Broughton’s Jordan Page (1) goes up for the dunk against Wilson’s Josh Leonard (23) during the first half. The Broughton Capitals and the Wilson (SC) Tigers played in the first round of the John Wall Holiday Tournament on December 26, 2025.
Steven Worthy
RALEIGH
Score one for South Carolina’s top high school junior class recruit in a head-to-head matchup with North Carolina’s best.
In a game featuring a pair of top 2027 starters, Wilson High School of Florence, South Carolina held off Raleigh’s Broughton High School, 60-54, on Friday in the teams’ first game of the John Wall Holiday Invitational at the Raleigh school’s home gym.
Wilson’s Josh Leonard, listed as 247Sports’ and On3’s top 2027 South Carolina recruit — and top-25 nationally — led all players with 24 points in the win. Leonard also grabbed 10 boards. KJ Allen added 10 points for the Tigers, who advance to the semifinals of the Day-Ron Sharpe boys’ bracket to face Coronado High School of Nevada on Monday at 5 p.m.
Broughton’s Jordan Page. North Carolina’s top-ranked 2027 player by both 247Sports and On3 — and top-15 nationally — led the Capitals with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Freshman Jon Bowen was solid for Broughton with eight points and was a key piece of the home team’s comeback attempt in the third quarter.
Broughton will face regional rival Garner in a losers’ bracket game Saturday at 12:30 p.m. All the games in the boys’ brackets of the annual showcase are at Broughton High School.
Broughton’s Sam Freeman (3) looks to move against Wilson’s Jaden Gerald (5) during the first half. The Broughton Capitals and the Wilson (SC) Tigers played in the first round of the John Wall Holiday Tournament on December 26, 2025. Steven Worthy
Broughton’s Hudson Fitzgerald (0) recovers the loose ball to pass downcourt away from Wilson’s Jaden Gerald (5) during the first half. The Broughton Capitals and the Wilson (SC) Tigers played in the first round of the John Wall Holiday Tournament on December 26, 2025. Steven Worthy
The Broughton bench reacts to the 3-point shot made by Jordan page (1) during the first half. The Broughton Capitals and the Wilson (SC) Tigers played in the first round of the John Wall Holiday Tournament on December 26, 2025. Steven Worthy
Broughton’s Jordan Page (1) drives against Wilson’s Isaiah Addison (10) during the first half. The Broughton Capitals and the Wilson (SC) Tigers played in the first round of the John Wall Holiday Tournament on December 26, 2025. Steven Worthy
Broughton’s Jordan page (1) recovers the rebound away from Wilson’s Jaden Gerald (5) during the first half. The Broughton Capitals and the Wilson (SC) Tigers played in the first round of the John Wall Holiday Tournament on December 26, 2025. Steven Worthy
Broughton’s Brayden Tuttle (2) looks to shoot against Wilson’s Josh Leonard (23) during the first half. The Broughton Capitals and the Wilson (SC) Tigers played in the first round of the John Wall Holiday Tournament on December 26, 2025. Steven Worthy
Broughton’s Austin Youngs (12) looks to shoot against Wilson’s Jaden Gerald (5) and Carmello Whitaker (15) during the first half. The Broughton Capitals and the Wilson (SC) Tigers played in the first round of the John Wall Holiday Tournament on December 26, 2025. Steven Worthy
Greensboro Day 81, Millbrook 39
After a tight opening quarter, Greensboro Day pulled away in the second anf third quarters to post a convincing 81-39 win over Millbrook in the opening game for both schools at the John Wall Invitational.
Marty Giant led Greensboro Day with 24 points, including five made 3-pointers. Micah Gunter added 12 points, while Grant Duggins added 11 points and 12 rebounds for an impressive double-double.
Millbrook’s Josh Conti led his team with 24 points, while Will Pickett grabbed 10 boards for the Wildcats in the loss.
Christ School 78, Southeast Raleigh 54
Southeast Raleigh sped out to an early lead, but Christ School chipped away in the second quarter and then stepped on the gas in the third as the Greenies posted a 78-54 in the teams’ opening game of the John Wall Invitational.
Tyler Jones led four players in double figures for Christ School with 19 points. Dacen Petty had 15 points — all on 3-pointers — and Kingston Whitty also posted 15 points for the Greenies in the win.
Aaron Parker led the way for Southeast Raleigh with 20 points and nine rebounds.
Greenfield 62, Petersburg 51
After playing to a deadlock at the half, Greenfield pulled away in the third quarter and held off a Petersburg charge in the fourth to post a 62-51 win in the teams’ opening game of the John Wall Invitational.
Donovan Dickens led Greenfield with 16 points. Kobe Edwards added 12 while Cameron Moore and Braxton Dubose chipped in with 10 each in the win.
Latrell Allmond led all players with 22 points and 10 rebounds in the loss for Petersburg.
Highland 59, Southern Durham 53
Brayden Ragland went 11-of-18 from the field and poured in 26 points to help Highland of Virginia pull away from Southern Durham for a 59-53 win in the teams’ opening game of the John Wall Invitational.
Ragland’s total included a pair of 3-pointers, and he hauled in seven rebounds, as well. Isaiah Carter added eight in the win for Highland.
KJ Terry led the way for Southern Durham with 14 points, while Aden Jeffries added 10.
Washington 78, Reidsville 74
Reidsville mounted a furious second-half comeback Friday night against Washington in the teams’ opening game at the John Wall Invitational, but the Pam Pack held on to post a 78-74 win.
Shimere Garris led Washington with 33 points. Jarryn Payne added 16 and Chaise Smith 14 for the Pack.
Dionte Neal, a UNC-Greensboro-bound guard, led Reidsville’s comeback and poured in a game-high 42. Paul Cauthen Jr. added 16 for the Rams.
Coronado 50, Garner 45
Playing more than 2,000 miles from home, Coronado High School of Nevada showed no plane legs early against Garner, swooned a bit just after the half, but regained its composure to post a 50-45 win in the teams’ opening game at the John Wall Invitational on Friday.
Munir Greig led a balanced attack for the Cougars with 12 points. Amare Oba added 11 points and eight rebounds in the win.
Darius Whitner led all players with 14 points for Garner, with Kingston Beale chipping in 12.
Notre Dame senior Tyran Stokes, the nation’s No. 1 high school boys basketball recruit in the Class of 2026, has withdrawn from the school.
The school’s athletic director Alec Moss announced the news via a press release Wednesday afternoon.
“Notre Dame High School acknowledges Tyran Stokes’ decision to withdraw and explore new opportunities,” Moss stated in a press release. “We appreciate the contributions he made to our basketball program and community during his time here. We wish Tyran all the best as he pursues his future goals, and we are confident he will find success.”
Tyran Stokes reacts as Notre Dame defeats Harvard-Westlake 68-61 in the fourth round of CIF-SS Open Division pool play Feb. 21, 2025.(Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer)
Stokes, a 6-foot-8 forward, transferred to Notre Dame before last season from a prep school in Northern California. He averaged 21.9 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists as he helped lead the Knights to the CIF-SS Open Division championship game and the CIF Southern California Regional final.
Where Stokes will play his senior season is not known yet, but many expect him to play for a national prep school once again.
Notre Dame should still be one of the top teams in the area and all of Southern California, with San Diego State commit Zachary White and junior NaVorro Bowman returning.
It should be another interesting race this season in Mission League basketball, with Sierra Canyon now being the favorite after Stokes’ departure.
D.C. high school basketball star Acaden Lewis, of Sidwell Friends School, announced on Saturday that he’ll be attending the University of Kentucky.
