In the overshadowed depths of Division V high school basketball, two players stand tall.

They cast their shadows as small-school wonders boasting of big game, as sharks devouring all comers in the small pond of obscurity – the farthest outpost of prep sports.

Josh Ritchart of Forest Lake Christian is the region's leading scorer at 28.1 points per game. Robbie Lemons of Sacramento Country Day is second at 27.8. They are fifth and sixth in the state in scoring, respectively, no small feat considering they play in the most populated state in the union.

Both are juniors. Both take apart every gimmick defense thrown their way.

Ritchart is a 6-foot-6 forward who runs the floor as if he were a guard. He can shoot, play above the rim and defend. He has a 4.0 grade-point average.

Lemons is a 6-3 guard who can post up as if he were a forward and run as well as any guard in town. He has range and is fundamentally sound with the sort of two-handed chest pass that would make a basketball purist beam. He has a 5.0 junior-year grade-point average and has never had anything less than an A grade since "maybe fifth grade," he said.

Ritchardt and Lemons can produce some of the most unselfish 40-point scoring efforts you'll find. No ball hogs here.

And both are still growing. Ritchart could hit 6-10. Lemons, he of the enormous hands and size 16 feet, could top out at 6-5 or more. He has an uncle who at 6-7 played high school and college ball.

In short, a lot of upside.

"They can play anywhere," Forest Lake coach Dave Thomas said.

They think about playing elsewhere, though they remain loyal to their schools. Ritchart and Lemons have grown up on their respective K-12 campuses, appreciating the academic challenges and communities.

Should Ritchart or Lemons ever leave for a larger school, there would be a seismic shake in their wake.

"I've thought about going to a bigger school, a public school, to see how that's like, but I'll probably stay because it's been great here," Ritchart said.

Said Lemons: "I think about playing at another school, but the way I look at it, this has been a great opportunity at Country Day, and I get great competition well beyond basketball."

David Ancrum, the Country Day coach, has coached Lemons since middle school. They have a special bond. Every summer and every weekend, he opens the Country Day gym doors for any takers. The list includes Kings players Quincy Douby, Donté Greene and Francisco García.

You can't get that sort of exposure at the nearest public large school, and it doesn't hurt that Ancrum played three years of Continental Basketball Association ball under Phil Jackson and 13 years of pro ball overseas, and has mingled with Kings players for years.

Ancrum calls his weekend gym "The Lab." His best pupil – Lemons – has flourished there.

"And Robbie is never in awe," Ancrum said. "None of the NBA guys make it easy for him. They bump him, lean on him, run him. And Robbie keeps getting better."

Thomas, the Forest Lake coach, and Ancrum say their stars are virtual gifts from the heavens. They said they could coach for a lifetime and not have another player of this magnitude come their way. Ritchart and Lemons lead their respective teams in every vital statistical category.

There is another thing to know about D-V basketball. Small-school wonders do indeed land big-time scholarships (Reeves Nelson of Modesto Christian, for example, is off to UCLA). Ritchart and Lemons are regulars on the summer travel basketball scene. They receive college recruiting mail.

"If you can play, colleges will find you – that simple," Ancrum said.

Ritchart had a rare quadruple double this season against Delta (30 points, 16 rebounds, 10 blocks and 10 assists). Lemons had a typical outing Tuesday at Valley Christian in Roseville: 46 points on 17-of-21 shooting, six assists, five rebounds and five steals, though his team fell 81-79.

In both games, family watched in awe and appreciation. Ritchart's father, Tom, was a 6-4 forward in his prep days in Modesto. Tom is a mechanical engineer who admits his days of muscling up his son are long gone.

Lemons is an only child to parents who are neurosurgeons. His father, Van, played at McClatchy and sits and marvels at his son during games now, saying, with admiration, "He's obsessed with this game, just loves it."

Call The Bee's Joe Davidson, (916) 321-1280.