In high school basketball, junior varsity teams are often overlooked—mere stepping stones to varsity glory, their records lost to time. But at Granada Hills Charter, JV wasn’t just the beginning. It was the blueprint.

Across a decade from 2013-14 to 2023-24, a series of dominant JV teams didn’t just win games—they shaped a culture, built leaders, and redefined what was possible for a public-school girls basketball program in the CIF-LA City Section.

The pinnacle came in 2014-15 when the JV Highlanders went 24-0. However, before there was 24–0, there was 21–2.

Setting the Standard

In the 2013–14 season, coach Nick Kindel’s first year at the helm of the Granada Hills Charter JV girls basketball team, the Highlanders posted an impressive 21–2 record—winning a tournament championship and the West Valley League title. That team set an early tone of excellence and helped lay the groundwork for what was to come. One of its standouts, freshman center Marlene Salazar, would later go on to be named captain of the 2016–17 varsity team that finished 26–4 and captured another league championship.

But it was the following season—the 2014–15 campaign—where something extraordinary happened. That year, the Granada Hills JV team did something few programs ever achieve: they finished with a perfect 24–0 record, capturing an outright West Valley League championship along the way, plus three tournament titles. Under Coach Kindel’s leadership, the team wasn’t just good—they were dominant. This incredible season also extended a remarkable 35-game win streak that began in the 2013–14 season and spanned two years of sustained excellence. And what makes this group truly special isn’t just the record. It’s what came next.

The Spark That Lit the Fire

“It wasn’t about just teaching Xs and Os. It was about building habits—discipline, focus, preparation. So when they got to varsity, they were already leaders,” said Kindel.

That undefeated JV squad became the spark that lit a fire under the entire girls basketball program at Granada Hills Charter. Many of the players from that team went on to help lead the varsity team to some of the most successful seasons in school history under head varsity coach Jared Honig—while a handful continued their careers at the collegiate level. What started as a flawless JV campaign evolved into a full-blown varsity dynasty.

Among the standouts from the 2014–15 JV team were Kaitlin Eells, Jarexcy Privado, Sarah Miranda, Cristian Patron, and Janelle Jiron. Eells and Privado served as team captains. All five went on to play college basketball at schools including Whittier College, San Francisco State, Mount Mercy University, Dawson College, and Eastern Nazarene. One even represented her country—Sarah Miranda later suited up for the El Salvador U16 National Team.

For Jarexcy Privado, the foundation built under Coach Kindel became a blueprint for college success. “As simple as being on time, being prepared, work ethic, playing together, mindset, being coachable, paying attention to detail, in-game adjustments—those are things that carried over to my college career without hesitation,” she said. “This team as a whole, starting with Coach Nick, was a representation of that.”

But their first big moment came as teenagers, battling through one of their toughest games of the JV season. In a matchup against league rival El Camino Real, Granada Hills found themselves down 22–8 after the first quarter. It would have been easy to fold, but instead, they rallied. Behind clutch performances from Privado, Jiron, and Miranda, the Highlanders stormed back to win 47–41 in what became the defining win of their perfect season.

“We were getting punched in the mouth early, and I remember telling them in the huddle, ‘This is the moment—teams either break apart or come together.’ And they chose to fight back and come together,” recalled Coach Kindel. “That game told me everything I needed to know about their heart and grit.”

“What I remember the most about the 24–0 season was having the opportunity to be around the game I love and be able to show passion on the court alongside caring teammates and a caring coach,” said Privado. “That season was about building important habits that would benefit and keep us athletes on track for success. Most importantly, I remember having fun and feeling good. We were that team that had a target on our back from day one… We did not want to lose, and we didn’t.”

That comeback showed what set this team apart: resilience, chemistry, and an unshakeable will to win. “Something that you can’t teach is having heart on the court—it’s gotta come from yourself, (it’s) a matter of how bad do you want it,” said Privado. “This was a team that wanted it bad, a coach that wanted it bad. We had such a great bond all around and we knew what our assignments were. Whenever we stepped onto that court it was go time.”

Eells added that confidence was just as important as strategy: “Coach Kindel instilled confidence in all of us individually and as a team. We went into every game believing we would win.”