D.C. high school basketball star Acaden Lewis (middle), of Sidwell Friends School, gathered with family and friends on Saturday to announce that he’ll be attending the University of Kentucky. (WTOP/Dick Uliano)
D.C. high school basketball star Acaden Lewis (middle), of Sidwell Friends School, gathered with family and friends on Saturday to announce that he’ll be attending the University of Kentucky. (WTOP/Dick Uliano)
One of the nation’s top high school basketball prospects, Acaden Lewis, of Sidwell Friends School, gathered with family and friends in the neighborhood gym that he loves on Saturday to announce his college decision.
The point guard sported a University of Kentucky T-shirt as he told a gym full of people he’ll play for the Wildcats and head coach Mark Pope following his 2025 graduation.
“Honestly, just grateful that I get to play at the University of Kentucky … outside of basketball, the system being a fit and everything, Pope and his staff made me feel like the priority, like the only person they really wanted,” said Lewis in a briefing with reporters following his announcement.
Lewis spoke of his affinity for the Trinidad Recreation Center, the Northeast D.C. neighborhood gym where he developed his basketball skills.
“This is actually where I started my career. My first workout ever was on this court,” Lewis said. He particularly appreciated Coach Pope and his staff making multiple visits to the gym and neighborhood he loves.
“As much as they were here, they came to Trinidad, they came to the barbershop, those are two places that really mean a lot to me. I’ve had the same barber my whole life, lived here my whole life,” said Lewis.
Among those surrounding Lewis on the day he announced his decision were his parents, coaches, teammates and neighborhood friends.
“We’re super excited for him. He’s put the work in and it’s coming to fruition. It’s been a long journey but deserving end,” said Jarett Lewis, father of Acaden. “He’s extremely disciplined and extremely committed and he was willing to make the sacrifices to get to this point. This is the compilation of a lot of hard work.”
Just outside the door of the rec center, dads manned the grill, cooking up hot dogs and hamburgers for the hungry crowd of admirers.
“I’m very proud of him, this is my first year playing with him, I’m a freshman on his team, he’s been teaching me a lot and I’ve definitely seen his grind, he’s been working a lot,” said Jadah Washington, a freshman on the Sidwell Friends team.
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Abington Senior High School Sports Aren’t Just Exciting. It’s Uniting.
In today’s America, sports are more important than ever. It doesn’t just unite us. It binds us.
Ten miles outside of Philadelphia — amid the array of colors of a Pennsylvania spring bloom — Abington Senior High School is doing just that.
One year after the Boys Varsity Track and Field placed first at the 2023 Penn Relays in the 400×4, this year’s Abington Boys Team also placed high in Penn Relays last weekend. This past fall, the Abington High School Boys Soccer Team advanced to the PIAA Quarterfinal Playoffs, where they fought right up to an Overtime Penalty Kick. Last spring the Abington Girls Flag Football Team won the Eagles Girls Flag Football League that was presented by Planet Fitness.
It couldn’t come at a better time.
It’s been a challenging year for Abington. Two weeks ago, police had to respond and place Abington Senior High School on lockdown after a large student fight. Last August, Police responded when a gun was uncovered in the stands of the 104th rivalry Abington and Cheltenham Football Game. Nearly a month later in September 2023, an altercation broke out inside Abington Senior High School between two rival groups. Abington Police were called in both altercations.
Last week, it was announced that this year’s Abington and Cheltenham Football Game — one of the oldest in the State of Pennsylvania since 1915 — has been suspended.
Photo Courtesy of Wiki Commons.
You can’t get more historic than Abington Village.
Much like Philadelphia, Abington was founded on a parcel of land negotiated by William Penn and the Lenni Lenape Indians. Abington’s Presbyterian Meeting — founded through the vision of Pastor Malachi Jones in 1714 — and whose congregation would build the first Church 310 years ago in the present-day Church Cemetery in 1719.
Abington has seen it all. It gave its sons to the American Revolution, the American Civil War, World War I, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. It nearly had to prepare a defense when Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia invaded Pennsylvania in 1863. And those same cemetery walls saw American soldiers fire down on British and Hessian forces marching up Old York Road in an attempt to encircle George Washington’s Continental Army and destroy it in 1777. When the Battle of Whitemarsh was over, it was the Americans who held the heights around Abington.
In 1946, Abington Township began a road widening project right outside of the cemetery at the corner of Susquehanna Street Road and Old York Road. Before the Public Works Project began, Abington Township was made aware that they may uncover several Lenni Lenape remains.
Over 350 years ago, before William Penn negotiated the transfer of the land to the colonials and long before Abington Senior High School’s Soccer teams played and practiced on the fields in and around Schwarzman Stadium, the Lenni Lenape Indians faced with the reality of European Colonials encroaching increasingly on their lands — both the men and women of the tribe played a sport called Pahsaheman.
The sport was a combination of modern football and soccer.
Abington Senior High School Athletics aren’t just providing distraction to a fear of hopelessness from the realities of modern American Society. They are creating hope for and excitement for the whole community.
A community that will wait patiently for another hope. The hope of a renewal of Abington and Cheltenham rivalry that has been played on Pennsylvania Football Fields for almost 110 years.
Oh and that 1946 Abington Public Works Project on the corner of Old York and Susquehanna Street Road that was expected to find the remains of a few brave Lenni Lenape athletes?
Imhotep’s Third Straight PIAA Championship Was Sweeter Than Ever.
If you visit Imhotep Institute Charter High School in Philadelphia — whatever you do — don’t reference The Mummy movie trilogy with Brendan Fraser. The basis for the name isn’t the film according to the website. The actual Imhotep was an Ancient Egyptian Chancellor, was a high priest of the Sun God Ra at Heliopolis, and an architect.
This year, the Imhotep Charter High School PIAA Class 5A Basketball Championship had additional meaning.
After all, it’s not all of the time that a high school basketball program goes from 2A to 5A.
All other Philadelphia-area high school powerhouses had already been eliminated from the PIAA Playoffs, Roman Catholic, Neumann-Goretti, Archbishop Wood, and Archbishop Carroll.
On this night at Hershey’s Giant Center, Imhotep Charter (29–3) was given all of the competition that they could handle against Franklin Regional.
Located between East Oak Lane and East Germantown, Imhotep Charter Institute High School is relatively new by Philadelphia standards, having first opened in 1998.
Imhotep has a total of nine state championships. They are 9–0 in State Title games as well. A recent poll by USA Today ranked them #21 nationally according to a TribLive.com article.
Late in the game on Friday night, Franklin Regional pulled to within 49–40. It was the closest that they ever came and Imhotep pulled the game out 58–49.
Imhotep’s 10th State Championship came with all other Philadelphia teams already having been eliminated.
It’s a rare moment to see two high school basketball teams in euphoria at the end of a game just minutes apart. But that is exactly what happened on Tuesday night in the New Jersey Group 2 Semifinal Boys Basketball Game between Manasquan High School and Camden High School, across the River from Philadelphia.
Manasquan High School is located in Manaquan Village, just over four miles north of Point Pleasant on the New Jersey shore.
Camden took a 46–45 lead by sinking two free throws with 5.8 seconds left in the game. Manasquan High School then brought the ball up the court and, after a missed shot, scored on what appeared to be a put-back basket with no time remaining to win the game 47–46.
The entire gymnasium erupted into celebration.
Not so fast.
After a quick discussion, the NJSIAA Referees ruled that the basket was scored after time ran out, and suddenly, the #2 team in New Jersey — Camden High School — was in victorious celebration, 46–45.
