Gunn Finds She’s Home : Brea Senior Learns to Appreciate Team’s Basketball Tradition

Cindy Gunn had no idea what she was getting herself into.

When her family moved to Southern California from Houston two years ago, Gunn found herself attending Brea-Olinda High School almost by accident.

Her father’s job in the construction industry took him to various job sites in the Southland, and Brea was a centrally located spot for the family to live. Brea High seemed to have a good academic reputation and, the family had heard through the grapevine, a pretty fair girls’ basketball program.

And that was important to Cindy, who as a freshman and a sophomore had played on the team at Westfield High back home in Houston.

Still, she was unprepared for what was to come. Gunn still remembers talking with Mark Trakh, Brea coach, and wondering what “CIF” was.

“When I first came here I didn’t understand what went on here,” said Gunn, who at first was a little underwhelmed by Brea’s paint-chipped gymnasium.

What Gunn, a 5-foot-10 senior forward, failed to comprehend was the overwhelming tradition Brea girls’ basketball had, the surroundings be darned.

Brea had won a Southern Section 3-A championship and had made three other championship game appearances. The Wildcats had won numerous Orange League titles. The rosters of college teams were sprinkled with Brea graduates.

Gunn didn’t understand was the fuss was all about. All she saw was the dumpy old gym and a bunch of banners that carried little meaning for her.

Once she donned the sleek green-and-gold uniform and walked onto the gym court for a game, Gunn began to understand what it was all about. She saw the big crowds that followed the team. She noticed her teammates were a notch above their opponents.

“Once I started playing I started to understand what Brea basketball was all about and it did impress me,” Gunn said.

She became a Brea Ladycat.

“It was a little hard for her,” Trakh said. “Most of the other kids have lived in Brea all their lives and have been playing together since the second grade. She had to learn what the big deal was.”

Since then, Gunn has become the unquestioned champion of the Brea mystique.

“She’s the one that’s always talking about it,” Trakh said. “She’s the one always saying, ‘Hey, we don’t lose on our floor.’ ”

And now Gunn is playing on the first Brea team to make a state championship game.

Winning carries more importance for Gunn, the only senior starter and one of only three seniors on the squad. She is returning to Texas to attend Texas Tech next fall and will play volleyball instead of basketball.

“I came into a great group of people,” Gunn said. “It’s been real fun, and that’s been real important to me.”

There was one other thing Gunn had to get used to at Brea.

At Westfield, she had been a wing player, a shooter and a scorer in the team’s offense. At Brea, she’s had to give it all up to become a post player, a rebounder and a defensive specialist.

She did it willingly, in order to help the team the best way she could.

“With the guards we have (Aimee McDaniel and Tammy Blackburn) and Jinelle (Williams) the scoring roles are taken,” Gunn said. “It’s been a transition for me. I’m still working on it. Every team needs to have someone to do something besides score.”

It’s safe to say Gunn does most of the dirty work for Brea, but she doesn’t appear to mind. She said she’s happiest when she has a big rebounding game. Not having to score--she averages less than nine points a game--is almost a relief for her.

“I leave that to the others,” she said.

Still, Gunn occasionally has big games.

Against Lemoore in the Southern California Regional championship game last Saturday, Gunn had one of her best games of the season. She had 10 points and 11 rebounds as Brea won, 71-39. Gunn made four of six shots from the field and two of two from the free throw line.

“She’s had a real good run in the playoffs,” Trakh said. “She’s playing possessed right now. She wants to win the darn thing so bad.”