A Fresh Start

Monique Mathews is well aware of the rumors that surrounded her at University High and accompanied her to Capistrano Valley when she transferred there for her senior year.

The rumors?

“That I have an attitude problem,” she said. “That I’m nothing but trouble.”

But Mathews, a 5-foot-10 forward who has helped the Cougars become one of the top girls’ basketball teams in the state, says what you hear isn’t always what you get.

“I guess I do have the attitude, but only when one is given to me,” she said. “I’m a very respectful person. I respect my elders. I will respect you if you respect me, but if you don’t, I won’t respect you at all.

“A lot of people see me as real bad and into all sorts of stuff, but I’m not. All I do is go to school, play basketball and go home. I’m judged by people who don’t know me, and people add their own 50 cents and it comes back worse and worse.

“It really doesn’t matter to me because I don’t care what people think; I know who and how I am.”

And, she says, she is not a bad person and not a horrible influence.

“We heard rumors about the bad attitude,” said Tom Ressler, Capistrano Valley’s athletic director, “and it’s been the complete opposite.”

Mathews is leaning toward becoming an attorney or entering the music business. And despite being one of the county’s top players, she may not play after this season--despite a possible scholarship--because she doesn’t think she can be competitive at the college level. She’s about the only person who thinks that, however.

“I’m not a follower; I’m not naive,” Mathews said. “I have a good head on my shoulders. I know what I want. I’m not a quitter. And I’m a very honest person.”

She is, says her coach, Pete Belanto, “an extremely intelligent and complex kid.”

“She came with a reputation, obviously,” said Belanto, whose own reputation is that he’ll take any player looking for a fresh start. “Kids don’t just get up and move. There has to be something that is not right. We sat down and talked. I said, ‘I don’t listen to anybody about what they say about anybody, and if there’s anything we need to discuss, you just let me know.’ I told her she had a clean slate.

“She doesn’t miss practice, she plays hard, she practices hard, she laughs, she has a good time. As far as we’re concerned, it’s been great. She has been fantastic.”

It has been fantastic for the Cougars, who finished the regular season 20-6, were ranked second in Orange County before Tuesday’s loss to San Clemente, and should contend for the Southern Section Division I-AA championship. Mathews’ arrival, along with three-point shooter Leah Wilde from Pullman, Wash., pushed Capistrano Valley to the upper echelon of girls’ basketball.

Mathews averages 19 points and 13.7 rebounds and Capistrano Valley shared the South Coast League title.

Only one Cougar starter, Sarina Kissel, began at Capistrano Valley as a freshman. Natasha Combs transferred from University in the middle of her freshman year, and Mary Anderson transferred from Newport Harbor before her sophomore year.

“[Mathews] rebounds, she scores, she defends, she enforces, she gives us a toughness inside,” Belanto said. “I’m not sure anyone has come close to outrebounding us all year.

“She gives us a presence inside that we haven’t had since Jennifer Garrett [in 1994-95]. It certainly helps that Monique is here, but the other four players can play too.”

Mathews has steered clear of trouble at Capistrano Valley.

“I think people should take the time to see how I am--don’t judge me by what people say, or trust me because I look pleasant,” Mathews said. “They should really look to see how that person acts before they make that judgment.”

Mathews is responsible for the rumor she is married. She refers to her boyfriend, Ramon Johnson, 18, of Laguna Niguel “as my husband.”

“I’m not legally married,” she said, “but that’s the way I see my relationship.”

They do not live together. They do plan to marry, she says, when she turns 18 in July. Mathews lives with her mother Eyvonne in Mission Viejo.

She also plans to attend college, but she may not play basketball.

“I don’t have a lot of confidence in myself that I can make it at that level,” Mathews said. “Even if people tell me how good I am, if I don’t think I can do it, I won’t be able to do it.

“I don’t feel I have a self-esteem problem. I think I’m a decent player, but I don’t see myself playing at that level.”

Belanto can’t understand Mathews’ thinking. “She’s a Division I player,” he said.

Mathews’ grade-point average is up to 2.45. She is on pace to graduate in June after failing to get credit for a couple of necessary courses while at University.

“She probably would not have graduated if she had remained at University,” Ressler said. “We had two primary concerns, that this was a legitimate residential transfer and she was academically eligible. We placed her on probation, and if she did not maintain a 2.0 GPA, she would not be eligible for the playoffs.”

While taking a nighttime law enforcement Regional Occupational Program class last semester at Capistrano Valley, Mathews began entertaining thoughts of becoming a criminal attorney.

“I think it’s interesting--I like to argue and I can get paid for it,” she said. “I think sometimes people are judged unfairly, and I would like to help fix that.”