On Thursday, Manasquan High School took to the legal courts, and a judge ruled that there was no jurisdiction for the case to come to Ocean County.
An appeal has been filed; however the, Saturday’s game in the next round has not be delayed to date.
SAN JOSE –Santa Teresa has been one of the highest-scoring teams in the Central Coast Section this season.
But in an unpredictable post-season that tends to confound prognostication, it was Palo Alto who lit it up on offense Thursday in a 64-49 victory at Santa Teresa in the NorCal Division IV quarterfinals.
No. 8 seed Palo Alto (20-8) moves on to play at No. 4 Union Mine on Saturday in the NorCal semifinals. Union Mine is located in El Dorado, just outside Placerville.
“The guys were excited to still be playing, it’s an honor to play in the state playoffs,” Palo Alto coach Jeff LaMere said. “It’s a very close group. We have a tough, resilient, gritty group.”
Palo Alto’s Jorell Clark (12) takes a shot against Santa Teresa in the first quarter for their CIF NorCal Division IV quarterfinal game at Santa Teresa High School in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Palo Alto torched Santa Teresa’s zone defense in the first half, making 14 of 29 field-goal attempts and knocking down six 3-pointers in taking a 34-20 lead at the break.
No. 1 seed Santa Teresa (20-8) came out flying around in a fullcourt press in the third quarter and got the tempo going its way, cutting the Palo Alto lead to five on a couple of occasions.
But the Saints could get no closer. Palo Alto settled itself down in the fourth quarter, spreading the court and moving the ball quickly before double teams could arrive.
“They handled our pressure well,” Santa Teresa coach Patrick Judge said. “We came out tight, Palo Alto came out loose. At the end we ran out of gas. They hit some big shots, run-stoppers late in the shot clock. Hats off to them, Palo Alto’s a great program, and that’s what we’re trying to build here.”
Palo Alto’s Jorell Clark (12) blocks a shot against Santa Teresa’s Kenny Zuniga (22) in the second quarter for their CIF NorCal Division IV quarterfinal game at Santa Teresa High School in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Santa Teresa scored 90 or more points in a game four times this season.
“Our mental attitude coming into the game, we’re the 8 seed, they’re the 1 seed, but in state that doesn’t matter,” Palo Alto center Aiden Hangebrauck, aka Big Red, said. “Defense is what we do, defense is what we’re taught. That’s how we got ourselves here to the state tournament.”
Jorell Clark led all scorers with 20 points. He had 10 of Palo Alto’s 11 points in the third quarter, single-handedly keeping the Vikings in the lead in the face of Santa Teresa’s energized rally. He also had a slam off a steal in the middle of a 12-0 run in the first quarter that turned a 6-3 deficit into a 15-6 Paly lead.
Gavin Haase added 12 points for Palo Alto and Riley Yuen had 10, making three of his team’s seven 3-pointers.
Kenny Zuniga scored 18 points and Adam Nakai had 14 for Santa Teresa.
“I’m incredibly proud of my boys,” Judge said. “Coming in here late, getting hired in September, only having three, four months with these kids. An incredibly blessed season. I think they left it all out on the floor.”
Santa Teresa’s Alex Peoples (11) is fouled by Palo Alto’s Aiden Hangebrauck (22) in the fourth quarter for their CIF NorCal Division IV quarterfinal game at Santa Teresa High School in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) Palo Alto boys basketball head coach Jeff LaMere celebrates a 3-point basket against Santa Teresa in the second quarter for their CIF NorCal Division IV quarterfinal game at Santa Teresa High School in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) Palo Alto’s Jorell Clark (12) heads to the basket against Santa Teresa’s Alex Peoples (11) in the first quarter for their CIF NorCal Division IV quarterfinal game at Santa Teresa High School in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) Santa Teresa’s Kenny Zuniga (22) dribbles against Palo Alto’s Gavin Haase (3) in the third quarter for their CIF NorCal Division IV quarterfinal game at Santa Teresa High School in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) Palo Alto’s Jorell Clark (12) dunks against Santa Teresa in the first quarter for their CIF NorCal Division IV quarterfinal game at Santa Teresa High School in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) Palo Alto’s Gavin Haase (3) takes a shot against Santa Teresa’s Kenny Zuniga (22) in the second quarter for their CIF NorCal Division IV quarterfinal game at Santa Teresa High School in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) Santa Teresa High School boys basketball head coach Patrick Judge talks to his team during a break in action against Palo Alto in the third quarter for their CIF NorCal Division IV quarterfinal game at Santa Teresa High School in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) Santa Teresa’s Alex Peoples (11) fights for a loose ball against Palo Alto’s Gavin Haase (3) in the second quarter for their CIF NorCal Division IV quarterfinal game at Santa Teresa High School in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) Palo Alto’s Tyler Wong (2) dribbles against Santa Teresa’s Casey Tran (2) in the first quarter for their CIF NorCal Division IV quarterfinal game at Santa Teresa High School in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) Santa Teresa’s Alex Peoples (11) scores a 3-point basket against Palo Alto in the third quarter for their CIF NorCal Division IV quarterfinal game at Santa Teresa High School in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Salesian has been the No. 1 team in Northern California for much of the season. Sunday, the Richmond powerhouse was rewarded with the No. 1 overall seed in the CIF Northern California regionals. The Pride are back in the Open Division for the first time since 2019 after beating De La Salle for the North Coast Section Open Division title on Friday. Being the top team in the Open is not uncharted territory for the Pride. They also were the No. 1 seed in 2013, 2018 and 2019. Let’s just say those were forgettable regionals for Salesian. The Pride lost their first game on all three occasions, to Sheldon-Sacramento in 2013, Folsom in 2018 and Modesto Christian in 2019. Salesian also made the Open as a No. 8 seed in 2016 and No. 5 seed in 2017. The Pride lost their first game in those years, too, to De La Salle. This time around, Salesian has a bye in the first round on Wednesday, then will play No. 4 seed De La Salle or No. 5 seed Modesto Christian on Saturday night (probably at Contra Costa College) in the regional semifinals. The winner will move on to the final. If the seeds hold, Archbishop Riordan will be waiting in the championship game. The San Francisco school received the No. 2 seed after capturing the Central Coast Section Open Division title with a victory over Archbishop Mitty on Friday. The Crusaders are the only team from the CCS in the NorCal Open. Mitty, which normally has a spot reserved in the top bracket, is the No. 3 seed in Division I. The Monarchs will be at home on Tuesday night to play 14th seeded Dougherty Valley, the NCS’s Division I champion which, like Mitty, was in the Open last season. — Darren Sabedra
Girls: Top storyline
Archbishop Mitty’s McKenna Woliczko takes a shot in the CCS Open final against St. Ignatius on Friday at Santa Clara University. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
Archbishop Mitty, as expected, received the top seed in the Open bracket. It’s well-earned. The Monarchs are 28-0 and have defeated every California team on their schedule by at least 25 points. They won their four Central Coast Section playoff games by an average of 42 points on their way to a 32nd section title. MItty’s all-star team, which has super sophomore McKenna Woliczko and future college players Elana Weisman and Belle Bramer, might be tested against the region’s other elite teams in its quest for the program’s first Open state title. The Monarchs will play Folsom (25-5) or Cardinal Newman (28-2) in the semifinals on Saturday night. The good news for Mitty is that it has a bye on Wednesday, which will give UConn-bound McDonald’s All-American Morgan Cheli even more time to prepare for her return after missing the past few weeks with a leg injury. Coach Sue Phillips said she expects Cheli to be good to go Saturday. If the seeds hold, Mitty will face Clovis West at home on March 5 for the NorCal championship. Mitty beat Clovis West 63-43 in the first round last season. –– Joseph Dycus
