Basketball team looks for bounce back season
by Hector Trujillo
The Scripps Ranch High School mens varsity basketball team hopes to regain its winning tradition in 2025-2026 with a senior-heavy squad that also has a ton of height.
After starting off the season with a dominating 93-72 victory over Mt. Carmel High on Nov. 21, it went on to compete in tournament play by taking on four teams which concluded on Nov. 29 with a
dominating 60-41 win over Crawford High School.
“This is a very good team that just needs to gel and build together a little bit more,” said head coach Travis Pettey.
Seven members of the 15-player squad are seniors who bring a large measure of experience and talent, led by 6-foot, 8-inch forward Alex Gerhant, 6-foot, 5-inch forward Gavin Hallock, 6-foot,1-inch point guard Drew Corso and 6-foot, 6-inch forward EJ Newman.
The Falcons now compete in Division II and are currently wrapping up a tournament in San Marcos on Dec. 13.
“We are definitely one of the top, if not the top, contender in Division II, and hope to qualify for state playoffs,” Pettey said. “The goal is definitely to make state playoffs along with having a solid season.”
Pettey has coached at Scripps Ranch High for four years and served as interim head coach two seasons ago starting in January 2024 in a 63-45 victory over Mira Mesa. The Falcons ended up going 9-3 under Pettey that season (21-13 overall) and went on an impressive Division I playoff run, making it all the way to the final as the eighth-seed before falling to Bishop Alemany High School, which eventually won the Division III State championship.
Scripps Ranch High followed that up with an unimpressive 8-20 record in 2024-25, losing its final 11 games.
This month the team will be competing in the Mt. Carmel Holiday Tournament from Dec. 26 to Dec. 30.
Beyond that, the Falcons have 14 regular season games remaining this season, including two meetings against Mira Mesa High on Dec. 19 at home, and again on Jan. 3 on the road.
“This is the best Mira Mesa team that they’ve ever had as far as I know,” Pettey said.
Scripps Ranch High will close out the regular season with three straight road games against Madison High on Feb. 6, Christian High on Feb. 10 and University City High on Feb. 12.