On March 27 at Allan Hancock College, the Kiwanis Club held the 21st annual Central Coast All-Star Basketball Spectacular, featuring some of the best high school talent in the area.
Despite the north’s clear height advantage (that’s San Luis Obispo County) over the south (Santa Barbara County), the game went down to the wire.
Players and coaches were pretty relaxed for the most part, playing a more free-styled and up-tempo game. The south started off cold and trailed by double digits for most of the contest. They found their stroke in the second half and managed to tie the game late. At that point, things became a little more intense. Still, the north escaped Joe White Memorial Gymnasium with a 100-96 victory.
Santa Maria High guard Angel Pacheco was the leading scorer for the south with 20 points, including six from a three-point distance. Pacheco was a two-year varsity player for the Saints, averaging 14 points, four rebounds, and two assists during his senior season.
Despite trailing for most of the evening, Pacheco and his teammates maintained confidence in their shot.
“Coach [Joe Smith] wanted us to make it competitive,” Pacheco said. “If we had an open look, [he told us], ‘Just let it go.’”
Despite his success as a Saint, Pacheco is still relatively new to the game. He didn’t play organized ball until eighth grade.
“I started a little late, but my passion for the game grew,” he explained. “Freshman year, I was big and played center, but then I stopped growing, so I went down to guard.”
Perhaps that move was for the best, as it allowed Pacheco to work on his jumper—a smooth and effective shooting stroke. Pacheco plans on trying out for Allan Hancock College next year as a freshman and will continue to work on his game. It will be a challenge, but Pacheco is up for it.
“I know it’s a lot quicker pace,” he said. “I need to work on moving without the ball to get those open looks.”
This article appears in Mar 31 – Apr 7, 2011.
