Anderson Finds Little Advantage to Playing at Home

It is little wonder that Holly Anderson of Capistrano Valley High School came to be so competitive on the basketball court.

As the only sister to three brothers, Anderson, a 6-foot 1-inch senior center/forward, was forced to develop survival skills at an early age.

“Yeah, we fought over everything pretty much,” said her younger brother Scott, a sophomore at Capistrano Valley. “Once, I was watching ‘Star Trek’ and she came in and turned the channel. I pushed her through a glass table, but she got up, turned around and gave me a bloody nose.

“We made each other tough.”

Anderson, The Times’ athlete of the week, has shown this season that she’s not only tough, but talented.

After being held to 13 points in a disappointing 52-42 loss to Mission Viejo last Tuesday, Anderson rebounded with a 31-point performance Thursday to lead Capistrano Valley to a 61-58 victory over South Coast League rival El Toro.

The victory was very important for the Cougars (13-5 overall, 1-2 in league play). A week earlier, San Clemente had upset Capistrano Valley. Another loss in the South Coast League would be devastating to its chase for the league title.

“Holly knew that if we were going to have any chance of winning league, we had to win that (El Toro) game,” Cougar Coach Stan DeMaggio said. “And she responded to the challenge.”

Anderson, who is averaging 22.8 points and 13 rebounds this season, has spent a good part of her childhood responding to challenges, especially those made on the home front.

“There were always contests for everything,” Anderson said. “Who could get to the door fastest, who could get down the steps fastest, who could get the last piece of pizza . . .

“All-star wrestling was a big thing with us.”

But basketball, which entered Anderson’s life after her brief stints in gymnastics, karate, swimming and volleyball, was the biggest contest of all. And with it came the biggest confrontations.

“Scott and I were playing 1-on-1 once, and someone had to come over and officiate because we ended up in a big brawl in the middle of the court. Before we even finished, both of us were screaming at each other.

“Now that I think about it, we’ve never been able to finish a game.”

Despite the problems, Anderson said she probably couldn’t have developed her court skills without the support and encouragement of her family.

Said Anderson: “I was playing in a summer league game once, and the gym was totally empty except for my dad and my three brothers standing up in the stands, spelling out my name screaming, “Gimmee an H! H ! Gimmee an O! O ! Gimmee an L! L ! . . . It was embarrassing, but it was kind of neat.”

TOP PERFORMERS

Julie Foudy scored her 14th goal of the season to lead Mission Viejo to a 1-0 girls’ soccer victory over Capistrano Valley Tuesday, extending the Diablos’ undefeated streak to 82 games.

Holly Anderson

Capistrano Valley High

Position: Center / Forward.

Height, Class: 6-1, Sr.

Last Week: Anderson scored 13 points in a 52-42 loss to Mission Viejo last Tuesday, then scored 31 points Thursday to lead Capistrano Valley to a 61-58 victory over El Toro.

Season: Anderson is averaging 22.8 points and 13 rebounds a game.