Boys: Luck of the draw
The San Ramon Valley bench celebrates a 3-point basket against Granada during the NCS Open Division playoffs on Feb. 15. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
No doubt there were a few teams smiling and slapping high-fives after the brackets were unveiled a little after 4 p.m., starting with the San Ramon Valley boys. It’s always a guess to figure out how many teams the CIF will put in the Open Division. Last year, it went with five. In some years, it has gone with the maximum eight. This year, it has six. San Ramon Valley was seventh on the board. As such, the Danville school was seeded No. 1 in the 16-team Division I bracket instead of being the seventh seed in the Open, which would have meant a trip across the Bay Bridge to play the Open’s No. 2 seed, Riordan. For those of you new to the seeding process, here is a quick primer: The CIF does not use enrollment to divide its teams. It instead ranks them. The top five to eight teams are placed into the Open Division. The next 16 are in Division I and on down the line through Division V. Like SRV, Branham and Santa Teresa benefitted from the luck of the draw. The San Jose public schools received No. 1 seeds, Branham in Division II, Santa Teresa in Division IV. Their path to a state final will include only home games through the regionals. Branham was the sixth-ranked team out of the CCS, Santa Teresa the 15th. Athenian, a small school in Danville, also was on the fortunate side of the draw. The NCS Division V runner-up is the No. 1 seed in the NorCal D-V bracket. Athenian has a first-round bye before playing its regional opener in the quarterfinals at home on Thursday. –– Darren Sabedra
Girls: Luck of the draw
DUBLIN – Oakland Tech forward Jhai Johnson (5) grabs a rebound against Edge Academy-Canada. (Joseph Dycus/Bay Area News Group)
Pinewood went from the No. 4 seed in the CCS Open to the top seed in NorCal’s Division I bracket, which is a best-case scenario for longtime coach Doc Scheppler. The Panthers are seeking a sixth state title, their first since 2014. Pinewood’s road to Sacramento will run through its home court in Los Altos Hills. That should give an edge to Pinewood’s deadeye shooters, who make 37 percent of their 3-pointers on 29 attempts per game. Branham won the CCS Division I title on Saturday, and instead of being penalized for its success with a low seed in Division I, the Bruins received the top seed in Division II. Few teams at that level can match up with 6-foot-4 post Quinn Godfrey, who scored 32 points and grabbed 19 rebounds against Evergreen Valley in the title game. Oakland Tech is on that short list of teams that have the height to match up with Branham. A year after winning the D-I state title, Oakland Tech (11-16) had to forfeit six non-league games after playing an ineligible player this season. The Bulldogs cruised through the Oakland Section to clinch a NorCal spot, and even though their own coach Leroy Hurt insisted that his team should play in Division I, the state seeded Tech No. 10 in Division II. Future major college basketball wings Jhai Johnson, Terri’A Russell and Taliyah Logwood have already proven they can thrive against Division I competition, and are now playing a step down while a year older and wiser. — Joseph Dycus
Boys: Short end of the stick
Dougherty Valley’s Aadi Malali reacts after his team defeated Dublin for the NCS Division I title on Saturday. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Let’s be clear. Even for teams that didn’t get the best seed, it’s not all bad. We’re sure there are hundreds of eliminated teams across the region that would trade places with them without any hesitation. But things could always be better. Dublin left its home gym on Saturday night trying to pick up the pieces after falling to rival Dougherty Valley in the NCS Division I final. Sunday, the Gaels came within a whisker of being the No. 1 seed in Division II. Instead, they are the No. 16 seed in Division I and will travel to the Central Valley on Tuesday to play top-seeded Clovis West. Head-Royce might have even gotten a shorter piece of the stick than Dublin. The Oakland school celebrated winning an NCS Division V title on Friday over league rival Athenian. Head-Royce was given a No. 16 seed in Division III. It will open the regionals on the road against top-seeded Santa Cruz. To make a state final, Head-Royce will have to win four road games. Athenian, the top seed in Division V, can make it to the state finals in Sacramento with three wins, all at home. Los Gatos also didn’t get the best of draws either after winning the CCS Division I title on Saturday. The Wildcats were seeded 13th in Division II and will open on Tuesday at No. 4 Bishop O’Dowd, which lost in the NCS Division I semifinals to Dougherty Valley. The path for Dougherty Valley isn’t that great, either, as the 13th seed in Division I. — Darren Sabedra
Girls: Short end of the stick
San Ramon Valley watches as Cardinal Newman receives its first-place medals after the NCS Open Division title game (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
After losing to Cardinal Newman in the NCS Open final, San Ramon Valley coach John Cristiano hoped that his team would be the top seed in Division I. CIF didn’t grant his wish, seeding the Wolves sixth in the Open. San Ramon Valley is a talented team that has won 28 of its 30 games, but it lacks the top-end talent and size that it will see in the Open. Even if SRV somehow wins on the road Wednesday against St. Mary’s-Stockton, it will only get tougher in the semifinals on Saturday at Clovis West, which has a bye on Wednesday. … Salesian got off to a slow start after graduating several key contributors from last season’s NorCal Open runner-up but has rounded into form down the stretch. Saturday, the Pride defeated California 56-48 in the NCS Division I title game. Instead of being a high seed in Division II, the perennial power from Richmond was saddled with the No. 12 seed in a challenging Division I bracket. … Northgate had a good regular season as a solid team from the Diablo Athletic League, and then pulled off a couple of upsets in the NCS Division II bracket before falling 50-41 to No. 1 seed Redwood in the championship game. The Broncos reward for their great run? The No. 16 seed in Division III and a visit to No. 1 University-San Francisco. How good is University? The Red Devils were comfortable scheduling Archbishop Mitty this season. Does it matter that Mitty pounded them by 62? We’re about to find out. – Joseph Dycus
DUBLIN – San Ramon Valley forward Avery Knapp was exhausted, bruised and bitterly disappointed after Cardinal Newman outlasted the Wolves 61-55 in a thrilling North Coast Section Open Division championship game at Dublin High.
But she also left the locker room proud of her team, who pushed the Cardinals to the limit over 32 minutes of gritty defense and tough shotmaking.
“We were up to the challenge and matched their physicality,” Knapp said.
The Wolves led 50-46 with four minutes left in the game, and appeared to have everything going for them.
Cardinals forward Taissa Queiroz, who the Wolves had held in check by sending double and triple-teams at every time she touched the ball, was on the bench holding a towel to her lip after hard contact drew blood.
She returned a few possessions later, and instead of being tentative, the Brazilian sensation broke a 50-50 tie by drawing contact to earn two free throws and then power through SRV defenders for another layup and a 54-50 lead.
“When I got hit in the lip, it was like ‘Now, I need to go hard,’” said Queiroz, who scored 13 points. “I can’t take it easy.”
San Ramon Valley watches as Cardinal Newman receives their first place medals after their NCS Open Division Championship game at Dublin High School in Dublin, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. Cardinal Newman defeats San Ramon Valley 61-55. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Sofia Bowes answered by going right at Cardinal Newman’s superstar junior, playing through an injured ankle to make a layup against Queiroz and draw the foul. Bowes led the team with 16 points.
Janelle Pena shut down any ideas of a Wolves rally with under two minutes when she scored on a fastbreak layup and then drove in for a hook shot to put the Cardinals back up by five.
Bowes scored one more layup with a minute remaining to cut the lead to three, but Queiroz powered in a putback layup and hit a free throw to keep the game out of reach.
