Submitted by Lake Arrowhead Christian School Athletics
The Lake Arrowhead Christian School girls’ basketball team finished a fantastic spring season, compiling an overall record of seven wins and three losses in the Mountain Valley Christian School League (MVCL). The Eagles earned a trip to the MVCL playoffs by finishing 6-2 and capturing the second seed in the MVCL Northern Division.
“I’m so proud of the girls for sticking together for another season, following last year’s struggle,” said Coach Steve Rutz, referring to the painful 1-9 season in 2025. Most of this year’s roster endured that difficult campaign and got to experience the rewards of perseverance.
The team had a few milepost moments during this season’s journey: They beat each of the Northern Division teams, avenging both divisional losses with solid victories in the second round of divisional play; they beat two playoff-bound teams; and they increased their scoring average from a dismal 18 points per game in 2025 to 42 points per game in 2026.
The season started on shaky ground with a 50-38 loss to the rival Hesperia Christian Patriots. The Eagles had missed a crucial week of practice because of snowstorms and school cancellations, just prior to this game. The team then rebounded to go on a four-game winning streak, punctuated by an impressive 53-39 trouncing longtime foes, the Redlands Packinghouse Christian Bears.
Eighth-grade newcomer Catherine Ulloa paced the Eagles with 34 point and nine steals against the Bears, while co-captain and returning eighth-grade point-forward Monique Casas led the Eagles with an astounding 21 rebounds.
However, the streak ended with a grueling 45-44 road loss to the Victor Valley Christian Royals, with Ulloa fouling out and the Eagles turning over the ball more than 20 times.
Yet, once again, the team regrouped for three straight wins, highlighted by redemption victories against the Patriots (43-29) and Royals (51-32). Ulloa led the offense with 26 points in the Patriots rematch, with eighth-grade co-captain and returning guard Maddie Warford leading the defense with 13 steals. Casas chipped in with 10 rebounds. In the Royals rematch, Ulloa posted a remarkable 32 points and 13 rebounds, while Warford swiped the ball 10 times. Also, eighth-grade forward Jamisen Mills pulled down an impressive 16 rebounds.
The second-place divisional finish catapulted the Eagles into the playoffs against the perennial powerhouse Woodcrest Christian School Royals, the first-place finishers of the MVCL Southwest Division. The Royals were simply better prepared than the Eagles for the playoff pressure and cruised to a 53-21 victory, ending the Eagles’ season with a thud.
Having a team of mostly eighth-grade players helped the Eagles be consistently competitive and defensively aggressive. With mostly veteran players, the girls were ready for a big jump. They played a hustling, trapping, aggressive defense which consistently caused pressure, wearing down their opponents.
Ulloa accounted for a large percentage of the scoring increase, averaging a team-high 23 points per game, while also leading the Eagles with 64 steals and 37 assists. Casas led the Eagles with 99 rebounds, demonstrating strength and toughness under the basket. Warford was a defensive menace, piling up 59 steals, while typically shadowing the opponent’s top ball-handler. Returning eighth-grade wing Olivia Lascano brought a defensive toughness and offensive steadiness to the Eagles. She tallied 42 rebounds and 27 steals for the season.
Eighth-grade returner Makenzie Warford served as sister Maddie’s defensive backup, giving the Eagles a formidable tag-team. Eighth-grade rookie power forward Jamisen Mills logged 79 rebounds on the season to fill a much-needed role for the team.
The younger players on the roster were Emily Heisler (seventh grade), Evie Pierson (seventh grade) and Natania Heyman (sixth grade). These young ladies developed throughout the season as backups for the older, more experienced players and will be counted on to take on much larger roles for the 2027 Eagles.
In addition to Coach Rutz, the team benefited from the veteran leadership of Assistant Coach Sergio Ulloa, a mountain newcomer with plenty of valuable coaching experience. High school assistant Lilianna Nicolaisen also served the team as an on-court scrimmage presence with plenty of toughness and previous playing experience.
Congratulations to the Lady Eagles on a very memorable 2026 spring season. Let’s go, Eagles!
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