A Coach’s Passion Drives Team Success

Raquel Torres, once a standout player in girls basketball at St. Patrick-St. Vincent and Jesse Bethel high schools, now serves as the head coach for the Bethel Jaguars. On Friday, her team showcased their determination and skill as they defeated the host St. Pat’s squad 54-43 in a Tri-County Athletic League Rock Division contest.

Torres, who is affectionately known as “Ms. Jaguar” by her players, expressed her deep connection to both teams. “I’m definitely all Jags, but when I come here there’s a little piece that still feels like home,” she said. “I’m still very close with a lot of people here. They do a good job of building a family community here.”

The Jaguars were led by senior Arnaysha Holden, junior D’ani Butcher, and junior Zarriah Hall, who combined for 48 of the team’s 54 points. Their chemistry was evident on the court, with each player bringing a unique flair to the game.

“I tell the girls that the bond that you have outside of basketball will show up on the court,” Torres explained. “This is their second year playing together, but they are a tight-knit group. D’ani and Zarriah play AAU together, so they have a really good feel, but (Holden) comes in there and gets right on after them.”

Game Highlights

St. Pat’s started strong, leading 7-1 early in the game with Tyler Militar-Cross scoring a put-back to end the initial run. However, Bethel quickly responded, scoring 10 of the next 12 points to take a 11-9 lead on Butcher’s pull-up jumper. Alexis Villanueva tied the game at 11-all just before the buzzer.

The Jaguars continued their momentum in the second quarter, scoring 10 straight points. Butcher contributed five of those points, including a three-point play. The Bruins, however, remained competitive, trailing 28-25 at halftime after Isabella Reyes made a runner in the lane for the final shot of the first half.

Third Quarter Breakthrough

Hall sparked the third-quarter momentum with six of the team’s 12 points. For the entire game, she had nine rebounds. “Hall really finished her shots at the basket,” Torres said. “She had multiple and-one’s. It was big for us not to settle for 3-pointers. We fall in love with the 3. Even when the 3-pointer breaks our heart, we still love the 3. I think both her and D’ani did a better job of recognizing what works for us.”

St. Pat’s struggled in the second half due to a small bench. “We had a game plan coming in, but we had to go away from it,” said St. Pat’s head coach Marvin de los Santos. “We had a couple of injuries and foul trouble. We only have seven girls, so it’s tough. From there, we had to change our game plan and our defense, and it kind of went downhill from there.”

Standout Performances

Militar-Cross, a sophomore, led the Bruins with 12 points. Reyes, a junior, added 10 points, while freshman Kihana Clark chipped in nine points and seven rebounds. Villanueva, another freshman, had 13 rebounds.

In the junior varsity game, St. Pat’s emerged victorious with a 34-28 win. The game was tied 15-15 at halftime before St. Pat’s used a 13-4 third quarter to pull away.