Pajaro Valley senior Olivia Contreras may have saved her best for last going into the final season as a member of the girls’ basketball team.
The Grizzly star player put together an unforgettable campaign as she helped lead the program to a Pacific Coast Athletic League Cypress Division championship, their first since 2018-19.
Contreras was a force to be reckoned with on offense by leading the team in scoring points and assists, while also contributing on the other end of the court on defense.
Her all-around production on the court resulted in being named the division’s co-Most Valuable Player by the coaches within the league.
“Olivia earned the right to be co-MVP for all her hard work on the court,” said Pajaro Valley head coach Darren Jackson.
Contreras wound up sharing the Cypress Division’s top award with Pacific Collegiate junior Kat Buckley, while teammate senior Julia Guth received Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Jackson said Contreras was a hard-working player, intelligent to the game of basketball and a great leader for him.
“She tried to do whatever was necessary to get her team across the finish line,” Jackson said.
Contreras was asked to play up top at the guard position on both defense and offense, which was something she wasn’t used to, but quickly adjusted to it.
Jackson added that Contreras was a great defensive player because the scheme the Grizzlies had made it difficult for opponents to set up in their offense by applying pressure up top.
“Olivia deserves to be MVP because of all the things that she did,” Jackson said. “We will ask her to score a lot of points, she had about 12 points a game. But her main [goal] was to ignite our defense and everything else you did was just a bonus.”
Contreras played under Jackson for just one season, yet the veteran coach appreciated their time spent together.
“[Contreras is] a kind of player and person that a coach enjoys coaching,” Jackson said. “She’s committed to doing her very best every game.”
Watsonville High senior Leilani Yasin-Espinoza held her own as a lock-down defender and rebound machine in the Gabilan Division—the highest tier of the four divisions within the PCAL. She received the division’s Defensive Player of the Year award.
Alisal senior Nayeli Gil Silva was named the division’s Most Valuable Player, while Salinas Alice Uchida-Dohrmann received the Offensive Player of the Year award.
“Leilani was probably the most underrated player going into the season outside of Watsonville High,” said Watsonville head coach Zach Cook.
Cook said everyone in the league was aware the Wildcatz had lost Isabella Alvarez, who transferred to Aptos High in the summer, and point guard Stephanie Martinez was a key returning player.
“But no one had Leilani on their radar,” Cook said.
Cook added the Gabilan Division wasn’t just the most challenging in the PCAL, but it was also one of the best and toughest in the tri-county area (Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Benito).
Yasin-Espinoza was an absolute presence on both ends of the court, finishing with averages of 14 points and 15.1 rebounds per game for the Wildcatz, who placed fifth in the Gabilan with 6-8 record in league play.
Yet, it was her outstanding defense that earned her the recognition by coaches within the league.
The Wildcatz standout forward finished with an average of 5.2 blocks per game—tops in Central Coast Section and fifth in California while also averaging 3.9 steals per game, which was ranked third in CCS Division I.
“[Yasin-Espinoza’s] ability to affect shots and deter players from attacking helped us stay in games that we wouldn’t have been able to without her,” Cook said.
St. Francis sophomore Liliana Whitmeyer capped off a great season after surpassing the 1,000-point mark in just two years with the program.
The Sharks star player finished with an average of 22.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 3.5 steals per contest this past winter season. Whitmeyer was named the Mission Division’s Offensive Player of the Year by the coaches within the league.
Palma sophomore Carolina Lorca was named the division’s Most Valuable Player, while teammate junior Aleena Salas received the Defensive Player of the Year award.
St. Francis head coach Jesse Yniguez said Whitmeyer plays like a seasoned veteran despite being only a sophomore, and sometimes he tends to forget how young Whitmeyer is.
“Liliana plays basketball with passion and you can tell she loves the game and wants to win,” Yniguez said. “She is one of the front players in our defensive press and does a great job in that role but offensively she has a gift.”
Yniguez added that Whitmeyer has the ability to create her own shot, and when she gets to her spots she can knock them down with ease.
“Sky’s the limit for her and we have her here at St Francis for two more years,” Yniguez said. “I just can’t wait to see [what’s in store] for the upcoming season.”
