Troubies Finish Strong
Magical Basketball Season Highlighted by
State Championship Berth
The St. Francis basketball team’s postseason run ended with
a loss in the CIF Division I State Championship but not before
posting a set of accomplishments that will be remembered forever in the school’s history books. “The class and grace that they
showed in winning was also evident in defeat,” said Head Coach
Vic Pitton. “They are the epitome of what high school athletics
in all about.”
St. Francis lost 64-51 to Brea Olinda in their quest for the
second state championship in school history. The Troubadours
had not reached the state final since the school won the Division
III title in 1993, bringing back memories from alumnae and fans
alike. Several members of the 1993 attended the state final at
Sleep Train Arena.
The Troubadours won the 2016 NorCal Division I
Championship with a memorable second-half comeback to
reach the CIF State Championship game. St. Francis also won
the Delta League with a perfect 14-0 record, reached the SacJoaquin Section final against then-national No. 1 St. Mary’s and
finished with a 29-6 overall record.
Lauren Craig ’16 was the Delta League Player of the
Year and an All-Metro first-team selection. She eclipsed the
1,000-point and 1,000-rebound marks for her career, leading a
group of five seniors who led the postseason run. Tia Hay ’16 and
Kyra Huffman ’16 joined guard Janae Fairbrook ’17 earning AllMetro honorable mention honors. Hay and Craig both earned
All-State nominations and played in the Optimist All-Star game.
Vic Pitton Named Sacramento Bee
Coach of the Year
Head Coach Vic Pitton was named the Sacramento Bee
Girls Coach of the Year for the 2015-16 season. “It was energizing,” said Pitton of coaching this team to the state finals. “The
character that they had, the youthfulness they showed throughout the season and the joy they exhibited for each other and the
competition was rewarding to me and made it all worth-while.”
Pitton, who was also the Delta League Coach of the Year, is in
his 14th season at St. Francis as the varsity basketball coach. He
led teams to eight league and three section titles during his tenure
and his Troubadours have earned 294 victories under his direction. The Nor Cal Championship in 2016 is the first in his career.
“It is certainly an honor to
receive the award,” said Pitton.
“It is representative of our
entire coaching staff, certainly
not just me. Unless the players
perform really well, you are not in consideration. It really shows
for the whole program – the players who performed and the
whole coaching staff that helped get them there.”
Pitton was joined on the coaching staff by alumnae Sole
Montemayor ’01 and Maren Martinelli Christie ’00 and Ron
Blanchette and Bobby Williams.
Spring 2016 35