James’ Gang : Village Christian’s Rise to Power Parallels Her Three-Year Career

As Trisha Palmquist approached the bench during a timeout late in a basketball playoff game, the gravity of the situation hit her. She had just made a crucial mistake, and there was no place to hide.

Palmquist looked up, and her eyes met those of teammate Lindy James.

“She pumped me up,” said Palmquist, a senior forward at Village Christian High. “She was just there, smiling and looking at me. Her own confidence gave me confidence.”

James backed up that confidence by making two free throws with four seconds left in overtime to give Village Christian a 73-72 victory over Whittier Christian in the Southern Section quarterfinals.

“Being down on someone isn’t going to pick them up,” James said. “I don’t like to dwell on the negative. I’d rather dwell on the positive.”

Ever since James joined Village Christian’s varsity in 1992, the Crusaders have looked to her as a leader. What they have seen is a smiling, unassuming teen-ager with a deadly game. What they have received is three consecutive Alpha League championships, a trip to last season’s Southern Section final and a berth in today’s Division IV-A semifinals against Crossroads at Brentwood High.

Indeed, the positives have out-numbered the negatives.

“All of our 20-plus win seasons have been centered around her,” said Coach John Domke, who has guided the Crusaders to five league championships in six seasons.

“Even when she was a freshman, we knew we would always get offense from Lindy. That’s a great luxury to have as a coach.”

James, a 5-foot-8 junior guard, has compiled some impressive credentials. She was named All-Valley by The Times and the Alpha League’s most valuable player after her freshman and sophomore seasons. She also is among the region’s leaders in five offensive categories.

She may also lead the area in admirers. Her talent has been obvious to those who have seen her play. However, it’s the intangibles that set her apart, many say.

James has developed a following of fans that would make a rock star envious.

“She’s a great person,” said Alemany’s Carly Funicello, herself a member of a bumper crop of area juniors that include Buena’s Eboni Conley and Simi Valley’s Tawnee Cooper. “She does a lot of things in a very quiet way.”

Domke, who has developed a big-time girls’ basketball program at the 550-student school, is somewhat soft-spoken and normally measures his words carefully.

Until the conversation turns to James.

“Of all the people I have met in my life, she has the best character of anyone, anywhere,” he said. “My daughter isn’t even 3 yet and she already thinks Lindy’s the greatest thing in the world too.”

With James, 16, it always seems to come back to character. Personality. Modesty.

Basketball takes a seat on the bench.

“I would rather they think of me as a person, rather than for my basketball,” James said. “I’d like to be thought of as a friendly, kind person.”

No problem there.

“She always thinks of other people first,” Palmquist said. “People at school don’t talk about her basketball nearly as much as they talk about how humble she is.”

As is often the case when an athlete at a small school shows big talent, the topic of transferring to a larger school comes up.

“When I was younger, I would hear that from people,” James said. “They would ask how my parents could send me to Village when I could have more exposure at a bigger school.”

There was little debate whether she could hold her own at a higher level.

“There’s no doubt in my mind,” said Alemany’s Samantha Rigley, The Times’ Valley player of the year last season and James’ teammate in the Ventura Sharks’ summer program. “I’ve tried to model my game after hers. She’d do fine at Alemany. Lindy would probably be leading our team, too.”

But James’ heart, as well as her family roots, are at Village Christian.

Her parents, Lee and Lori, met as students at the school. Lee was a three-sport letterman for the Crusaders, Lori was the homecoming queen. James’ brother, Jeff, graduated from Village Christian last year after a successful football career with the Crusaders.

Lindy has attended the school since kindergarten, and she’s not going anywhere.

“Our program is school first,” said Lee James, a professional sprint car racer who retired to support his children through their high school careers. “We’ll get the academics at Village. That’s of the utmost importance. The athletic success is just an added bonus.”

James, who has a 3.1 grade-point average, has had plenty of success in both areas.

Since she joined the team, Village Christian has not lost an Alpha League game, a streak that has reached 25. This season, she is averaging 20.6 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, five steals and 2.8 blocked shots.

She broke the school’s career scoring record last month.

“I can’t believe I’ve got her for another year,” Domke said.

“She could probably leave here now and do well in college basketball.”

Before she does, however, there is still some unfinished business.

The Crusaders have already built a name for themselves in the Valley area. Local powers Alemany, Crescenta Valley and Notre Dame dot the Crusaders’ schedule and Village Christian is considered a worthy opponent.

The only thing missing is a Southern Section title, a prize the Crusaders were denied by losing to Cerritos Valley Christian in last season’s championship game.

“It’s a pride thing,” James said. “We are a smaller school, but we like to think of ourselves as a good team. To even be mentioned in the same breath as teams like Alemany or Newbury Park is a huge honor. As for the championship, we got there once and we can do it again.”

But whether or not James can lead Village Christian to another run is not how she will ultimately be judged.

“She’s a better person than she is a basketball player,” Domke said. “Hey, if my daughter grew up just like Lindy, I would be very, very happy.”