Record Breakers

Those same qualities carried over as the players moved up to varsity. From 2015 to 2019, Granada Hills Charter posted a combined varsity record of 101-24 and won four straight West Valley League titles. The 2017–18 team, in particular, was a force. Captains Cristian Patron and Sarah Miranda—both products of that undefeated JV team— and Granada Hills Charter girls basketball legend Emily Mitchell led the squad to a 28–6 finish, setting a varsity program record for most wins in a single season. That mark still stands today.

Kindel’s influence, according to Privado, extended far beyond the scoreboard. “Coach Nick’s leadership influenced our team’s mindset in reminding us that basketball is not an individual sport, but a team sport,” she said. “Team building is crucial—you can’t always do it alone. He cared about us. It was bigger than basketball on and off the court… If you can have fun doing all of the above, then you’ve already taken a step into greatness and success.”

While the varsity team was thriving, the JV program continued to reload and dominate. The next wave of talent kept the momentum going with back-to-back dominant JV teams in 2016–17 and 2017–18. 

The 2016–17 squad, led by Stephanie Ornelas and Ashley Jeong—both of whom later became key contributors to the 2019 CIF-LA City Section Open Division Championship team and were part of that record-setting 28-win season—finished with an impressive 22–1 record, capturing three tournament championships and another West Valley League title. This team also extended the JV program’s remarkable win streak under Kindel to 48 games, spanning three seasons, before it finally came to an end.

The following year, the 2017–18 team took it a step further, going a perfect 25–0—not only matching the undefeated feat of the 2014–15 squad, but surpassing it in total wins. Their 25 victories set a new program high for most wins in a single JV season, as they secured three tournament championships and back-to-back West Valley League titles. 

Raising the Bar

Across these two seasons, the JV teams combined for a remarkable 47–1 record, including a 34-game win streak, their second multi-season undefeated streak in four seasons. During this span, they added six tournament championships, two league titles, and of course, another perfect season. That era featured standout players like Megan Delgado—who went on to play at Occidental College— three-point specialist Ella Castro, and defensive anchor Samiyah Muhammad. Along with Ornelas and Jeong from the previous year, these players would go on to play pivotal roles in the 2018–19 varsity team’s run to the CIF-LA City Section Open Division Championship—the program’s first in over 30 years. 

The 25–0 win total stood as the program’s benchmark for excellence until the 2019–20 season, when Kindel’s JV squad raised the bar even higher, finishing with an outstanding 26–2 record—setting a new program high for wins in a single JV season.

This team was led by captain and playmaker Ella Cousart, lockdown defender and co-captain Belle Paez, and sharp-shooting guard Jensen Emi, who set a program record with 10 three-pointers in a single game. Their exceptional talent and leadership guided the squad through a challenging schedule that featured two tournament championships: the prestigious John Burroughs Gold Division Tournament, competing against the top private schools in the San Fernando Valley, and the Moorpark Tournament, facing the best teams from Ventura County. They also secured another West Valley League title, underscoring their dominance throughout the season.

A New Standard

Raising the standard once again, the 2019–20 JV team didn’t just win—they embodied the program’s relentless drive for excellence. Although they ultimately fell just short of an undefeated season, their achievements reinforced the program’s momentum and continued to elevate the level of talent rising into the varsity ranks. Their legacy stands as a testament to the depth, consistency, and culture that define the program. 

Looking back now, it’s clear that Kindel’s 24–0 JV team was more than just a strong group of underclassmen. They were the foundation. The culture they created—one built on discipline, trust, and winning—transformed Granada Hills Charter girls basketball and raised the expectations for what was possible.

“The players from the 2014–15 JV team were all extremely hard workers and great leaders,” said Honig. “They all were stars in their roles and kept pushing themselves to be better individual players, which led to much team success at both the JV and varsity levels. Additionally, they all held themselves and their teammates to the standard established in the program.”

A decade later, their legacy still echoes through the gym. Championship banners hang on the wall. College athletes and captains have come and gone. But it all started with one perfect season—and a group of JV girls who didn’t just win every game, but changed the future of the program forever.

While the original JV dynasty of the mid-2010s laid the groundwork, the program’s legacy didn’t end there. In the years that followed, new waves of talent continued to rise through the ranks—each group building on the standard of excellence set before them.

