When the majority of Bishopians were cruising through ski slopes and relaxing in tropical weather during winter break, the Girls’ Varsity Basketball team stayed local.
“We are in the gym working hard to prepare for CIF DII champions,” said Coach Paris “P” Johnson, Physical Education and Health teacher as well as Head Coach of the Girls’ Varsity Basketball team. A Division II championship is “not an easy thing to accomplish so we’re trying to build our culture when we step on the floor — we’re bringing our best effort and energy that’s just not in practice but in the game as well,” Coach P added. “Doesn’t matter who we’re playing, our best effort needs to show.”
Since the season started, besides filling Eva May Fleet Athletic Center’s gym with the squeaky sound of shoes on a court, the girls recently played at the SoCal Holiday Prep Classic tournament. Co-Captain Moana Peterson (‘26) recounts how they played “a lot of high division teams that are even ranked in the country” despite only being a D2 team themself. Like Coach P, she is striving towards a D2 trophy. Moana voiced how the team wishes not “to be the best out there, but…want[s] them to be better than…the previous day.”
This positive growth mindset is reflected in games and in practice. Player Maya Mahone (‘28) emphasized how “in practice, we’re focused but we also have fun. In games, we are straight to business and trying to win.” As Player Margo Leong (‘27)put it, “We have a lot more committed people this year. We’ve been practicing a lot better as a team and it’s shown in games.”
Margo’s observation parallels the team’s mindset of “always trying to be better than we were the previous day,” as Moana reiterated.They are “always setting goals…in all the drills…and it’s almost like there’s an expectation that [they] reach that new goal every single practice,” Moana explained.
To Moana, “this has been one of the best seasons so far;” and for Summer Hu (‘25), the team’s only senior this year, it’s all feeling very “bittersweet.” She will miss the team dinners before weekday games in the health room and the roses and thorns from the day. Those are the moments when Coach P and the team get to hear each other “outside of basketball,” discovering “personal…family, or schoolwise” anecdotes and that’s when the team truly bonds.
But, Summer’s “excited for this to be [her] final ride with these girls.” The Bishop’s Girls’ Varsity Basketball team really has cultivated a team chemistry that goes beyond the court and stays with them internally.
Let’s wish them a good season. Go Knights!
