Freedom McCullough (l) and Jett del Mundo. By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor The Pasadena area girls basketball scene saw three schools make it to the CIF-SS semifinals in their respective divisions. Westridge, Pasadena and La Salle all did their league’s and city proud with deep playoff runs. It was Freedom McCullough of La Salle and […]
Freedom McCullough (l) and Jett del Mundo.
By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor
The Pasadena area girls basketball scene saw three schools make it to the CIF-SS semifinals in their respective divisions.
Westridge, Pasadena and La Salle all did their league’s and city proud with deep playoff runs.
It was Freedom McCullough of La Salle and Pasadena’s Jett del Mundo, though, that made arguably the most dramatic changes in programs that were struggling when they took over.
McCullough was hired one month before the season started and del Mundo has more than doubled the Bulldogs’ win totals in each of the two years he’s been at the school.
For their instant success and their deep playoff runs, Freedom McCullough and Jett del Mundo have been named the first-ever Pasadena Sports Now Girls Basketball Coaches of the Year.
Pasadena won just five games in the 2014-15 season just before del Mundo took over.
A year later, the Bulldogs won 10 games in his first season, and Pasadena exploded for 22 wins this year, including a second place finish in the Pacific League, and a CIF-SS Division 4-AA semifinal run in the postseason.
Pasadena finished in a tie with Burroughs at 8-2, and just one-game back of league champion, Crescenta Valley.
Despite entering the playoffs on a two-game losing streak, del Mundo was able to regroup and re-focus his young, but very talented team and they made that deep run.
“I reminded them that sometimes in life there are different roads to your ultimate goal,” del Mundo said. “You don’t give up if one door closes. You find another way to succeed. It isn’t what happens to you that defines you, it’s how you handle it that does.”
He would be the first to tell you that he inherited a program with a lot of talent, but it seemed to be headed in all different directions.
But del Mundo was able to harness the raw talent and desire and turned the Bulldogs into a winner, thanks to stars like Mariah Cathcart (15 points, 5 rebounds per game), freshman Kamesha Moore (12 points, 8 rebounds). Nia Cathcart (7 point, 8 rebounds), Taurie McGee (13 points, 14 rebounds) and the senior leadership of Gillian Smith (7 points, 10 rebounds per game).
The Bulldogs wore opponent’s down with del Mundo’s pressure defense and used their athleticism to take over games against quality teams that couldn’t match Pasadena’s skill set.
Pasadena earned playoff victories over Notre Dame of Sherman Oak and Whittier Christian before losing to eventual CIF champion Village Christian.
“The success came, because of the juniors and seniors buying into the philosophy of accountability and respect, and because they bought into it, we had success,” del Mundo said. “They changed their mentality too. In the past, they cared a lot about league games, but I wanted them to realize that every game matters. The alumni is very happy about our success and they’ve been very supportive.”
But with the core of del Mundo’s program coming back, and the returning talent of the boys program, Pasadena High School will be the place to be next year to see arguably the area’s most athletic and successful programs for 2017-18 season.
As high as the expectations may be, del Mundo will certainly have his players focused on being better than even they believe they’re capable of being.
Perhaps none can quite tell the story about the reversal of fortune like this one.
Early on in his tenure, during tryouts, the gym was open and anybody could walk in and some boys made fun of girls that were struggling in their ‘auditions’ of sort.
Less than two years in, del Mundo and the lady Bulldogs have no bigger fans than the male students and players at PHS.
La Salle hired McCullough just 35 days before the season started when a void needed an immediate filling.
The 1986 John Muir graduate was able to instill excitement and a belief immediately for a program that was reeling without a coach.
McCullough has plenty of assistant coaching experience at the varsity level, but in his first year as a head coach, he made believers among his players, parents, the school and its administration.
The Lancers (22-10) finished in second place and were two-games back of Bell-Jeff in the Santa Fe League standings.
