It's the common thread that weaves through the Sacramento High School boys and girls programs.

The best players play, regardless of grade level. Teamwork trumps talent, and sensitivity is best left off the court.

Those are the reasons the Dragons girls and boys each played in the CIF Northern California Division III Regional semifinals Saturday night for the sixth consecutive season.

While the second-seeded Sacramento girls (28-5) held off Campolindo (25-7) of Moraga 58-54 behind 19 points from senior Fantasia Hilliard and 16 from sophomore Allie Green, the top-seeded Dragons boys (27-6) lost 63-51 to a more aggressive El Cerrito (25-7), ending their bid to play in a fourth consecutive NorCal championship game. Sophomore De'von Boyd led the Dragons with 13 points.

The Sacramento girls advanced to next Saturday's title game for the second consecutive year. They will play top-seeded Bishop O'Dowd of Oakland at 10 a.m. at Power Balance Pavilion.

Bishop O'Dowd defeated St. Ignatius 48-39 in Saturday's other semifinal.

Basketball excellence has come to define the Oak Park school during the past decade, from demanding boys coach Derek Swafford, and through girls coaches John Langston, Pam McGee and, the past three seasons, Michele Massari. The latter easily matches Swafford's tough-love approach.

But while Sacramento has become a beacon for some of the area's most talented players, Swafford and Massari say this season's teams are special.

The boys rebounded from the loss of star Josiah Turner, who left in midseason for a school in North Carolina. The girls had to retool after scholarship stars Brittany Shine (Florida) and Kyra Dunn (Pittsburgh) graduated.

While Turner and Shine were dominant scorers in the mold of former stars Kevin Galloway, Chase Tapley and Vicki Baugh, both thrived without that go-to force.

While Sacramento got steady senior leadership from the 6-foot-11 Robert Garrett on the boys side and Hilliard for the girls, the Dragons' philosophy of playing talented underclassmen has been the most rewarding.

Sophomores Boyd and Aaron Cameron, reserve role players at the start with Turner, developed into key starters and scorers who got the boys further than a lot of people expected.

"You don't want your young ones thrust into a situation like this, but for the boys it happened," Swafford said. "I think they felt a little pressure of late, but this has been a good learning experience for them."

Ayanna Edwards, a 6-4 freshman, and Green, the sophomore, start for the girls, while 6-3 sophomore Delayna Tyler-Scott and 5-10 freshman Najah Queenland are big contributors off the bench.

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