“We knew it would be a one- or two-possession game, and that’s what it was,” SRV coach John Cristiano said. “We were hoping we’d be the ones on top at the end, but theat was a good team. I’m very proud of our girls.”
San Ramon Valley head coach John Cristiano watches his team play Cardinal Newman in the first quarter of their NCS Open Division Championship game at Dublin High School in Dublin, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
The loss stung for SRV’s players, some of who shed tears during the trophy ceremony, but it may end up a blessing in disguise. Had the Wolves won the game, they would have been a lock to play in the NorCal Open bracket, which includes the unstoppable Archbishop Mitty juggernaut.
Instead of having to compete against the best girls basketball team in America with two five-star college prospects, San Ramon Valley may end up in Division I.
Winning that wouldn’t be a cakewalk by any means, but it wouldn’t be impossible. SRV’s coach wouldn’t complain if that’s how things shake out for the Wolves.
“I think they should go with five teams (in the Open), bring Clovis West up and push us down into the No. 1 (seed) in Division I,” Cristiano said.
Cardinal Newman jumped out to a 32-23 halftime lead, as both Pena and Kate Schat drilled multiple 3-pointers. A couple of Knapp threes and a flurry of layups by 13-point scorer Tera Chen kept SRV around.
SRV’s offense came alive in the third quarter, scoring 19 points as the Wolves flew around screens and ran in transition to get open looks. Cardinal Newman took a 46-42 lead into the fourth.
San Ramon Valley completed the comeback with six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, taking a 48-46 lead after Chen cut into space and finished the play with a layup.
San Ramon Valley’s Sofia Bowes (42) drives past Cardinal Newman’s Janelle Pena (24) in the second quarter of their NCS Open Division Championship game at Dublin High School in Dublin, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
But once re-energized Quieroz re-entered the game, SRV had no answer for Cardinal Newman’s unstoppable post. Even when they cut off her drives, Quieroz fired accurate bullet passes to open teammates like an oversized point guard.
Quieroz’s Cardinal Newman (28-2) and Knapp’s San Ramon Valley (28-2) will both learn where they’re seeded in NorCal on Sunday.
“I’m ready for anything,” Knapp said. “We can’t control where we’re going to be placed, but we’re going to put up a fight either way.”
San Ramon Valley’s Sofia Bowes (42) shoots past Cardinal Newman’s Leah Mauritson (21) in the second quarter of their NCS Open Division Championship game at Dublin High School in Dublin, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) Cardinal Newman players celebrate with the first place plaque after defeating San Ramon Valley during their NCS Open Division Championship game at Dublin High School in Dublin, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. Cardinal Newman defeats San Ramon Valley 61-55. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) Cardinal Newman head coach Monica Mertle hugs Taissa Queiroz (12) after defeating San Ramon Valley during their NCS Open Division Championship game at Dublin High School in Dublin, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. Cardinal Newman defeats San Ramon Valley 61-55. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) Cardinal Newman head coach Monica Mertle holds up the first place plaque as her players celebrate after defeating San Ramon Valley during their NCS Open Division Championship game at Dublin High School in Dublin, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. Cardinal Newman defeats San Ramon Valley 61-55. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
SAN MATEO — It took a while for Ryan Pettis to get it going. But once he did, he made a big difference in Serra’s 59-49 victory Friday over Sacred Heart Prep in the Central Coast Section Open Division Pool A playoffs.
Pettis, a 6-foot-3 senior headed to play college ball across the country at Fordham, didn’t score until midway through the second quarter when he ripped home a slam to cap a 10-0 run that gave Serra a 19-16 lead.
He went on to score a game-high 22 points.
“Ryan was huge tonight,” Serra coach Chuck Rapp said. “Once we started moving the ball better, we got some better looks. Then Ryan made some plays, kind of took over the game a little bit. Did everything but sweep up the floor after. He was the D-I guy on the court today, and you could tell.”
No. 5 seed Sacred Heart Prep (20-5) jumped out to a 16-9 lead after one quarter. The Gators shot 50 percent that quarter (6 of 12) with point guard Drew Wagner knocking down two 3-pointers and scoring eight points.
Serra’s Andrew Mcdowell #1 drives on Sacred Heart Prep’s Alex Osterloh #22 and Tyler Hogan #34 in a CCS basketball playoff game, Friday, Feb. 16, 2024, at Serra High School in San Mateo, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
But No. 4 seed Serra (18-7), long known for a fierce defensive approach and a physical style of play, turned the game all around at the outset of the second quarter, forcing the Gators to miss their first seven shots.
“Not push them around, per se, but yeah, the more physical the better,” Rapp said. “If it ain’t rough it ain’t right. The WCAL prepares us for that. It’s a grind and iron sharpens iron. Get out of that WCAL cauldron, you’re battle-tested, battle-hardened, and I think you saw that tonight.”
To go along with that defensive effort, the Padres scored on five consecutive possessions. Mikey Ballout hit a pair of buckets, Alex Naber made two free throws, Andrew McDowell scored down low and then Pettis put the finishing touch on that 10-0 run with the dunk that brought the house down.
“When you start missing shots it affects your defense a little bit,” SHP coach Tony Martinelli said. “I thought our energy level dipped, we got a little frustrated missing those shots that went in early. It started showing up on an extra rebound here and there, second and third opportunities for Serra. You can’t give a good team extra opportunities. They’re going to hurt you.”
Sacred Heart Prep’s JP Kerrigan #3 gets kicked in the chest by a Serra player while passing into the land during a CCS playoff game, Friday, Feb. 16, 2024, at Serra High School in San Mateo, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
Sacred Heart Prep may have been a bit down at that point, but certainly not out. TJ O’Brien hit a 3-pointer in the final minute of the first half to tie the score 24-24 before McDowell made a 3 at the buzzer to give Serra a 27-24 halftime lead.
SHP gained its last lead of the game at 33-32 after an offensive-rebound basket by Alex Osterloh. Serra scored the last six points of the third quarter as Pettis connected on back-to-back jumpers, and that was the start of a 19-5 run, culminating on a fastbreak layup by Angelo Ghattas, that put the game away.
Wagner led the Gators with 15 points. In addition to the 22 scored by Pettis, Ballout had 11 for Serra.
SHP had a 13-game winning streak come to an end.
“We hadn’t lost in a long time,” Martinelli said. “This one definitely stung.”
Next in Pool A play, SHP will host No. 1 seed Archbishop Riordan on Monday.
“Having one of the best teams in the state coming into our gym, we look at it as a challenge,” Martinelli said. “That’s all you can do. Don’t feel sorry for yourself, we’ll have one day of practice to get ready for it. I think the guys will respond to the challenge.”
Serra hosts No. 8 Bellarmine on Monday and then plays at Riordan on Wednesday. The Padres lost twice to the WCAL champion Crusaders during the regular season.
“That’s one of our biggest goals right now,” Ghattas said. “I mean we take all these games seriously, but our biggest goal is Riordan. They embarrassed us in our second game with them. We’re working hard and we want to get to the championship game.”