But La Salle did its best work in the CIF-SS Division 3-A playoffs, earning victories over Chaffey, Oxnard and Flintridge Prep before falling to Lancaster in the semifinal round.
McCullough’s team, much like del Mundo’s will wear your offense down with their fierce play and he was able to get each player to buy into their own individual roles in making the Lancers successful.
And he did all of this on short notice.
“It was just an amazing experience, because we didn’t have a lot of time to get the girls ready,” McCullough said. “It’s a credit to them and their families and their character that they were able to become one and buy into what we believed was the best way to get us where we wanted to go. Each girl on this team had a role in helping us achieve great things.”
The Lancers were led by the Pasadena Sports Now Player of the Year Julia Macabuhay and her 24 points and 6 assists per game.
But La Salle got production in some form from many, including Nicole Ortiz and Alyssa Arroyo, who combine to average 22 points and 18 rebounds per game.
Macabuhay, Arroyo and Ortiz will all be back for La Salle and with a full year to prepare, the sky will be the limit for the Lancers program in 2017-18.
“I really saw my philosophy as getting each player to understand she was important in our success and that we needed to out-work opponents, because we weren’t always going to be the most athletic team on the court. Our success came because the players believed in the coaching staff and each other, we played fundamentally sound, and they carried our game plan out and made us successful.”
McCullough, on a side note, won a CIF championship as a player in 1986 at Muir and in 2005 as an assistant coach at Campbell Hall.
One day, McCullough and the school look forward to getting a CIF title ring with the words “La Salle” on them.
He also wanted to be sure to mention his appreciation of Kat Sabido and Gil So for being team leaders despite season-ending injuries. McCullough said his team couldn’t have reached the heights they did without Sabido and So.
Quotable:
Pasadena Athletic Director No. 2 Jennie Jacobsen-Huse on del Mundo: “His expectations are very high and works very hard on the fundamentals with his players. I think with such high expectations, it created an atmosphere where the girls believe in themselves and what they can do. He has established himself as a strong leader, but he will listen to the girls and brings a focus so they’re actually working together, and what their goals are going to be.”
Pasadena junior Mariah Cathcart on del Mundo: “Two years ago, Coach del Mundo came in and believed in us when no one else did. He pushed us to improve our physical and personal goals, especially me. We have a lot of talent here and we just needed someone like him with his experience to teach us how to use it. The team and I are so grateful for him and his staff.”
Pasadena junior Nia Cathcart on del Mundo: “Coach del Mundo has been one of the biggest reasons for our success, because his faith in the players went a long way. From day one, he said he believed we would make a run in the playoffs, but no one thought he could be right. His experience has helped shape us into better players He brought tradition, maturity and made this program a family in just his two years. He also pushes us to be student-athletes, not just athletes and I’m so thankful for him and his support.”
La Salle athletic director Anthony Harris on McCullough: “Coach McCullough did a masterful job this season with a very fragile group of young ladies. His ability to get the girls in top shape while teaching them numerous sets and situational plays in a short period of time was most impressive. His demeanor and coaching skill set is a perfect fit for our community. His sheer presence and immediate success with the girls program this season has set high expectations for the programs’ future. We are proud to have such a seasoned and professional coach join our team!”
La Salle junior Alyssa Arroyo on McCullough: “Coach McCullough came to a broken team and glued us back together. He could feel the flow of the game and knew when we were struggling in the last couple minutes of a game. He knew when to call a timeout and it gave a much-needed mental and physical break, and during that time, he’d reassure us what we needed to do to close out a game. He expected us to grow and improve at every practice and game and was always encouraging.”
La Salle sophomore Nicole Ortiz on McCullough: “At the beginning of the season, I wasn’t even considering playing basketball until I met Coach Freedom. His enthusiasm and excitement for the new team and upcoming season made me change my mind. He conditioned us all season and taught us how to work as a team. He have me my confidence about playing my position and helped me with my understanding of the game. He made me believe I could contribute to the team and most importantly, he showed me how to enjoy the game again.”
