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| Brothers Diego Solis (5, in center foreground) and Gabe (2, in background) on the floor at the same time after a long winter of recuperation. (Photos by Ed Piper) |
With St. Augustine's Tyson McWilliams flying toward the basket, Diego Solis reached in and deftly knocked the ball away, the 6'2" Saints guard's arms flailing in midair.
Then, guarding McWilliams as he tried to inbound the ball, the Viking guard batted it down, annulling yet another play.
The back-to-back defensive gems didn't make a difference in the outcome, coming as they did with a minute left in a game long-before decided. But La Jolla fans took notice, as they were two of five blocks or stops that Solis, newly returned to the lineup after a long winter of recuperation, executed in his reserve role January 19.
"Thanks," said Diego modestly when complimented on the plays after the game on the deck overlooking the basketball court in St. Augustine's shiny new sports complex. His isn't a false humility. He just enjoys playing basketball and football, and things are good now that he and his brother Gabe can both relish some of the remaining time in the Vikings' season to play together and give their team a boost in manpower.
In fact, Gabe, a senior who will graduate from La Jolla High in June, showed some of his stuff with a rebound, a jumper in the lane and hard-nosed hustle on defense.
McWilliams owns a few more inches of length over Diego, but that has never been a factor limiting the younger Solis' ability to stymie a shot. Last year, as a shorter freshman, the now-5'9" guard made similar plays, frustrating big men who figured they faced no opposition in the diminutive player.
Some back court players, as well, readily concede baskets to taller forwards and centers. Not Diego. He is watchful on the location of the ball, and before the shooter can take the ball up and out of his reach, he'll try to get a paw in there and knock it away.
Just as his elder brother showed focus and attentiveness on defense against the top-ranked Saints, Diego got right up against McWilliams in their duel that took place over parts of the last three quarters with the outcome decided.
This unfolded after La Jolla coach Paul Baranowski inserted Diego with 2:42 left in the second quarter.
With the Solises and others showing fight and stick-to-it-iveness, what got out of hand with a 31-point home bulge in the third quarter against Chibuzo Agbo, Luke Haupt, and company was pared down to a final 19-point margin. Not pretty, but indicative of the underdogs' efforts under adverse conditions against a team undefeated in the Western League.
An incident that brought a smile to La Jolla fans despite the daunting events unfolding on the court was senior Langston Aron's last name being announced with a Spanish accent. Langston's dad, sitting in the stands on the visitors' side, chuckled at that.
Soon after his block and bat-down, Diego sank a soft jumper in the paint that brought back memories of last summer, even last season. It was his first connection from the field this year in a season delayed by his broken collarbone in football Oct. 20.
The lefty then followed with a three-pointer, after a Saints turnover, to close out the Vikings' scoring for the night.
One just wonders what would have been if Solis only concentrated his athletic efforts on basketball. But then that wouldn't be Diego, or his brother, who have always juggled the two sports and excelled at both.
Rewind to the end of the third quarter, and the younger Solis pulled another pair of back-to-back defensive plays. First, Diego stole the ball, then couldn't finish on the layup, the ball trickling short at the rim.
Then, on St. Augustine's following attempt to bring the ball upcourt, the Viking guard took the ball away again.
Earlier, late in the second quarter, Diego blocked a shot.
Solis also showed an adept touch as a playmaker in his limited minutes, threading a nice pass inside to one of the La Jolla big men early in the fourth quarter.
He then made the transition to defense after the play didn't result in a basket, and disrupted a St. Augustine interchange at the other end of the floor before fouling Saints guard Misael Rosado when he couldn't cleanly take the ball away.
Diego also played well in tandem with his fellow guards. When Behzad Hashemi made a steal in the fourth quarter, but then didn't convert on a layup, Solis quickly followed up and put the ball in.
Diego is taller and has filled out noticeably since his freshman year, when a school classmate noted he looked smaller than some of his opponents.
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