Etiwanda embraces all challenges and excels despite adversity to enjoy familiar ending with exceptional third consecutive Open Divison girls basketball state title

Etiwanda High girls basketball coach Stan Delus takes each season as its own entity.

It’s not about defending a title, it’s about winning a new championship with a slightly different team.

Even so, coming off a year in which the Eagles went 32-3, won a second straight CIF State Open Division title and were crowned national champions, the start of the 2024-25 season was disappointing.

But Etiwanda (28-5) rebounded from that slow start and Saturday became the first program, regardless of gender, to win three consecutive CIF State Open Division titles with a 75-59 victory over Archbishop Mitty at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.

Post-game interviews

“This team isn’t riding off the last two state championships. When we’re thinking about the last two state championships, we’re putting a lot of pressure on ourselves to be successful,” Cal-bound senior guard Aliyahna “Puff” Morris said after Saturday’s game.

“I’m very proud of this team especially after starting off 4-4. It’s one of the worst records since I’ve been here. We struggled at the beginning of the season but once we got the hang of it, things got better.”

In fact, the 4-4 start is the worst at Etiwanda in eight years with Delus as head coach.

From a preseason No. 1 ranking, Etiwanda dropped out of the national top 25, but Delus was not ready to give up on the season. Etiwanda would have many more opportunities to improve by playing nationally ranked teams.

“I don’t look at early losses as significant,” Delus said. “I look at their growth process. Once we got through those early hurdles you could start seeing how we were playing and how we were starting to overcome some of those better teams. Then we started to see we could grow into a team that could win another championship. We started to see that we could grow into a team that can win another championship.”

The slow start gave observers concern that perhaps the graduation of McDonald’s All-American Kennedy Smith (now at USC) would be too much for the Eagles to overcome.

But Morris and LSU-bound forward Grace Knox played well enough this season to be selected to the McDonald’s All-American game April 1 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

After Saturday, Delus gave a lot of credit to first-year assistant coach Gary Clark for assuring him the Eagles were still on the right track despite the slow start.

“He grinds like me. He kept me going. He had some things he told me even when I was doubting, certain things to keep our team going,” Delus said.

After the 4-4 start, the Eagles responded by winning 21 straight games. 

Etiwanda then lost for the second time this season to nationally ranked program, and local rival, Ontario Christian in the CIF Southern Section Open Division championship game with a 65-63 setback March 1 at Toyota Arena in Ontario.

Seeded No. 2 in the Southern California Open Division regional, Etiwanda took its third shot March 11 at top-seeded Ontario Christian. And this time, Etiwanda came through on its final attempt with a 67-62 victory to beat Ontario Christian en route to a third state title.

Especially going through the CIF-Southern Section, Etiwanda’s run is not for the faint of heart.

The Eagles played five games against nationally ranked teams in the postseason alone: Ontario Christian (twice), Mater Dei (twice) and Archbishop Mitty. Sierra Canyon (which Ontario Christian defeated twice) also competed in the Southern Section and state playoffs.

 “You have to go through at least four of the top national teams to get here. That’s what has made it so much more special. It’s not like you’re getting through a couple of teams,” Delus said.

Etiwanda also defeated two other opponents, Sidwell Friends from Washington D.C. and Incarnate Word Academy from Missouri, which are ranked in this week’s MaxPreps Top 25. The Eagles also produced a 79-56 Jan. 3 against Division 1 state champion Carondelet at the fourth edition of the Sabrina Ionescu Showcase.

All of Etiwanda’s success at a public school, including a 92-11 record the past three seasons, has earned the praise of Eastvale Roosevelt High boys basketball coach Stephen Singleton.

Roosevelt, located just 15 miles from Etiwanda, is also a public school and the Mustangs won the Open Division boys state title Saturday with an 80-60 victory against Archbishop Riordan.

Both Delus and Singleton have won three state titles as head coaches at public schools.

“What he has done is unbelievable,” Singleton said of Delus. “To lose that CIF championship game to Ontario Christian, but to get the girls locked in, get back and beat them, then get back here and do what they did tonight is huge. I have the utmost respect for him. It’s a special night for the Inland Empire.”