Sacred Heart Prep head coach Tony Martinelli watches his team play Serra in a CCS basketball playoff game, Friday, Feb. 16, 2024, at Serra High School in San Mateo, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group) Serra head coach Chuck Rapp encourages his team against Sacred Heart Prep in a CCS basketball playoff game, Friday, Feb. 16, 2024, at Serra High School in San Mateo, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group) Sacred Heart Prep fans cheer their team in a CCS basketball playoff game against host Serra, Friday, Feb. 16, 2024, in San Mateo, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group) Serra’s Sebastian Margate #3 drives on Sacred Heart Prep’s Alex Osterloh #22, in a CCS basketball playoff game, Friday, Feb. 16, 2024, at Serra High School in San Mateo, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group) Sacred Heart Prep’s Drew Wagner #1 battles Serra’s Alex Naber for a rebound in a CCS basketball playoff game, Friday, Feb. 16, 2024, at Serra High School in San Mateo, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
For anyone who thought the Mission Valley Athletic League was a one-team league this season — i.e. Moreau Catholic and no one else — here is a score that badly contradicts that notion: American 61, Redwood 58, overtime. That’s right, the 14th-seeded American boys traveled to Marin County on Wednesday and returned home to Fremont with a victory over third-seeded Redwood, a result that sends the Eagles soaring on cloud nine as they advance to play at sixth-seeded Benicia in the North Coast Section Division II quarterfinals on Saturday night. Kiratraj Sanghera (19 points), Jordan Bucko (17 points) and Sahaj Bahia (12 points) were American’s leading scorers. Bucko had nine points in overtime. Redwood beat San Ramon Valley in December, a fact that did not escape the Eagles as they made the drive home. SRV is the fourth seed in the NCS Open Division. “I’ve got some kids in the car and they just brought that up a little bit ago,” said American coach Ed Villatoro, whose team improved to 18-9. “They were talking about that.” Villatoro has coached the varsity program at American for 10 years. The playoff berth this season was the team’s first under the coach. Now, the Eagles will have two NCS games in one week. How did the they pull it off against Redwood? “We got off to a good start,” Villatoro said. “It kind of gave us some confidence to get off to a good start. Our seniors played well. It was close all the way.” The teams were tied 17-17 after one quarter. American led 28-25 at halftime and 37-35 heading into the fourth period. The score was 47-47 at the end of regulation. So … what did the Eagles do to celebrate? A nice dinner before the drive home? “Not tonight,” Villatoro said. “It’s been a long day. They had to get out of school early. It’s more of get them home, get them some rest, let them finish any homework they’ve got. That’ll have to wait. We have another game to play Saturday.” — Darren Sabedra
SURPRISES
The one upset in the girls Division II bracket saw No. 10 College Park throttle No. 7 Irvington on the road 65-40 behind Taylor Ochoa’s 22 points. A mild surprise unfolded in girls Division IV as No. 9 St. Mary’s-Berkeley edged out No. 8 Lick-Wilmerding 64-60. — Nathan Canilao
GAME DETAILS
Division II boys
No. 4 Moreau Catholic 76, No. 13 Ukiah 55: Moreau cruised at home behind 16 points from Dominic Walker and 15 from Kevin Chapman. The Mariners also got 12 points from Cole Loud and 10 each from Spencer Shonnard and Tyler Bailey as they stretched their winning streak to 15 games. Moreau (20-7) advances to play host to fifth-seeded Alameda on Saturday. Alameda beat No. 12 seed Las Lomas 64-55. Ukiah finished 12-7.
No. 6 Benicia 43, No. 11 Petaluma 31: Jacob Edwards and Jackdan Eyike each scored 11 points as Benicia, playing at home, advanced to the quarterfinals with a victory over Petaluma. The visitors led 24-21 at halftime but managed just five points in the third quarter as Benicia took charge. Benicia (19-10) advances to the quarterfinals on Saturday at home against No. 14 seed American. Petaluma finished 21-8.
No. 9 Tamalpais 75, No. 8 Northgate 72: Northgate’s season came to an end on its home court as the Broncos fell to Tamalpais in a first-round game. Auvin Cole (16 points), Jace Peterson (14 points) and Logan Raven (12 points) were the leading scorers for Tamalpais, which advances to play at top-seeded Montgomery on Saturday. Northgate fell to 18-11.
Division II girls
No. 4 Moreau Catholic 68, No. 13 Hayward 35: Mahlaysia Atkins and Elisa Ortega each had 14 points to lead the Mariners past crosstown rival Hayward. Moreau put the game away early, holding a 43-15 lead at halftime. Evalynn Jimenez led Hayward with 18 points.
No. 5 Foothill 53, No. 12 Antioch 39: Riley Young and Beti Terpstra each had 18 points in a 14-point win over Antioch. The Falcons were clicking from the jump, scoring 35 points in the first half. Foothill didn’t allow Antioch to score more than 14 points in a quarter in a solid defensive performance.
No. 3 Miramonte 67, Rancho Cotate 46: Karena Eberts turned in another high-scoring performance as she dropped 28 points in a blowout win over Rancho Cotate. The Matadors scored 60 points in three quarters to advance to the quarterfinals, where they’ll face Diablo Athletic League foe Northgate.
— Darren Sabedra and Nathan Canilao
ON TAP FOR THURSDAY
The section’s Open Division playoffs begin with two boys and two girls games. It will be a rematch in the boys bracket as fourth-seeded San Ramon Valley will play host to fifth-seeded Granada. The teams have met twice this season, both times at Granada. The home team won 60-58 during the regular season. In the sequel last week, SRV rolled 80-56 and then beat De La Salle 68-59 to capture the East Bay Athletic League tournament championship. SRV didn’t get a bump from the NCS selection committee for the De La Salle triumph. Instead, the Wolves simply earned another date with Granada. … Clayton Valley Charter did get a bump from its victory over Ygnacio Valley in the Diablo Athletic League tournament final, earning the sixth and final spot in the Open. The Uglies will travel to the North Bay to face third-seeded Branson. … In the girls Open, third-seeded Carondelet will visit sixth-seeded Piedmont because, per the NCS bylaws, league champions get the home game in the first round if the opponent did not win its league. Welp, Carondelet did not win its league. … In the other girls first-round game, No. 5 Bishop O’Dowd will travel to fourth-seeded Acalanes, which has won 14 in a row. — Darren Sabedra
ATHERTON — When the buzzer sounded, the Mills girls basketball team gathered at mid-court to celebrate a gusty 46-40 win over Menlo-Atherton Friday.
The sound of cheering screams from the players and parents in the stands could be heard from the parking lot. The Vikings had just captured the Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division title in a game where it looked like they were going to come up empty handed.
As both teams walked through the handshake line, Mills coach Justin Matsu congratulated the Menlo-Atherton coaches, walked to the end of the his team’s bench and broke down.
With his team hugging and cheering with each other near midcourt, the 5-foot-10 head coach took off his thin-framed black glasses and wiped away tears from his eyes.
When he looked up, his mother Julia was waiting to embrace him. As they both shed tears of joy, she told Matsu how proud she was that he got his team here.
Friday’s win for Mills meant a lot more than just winning the league title. For the Vikings, the win was in honor of Justin’s father Dave Matsu — the long-time Mills coach who died of a stroke in October.
“These girls have done such a great job of playing with a fire from within that my dad fueled,” Matsu said.
“They’ve helped me out more than I have helped them. Just getting through this whole process, we’re gonna try to keep this thing going.”
Mills head coach Justin Matsu instructs his team during a timeout in the fourth quarter at Menlo Atherton High School Friday, Feb. 9, 2024, in Atherton, Calif. (Photo by Jim Gensheimer)
Dave and Justin Matsu led Mills to its first Central Coast Section Title since 1985 last season. When Dave died, Justin Matsu took over as head coach before this season started.
The stakes were high for both teams coming into Friday’s game. If Menlo-Atherton had won, the title would have been shared between Mills, Menlo-Atherton and Carlmont as all three teams would have had a 6-3 record in league play.
The pressure of the game looked to have caused some nerves early for the Vikings. Mills didn’t score a basket until the 1:04 mark of the first quarter and went into the second quarter with just four points total.
