“Being together.”
That’s the mantra of the Monache Marauders high school girls’ basketball team.
And it’s that mentality that has driven Monache to another East Yosemite League championship this season.
Under head coach Jon Bartlett, the Marauders (22-6, 10-0) wrapped their regular season with another perfect run in EYL play en route to their fourth league championship in as many seasons.
Since the 2023-24 campaign, as of Feb. 9, Monache has won 30 straight EYL games and 39 of their past 40 league contests.
What’s behind that dominance?
“I wish I can tell you, man,” Bartlett said. “I really do, but it’s been good. It’s been a good stretch. It’s tough at times, but we’ve got all these kids bought in together. That’s our motto. When I came in, I brought in ‘Being together.’ It’s not one kid here. One kid there. One kid over there. It’s being together. Everybody has to stay together.”
It’s been team-first basketball for Bartlett’s squad this season.
Monache has four different players, all seniors, averaging double-digit points:
Those four anchor a Marauders squad that is averaging 51.6 points per game.
Andrade and Kyah Bartlett are the team’s top 3-point shooters. Andrade leads Monache with 28 triples. Bartlett has 24.
“We’re big on sharing the basketball,” Bartlett said. “And it shows with four kids averaging double-digits. It shows that we’re unselfish. We’re always looking for the great pass, not the good shot.”
Coach Bartlett has established Monache as a Tulare County powerhouse.
Monache has won at least 22 games in every season since the 2022-23 campaign. That’s the school year this group’s corps of seniors arrived at Monache as freshmen.
Andrade, Kyah Bartlett and Haynes are all four-year varsity players.
Since their arrival, that trio has led Monache to a 104-22 record, four outright EYL championships, and a Central Section Division II plaque in 2024. The Marauders were also the runner-ups for the section’s Division II crown last season.
How has Monache been able to maintain a winning culture?
“The group of girls I came in with, we all had the same goals,” Haynes said. “We knew that no one was going to take EYL from us, and we knew we were going to take it every year.”
It’s been a bittersweet season for the Bartlett family.
Coach Bartlett’s daughter, Kyah, is a senior on the team and has been a contributing player since her freshman year.
This season marks the final season that Bartlett will have the opportunity to coach his daughter.
How has Kyah Bartlett responded?
With the best individual season of her career.
Kyah Bartlett is averaging a career-best 10.8 points this winter, and also surpassed 1,000 career points during her senior year. In four seasons, she has 1,107 career points with 383 rebounds, 400 assists, 391 steals and 116 3-pointers made.
“It’s been special,” coach Bartlett said. “But it’s probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. It’s been hard, man, it’s been rough, but it’s really rewarding for sure. It’s been worth it.”
The Central Section playoff brackets and pairings are set to be released on Feb. 12. Postseason play begins on Valentine’s Day. Section championships games will be played on Feb. 27-28 at Selland Arena in Fresno.
Monache has made back-to-back section final appearances.
Can the Marauders make it three straight?
“They’ve worked hard,” Bartlett said. “They’ve worked hard for everything that they’ve earned.”
This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: ‘Being together’ drives Monache basketball to 4th straight EYL title
Reporting by Vongni Yang, Visalia Times-Delta / Visalia Times-Delta
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
