A leader on the court Trying to get to the next level

proved a lot throughout the years that he has played as a basketball player here at Pierce College.

Outside hitter for the Brahmas Zaire Dartis thought they didn’t have much knowledge on the way Cabrillo plays so that they would be able to have a better game plan.

“To be honest we were a little bit surprised, we thought COC was going to be our opponent so we didn’t really have any info on Cabrillo but that’s not really an excuse, we didn’t know what we were getting with them but we wanted to come in and play like Brahmas but that didn’t really happen today,” Dartis said.

The second set was closer as the Brahmas exchanged leads with the Seahawks but could not close the set out and lost by two. In the third set Cabrillo continued play strong on offense and defense. The Pierce offense was not able to get into any rhythm as the Seahawks were playing good defensively lead by the team’s blocking.

Pierce would drop all three sets of the match but the Brahmas would have one more opportunity in a one set, sudden-death match. Having gone all the way to the finals without losing a match Pierce got a second shot with the double elimination format in play.

In the last match Pierce started out the match with a small lead. The Seahawks would quickly respond behind the team’s hitting and receiving. The Brahmas started to get kills and made a run late in the match but that was not enough as Cabrillo was able to close it out.

The Brahmas watched as the Seahawks celebrated winning the state championship. The players were emotional as they saw the team’s great season end in a loss.

Middle blocker and opposite hitter Chelsea Lawrence remained positive despite the loss and tried to do the same for her teammates.

“I looked at all of them and all of their heads were down,so I went up to them and told them why are all your heads down, we are such a great team, be proud to be a Brahma. Just because we lost one game doesn’t mean that we lost the whole entire season. This loss doesn’t reflect the great season we had or that we are an awful game. The loss really really sucks but raise your heads high, we played so great this entire tournament, we didn’t lose a game until this game, we are such a great team, I couldn’t stand seeing their heads down,” Lawrence said.

Despite the loss the team was ready to get back to championship game next season but with a different result.

“This whole season would motivate me, we played so great and for next season we just have to come back and win it all,” Lawrence said.

Mardini talked about the players coming back for next season to make another run at the championship and also had words for his team following the loss.

“We have a good core coming back, we are always building and we always want to get to the big stage that’s the whole goal and we will be back. We have a good core coming back and we can go from there. I will recruit more to get us back to the big stage.” Mardini said. “I told them that no one game defines anybody’s season, they have to be proud and look at the whole body of work, no one match defines anybody’s season.”

Schedule

Spring 2016 Season

Menʼs Basketball

Riverside Tournament

Tuesday, Dec. 8 to Saturday Dec. 12, TBA

Glendale Tournament

Wednesday, Dec. 16 to Saturday, Dec. 19, TBA

Wednesday, Jan. 9 at Cuesta, 5 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 13 vs. Ventura, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 16 vs Moorpark, 3 p.m.

Womenʼs Basketball

Antelope Tournament

Thursday, Dec. 17 to Saturday, Dec. 19, TBA

Fullerton Tournament

Saturday, Dec. 26 to Wednesday, Dec. 30, TBA

Wednesday, Jan. 9 at Cuesta, 3 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 13 vs. Ventura, 5 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 16 vs. Moorpark, 1.p.m.

Atough start to his childhood, moving back and forth from city to city, was not enough for Montel Shirley to quit what he mostly loved, that was to play basketball. Shirley started to play basketball at the age of six and has been working as hard as he can to continue playing basketball for his team, at a high level while drawing attention from scouts coming from other universities.

“I was born in South Bay California, throughout my younger childhood I was bouncing back and forth from Compton and Inglewood,” Shirley said. “To start my high school year, I moved out to the valley for my freshman year because my mom thought it would be a better opportunity.”

Shirley started playing basketball in Frost Elementary School as a fourth grader, and played for the school’s team and in park leagues. Ever since then, he has continued to play the game competitively.

“What really motivated me the most was my cousins and my family members who played before me,” Shirley said. “They told me how precious the game was and after watching it so many times for so many years, that’s what made me want to pick it up and pursue it.”

He went to Monroe High School and played on the team for his first two years, but then got recruited to play basketball for Chatsworth High School for his junior and senior years.

After graduating from High School, he entered Pierce College and didn’t miss any time working out for the team and making it on his first semester.

With the help of the coaching staff, Shirley feels his game has im-

“Coach Ed Babayan and Assistant Coach Charles White have really come along and help me in many ways of the game,” Shirley said. “I believe I have improved on my leadership skills, become more of a mature player, knowing how to stay in control, and just a smarter basketball player all around.”

Shirley believes he has always been consistent when it comes to attacking the rim, playing defense, working hard and his athleticism, but gives credit to the coaches for improving on those skills as well.

Shirley talks about his major and how he is interested in a backup major as well just in case basketball doesn’t work out.

“I’m majoring in communications, but I have thought about majoring in criminal justice as well,” Shirley said. “If basketball doesn’t work out in the future for me, I would like to become a communications professor and possibly a firefighter.”

Kaelan Hicks guard for the Brahmas appreciates what Shirley brings to the team on and off the court and said when he first met him personally.

“We played on a travel team together, so I met him about 3-4 years ago on the Cavs basketball team,” Hicks said. “A lot that stands out on the court is his ability to get to the basket, his athleticism, his defense, rebounding, and his drive to win the game, he is a really kind guy he is generous and he is nice as a person.”

Kenny Stenhouse, guard for the Brahmas talks about how Shirley works hard on the court and always keeps his composure as a leader.

“I met him this year over the summer and one thing I know is he is a very honest person, if he messes up, he admits it and doesn’t yell,” Stenhouse said. “He is not a very spoken leader, but he’s more of a leads by example type of guy, and every time he sees me on the court losing my composure, he takes me to the side and calms me down.

Shirley is being looked at by Biola University, William Jessup University, Arizona Christian University, and College of Idaho along with a few others.

“I have a good feeling about them, I love their athletic programs and how it’s run,” Shirley said. “I love the locations and I like their success rate in receiving a degree and graduating for academics.” Long time friend Dreayn Perkins talks about how he has known Shir- ley for a while now and how he considers him as a brother.

“I have known him since he was in the ninth grade, I was always two years ahead so i was in eleventh grade, he’s one of my best friends, we call each other brothers, so it’s been a while,” Perkins said. “He’s a person that works hard, he shows that height doesn’t matter, he plays more

For than his height, and he has grown a lot since I met him.”

Teammate John Marshall also talks about Shirley and how he shows leadership on the team on and off the court as a player and what might stand out from Shirley to people who may not know him personally.

“He’s a great leader, good person to be around on and off the court, he’s going to show you how to do it, show what to do, what coach likes and doesn’t like, great leader that’s all i can say,” Marshall said. “He’s very helpful, he’s a man of God, if you ask something he’s going to try to be there for you the best way he can, something a lot of people don’t really know about it him.”