Mills trailed by as much as eight in the second quarter, struggling to find a rhythm offensively.
“I think nerves played a part in the slow start,” Matsu said. “It’s a tough place to play and shoot, so I knew we just had to find our groove on the offensive end.”
With the Vikings down 19-14 at halftime, they needed a spark on both ends.
Matsu felt that an adjustment or big halftime pep talk didn’t need to be made. Instead, he believed he just needed to lean on the players that got the team to this point.
Mills’ Sofia Kwan (15) shoots under pressure from Menlo Atherton’s Janiya Moss (15 ) in the second quarter at Menlo Atherton High School Friday, Feb. 9, 2024, in Atherton, Calif. (Photo by Jim Gensheimer)
After a relatively quiet start to the game, junior guard Sophia Kwan put the team on her back in the second half. Kwan didn’t miss a shot in the third quarter and made a curling mid-range jumper that gave the Vikings their first lead of the game at 26-24 with just under two minutes left in the third.
Kwan finished the game with 23 points with 16 coming in the second half.
After three, Mills was down 30-29. An 8-0 run from the Vikings to start the fourth quarter gave them a comfortable seven-point lead with five minutes left in the game.
It was a shift in mentality for the Vikings who looked timid early. But with each made shot in the second half, their confidence continued to grow.
“We just knew we could do much more than what we showed (in the first half),” Kwan said about the Vikings’ second half run.
Mills’ Michelle Tang (4) looks to maneuver after grabbing a rebound over Atherton’s Janiya Moss (15 ) in the fourth quarter at Menlo Atherton High School Friday, Feb. 9, 2024, in Atherton, Calif. (Photo by Jim Gensheimer)
But Menlo-Atherton wasn’t going away just yet. The Bears cut the lead to just two with under 30 seconds left in the game.
With the league title on the line, it was the Vikings’ two best players who sank the biggest shots of the night. Senior Michelle Tang, who finished the game with 12 points, went to the free throw line and sank both of her foul shots to make the score 44-40 with 15 seconds left.
Kwan closed the game, hitting the final two free throws of the night as Mills pulled off the win.
“We didn’t want a shared title,” Tang said. “To get this win for Dave means more than anything for us.”
For Mills, winning the PAL Bay is just the start of what the Vikings hope to accomplish this season. After winning a CCS title last season, the team said they came into this year expecting to do a lot more.
“Right before the season we had a coaches meeting with my dad and he wrote out our goals in a notebook,” Matsu said. “All he wrote was league, CCS and Norcal. We have a long way to go before we get to the last two, but it’s just so nice to get one of these for him.”
Mills High School players celebrate their 46-40 victory over Menlo Atherton at Menlo Atherton High School Friday, Feb. 9, 2024, in Atherton, Calif. (Photo by Jim Gensheimer)
THOUSAND OAKS – The Oaks Christian boys basketball team used an impressive team effort as it defeated visiting Canyon 72-47 in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division 3AA playoffs on Wednesday night.
It is the first playoff victory for Oaks Christian since the 2017-2018 season.
The Lions (19-10) were led by different scorers all four quarters.
Oaks Christian had 11 players score in total, with six of them connecting for 3-pointers. Bench players accounted for 33 points, including all 17 in the fourth.
“Sometimes it’s a blessing and a curse to have depth, right?” said Lions coach Mark Amaral. “Everybody wants to play, and everybody’s kind of capable of helping a little bit. But that’s been really good for us. It’s been a different guy each night.”
Wednesday night it was sophomore Isayah Garcia’s turn. Playing in only his third game after missing nearly a month due to injury, the guard looked like he hadn’t missed a beat as poured in a team-high 18 points off the bench.
Oaks Christian got 16 points from Nick Giarusso, who added eight rebounds and four assists, and 10 points from Stevie Prudholme, who knocked down a trio of third quarter 3-pointers that helped the Lions open up a big lead.
As well as they played offensively, Oaks Christian may have been better on the other side of the ball. Stevie Amar (eight points, three steals, three blocks) caused multiple turnovers that led to points in the game’s opening minutes.
“Any team loves it when your defense can create offense,” said Amaral. “And we talk about starting games, starting halves, the right way. And we’ve been doing that lately, and it starts with our defense, for sure.”
The defense made sure that was true against the Cowboys (17-11). In both the first and third quarters, the Lions allowed just two field goals.
Canyon’s Eric Kubel scored 21 points, hitting four 3-pointers. Amar and senior Lukas Lechau (two steals, two blocks) shared duties trying to guard Kubel.
“That’s kind of been a little bit of a luxury we’ve had,” said Amaral. “We’ve kind of kept fresh guys on better players. (Kubel) is a good player. It worked out for us tonight.”
Oaks Christian will play at Sage Hill in the second round Friday night.
This is the first playoff appearance for the Lions since 2018-19. They aren’t taking it for granted.
“It’s super important,” said Garcia. “I came here my freshman year, we’re 4-24. And it was to the point where you didn’t even wanna play basketball anymore. But then the next year we completely turn around. We were 20-4. Unfortunately we missed the playoffs but that kind of set us up for this year. It changed our minds into a winning culture.”
Added Amaral: “We talked today about controlling the controllable. Things you can control and things you can’t. You can control your effort, right? Now, fouls and other such things, you can’t, but your effort is one thing I never want to have to coach. These guys buy into it, and you know how it is – when you see some results of that, then it makes selling a little bit easier. So I’m just proud for these guys. I’m proud for the whole Oaks community.”
STUDIO CITY — Nearly 2,300 people tuned into the live stream of the Mission League boys basketball final between Harvard-Westlake and Crespi on Friday night, and 58 of them were watching from Taiwan.
Harvard-Westlake’s Robert Hinton and his older brother, Adam, competed at the William Jones Cup Invitational in Tapei over the summer and gained a fanbase while growing from the experience.
“Seeing how much basketball’s loved around the whole country is just so amazing,” Hinton said. “And I’ve never had fans before. Having people that support me so much in one stadium, and it was amazing.”
The fans watching live from Taiwan saw Robert Hinton’s no-look pass to Christian Horry and his subsequent corner 3-pointer. They witnessed him score 19 points, his awareness to play in transition and make plays for himself as well as those around him, something Harvard-Westlake coach David Rebibo has urged him to do.
“He’s improved so much year to year,” Rebibo said. “His ability to get to the spots on the floor and get in the paint is second to none. But we challenge him now to make plays for others.”
The Wolverines went on to win on Friday night, as well, 72-54.
Hinton and his coach have an ongoing dialogue whenever the senior is on the bench, communicating mostly about fatigue and how his body is feeling. The talking continued on the court with his teammates, which Hinton says helped Harvard-Westlake beat Crespi for the team’s sixth straight Mission League title.
It’s something that’s been built over Hinton’s last four years with the Wolverines and helped resuscitate the Wolverines when their shooting temporarily went cold in the second quarter.
“We’ve been together as a team and as a family this whole season. And just making sure that we stay together and work hard, stay connected throughout these next few weeks is going to be key,” Hinton said.
The Wolverines had an unexpected opponent Friday night. The Celts secured a spot in the championship game by beating Sierra Canyon 64-61 in the semifinals after losing to the Trailblazers earlier in the season.
Hinton’s high standard of play was predictable, though, at least for Harvard-Westlake’s coaching staff.
“You know he is going to give you everything he has every single night,” Rebibo said. “And you know he is going to fight tooth and nail for his team, for this school and program.”
The commitment has been there even before Hinton secured a spot in the starting lineup his junior year. Harvard started to pursue him around the same time and was sought after by multiple high-level programs.
