The562’s middle school sports coverage is sponsored by the Long Beach Century Club
The Stanford Hawks took on the Hughes Owls in the Division 1 All-City Girls’ Basketball Championship, and they left Poly’s gym with a historic championship title.
Lyric Rencher led her team offensively by scoring 17 points to lead the Hawks to their 42-36 win over the Owls. The seventh-grader’s skill was apparent throughout each quarter, yet the teamwork seen on Stanford’s end was unmatched.
Passing from one teammate to another, the Hawks reached a state of fluidity, playing the game in unison. Coach Henry Waddles, Stanford’s coach of sixteen years, said, “They’re skilled players. They trust each other and make the right passes, which led to some beautiful moments of basketball today.”
Rencher was able to secure a three-pointer in the first quarter, as well as Nyomi Calloway with two two-pointers and Penelope Liu with another two-pointer.
The three Hawks were consistent with their scoring into the second quarter, with all three scoring at least one basket, along with Jillian Harper.
Meanwhile, Hughes’ star, Bailey Seaton, put up her team’s four total points in the first quarter, and she carried this into the second, where she scored another four. Mia Carmichael and Melissa Alvarez aided her with a two-pointer each to complete the Owls’ score for the first half.
Hughes came in strong after halftime to attempt to strip Stanford of their lead, scoring 14 points in the third quarter, most of which were condensed into a short two-minute period. Seaton scored 11 of these points, while Zuri Yin held three.
However, Stanford’s teamwork, again, proved powerful, as Rencher, Harper, and Liu each furthered their team’s lead by scoring nine points in the third quarter, five from Rencher herself.
“The third quarter wasn’t easy, but we had the heart to keep it going. We kept our heads up, kept working, and never let them catch us, and that was huge for us,” coach Waddles said.
The final stretch of the fourth quarter secured the win for the Hawks. Rencher scored another five for her team, as well as five from Ava Faessler and two from Calloway.
Hughes’ 2-3 zone was key to their defensive stops throughout the championship game, but Stanford still was able to push through and come out on top to take home the title, which now gives them the current crown in all four All-City girls’ sports.
“I’m very proud of my teammates for making it this far and that we were able to achieve this championship,” said Rencher.
Before the end of the school year, the Hawks plan to get together as a team to see their 2026 title on their school’s girls’ basketball banner and celebrate their historic accomplishment.
