San Lorenzo Valley High senior Amelia Sizemore was already at the top of her game following a stellar junior year on both the girls’ basketball and softball teams.
So it was no surprise that she would continue competing at the highest standard going into her final season in a red and black Cougars’ uniform.
In the end, she wound up having another remarkable year and once again helped lead two programs to a pair of successful runs.
“I just wanted to go out for senior year, put in a lot of hard work,” she said. “Just do my best.”
Sizemore was a key factor in helping the girls’ basketball team take second in the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League standings with a 7-3 record in league play this season. She had an average of 8.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.4 assists per game in 25 games played, which earned her all-league first team honors.
Sizemore made a lot of memories during her time at SLV, but she said going on a deep run in the basketball postseason will go down as one of the most significant to her.
“Our team got along, worked really well together and put in a lot of work that season,” she said.
The Cougars earned the No. 10 seed in the Central Coast Section Division IV playoffs, beating both KIPP San Jose Collegiate and No. 7 Carmel in the first two rounds.
Sizmore then helped SLV’s softball team cap off its season with an unblemished 15-0 record in SCCAL play to capture the league title outright after sharing it with Soquel High in 2022.
She was also named the SCCAL’s Pitcher of the Year by the coaches within the league.
“I couldn’t have done it without my pitching coach, Bob Sanchez, who helped me a lot throughout high school,” she said.
Sizemore also thanked her parents, especially her dad who has coached her since she could remember.
“They just pushed me,” she said.
Sizemore could add another accolade in her illustrious athletic career after she was named the Press Banner’s Girls Athlete of the Year for the 2022-23 season.
“It means a lot,” she said. “It took a lot of hard work to be good at two sports.”
San Lorenzo Valley Athletic Director Chris Coulson said that Sizemore has been super even keeled her entire athletic career.
“If you ever watch her play she’s never yelling at the refs, she’s never questioning a call,” he said. “She just just gets to it.”
Coulson also mentioned that Sizemore’s confidence level always soars past the ceiling and her game face is colder than a polar bear’s paw.
“But then off the court she’s the nicest kid, greatest teammate,” he said. “All the other girls and all the sports love her.”
At times, Sizemore would drain a clutch 3-pointer and not once did she run down the court showboating or jump up and down. Coulson said their standout athlete never brought the focus on herself.
“The way she behaves, she makes it all about the team,” Coulson said. “If you just see her in the huddle, or you see her in the dugout, she doesn’t have that me, me, me attitude.”
SLV softball coach Mark Brown said some leaders are more on the vocal side. Sizemore was not that type of leader, but she let her play on the softball field or basketball court do the talking.
“She leads with her work ethic, attitude, effort and composure in difficult situations,” he said. “I’ve been fortunate to watch Amelia continually improve and reach milestones over the years. She’s an amazing young person, and I look forward to what she accomplishes in the future.”
