From Player to Champion Coach, Kaela Stonebarger’s Full-Circle Moment with the Mills High School Basketball Team

3 Minute read

By Andrea Aruino

UPBasketball’s Kaela Stonebarger and the Mills High School Women’s Basketball Team were named the 2026 CIF Central Coast Section (CCS) Division III Girls Basketball Champions on Saturday. The Vikings took on the Santa Cruz Cardinals, a team they had an 1-1 record with this season, and won the title in a close game with a final score of 35-30. This victory named them back-to-back champions and gave them their third championship title in the last four seasons.

Stonebarger, who is the Assistant Coach and a former four year Varsity member of the Mills High School basketball team, stated that making it to this point in the season was surreal for her as she had never made it this far while she was on the team. Although her role was no longer a player, she still knew how to impact the game by instilling confidence within her players despite nerves.

“It came down to the last two minutes of the fourth. You definitely could feel the nerves and the jitters and it was a surreal experience because [during my career] we always fell short at CCS.” Stonebarger said. “We hit big time shots from our seniors, they made free throws when it counted and that’s why we made it to the championships.”

Following the CIF CCS Championship, the Vikings went up against the West Valley Eagles on Tuesday night in the 2026 CIF State Girls Basketball Championships but ultimately lost 55-71, ending their eventful season. As Stonebarger reflects on the season she mentions the fact that no game was given to them. An exceptional performance came on January 30, when they defeated the San Mateo Bearcats 44–42 in overtime. The thrilling win was especially meaningful, as it avenged an earlier 55–32 loss to the Bearcats. One thing that Stonebarger wants to instill in each player is the next play mentality which helps players to move on because that is all you can do playing such a fast paced game.

Every team in the conference shared the same determination to win and compete at a high level, but what set the Vikings apart was their commitment to playing for one another. “Ohana,” the team’s signature phrase, was the foundation of their team. This is something that Stonebarger aims to embody at UPBasketball as well, being able to work with younger players has taught her the importance of emphasizing the importance of community within a team.

“At UPB, I want to emphasize playing together because it’s rewarding to start them at a young age. Constantly letting them know ‘You’re taking really great shots but let's also get your teammates involved.’ Coming from Mills and the Ohana perspective is making sure we acknowledge the efforts of our teammates so I aim to bring that from Mills to UPB,” Stonebarger said.

Despite losing against the Eagles in the first round of state championships, the Vikings and Stonebarger remain in high spirits after accomplishing more than they could have imagined. Her commitment to becoming the best coach she can be inspires her players to hold themselves to that same standard as athletes. Stonebarger is proud of what the Vikings have accomplished this season and is looking forward to how the team and staff will grow next season.