Clovis West girls basketball team aiming for another section title and maybe perfection?
When the Clovis West girls basketball steps onto the court Tuesday night, it will be going after its 13th consecutive Central Section championship.
While that is important for the Golden Eagles, so is the undefeated streak they have.
From nonleague games to tournaments, such as traveling to Colorado, to playing in the Tri-River Athletic Conference and winning the league title for an astonishing 20th season in a row, 29-0 and staying undefeated equally means a lot more. Clovis West came close in the 2020 shortened season, losing to Centennial-Corona 62-53 to finish 20-1.
Top-seeded Clovis West next hosts No. 9 Arroyo Grande in the Central Section Division I quarterfinals. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday.
But what is the secret for coach Craig Campbell?
“It’s a lot of work in the offseason with our feeder program — third through eighth grade — they play 40 games with us at least, and that’s just in the spring. Total in the year, they’re getting over 50 games a year with our high school staff coaching them,” Campbell said.
“Our JV is undefeated. Our eighth grade was undefeated, and our seventh grade was undefeated. That’s a big part of the sustained success, and people forget that we’ve got really talented kids on our bench. You lose a Maddie Campbell, you lose an Athena Tomlinson, but there’s kids that have been playing against them for a year or two that are now primed when it’s their time. Riley Walls, Keegan Medeiros, Alexis Willis and Ramie Chatman, those kids are all now just blossoming because those past greats helped prepare them.”
No matter the opponent, the result of the game is usually decided by a double-digit win. Of the 29 games played, only Democracy Prep Agassi Campus of Las Vegas played the Golden Eagles close (58-57). Democracy is since 22-3. Clovis West has won 25 games by double-digits.
Even when the games are already decided, Campbell is pushing his players. The players respond to his critiques and demands by making corrections during games.
The players’ rewards are getting offers and committing to four-year schools.
Swillis will be headed to UNLV next season and Medeiros and Walls will be going to Cal State Monterey Bay.
Campbell said other sophomores and juniors have offers and another senior will pick up an offer shortly.
That said, Campbell is enjoying helping his players reach their potential during the season and would like to see another section championship.
“There’s a tradition of expectation,” Campbell said. “There’s nobody who wants to be the one to let the tradition and culture fail. There’s program expectations that the kids absorb and go out and kind of embrace and write their own legacy.”
As far as a state championship and remaining undefeated, Campbell said the Eagles are taking it game-by-game. It is important to win the section tournament in hopes of getting a high seed and playing at home in the state tournament.
“We’d love to get to Selland Arena and play for another valley championship,” Campbell said. “We’re also trying to set ourselves the best path we can for the state playoffs.”
This story was originally published February 18, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