He stayed loyal to the process at Harvard-Westlake and eventually committed to Harvard. He will be following his brother, who plays at Cornell, to the Ivy League.
His fans in Taiwan are loyal to Hinton, too, as the world waits to watch what unfolds for him.
NORTHRIDGE — Heritage Christian’s gym had cleared out except for the boys basketball team, its coaches and its supporters on Tuesday night.
It was a big night for the basketball community at the school as the Warriors won the Olympic League title on senior night and earned coach Paul Tait his 200th career win. They celebrated the night’s 69-60 win over rival Village Christian with food and togetherness.
“When you’re at home and there’s so much on the line for the seniors and a league title, you just feel like it’s kind of going our way the whole night,” Tait said.
The rivalry lived up to its billing and the game was competitive throughout.
Heritage Christian’s Dillan Shaw (20 points) hit a jumper with 20 seconds left in a low-scoring first quarter, but Village Christian (19-8, 4-3) led 9-8 when the frame came to an end.
The Crusaders got right to work in the second quarter with Deion Lewis, who finished with 13 points, scoring on a jumper and Jaden Karuletwa (15 points) making a 3-pointer for a 14-11 advantage. Their shaky perimeter shooting appeared more steady as the game went on, but Heritage Christian was not-so-quietly getting into a rhythm, too.
“We just needed to connect,” Heritage Christian freshman Djordan Hall, who scored 17 points, said. “We came out there in the first half just thinking we could do it ourselves. But when we started connecting the second half as a team, we thrived together.”
The Warriors (20-8, 8-0) had formed chemistry early this season thanks to familiarity within the team. Hall and the team’s three other freshmen — Josiah Nance, Dominic Loehle and Max Hackney — had played for Heritage Christian’s middle school team and came up through the program together.
Tait said that 10 of his 12 players went to Heritage Christian’s middle school and that everyone on the team this season has been at the school for the last two years.
Moments like Tuesday’s postgame celebration in the gym helps build relationships.
“There’s a great community here,” Tait said. “A lot of juniors and seniors are really taking those freshmen under their wing and it builds culture. And so that’s what we’re hoping continues here for years to come.”
The Warriors’ Roman Fisher sank a 3-pointer to tie the game at 22-all before the his team went on a 6-0 run. Tae Simmon’s turnaround jumper put Heritage Christian in the lead at halftime.
Heritage Christian withstood Village Christian’s press in the third quarter to maintain its lead. The Crusaders manufactured some of their own momentum toward the end of the quarter to close the gap. Andrew Perez scored on a putback at the buzzer to make it 43-41 with the Warriors in the lead.
Simmons went in for a two-handed dunk with 45 seconds left in the game, then came up with a block on the other side of the court to solidify the Warriors’ late-game dominance.
Simmons finished with 14 points and some highlight-worthy plays, but there was no drop-off in confidence when Village Christian guarded him and the ball was dealt to other players.
“At the beginning of the year, we relied so heavily on Tae because he was averaging 20-something last year,” Tait said.
“Tae and Dillan, to their credit, really made an effort to keep getting everyone involved, keep trusting them. It would be really easy for two players of that caliber to force it every single time, but that’s not going to help you in the long haul.”
The Warriors take the next step in building their culture when the CIF Southern Section releases its playoff brackets on Sunday at noon. Village Christian, which is in second place in league with one game left, will also learn its playoff outcome on that day.
A Vermont Christian school that withdrew its girls basketball team from a playoff game because a transgender student was playing on the opposing team is suing Vermont for barring it from state tournaments and a state tuition program.
Mid Vermont Christian School of Quechee forfeited the Feb. 21 game, saying it believed that the transgender player jeopardized “the fairness of the game and the safety of our players.”
The executive council of the Vermont Principals’ Association, which governs school sports and activities, ruled in March that Mid Vermont Christian had violated the council’s policies on race, gender and disability awareness, and therefore was ineligible to participate in future tournaments.
The school filed a federal lawsuit in Burlington on Tuesday, saying the Vermont Agency of Education’s refusal to designate it as an approved independent school amounted to discrimination against religious schools.
A separate entity, the Vermont State Board of Education, requires independent schools to post on their websites and provide to the board a statement of nondiscrimination that is consistent with the state’s public accommodation and fair employment laws, and submit a signed assurance by the head of the school that it complies with the public accommodation law.
If a school is not approved, it cannot participate in Vermont’s town tuition program, which pays for students in communities that do not have a public school to attend other public schools or approved private schools of their choice. Approval is also needed for an independent school to have students take college courses through a state program.
“Mid Vermont Christian and its students are being irreparably harmed” by being excluded from the programs, as well as from middle school and high school sports, the lawsuit states.
A spokesman for the state Agency of Education declined to comment when reached by phone on Wednesday. The head of the Vermont Principals’ Association said in an email that the organization had not seen the lawsuit and had no comment at this time.
In a separate case, the Agency of Education and several school districts last year agreed to pay tuition costs and legal fees to five families to settle two lawsuits challenging the state’s practice of not paying for students whose towns don’t have a public school to attend religious schools.
The two sides agreed to dismiss the lawsuits after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that Maine schools cannot exclude religious schools from a program that offers tuition aid for private education.
In 2020, a divided U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a Montana case that states can’t cut religious schools out of programs that send public money to private education.
SAVANNAH, Ga. — Larry “Gator” Rivers, who helped integrate high school basketball in Georgia before playing for the Harlem Globetrotters and becoming a county commissioner in his native Savannah, died Saturday at age 73.
Rivers died from cancer, Chatham County Commission Chairman Chester Ellis told the Savannah Morning News. Campbell and Sons Funeral Home said Rivers died at a hospital in Savannah.
Rivers was a sophomore on the all-Black Beach High School team that won the first Georgia High School Association basketball tournament to include Black and white players in 1967. He blossomed into an all-state player, graduating from the Savannah high school in 1969 and going on to be a small college All-American at Moberly Junior College in Missouri and an all-conference guard at what is now Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph.
He went on to play and coach for 16 years with the Harlem Globetrotters, reuniting for a time with high school coach Russell Ellington.
Rivers once told WTOC-TV that during his tryout for the Globetrotters, team legend Marques Haynes led Rivers into a closet storing tables and folding chairs, handed Rivers a basketball and said “Let’s see you dribble around this.”
“So I was dribbling around chairs, under tables, doing anything I could do to impress him,” Rivers said.
Rivers came home to Savannah and got involved in the community, volunteering in schools, promoting the rebuilding of neighborhood basketball courts and opening the non-profit youth mentorship organization Gatorball Academy to teach basketball.
Rivers ran for the county commission in 2020 as a Republican and was elected without opposition after the Democratic nominee was disqualified over a previous felony conviction.
”I don’t know when we weren’t friends,” Ellis told WTOC-TV, calling Rivers “a legend.”
”That was a big part of him, giving to the children that’s behind him,” Ellis said. “Like he said, ‘Somebody gave to me, and so it’s my job and my responsibility to give back.’ And that’s going to be missing a whole lot.”
Rivers’ death brought condolences from U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, Savannah Mayor Van Johnson and others. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said Rivers “led a life of accomplishment and chose to spend much of that life serving the people of his community.”
Johnson wrote on social media that “Legends never die, so you will always be around, my friend,” adding in an official city statement that Rivers “never forgot Savannah or Beach High School and dedicated endless hours of mentoring and teaching the rules of basketball and life to scores of young people. For this, he will always be remembered.”
Funeral arrangements had not been announced Sunday.
