick at the 72nd annual Polly Wilhelmsen Invitational. Haynes is the son of Fresno City College men's basketball coach Rob Haynes.
Wallace: "I feel we have a good group of young men who love to compete. These boys know that the responsibility of being good players on the court comes with the same responsibility to be good people off of the court as well. I think the days of overlooking Porterville Panther boys basketball are long gone."
Redwood Rangers
Head coach: Jason Black, fifth season
Coaching staff: Gil Brito, Jacob Huerta Jr., David Gilcrest, Larry Garcia
Roster size: 15
Base offense/defense: Dribble drive/man-to-man
2023-24 record: 10-8
Impact players: Evan Galley, Cole Gilcrest, Elijah Casas, Isaac Esquivel, Zander Jensen
Highlights: Listed at 6-foot-9, junior forward Cole Gilcrest is one of Tulare County's premier frontcourt players. Gilcrest earned all-tournament honors at this season's Wilhelmsen tournament after several standout performances, including a 10-point, nine-rebound and six-block effort against North Bakersfield. Casas and Galley are contributing returners and Esquivel, who was Redwood's starting shortstop in baseball as a sophomore, runs the offense at point guard. Jensen, a freshman, has already logged crucial minutes this season. Jensen is the son of College of the Sequoias' men's basketball coach Dallas Jensen.
Black: "Our strength is our size and athleticism. We have the size to match up with anyone and hopefully create some mismatches for us."
This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: 2024 EYL basketball preview: Team capsules, 28 players to watch
