STORY BY MATT SIMON
After cruising through the first three rounds of the CIF-SS Division 3A playoffs, coach Long Beach Wilson coach Erin Carey feels the Bruins still have more to prove as they head to West Covina to take on the Bulldogs in the semifinals.
This season has been a phenomenal turnaround after the Bruins didn’t have a winning record and missed the playoffs last season.
“Since our preseason my team has been talking about redemption from last year,” Carey said. “We were unranked on every list going into the season and that was a big motivator for my girls. We had a lot to prove and they have work extremely hard to do that.”
Leading the push has been junior Ashley Hawkins and senior Samiya Terry who have been a terror for opposing defenses.
Going on the road, Carey believes a big road win against Millikan has given the team the confidence to go anywhere and play their game.
“You always want a home game but for us a game is a game and we try to not let the environment impact what we do,” Carey said. “I tell my team all the time is what we can do and what we can control. It’s not about the other team or their fans.”
The Bruins playoffs run has been historic, but the team has their eyes set on winning Wilson’s first CIF title since 2000.
“(The team) is aware that it has been 20 years and they are excited about the opportunity and want to prove to people that they have earned that sport. Like I said we’re not done yet. It’s exciting to be on campus and have everyone as excited as we are about the next game.”
