Monterey avenges earlier season defeat by Carmel
>> Over the course of a 20-year coaching career, Monterey High's Greg Daniels has learned that explaining mistakes in the moment doesn't always sink in. Witnessing them on film helps provide a better explanation going forward.
Being humbled by 30 last weekend by Central Section high school boys' basketball power Clovis North was an eye-opener for Monterey. Yet, lessons were learned.
“What we saw on film is we were not locked in,” Daniels said. “We didn't close. We did not stop the ball in transition. We didn't get back on defense. You can't play hero ball. You have to be disciplined and consistent.”
Not all of the Toreadores' problems were fixed. It's a process that will likely linger into the postseason in five weeks. And that is fine with Daniels as long as the effort for four quarters is demonstrated.
“It's good to get exposed to see the corrections you need to make,” Daniels said. “That's why we went to Fresno. If you're not battled tested, it will hurt you in the playoffs, in our league. It helps me as a coach know what needs to be worked on.”
It wasn't so much adjustments as it was a program working as one Thursday as Monterey gained a measure of redemption by ending Carmel's eight-game winning streak with a 7156 home win.
“Hopefully we can take a lesson from tonight,” Carmel coach Kurt Grahl said. “Clearly we weren't ready for the moment. Greg had them prepared. At the end of the day, it falls on the coach and that's me. I have to do a better job.”
Part of the Padres' eightgame winning streak included a 67-63 win over Monterey in the Carmel Classic back on Dec. 22 — the fourth time in the team's past five meetings that their games were decided by four points or less.
That wouldn't be the case in the team's first Pacific Coast Athletic League Gabilan Division meeting this year as the Toreadores used an 18-1 run in the first quarter to put Carmel on its heels early.
“I don't think this group fully grasps how hard it is to be good,” Grahl said. “When you have games where things go pretty easily and you do things you want, you begin to feel it will always be that way.”
Grahl was referring to the Padres' explosive 13-1 start coming into the game, in which they had beaten 10 teams by 10 or more points, including a 17-point win over King's Academy, which was state-ranked in Division IV at the time.
“When you face a team that will fight you, you have to have something extra on the table,” Grahl said. “Instead of staying within the system, we tried to get it back at once. Mistakes begin to happen and it's a bigger hole you're in.”
The roles were reversed from the first meeting back in December when the Padres jumped out to a 20-2 lead, only to see the Toreadores come back to make it a game.
“We're becoming a team,” Daniels said. “That's always the hardest part. Kids have individual goals. I get it. I was a kid once. I let them know that's OK, as long as those goals don't come before the team. If we reach our goals, you'll get recognized.”
On the heels of its third Central Coast Section Division III title in the past six years, the Toreadores are the only undefeated team remaining in the Gabilan Division.
Ironically, a league title is what has eluded Daniels during his run of section championships, having been a bridesmaid all three times to Palma, Carmel and Alisal.
“I do keep that in my mind,” Daniels said. “The CCS titles have felt so great. But it does suck that we have never won a Gabilan Division title. It's definitely a goal. We still have a long way to go. We're nowhere near where we need to be.”
While one player carried the offensive burden last winter in the Toreadores' run to a section title, it's been a collaborative effort this year, as evidenced by five different players producing double digits in the scoring column against Carmel.
That balanced attack included Kavon Collins and Suhieb Ibrahim each dropping in 15 points, with transfer Ryan Roth added 13 and Nick Duque and Jamar Aquino contributing 10 off the bench.
“That's when we're at our best when we have four or five and sometimes six guys in double figures,” Daniels said. “When we do that, we're tough to beat. It's an unselfish group.”
Monterey, which is 8-0 this year when it scores 70 or more points, built a 16-point halftime lead, extending it to as much as 20 in the second half in what was arguably its best game of the season.
“Winning doesn't cure everything,” Daniels said. “But it helps going back to practice to correct things. We want to play a certain way. We're not there yet. But I think my kids are growing. Some of our leaders said after the game `let's get better tomorrow.'”
Grahl, whose team's only setback coming into the game was to Menlo nearly a month ago, believes being humbled can provide incentive for the bigger picture.
“All of our goals are in front of us,” Grahl said. “One is to be playing our best basketball in February. We got a lesson on what it will take. I believe we'll be able to fight through this. The message will just be a little louder in practice.”