Pacific Coast Athletic League All-League Girls Basketball Teams
Cypress Division
Individual Awards
Co-Most Valuable Player: Olivia Contreras (Sr.), Pajaro Valley and Kat Buckley (Jr.), Pacific Collegiate
Defensive Player of the Year: Julia Guth (Sr.), Pacific Collegiate
First Team
Kat Buckley (Jr.), Pacific Collegiate
Olivia Contreras (Sr.), Pajaro Valley
Julia Guth (Sr.), Pacific Collegiate
Alizah Carillo (Jr.), King City
Crystal Paramo (So.), King City
Iliana Perez (Sr.), North Salinas
Second Team
Kendyl Burpo (Sr.), King City
Bella Figueroa (Sr.), Greenfield
Ashanti WIlliams (Sr.), North Salinas
Nina Gramkowski (Jr.), Pacific Collegiate
Monique Ayala (Sr.), Pajaro Valley
Elizabeth Zamora (So.), Pajaro Valley
Richard Chamberlin All-Sportsmanship Team
Mikayla McLane, King City
Amaya Ibarra-Castillo, Pajaro Valley
Paola Rico, Marina
Priya Naschal, Seaside
Genavieve Keefe, Pacific Collegiate
Ashley Ramos, Greenfield
Priscilla Hurtado, Gonzales
Arely Perea, North Salinas
Elgie Bellizio All-Sportsmanship team
North Salinas
Gabilan Division
Individual Awards
Most Valuable Player: Nayeli Gil Silva (Sr.) Alisal
Offensive Player of the Year: Alice Uchida-Dohrmann (Sr.) Salinas
Defensive Player of the Year: Leilani Yasin-Espinoza (Sr.) Watsonville
First Team
Nayeli Gil Silva (Sr.), Alisal
Mia Rivera (Sr.), Alisal
Madelyn Davis (Sr.), Hollister
Alice Uchida-Dohrmann (Sr.), Salinas
Alissa Escutia (Sr.), Salinas
Leilani Yasin-Espinoza (Sr.), Watsonville
Second Team
Lucy Peinado (Sr.), Alisal
Jadah Gonzalez (Jr.), Hollister
Erin Uchida-Dohrmann (Sr.), Salinas
Delylah Ocampo (Jr.), Soledad
Kobie Crutcher (So.), Stevenson
Stephanie Martinez (Sr.), Watsonville
Richard Chamberlin All-Sportsmanship Team
Aliyah Quintero (Sr.), Alisal
Carlie Rowen (Sr.), Hollister
Susana Latu (Sr.), Monterey
Jasmine Booker (Sr.), Pacific Grove
Soraya Alonzo-Hernandez (Sr.), Salinas
Jessica Morales (So.), Soledad
Jessie Chen (Sr.), Stevenson
Itzury Vazquez (Sr.), Watsonville
Elgie Bellizio All-Sportsmanship team
Soledad
Mission Division
Individual Awards
Most Valuable Player: Carolina Lorca (So.), Palma
Offensive Player of the Year: Liliana Whitmeyer (So.), St. Francis
Defensive Player of the Year: Aleena Salas (Jr.), Palma
First Team
Carolina Lorca (So.), Palma
Liliana Whitmeyer (So.), St. Francis
Aleena Salas (Jr.), Palma
Alyssa Hernandez (Jr.) Rancho San Juan
Ashleigh Ducusin (Fr.), North Monterey County
Jeanine Williams (Jr.), Palma
Second Team
Zaniyah Washington (Fr.), Palma
Shekinah Williams (Jr.), Palma
Keira Grio (So.), St. Francis
Xochitl Ramirez (Sr.), NMC
America Jimenez (Jr.), NMC
Ella Cleary (Jr.), Carmel
Richard Chamberlin All-Sportsmanship Team
Ruby Tomas Hernandez (Sr.), NMC
Ella Cleary (Jr.), Carmel
Miyah Nickerson (So.), Palma
Heliana Martinez (Sr.), Rancho San Juan
Natalie Stott (Sr.), St. Francis
Rebekka Luna (Sr.), Alvarez
Elgie Bellizio All-Sportsmanship team
Rancho San Juan
Santa Lucia Division
Individual Awards
Most Valuable Player: Olivia Wong (Jr.), Oakwood
Offensive Player of the Year: Lydia Ostos (So.), Santa Catalina
Defensive Player of the Year: Mikeyla Coley (Jr.), Oakwood
First Team
Olivia Wong (Jr.), Oakwood
Kailee Barlics (Sr.), Oakwood
Lydia Ostos (So.), Santa Catalina
Cristina Vogel-Martin (Jr.), Santa Catalina
Esme Gonzalez (Sr.), Anzar
Mikeyla Coley (Jr.), Oakwood
Second Team
Lucy Uhl (Jr.), Notre Dame
Chloe Wigdal (So.), Santa Catalina
Evelyn Velazquez-Diaz (Sr.), Ceiba
Gracie Grio (So.), Anzar
Ava Hoffmeister (Sr.), York
Emika Koubong (So.), Monterey Bay Academy
Richard Chamberlin All-Sportsmanship Team
Georgia Alves (Sr.), Oakwood
Minh Vy Le (Fr.), Santa Catalina
Nadia Blas (So.), Notre Dame
Julia Rao (Sr.), York
Samantha Leon (Fr.), Anzar
Azailee Espinoza (So.), Ceiba
Miyako Hinoki (Jr.), MBA
Elgie Bellizio All-Sportsmanship team
Notre Dame
