With three minutes left in the second quarter, the little mighty mite of a senior ran at River Valley’s most physical player, latched her silver dollar-sized hands on the ball and hung on all the way down as she took an express trip to the pine.

Jessica Soto gets vertical in the Yuba City High girls basketball game agianst River Valley on Thursday. (Photo by David Bitton/Appeal-Democrat)

Jessica Soto, Yuba City High’s point guard had just been thrown to the ground by the Falcons Alexandra Tanner. It was hard enough to elicit the requisite “ohhhhh” from the stands that came moments after the thud when Soto’s 4-foot-10 frame bounced off the Honker Gym floor.

For “Muffin,” it was mission accomplished. She had forced a jump ball, something she would do time and time again as the Honkers hosted the Falcons on Thursday. Whether it be Tanner, the 6-foot-1 Hayley Thompson or any other River Valley player who had possession, you better believe the girl that’s shorter than a VW bug was there trying to rip it out.

It was impressive. It took guts and tenacity and grit and hustle.

It’s “Muffin’s” M.O.

Her coach is used to seeing such efforts. I’m not. I was floored.

Then came her moment to truly shine. Given a wide-open, 14-foot look at the basket, Soto swished what would be the go-ahead bucket in the Honkers’ improbable 43-42 win over the Falcons. For a team that has struggled so much as Yuba City has in the last two seasons – 39 losses since fall 2008 – seeing the hapless but never heartless Honkers win a rivalry showdown was a pleasure for many involved.

And they have “Muffin” to thank.

Soto earned the nickname after she wore an all pink outfit and a teammate said she looked like a pink muffin a couple years back.  It stuck and now she can’t remember the last time any one called her Jessica.

After what I saw on Thursday, I will call her one of my favorite players in the area. She’s not perfect, as evidenced by when she got T’d up for slamming the ball. She doesn’t score a bunch (3.5 points per game) and you won’t see her in the paper on the All-Area team.

No matter. There’s something to be said for a microscopic player going all out, forcing turnovers, being a leader and sometimes, like on Thursday, owning her opportunity to be a hero.

“We talk so highly of Muffin,” Honkers coach Megan Perez said. “She’s plays it tough, she’s vocal and she’s very, very passionate.”

Agreed.

–Ryan Klocke

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