Dakarai Allen and D'Erryl Williams already stand as the two best basketball players ever at Sheldon High School, and now they covet a bit more.
They want a lasting legacy. Two more championships. Their jerseys retired. Their names immortalized.
"To win a state championship ring would be the exclamation point for us and our team," Allen said.
Added Williams: "We want to be legends."
It already has been a remarkable run for the Huskies seniors, who hit the gun lap of their prep careers this week. Their resumes read of unparalleled regional success:
Four Delta River League titles in a row.
Four consecutive Sac-Joaquin Section Division I championships, a record.
The first public school to win a large-school Northern California banner in 2012.
Tuesday night, the muscular 6-foot-3 Williams and the long and lithe 6-6 Allen will lead NorCal-ranked No. 2 Sheldon against NorCal- and state-ranked No. 1 Salesian of Richmond in a NorCal Regional Open Division showdown at Saint Mary's College in Moraga. Salesian beat Sheldon 69-60 last month in a nonleague game. The Huskies tired late, missed all 14 of their three-point shots and returned from the East Bay grumpy but determined.
Allen and Williams vow better results this time. They sense the urgency, and neither wants Tuesday night to be their last stand.
"This is it," Allen said. "We know this is our time."
Allen and Williams provide Sheldon (26-5) with a unique skill set as a duo that loves to defend. On offense, Allen is explosive on the break, and crafty and slithery in the post, and he can hit three-point shots. Williams is a pass-first point guard early in games and often becomes a left-handed power player in the lane late.
Their combo act has played out for years with a growing list of admirers.
"I remember seeing Williams as a freshman and thinking, 'He's a man now!'
Allen and Williams have been best friends since the seventh grade, and it's no wonder they are in sync in so much of what they do. In conversation, in class, in play. Williams matured early. Allen didn't grow into his own until his freshman season, saying: "It took me a while before I was any good."
They have pushed each other to excel, and their bond only continues to tighten.
"We're brothers, very close, and it goes beyond basketball that's made us close," Allen said, eyeing his pal as they plowed through a plate of wings near school.
Brothers being brothers, they don't hesitate to scold each other on a blown play or a missed one-liner in the quad.
"We have enough authority to get on each other," Williams said with a laugh.
While their prep careers will soon end, the Allen-Williams show will move to Southern California. They will be college roommates at San Diego State, playing for the Aztecs next season on scholarship. Williams said he'll remind Allen to keep his boat-size shoes out of the front room. And they'll push each other on the court and in the classroom.
Both have been superb students at Sheldon. Their fathers - Von Allen and D'Erryl Williams, Sr. - also study their games. The fathers express admiration or discord, sometimes with just raised eyebrows.
"My dad remembers every play, and he'll tell me to play hard, play smart," Williams said.
Said Allen, "Our dads want the best for us."
So does Sheldon coach Joey Rollings, who said the jerseys of Allen and Williams very well might be retired.
"Great kids, great students, great characters and great players," Rolling said. "They've done it the right way, and they'll be missed."
Follow on Twitter: @SacBee_JoeD and on podcast: ESPN1320.net
© Copyright The Sacramento Bee. All rights reserved.
Read more articles by Joe Davidson
What You Should Know About Comments on Sacbee.com
Sacbee.com is happy to provide a forum for reader interaction, discussion, feedback and reaction to our stories. However, we reserve the right to delete inappropriate comments or ban users who can't play nice. (See our full terms of service here.)
Here are some rules of the road:
Keep your comments civil. Don't insult one another or the subjects of our articles. If you think a comment violates our guidelines click the "Report Abuse" link to notify the moderators. Responding to the comment will only encourage bad behavior.
Don't use profanities, vulgarities or hate speech. This is a general interest news site. Sometimes, there are children present. Don't say anything in a way you wouldn't want your own child to hear.
Do not attack other users; focus your comments on issues, not individuals.
Stay on topic. Only post comments relevant to the article at hand.
Do not copy and paste outside material into the comment box.
Don't repeat the same comment over and over. We heard you the first time.
Do not use the commenting system for advertising. That's spam and it isn't allowed.
Don't use all capital letters. That's akin to yelling and not appreciated by the audience.
Don't flag other users' comments just because you don't agree with their point of view. Please only flag comments that violate these guidelines.
You should also know that The Sacramento Bee does not screen comments before they are posted. You are more likely to see inappropriate comments before our staff does, so we ask that you click the "Report Abuse" link to submit those comments for moderator review. You also may notify us via email at feedback@sacbee.com. Note the headline on which the comment is made and tell us the profile name of the user who made the comment. Remember, comment moderation is subjective. You may find some material objectionable that we won't and vice versa.
If you submit a comment, the user name of your account will appear along with it. Users cannot remove their own comments once they have submitted them.
- Teen once lauded as hero is charged in Davis double-homicide case
- Men's Wearhouse ousts founder, pitchman Zimmer
- Petrie ends silence, says he's glad Kings are staying put
- On the 49ers: Willis has begun his Super Bowl push
- Girl tells jury she was tortured by her father's fiancée while he was in prison
- Budget bill would make it optional for California local governments to comply with public records laws
- Kings Blog and Q&A: D'Alessandro and Malone already working well together
- 49ers Blog and Q&A: Report: 49ers ink Greg Roman to two-year extension
- Raiders Blog and Q&A: Roundup of Raiders on Day 3 of the draft
- Prep Blog: Ziegenhirt, Moore named to USA national softball team
- The Frame photo blog: Brazil protesters keep up pressure on government
- Things to do in Sacramento and Beyond: Harveys and Harrah's have their summer acts together












About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "Report Abuse" link below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.