Girls Basketball:

By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor

Even by Flintridge Prep standards, Sofia Gonzalez is a remarkably impressive and accomplished young lady.

Gonzalez stepped into the role as the sixth-man (or woman) during her freshman year and she’s never looked back.

During her three-year run at the La Canada school, the Rebels have won 73 of the 89 games they’ve played, and that includes a 36-0 run in Prep League contests.

Prep has won six consecutive league titles and they currently ride a 57-game (league) win streak.

Kaitlyn Chen, the Rebels all-time leading scorer has been the face of the program over the past several years, but you don’t win 82-percent of your games without key contributors like Sofia Gonzalez.

Sofia’s stats have been incredibly consistent since 2017.

She’s never averaged less than 10 points, four rebounds, two assists and a pair of steals per game over that stretch.

Gonzalez has been named to the all-CIF and Prep League teams for the last three years, and she’s already joined the prestigious 1,000-point club.

She is highly respected by coaches and teammates alike, because of her selflessness and not caring about stats.

Gonzalez has also been known to ask her coaches if she can carry out the duty of covering an opposition’s biggest or best player.

It’s for that attitude, her work ethic and accomplishments in and out of a basketball gym that allowed Gonzalez the opportunity to commit to Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts.

Her work in the classroom is equally as impressive if not more than anything she’s done in athletics.

In three years at Prep, Gonzalez has gotten an A in every class except one.

It was a B+ in biology that both disappointed and motivated her to work harder.

Where does Gonzalez get that mind set and work ethic?

It’s from her parents (Cristine & Christopher), who are both lawyers.

Sofia’s mom actually has a weekday show on KCAL 9 called ‘Justice for all with Judge Cristina Perez’ at 8 a.m.

Gonzalez said she’s learned a lot from both of her parents.

“My mom taught me to speak my mind and that it’s OK to say something when you know something wrong is going on,” Sofia said. “My dad will tell me what I need to hear, which doesn’t always mean it’s something I want to hear. They trust me and they’ve helped me to realize who I am.”

On the court, she’s tough, has a very solid midrange game and is willing to mix it up with anyone.

Her mentality in life, let alone athletics or academics is to be a better version of herself tomorrow than she was today.

Sofia’s high intellect translates on the court and in the classroom, which is one of the many reasons she chose a rigorous academic institution like Tufts University.

Gonzalez praised Flintridge Prep co-coaches Kevin Kiyomura and Jayme Kiyomura Chan for being detailed and demanding, and yet loving and supportive at the same time.

Since taking over the Rebels program seven years ago, Prep has won six consecutive league titles, and they’ve made a number of postseason runs, including a 2018 trip to the CIF-SS Division 3A finals.

Flintridge Prep dropped a four-point decision to Beverly Hills in the title game, but one round prior, they knocked off top-seeded Oxford Academy on the road.

“Coach Kevin is really good at devising an elaborate game plan that we all buy into and Coach Jayme is the more of the emotional support and she’ll tell us where we’re supposed to be.”

Sofia is proud to be a Gonzalez, a Rebel and an independent young woman, which is why she looks up to U.S. soccer star, Megan Rapinoe.

COVID-19 willing, Gonzalez and her teammates will be back in action in March of 2021, but even some six-plus months away, she’s already focused on doing everything she can to help replace the stats and contributions of the greatest player in Prep history, Princeton’s Kaitlyn Chen.

“I know more is going to be asked of me, and I’ll do anything I can and in as many ways possible to help us win games,” she said. “I learned a lot from Kaitlyn and I know my teammates and I will work as hard as we can to continue the success this program has earned.”

Quotable:

Flintridge Prep co-coach, Kevin Kiyomura: “I’ve been very impressed by how well Sofia embraced her role through her junior year. It was not easy for Sofia to come in with so much talent, expectations of herself, and wanting to make a major contribution on a team that currently had so many great players. But Sofia was able to shine in her role, playing big and making a name for herself. Right away, you could see she was a fierce competitor and had a strong will to win. It did help that she came in with a lot of skills from working hard on her game.

Sofia has been successful because she can beat you off the dribble, use her size to score effectively around the basket, and has the ability to knock down an outside shot if you give her too much space. We need Sofia to be a strong captain and lead a team of new varsity players. Especially with the absence of Kaitlyn, we will need her to continue her consistent scoring, while distributing the basketball to her teammates, since she’ll be seeing a lot of double teams this season.

Flintridge Prep co-coach, Jayme Kiyomura-Chan: “We’ve been around Sofia for a long time, so we knew she was going to make an instant impact on our program. She is a very selfless teammate and is willing to do anything we needed of her. She works hard, is tough and smart, but she’s also got a big heart and cares about people.”

Flintridge Prep’s all-time scoring leader, Kaitlyn Chen: “I do believe Sofia is ready to take on a leading role. She’s never been afraid to speak up and has always been a leader on the team even without the title of being a captain. Her work ethic impresses me. Her game has been improved every year she’s been at Prep. Last year, the consistency in her shooting and scoring just proves how much she’s worked on her game.

I think she’s capable of doing what she sets her mind to. She’s a very determined person and when she wants something I know she won’t stop until she gets it. Sofia’s the type of teammate that always has your back. She’ll never hesitate to stick up for you on and off the court. She’s a tenacious competitor. I admire her grit and determination. Her confidence never wavers, so she’ll never back down from big moments. Her passion and ferocity separates her from other competitors.”

Former Flintridge Prep teammate, Olivia Stevens: “Sofia is the teammate that will always have your back no matter the situation. She is truly one of a kind. Along with her handwork, her competitive nature helps push her and motivate her to be better every day. I admire Sofia’s confidence in her game and never giving up. She has been successful due to her drive to be the best, her determination, and, especially, her fierceness.”

La Quinta High School star, Emma Svoboda: “Sofia is unselfish on the court, she is looking to score points, but at the same time, she’s going to try just as hard to make sure you receive the ball to help the team. She also holds herself and her teammates accountable. She’s reliable, honest, and trustworthy on the court. Sofia is one of the hardest workers I have ever met on and off a basketball court. She is so driven and determined to meet all the goals she sets for herself. I think the reason why Sofia has been so successful is because she puts relentless effort into everything so does, whether it’s basketball, school, relationships, etc.”

Career (per game) stats for Sofia Gonzalez:

2019-20: 13 points, six rebounds, two assists, three steals

2018-19: 12 points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals

2017-18: 10 points, four rebounds, two assists, two steals

Personal accomplishments:

2019-20: Surpassed 1,000 career points mark, All-CIF, All-Prep League

2018-19: All-CIF, All-Prep League

2017-18: All-CIF, All-Prep League

Flintridge Prep records, 2017-2020:

2019-20: 24-5, 12-0

2018-19: 25-4, 12-0

2017-18: 24-7, 12-0

To view Sofia’s photo gallery, click on the Facebook link here: (2) Facebook