Adrenaline is rushing as she runs down the court, ball in hand. Coaches watch confidently, teammates cheer on the bench and parents show their support in the stands: she shoots and scores. Mathis Dritz ‘26, athlete of the month, stands out on the WHS girls basketball team.
A star player on the court, Dritz’s talents are exemplified through her statistics. This season, against Rolling Hills Prep, she scored 40 points, 21 rebounds, 1 assist and 7 steals. She is highlighted on the girls basketball teams’ Instagram account and recognized throughout the county as a high-level athlete. Dritz plays multiple positions: shooting guard, small forward and power forward, all while being a team player.
“Mathis is just a force to be reckoned with,” said varsity point guard teammate Payton Stern ‘24. “She goes after it, and a lot of us move with her pace, so when she’s attacking the rim or when we’re down, she’ll help us get back up. She’s a leader on the court for all of us when we’re out there.”
Dritz’s determination and work ethic continues to fuel her team’s success.
“She never quits. She always wants to be in the game and keep going,” said Devin Feiereisen ‘24, four year varsity guard and teammate.
Dritz’s talent is not only recognized by her direct coaches and teammates, but by the school and county. She was the 2022 Warrior Tip Off All Tournament Team, 2022 Ventura County Star Preps Player of the Week, 2023 Marmonte League MVP and 2023 Ventura County MVP.
“She is all over the place, especially under the basket,” said boys basketball assistant coach Jonathan Gillete. “She gets rebounds like crazy. She’s a lot taller than most of the players which helps, but even with that she knows how to position herself to get the rebounds and score.”
Teammates consider Dritz to be a leader on the court. She leads by example, and her influence remains considerable.
“I definitely see Mathis as a leader,” said Stern. “She’s not the most vocal, but her presence and her actions allow us to be better. If Mathis steps up, we’ll all kind of follow after her. It’s not necessarily her saying to do things, but rather [us] watching her do it, [so] we follow her in that sense.”
Dritz’s appreciation extends to her teammates. Their support, encouragement, character and friendship provide an environment that allows them to be successful.
“I love their supportiveness,” said Dritz. “When I’m having a bad day, they’re there to help me. They’re motivating and hardworking, so it makes the rest of the team work with their energy. I also think I bring good energy on the court so that helps my team work well together.”
Her coaches’ goals are for Dritz to continue to break records and focus on her future career as a college student–athlete.
“I hope to see her break several records at WHS and then move onto Division I basketball, wherever that takes her, WNBA or however far she wants to go,” said girls basketball varsity coach Joshua Budde.
As her senior teammates move onto the next chapter of their lives, their memories with Dritz will continue to inspire them.
“My favorite memory was probably her 36 point game last year as a freshman against NPHS,” said Stern. “That was memorable because [it] was obviously a high scoring game for her, and being able to help contribute to that and assist her was pretty cool.”
Dritz’s physical qualities capture the attention of coaches, athletes and audiences, and her mentality and drive makes her standout.
“The work ethic she puts in, how it shows in games and how she can do so many different things on the court is one of my favorite things about coaching her,” said Budde. “We ask a lot of her, so there’s not really one favorite thing. She’s a once in a few years player that comes along.”
