As winter sports have started, the Men’s Varsity Basketball Team had a remarkable tournament this last weekend in the Gary Raya Classic. The Mustangs went 4-0 the whole tournament, to raise their season record to 6-3. After a slow start to the season, the team has showcased their potential at El Dorado High School. The Mustangs took first place at the tournament, marking the second time in the program’s history. Coach Pietsch (S) commented, “​​The week before our tournament we had six days of practice in a row. They were great practices. Every one of them. Focused and sharp on things we were trying to improve on…reduce turnovers and score more in transition. It doesn’t always translate into the games, but it did this past week. We played outstanding defense and cut our turnovers way down from our first tournament. We also seemed to be better in the open floor and create more chances to score in transition.” The boys’ team has worked incredibly hard: practicing hard every day, reducing turnovers, and creating opportunities on offense.

On Monday, the Mustangs faced the Fountain Valley Barons. Fountain Valley was previously ranked #22 in Orange County. It was a close matchup, ending the game 52-49. With both teams hitting their shots, it came down to the fourth quarter. The Mustangs were able to pull through and win by 3 points.

The Mustangs faced a highly-ranked team, Calabasas. Pressures were high for Yorba Linda, but they won 47-38. They had defeated the opposing team’s undefeated record of 7-0, having just won their last tournament in LA. With amazing cooperation from the boys, defensively and offensively, the Mustangs pulled out another victory.

Friday night, the stakes were high for Yorba Linda, going into their game against Capistrano Valley. This game determined if they would be going to the championship game or not. Despite the high pressure, the boys pulled through to win 44-38. Senior, Dallin Fried, hit remarkable shots to get the team going. Along with his efforts, was clutch defensive stops by junior, Holden Nagin. 

The big night…championship game! The Mustangs faced Los Altos, they have an exceptional basketball program in Hacienda Heights. Yorba Linda had a strong start, gaining a quick lead. The Eagles did not give up, they had the cut the lead to keep them in the game. However, their efforts were not enough: Mustangs took first place in a 61-52 win. Orlando Laws (12) helped his team with amazing finishes around the basket and major rebounds.

The Yorba Linda Mustangs had a lot to prove and they did the job. Their team manager, Janvi Kheni (12), noted, “It was amazing to see the boys win first place! From the first game, they were quick to learn from their mistakes and worked together to make the team stronger for the next day.” With every player healthy, the team had their full roster to play with all their strength to win the tournament. After the tournament, Orlando Laws (12) was named tournament MVP, while Dallin Fried (12) and Holden Nagin (11) won All-Tournament. Each player on the team worked hard to contribute to the win. Congratulations to the boys on such an amazing achievement!