Coach Jared Honig has Valencia girls’ basketball team in D1 semifinals
One of the toughest decisions for Jared Honig came three years ago. He’s a Granada Hills High graduate and was a teacher and girls’ basketball coach at his alma mater “forever.”
But he and his wife lived in Santa Clarita and just had a third child.
So when the Valencia High girls’ basketball coaching job opened, the decision was made to leave Granada Hills to be closer to home. Three years later, Honig has Valencia in the Southern Section Division 1 semifinals with a playoff game on Saturday night at home against Windward.
The team is rising. The Vikings knocked off Troy and the winningest coach in California history, Kevin Kiernan, in the quarterfinals.
“That’s my first time coaching against him,” Honig said. “That was pretty cool.”
Leading the Vikings has been sophomore Kamilla Basyrova, who made a school-record 94 three-pointers last season and has already broken that record this season while averaging 19.8 points.
“Kamilla is an amazing three-point shooter,” Honig said.
Senior Cara McKell is averaging 17.8 points. The Vikings face an improving Windward team that struggled early but has caught fire, led by Charis Rainey.
Honig is starting to prepare his two girls and one boy for future basketball competitions. They’re 8, 6 and 3. He’s found a new home at Valencia High.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.