It’s go time for Eagles

Pieces are in place for Oak Park to make a Division 4AA postseason run




TACKLING FUEL—Oak Park’s Lynsay Garrett, bottom, and Kendall Chock-Wong battle for the ball at practice.

TACKLING FUEL—Oak Park’s Lynsay Garrett, bottom, and Kendall Chock-Wong battle for the ball at practice.

Rhea Bhutada has the toughest gig in town.

The junior post for the Oak Park High girls’ basketball team has to battle Julia Broms—arguably the best center in Ventura County—every day at practice.

During a furious three-on-three scrimmage on Tuesday night, Broms accidentally elbowed Bhutada in the face. Bhutada continued playing with a bloody lip until a teammate noticed and the action stopped.

A few minutes after tending her wound in the locker room, Bhutada jumped back onto the court to defend Broms. There were no hard feelings.

“She’s an amazing post player,” Bhutada said of Broms. “She’s great, and she’s humble about it, too.

“She’s just a beast—and she’s really nice about it.”

The Eagles look out for each other. There are only nine players on the varsity roster, and everyone plays an important role.

A bloody lip will not sink the USS Bird Cage.

“This group of girls is really amazing,” said Abby Messe, a senior guard. “We’re close, and we all really love the sport. We’re really competitive, and we play well together.”

POSTMODERN—Julia Broms, a junior center for the Oak Park High girls’ basketball team, has multiple Division I scholarship offers. Photos by MICHAEL COONS/Acorn Newspapers

POSTMODERN—Julia Broms, a junior center for the Oak Park High girls’ basketball team, has multiple Division I scholarship offers. Photos by MICHAEL COONS/Acorn Newspapers

During Messe’s sophomore season, the Eagles went 4-21 overall and didn’t win a single Coastal Canyon League game. Last winter, Oak Park surged above .500, to 13-12 overall, while notching its first playoff win since 2014.

These Eagles, ranked No. 7 in the CIF-Southern Section Division 4AA poll, are on pace to eclipse last year’s win total and make noise in the postseason.

The chess pieces are in position to strike. Now it’s time to get the traitorous king in a headlock.

“We know how good we are. We know how good we could be,” said Mia Foresti, a 6-foot junior guard and forward. “We have to show everyone else how we can work together and how we’ve grown as a team. We have to prove it now.”

Broms, a junior, gives Oak Park a dimension few foes can handle. She’s crafty around the rim, and she uses nimble footwork to create space for layups in traffic.

LISTEN AND LEARN—Oak Park players listen to head coach Doris Park-Sherman, wearing a sweatshirt, at practice. Park-Sherman played basketball at Newbury Park High and Pepperdine.

LISTEN AND LEARN—Oak Park players listen to head coach Doris Park-Sherman, wearing a sweatshirt, at practice. Park-Sherman played basketball at Newbury Park High and Pepperdine.

Entering this week, the 6-foot- 1 center averaged 12.8 points, 12.8 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game.

Broms is the Liz Cambage of high school hoops.

The Eagle was wearing a hoodie like Evil Kermit while talking with the Acorn. The myth is true: She’s intimidating and kind.

“When we click, I think we’re unstoppable,” Broms said. “Everyone is capable of scoring and being a threat.”

An honors student with a 3.9 GPA, Broms has picked up Division I scholarship offers from Fresno State, Iowa State and Army. She will scoop up more offers before she graduates in 2020. Broms, who enjoys learning about the Civil War, wants to teach history after she’s finished playing basketball.

Lynsay Garrett, a senior wing, has great chemistry with Broms. Garrett leads the Eagles in steals and assists, and she’s averaging 8.8 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.

“We have to just keep playing more as a team and continue communicating,” she said. “We all have to be on our game and not slack off.”

This is her favorite time of the year.

“There’s so much basketball going on, it’s exciting,” Garrett said.

Messe, who shares the captaincy with Garrett, uses her quickness on the perimeter to fluster foes. She’s the best 3-point shooter on the roster, and she registers 7.5 points and 2.1 steals per outing.

The guard said she enjoys playing for second-year head coach Doris Park-Sherman, who played at Newbury Park and Pepperdine.

“She knows the game really well,” Messe said of her coach. “She really cares about all her players. She really believes in us and how far we can go.”

Messe, who was also a captain of the cross country squad, is an honors student with a 4.2 GPA. Her twin brother, Josh, competes in cross country and tennis for Oak Park.

Abby Messe said the Eagles take pride in excelling in academics and athletics.

“We all really care about school, but we also care about how well we perform on the court,” she said.

Foresti, a third-year varsity player, averages 6.6 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.

“We’re just hitting our stride,” Foresti said. “We really found ourselves last year. This year, we’re building on the camaraderie and knowledge. I think this is going to be a good year for us.”

The Eagle, who sports a 3.5 GPA, enjoys playing guitar and sketching with charcoal. She always looks forward to her American Sign Language class with Deanne Bray. Foresti’s mom, Statia, Oak Park Class of 1984, played basketball for the Eagles.

Kendall Chock-Wong, a junior guard, is a first-year varsity player.

“My teammates have helped me adjust,” Chock-Wong said.

An honors student who gets straight-As, Chock-Wong volunteers at Los Robles Hospital. Her older brother Jordan (basketball, football and track and field) and sister Taylor (basketball and track) played sports at Oak Park.

Bhutada joins forces with Broms in the post.

The 5-foot-11 junior averages 6.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per outing. She’s also well-rounded. An honors student with a GPA above 4.0, Bhutada is secretary of the Health Occupation Students of America club. She wants to study engineering in college.

Navya Batra, a sophomore guard, averages 6.2 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. She and Foresti take turns starting.

Kailani Johansson, a senior power forward, provides depth off the bench.

Hailey Jones is a sophomore guard.

There’s no time to stop, even for a bloody lip. As Izzy Mandelbaum said in “Seinfeld,” it’s go time.

“I want to make the most of it,” Broms said. “The season goes by fast. It’s almost over.”

In a nutshell

Head coach
• Doris Park-Sherman (second season)
Starters
• Abby Messe, senior, G
• Navya Batra, soph., G
• Lynsay Garrett, senior, W
• Rhea Bhutada, junior, P
• Julia Broms, junior, C
Bench mob
• Mia Foresti, junior, G/F
• Kendall Chock-Wong, junior, G
• Kailani Johansson, senior, PF
• Hailey Jones, soph., G
Record
• 11-8 overall, 0-2 in the Coastal Canyon League at press time
Next game
• Oak Park vs. Agoura, 7 p.m. Friday at OPHS