Derby North
8A
The Valley Center Hornets faced a challenging opponent Thursday night, falling 54–18 to a strong Derby North squad. Derby North set the tone early, jumping out to a 20–4 lead by the end of the first quarter and extending their advantage to 35–7 at halftime. The Hornets worked hard to find offensive rhythm but struggled to break through Derby North’s aggressive 3-2 zone, which disrupted ball movement and limited scoring opportunities throughout the game. Despite the tough outing, several Hornets contributed on the scoreboard. Kylie Skladzien led the way with 13 points. Averie Dewey and Peyton Gonzalez each added 2 points, while Gia Hall chipped in 1.
8B
The 8th grade B team lost 9-20 in a home game vs. Derby North. We had a tough time scoring and getting into our offense against a very good team. While we did put up lots of shots, we just could not get them to fall. Jayleen Cabral-Gomez, Tessa Black, and Hayley Johnston each scored 2 points and Ryleigh Ray had 3. On the defensive end, Josslyn Lewis led the team with 3 steals and Jayleen also pulled down 3 rebounds. We will continue to work on being aggressive and finishing around the rim.

7A
The Valley Center Hornets showed grit and resilience in Thursday’s matchup against a talented and undefeated Derby North squad, ultimately falling 17–49. Despite the challenging opponent, the Hornets maintained high energy and a determined mindset from start to finish. Sophia Fellows led the offensive effort with 9 points and was our leading rebounder. Kendall Merrifield added 6 points with confident play on both ends of the court, and Emary Tyler played smart basketball and contributed 2.

7B
The Valley Center Hornets 7th Grade B Team delivered one of their most exciting performances of the season Monday night, falling just short in a 16–13 nail-biter against the Derby North Falcons. The fourth quarter featured several lead changes, keeping fans on the edge of their seats as both teams fought for control in the final minutes.
The Hornets showcased a balanced offensive effort, with five different players contributing to the scoring. Kate Stratton led the way with 4 points, followed by Brooke Dreschner and Laura Garten with 2 apiece. Jalyn Byers added 3 points, while Skylar MacDougall chipped in another 2, rounding out a well-distributed Valley Center attack.
Defensively, Valley Center’s full-court press proved to be one of the highlights of the game. The Hornets forced multiple turnovers, creating prime scoring opportunities. Though they weren’t always able to convert those chances into points, the defensive pressure kept the team within striking distance until the final whistle.
Despite the close loss, the Hornets continue to demonstrate noticeable growth each game—showing improvements in ball movement and defensive opportunities. With their steady progress, the team looks ready for strong performances in the coming matchups.


B Tournament
7B
The Valley Center Hornets 7th Grade B Team delivered an impressive day of basketball at their weekend tournament, showcasing both resilience and dominance across two contrasting matchups.
In their opening game, the Hornets faced the Hutchinson Salthawks and fell 23–13. Valley Center came out energetic and focused, matching Hutchinson shot for shot through the first half. However, the momentum shifted in the third quarter when the Salthawks drained back-to-back three-pointers— a surge the Hornets couldn’t fully recover from.
Despite the loss, the Hornets’ performance marked a clear step forward from their earlier season meeting with Hutchinson, when they were defeated by 19. Their improved defense, stronger rebounding, and more confident offensive execution highlighted just how much the team has grown.
The Hornets carried that progress directly into their second game of the day, unleashing one of their most dominant efforts of the season in a 44–7 victory over the Newton Railers. Valley Center’s relentless defense set the tone, forcing turnover after turnover and converting many of them into fast-break layups.
Kate Stratton delivered a standout performance, leading all scorers with 16 points, while the entire roster contributed to the defensive pressure that overwhelmed Newton from the opening tip.

8B
The 8th grade B team went 1-1 at the Newton tournament on the 15 th . In our first game vs. Hutch, we won 22-8 with 7 girls scoring for the team. Hayley Johnston led the team with 5 points, followed by Audrey Shifrin’s 4. Jayleen Cabral-Gomez had a great defensive game getting 6 steals and grabbing 3 rebounds. Peyton Gonzalez was another contributor on both ends of the court helping us get into offense and hustling on the defensive end.
Against Newton, the Hornets lost 18-22 in a very close game. Tessa Black had a fantastic game with 4 steals and 6 points. Peyton got 5 rebounds while Jayleen and Kyler Menges each ended with 4. Coach Burns said, “I was very happy with how the girls played. We did struggle to hit some shots but we hustled the whole game. I am very excited to play them again at Newton on December 2nd, which will be our first game back after Thanksgiving Break.”