The Woodland High School varsity men’s basketball team endured some ups and downs during head coach Jay Munoz’s first year at the helm.
Although they battled through a 1-11 Golden Empire League record, with a more favorable 7-15 overall, Munoz can still be proud of the team that was, earning three post-season awards, while looking forward to the team the Wolves hope to become as early as next season.
“I think this year was a very good experience for everyone with the team being so young,” Munoz reflected. “It was my first year in the position, so the experience was needed. As a coach, I also needed to learn how to win. You need to go through those growing pains to get to where you want to be.
“The highs were there for us. You go into league play with a 7-1 record, with close losses. The lows were also low. We dropped nine in a row, with seven of those games being close in the fourth quarter before we finally got a win.”
The Wolves will be able to fondly look back at a few moments, including a 2-1 record during the Buck Baily Classic, a 65-28 win over Yolo County foes Esparto High School, a 62-46 home win over Mesa Verde and a Senior Night to remember when all four of the team’s departing seniors got into the game and scored.
“I’ll always remember that game (where the seniors all scored),” Munoz said. “They all came into the game together and got a bucket. We were losing big at the time, but their entrance provided a huge reaction from the crowd and made the game a lot more fun for everyone.
“Another memory I’ll have is from our first home game against Wheatland. I got my dream job, and thanks to the community, we were able to pack the home gym and have it rocking. Winning that game was very special and will always stick with me.”
While other players played key roles for the Wolves, no player had a more significant impact on the minds of Golden Empire League award voters like sophomore center Lincoln Twilley, who earned a first-team all-league selection.
Twilley averaged a double-double on the season with a team-leading 12.7 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. He was awarded the team’s Offensive Player of the Year award.
“One thing about him is he will always come to work,” Munoz said. “Being a sophomore is tough. We expected him to be a leader already. It’s a tough role, but he always came in and took the initiative. He took our bad games on the chin and would address the team if needed. In the games we struggled, teams would put two or three guys on him at all times. I love that kid a lot. He has two more years of games, so I can’t wait to see how he does.”
Sophomore Dylan Ramirez and junior Joseph “Jo Jo” Quezada, both second-team all-league selections, helped the big man out.
Ramirez led the Wolves on the court as the team’s point guard and was also awarded with the school’s prestigious Jay Sehorn Award.
“Dylan was voted our team MVP, and the reason for that is he doesn’t have to score to impact the game,” Munoz said. “He played 30-32 minutes a night for us, so impacting the game when you don’t score says a lot. His leadership and responsibilities on the court are a lot for us, and on defense, he has to guard the other team’s best player. He never wants to come out of the game. We don’t have anyone who can do the things he does on the court, and it’s a huge reason we won team MVP.”
Quezada offered the Wolves three-level scoring while also packing a punch on the defensive end. For his efforts, the staff recognized him with the Coaches Award.
“On a lot of nights when things weren’t going well, we would lean on Jo Jo a lot,” Munoz said. His being a lefty is huge. On defense, he is one of the best I’ve seen. He was some length, very aggressive, and wanted to play defense. You don’t see that a lot these days.”
With the season over, Munoz can now allow himself to look toward the team’s future.
“It’s huge to bring back those three starters,” Munoz said. “It’s going to help and their growth over the summer will show a lot. It will really take those boys a long way.”
Players who won’t be back due to graduation in June are a quartet of seniors that includes Christopher Aguilar, Mahad Naeem, Nathan Gutierrez, and Anthony Boswell.
“One thing about the senior group is that I had the luxury to coach them three or four years of high school,” Munoz said. “The boys knew their role and what I expected out of them. It all fell into place perfectly. They knew it would be a rough year, but they were ok with the younger guys getting more minutes. They are true team players and you need guys like that on every team. It’s more about winning and losing; it’s about what you bring to the team every day.”
Growing pains usually lead to growth, and after taking his lumps in year one, Munoz can’t wait to get started on year two. While no goals have been set yet, Munoz wants to work with whoever is available in the offseason to get a jump on the competition next season.
“I’m looking forward to us having a full year with everyone,” Munoz said. “We are already ahead of it this offseason. We have guys coming up from junior varsity, and I’m super excited about them. We can’t wait to get going again. We know many of our guys are two or three-sport athletes, so we are waiting for their current seasons to end so we can all come back and finish where we left off. Even if we didn’t win many games, we finished the year on a high note and want to build off that.”