From the fall of 2020 through 2022, Kindel stepped away from Granada Hills Charter to serve as head varsity coach at Santa Clara High School in Oxnard and later at Northridge Academy in Northridge, California before ultimately returning to the Highlanders bench—this time as a successful varsity coach for one final run.

Continuing the Tradition

In 2023, Kindel returned to Granada Hills Charter, ready to continue building on the foundation he helped create. And nearly a decade after that 24–0 perfect season, Kindel once again led a JV squad that rose to the occasion—the 2022–2023 team, a new chapter in a legacy that continued to echo through the halls of Granada.

Led by Offensive MVP and JV Co-West Valley League Player of the Year Clare Lee, along with defensive standout Kathy Artiga, the team finished with an impressive 19–3 record and brought home yet another West Valley League title.

Just like their predecessors, this group didn’t stop at JV success. Clare Lee and Kathy Artiga went on to become key contributors to the 2023–2024 varsity team’s historic run to the CIF Division III Southern California Regional Championship—the first Regional Championship in school history for girls basketball.

History Made

Their impact was felt immediately in the playoffs. In the opening round of the CIF Division III Southern California Regionals against Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary, the Highlanders got off to a slow start, but Clare Lee came off the bench and ignited a comeback with 15 points—providing the spark and confidence the team needed to advance.

After a hard-fought 48–45 win at Morro Bay in the second round, Granada Hills advanced to the semifinal Regional matchup—a tense, sold-out home game against Cathedral Catholic from San Diego. With the score tied late in the fourth quarter, it was Katherine Artiga who delivered—scoring eight points in the final period, including two clutch free throws that sealed the 54–51 win and sent Granada Hills to its first-ever CIF Southern California Regional Final.

In the championship game, the Highlanders traveled to Bakersfield and made school history, defeating Bakersfield Christian 59–56 to capture the program’s first CIF Southern California Regional Championship.

When Clare and Kathy stepped up in the biggest moments, it proved the blueprint still works,” said Kindel. “Different names. Same fire. That’s what happens when your JV program doesn’t just teach basketball—it builds champions.”

It was a full-circle moment—close to a decade after Kindel’s first undefeated JV season, the legacy of strong junior varsity teams once again played a pivotal role in shaping varsity greatness. A testament to the idea that championship stories often begin long before the spotlight ever hits.

These JV squads weren’t just developing skills—they were building the mindset and chemistry needed to thrive on varsity and beyond. From early comebacks to championship banners, the legacy they started lives on in every player who walks into the gym today.

It’s easy to remember the records and the titles. But the real story is how those early JV teams raised the bar—how the players who once led JV huddles as underclassmen went on to lead varsity playoff runs, become postseason heroes, win CIF championships, cement their legacy, and rewrite school history. Those teams didn’t just win games—they rewrote the script for what was possible at Granada Hills. That’s the kind of legacy that doesn’t fade—it grows.

After helping Granada Hills Charter win its first CIF Division III Southern California Regional Championship, Kindel retired from coaching—but his impact continues to echo throughout the program. The culture he helped build—the work ethic, the joy, the belief in each other—still defines the teams that take the floor today. Kindel is a legend who helped lay the foundation that transformed Granada Hills Charter girls basketball into a powerhouse. His JV teams set records, built a winning culture, and sparked a varsity dynasty—leaving a legacy that still echoes a decade later.

Over six remarkable seasons under Coach Nick Kindel, the Granada Hills Charter Girls Basketball JV teams posted a dominant 137–8 record, capturing six West Valley League titles, 12 tournament championships, two undefeated seasons, a 48-game win streak that spanned three seasons and a 34-game win streak over two seasons that followed. This unprecedented run stands as a testament not only to the program’s competitive excellence but also to its enduring culture of discipline, development, and winning. What started as a dominant run at the junior varsity level turned into something bigger—a culture of winning, accountability, and growth that continues to shape Granada Hills Charter girls basketball.

As a key player on that 2023–2024 varsity team, Clare Lee reflected on her journey and the lasting influence of Coach Kindel’s leadership:  “Thanks to Coach Nick, I was able to leave the program with unforgettable memories,” Lee said. “He didn’t just coach us to win—he helped us grow into confident players who could rise to the moment.”

For more on Nick Kindel’s coaching career, including his time away from Granada Hills Charter from 2020 through 2022, see his Summer Spotlight article from last summer.