8A
The Valley Center Hornets dropped a close contest to the Eisenhower Tigers, 29-25. The Hornets came out strong, taking a 10-6 lead after the first quarter. Eisenhower battled back to even the score at 13-13 by halftime. Valley Center regained momentum in the third quarter, holding a 22-19 advantage heading into the final period, but the Tigers rallied late to secure the win. Averie Dewey led the Hornets on the boards with 9 rebounds, while Kylie Skladzien and Gia Hall each pulled down 7. Offensively, Skladzien paced Valley Center with 10 points, followed by Dewey with 8, Hall with 4, and Zoey Nelson adding 3.

8B
Another big win at home for the 8th grade B team beating Goddard Eisenhower 32-11. Hayley Johnston and Audrey Shiffrin lead the Hornets on the offensive end with 8 points each. Jayleen Cabral-Gomez ended the night with 4 steals followed by Audrey with 3. Kyler Menges also had a great night on the offensive end by running the court and making a huge hustle play under our basket which led to another 2 points and an assist. Scoring for the Hornets: Ryleigh Ray 5 points, Tessa Black 4, Jayleen Cabral-Gomez 4, Peyton Gonzalez 3, Kyler Menges 2.

7A
The Valley Center 7A Hornets fell to Eisenhower 36-45 on Thursday night. Despite a strong offensive showing, we struggled defensively in the paint and found ourselves in foul trouble throughout the contest. Eisenhower capitalized at the free-throw line, shooting 22 free throws compared to Valley Center’s 4. Offensively, the Hornets found success from beyond the arc, knocking down nine three-pointers to keep the game within reach. Kendall Merrifield provided a huge spark in the third quarter, scoring 11 of her 17 total points and helping Valley Center cut the deficit to just four in the fourth quarter. Ultimately, the Hornets couldn’t overcome the foul differential, but the team showed strong effort and determination until the final buzzer. In addition to Merrifield’s 17 points, Sophia Fellows added 9, Emary Tyler chipped in 6, and Evie Taylor and Maddie Truman each contributed 2.

7B
The Valley Center Hornets 7th Grade Girls B basketball team faced a challenging matchup against the Goddard Eisenhower Tigers, falling 17–7 on Thursday evening. Despite the loss, the Hornets showed noticeable growth and determination, particularly on the defensive end. While the Hornets struggled offensively with timid shot selection, their defensive hustle kept them in the game. Kate Stratton led the charge on defense, recording multiple steals—including an impressive somersault steal that energized the team and the crowd. Coaches noted that the team continues to show improvement each game as players focus on refining their technique and basketball fundamentals.