Tina Gross, Head Coach

This will be Coach G’s third season as the Lady Saxon Head Coach and seventh year overall.  Her career as a basketball player started at West High School, continued at El Camino Junior College, and concluded at San Francisco State University.  She received her Bachelor’s of Science Degree and California Teaching Credential from California State University Dominguez Hills, and currently teaching Health at North High and pursuing her Master’s Degree in Administration at Concordia University.
I’m very excited about the upcoming season! The players have been working extremely hard in the summer and off-season to prepare for the year. This quotation by Ralph Marston exemplifies what it means to be a Lady Saxon Basketball Player. “You already have the raw material for success and achievement. You have what it takes to achieve greatness in anything you desire. Within you is the potential for extraordinary accomplishments. No one is better suited for success than you. Yet, you are the one who must make it happen. You are the one who must make the commitment, and do whatever it takes, to achieve the greatness of which you are capable.”
I’d like to thank my wonderful staff (Coach Susie Gafford, Coach Traci Elliott and Coach Jonathan Woo) for their continued support and commitment. Finally, I’d also like to thank all the parents for your time, effort and support:  it’s the key component of our program’s success, and the reason I know these young women will further the tradition of basketball excellence at North High.
So, get ready for some very exciting basketball this season…I’m sure you won’t be disappointed!

Susie Gafford, Junior Varsity Coach

Coach Gafford (Mac) grew up in Moreno Valley where she attended Moreno Valley High School. She played Varsity basketball 3 out of the 4 years. After graduating high school, she earned her AA at San Bernardino Valley College while playing on the women’s basketball team. She continued her basketball career at California State University Dominguez Hills where she earned her BA in Kinesiology, Teaching Credential, and Masters in Administration. She has also coached at several CSUDH basketball camps.
I am so excited to be a part of this great team. They have extraordinary work ethic and true team cohesiveness that is essential to a successful team. It is such a pleasure to coach a team that responds so well to coaching and has the willingness to learn. I am looking forward to a great season full of exciting basketball. “The ratio of We’s to I’s is the best indicator of the development of a team.”- Lewis B. Ergen

Traci Elliot, Junior Varsity Coach

Coach Traci is a North High graduate and former Lady Saxon. She graduated in 2002 after playing 4 years of varsity basketball. Traci was a part of the 2001 and 2002 teams that made it to the CIF Championship Game. After high school, she attended the University of California Santa Barbara where she earned her BA in Political Science. Currently, Traci is a Substitute Teacher in the Torrance Unified School District.
This year’s JV team is made up of some of the most energetic, intelligent, and talented players I have ever had the pleasure of coaching. Day in and day out, the girls leave it all out on the floor, and have improved by leaps and bounds because of it.  Their explosive offense and smothering defense make them a joy to watch, and a privilege to coach. And to top it off, they’re pretty much the most charming team ever assembled. They’re spunky and funny and I’ll be a fan of theirs long after the season is over. Thanks to all the team moms and dads for the support and everything else you do for the Lady Saxons! JV…09!  

Jonathan Woo, Frosh/Soph Coach

This is Jonathan's first year coaching at North High. He currently teaches Mathematics at North: Algebra I and Algebra 2: CPM. In 1998, Jonathan graduated from Schurr High School in Montebello where he lettered in tennis. Jonathan, thereafter, attended the University of California-Riverside where he complete his degree in Sociology. Then, Jonathan decided to pursue his dream of becoming a math teacher and worked on his Master's of Education degree at the University of Phoenix for the next two years. Since receiving his credential, Jonathan has been working at North for the past two years and is loving every minute.
Aside from North, Jonathan coaches 11-grade prep girls through his church, Evergreen Baptist Church of the San Gabriel Valley. He enjoys the game of basketball especially when the Lakers are playing. GO CHAMPS! Jonathan's interests are snowboarding, watching movies, dreaming of eating banana macadamia nut pancakes from Boots and Kimo everyday, and coaching the Frosh Lady Saxons.